New England Fights

07/03/2025

𝙉𝙀𝙁 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 | 𝘼𝙪𝙜. 9

𝘽𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩-𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙮𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙 𝙈𝙈𝘼 & 𝙆𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙗𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙣𝙜 🥊 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮‼

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚 "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙑𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜" 𝙀𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙤𝙛 "𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖" 𝙆𝙖𝙢 𝘼𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙙

𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙏𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨!

🏆 Nick Eldridge (c) 🆚 Olivier Poisson
🏆 Nathaniel Grimard 🆚 Felipe Günter
🏆 The Mule 🆚 Brandon Oldenburg
🏆 Sean Wakefield 🆚 Preston LaPointe

𝙈𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚...

🎟 www.nefights.com/Tickets/

NEF 63 CRUEL SUMMER NEF 63: CRUEL SUMMER SAT AUG 9 // DOORS 6PM // FIRST FIGHT 7PM SAT AUG 9 // DOORS 6PM // FIRST FIGHT 7PM Buy Tickets NEF 63 - 8/9/25 Lewiston Armory *ALL SALES ARE FINAL*NO RETURNS/NO EXCHANGES*CARD SUBJECT TO CHANGE General Admission $60/person Second Row $90/person First Row $1...

07/01/2025

𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝘼𝘿𝘿𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙊 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63” 𝙁𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝘿

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (July 1, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur mixed-martial-arts bout to the card. Jacob MacMillan (1-0) is set to face Justin Wygant (2-2) at a fight weight of 155 pounds.

Jacob MacMillan will make his second appearance in the NEF cage when he meets Wygant. He made his amateur debut last February at “NEF 61” with a first-round submission win over Roy Boyle (1-1). MacMillan represents The Academy based in Portland, Maine.

“I’m very happy to be fighting again in NEF,” said MacMillan. “I’m looking to put on a good performance and to represent my team. I respect my opponent, but come fight night the only thing on my mind will be to finish him.”

Justin Wygant will also make his second appearance with NEF in the fight with MacMillan. He debuted with the promotion last November at “NEF 60” against Mike Jolicoeur (7-5). Wygant represents Lee Brothers MMA based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

“What up, Maine,” exclaimed Wygant. “Save the date: August 9th! We’ll let our hands do the talking!”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

06/27/2025

𝙁𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙒𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙁𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘾𝙀𝘿 𝙁𝙊𝙍 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63” 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙒𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙉

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 27, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur mixed-martial-arts bout to the card. John Soucy (1-0) will face Joe Cleary (0-0) at a fight weight of 145 pounds.

John Soucy made his amateur debut last November at “NEF 60” in Bangor, Maine. He needed just over a minute to put Britain Sauvola (0-1) away in the first round that evening. Soucy represents Young’s MMA based in Orrington, Maine.

“I’m really excited to get back in there and showcase what we have been working on,” said Soucy. “Bangor was a blast for my debut and I can’t wait to see what Lewiston brings.”

Joe Cleary will make his amateur MMA debut in the fight with Soucy. He has an extensive background on the wrestling mats. He won four state championships in his time competing for Plymouth Regional High School in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

“I’m super excited for my NEF debut,” noted Cleary. “I have always had a love for the sport and the culture surrounding it. I can’t wait to get on the canvas!”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.



Young's MMA Sun Journal Sports New Hampshire Union Leader

06/26/2025

𝙎𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙉𝘿 𝙆𝙄𝘾𝙆𝘽𝙊𝙓𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘾𝙀𝘿 𝙁𝙊𝙍 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63” 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙒𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙉

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 26, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur kickboxing bout to the card. Ice Young (0-0) will face Daniel Heredia (1-0) in an amateur kickboxing matchup at a fight weight of 205 pounds.

Ice Young will be 52-years-young when he steps into the NEF cage for the first time. A longtime martial artist and competitor, the bout will be the first sanctioned match of Young’s career. He has waited patiently for the legalization of kickboxing in the Pine Tree State.

“This is a personal fight for me. It was my dad's last wish right before he passed. I’m bringing everything I have to honor his memory and plan on leaving nothing behind. God, family, honor—t’s what I fight for.”

Daniel Heredia will also make his first appearance in the NEF cage. Last year, Heredia won a kickboxing contest in New Hampshire via unanimous decision. He is a member of Karasu Tengu Academy based in Nashua, New Hampshire.

