New England Fights

New England Fights NEF is New England's top mixed-martial-arts promotion. Follow our page for all the latest news.

๐ŸฅŠ ๐™‹๐™Š๐™„๐™๐™„๐™€๐™ & ๐™๐™”๐™€๐™๐™Ž๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™Š ๐™ˆ๐™€๐™€๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™Ž ๐™‰๐™€๐™ ๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐™๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™€๐™‰๐™Ž ๐™‰๐™€๐™’ ๐™†๐™„๐˜พ๐™†๐˜ฝ๐™Š๐™“๐™„๐™‰๐™‚ ๐˜ฟ๐™„๐™‘๐™„๐™Ž๐™„๐™Š๐™‰FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 23, 202...
06/23/2025

๐ŸฅŠ ๐™‹๐™Š๐™„๐™๐™„๐™€๐™ & ๐™๐™”๐™€๐™๐™Ž๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™Š ๐™ˆ๐™€๐™€๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™Ž ๐™‰๐™€๐™ ๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐™๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™€๐™‰๐™Ž ๐™‰๐™€๐™’ ๐™†๐™„๐˜พ๐™†๐˜ฝ๐™Š๐™“๐™„๐™‰๐™‚ ๐˜ฟ๐™„๐™‘๐™„๐™Ž๐™„๐™Š๐™‰

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 23, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur kickboxing bout to the card. Quinn Poirier (0-0) will meet Jonas Ryerson (0-0) in an amateur kickboxing matchup at a fight weight of 135 pounds.

With the recent legalization and regulation of kickboxing in Maine, NEF will present its first kickboxing bouts in the Pine Tree State on the โ€œNEF 63โ€ card. In 2021, the promotion put on two kickboxing matches on the โ€œNEF 44โ€ event in New Hampshire where kickboxing was already being regulated.

Poirier has appeared previously in the NEF cage in mixed-martial-arts competition, currently holding an amateur record of 0-3. He represents First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

โ€œI'm excited for the first kickboxing matches in Maine,โ€ said Poirier. โ€œI've been training hard and I'm ready for a tough opponent out of a tough gym.โ€

Like Poirier, Ryerson is also a veteran of the mixed-martial-arts division in NEF. He holds an amateur MMA record of 1-2 with a 10-second knockout of John Marcley (0-1) at โ€œNEF 48โ€ to his credit. Ryerson represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu based in Lewiston.

โ€œFrom scraps as a kid in the parking lot, to making my kickboxing debut right here in Lewiston, is huge for me,โ€ said Ryerson. โ€œSeven years of kickboxing classes have prepared me with all the tools needed to display beautiful violence on August 9th.โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

๐Ÿ† ๐™€๐™‡๐˜ฟ๐™๐™„๐˜ฟ๐™‚๐™€ ๐™๐™Š ๐™‹๐™๐™ ๐˜ฝ๐˜ผ๐™‰๐™๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐™๐™„๐™๐™‡๐™€ ๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™‡๐™„๐™‰๐™€ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 21,...
06/21/2025

๐Ÿ† ๐™€๐™‡๐˜ฟ๐™๐™„๐˜ฟ๐™‚๐™€ ๐™๐™Š ๐™‹๐™๐™ ๐˜ฝ๐˜ผ๐™‰๐™๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐™๐™„๐™๐™‡๐™€ ๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™‡๐™„๐™‰๐™€ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 21, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional championship bout to the card. Nick Eldridge (4-0) is set to defend the NEF Professional Bantamweight Championship against Olivier Poisson (3-0) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for five rounds at 135 pounds.

Eldridge won the championship last month at โ€œNEF 62โ€ with a third-round stoppage of Tim Fargo (3-1). It is the second time Eldridge has captured gold with the promotion โ€“ the first being the NEF Amateur Bantamweight Title in 2024. As a professional, Eldridge has a 100% finish rate with three of his four stoppages coming in the first round. He represents team Nostos based in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

โ€œIโ€™m excited to be back in the NEF cage to defend my title against another undefeated prospect,โ€ said Eldridge. โ€œI only want tough fights, and I expect to get one August 9th. I appreciate Olivier taking this fight and I canโ€™t wait to show the improvements Iโ€™ve made and put on a show for Lewiston!โ€

Olivier Poisson will make the trip to Lewiston from his home in Saint-Remi, Quebec, Canada. Like Eldridge, Poisson is undefeated with a 100% finish rate as a professional. Also like Eldridge, Poisson holds a win over Tim Fargo in a title fight โ€“ an amateur championship bout in New York in 2023. Poisson represents H2O MMA in Montreal.

