[NEF PRESS RELEASE]
Portland, Maine (June 8, 2023) – New England Fights returns to Merrill Auditorium in Portland with its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 53: American Valor,” on Saturday, July 8, 2023. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur lightweight bout to the card. Ed Davis (2-1) will meet Chase O’Brien (1-1) in the promotion’s first ever non-title, five-round fight.
Ed Davis has made a name for himself in a relatively short period of time with NEF. He debuted last summer with a second-round technical knockout of Joe Peters (2-3) at “NEF 48.” Davis followed-up that performance with another TKO over Patrick Mitchell at “NEF 50” last fall. He needed just one minute of the first round to put Mitchell away. Davis would go on to challenge Kyle Pufahl (5-1) earlier this year for the NEF Amateur Lightweight Championship, losing a unanimous decision. He currently represents Titan Athletics based in Brewer, Maine.
“I am super excited to be back in the NEF cage on July 8th,” exclaimed Davis. “Chase is a tough guy with heavy hands who likes to throw down and I think the fans are going to be in for a treat when him and I step into the cage. Expect fight of the night, but make no mistake, I am coming to shut the lights out. So, bring the popcorn, don’t blink and be ready for the fireworks!”
Chase O’Brien will make his third appearance in the NEF cage on July 8. He debuted with the promotion last fall at “NEF 50,” losing a very close, hard-fought, majority decision to the more experienced Zach Faulkner (5-4). O’Brien returned at “NEF 51” in February against Trevor Brown (0-1). It took him just 1:29 of the first round to defeat Brown via technical knockout, turning Brown into a bloody mess in the process. O’Brien represents Wai Kru based in Allston, Massachusetts.
"I can’t wait for this fight,” declared O’Brien. “My cardio is better than ever, and my punches are as fast and powerful as they have ever been. My biggest goal is to entertain everyone watching, and that means I have to be as brutal as possible."
“NEF 53: American Valor” takes place on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine. Doors are scheduled to open at 6 pm with first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets to “NEF 53” are available now at www.porttix.com.
