The large majority of bouts during New England Fights’ three-plus years of staging mixed martial arts shows in Maine have involved amateurs getting their start in a sport still new to the Pine Tree State.
During the promotion’s most recent event, NEF XVII held April 11, 13 of the 19 bouts were amateur contests.
It’s the growing pool of homegrown amateur combatants in virtually every weight class as well as their popularity within the shows that has prompted NEF to begin crowning amateur champions — a practice fairly common among regional MMA organizations.
“The decision to stage title fights to crown Maine’s first-ever amateur MMA champions is directly related to the growth of NEF itself,” said Matt Peterson, the promotion’s co-owner and matchmaker. “As the promotion has grown, the athletes have evolved. This is the next phase for this talented group of mixed martial artists — many of whom have matured exclusively inside of the NEF cage — as they seek to display supremacy in their respective weight classes.”
The first NEF amateur MMA champions will be crowned at the promotion’s next event, scheduled for June 13 in Lewiston.
Three title fights already have been scheduled: a featherweight (145-pound) matchup between Aaron Lacey (5-1) and Alex Johnson (2-1); a lightweight (155-pound) clash between Ricky Dexter (3-0) and Josh Harvey (3-1); and a heavyweight (265-pound) battle between Billy Leahy (2-1) and Ryan Glover (1-0).
“We waited until now to hold amateur title fights in order to generate true, legitimate contenders,” said Peterson. “When you read the records of the fighters featured in these bouts, many of them have had three, four, or even five fights in NEF. The others with fewer bouts have outstanding athletic resumes in other complementary combat sports.
“This is the first time we’ve experienced a critical mass of top-tier amateur talent that has been competing consistently and it’s time to recognize it with these showcase bouts.”
Lacey, fighting out of Young’s MMA in Bangor, finished his first three opponents before dropping a decision to undefeated Matt Tullos on a card in New Hampshire. Lacey has rebounded with two straight wins and is now 4-0 in NEF competition.
Johnson, from Josh Parker’s Ruthless MMA & Boxing Gym in Benton, has won two straight bouts since losing his debut last September to Harvey, one of Lacey’s teammates at Young’s MMA.
“It’s an honor to be fighting for the first-ever NEF amateur featherweight belt,” said Lacey. “Alex is a game opponent who likes to be in your face. He presents a very interesting challenge because he is aggressive and powerful. It just so happens I fight the same way.”
The lightweight title fight matches Harvey against Dexter, who trains out of Marcus Davis’ Team Irish MMA Fitness Academy in Brewer.
Dexter, currently the ninth-ranked amateur lightweight in New England, is coming off a first-round submission victory over Zenon Herrera at NEF XVII. He has scored all three of his wins by opening-round stoppage since debuting last November.
Harvey is coming off a 36-second stoppage of promising Caleb Hall of Dixfield in February.
“Two top fighters from two top schools, this is a match to be excited about,” said Harvey. “I have all the respect in the world for Ricky, but there is nowhere this fight goes that I don’t win.”
Leahy, a South Paris native who splits his training time between Young’s MMA and Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Auburn, is a former All-Pine Tree Conference Class A football standout and wrestling state champion at Oxford Hills High School.
Glover is a former Class B wrestling state champion as well as a star lineman for a state championship football team at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford. Glover’s MMA debut in February lasted just 12 seconds before he floored Michael Freeman.
“I’m very excited about the fight, as this is a huge opportunity for a young fighter like myself,” said Leahy. “It’s going to be a war, two Maine state wrestling champions fighting for a title in the NEF cage. I’m beyond motivated and excited for this fight.”
