NEF returns this Saturday June 13th 2015 with their 19th show. They have a total of 21 fights they put together for this one and I am sure it will have many memorable battles. There were many more scheduled but the last week curse has struck again and a few fights fell off the card. On the card are 3 amateur title fights and 5 pro fights including the much anticipated rematch between Bruce Boyington and John Raio. Tickets are still available at the link here and also at the door starting at just $25. If that isn't enough then let me tell you the beautiful NEF ring girl will be in attendance. Let me break down the entire fight card for you all and please keep in mind that the fight order might change.
125 AM Justin Witham 0-2 (Shatterproof ) vs Ryan Burgess 0-0 (Independent)
At 125lbs Justin Witham takes on Ryan Burgess in a flyweight showdown. Witham trains out of Team Shatterproof and has an 0-2 record. He lost his first 2 fights by submission in Rd 1. He is still hungry for his first taste of mma victory. His opponent is Ryan Burgess who is an independent fighter. He will be making his amateur debut. This is a great match up and a good way to kick off a night of fights. Witham has the 2 fight experience and Burgess is the unknown. We will have to wait and see how this one plays out.
135 AM Mike Crespo 2-2 (MMA Athletix) vs Caleb Costello 2-3 (Team Irish)
Then at 135lbs Mike Crespo challenges Caleb Costello in the cage. Crespo trains out of MMA Athletix and comes into this fight with a 2-2 record. He won his first two fights (one by sub and one by decision) and then lost his last two fights (one by sub and one by decision). Crespo uses his height to his advantage and to work his strikes. His opponent is Caleb Costello who fights out of Team Irish. He comes into this fight with a 2-3 record. He won 1 fight by submission and 1 fight by ko/tko to strikes. For his losses he lost 2 by decision and 1 by way of submission. As you can see both of these guys know how to go the distance and like to strike it out. I see this fight being a very entertaining and fast paced fight for the fans.
145 AM Carl Langston 4-8 (Young’s) vs Alex Johnson 2-1 (Ruthless)Then at 135lbs Mike Crespo challenges Caleb Costello in the cage. Crespo trains out of MMA Athletix and comes into this fight with a 2-2 record. He won his first two fights (one by sub and one by decision) and then lost his last two fights (one by sub and one by decision). Crespo uses his height to his advantage and to work his strikes. His opponent is Caleb Costello who fights out of Team Irish. He comes into this fight with a 2-3 record. He won 1 fight by submission and 1 fight by ko/tko to strikes. For his losses he lost 2 by decision and 1 by way of submission. As you can see both of these guys know how to go the distance and like to strike it out. I see this fight being a very entertaining and fast paced fight for the fans.
At 145lbs Carl Langston takes on Alex Johnson. Langston comes into this fight with a 4-8 record and trains out of Young's MMA. He has 1 win by ko/tko, 1 by sub and 2 by decision so far in his ammy career. For his losses, he lost 2 by ko/tko, 3 by submission and 3 by decision. Coming into this fight he has the experience and he will be looking to do that take that W. His opponent is Alex Johnson and he comes into this fight with a 2-1 record. He trains out of team Ruthless and has been a very entertaining fighter so far in his ammy career. He has 1 win by submission and 1 by decision so far in his amateur career. His only loss came by way of submission against Josh Harvey.
145 AM Dustin Shorey 0-1 (Shatterproof ) vs Rob Robinson 0-0 (First Class)
At 145lbs Dustin Shorey will square off against Rob Robinson. Shorey trains out of Team Shatterproof and comes into this fight with an 0-1 record. He lost his first amateur fight against Alex Johnson when we was caught in a nasty guillotine. His opponent is Rob Robinson and he comes into this fight making his amateur debut. He trains out of First Class team up in Maine. Both of these fighters are just starting out their amateur career and this is another close match up.
145 AM Johnny Crafts 3-0 (Team NEU) vs Jeremy Tyler 4-3 (Team Irish)
Johnny Crafts puts his unbeaten record on the line against Jeremy Tyler at a 145lbs showdown. Crafts trains with Team NEU and comes into this fight with a 3-0 record. He won all 3 of his fights by submission and he would love to walk home with a 4th win by submission. His opponent is Jeremy Tyler who trains out of Team Irish. He comes into this fight with a 4-3 record with all 4 of his wins by submission. For his losses, he lost all 3 by submission. This fight is going to be a ground battle and should be a real close back and forth battle. I expect to see lots of submission attempts in this one!
