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Showing posts with label Tim Sylvia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim Sylvia. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2014
2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii To fight Nov. 11 on M-1 Challenge in China
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
SYLVIA-MORECRAFT FIGHT OFF FOR NEF XIV; SYLVIA TO HOLD MEET-AND-GREET WITH FANS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (August 12, 2014) – New England Fights (NEF) today announced that the scheduled main event for the fight promotion's upcoming "NEF XIV" mixed martial arts (MMA) event had been cancelled as both Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (31-9) and Christian Morecraft (8-3) had suffered injuries in training this week. The co-feature of the evening, Ray "All Business" Wood (4-0) defending the Maine State MMA Featherweight Title against Brazil's Gabriel Baino (6-1), has been elevated to main-event status.
"I got the call every promotion dreads from Christian's camp," said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. "When I got in touch with Tim's camp regarding the injury and to discuss replacement opponents, I was informed that Tim had a knee injury and was getting it checked out. A short time later, they got back to me to notify me Tim was out as well."
"Christian injured his back in training this past week," said Morecraft's manager Joe Cavallaro when reached for comment. "He was really excited for the fight, and he wants to apologize to the fans, NEF and Tim. Christian's doctor told him he can't train for three weeks, which would leave him only a week to prepare for the fight. He knows this is a pivotal fight in both of their careers. He wants to be 100% when he fights Tim. He owes that to himself and to Tim. Christian still very much wants to do this fight for NEF at a later date."
"This is only the second time I have had to pull out of a fight from an injury," stated Sylvia. "This sucks so bad 'cause I really wanted to fight in front of my home crowd. I am not getting any younger and the chances of me fighting again in Maine are pretty slim. I think my body is trying to tell me something--maybe it's time to call it quits. I don't know we will see how fast I can get back in the gym and see the knee holds up."
Not one to disappoint his many fans in Maine, Sylvia will still make the trip from his home in Iowa for "NEF XIV" where he will be the guest of honor for the event. In addition, Sylvia will hold an hour-long meet-and-greet prior to the event. The two-time former UFC World Heavyweight Champion will be available for pictures and autographs for ticketholders inside the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
NEF's next MMA event, “NEF XIV,” is scheduled to take place onSaturday, September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm. In the main event of the evening, Featherweight Champion Ray "All Business" Wood (4-0) returns from injury after a year of recovery against Brazil's Gabriel Baino (6-1). Bantamweight Champion Paul Gorman (10-8) defends against Tim "The Terror" Goodwin (8-4). Plus, Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington (6-7) and Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2) will meet for the Lightweight Title, Ryan Sanders (6-5) faces Ryan Quinn (10-4-1), and John "First Class" Raio (2-5) competes in his final fight.
Tickets for "NEF XIV" start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
BOYINGTON AND ERICKSON GO 'HEAD TO HEAD' PRIOR TO TITLE FIGHT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (August 8, 2014) – On September 6 in Lewiston at "NEF XIV," two of Maine's most popular fighters, Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington (6-7) and Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2), will square off in a five-round fight to fill the vacant New England Fights (NEF) Maine State Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Lightweight Championship. Recently, Boyington, out of Young's MMA in Bangor, and Erickson, out of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) in Auburn, were guests on the latest edition of the NEF Podcast in the premiere of a new segment known as "Head to Head." Just four weeks away from their scheduled bout, and already neck-deep into their respective training camps, the two top contenders to the 155-pound title took time out of their busy schedules to answer questions from NEF matchmaker and co-owner Matt Peterson.
The fight, on the surface, would appear to be the classic "striker versus grappler" contest with Boyington, the Taekwondo specialist, trying to keep the fight on the feet and Erickson, the grappler, trying to take it to the mat and work submissions. Both athletes, however, acknowledge that the other may be more well-rounded than most observers would give them credit for, and neither considers the other to have any true weaknesses in the cage.