โ€œI wanted a big challenge, so Iโ€™m really happy to be fighting Nick,โ€ said Poisson. โ€œIโ€™ve got a lot of respect for him โ€” the guy has four finishes in four fights, and Iโ€™ve got three in three. So, itโ€™s a showdown between finishers. A Canada vs USA clash. I promise you an explosive performance, and Iโ€™m coming back to Quebec with that belt. I have no doubt about it.โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Nostos MMA and Conditioning Facility

๐Ÿ† ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™’๐™€๐™‡๐™๐™€๐™๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐™‹๐™„๐™Š๐™‰๐™Ž๐™ƒ๐™„๐™‹ ๐™’๐™„๐™‡๐™‡ ๐˜ฝ๐™€ ๐˜ฟ๐™€๐˜พ๐™„๐˜ฟ๐™€๐˜ฟ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 20, ...
06/20/2025

๐Ÿ† ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™’๐™€๐™‡๐™๐™€๐™๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐™‹๐™„๐™Š๐™‰๐™Ž๐™ƒ๐™„๐™‹ ๐™’๐™„๐™‡๐™‡ ๐˜ฝ๐™€ ๐˜ฟ๐™€๐˜พ๐™„๐˜ฟ๐™€๐˜ฟ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 20, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur championship bout to the card. Sean Wakefield (7-4) will take on Preston LaPointe (4-1) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for five rounds at a weight of 170 pounds for the vacant NEF Amateur Welterweight Title.

The bout will actually be a rematch between Wakefield and LaPointe. The pair met at an Art of Scrap event in Indiana for that promotionโ€™s 170 pound title. LaPointe won a very close fight as the result of a split decision, keeping the Art of Scrap welterweight belt in Indiana.

Wakefield won a regional welterweight title in New Hampshire last year. He previously competed with NEF at โ€œNEF 53โ€ in 2023 with a second-round submission of Jake Silver (0-1). Wakefield represents Evolution Athletix based in S**o, Maine.

โ€œIโ€™m excited,โ€ exclaimed Wakefield. โ€œPreston and I had a close fight before, so Iโ€™m looking to really make a statement this time against a tough guy and take home the NEF belt!โ€

While he is based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Preston LaPointe is no stranger to the NEF cage. He is 1-1 with the promotion with a split decision loss to Brian Ferguson (1-1) at โ€œNEF 57,โ€ and more recently a victory over David McCarty (2-5) by second round stoppage at โ€œNEF 60โ€ last fall. LaPointe represents Lee Brothers MMA.

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

๐™ƒ๐™€๐™‰๐™๐™” & ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€๐™๐™๐™„๐™€๐™‰ ๐™Ž๐™€๐™ ๐™๐™Š๐™ ๐™๐™€๐˜ผ๐™๐™ƒ๐™’๐™€๐™๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐˜ผ๐™„๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 19, 2...
06/19/2025

๐™ƒ๐™€๐™‰๐™๐™” & ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€๐™๐™๐™„๐™€๐™‰ ๐™Ž๐™€๐™ ๐™๐™Š๐™ ๐™๐™€๐˜ผ๐™๐™ƒ๐™’๐™€๐™๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐˜ผ๐™„๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 19, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur featherweight bout to the card. Billy Henry (2-1) will meet Isaac Therrien (1-4) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at a weight of 145 pounds.

After suffering a loss in his debut MMA fight, Billy Henry has won his last two-in-a-row. At โ€œNEF 62โ€ last month, he pulled out a split decision win over PJ Crawford (1-2) in a very competitive bout. Henry represents First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

โ€œIโ€™m stepping into the cage with full focus and no hesitation,โ€ said Henry. โ€œIโ€™ve put in the work and come fight night I will be ready for anything he throws my way.โ€

Isaac Therrien roared onto the local fight scene with a first-round knockout of Chad Weymouth (0-1) in his debut fight at โ€œNEF 31โ€ in 2017. Since that time, however, Therrien has lost his last four. He will look to get back on the winning track against Henry. Therrien represents the Greater Rumford Community Center.

โ€œThis is going to be a tough competition,โ€ noted Therrien, โ€œbut Iโ€™m ready for a cruel summer!โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.



