Lewiston, Maine (April 15, 2013) New England Fights! (NEF) today announced a bout change to the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's next event scheduled for May 18 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, ME. UFC-veteran Henry Martinez (9-5) will now face NEF fan-favorite and Team Bombsquad standout Dez Green (8-1) for the Maine State MMA Lightweight Championship after Martinez's original opponent for the title fight, Jamie Harrison, removed himself from the card due to personal reasons.
"It's unfortunate that Jamie Harrison was unable to make it to the cage to compete for the inaugural Maine State MMA Lightweight Championship after all the hard work he put in to earning an undefeated 4-0 record in 2012," stated NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. "However, Dez Green is a fitting replacement and I'm confident he will deliver, in conjunction with Mr. Martinez, a performance that has the potential to be one of the best bouts in NEF history."
Crowning the first Maine State MMA Lightweight champion has been a long time coming. NEF first launched its lightweight four-man tournament in September 2012 at its "Fight Night IV" event with the goal of finding NEF's top 155er. The original bracket included Harrison, Bruce Boyington (2-5), Josh Parker (4-6), and Tony Woodman (3-6). Harrison defeated Parker in the tournament opener to advance to the finals to fight for the championship. Tony Woodman was injured and had to pull from the tournament, and Dez Green stepped in and defeated Bruce Boyington. Harrison and Green were scheduled to face off for the championship final in November 2012, but Harrison withdrew from the bout with an injury just a couple of weeks before the event and the showdown was postponed.
Initially, Dez Green was unavailable in May for the rescheduled bout, so Harrison was matched against UFC-veteran and current Maine resident Henry Martinez for NEF's seventh event scheduled for May 18th. Last week, Jamie Harrison withdrew from the rescheduled bout citing personal reasons. Fortunately, Dez Green became available and was willing to step in to finally get the chance to fight for the title he earned the right to compete for over six months ago.
"I'm very excited to be fighting Henry," said Green when reached for comment. "I've been wanting a shot at a more familiar name in the sport, so I will make the most of this opportunity and take the Maine state title belt on May 18th--hopefully with a finish!"
"The pathway to the Maine State MMA lightweight title has not been a straight one," stated NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. "That being said, this 155-pound matchup has all the elements of the type of tale that they immortalize in folklore. Henry's last fight was in the UFC where he was facing the best in the world. If Dez beats Henry, he could get the call from the big show to be fighting in the UFC next. On May 18th, we will be watching two world-class competitors collide for the opportunity to hold the first ever Maine MMA title. This could be one that you tell your kids about someday!"
At the time of this writing, the fight card for May 18 in Lewiston consisted of ten professional and more than twenty amateur fights. The main event is scheduled to feature Maine MMA legend Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis (21-9) battling Darrius Heyliger (4-1). The co-main event will see UFC veteran Henry Martinez (9-5) squaring off with Jamie Harrison (4-1) for the Maine State Lightweight Title. Also on the main card, Travis "The Showstopper" Bartlett (8-3) meets Randy "The Wolf" Smith (14-13-1) for the Maine State Heavyweight Title. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event, visit www.NewEnglandFights.com. You can watch NEF videos atwww.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”