"Most people would say Jesse's more of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) guy and Bruce is more of a striker," said Boyington. "But when I come into this fight, I actually look at it a lot different. I think that we're two well-rounded fighters coming into the cage. I think Jesse's striking looks great, so I'm not undermining that one bit. Obviously, he's good at what he does on the ground. I know a lot of people aren't afraid of my Jiu-Jitsu and I kind of like it that way, but it's not as bad as you'd think. I think we're both really well-rounded."
"I actually agree with a lot of the things Bruce said," answered Erickson. "We're both well-rounded and obviously, on paper, it looks like I've got an advantage in grappling and he's got an advantage in the striking. But I've seen him in some sticky situations on the ground that he's come out of and looked really good with his Jiu-Jitsu. I'm preparing for this fight wherever it goes. I'm fully expecting this to be a war."
Regardless, both men have developed a game plan for the upcoming five-round title fight, and both men will look to implement that game plan. The interview turned to the issue of whether Erickson could stand and exchange strikes with Boyington.
"I do have an intelligent game plan and I do hope to be able to execute it," said Erickson on countering Boyington's striking prowess. "Your game plan doesn't always go 100% like you want it to when you get out there in a fight. It's a fight for a reason. He has an agenda. I have an agenda. We both want to do the things we're good at. What do you do when those things don't work out? It's 'what do you fall back on?' That's when you really see who wants it more. That's what I'm looking forward to finding out with BruceSeptember 6th."
"I think that Jesse thinks he can stand with me," replied Boyington. "I think his striking is good. I'm not going to downplay it. I think he's come a long way in his striking and I'm not going to label the guy a 'Jiu-Jitsu guy.' With that said, I do hope that he decides to stand with me because that's really been my problem with my past few fights. I want to get another highlight-reel finish, but I haven't really been getting that opportunity because no one wants to try to stand with me."
Days before the interview was conducted, the two fighters and their supporters engaged in some banter on Facebook. Erickson made a post that seemed, on the surface, to mock a post made by Boyington earlier in the day regarding the upcoming fight. Erickson, however, maintains that any similarity between the two posts was mere coincidence, and he intended no disrespect of Boyington.
"First and foremost, I've always had all the respect in the world for Jesse because I've never seen the guy talking shit or doing anything bad, disrespecting anybody," said Bruce of the Facebook incident. "I like this kind of stuff. If we can give it more of a reason to fight, then let's fight. This is where I think I've got an asset. This is where I'm at an advantage. I'll tell you my game plan. I'll film it for you. I'll show you all my training. It ain't going to stop what I'm going to doSeptember 6th. What happened on Facebook... I said something the other day about doing great physically and mentally, stronger than ever, and I can't wait for September 6th. A few hours later, I see a post that Jesse put on and he wrote down something like, 'I'm feeling the best I ever have. Blah, blah, blah. Talk is cheap. Who want to see me win the title on September 6th?' And then I get a list of messages from my friends and everyone's like, 'Hey, did you see what Jesse wrote?'... It's pretty obvious what he was referring to... I consider that a little too much of a coincidence. To play it off like you weren't referring to me, it really just gives me more confidence going in."
"I had legitimately not seen his post," Erickson retorted. "It had nothing to do with him. I have zero reason to be passive-aggressive towards somebody that I get to be actually aggressive with in a few weeks. There's no need for that. I have nothing but respect for that camp and him... It was just a weird coincidence."
"I can appreciate that," continued Boyington on the subject. "If it was that much of a coincidence, then I apologize for being the way I'm being... I have no reason either. I don't need to go there, especially with somebody I've never had any beef with."
The interview then turned to the subject of John "First Class" Raio (2-5). Raio is a good friend of Jesse Erickson, and the pair often cross-train at each other's gym. Raio holds a controversial submission victory over Boyington earlier this year that Boyington and his supporters have chalked-up to a mistake by the referee.