“I feel very happy for the opportunity to fight at NEF,” said Heredia. “NEF is a great promotion. I haven’t fought out of NH yet so I’m excited to travel and fight in Maine. I’m also grateful to my opponent and I can’t wait to put on a show for the fans.”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

06/23/2025

🥊 𝙋𝙊𝙄𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙍 & 𝙍𝙔𝙀𝙍𝙎𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙊 𝙈𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝘼𝙎 𝙉𝙀𝙁 𝘾𝙃𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙉𝙎 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙆𝙄𝘾𝙆𝘽𝙊𝙓𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘿𝙄𝙑𝙄𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 23, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur kickboxing bout to the card. Quinn Poirier (0-0) will meet Jonas Ryerson (0-0) in an amateur kickboxing matchup at a fight weight of 135 pounds.

With the recent legalization and regulation of kickboxing in Maine, NEF will present its first kickboxing bouts in the Pine Tree State on the “NEF 63” card. In 2021, the promotion put on two kickboxing matches on the “NEF 44” event in New Hampshire where kickboxing was already being regulated.

Poirier has appeared previously in the NEF cage in mixed-martial-arts competition, currently holding an amateur record of 0-3. He represents First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

“I'm excited for the first kickboxing matches in Maine,” said Poirier. “I've been training hard and I'm ready for a tough opponent out of a tough gym.”

Like Poirier, Ryerson is also a veteran of the mixed-martial-arts division in NEF. He holds an amateur MMA record of 1-2 with a 10-second knockout of John Marcley (0-1) at “NEF 48” to his credit. Ryerson represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu based in Lewiston.

“From scraps as a kid in the parking lot, to making my kickboxing debut right here in Lewiston, is huge for me,” said Ryerson. “Seven years of kickboxing classes have prepared me with all the tools needed to display beautiful violence on August 9th.”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

06/21/2025

🏆 𝙀𝙇𝘿𝙍𝙄𝘿𝙂𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝙋𝙐𝙏 𝘽𝘼𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙈𝙒𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙏𝙄𝙏𝙇𝙀 𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙀 𝘼𝙏 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63” 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙒𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙉

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 21, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional championship bout to the card. Nick Eldridge (4-0) is set to defend the NEF Professional Bantamweight Championship against Olivier Poisson (3-0) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for five rounds at 135 pounds.

Eldridge won the championship last month at “NEF 62” with a third-round stoppage of Tim Fargo (3-1). It is the second time Eldridge has captured gold with the promotion – the first being the NEF Amateur Bantamweight Title in 2024. As a professional, Eldridge has a 100% finish rate with three of his four stoppages coming in the first round. He represents team Nostos based in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

“I’m excited to be back in the NEF cage to defend my title against another undefeated prospect,” said Eldridge. “I only want tough fights, and I expect to get one August 9th. I appreciate Olivier taking this fight and I can’t wait to show the improvements I’ve made and put on a show for Lewiston!”

Olivier Poisson will make the trip to Lewiston from his home in Saint-Remi, Quebec, Canada. Like Eldridge, Poisson is undefeated with a 100% finish rate as a professional. Also like Eldridge, Poisson holds a win over Tim Fargo in a title fight – an amateur championship bout in New York in 2023. Poisson represents H2O MMA in Montreal.

“I wanted a big challenge, so I’m really happy to be fighting Nick,” said Poisson. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him — the guy has four finishes in four fights, and I’ve got three in three. So, it’s a showdown between finishers. A Canada vs USA clash. I promise you an explosive performance, and I’m coming back to Quebec with that belt. I have no doubt about it.”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Nostos MMA and Conditioning Facility

06/20/2025

🏆 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙒𝙀𝙇𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙒𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙋 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇 𝘽𝙀 𝘿𝙀𝘾𝙄𝘿𝙀𝘿 𝘼𝙏 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63” 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙒𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙉

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 20, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur championship bout to the card. Sean Wakefield (7-4) will take on Preston LaPointe (4-1) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for five rounds at a weight of 170 pounds for the vacant NEF Amateur Welterweight Title.

The bout will actually be a rematch between Wakefield and LaPointe. The pair met at an Art of Scrap event in Indiana for that promotion’s 170 pound title. LaPointe won a very close fight as the result of a split decision, keeping the Art of Scrap welterweight belt in Indiana.

Wakefield won a regional welterweight title in New Hampshire last year. He previously competed with NEF at “NEF 53” in 2023 with a second-round submission of Jake Silver (0-1). Wakefield represents Evolution Athletix based in S**o, Maine.

