We're out here at NEF 47: The Battle of L/A. No we are not out in Los Angeles. We are blessed to be in one of the Cities of the Androscoggin; Auburn. Just across the river is the hidden gem of Lewiston, and tonight two locals will be battling it out to see who is the real king of Lewiston-Auburn. Former coach and student will take center stage in the main event of the sold out show, as Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (10-8) and former student Matt "Ken Doll" Denning (5-12) will throw down in a 3 round catch weight bout at 165 pounds.
We also have a very intriguing matchup as the co-main event, as "The" Ryan Sanders (18-9) will make a triumphant return to the cage after a 3.5 year layoff from competition. Sanders is 8-1 in his last 9 fights dating back to 2016, but he's still only 34 years old and definitely still has some mileage left on those tires. Sanders will be taking on Mark "Pockets" Gardner (2-2) in a welterweight clash, although Gardner did miss weight by 1.5 pounds yesterday. Regardless, this is going to be a quick and violent fight to watch.
There are some other familiar names to the Maine fan base on the card as well. Mo Kinani, Glory Watson, Nate Grimard, and Nate Boucher all are just a few of the names who'll be competing on the all pro main card. In total there are 8 professional fights and 9 amateur bouts on the card - a good mix for a regional card here in New England.
The event sold out a few days ago, which is a very good sign for NEF as they venture to the Norway Savings Bank arena for the first time. We'll be cageside giving you live updates of the action, so make sure to follow along on this blog post as well as our social media pages throughout the night.
David Burke (0-0, Nostos MMA) vs. David McCarty (1-1, Titan Athletics)
Amateur Middleweight
Round 1: Burke with a monster slam right out of the gate. He's landing massive hammerfists to McCarty's head and knocks him out after about the 20th! Wow! What a performance by David Burke in his debut!
RESULT: David Burke defeats David McCarty via KO at :19 of the 1st round
Tyler Parent (1-1, CMBJJ) vs. Nate Dorr (0-0, Acadia BJJ)
Amateur Bantamweight
Round 1: Both guys come out swinging, landing a few each. Big front kick from Dorr sends Parent stumbling back to the cage. Dorr gets a takedown and now has Parent's back with hooks in. Parent is fighting the hands well. Dorr gets his wrist under Parent's chin, but Parent is fighting the top hand well. Parent escapes and gets halfguard. Dorr is reigning down some solid punches from top position. Solid round for Dorr. 10-9 Dorr.
Round 2: Dorr lands a big league kick out of the gate. Dorr looks pretty comfortable in there for his debut. Parent starts landing some bug punches that rock Dorr. Parent scrambles to Dorr's back, but he shrimps to half guard. Parent backs away and lets him up. Dorr lands a big right cross that drops Parent! He lands some ground N pound, and the ref is about to stop it, but Parent stays active just enough for the fight to continue. Dorr gets Parent's back. Parent reverses and finishes on top as the round comes to an end. The round would have been Parent's if he didn't get dropped by Dorr later in the round. 10-9 Dorr
Round 3: Both guys start the third trading punches. Dorr seems to have more power in his hands, but Parent is landing as well. Dorr lands a head-kick flush with the foot, but Parent eats it well and waves Dorr into the pocket. They both continue to trade punches in the center of the cage. Dorr gets a clinch and a trip with 30 seconds left in the round. Dorr is postering up and landing some glancing blows as the round comes to an end. 10-9 Dorr
RESULT: Nate Dorr defeats Tyler Parent via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Joe Peters (0-1, KTA) vs. Bryant Wade (1-0, Titan Athletics)
Amateur Middleweight
Round 1: Bryant is doing a nice job of evading and landing counter left hooks. Wade wants to keep this standing and Peters is looking to close the distance. The southpaw stance of Wade seems to be bothering Peters on the feet. Peters lands a nice left that stuns Wade and he ends up getting a takedown. He's in sidemount, but Wade is defending well and works his way back to his feet. Wade gets another takedown as the round expires. Close round, but Wade was the more effective striker over the course of the 3 minutes. 10-9 Wade.
