Orono, Maine (July 30, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) will debut in Orono on September 7, 2019 at the Collins Center for the Arts with the promotion's next mixed-martial-arts event, "NEF 40: School of Hard Knocks." Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a female amateur strawweight bout to the card. Glory Watson (5-0) is scheduled to take on Lin MacMillan (0-1) at a fight weight of 115 pounds.
Undefeated Glory Watson, a member of Bangor, Maine's Young's MMA, is the reigning NEF Women's Amateur Flyweight Champion, having won the title in a five-round battle against Caree Hill (4-2) last month in Lewiston, Maine. That fight took place just six days after the one-year anniversary of Watson's cage debut in June 2018. Watson's first two fights took place in the 135-pound bantamweight and 145-pound featherweight divisions, respectively, and her most recent three fights have taken place at the 125-pound flyweight limit. The upcoming bout with MacMillan will be Watson's first within the 115-pound strawweight division. Watson, one of New England's top prospects at this time, is testing the waters in the lighter weight division as she inches ever closer to her professional debut.
“I have fought in multiple weight classes, from 140 down to 125," noted Watson. "I’m excited to drop down to 115 and hopefully find my true weight class. This fight, like all my fights before, will put me to the test. Lin MacMillan will be traveling far from home for this fight, and I appreciate her heart for facing the challenge. We do not underestimate her and are training for a tough, grinding fight.”
“Glory has had a meteoric rise up the rankings, notching five wins in five fights in barely over a year," said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. "I can’t think of a more active and durable fighter in New England right now. She stays after it all the time. She trains correctly, her diet is on-point and as a result she remains super healthy. Her activity level and accomplishments since she burst on to the scene are second to none.”
When top women's MMA competitors from across New England and the entire country turned the fight with Watson down, NEF matchmakers had to look internationally for an opponent. Lin MacMillan of Toronto, Ontario, Canada answered the call. While MacMillan lost her debut in the fall of 2018, her passion and dedication for training MMA is second to none. She is also no stranger to fighting far from home. MacMillan's travelled to Kansas for her amateur debut.
“I can't wait to make my debut at NEF September 7th," exclaimed MacMillan. "MMA is my life, and I look forward to showing the state of Maine how hard I've worked to sharpen my skills. Glory seems to be a well-respected and well-rounded athlete, and I look forward to giving her a run for her money."
“I called across the country to try to find an opponent for Glory for her debut at 115-pounds and no one wanted it," said Peterson. "Women with 4-0 and 5-0 records turned her down. Women with more than ten fights said ‘thanks but no thanks.’ No one, and I mean no one, from California to Florida to Chicago, wants to face this woman at strawweight. I had to reach all the way into Canada to find someone willing to fight her—and fortunately for us that person is Lin MacMillan. Lin is fully aware of Glory’s progression in the past year and she’s not the least bit intimidated by her. Lin is flying in to spoil the show in Orono on September 7th, but Glory Watson is without a doubt the hottest female fighter in New England right now.”
New England Fights' next mixed-martial-arts event, "NEF 40: SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS," will take place Saturday, September 7, 2019 at the Collins Center for the Arts at the University of Maine as the promotion debuts in Orono, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.collinscenterforthearts.com.