UFC STAR AND FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TO GREET FANS AT NEF XII; SEMINAR ANNOUNCED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (January 20, 2014) – When New England Fights Mixed Martial Arts (NEF MMA) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on February 8 the popular fight promotion will welcome an honored guest in the form of current UFC star, and former World Featherweight Champion, "MTB" Mike Thomas Brown (26-9).  Prior to the start of the first bout, Brown will conduct an hour-long, free meet-and-greet with fans in attendance.

"I'm excited to return to Maine to be a part of NEF MMA's twelfth event," stated Brown. "I was there for NEF's first event and I'm proud to be there for their two-year anniversary. I've attended mixed martial arts shows around the country and around the world and NEF puts on one of the best shows I've ever seen at the regional level. I look forward to seeing and talking to Maine MMA fans at NEF XII on February 8th."

"We urge fans to buy their tickets early and get into the arena when doors open at 6 pm," said NEF MMA matchmaker and co-owner Matt Peterson.  "They will have the rare opportunity to meet a former world champion, a Maine fight and wrestling legend, and one hell of a guy in Mike Brown.  He'll be taking pictures and signing autographs for free for ticketholders."

Mike Brown won a state championship in wrestling in 1992 for Bonny Eagle High School in Standish, Maine.  He continued his athletic career at Norwich University in Vermont.  After college, Brown moved back to Maine and began training and competing in MMA as an original member of Team Elite.  He soon established himself as a top prospect on the regional circuit, before being invited to join one of the most famed MMA schools of all-time, American Top Team (ATT).  Brown moved to Coconut Creek, Florida to begin training with ATT.  Not long after, Brown found himself competing in MMA bouts across the globe against top competition.

On November 5, 2008, Brown captured the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) Featherweight Title with a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over the then number-one ranked 145-pounder in the world, and current UFC mega star, "The California Kid" Urijah Faber (30-6).  In the rematch, Brown successfully defended the title against Faber with a unanimous decision win over the former champion in Faber's hometown of Sacramento, California.  Brown would hold the world title for over a year before dropping it to current UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo (22-1).  In late 2010, the WEC was absorbed into UFC where Mike Brown continues to compete in the featherweight division.  In addition to competing and coaching, Brown also testified before the Maine legislature in 2009, arguing for the legalization and regulation of MMA in the state.

In addition to attending “NEF XII,” Mike Brown will also be holding a special two-hour MMA seminar at John Raio’s "First Class Fitness & MMA" gym located at 637 River Road in Topsham, Maine on Sunday, February 9th from 1-3 PM. During the seminar, Brown will be detailing and demonstrating the techniques that helped him to become a world champion. The cost for the seminar will be $50 for those that pre-register and $55 for those that sign-up the day of the event. Fans can pre-register by contacting John “First Class” Raio directly by calling 207.766.6406 or by emailingnewenglandfights@gmail.com for more information.

“It’s a great honor to be hosting former World Champion Mike Brown at my gym,” stated Raio when reached for comment. “I’ve been a fan of Mike for many years and have had the pleasure of watching him compete in front of thousands of fans. This is a great opportunity for local wrestlers, aspiring mixed martial artists, or anyone just looking to learn some new skills to get in shape to come out and train with a world class athlete for the afternoon. Don’t miss this chance to get on the mat with a champion."

 “NEF XII,” is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 8, 2014at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm.  In the main event, Maine MMA legend Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (22-10) faces his former student “THE” Ryan Sanders (5-4) in a much-anticipated welterweight contest.  In addition, Maine State MMA Middleweight Champion Jesse Peterson (7-4) will return to action for the first time in nearly a year to defend his title against “Ruthless” Mike Zichelle (6-3).  Tickets for "NEF XII" 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.  In addition, you can watch NEF MMA videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

About New England Fights

New England Fights Mixed Martial Arts (“NEF MMA”) is a Mixed Martial Arts promotions company. NEF MMA’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF MMA’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

John “The Natural” Alessio Signs Multi-fight Pact with Aggression Fighting Championship (AFC)

 

 

Aggression Fighting Championship (AFC) is excited to announce Canadian MMA star John Alessio has signed a multi-fight deal with the promotion which will see him headline AFC 13 in Victoria, B.C. Alessio (34-16) was a free agent, and had many options on where to sign. However, when the final decision had to made he chose the Aggression Fighting Championships.