Round 2: Peters is able to get the clinch against the fence. He's got a body lock, but Wade does a good job of preventing the takedown. Peters grinding grappling style seems to be wearing down Wade. Peters is retaining top position while throwing punches and trying to advance. Peters is landing some nice ground n pound from halfguard and sidemount. Peters continues to deliver ground N pound as the round expires. 10-9 Peters.
Round 3: Walter Smith-Cotito and Joey Gomez have some encouraging words for Peters in the corner between rounds. And it works! Peters comes out and lands a serious flurry of punches to open the round that send Wade stumbling against the cage and stunned. Peters follows him to the mat and takes his back with hooks in. Peters transitions to mount and reigns down punches for about 20 seconds before Kevin MacDonald steps in to call a stop to the contest.
RESULT: Joe Peters defeats Bryant Wade via TKO at 1:17 of the 3rd round
Cassidy Bedard (0-0, CMBJJ) vs. Michelle MacDavid (0-0, Defensive Edge)
Amateur 140 lbs
Round 1: The first female fight of the night has two debuting fighters from New England. Both woman start the round by throwing punches and landing. The settle into a clinch against the cage, but separate pretty quickly and back to striking range. Bedard is pushing forward and throwing with more volume. She's starting to find her range as MacDavid is back-peddling. Michelle is looking to clinch, but Bedard is doing a good job of avoiding while also landing punches as MacDavid enters range. 10-9 Bedard
Round 2: Bedard picks up right where she left off; throwing and landing volume. Michelle pushes forward with a burst of energy and a flurry of punches, but Bedard fights fire with fire and gets the better of the chaotic exchange. McDavid grabs a fistful of hair and looks to land a knee. The ref stops it quickly and takes a point from MacDavid as it looked pretty deliberate. Bedard has a bloody nose and a swollen eye, and MacDavid is sporting a swollen left eye as well. Bedard definitely looks worse for wear, but she is far and away winning the striking battle and this fight so far. 10-8 Bedard (with the 1 point deduction)
Round 3: Both women are intent on keeping this fight a striking battle. Bedard continues to pressure forward as MacDavid back-peddles. The pace has slowed in this round. Bedard has a solid jab that is keeping MacDavid at distance. MacDavid catches a kick and gets a takedown against the cage. MacDavid lands in guard, and Bedard immedietly looks for a tri-angle choke. MacDavid is defending and the ref stepped in and stops the fight for some reason. It looks like MacDavid may have pulled Bedard's hair again. Ref Dale Hart consults with Kevin MacDonald cageside and the fight is waived off. MacDavid is claiming that Bedard bit her while on the mat. This is an interesting end to the fight. There was no fight-ending sequence. MacDavid is looking for someone to claim to and sh'es making a fool of herself.
RESULT: Cassidy Bedard defeats Michelle MacDavid via disqualification (eye-poke) at 2:19 of the 3rd round
Chris Strout (0-0, First Class MMA) vs. Julian Sirois (0-0, VQMT)
Amateur 140 lbs
Round 1: Julian Sirois comes out like a bat out of hell and gets a HUGE takedown. He's landing some hammerfists and is looking for and arm-triangle choke, but he doesn't have the position. He gives it up and they're back to their feet. Stout lands a few punches, but Sirois eventually ducks under after eating a few, and gets another double leg. At least his 4th takedown of the round. Solid first round. 10-9 Sirois.
Round 2: Sirois gets another takedown. Stout kicks him off and lands a nice upkick. Sirois eventually finds his way back into Strout's guard. Sirois continues to work in advancing his position while landing some short shots. A fairly uneventful round as it comes to a close. 10-9 Sirois.
Round 3: Sirois gets a bodylock against the cage, and eventually gets the fight back to the mat and where he wants it. Stour is giving out an audible, "heeya" as he throws punches from the bottom. It doesn't seem to be helping him though, as Sirois is firmly in the guard. Sirois looks tired and is looking to ride this one out on the ground. Strout gets to his feet for a second, but Sirois gets another double leg takedown. Strout lands a kick to Sirois' face as he was grounded. Primo Bellarosa goies crazy in Sirois' corner as ref John English calls a halt to the action and takes a point from Strout for the illegal kick to a grounded opponent. Sirois gets another takedown on the restart and the fight ends with him on top.