“I’m excited,” exclaimed Wakefield. “Preston and I had a close fight before, so I’m looking to really make a statement this time against a tough guy and take home the NEF belt!”

While he is based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Preston LaPointe is no stranger to the NEF cage. He is 1-1 with the promotion with a split decision loss to Brian Ferguson (1-1) at “NEF 57,” and more recently a victory over David McCarty (2-5) by second round stoppage at “NEF 60” last fall. LaPointe represents Lee Brothers MMA.

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

06/19/2025

𝙃𝙀𝙉𝙍𝙔 & 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙉 𝙎𝙀𝙏 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙁𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙃𝙒𝙀𝙍𝙒𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝘼𝙁𝙁𝘼𝙄𝙍 𝘼𝙏 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63” 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙒𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙉

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 19, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur featherweight bout to the card. Billy Henry (2-1) will meet Isaac Therrien (1-4) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at a weight of 145 pounds.

After suffering a loss in his debut MMA fight, Billy Henry has won his last two-in-a-row. At “NEF 62” last month, he pulled out a split decision win over PJ Crawford (1-2) in a very competitive bout. Henry represents First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

“I’m stepping into the cage with full focus and no hesitation,” said Henry. “I’ve put in the work and come fight night I will be ready for anything he throws my way.”

Isaac Therrien roared onto the local fight scene with a first-round knockout of Chad Weymouth (0-1) in his debut fight at “NEF 31” in 2017. Since that time, however, Therrien has lost his last four. He will look to get back on the winning track against Henry. Therrien represents the Greater Rumford Community Center.

“This is going to be a tough competition,” noted Therrien, “but I’m ready for a cruel summer!”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.



First Class Fitness & MMA

06/18/2025

𝘽𝙊𝙐𝘾𝙃𝙀𝙍 & 𝙒𝘼𝙇𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙎 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇 𝘽𝙊𝙏𝙃 𝙎𝙀𝙀𝙆 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙁𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 𝘼𝙏 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 18, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional catchweight bout to the card. Nate Boucher (0-5) will meet Paul Walters (0-7) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at a weight of 140 pounds.

Nate Boucher will look for the first professional win of his MMA career after going 6-3 as an amateur. Boucher captured the NEF Amateur Flyweight Championship during that run. He has not won a fight since turning pro at “NEF 42” in February 2020.

“I’m looking forward to another night of competition,” noted Boucher. “I am very grateful for the people I have around me. Lewiston is always a little more special to me—it’s a call I’ll always answer.”

Like Boucher, Paul Walters has yet to taste victory as a professional competitor. Based out of Tampa, Florida, Walters has become a regular on NEF cards over the last two years. He is a multi-sport veteran having competed in MMA, boxing, and bare knuckle boxing as well.

“Being a pro fighter is a childhood dream come true,” said Walters. “Every fight is a gift. But, dreams don’t last forever. When this one comes to an end, I have to know I gave everything I had. I haven’t always done that, so for this fight I’m ALL in. It’s kill or be killed. I’ll be at peace either way.”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

06/17/2025

🏆 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙑𝙔𝙒𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙏𝙄𝙏𝙇𝙀 𝙄𝙎 𝙐𝙋 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙂𝙍𝘼𝘽𝙎 𝘼𝙏 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63” 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙒𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙉

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 17, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur championship bout to the card. Nate White (7-0) will meet Brandon Oldenburg (2-3) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for five rounds for the vacant amateur heavyweight title.

Undefeated Nate “The Mule” White will return to the cage for the first time since November 2023 at “NEF 55” when he knocked out Cody Dular (1-4). White has a perfect finish rate of 100% with five of his seven finishes coming in the first round. In addition to competing in MMA, White is a proud member of the Maine Army National Guard.

“They should call this one ‘the young mule vs. the old fool,’” declared White. “Don’t worry, 𝘖𝘓𝘋enburg, I’ll make sure I finish you quickly so you can catch an early bird dinner. This is a young man’s sport, and you have no business competing in it. No way will you stand between me and that heavyweight title. When I get done with you, may God have mercy on your soul.”

Brandon Oldenburg, after dropping the first three fights of his amateur career, has gone on to win his last two-in-a-row. Like White, he has a perfect 100% finish rate with first-round knockouts of George Pissimissis (1-3) and David Hart (2-6), respectively. Oldenburg represents Titan Athletics based in Brewer, Maine.

