NEMMA is diving deeper into the behind the scenes of what makes MMA tick in New England. Today we get the opportunity to hear from Combat Zone's Matchmaker.
Pictured above (Calvin Kattar and Jerome Brashears)
Get ready for an adrenaline-packed weekend as Combat Zone returns to Manchester NH!
This Saturday, the battleground will be set at the SNHU arena and the fighters are ready to showcase their skills in some highly anticipated matchups. I had the chance to catch up with one of the masterminds behind the event, Jerome Brashears. Get pumped up as we dive into the mind of one of the most talented matchmakers in New England.
1. Combat Zone has long been a staple in New England and especially in Manchester NH. I believe this is the first time CZ has taken place at the SNHU arena. How did the idea to host an event here come up?
"Yes this will be our first show at the SNHU Arena. 2023 was a great year for Combat Zone. All of our shows were awesome. Especially after all the success from the Dana White “Looking For A Fight Episode” at Encore Casino in Boston we knew we wanted to make a splash in 2024 in New Hampshire. No better venue to do that than the SNHU Arena??
2. If you were to organize an MMA event on an unusual or unique location (e.g., a beach, a rooftop, or a historical landmark), where would it be, and what would make it special?
"I think hosting an mma event at Fenway Park would be wild. So much history in that stadium"
3. Some big names on this card, give us a Dana White "Here's a few you might not know about" and tell us about 2 or 3 fights to keep our eyes on.
"Without a doubt the banger of the night has to be Jacob Bohn vs Mohammad Al Kinani. This has the potential of fight of the year written all over it. Both guys thrive in chaos and this is the perfect fight for our debut at the SNHU arena!
Harris Bonfiglio vs Tyler Smythe is for the CZ Pro Flyweight Title. Harris has a 100% finish rate in all of his pro and amateur wins. Smythe has a complete game with solid striking and grappling. This is a great fight between two of the best flyweights in New England."
4. Are there any fighters on this card who are making their debut or are relatively unknown to the broader audience that fans should keep an eye on?
"One name to keep an eye on is Richard Bilodeau (0-0 MMA Debut) out of Limitless Pride. This is one of the most game debut fighters I’ve ever worked with. He didn’t care if his opponent was 0-0 or 10-0. He just wants to fight. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so it will be interesting to see what happens if the fight hits the ground. He is taking on Joe Peters out of KTA Nashua."
"Another fighter I’m excited to watch make their mma debut is Nick Johnson out of Gate City MMA. Last year Nick was in one of the best kickboxing fights I’ve ever seen in the CZ cage. 3 Rounds of absolute chaos from start to finish. He is taking on Hunter Darling out of Lake Region Valle Tudo."
5. If you had to assemble an MMA fight card featuring only fictional characters from movies or TV shows, who would be in the main event, and which matchups would you love to see?
"John Wick vs Jason Bourne might be the greatest fight of all time! This would have to be the main event!
Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) vs Han Sing ( Jet Li in Romoe Must Die)
Walker Texas Ranger ( Chuck Norris) vs Any Steven Seagal Character"
5. What can fans expect from Combat Zone 83?
"I’m so excited for this event. We have 20 fights which includes 4 great title fights. 2023 was a great year for Combat Zone and we are kicking off 2024 with a stacked card. The SNHU Arena will be an electric environment on February 24th. You won’t want to miss this show! "
Thank you to Jerome for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions!
Get tickets today for combat zone 83 by Clicking Here - TICKETMASTER COMBAT ZONE 83
If you can't attend and still want to witness this HUGE event, there will be a LIVE PPV for the event too!