RESULT: Julian Sirois defeats Chris Strout via unanimous decision (30 - 26 x 3)
Curtis Ouellette (2-3) vs. George Demers (1-2)
Amateur Welterweight
Round 1: Curtis and George are exchanging in the middle of the cage. Demers lands some solid leg kicks. Curtis eventually gets a clinch and gets the fight to the mat. Demers works his way back to his feet as Curtis lands some knees to the mid-section. One of them catches Demers cup and the ref pauses the action due to the low blow. The action continues and Ouellette lands a few heavy shots that drop Demers and the ref steps in to stop the fight right before the bell to end the round and the place erupts for the hometown kid!
RESULT: Curtis Ouellette defeats George Demers via KO at 2:53 of round 1
Josh Medeiros (1-1, KTA) vs. Joey Butera (1-1, Driven Gym)
Amateur Flyweight
Round 1: These two come out with a serious pace! Mederois finds himself in guard and landing some solid ground N pound on the his foe. Butera has come up from New Jersey to take on decorated wrestler Mederois. Solid round. Mederois 10-9
Round 2: Mederois gets the clinch against and eventually works his way to throw on a standing guillotine which forces Butera to tap. Wow. Mederois looks like the real deal!
RESULT: Josh Mederois defeats Joey Butera via standing guillotine at :46 seconds of the 2nd round
George Pissimissis (1-1) vs. Seth Godfrey (0-0)
Amateur Light Heavyweight
Round 1: Seth Godfrey gets a quick takedown and gets George's back. Godfrey is landing some heavy ground strikes that force ref John English to step in and call a quick end to this fight.
RESULT: Seth Godfrey defeats George Pissimissis via TKO - ground strikes at :37 of the 1st round
Felipe Gunter (4-1, First Class MMA) vs. Bill Markle (4-1, Nick Catone MMA)
Amateur Bantamweight Championship
Round 1: Gunter throws some lighting quick shots, but nothing lands. He grabs the neck of Markle as Bill shoots for a takedown. He's not able to lock in the guillotine and Markle eventually gets back to his feet and gets a takedown of his own. Markle is landing some solid ground N pound, but Gunter lands a huge upkick the lands flush and cuts Markle pretty bad above his left eye. Gunter finishes the round on top in a very close round. 10-9 Gunter due to that last upkick that caused the damage.
Round 2: Gunter comes out with some flash kicks, but Markle gets a takedown and lands in Gunter's guard. Markle is content with keeping this match on the mat, as Gunter looks like the much more seasoned striker. Gunter rolls to his stomach to try and get back to his feet, and Markle takes the opportunity to grab Gunter's back. He's hunting for a rear naked choke while Gunter is looking to get Markle's hooks out. Gunter finally gets out and ends the round on top. 10-9 Markle.
Round 3: Gunter surprisingly starts the round shooting for a single leg. Markle defends well and they separate. Markle enters with a left hook and gets a body lock and a big slam to the cnavas. Gunter is trying to keep Markle off his back, and eventually finds his way back to his feet before Markle drags him back to the mat for another takedown. Markle lands some soft punches from the top, and as the round nears the end Markle hunts for a rear naked choke and almost had it, but Gunter survives to see the championship rounds. 10-9 Markle
Round 4: Markle and Gunter exchange some strikes before Markle gets another takedown and is landing some soft shots from the top. Gunter gets back to his feet, but Markle gets him back down to the mat quickly. Gunter just doesn't seem to have anything for Markle's wrestling. Like a broken record, Gunter gets back to his feet but Markle grabs a quick body lock and executes another slam. 10-9 Markle
Round 5: A few tentative exchanges preclude another takedown for Markle. Gunter looks to get back to his feet, but Markle won't give him an inch to breath. Markle gets another takedown after a brief glimpse of hope on the feet. Markle isn't doing a ton of damage on the mat when he has position, but he's doing just enough to score points on the judges' scorecards. 10-9 Markle
RESULT: Bill Markle defeats Felipe Gunter via unanimous decision and becomes the new NEF amateur featherweight champion.