155 AM Dom Cofone 5-5 (BGMMA) vs Jason Lachance 1-1 (MMA Athletix)
At 155 lbs Dom Cofone will challenge Jason Lachance in the NEF cage this Saturday. Cofone comes into this fight with a 5-5 record and trains out of BGMMA. He has 1 win by ko/tko, 3 by submission and 1 by decision. For his losses, he lost 1 by ko/tko, 2 by submission and 2 by way of decision. He has a solid wrestling background and uses that to his advantage in the fights. Also he has shown with his 1 ko that he has knockout power. His opponent is Jason Lachance and he comes into this fight with a 1-1 record. He trains with MMA Athletix which is their second fighter on the card so far. He won 1 fight by decision and lost 1 fight by decision. I see this fight being a ground battle and going the distance.
155 AM Corey Hinkley 2-3 (CMBJJ) vs Cory Trial 0-1 (Ruthless)
Next up at 155lbs Corey Hinkley will take on Cory Trial for the Battle of the Cor(e)ys! Hinkley comes into this fight with a 2-3 record and trains with CMBJJ. He won 1 fight by decision and one fight by submission so far in his amateur career. For his losses, he lost 1 by ko/tko and 2 by submission. His opponent is Cory Trial and he trains with Team Ruthless. He comes into this fight with an 0-1 record with his one loss by ko/tko punch. As you can see Hinkley has the fight experience in this one so we will have to wait and see if this makes a difference.
160 AM Pat Kelly 2-0 (Young’s MMA) vs Dr. Steve Bang 1-0 (CMBJJ–NEU)
At a catch weight of 160 lbs Pat Kelly will face Dr. Steve Bang. A little insight on this fight is Pat Kelly has beaten Bang's sons and he it left a bad taste in his mouth. He wanted this fight and Kelly was glad to accept it. Kelly trains with Young's MMA and comes into this fight with a 2-0 record. He has 1 win by ko/tko and 1 win by submission. Kelly showed great wrestling skills in his previous fights and was able to finish his fights with the W. His opponent is Dr. Steve Bang and he trains with CMBJJ-NEU. Bang comes into this fight with a 1-0 record with 1 win by ko/tko over Matthew Hanning. Another close match up and revenge is on the line for Bang! I can't wait for this one.
170 AM Alex Bronish 0-0 (Berserkers MMA) vs Alex Payson 0-0 (MMA Athletix)
At 170lbs Alex Bronish takes on Alex Payson in the NEF cage. Bronish trains with Berzerkers MMA and will be making his amateur debut. His opponent is Alex Payson and he trains with MMA Athletix and will also be making his amateur debut. Two new fresh fighters so who knows what to expect! We will find out this Saturday when NEF 18 goes down.
170 AM Mike Bazanson 0-0 (Team Kaze) vs Jeff Dustin 0-0 (Mass Effect)
Next up is Mike Bazanson against Jeff Dustin at 170lbs amateur. Bazanson trains out of Team Kaze and will be making his amateur debut. Kaze fighters always come ready looking for wars so I expect high intensity in this one. His opponent is Jeff Dustin who trains with Mass Effect. He also will be making his amateur debut. Again another fight with two fighters with raw potential.
185 AM Heath Hanson 1-2 (Independent) vs Ruben Redman 0-2 (Mass Effect)
At 185 lbs Heath Hanson will be taking on Ruben Redman. Hanson is an independent fighter with a 1-2 record. He has 1 win by ko/tko and for his losses he has 1 by submission and 1 by ko/tko to strikes. This is a good match up for him. His opponent is Ruben Redman who trains with Mass Effect. He has an 0-2 record with 2 losses by decision. I think this will be a solid stand up battle and I think a real close battle.
265 AM Sonny Ora Spratt 0-1 (Shatterproof) vs Nick Gulliver 0-0 (First Class)
In a heavyweight showdown Sonny Ora Spratt takes on Nick Gulliver. Spratt trains with Shatterproof in NH and comes into this fight with an 0-1 record. He lost his first fight by ko/tko against Dave Smith at the last NEF. He is returning and wants to show NEF fans he has what it takes to get the W. His opponent is Nick Gulliver and he will be making his amateur debut. Hailing out of First Class MMA we know he will be ready for anything. This is a great match up for each fighter and really could go either way.