"The thing with that fight, first and foremost, is that I really, really, really liked John Raio before that fight," recalled Boyington. "For one, it just kind of really upset me to see him celebrating like he'd won when the guy had to have felt that he didn't even have a rear-naked choke on me. And two, what really hurt career-wise is that I just turned around the things in my life and got to the point where I was performing where I should have always been. I was ready to have a good win-streak going... I was just really disappointed that it happened like that. Obviously, anybody would be."
"He's given me a little insight here and there," said Erickson of advice he's received from Raio on fighting Boyington. "He seemed to think my advantage was on the ground, as a lot of people would... John's a good friend of mine. We talk about stuff like that all the time... I think Bruce was in a dangerous position and made a bad judgment call, unfortunately. Who's to say what would've happened if that fight continued going."
As noted earlier, Boyington and Erickson are two of NEF's most popular fighters. Both bring a huge fan-following each and every time they step in the cage. "NEF XIV" will be one of the biggest cards ever staged by a regional promotion in New England. In addition to the lightweight title fight, there are three other title fights currently scheduled on the event. Boyington and Erickson touched on what it felt like to be featured in such a high-profile fight on such a high-profile card, and what it meant to each of them to have their respective sets of fans in attendance in large numbers to witness it.
"There's some big, big fights, I know that place is going to be filled," said Bruce of the upcoming "NEF XIV" event at the Colisee. "I know it's going to be noisy. I can't wait."
"I've already sold a lot of tickets for this show," replied Erickson. "I'm just really happy my fans and my friends and family continue to support me and come out to watch me fight. I love doing this, and I'll do it as long as my body allows me to... I can't wait for September 6th. It's going to be awesome."
You can follow Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington on his Facebook fan page "BruceBoyingtonMMA," as well as on Twitter @BruceBoyington. You can learn more about his team by visiting their website www.YoungsMMA.com.
You can follow Jesse "The Viking" Erickson on his Facebook fan page "EricksonMMA." You can learn more about his team by visiting their website www.CMBJJ.com.
NEF's next MMA event, “NEF XIV,” is scheduled to take place onSaturday, September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm. In the main event of the evening, Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (31-9) returns to Maine to face fellow UFC veteran Christian Morecraft (8-3) for the Super-Heavyweight Title. Featherweight Champion Ray "All Business" Wood (4-0) returns from injury after a year of recovery against Brazil's Gabriel Baino (6-1). Bantamweight Champion Paul Gorman (10-8) defends against Tim "The Terror" Goodwin (8-4). Plus, Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington (6-7) and Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2) will meet for the Lightweight Title, Ryan Sanders (6-5) faces Ryan Quinn (10-4-1), and John "First Class" Raio (2-5) competes in his final fight.
Tickets for "NEF XIV" start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
ELEVENTH PRO FIGHT ADDED TO NEF XIV CARD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (August 6, 2014) – New England Fights (NEF), the Northeast’s premier fight promotion, today announced the addition of a professional lightweight bout to the company's "NEF XIV" mixed martial arts (MMA) event. The fight will feature Tollison "Tolly" Lewis (0-1) taking on Ricky Sylvester (1-0) at a weight of 155-pounds. "NEF XIV" is scheduled to take place on September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm.
NEF-signed athlete Tollison Lewis has been a mainstay with the promotion since the fight company's inception. After competing as an amateur on nine of NEF's first eleven events, Lewis entered the professional ranks this past February competing against Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2). Although he lost the fight, Lewis' game had obviously matured, especially his standup with a larger repertoire of strikes available to him as a professional. Lewis trains out of Balanced Ground MMA in Windham, Maine.
"Ricky is a tough, aggressive fighter with power in his punches," said Lewis of his upcoming opponent. "This fight will be an awesome battle, but one I don't see in his favor. Much has been added to my arsenal since my fight with Jesse and somebody is hitting the ground in this fight."
