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Lewiston, Maine (December 23, 2014) –New England Fights (NEF), America's number-one regional fight promotion, presents its sixteenth mixed martial arts (MMA) event, “NEF XVI,” on February 7, 2015 in Lewiston, Maine. The event is scheduled to originate from the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur bantamweight bout to the fight card. Mike "Crispy" Crespo (2-0) returns to the promotion to take on Johnny Crafts (2-0) at a weight of 135-pounds.
Crespo trains out of MMA Athletix in Bath, Maine. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) instructor at the gym. Crespo made his NEF MMA cage debut this past May defeating Phil Exner (0-2) via submission in the second round. At "NEF XIV" this fall, Crespo entered the cage for the second time and picked up his second victory over Trevor Hebert (1-5) by unanimous decision. After the bout, Crespo delivered one of the most memorable non-fight moments in NEF history by proposing to his girlfriend in the cage. The two victories in 2014 earned Crespo a nomination for the "Rookie of the Year" award.
"My words will be said in the cage," was Crespo's only remark on the fight when he was reached for comment.
Johnny Crafts is viewed as one of the true rising stars on the New England MMA scene. Hailing from Lisbon Falls, Maine, Crafts is a member of Team New England United (NEU) - the largest BJJ camp in the region. Crafts is ranked as a brown belt in BJJ. He has twice taken his pedigree with him into the NEF MMA cage, and he has twice walked away with a submission victory. Crafts was voted the "2014 Rookie of the Year" by NEF fans. He is confident that he will come away with his third consecutive win on February 7 at "NEF XVI."
"I'm very happy to be fighting again on February 7th," said Crafts. "I believe it is a good matchup for the fans, and it is going to be an exciting fight. Both of us are 2-0 which means one will be walking away with their first loss, and I am confident it will not be me."
NEF's next MMA event, "NEF XVI," takes place on February 7, 2015. Ray "All Business" Wood (5-0) returns that night to defend the NEF MMA Featherweight Title against Bellator and WEC veteran Anthony "Cheesesteak" Morrison (16-9). 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 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.”