[NEF PRESS RELEASE]
Milford, New Hampshire (August 16, 2021) – When news broke late Sunday afternoon that Rebecca Bryggman (0-1) had pulled out of her mixed martial arts (MMA) bout against Glory Watson (0-1) at NEF’s return event, “NEF 44: BACK IN BLACK” scheduled for next weekend, the prospects of finding Watson a replacement appeared bleak at best. However, it was just announced that Dana White Contender Series veteran Hilarie Rose (4-2) has agreed to step-up on short notice to face Watson in a professional kickboxing bout.
“I’m elated that Rose and Watson’s teams have agreed to terms to make this blockbuster of a bout happen next Saturday,” stated NEF Matchmaker and co-owner Matt Peterson. “Both fighters are known for their striking so to boil the rules of competition down to the essence of what they both excel at will make for such an exciting firefight. You couldn’t script a better outcome given the circumstances. We all win with this one!”
Glory Watson last appeared in the NEF cage in November 2019, suffering her first and only amateur loss in a strawweight title fight to a very tough Cara Greenwell (10-5). Prior to that time, Watson had rattled off six wins in a row to start her amateur career, capturing the NEF Women’s Amateur Bantamweight Championship in the process. She made her professional debut during the pandemic on a fight card in Florida, losing via first round submission to Ariana Melendez (1-1). This will be Watson’s professional kickboxing debut. She currently represents Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine.
“MMA is a brutal sport, fights come and go all the time,” Watson said when reached for comment. “Hilarie Rose agreed to a professional kickboxing bout on short notice. I am grateful to her dedication to the sport and respect the career she has built. I am excited to test my skills against a veteran mixed martial artist.”
Like Watson, Hilarie Rose will also be making her professional kickboxing debut on Saturday. Rose, however, is no stranger to combat sports, having amassed an impressive 5-3 MMA record including an appearance last year on Dana White’s Contender Series where she dropped a decision to UFC-signed athlete Cheyanne Buys (6-2). Rose last fought for NEF back in 2017 when she stopped Alex Walker (4-2) in the first round to win the NEF Women’s Amateur Strawweight Championship. Rose trains out of USMMA in Bellingham, Massachusetts.
“I’m excited to fight Glory on Saturday regardless of short notice,” Rose said. “I think she’s a great competitor and this is an awesome way to get some extra experience and use all the striking tools I have. I think it’s cool we are both MMA fighters and know it’ll be a fun match!”
Tickets for “NEF 44: Back in Black” are on sale now at www.NewEnglandFights.com/Tickets/. The MMA and kickboxing event will take place at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, New Hampshire on Saturday, August 21, 2021, with a bell-time of 7 pm. For those who cannot make it to Milford, the event will also stream live in its entirety at www.CombatSportsNow.com at a price of $29.99.
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