Aaron Hughes (1-2, Regiment Training Center) vs. Anthony Vasta (0-1, Defensive Edge)
Professional Featherweight
Round 1: Hughes and Vasta come out at a very high pace, both landing in a tornado of chaos. Hughes pressures Vasta against the cage and gets the takedown. He grabs the back and is able to secure a bodylock. Vasta is defending the haands well as Hughes is going for a rear naked choke. Hughes is landing some solid strikes from back mount and is pulling away from Vasta in this round. Solid ground control by Hughes. 10-9 Hughes
Round 2: Hughes gets a takedown, but Vasta has his eyes on his neck. Hughes' neck is in a vulnerable position, and Vasta is slwoly working for a d'arce choke. We're about 1 minute into this hunt and Vasta is able to lock it up and get in position. Hughes is forced to tap! Wow.
RESULT: Anthony Vasta defeats Aaron Hughes via d'arce choke at 2:05 of the 2nd round
Carl Langston (1-6) vs. Zenon Herrera (1-8)
Professional Lightweight
Round 1: Langston lands some knees in the clinch against the cage, but Zenon eats them pretty well. Langston gets a trip and gets the fight to the mat. Some pretty uneventful grappling taking place, and my fingers needed a break. Langston 10-9
Round 2: Both guys come out tentatively swinging as the round opens. Langston gets a takedown and the pace has slowed considerably. This fight has really taken the air out of the building and stalled the momentum of the event. Not much to say here. 10-9 Langston.....I guess???
Round 3: Langston gets another takedown and the natives are getting restless. Langston backs away and Herrera gets back to his feet. Herrera closes the distance and throws some punches. Langston gets a bodylock and presses Zenon against the cage. Langston runs the pipe and gets Herrera back to the mat. Langston 10-9
RESULT: Carl Langston defeats Zenon Herrera via unanimous decision
Nate Boucher (0-1, CMBJJ) vs. David Juliano (1-2, Driven Gym)
Professional 130 lbs
Round 1: The first few minutes the fighters are feeling each other out on the feet. Boucher grabs a head and arm during in exchange and is able to get the fight to the mat. Juliano is working for a gogoplata, but Boucher is able to defend well. Boucher is content to stay in Juliano's guard, but he isn't striking much at all. Juliano on the otherhand is working for submissions from his back. Boucher had positional dominance throughout the round, but he didn't do any damage or attempt any subs from those positions. Its tough to give him a round just on a positional advantage. I'll give this to Juliano 10-9 for attempting 3 or 4 submissions.
Round 2: There's a few strikes thrown early in the round. Boucher gets a trip and falls back into Juliano's guard....again. Juliano rolls to grab an arm from guard and secures an arm bar. Referee Kevin MacDonald calls a stop to the fight after Boucher lets out an audible noise. It didn't look like he tapped though.
RESULT: David Juliano defeats Nate Boucher at 1:29 of round 2 via verbal submission due to an armbar
Andrew Provost (1-0) vs. Nate Grimard (1-0, Nostos MMA)
Professional 150 lbs
Round 1: The fighters clinch against the cage. Grimard grabs a single leg, picks up Provost, and brings him across the cage closer to his corner before getting the takedown. Provost has a butterfly guard as Grimard is using his wrestle-heavy game to apply heavy top pressure. The round ends with Grimard on top. Grimard had position on the mat most of that round, but he did very little with that positional advantage. 10-9 Grimard
Round 2: Grimard grabs another single leg and drags Provost to the mat. More of the same in this round; Grimard in Provost's guard and not much striking or submission attempts going on. Grimard is in half guard and looking to advance, but Provost is doing a good job defending. Not much to write about in this round, as it was incredibly uneventful, and tough to watch. 10-9 Grimard
Round 3: Grimard presses the action against the cage. Provost reverses and now is pressing Grimard against the cage. And it reverses again. Grimard gets a trip and the fight to the mat again. Grimard is in halfguard and Provost is holding him tight, not giving him a chance to posture up. The round ends like the whole fight went - with Grimard on top and not much happening.