Ricky Sylvester, fighting out of American Combat Club in Orlando, Florida, made a name for himself as an amateur on the northeast MMA circuit. With a slew of knockout victories under his belt, Sylvester is known as a dangerous striker. He made his professional debut in late 2013 on a fight card in New Hampshire. That night, Sylvester downed NEF veteran Andrew Hughes (0-2) via knockout a mere 13 seconds into the first round.
"I don't worry or bubble-gut about stepping into the cage against my opponents," stated Sylvester when reached for comment. "I train to be ready for anything. Don't talk about it, be about it. Show it in the cage."
"This is definitely a striker's fight," said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. "It's the type of fight our fans love to see. This one should be a real crowd pleaser."
NEF's next MMA event, “NEF XIV,” is scheduled to take place onSaturday, September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm. In the main event of the evening, Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (31-9) returns to Maine to face fellow UFC veteran Christian Morecraft (8-3) for the Super-Heavyweight Title. Featherweight Champion Ray "All Business" Wood (4-0) returns from injury after a year of recovery against Brazil's Gabriel Baino (6-1). Bantamweight Champion Paul Gorman (10-8) defends against Tim "The Terror" Goodwin (8-4). Plus, Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington (6-7) and Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2) will meet for the Lightweight Title, Ryan Sanders (6-5) faces Ryan Quinn (10-4-1), and John "First Class" Raio (2-5) competes in his final fight.
Tickets for "NEF XIV" start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
CALEB FARRINGTON AND NASH ROY TO COLLIDE AT NEF XIV
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (August 5, 2014) – New England Fights (NEF), the Northeast’s premier fight promotion, today announced the addition of an amateur catchweight bout to the company's "NEF XIV" mixed martial arts (MMA) event. The fight will feature Nash Roy (2-0) taking on the debuting Caleb Farrington (0-0) at a weight of 175-pounds. "NEF XIV" is scheduled to take place on September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm.
Undefeated Nash Roy made his debut with NEF in the fall of 2013. That night, he scored an impressive submission victory over Brandon Traknis (0-2) in the first round. Currently training with Young's MMA in Bangor, Maine, 20-year old Roy has lost an amazing 100-pounds since he started at the gym. He now concentrates on eating right and physical fitness. Hoping to share his newfound healthy lifestyle with others, Roy has recently been certified as a personal trainer.
"This is my toughest opponent yet," said Roy of the upcoming bout with Farrington. "I'm training harder than I ever have to ensure that every second of every round I will be trying to finish the fight, no matter where it goes."
Caleb Farrington, like Roy, is also 20-years old. Farrington is a 2012 graduate of Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, Maine. An accomplished high school wrestler, Farrington won a Class A state championship his senior year. He is currently a member of the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) team in the northeast, New England United, where he is a Blue Belt training under Origin BJJ owner and operator Pete Roberts. Farrington looks forward to making the transition to MMA on September 6 in Lewiston.
"I have always wanted to try MMA, and I feel that my skill level is now at the level to do so and look forward to it," stated Farrington when reached for comment. "You can expect to see a high energy fight and a fight that is not just two amateurs just swinging away but a fight with skill. My message to Nash Roy would be, 'I am looking forward to our fight and expect fireworks on September 6th.'"
NEF's next MMA event, “NEF XIV,” is scheduled to take place onSaturday, September 6, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm. In the main event of the evening, Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (31-9) returns to Maine to face fellow UFC veteran Christian Morecraft (8-3) for the Super-Heavyweight Title. Featherweight Champion Ray "All Business" Wood (4-0) returns from injury after a year of recovery against Brazil's Gabriel Baino (6-1). Bantamweight Champion Paul Gorman (10-8) defends against Tim "The Terror" Goodwin (8-4). Plus, Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington (6-7) and Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-2) will meet for the Lightweight Title, Ryan Sanders (6-5) faces Ryan Quinn (10-4-1), and John "First Class" Raio (2-5) competes in his final fight.
Tickets for "NEF XIV" start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
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