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| Tim Sylvia who will faceoff with Randy Smith and Tyler King |
Lewiston, Maine (May 9, 2012) – New England Fights! (NEF) is proud to announce a professional heavyweight feature bout between Travis “The Showstopper” Bartlett (8-2) and former NFL football player Tyler King (3-1) at Fight Night III on June 16th at The Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. Fight Night III is being headlined by a heavyweight bout between former 5x UFC Heavyweight Champion of the World, Tim “The Mainiac” Sylvia (30-7) and Randy “The Wolf” Smith (14-10-1).
“This is a big card that keeps getting bigger,” stated NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. “Bringing Travis Bartlett back home to make his heavyweight debut against a giant guy like Tyler King is the perfect compliment to a massive main event in Sylvia-Smith. I don’t think anyone can plan on either of these bouts going to the judges!”
Bangor, Maine native Travis Bartlett began his mixed martial arts (MMA) career in 2007 after completing an impressive amateur boxing career with a record of 77-19 and #6 national ranking to his credit. After entering MMA, he soared to the #1 regional position at light heavyweight by rattling off a number of highlight-reel knockout performances and winning a local title along the way.
After successfully defending his title, Bartlett made the decision to move from Maine to the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, to pursue his dreams of becoming a full-time fighter. Once established in his new home, Bartlett quickly became a sought-after training partner for some of the greatest fighters of all-time, including Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-11-1) and current number one contender for the UFC Heavyweight Championship of the World, Frank Mir (16-5). Now, returning to Maine to fight for the first time ever in his home state, Bartlett is looking to make his heavyweight debut against the fifth ranked heavyweight in the Northeast, Tyler King.
“This will be my first fight as a heavyweight and my first fight in Maine,” Bartlett stated. “I’m very excited to fight in my home state and I think Tyler is the perfect opponent to give my Maine fans a super exciting fight!”
Tyler King is no stranger to elite competition. The North Attleboro, Massachusetts native played defensive end at the University of Connecticut where he was named the team’s Defensive MVP in 2004 before moving on to professional football where he spent time with four NFL teams. Standing 6-foot-6, all of King’s wins in MMA have come via first round finish and he feels well prepared to face Bartlett on June 16th.
“When this fight was proposed to me, I jumped at the opportunity,” stated King. “Travis is a well-respected fighter who never has a boring fight. His last fight was an absolute war and knowing what I bring to the table, I expect nothing less than a fight-of-the-year candidate for this bout.”
This will be the second time NEF has held an event at the Colisee this year. This past February, at the inaugural Fight Night event, some 3,200 frenzied fight fans showed up to see the biggest event in Maine mixed martial arts (MMA) history; almost 800 more fans than the crowd that witnessed Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston II in 1965, the most famous fight event ever to take place at the Colisee or in the state of Maine for that matter.
For more information on this event, visit www.NewEnglandFights.com. You can watch NEF videos, including an interview with Tim Sylvia at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “Fight Night Mixed Martial Arts”. Tickets for this event are on sale now at TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207-783-2009.
About New England Fights!
New England Fights! (“NEF!”) is a Mixed Martial Arts promotions company. NEF!’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF!’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
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