RESULT: Nate Grimard defeats Andrew Provost via unanimous decision
Glory Watson (2-1) vs. Natalie Schlesinger (1-0)
Professional Strawweight
Round 1: They spend the first minute feelling each other out. Natalie and Glory are finding success when they enter the pocket. Natalie lands a nice headkick that is partially blocked. Both seem content to keep this a striking battle. Glory lands a nice combination that forces Natalie to press the action against the cage and go for a takedown. Glory defends well and she lands a big knee as they separate and the round comes to an end. Close round, but 10-9 Watson on my scorecard.
Round 2: Glory seems to be finding her timing as she's starting to win the striking battle. Glory throws a heavy low kick that ends up tripping Natalie to the mat, but Glory doesn't follow her down. Back to the center. Glory lands a solid left hook that causes Natalie to take a step back. Glory throws a combo and Natalie ducks under and gets a well-timed double leg takedown with 2:30 left in the round. Glory executes a beautiful elevator sweep that puts her in sidemount. Natalie gets halfguard back, but Glory is landing some short elbows from the top. The round ends with Glory landing some more short strikes from halfguard. 10-9 Watson
Round 3: Glory lands a nice 1-2 and Natalie comes back with a partially blocked headkick. They are trading in the pocket and both finding success. Natalie shoots for a single from a ways out. Watson defends well and reverses Natalie against the cage. Glory is landing some annoying knees to her opponent's thighs pressed against the cage. Glory lands a solid elbow and knee as they briefly separated. They're back to the center of the cage with a reset. Natalie has a mouse under left eye, while Watson isn't showing much damage at all. Glory lands a straight left that stuns Natalie. Natalie seems a step slower than Glory right now. I think the damage is adding up. Impressive round by Watson. 10-9 Watson
RESULT: Glory Watson defeats Natalie Schlesinger via unanimous decision (29-29, 30-27 x 2)
Mo Al Kinani (2-0, Evolution Athletix) vs. Ross Dannar (0-0, Nostos MMA)
Professional Lightweight
Round 1: Both guys meet in the center of the cage and start throwing bombs! Mo lands some heavy punches, but Dannar eats them like a champ! Dannar is smiling as he enters the pocket and get tagged by a few of Mo's bombs. Dannar fires back sith some heavy body kicks. They both are firing at will and eating shots! What a first round!! Kinani 10-9, but much closer than anyone expected.
Round 2: They meet in the middle again, both throwing bombs! Dannar presses Mo against the cage and starts landing some heavy punches and elbows, but Mo returns fire. Dannar continues to poor on a crazy pace that is wearing on Kinani. Dannar with two takedowns late in the round. Wow. This kid is a DOG! Dannar 10-9
Round 3: Ross gets a big takedown to open the round, and Mo looks tired. Ross gets mounts and reigns down 30-40 unanswered punches before John English steps in to stop the fight. WOW! Ross Dannar is a boss and just pulled off a big upset in the NEF cage. Nostos came and conquered tonight! 3-0.
RESULT: Ross Dannar defeats Mo Al Kinani by TKO at :44 of round 3. WHAT A FIGHT!
Mark Gardner (2-2, The Academy) vs. Ryan Sanders (18-9, VQMT)
Professional Welterweight
Round 1: Gardner and Sanders meet in the center. Sanders lands a nice teap. He then lands a solid hook and finishes off the combo with a lowkick. Sanders lands a devastating headkick that steals Gardner's consciousness. Gardner crumbles to the mat and Sanders gets in one more punch for good measure! WOW!! Ryan Sanders is back everybody!
RESULT: Ryan Sanders defeats Mark Gardner via headkick KO at :25 of round 1
Jesse Erickson (10-8, CMBJJ) vs. Matt Denning (5-12, Denning MMA)
Professional 165 lbs
Round 1: Denning goes for a glove tap to open things up, but Erickson isn't having it. Erickson presses Denning against the cage, fights for an underhook and ends up getting the takedown. Erickson methodically works to the back of Denning, and now has him in a world of trouble. Erickson locks in the rear naked choke for the tap and the arena erupts!
RESULT: Jesse Erickson defeats Matt Denning at 1:57 of round 1