First Class Fitness & MMA

๐˜ฝ๐™Š๐™๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐™€๐™ & ๐™’๐˜ผ๐™‡๐™๐™€๐™๐™Ž ๐™’๐™„๐™‡๐™‡ ๐˜ฝ๐™Š๐™๐™ƒ ๐™Ž๐™€๐™€๐™† ๐™๐™„๐™๐™Ž๐™ ๐™‹๐™๐™Š๐™๐™€๐™Ž๐™Ž๐™„๐™Š๐™‰๐˜ผ๐™‡ ๐™‘๐™„๐˜พ๐™๐™Š๐™๐™” ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 18, ...
06/18/2025

๐˜ฝ๐™Š๐™๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐™€๐™ & ๐™’๐˜ผ๐™‡๐™๐™€๐™๐™Ž ๐™’๐™„๐™‡๐™‡ ๐˜ฝ๐™Š๐™๐™ƒ ๐™Ž๐™€๐™€๐™† ๐™๐™„๐™๐™Ž๐™ ๐™‹๐™๐™Š๐™๐™€๐™Ž๐™Ž๐™„๐™Š๐™‰๐˜ผ๐™‡ ๐™‘๐™„๐˜พ๐™๐™Š๐™๐™” ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 18, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional catchweight bout to the card. Nate Boucher (0-5) will meet Paul Walters (0-7) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at a weight of 140 pounds.

Nate Boucher will look for the first professional win of his MMA career after going 6-3 as an amateur. Boucher captured the NEF Amateur Flyweight Championship during that run. He has not won a fight since turning pro at โ€œNEF 42โ€ in February 2020.

โ€œIโ€™m looking forward to another night of competition,โ€ noted Boucher. โ€œI am very grateful for the people I have around me. Lewiston is always a little more special to meโ€”itโ€™s a call Iโ€™ll always answer.โ€

Like Boucher, Paul Walters has yet to taste victory as a professional competitor. Based out of Tampa, Florida, Walters has become a regular on NEF cards over the last two years. He is a multi-sport veteran having competed in MMA, boxing, and bare knuckle boxing as well.

โ€œBeing a pro fighter is a childhood dream come true,โ€ said Walters. โ€œEvery fight is a gift. But, dreams donโ€™t last forever. When this one comes to an end, I have to know I gave everything I had. I havenโ€™t always done that, so for this fight Iโ€™m ALL in. Itโ€™s kill or be killed. Iโ€™ll be at peace either way.โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

๐Ÿ† ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™ƒ๐™€๐˜ผ๐™‘๐™”๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐™๐™„๐™๐™‡๐™€ ๐™„๐™Ž ๐™๐™‹ ๐™๐™Š๐™ ๐™‚๐™๐˜ผ๐˜ฝ๐™Ž ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 17, 2025) โ€“ ...
06/17/2025

๐Ÿ† ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™ƒ๐™€๐˜ผ๐™‘๐™”๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐™๐™„๐™๐™‡๐™€ ๐™„๐™Ž ๐™๐™‹ ๐™๐™Š๐™ ๐™‚๐™๐˜ผ๐˜ฝ๐™Ž ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 17, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur championship bout to the card. Nate White (7-0) will meet Brandon Oldenburg (2-3) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for five rounds for the vacant amateur heavyweight title.

Undefeated Nate โ€œThe Muleโ€ White will return to the cage for the first time since November 2023 at โ€œNEF 55โ€ when he knocked out Cody Dular (1-4). White has a perfect finish rate of 100% with five of his seven finishes coming in the first round. In addition to competing in MMA, White is a proud member of the Maine Army National Guard.

โ€œThey should call this one โ€˜the young mule vs. the old fool,โ€™โ€ declared White. โ€œDonโ€™t worry, ๐˜–๐˜“๐˜‹enburg, Iโ€™ll make sure I finish you quickly so you can catch an early bird dinner. This is a young manโ€™s sport, and you have no business competing in it. No way will you stand between me and that heavyweight title. When I get done with you, may God have mercy on your soul.โ€

Brandon Oldenburg, after dropping the first three fights of his amateur career, has gone on to win his last two-in-a-row. Like White, he has a perfect 100% finish rate with first-round knockouts of George Pissimissis (1-3) and David Hart (2-6), respectively. Oldenburg represents Titan Athletics based in Brewer, Maine.

โ€œIโ€™m honored to be fighting for the NEF title,โ€ exclaimed Oldenburg. โ€œMy MMA journey hasnโ€™t been the easiest and Iโ€™m beyond grateful to have this opportunity! Nate is a heck of a fighter and has the total opposite style of fighting, so it should make for a hell of a fight!โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.



