Bellator veterans highlight NEF 29 card
Sun JournalJun 17, 2017
This weekend, the Bucksport fighter's quest to keep that momentum comes full circle. Wood (8-3) makes the 2,000-mile journey from
The diverse docket -- scheduled to include four professional MMA fights, four pro boxing battles and seven amateur clashes in the cage -- has a
Five fights with tri-county connections, NEF's own boxing-versus-MMA battle in the ring and an amateur title tilt in the hexagon between two undefeated foes with a combined age of 90 share the spotlight on a busy evening.
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Wood carries a two-fight losing skid into his homecoming. Getting back on track is no gimme against Bezerra, a world-class competitor who has fought nine times under the Bellator banner.
"He has fought some of the best in the world, and with me coming off back-to-back losses, I have no choice but to have my hand raised by the end of three rounds," Wood said. "I have never lost three straight in anything."
A black belt in jiu-jitsu, Bezerra twice reached the semifinals of a featherweight championship
tournament in Bellator.
"Both fighters are seasoned Bellator veterans, former champions, and hungry for a win to send them back to the highest stages of the sport," Peterson said. "This fight would fit perfectly on any UFC card."
Another NEF crowd favorite returns to the spotlight after more than a year chasing top competition on the national scene. Fans might be mystified, however, when they watch
Boyington, who won his only previous foray into the prize ring against
Peterson labeled the fight "Maine's own version of (Floyd)
Lamour is arguably Maine's most accomplished pro fighter since Lewiston's
"I will fight anyone that ends up in front of me," Lamour said. "I respect the MMA fighters. They are all tough guys, but to challenge me in the boxing ring is a major mistake. I'll be in great shape and ready."
Boyington, a past NEF lightweight champion who has since fought for multiple national and
international promotions, is a feared striker and second-degree black belt in taekwondo.
"Boxing is his game, but I've had 25 professional fights and more than 100 taekwondo fights in my time," Boyington said. "I'm excited and honored to share the ring with the best boxing has to offer. The only thing I'm ever after is a challenge, and I have one in Russell."
In an amateur MMA between two local standouts,
Johanson out of Lewiston's Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ).
Daley, a two-time high school state champion at
Another First Class MMA competitor, 38-year-old
Velado, a veteran of the
"This weekend, we're treated to a carousel of combat sports," Peterson said. "With this card, fans get tosee some of the top fighters in the nation go to battle and get a glimpse at the next generation of stars."
CMBJJ will be a consistent presence on the amateur side of the MMA ledger. Johanson stablemates
Tickets to "NEF 29: Stars & Stripes" start at
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