FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (November 13, 2014) – New England Fights (NEF), America's number-one regional fight promotion, presents its fifteenth mixed martial arts (MMA) event, "NEF XV," this Saturday, November 15, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. The fight card will feature a total of five athletes over the age of 40 competing, two of them being over 50. While the fight promotion has hosted fighters over 40 on its previous cards, this will be the first time such a large contingent of quadragenarians and quinquagenarians have converged on the same event.
"This is one of the real interesting storylines going into 'NEF XV' this weekend," said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. "The average age of a competitor on any given NEF event is 26, so having these five guys fighting on the same card together is very unique. We have a youth-obsessed culture in this country, and I think most people associate athletics with the young. The martial arts, however, are for everyone. They do not discriminate, and you see more and more people over 40 walking into gyms for the first time nowadays. These five athletes are going to inspire a lot of people Saturday night in Lewiston by the example they set."
At 47, Artie Mullen may not be the oldest of the group, but he is certainly the most experienced in the cage. Mullen has been a professional MMA competitor since 2007, having previously fought a dozen times on New England cards. His last appearance in the NEF MMA cage was in April 2012 at "NEF II" in Biddeford, Maine. Mullen lost that night to Jesse Peterson, but Peterson later remarked that he had never in his career been hit as hard as he had been by Mullen that night. Mullen, the owner and operator of MMA of Southern Maine, will meet Brent Dillingham, in a heavyweight battle at "NEF XV" this weekend. Dillingham, 25, is nearly half Mullen's age, but Mullen vows he feels better than ever and is ready for this fight.
"I love representing for men over 40," began Mullen, "letting the young guys know we are still in the battle. At 47 I feel so awesome. It's time to battle."
Mladin Holman, 56, of Portland, ME will make his MMA debut onthis Saturday's card. Training out of the Choi Institute, Holman is a native of Croatia, having served as a general in the Croatian army before relocating to the United States in the early 2000s. He is accomplished in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having placed second in the world championship's 50-and-over division. He will meet Gravin Guillen (0-1) of Somerville, Massachusetts in a super-heavyweight bout. Holman will become the oldest individual to ever compete in the NEF MMA cage.
Rick Matthews, 44, of Bangor, Maine, had wanted to participate in MMA for many years, but because of injuries, life choices, and health issues he was never able to seriously pursue that dream. After seeing himself at 206-pounds, Matthews decided to make a change in his life. Training at Team Irish under MMA legend Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis started as a way for Matthews to just get into shape. Then, he realized that he had the ability to actually climb into the cage and compete. He will do sothis Saturday night in Lewiston when he faces Alex Johnson in a lightweight (155-pound) bout.
"I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks," exclaimed Matthews. "It’s never too late to follow your dreams. After all I have been through, age is just a number. Forget your age and just live your life! If you enjoy something…DO IT! This is not to say that it has been an easy path. With age you definitely don’t heal as quick or pick up new methods like someone younger. But with age comes wisdom, patience, and persistence, and sometimes that works to my advantage. I would like to thank Marcus and all of my teammates for their support. Without them this would never have been possible. The camaraderie that we have at Team Irish/Gracie Barra is phenomenal. It is a pleasure to work with all of them, and I am proud to be privileged to have them in my corner."
41-year old Heath Hanson will also make his MMA debut this Saturday night. Fighting out of Augusta, Maine, and representing 3Ronin Athletics, Hanson steps into the cage to take on Adam Nielsen from Team Irish.
Pat Kelly, 50, will return to the NEF MMA cage after an impressive debut submission victory over Frank Dellasala at "NEF XIV" this past September. By day, Kelly is a school teacher and wrestling coach at Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport, Maine. He has led the team to three state championships. Kelly won a state wrestling title himself for Camden-Rockport High School in the early 1980s. He later wrestled for the University of Maine, winning the New England Championship and competing in the NCAA championships in 1986. He was inducted into the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame in 2007. Kelly trains out of Young's MMA in Bangor, Maine. He will take on Steven Bang who also comes from a strong wrestling background having competed as an independent while attending Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine.
NEF's next mixed martial arts event, "NEF XV" takes place this Saturday, November 15, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. In the main event of the evening, Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington (8-7) will defend the NEF Lightweight Championship against Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (3-3) in a rematch from "NEF XIV." Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.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.