“I’m honored to be fighting for the NEF title,” exclaimed Oldenburg. “My MMA journey hasn’t been the easiest and I’m beyond grateful to have this opportunity! Nate is a heck of a fighter and has the total opposite style of fighting, so it should make for a hell of a fight!”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

06/15/2025

𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙏 𝘽𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙇𝙀 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙑𝙄𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂: 𝙀𝙍𝙄𝘾𝙆𝙎𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙊 𝙁𝘼𝘾𝙀 𝘾𝙊𝙎𝘾𝙊 𝘼𝙏 ‘𝙉𝙀𝙁 63’ ⚔️🛡

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 15, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional catchweight bout to the card. Jesse Erickson (11-9) will take on Brian Cosco (2-2) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at 165 pounds.

The bout will be the final one in the storied career of Jesse “The Viking” Erickson. He made his amateur debut at “NEF 1” in February 2012 in Lewiston and now closes out his professional career over 13 years later in the same city. One of the most popular fighters ever to come out of the Lewiston-Auburn area, Erickson would go on to make his pro debut at Bellator 93 – a card which NEF co-promoted. He would go on to have exciting rivalries with Bruce Boyington (18-14), Jon Lemke (7-9), and Devin Powell (10-5). Erickson’s most recent victory would come over his former student Matt Denning (8-25) at “NEF 47” in Auburn in the spring of 2022. He represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

“It's bittersweet preparing for a final fight in this sport I love, but it's important not to overstay your welcome,” said Erickson. “The longer and more frequently you compete, the more this sport takes from you. I'm going to just enjoy the process one last time and really soak it all in. I will be present in practice and preparation with focus and purpose, honing my abilities to put on display one last time in the NEF cage where it first began. I'll close this chapter with an exclamation point in August. I wish Brian well in preparation and look forward to facing him in Kombat. Victory or Valhalla!”

Massachusetts’ Brian Cosco has been a regular on NEF cards in Maine since “NEF 38” in 2019. He went 2-2 as an amateur with the promotion and is currently 2-1 as a pro in NEF. Cosco most recently appeared at “NEF 59” last fall with a first-round submission of James Lawson (0-7). He currently represents Brazilian Top Team and Sityodtong.

“August 9th, I’ll be stepping back into the NEF cage and taking on Jesse ‘The Viking’ Erickson,” said Cosco. “Jesse has been a big name in NEF and across the regional MMA scene for a long time. This is a big opportunity for me. If I go up to Lewiston and beat Jesse in his hometown that’s a huge win for me. I’ll be going in there looking to finish him!”

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Sun Journal Sports Jesse Erickson Brian Cosco

06/14/2025

𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘼𝘽𝘿𝙐𝙇𝙇𝘼𝙃 𝙏𝙊 𝙎𝙌𝙐𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙊𝙁𝙁 𝘼𝙏 “𝙉𝙀𝙁 63”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (June 14, 2025) – New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 63: Cruel Summer,” on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur bantamweight bout to the card. Julian Connerton (6-3) will meet Qasim Abdullah (3-1) in a mixed-martial-arts matchup scheduled for three rounds at 135 pounds.

Julian Connerton will enter the NEF cage for the third time in his amateur career. He is 1-1 with the promotion, holding a win over Isaac Therrien (1-4) at “NEF 53.” Connerton will look to get back on the winning track after a loss to Edwin Peña (5-2) by split decision in a bout for the NEF Amateur Featherweight Championship earlier this year. Connerton represents Evolution Athletix of S**o, Maine.

“I’ve checked majority of the boxes as an amateur,” noted Connerton. “KO’s, submissions, technical and bloody wars. This fight was supposed to happen in February. It’s happening now, hopefully. I’m looking to paint one more masterpiece before I turn the page.”

Qasim Abdullah got off to a meteoric start to his amateur career, rattling off three victories in the NEF cage in 2023. In his most recent outing with the promotion, Abdullah suffered his first loss – a second-round submission to current NEF Amateur Bantamweight Champion Jackson Campbell (5-0) at “NEF 57” last spring. Abdullah represents the Choi Institute based in Portland, Maine.

“I’m just happy to be fighting,” exclaimed Abdullah when reached for comment.

“NEF 63: Cruel Summer” takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nefights.com/tickets/.

Choi Institute