S.HWT AM Gravin Guillen 2-2 (Independent) vs Dave Smith 1-0 (Berserkers)
Next up is the super heavy weight battle between Gravin Guillen and Dave Smith. Guillen is an independent fighter and comes into this fight with a 2-2 record. For his wins he won 1 by ko/tko and 1 by decision. For his losses he lost 1 by submission and 1 by ko/tko to strikes. NEF fans will remember his two battles against Mladen Holman in which they both were very entertaining. His opponent is Dave Smith who trains with Berzerkers MMA. He comes into this fight with a 1-0 record in which he defeated Ora Spratt by ko/tko at the last NEF. Both of these behemoths go head to head this Saturday and we very well could see a knockout in this one.
125 AM Title Norman Fox 4-1 (MMA Athletix) vs Dustin Veinott 3-3 (CMBJJ)
In the 125 lb division Norman Fox and Dustin Veinott go toe to toe for the coveted NEF Amateur 125lb strap. Fox comes into this fight with a 4-1 record and hails out of MMA Athletix. He has 1 win by ko/tko and 3 wins by submission. For his one loss he lost by ko/tko against Kris Moutinho at a previous Cage Titans event. His opponent is Dustin Veinott and he comes into this fight with a 3-3 record. Fighting out of CMBJJ, he is riding a 3 fight win streak into this fight. He would love to make it a fourth! He has 1 win by ko/tko and 2 wins by submission. For his losses, he lost 1 by ko/tko, 1 sub and 1 by decision. Both of these fighters combined have 10 fights for NEF and definitely worthy of a title shot. I see this one starting out as a stand up battle but in the end I see it being finished on the ground with a submission.
155 AM Title Ricky Dexter 3-0 (Team Irish) vs Josh Harvey 3-1 (Young’s MMA)
Ricky Dexter will challenge Josh Harvey for the 155 NEF Amateur Title in the second amateur title fight of the night. Dexter trains out of Team Irish and has a perfect 3-0 record. He has 2 wins by ko/tko and one by submission so far in his amateur career. All of his fights have been highly entertaining and I doubt this one will be any different. His opponent is Josh Harvey who trains out of Young's MMA. Harvey comes into this fight with a 3-1 record with 1 ko/tko, 1 sub and 1 decision victory. His only loss was by submission against Dylan Lockard at a previous Combat Zone show. Both of these fighters bring some crazy intensity to the fight which spells out a fight of the night contender for sure!
265 AM Title Billy Leahy 2-1 (CMBJJ/Young’s) vs Ryan Glover 1-0 (Berserkers)
In another heavyweight fight Bill Leahy takes on Ryan Glover for the Heavyweight NEF amateur title. Leahy comes into this fight with a 2-1 record and trains with CMBJJ and Young's MMA. He comes into this fight with a 2-1 record with 1 win by decision and 1 by submission. He lost 1 fight by decision against Rob Brown at a previous CFX event. His opponent is Ryan Glover and he comes into this fight with a 1-0 record. He trains with Berzerkers MMA and won his fight by ko/tko to strikes against Michael Freeman at NEF 16. With the heavyeweight division being pretty slim all around New England this is a good match up. Both of these fighters have a wrestling background so it will be interesting to see if they cancel each other out and just keep swinging away!
205 PRO Michael Hansen 2-1 (Berserkers) vs Cody Anderson 1-2 (Triumph)
In the first pro fight of the night Michael Hansen takes on Cody Anderson. This was just recently added a few weeks ago and it is sure to be another awesome fight for NEF. Hansen comes into this fight with a 2-1 record and trains out of Berzerkers MMA. For his wins he has 1 win by ko/tko and 1 by way of submission. His one loss came by ko/tko back in 2006. His opponent is Cody Anderson who trains with Triumph BJJ out of NH. He comes into this fight with a 1-2 record his 1 win by ko/tko over Hector Sanchez. For his two losses he lost both by submission. Don't let his record fool you as Anderson is a very tough fighter. This fight is a great way to kick off the pro fights of the evening and I see it being a close battle. Keep in mind Cody is going up a weight class to fight this one as well.