 

“The AFC and John Alessio have been speaking about this opportunity for years, and now it has finally come to fruition,” stated AFC Promoter Jason Heit. “He has a huge fan base here and we are extremely happy to announce him as the AFC 13 main event in Victoria, BC on November 3^rd. It just makes ‘Natural’ sense!”

 

John Alessio has fought for many of the major MMA promotions, including the UFC, WEC, PRIDE, DREAM and now the AFC.

 

“I am super pumped to fight back where it all began, in Victoria, where I haven't fought since 1998,” exclaimed Alessio. “I can’t wait to put on an exciting fight for the AFC!”

 

Alessio, now based out of Las Vegas, was originally from Vancouver Island, where his return will surely ignite his hometown fans.

 

The AFC provides classy, large-budget MMA events that showcase talented mixed martial artists. The Aggression Fighting Championship is growing at a rapid pace expanding across Canada. The company’s main focus is dedicated to giving MMA fans an entertaining night of quality fights at reasonable prices while taking the best possible care of its athletes. Further information is available at www.aggressionfc.com or contact Darren@armageddonfc.com

 

RICK “THE GLADIATOR” GLENN AND ZACH UNDERWOOD BRING HOME VICTORIES TO ROUFUSPORT

Glenn and Underwood win at Score and Bellator events, respectively

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): Rising stars Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn and Zach Underwood, teammates at Roufusport, both came out on top this past weekend, as Glenn finished Tristan Johnson at Score Fighting Series 5, while Underwood grabbed a unanimous decision victory over Chris Coggins at Bellator 73. Both competitors were big winners, and both have even bigger fights on the horizon.

“I’m so proud of Rick and Zach both…they performed well, and represented us very well,” stated Roufusport head coach Duke Roufus. “It’s clear they’re both on the rise, and I’m excited to see what’s next for them.”

“The Gladiator” had a tough fight on his hands in Tristan Johnson, as the two waged a back-and-forth war. But in the 2^ndround, Glenn turned it on, and ended the fight violently with a barrage of ground-and-pound. After the fight, he grabbed his next opportunity by the throat, and called out former WEC competitor Chris Horodecki. But on this night, it was all about “The Gladiator.”

“I feel that I had my best performance as a fighter. I felt the best I had ever felt in there. Before the fight I reflected back on all the preparations and the help of our awesome team. I really wanted to make a statement, too.”

Regarding calling out Horodecki, he said, “I heard he didn’t have an opponent, so I asked. No news on it yet. But, for this fight, I’d like to thank my wife Jenny, coach Omar, and Ben for being in my corner with the power of the ‘fros! Duke, Cush, workoutboss, and the whole Roufusport team.”

Zach Underwood also put on a great performance, gaining the unanimous decision victory over Chris Coggins on the undercard of Bellator 73. With that win, he’s likely to move up in the Bellator rankings, and will likely fight higher on the card the next time he competes.

“I feel I performed well, but of course, I’m my biggest critic, and I think there were a few things I could have done better. But a win is a win, and I’ll take it.”

As far as what’s next, he said, “I have no clue, to be honest. I take it one fight at a time and put everything into just that one. I’m back in the gym already, though, just in case I get a call.”

“I’d like to thank my teammates at my gym back home at Prize Fight in Southaven, Mississippi, and a big thanks always to Roufusport. Duke, Scott, Omar, Kaz, and Ben have you ready for anything in the cage…thanks, guys!”

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com/. You can also find them on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/roufusport, and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About RoufusportRoufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partner Scott Joffe. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars includes UFC stars Alan Belcher, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Erik “New Breed” Koch, and Pascal “Panzer” Krauss.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.