Lewiston, Maine (August 6, 2014) – New England Fights (NEF), the Northeast’s premier fight promotion, today announced the addition of a professional lightweight bout to the company's "NEF XIV" mixed martial arts (MMA) event. The fight will feature Tollison "Tolly" Lewis (0-1) taking on Ricky Sylvester (1-0) at a weight of 155-pounds. "NEF XIV" is scheduled to take place on September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm.
NEF-signed athlete Tollison Lewis has been a mainstay with the promotion since the fight company's inception. After competing as an amateur on nine of NEF's first eleven events, Lewis entered the professional ranks this past February competing against Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2). Although he lost the fight, Lewis' game had obviously matured, especially his standup with a larger repertoire of strikes available to him as a professional. Lewis trains out of Balanced Ground MMA in Windham, Maine.
"Ricky is a tough, aggressive fighter with power in his punches," said Lewis of his upcoming opponent. "This fight will be an awesome battle, but one I don't see in his favor. Much has been added to my arsenal since my fight with Jesse and somebody is hitting the ground in this fight."
Ricky Sylvester, fighting out of American Combat Club in Orlando, Florida, made a name for himself as an amateur on the northeast MMA circuit. With a slew of knockout victories under his belt, Sylvester is known as a dangerous striker. He made his professional debut in late 2013 on a fight card in New Hampshire. That night, Sylvester downed NEF veteran Andrew Hughes (0-2) via knockout a mere 13 seconds into the first round.
"I don't worry or bubble-gut about stepping into the cage against my opponents," stated Sylvester when reached for comment. "I train to be ready for anything. Don't talk about it, be about it. Show it in the cage."
"This is definitely a striker's fight," said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. "It's the type of fight our fans love to see. This one should be a real crowd pleaser."
NEF's next MMA event, “NEF XIV,” is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm. In the main event of the evening, Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (31-9) returns to Maine to face fellow UFC veteran Christian Morecraft (8-3) for the Super-Heavyweight Title. Featherweight Champion Ray "All Business" Wood (4-0) returns from injury after a year of recovery against Brazil's Gabriel Baino (6-1). Bantamweight Champion Paul Gorman (10-8) defends against Tim "The Terror" Goodwin (8-4). Plus, Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington (6-7) and Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2) will meet for the Lightweight Title, Ryan Sanders (6-5) faces Ryan Quinn (10-4-1), and John "First Class" Raio (2-5) competes in his final fight.
Tickets for "NEF XIV" 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 and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”