๐™Š๐™‰๐™€ ๐™‡๐˜ผ๐™Ž๐™ ๐˜ฝ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐™‡๐™€ ๐™๐™Š๐™ ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™‘๐™„๐™†๐™„๐™‰๐™‚: ๐™€๐™๐™„๐˜พ๐™†๐™Ž๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™Š ๐™๐˜ผ๐˜พ๐™€ ๐˜พ๐™Š๐™Ž๐˜พ๐™Š ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€˜๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€™ โš”๏ธ๐Ÿ›กFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 15, 2...
06/15/2025

๐™Š๐™‰๐™€ ๐™‡๐˜ผ๐™Ž๐™ ๐˜ฝ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐™‡๐™€ ๐™๐™Š๐™ ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™‘๐™„๐™†๐™„๐™‰๐™‚: ๐™€๐™๐™„๐˜พ๐™†๐™Ž๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™Š ๐™๐˜ผ๐˜พ๐™€ ๐˜พ๐™Š๐™Ž๐˜พ๐™Š ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€˜๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€™ โš”๏ธ๐Ÿ›ก

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 15, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional catchweight bout to the card. Jesse Erickson (11-9) will take on Brian Cosco (2-2) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at 165 pounds.

The bout will be the final one in the storied career of Jesse โ€œThe Vikingโ€ Erickson. He made his amateur debut at โ€œNEF 1โ€ in February 2012 in Lewiston and now closes out his professional career over 13 years later in the same city. One of the most popular fighters ever to come out of the Lewiston-Auburn area, Erickson would go on to make his pro debut at Bellator 93 โ€“ a card which NEF co-promoted. He would go on to have exciting rivalries with Bruce Boyington (18-14), Jon Lemke (7-9), and Devin Powell (10-5). Ericksonโ€™s most recent victory would come over his former student Matt Denning (8-25) at โ€œNEF 47โ€ in Auburn in the spring of 2022. He represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

โ€œIt's bittersweet preparing for a final fight in this sport I love, but it's important not to overstay your welcome,โ€ said Erickson. โ€œThe longer and more frequently you compete, the more this sport takes from you. I'm going to just enjoy the process one last time and really soak it all in. I will be present in practice and preparation with focus and purpose, honing my abilities to put on display one last time in the NEF cage where it first began. I'll close this chapter with an exclamation point in August. I wish Brian well in preparation and look forward to facing him in Kombat. Victory or Valhalla!โ€

Massachusettsโ€™ Brian Cosco has been a regular on NEF cards in Maine since โ€œNEF 38โ€ in 2019. He went 2-2 as an amateur with the promotion and is currently 2-1 as a pro in NEF. Cosco most recently appeared at โ€œNEF 59โ€ last fall with a first-round submission of James Lawson (0-7). He currently represents Brazilian Top Team and Sityodtong.

โ€œAugust 9th, Iโ€™ll be stepping back into the NEF cage and taking on Jesse โ€˜The Vikingโ€™ Erickson,โ€ said Cosco. โ€œJesse has been a big name in NEF and across the regional MMA scene for a long time. This is a big opportunity for me. If I go up to Lewiston and beat Jesse in his hometown thatโ€™s a huge win for me. Iโ€™ll be going in there looking to finish him!โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Sun Journal Sports Jesse Erickson Brian Cosco

๐˜พ๐™Š๐™‰๐™‰๐™€๐™๐™๐™Š๐™‰ ๐˜ผ๐™‰๐˜ฟ ๐˜ผ๐˜ฝ๐˜ฟ๐™๐™‡๐™‡๐˜ผ๐™ƒ ๐™๐™Š ๐™Ž๐™Œ๐™๐˜ผ๐™๐™€ ๐™Š๐™๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 14, 2025) โ€“ New England Fig...
06/14/2025

๐˜พ๐™Š๐™‰๐™‰๐™€๐™๐™๐™Š๐™‰ ๐˜ผ๐™‰๐˜ฟ ๐˜ผ๐˜ฝ๐˜ฟ๐™๐™‡๐™‡๐˜ผ๐™ƒ ๐™๐™Š ๐™Ž๐™Œ๐™๐˜ผ๐™๐™€ ๐™Š๐™๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€œ๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 14, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur bantamweight bout to the card. Julian Connerton (6-3) will meet Qasim Abdullah (3-1) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at 135 pounds.

