[NEF PRESS RELEASE]
Portland, Maine (October 21, 2021) – New England Fights (NEF) returns with its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 45: Uprising,” on Friday, November 5, 2021, at Aura in Portland, Maine. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the main event for the card. Josh “Hook On” Harvey (7-1-1) will defend the NEF Professional Featherweight Title against Aguilando Brandao (9-8) at a fight weight of 145 pounds.
Josh Harvey has held the NEF Pro Featherweight Championship since February 2019 when he defeated Bill Jones (13-12) at “NEF 37” for the vacant strap. It was the second time Harvey had captured gold in the NEF cage. In 2015, he won the promotion’s amateur lightweight title at “NEF 18” with a first-round submission of Ricky Dexter (1-0). Harvey will be looking to bounce back from a non-title loss to Jesse Erickson (10-8) in the lightweight division at “NEF 42” in February 2020. It was the first loss of Harvey’s professional career. He currently represents Vision Quest Muay Thai based in Newport, Maine.
“I’m excited and grateful to have a chance to show the evolution of my skill set,” said Harvey. “Through this Covid vacation my coach and I haven’t skipped a beat building a new gym and training a stable of fighters that call Vision Quest Muay Thai home. It’s an honor to represent my team and community on the NEF stage.”
Aguilando Brandao is a newcomer to the NEF cage, but one of the most experienced veterans on the New England combat sports circuit. With a career stretching back to 2006, Brandao has faced some of the biggest names in the region including Pedro Gonzalez (13-5), Justin Homsey (7-1), and UFC veteran Tateki Matsuda (15-10) to name a few. In recent years, Brandao has turned to professional boxing. He represents Boston Krav Maga and holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
“I’m very happy to be fighting for the 145-pound title in the great state of Maine,” stated Brandao. “This is a great opportunity for me to showcase my skills and I hope to put on an exciting fight. Thank you to NEF for giving me this chance. I will not disappoint!”
“Brandao may be a face new to NEF fans, but he has a long, storied career in the New England fight circuit,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “He started actively competing 15-years ago and, like Harvey, put together an impressive undefeated 6-0 record right out of the gate. I first met him in 2008 when I was the matchmaker on an event in Massachusetts. Aguilando had a reputation for facing all the top fighters in the area at the time—and he beat many of them. He’s trained a lifetime to still be able to do what he does. Glory is a familiar flavor to him—and he wants to taste it again. For Harvey, a win over Aguilando puts him one step closer to his goal of getting to the UFC.”
“NEF 45: Uprising” takes place on Friday, November 5, 2021, at Aura in Portland, Maine. Doors open at 6 pm with first fight at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.Ticketmaster.com.
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