[NEF PRESS RELEASE]
Bangor, Maine (November 8, 2023) – New England Fights (“NEF”) returns to Bangor with its next mixed-martial-arts (“MMA”) event this Saturday, November 11. “NEF 55: Glory Days” will originate from the Cross Insurance Center and will stream live at www.CombatSportsNow.com. The promotion will randomly select one pre-order of the stream to receive two VIP passes to NEF’s next event.
Earlier today, NEF announced the full fight card for Saturday’s event.
In the main event, local favorite Glory “The Fury” Watson (5-1) will meet Florida’s Shawna “Bam Bam” Ormsby (2-4) in a professional strawweight contest. Watson is riding a five-fight win streak into the bout. Ormsby is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has faced some of the toughest female competitors in the nation in both MMA and pro boxing matches.
Another Bangor-area fan-favorite, “The” Ryan Sanders (21-10) takes on Sage Philippe (4-5) in the professional welterweight co-main event of the evening. Sanders is coming off a big win over Ali Zebian (10-4) last summer at “NEF 53.” Philippe, who trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Nevada, is 3-1 in his last four fights.
Fred Lear (0-1) will make his return to the NEF cage after a four-year absence from the sport as he meets Florida’s Paul Walters (0-2) in a professional featherweight bout. Lear is the former NEF Amateur Bantamweight Champion. He has been inactive since April 2019. Walters is a multi-sport athlete with experience in MMA, professional boxing, and bare knuckle boxing.
Also making his cage return after an extended absence will be “Shatterproof” Derek Shorey (4-9). Shorey, a regular during the early days of NEF, last fought in 2017. He will face Massachusetts’ up-and-comer Anthony Vasta (3-4) in the pro featherweight division. Vasta defeated another longtime veteran in Matt Denning (8-20) at “NEF 54” in September.
Two professional debuts will round out the pro portion of the card.
Ed Davis (0-0) will make his pro debut against James Lawson (0-1) at a catchweight of 165 pounds. Davis is a former challenger for the promotion’s amateur lightweight championship. Last summer, he fought Muhammad Ali’s grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh (5-1) before a national television audience on ESPN in what would be Davis’ final amateur fight.
Dustin Veinott (0-0) will likewise make his professional debut in a flyweight bout with MMA veteran Darren Mima (10-9). Veinott has competed in NEF’s amateur division since 2013 and is the former NEF Amateur Flyweight Champion. Mima holds a win over the current number-two ranked bantamweight in the world, the UFC’s Merab Dvalishvili (16-4).
Brandon “BMF” Maillet-Fevens (4-4) and Edwin Peña (2-2) are scheduled to headline the amateur portion of the card in a featherweight contest. Maillet-Fevens is a two-time former challenger for the promotion’s 145-pound amateur strap. Peña has finished his last two opponents in the NEF cage. This will be Peña’s fifth fight with the promotion in the last year. Maillet-Fevens and Peña have a combined finish rate of 100% to their credit.
Curtis Ouellette (3-5) is set to face Joe Peters (2-4) at a catchweight of 175 pounds in another amateur bout. Ouellette is a former challenger for the NEF Amateur Welterweight Title. Peters handed Kyler Hoobler (2-1) his first loss at “NEF 53” last spring.
The amateur card will also feature the returns of BJ Garceau (2-2) and Kira Innocenti (0-1) in separate women’s bouts. Garceau will take on the debuting Alecia Palmer (0-0) in a strawweight fight while Innocenti faces another debuting athlete in the form of Lindsay “Bloody” Valentine (0-0). Despite it being her MMA debut, Valentine has competed extensively in kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Two hard-hitting heavyweight bouts will be featured on the amateur portion of the card as Miles Emery (1-1) takes on 6’6” Abdul Keita (0-1) and Charles Sullivan (1-0) faces Darryl Andrews (1-0).
Nate “The Mule White (6-0) will open the show in a 195-pound catchweight bout with Cody Dular (1-2). The fight can be considered a “grudge match” as much trash-talking has occurred between the two on social media.
The full “NEF 55” fight card (subject to change):
PROFESSIONAL MMA
115 Glory Watson (Young’s MMA) vs Shawna Ormsby (Darkwolf MMA)170 Sage Philippe (Xtreme Couture) vs Ryan Sanders (VisionQuest)
125 Dustin Veinott (CMBJJ) vs Darren Mima (Blackhole BJJ)
145 Fred Lear (Young’s MMA) vs Paul Walters (ThundeRose)
165 Ed Davis (Titan Athletics) vs James Lawson (Relentless Bunch)
145 Anthony Vasta (Defensive Edge) vs Derek Shorey (Shatterproof)
AMATEUR MMA
145 Brandon Maillet-Fevens (CMBJJ) vs Edwin Peña (VisionQuest)
115 BJ Garceau (Young’s MMA) vs Alecia Palmer (First Class/Choi’s)
140 Curtis Ouellette (CMBJJ) vs Joe Peters (Karasu Tengu)
205 Brandon Oldenburg (Titan Athletics) vs George Pissimissis (Wai Kru)
135 Jonas Ryerson (CMBJJ) vs Julian Sirois (VisionQuest)
155 Rob Boyle (Defensive Edge) vs Austin Britton (Team Alena)
140 PJ Crawford (Young’s MMA) vs Connor Morrill (Karasu Tengu)
265 Miles Emery (Titan Athletics) vs Abdul Keita (D.N.A.)
135 Jackson Campbell (Young’s MMA) vs William Lagasse (Team Alena)
265 Darryl Andrews (SSSF) vs Charles Sullivan (VisionQuest)
150 Kira Innocenti (Young’s MMA) vs Lindsay Valentine (Vamos MMA)
195 Nate White (CMBJJ/Wrestlers Way) vs Cody Dular (Team Benson)
“NEF 55: Glory Days” is set for a bell time of 7 p.m. this Saturday, November 11 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. The event will stream live at www.CombatSportsNow.com. One stream pre-order will be chosen at random to win two VIP passes to “NEF 56.