Julian Connerton will enter the NEF cage for the third time in his amateur career. He is 1-1 with the promotion, holding a win over Isaac Therrien (1-4) at โ€œNEF 53.โ€ Connerton will look to get back on the winning track after a loss to Edwin Peรฑa (5-2) by split decision in a bout for the NEF Amateur Featherweight Championship earlier this year. Connerton represents Evolution Athletix of S**o, Maine.

โ€œIโ€™ve checked majority of the boxes as an amateur,โ€ noted Connerton. โ€œKOโ€™s, submissions, technical and bloody wars. This fight was supposed to happen in February. Itโ€™s happening now, hopefully. Iโ€™m looking to paint one more masterpiece before I turn the page.โ€

Qasim Abdullah got off to a meteoric start to his amateur career, rattling off three victories in the NEF cage in 2023. In his most recent outing with the promotion, Abdullah suffered his first loss โ€“ a second-round submission to current NEF Amateur Bantamweight Champion Jackson Campbell (5-0) at โ€œNEF 57โ€ last spring. Abdullah represents the Choi Institute based in Portland, Maine.

โ€œIโ€™m just happy to be fighting,โ€ exclaimed Abdullah when reached for comment.

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Choi Institute

๐Ÿ† ๐˜ผ ๐™‰๐™€๐™’ ๐™๐™€๐˜ผ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€๐™๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐™‹๐™„๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™’๐™„๐™‡๐™‡ ๐˜ฝ๐™€ ๐˜พ๐™๐™Š๐™’๐™‰๐™€๐˜ฟ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€˜๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€™ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 9, 20...
06/09/2025

๐Ÿ† ๐˜ผ ๐™‰๐™€๐™’ ๐™๐™€๐˜ผ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€๐™๐™’๐™€๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐˜พ๐™ƒ๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐™‹๐™„๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™’๐™„๐™‡๐™‡ ๐˜ฝ๐™€ ๐˜พ๐™๐™Š๐™’๐™‰๐™€๐˜ฟ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€˜๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€™ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 9, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional championship bout to the card. Nathaniel Grimard (7-5) will meet Felipe Gรผnter (3-1) for the vacant professional featherweight title in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for five rounds at 145 pounds.

Nathaniel Grimard has won his last three-in-a-row in the promotionโ€™s cage by stopping Paul Walters (0-7), Matt Denning (8-25) and Charlie Gathers (9-11) all in the first round at โ€œNEF 57,โ€ โ€œNEF 60โ€ and โ€œNEF 61,โ€ respectively. This will not be Grimardโ€™s first shot at gold at 145 pounds. Grimard held NEFโ€™s amateur featherweight title in 2021 prior to turning pro. He represents team Nostos based in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

โ€œIโ€™m very excited to be fighting for the NEF belt,โ€ said Grimard. โ€œFelipe is a very tough and durable opponent. I got nothing but respect for him and his team, but on August 9th, Iโ€™m coming to take his head off.โ€

Like Grimard, Gรผnterโ€™s most recent win came by way of a first-round stoppage of veteran Charlie Gathers. He is a perfect 3-0 in the NEF cage as a professional. Also like Grimard, Gรผnter has tasted gold previously in the promotion as an amateur. He won the NEF Amateur Bantamweight Title at โ€œNEF 45โ€ in 2021. Gรผnter represents both First Class MMA of Brunswick, Maine and the Choi Institute of Portland, Maine.

โ€œIโ€™m excited for this next fight โ€” itโ€™s the perfect catalyst to take my training to the next level,โ€ said Gรผnter. โ€œI know Nate and his team at Nostos will be well-prepared for a five-round war. Weโ€™ve seen each other fight live on multiple occasions and even shared a few of the same opponents. Iโ€™ve had the chance to cross-train with their guys and just recently attended a seminar at Nostos. Even with this fight already on the books, I felt welcomed โ€” which says a lot about the kind of culture Devin (Powell, Nostos head coach) runs over there.

โ€œI have a lot of respect for Nate and his team, but on August 9th, that respect gets set aside. Weโ€™ve got business to handle. Expect a clash of styles that will deliver a truly exciting fight for the fans. With the hard training ahead, itโ€™s shaping up to be a Cruel Summer โ€” in the best way possible.โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.



