Three Reasons to Watch NEF Presents: Dana White Looking For a Fight
Three Reasons to Watch NEF Presents: Dana White Looking For a Fight
Dana White takes over the FloCombat event hub Friday evening at New England Fights. In regional MMA, sometimes you have to break out the big guns and stack
Dana White takes over the FloCombat event hub Friday evening at New England Fights.
In regional MMA, sometimes you have to break out the big guns and stack the card. That's especially true if the most influential man in MMA is showing up to sit cageside.
And that's exactly what going down at New England Fights Presents Dana White's "Lookin' for a Fight" in Bangor, Maine, at the Cross Insurance Center Friday, Aug. 5.
The NEF card will be the focus of the UFC president's next episode of his reality show, where he travels across the country with former fighters Din Thomas and Matt Serra, scouting for MMA's best prospects.
You can watch all of the fights before the reality TV show episode airs on FloCombat Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. CDT.
Main events represent the best of the best that a promotion has to offer, and NEF is bringing the heat with this one.
Alfred Khashakyan of Glendale Fighting Club faces off against top Brazilian 135-pound prospect Ricardo Lucas Ramos. Khashakyan (7-2) is coming off two straight knockout victories while his opponent, Ramos (8-1), just lost the first fight of his career. At 21 years old, however, Ramos is extremely young and will have time to grow and mature inside the cage.
In the UFC--now more than ever--young and exciting bantamweights are a hot commodity. A win for either of these two fighters in front of White, and they could realize their dream of fighting inside the Octagon. The show has already produced UFC signees such as Mickey Gall and Randy Brown. Will Khashakyan or Ramos join them?
White's roots in the Bangor area have been much touted, but he may not get the biggest pop from the partisan crowd.
The card features four fighters representing Bangor's local gym, Young's MMA. Ryan Sanders, CJ Ewer, Aaron Lacey, and Josh Harvey will not only look to spark the raucous hometown crowd, but to impress the UFC boss with the talent that is coming out of his old stomping grounds.
Sanders (10-8), the veteran lightweight of the bunch, will look to knock off the the No. 1-ranked 170-pounder in South Carolina, Derrick Kennington (11-7) who's dropping down a weight class for the scrap.
Sanders' stablemates, meanwhile, all look to go 2-0 has professionals. At 170 pounds, Ewer faces Ruben Redman (0-1). Featherweight Josh Harvey will take on Zenon Herrera, and in the co-main event, Aaron Lacey will have his hands full with the more experienced John Santos (3-3).
The local fighters might have a tough time walking down Main Street in downtown Bangor is they win impressively.
When the promotion's reigning 155-pound champion is just the second fight of the evening, you know NEF is bringing a stacked card.
Devin Powell, the NEF lightweight champion from South Berwick, Maine, is set to rematch against Bangor's John Lemke in a 160-pound non-title bout.
Powell (7-1), whose last fight was a decision win over Tommy Marcellino at World Series of Fighting (WSOF) 31, submitted Lemke (5-5) way back at NEF 13 two years ago. He's replacing his friend Jesse Eriksson, who was forced off the card to due injury.
The champ, who won his title this past April with a TKO over Eriksson, is taking this fight on short notice, but has the opportunity of a career to make an impression with the UFC head in the building.
It's Dana White, Matt Serra, Din Thomas, and some of his home state's most promising fighters. You don't want to miss that, do you? Tune in to FloCombat Friday night to catch it in all its glory.
By Evan Murach
In regional MMA, sometimes you have to break out the big guns and stack the card. That's especially true if the most influential man in MMA is showing up to sit cageside.
And that's exactly what going down at New England Fights Presents Dana White's "Lookin' for a Fight" in Bangor, Maine, at the Cross Insurance Center Friday, Aug. 5.
The NEF card will be the focus of the UFC president's next episode of his reality show, where he travels across the country with former fighters Din Thomas and Matt Serra, scouting for MMA's best prospects.
You can watch all of the fights before the reality TV show episode airs on FloCombat Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. CDT.
1. An Opportunity of a Lifetime
Main events represent the best of the best that a promotion has to offer, and NEF is bringing the heat with this one.
Alfred Khashakyan of Glendale Fighting Club faces off against top Brazilian 135-pound prospect Ricardo Lucas Ramos. Khashakyan (7-2) is coming off two straight knockout victories while his opponent, Ramos (8-1), just lost the first fight of his career. At 21 years old, however, Ramos is extremely young and will have time to grow and mature inside the cage.
In the UFC--now more than ever--young and exciting bantamweights are a hot commodity. A win for either of these two fighters in front of White, and they could realize their dream of fighting inside the Octagon. The show has already produced UFC signees such as Mickey Gall and Randy Brown. Will Khashakyan or Ramos join them?
2. The Four Horsemen of Bangor
White's roots in the Bangor area have been much touted, but he may not get the biggest pop from the partisan crowd.
The card features four fighters representing Bangor's local gym, Young's MMA. Ryan Sanders, CJ Ewer, Aaron Lacey, and Josh Harvey will not only look to spark the raucous hometown crowd, but to impress the UFC boss with the talent that is coming out of his old stomping grounds.
Sanders (10-8), the veteran lightweight of the bunch, will look to knock off the the No. 1-ranked 170-pounder in South Carolina, Derrick Kennington (11-7) who's dropping down a weight class for the scrap.
Sanders' stablemates, meanwhile, all look to go 2-0 has professionals. At 170 pounds, Ewer faces Ruben Redman (0-1). Featherweight Josh Harvey will take on Zenon Herrera, and in the co-main event, Aaron Lacey will have his hands full with the more experienced John Santos (3-3).
The local fighters might have a tough time walking down Main Street in downtown Bangor is they win impressively.
3. The State's top Lightweight
When the promotion's reigning 155-pound champion is just the second fight of the evening, you know NEF is bringing a stacked card.
Devin Powell, the NEF lightweight champion from South Berwick, Maine, is set to rematch against Bangor's John Lemke in a 160-pound non-title bout.
Powell (7-1), whose last fight was a decision win over Tommy Marcellino at World Series of Fighting (WSOF) 31, submitted Lemke (5-5) way back at NEF 13 two years ago. He's replacing his friend Jesse Eriksson, who was forced off the card to due injury.
The champ, who won his title this past April with a TKO over Eriksson, is taking this fight on short notice, but has the opportunity of a career to make an impression with the UFC head in the building.
It's Dana White, Matt Serra, Din Thomas, and some of his home state's most promising fighters. You don't want to miss that, do you? Tune in to FloCombat Friday night to catch it in all its glory.
By Evan Murach