Lewiston, Maine (July 20, 2012) – New England Fights! (NEF) is proud to announce the addition of a mixed martial arts bantamweight rematch to its FIGHT NIGHT IV card scheduled for September 8 in Lewiston, ME. Portland, ME resident Paul Gorman (9-9) will look to avenge a previous loss to Pedro Gonzalez (8-5) of Gloucester, MA.
Gorman and Gonzalez first met in the cage in May of 2011 before a packed house in Portland, ME. “It really was a war,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “It was back and forth, back and forth, for five full rounds. It was just an amazing performance by both fighters. It wound up going to the scorecards and the judges all had it 48-47 as a unanimous decision for Gonzalez. The fight really could’ve went either way.”
Gonzalez, currently the number-three ranked bantamweight in the northeast region of the United States, trains out of Sityodtong North Shore in Beverly, MA, a school known for turning out some of the region’s best Muay Thai strikers. Gorman is a product of the Academy in Portland, ME under the guidance of renowned MMA trainers Jay Jack and Amanda Buckner. Both fighters are well-versed in all forms of the martial arts. “That was really the great thing about the first fight,” continued Peterson. “You got to see a little bit of everything from both fighters. I think they’ll continue that pace on September 8. The crowd is in for a real treat.”
“This fight is important to me because I want to be back in the winning streak,” said Gonzalez when reached for comment. “This is a fight that could have gone either way and I'm going to prove myself come the second fight. I don't plan on going five rounds again so don't blink cause this is gonna be a barn burner!”
The fight is a late, yet welcome, addition to an already-stellar fight card. “Matt and I were thrilled to hear that both camps wanted this fight on September 8,” stated NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. “The first fight definitely warranted a rematch. We know that Gorman wanted this rematch more than anything. He wanted to get back in there with Pedro. As a fighter, when you lose a judges’ decision that close, you’re always left wondering ‘what if I landed just a few more shots,’ or ‘what if I scored one more takedown.’ Luckily, Paul will get to answer those questions himself at FIGHT NIGHT IV.”
“This fight means a ton to me,” said Gorman of the rematch. It's a chance to take back a loss I gave up to Pedro a while back. It's also a chance to get back on track with a big win. Anytime you have a situation like this it's exciting and I can't wait to get in there and mix it up in September.”
Gorman, a true veteran of the sport, has been involved in MMA for nearly a decade. He’s competed in the cage against UFC and WEC star Josh Grispi, as well as former WEC competitors Rafael Rebello and Anthony Leone. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Brown Belt, Gorman has made a career of fighting top prospects in both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions, even tapping out BJJ Black Belts in the cage. “Don’t mistake Paul Gorman for any run-of-the-mill .500 fighter,” warns DiSalvo when looking at Gorman’s 9-9 record as a pro. “His fights have all been against the best. When you take fights consistently at such a high level, you’re bound to suffer some losses. Fans should come to the Colisée on September 8 expecting nothing less than an all-out war, just like their first fight, between two greats. Gorman-Gonzalez II could steal the show that night.”
FIGHT NIGHT IV is slated for September 8 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, ME. The card will feature a headline fight between Jesse Peterson (6-2) and Cody Lightfoot (6-3) for the NEF Maine State MMA Middleweight Title, as well as a fight for the NEF Maine State MMA Welterweight Title between Ryan Sanders (4-1) and UFC veteran Ricardo Funch (8-4). Tickets are on sale and most of cage-side sold-out within minutes. For more information on this event, visit www.NewEnglandFights.com. You can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights”. Tickets for Fight Night IV are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207-783-2009.
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