Sun Journal Sports Nostos MMA and Conditioning Facility First Class Fitness & MMA

๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐˜ผ๐™๐™‰๐™Š๐™‡๐˜ฟ & ๐™‚๐˜ผ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€๐™๐™Ž ๐™๐™Š ๐™ˆ๐™€๐™€๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€˜๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€™ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 5, 2025) โ€“ New England Fi...
06/05/2025

๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐˜ผ๐™๐™‰๐™Š๐™‡๐˜ฟ & ๐™‚๐˜ผ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€๐™๐™Ž ๐™๐™Š ๐™ˆ๐™€๐™€๐™ ๐˜ผ๐™ โ€˜๐™‰๐™€๐™ 63โ€™ ๐™„๐™‰ ๐™‡๐™€๐™’๐™„๐™Ž๐™๐™Š๐™‰

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 5, 2025) โ€“ New England Fights (โ€œNEFโ€) presents its next event โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summer,โ€ on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional catchweight bout to the card. Kam Arnold (6-1) will meet Charlie Gathers (9-11) at a fight weight of 140 pounds in a mixed-martial-arts bout scheduled for three rounds.

Maine fan favorite โ€œKillaโ€ Kam Arnold has been on a tear of late in the NEF cage. He has four victories in a row dating back to April 2024 with three of those wins coming by way of knockout. Earlier this year, Arnold defeated Shawn Johnson (4-13) by unanimous decision at โ€œNEF 61.โ€ Arnold is a former NEF Bantamweight Champion from his time in the amateur ranks.

โ€œCharlie Gathers aka โ€˜Mad Manโ€™ aka โ€˜Lone Wolfโ€™ aka โ€˜Temu McGregor,โ€™ but better known as โ€˜Dead Man Walking,โ€™โ€ said Arnold, โ€œour time has come. I wonโ€™t be out worked. This fight is for the kidsโ€”the greatest things in life are on the other side of your biggest fears. Charlie, bring your finest weapons, Iโ€™ll bring my will, and we can see which one prevails. As my old coach would say, โ€˜Victory or Valhalla.โ€™โ€

Charlie โ€œThe Mad Manโ€ Gathers is a longtime veteran of the sport based out of Pennsylvania. He has competed in mixed-martial-arts since 2012. Gathers is no stranger to the NEF cage. He has made the trip to Maine twice previously this year to face Nathaniel Grimard (7-5) and Felipe Gรผnter (3-1) at โ€œNEF 61โ€ and โ€œNEF 62,โ€ respectively.

โ€œNo Easy Fights,โ€ exclaimed Gathers. โ€œI got to know Kam over the last few shows. Heโ€™s a good dude. Heโ€™s a family man, like myself, and loves the game of punch face. S**t, I have one of his shirts!

โ€œThis fight is about two warriors who want to put on the best show possible for the fans on August 9th. No sneaky s**t, just an old fashioned, passionate ass whoopinโ€™. The game of punch face and I'm always the first in line!

โ€œโ€˜Killaโ€™ Kam and โ€˜The Mad Man.โ€™ Letโ€™s get it! NEF is always putting on a show and I couldn't be more happy for this fight! Fighters fight!โ€

โ€œNEF 63: Cruel Summerโ€ takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Kam Arnold Charlie Gathers Sun Journal Sports

๐™‰๐™ž๐™˜๐™  ๐™€๐™ก๐™™๐™ง๐™ž๐™™๐™œ๐™š ๐™ซ๐™จ ๐™๐™ž๐™ข ๐™๐™–๐™ง๐™œ๐™ค fight ๐Ÿ“ท by Monty Rand Photography    goes down on August 9 at the Lewiston Armory.  Get your ...
05/11/2025

๐™‰๐™ž๐™˜๐™  ๐™€๐™ก๐™™๐™ง๐™ž๐™™๐™œ๐™š ๐™ซ๐™จ ๐™๐™ž๐™ข ๐™๐™–๐™ง๐™œ๐™ค fight ๐Ÿ“ท by Monty Rand Photography

goes down on August 9 at the Lewiston Armory. Get your ๐ŸŽŸ now at www.nefights.com/tickets/

๐˜ฝ๐™ง๐™ช๐™˜๐™š ๐˜ฝ๐™ค๐™ฎ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™ฉ๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™ซ๐™จ ๐™ˆ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ฉ ๐˜ฟ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ fight ๐Ÿ“ท by Monty Rand Photography    goes down on August 9 at the Lewiston Armory.  Get ...
05/11/2025

๐˜ฝ๐™ง๐™ช๐™˜๐™š ๐˜ฝ๐™ค๐™ฎ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™ฉ๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™ซ๐™จ ๐™ˆ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ฉ ๐˜ฟ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ fight ๐Ÿ“ท by Monty Rand Photography

goes down on August 9 at the Lewiston Armory. Get your ๐ŸŽŸ now at www.nefights.com/tickets/

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