135 PRO Derek Shorey 2-1 (Shatterproof ) vs Jeremy DiChiara 1-0 (Wulfrun)
Derek Shorey steps back into the NEF cage against Jeremy DiChiara at 135lbs pro fight. Shorey comes into this fight with a 2-1 record with 1 ko/tko and 1 submission victory in which both of his wins were against John Raio. He lost his one pro fight against Matt Denning by submission. His opponent is Jeremy DiChiara and he trains with team Wulfrun. He comes into this fight with a 1-0 record out of Canada. He won his only pro fight by ko/tko in Rd 1. This should be a good battle as both fighters are close in record. I have never seen DiChiara fight so we will have to see how this one matches up.
155 PRO Jesse Erickson 4-4 (CMBJJ–NEU) vs Zenon Herrera 0-0 (Independent)
At 155lbs Pro Jesse Erickson faces off against Zenon Herrera. Erickson comes into this fight with a 4-4 record and trains with CMBJJ-NEU. Jesse has 2 wins by ko/tko and 2 wins by submission. He has a very good ground game and is deadly with his submissions in his arsenal. For his losses he lost 2 by ko/tko and 2 by sub. The Viking is tough as nails and keeps coming forward no matter how many punches he gets hit with. His opponent is Zenon Herrera who is an independent fight and will be making his pro debut. He had a 2-5 record and in his last fight for NEF he showed a solid ground game as well. However I think this will be a tough fight for him as Erickson already has 8 pro fights under his belt. I do see this fight being a real fun jiu jitsu fight!
185 PRO Ryan Cowette 2-2 (MMA Athletix) vs Crowsneck Boutin 0-0 (Choi)
At 185 lbs Ryan Cowette will square off against Crowsneck Boutin. Cowette comes into this fight with 2-2 and is the head coach at MMA Athletix. He has 1 win by ko/tko and 1 win by submission. For his losses he has 1 by submission and 1 by ko/tko to strikes. His opponent is Crowsneck Boutin who has practically fought on every NEF card to date minus 2 or 3. He trains out of Choi's and will be making his pro debut. He had a 6-7 amateur record with the majority of his wins by ko/tko to strikes. Making he pro debut he should be more than ready! I see this fight being a lot of dirty boxing and clinching so watch out for the elbows.
150 PRO Bruce Boyington 10-8 (Boyington's TKD) vs John Raio 2-7 (First Class)
At a catch weight of 150 lbs Bruce Boyington will get his long awaited rematch against John Raio. This one is not for the belt but is still very important to both fighters. Boyington comes into this fight with a 10-8 record and is now training with his own school which is Boyington's TKD. He is very well known to the crowd at NEF with two wins over Jesse Erickson for the belt and his big spinning back kick knockout against Keegan Hornstra in just a mere 10 seconds. His opponent is John Raio who comes into this fight with a 2-7 record and trains with First Class. Now on paper this looks like a mismatch as Raio has struggled in his pro career but that is not the case. They fought back at NEF 12 and Raio had Boyington in the rear naked choke position. Bruce waved off the ref saying he was good and the ref misinterpreted it as he was tapping so there was controversy on the victory. However this Saturday it is all going to be laid out on the line and the true warrior will be victorious!
There you have the complete breakdown of the NEF 18 fight card. We will be there live reporting and keeping you all up to date with the live play by plays. Warchild will be there capturing the action behind his photo lens. Special thanks to NEF for the constant updates on the fight cards so we can provide you all with the most up to date preview. Hope to see you all there!
At a catch weight of 150 lbs Bruce Boyington will get his long awaited rematch against John Raio. This one is not for the belt but is still very important to both fighters. Boyington comes into this fight with a 10-8 record and is now training with his own school which is Boyington's TKD. He is very well known to the crowd at NEF with two wins over Jesse Erickson for the belt and his big spinning back kick knockout against Keegan Hornstra in just a mere 10 seconds. His opponent is John Raio who comes into this fight with a 2-7 record and trains with First Class. Now on paper this looks like a mismatch as Raio has struggled in his pro career but that is not the case. They fought back at NEF 12 and Raio had Boyington in the rear naked choke position. Bruce waved off the ref saying he was good and the ref misinterpreted it as he was tapping so there was controversy on the victory. However this Saturday it is all going to be laid out on the line and the true warrior will be victorious!
There you have the complete breakdown of the NEF 18 fight card. We will be there live reporting and keeping you all up to date with the live play by plays. Warchild will be there capturing the action behind his photo lens. Special thanks to NEF for the constant updates on the fight cards so we can provide you all with the most up to date preview. Hope to see you all there!