New England Fights (NEF) 25 Primer: Why to Watch on FloCombat
New England Fights (NEF) 25 Primer: Why to Watch on FloCombat
New England Fights (NEF), returns to FloCombat Saturday, Sept. 10, with NEF 25. Here's why you want to watch.
The premier MMA promotion in New England, New England Fights (NEF), returns to FloCombat's event hub Saturday, Sept. 10, bringing what they always do: the region's best talent.
NEF 25: Heroes and Villains features pro-am MMA as well as professional boxing live from Lewiston, Maine. The 13-fight card starts at 6 p.m. CDT and will stream live only on FloCombat.
Here are three reasons to get your FloPRO account rolling and watch the madness unfold.
Some fighters will do anything to get a strap.
Jesse Erickson should be a lightweight. His last fight in NEF took place at a 160-pound catchweight. But now, he makes a 20-pound jump in weight to take on Crowsneck Boutin in the main event of NEF 25.
Boutin (2-2) has fought as high as 205 pounds in the past. In his last fight, the Choe Institute fighter knocked out his opponent in the first round at 185 pounds.
Erickson (8-5) and Boutin already have history. The pair was scheduled to fight at the last NEF event in June, but the bout was eventually cancelled.
This time, Erickson was originally expected to rematch against his rival Jon Lemke at lightweight. However, after Lemke pulled out with an injury and Boutin stepped up on short notice--albeit 25 pounds heavier than Erickson was planning for--the bout is back on.
How will Erickson fare against a much bigger but less experienced opponent? Tune in to FloCombat Saturday night to find out.
Matt Andrikut didn't mince his feelings about the quality of his opponent and of Maine's wrestling scene in general.
"I don't see anything he does that poses a threat to me," Andrikut said to The MMA Report about his adversary Mike Hansen. "No offense to the state of Maine, but they're not really known for their high school wrestling. I wrestled in New York and was ranked fourth in the state of New York."
Andrikut's comments set a fire under Hansen's supporters, and now their co-main light-heavyweight bout is the most heated matchup on the card.
Hansen (4-4) will have his home state's support, as Andrikut (2-0) is flying in from Reno, Nevada, directly into enemy territory.
Will Andrikut back up his words and improve his undefeated record, or will Hansen give his "Maine-iac" fans something to celebrate?
Amateur title fights are usually overshadowed by their professional counterparts, but oftentimes on the regional circuit the amateur fighters steal the show. These bouts regularly end up being the most memorable, as the combatants go all out and fight like they have nothing to lose.
For this card, NEF has stacked the deck with its next generation of future champions in two amateur title fights.
The first puts the vacant 155-pound belt on the line, pitting the undefeated Rafeal "Deez Nutz" Velado (2-0) vs Jimmy Jackson (3-2).
Then, NEF puts on a super fight for its featherweight championship. Reigning bantamweight champion John Crafts (4-0) will move up 10 pounds to take on the far more experienced Caleb Hall (7-3) for his 145-pound title.
Will Crafts prove his top prospect status by taking home two belts, or will Hall's size and experience advantage prove too much to overcome? Fire up your FloPRO accounts Saturday night to find out.
NEF 25: Heroes and Villains features pro-am MMA as well as professional boxing live from Lewiston, Maine. The 13-fight card starts at 6 p.m. CDT and will stream live only on FloCombat.
Here are three reasons to get your FloPRO account rolling and watch the madness unfold.
A Big Step up in the Main Event
Some fighters will do anything to get a strap.
Jesse Erickson should be a lightweight. His last fight in NEF took place at a 160-pound catchweight. But now, he makes a 20-pound jump in weight to take on Crowsneck Boutin in the main event of NEF 25.
Boutin (2-2) has fought as high as 205 pounds in the past. In his last fight, the Choe Institute fighter knocked out his opponent in the first round at 185 pounds.
Erickson (8-5) and Boutin already have history. The pair was scheduled to fight at the last NEF event in June, but the bout was eventually cancelled.
This time, Erickson was originally expected to rematch against his rival Jon Lemke at lightweight. However, after Lemke pulled out with an injury and Boutin stepped up on short notice--albeit 25 pounds heavier than Erickson was planning for--the bout is back on.
How will Erickson fare against a much bigger but less experienced opponent? Tune in to FloCombat Saturday night to find out.
New York Wrestling vs Maine Wrestling
Matt Andrikut didn't mince his feelings about the quality of his opponent and of Maine's wrestling scene in general.
"I don't see anything he does that poses a threat to me," Andrikut said to The MMA Report about his adversary Mike Hansen. "No offense to the state of Maine, but they're not really known for their high school wrestling. I wrestled in New York and was ranked fourth in the state of New York."
Andrikut's comments set a fire under Hansen's supporters, and now their co-main light-heavyweight bout is the most heated matchup on the card.
Hansen (4-4) will have his home state's support, as Andrikut (2-0) is flying in from Reno, Nevada, directly into enemy territory.
Will Andrikut back up his words and improve his undefeated record, or will Hansen give his "Maine-iac" fans something to celebrate?
Champion vs. Champion
Amateur title fights are usually overshadowed by their professional counterparts, but oftentimes on the regional circuit the amateur fighters steal the show. These bouts regularly end up being the most memorable, as the combatants go all out and fight like they have nothing to lose.
For this card, NEF has stacked the deck with its next generation of future champions in two amateur title fights.
The first puts the vacant 155-pound belt on the line, pitting the undefeated Rafeal "Deez Nutz" Velado (2-0) vs Jimmy Jackson (3-2).
Then, NEF puts on a super fight for its featherweight championship. Reigning bantamweight champion John Crafts (4-0) will move up 10 pounds to take on the far more experienced Caleb Hall (7-3) for his 145-pound title.
Will Crafts prove his top prospect status by taking home two belts, or will Hall's size and experience advantage prove too much to overcome? Fire up your FloPRO accounts Saturday night to find out.