[NEF PRESS RELEASE]
Portland, Maine (August 15, 2023) – New England Fights and Boston Boxing Promotions present “NEF 54: A Fight at the Opera” on Saturday, September 2, 2023, at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. A full pro boxing card will take place beginning at 5 pm immediately followed by a full MMA card. Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur MMA bantamweight championship bout to the card. Teddy Politis (6-1) will meet Marco Berreondo (3-3) for the vacant 135-pound title.
Politis will look to become the first champ-champ in NEF history by capturing his second gold strap with the promotion in less than sixty days. Last month at “NEF 53,” Politis won the NEF Amateur Featherweight Championship with a second-round submission of Brandon Maillet-Fevens (4-4). Although it has been tried in the past, no fighter has ever held belts simultaneously in two different weight divisions with NEF. Politis has won his last four MMA fights in a row. He represents Evolution Athletix in Saco, Maine.
“I am excited to make history by being the first person to hold titles in two different weight classes for NEF,” said Politis. “I’m not sure who my opponent is or what he does. I’m eager to create my masterpiece and showcase what I am capable of.”
Standing in Politis’ path to history is a very tough Marco Berreondo. He has been a regular on MMA cards in his home state of New York since August 2021. Berreondo is coming off a first-round submission of Vincent Pagnotta (1-1) this past spring in a bout that saw Berreondo capture a regional bantamweight title in Queens, New York. He represents Warriors Nation MMA based in Brooklyn.
“I feel great,” noted Berreondo. “I’ve heard lots of great things about NEF and watching some of the fights on YouTube and Instagram, I can’t express how grateful I am to be a part of this organization. Two of my fights have fallen through within these last couple of months. But, within that time, I’ve continued to evolve my mind, technique, and body. I’m really looking forward to securing this Bantamweight NEF title and enjoying the fruits of my labor!”
“NEF 54: A Fight at the Opera” takes place on Saturday, September 2, 2023, at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine. A professional boxing card will be presented first by Boston Boxing Promotions immediately followed by an MMA card by New England Fights. Doors are scheduled to open at 4 pm with first fight taking place at 5 pm. Tickets to “NEF 54” are available now at www.porttix.com.