NEF 42: Symphony of Destruction – Live Recap

We’re set to go live from the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine bringing you live play-by-play coverage of NEF 42! There are 17 scheduled amateur fights on the card, as well as five pro bouts with the night’s main event a battle for the vacant lightweight title between “Pretty Boy” Bruce Boyington and Manny “The Bermudez Triangle” Bermudez!

Live Results:

Am. Bantamweight Bout Between Evolution Athletix Teddy Politis (Debut) and First Class MMA’s Kevin Lemay (Debut)

Round #1: Lemay in blue, Politis in the red corner. Politis beginning on one knee, staring down his opponent. Early kick from Politis blocked, the two clinch against the cage. Lemay with underhooks, losing position to Politis who takes down his opponent and working from half guard. Politis grabs the left arm of Lemay across his body for a kimura and Lemay verbally taps.

Politis by kimura at 55 seconds

Am. Featherweight Bout Between Recon’s Henry Clark (5-5) and CMBJJ’s Taylor Bartlett (2-2-1)

Round #1: Bartlett in the blue corner, Clark in red. Clark lunges forward to clinch, against the cage Bartlett lands strike after strike to Clark’s ribs. Bartlett gains underhooks and takes down his opponent who grabs the armbar. Bartlett stacks and slams Clark who holds on to earn the submission as called by referee John English.

Bartlett by armbar at 51 seconds

Am. Featherweight Bout Between Independent Randall Hathorn (0-1) and CMBJJ’s Tim Murray (Debut)

Round #1: Murray in blue, Hathorn in the red. Hathorn in southpaw, Murray orthodox. They trade as Murray lands a right straight that connects, Hathorn dodges and unloads on his opponent who’s deemed to be out via TKO according to our referee.

Hathorn by TKO at 11 seconds

Am. Welterweight Bout Between Independent Dylan Williams (0-3) and Acadia BJJ’s Wyatt Sochin (Debut)

Round #1: Williams in blue, Sochin in red. Sochin throws and Williams able to swing out of the way. Sochin clinches as Williams exchanges position and lands. Williams throwing wildly and Sochin willing to oblige. They clinch and break as Sochin lands a left hook that cuts his opponent. Wiliams comes back and lands, Sochin on the mat. Williams gets the back and is attempting a rearnaked choke but Sochin gets out and is on his feet. Sochin lands an uppercut, flurries ensue. Both men exhausted, fans love it. Williams 10-9

Round #2: Heavy left hook lands for Williams, hands low and landing hard. Sochin clinches and grabs a guillotine, Williams rolls to his back, now to his knees. Williams is out, in half guard, Sochin rolls and Williams has the RNC. Sochin scrambles out and now Williams is on top. Williams in mount, mauling Sochin at this point from top position. Sochin ends by scrambling and reversing position. Williams 20-18

Round #3: Sochin lands a heavy straight and Williams lunges to clinch. Handfighting, Sochin now landing heavy blows as they break. Williams chases his opponent as they crash to the canvas. Referee Kevin MacDonald calling for action. Williams in mount and thrown from the position, now it’s Sochin in guard and landing. Williams kicks his opponent off, they trade. It’s a real slobberknocker of a third round, now Williams attempts to clinch as Sochin earns position. 29-28 Williams

Official decision: 29-28 Sochin, 29-28 Williams, 29-28 Williams

Am. Flyweight Bout Between First Class MMA’s Dillon Henry (0-3) and CMBJJ’s Caleb Austin (3-0)

Round #1: Austin in blue, Henry in red. Austin opens in southpaw, Henry in orthodox. Henry dances and looks to use his flashy striking in order to setup the exchanges. Austin ducks as Henry moves in and earns the takedown. Austin in half, now gets the back. Austin landing the shots, has the bodylock. Now Henry rolling but Austin not giving an inch. Austin continues to land, threatening the choke. Henry fighting the hands, finally taps to the choke.

Caleb Austin by rear naked choke at 2:45

Am. Middleweight Bout Between Team Landry’s Tim Bergeron (0-1) and Independant Henry Jeffs (0-3)

Round #1: Jeffs in blue, Bergeron in the red corner. Bergeron opens up the round by landing kick after kick to the body of his opponent. Jeffs drops, then again due to the pressure. Bergeron on his back and hammering away. Referee giving no mercy as Jeffs in out due to the strikes.

Bergeron by TKO at 53 seconds

Am. 165 lbs Catchweight Bout Between Evolution Athletix’s Ben Grady (Debut) and CMBJJ’s Jon Assam (1-2)

Round #1: Assam in the blue corner, Grady in red. Both men orthodox, Grady lands a heavy front kick to the body of Assam, they trade and Grady lands a kick to the groin. Right hook of Grady lands and stuns his opponent. Assam wobbles and Grady hammers away.

Grady by TKO at 43 seconds

Am. Flyweight Bout Between Kaze’s Giuliano Rossi (Debut) and Maine Kyokushin Karate’s Ryan Fogg (0-1)

Round #1: Fogg in blue, Rossi in the red corner. Large contingent of Rossi fans in attendance. Rossi all over his opponent Fogg landing at will. Fogg’s corner yelling for the takedown and he shoots, earning it. Rossi grabs the neck for the guillotine and it’s in. Rossi holding tight, Fogg is out and in guard. Rossi on his back and fighting the hands. Fogg unable to pass as Rossi is landing from bottom. Fogg now landing from top position as Rossi grabs and arm and then moves his legs in position for the triangle. Tight as Rossi lands strikes of his own. Fogg out and now switches into mount, landing a barrage of strikes before the round ends. Fogg 10-9

Doctor assessing Rossi between rounds, referee English calls an end to the contest. Fogg by TKO at 5:00 of round one (called at 0 seconds of round two).

Am. 165 lbs Catchweight Bout Between Independent Austin Hamilton (0-1) and CMBJJ’s Garry Carr (2-1)

Round #1: Carr in blue, Hamilton in red. Both men in orthodox stances, Hamilton pulls Carr to the ground off the hop. Carr in mount but it seems that Hamilton’s taking a page out of the Aleksi Oleinik playbook fishing for the Ezekiel choke. Hamilton circling from bottom, now Carr attempts to break and grabs an arm. Hamilton scrambles and Carr gets the back, holding on for dear life. Carr strikes, Hamilton rolls and it’s Carr synching an arm for the RNC. Carr reloads and now landing from back mount. Round ends with Carr on top. Carr 10-9

Round #2: Hamilton the aggressor early, pushing the pace as Carr blocks and looks to close distance. Hamilton swinging wild as Carr is content on the outside. Neither fighter landing, Hamilton switches stances, throwing lunging kicks to no avail. Carr’s corner calling for action as he lunges in again for the takedown and now once again in back mount. Hamilton able to stave off the attacks as the round ends. 19-19 through two

Round #3: Hamilton earned a round, although Carr finished strong in the second. Carr landing now as Hamilton backs up and gets back to kicking to gain distance, where he found success in the second. Hamilton goes for a low kick and it’s caught. Carr is in deep, Hamilton turns and tries for the bulldog but it isn’t in. Carr has the Hamilton’s back, now stomping the right foot heavily. Hamilton fighting the hands and he’s out. Both men exhausted, exchanging single shots and it’s Hamilton whiffing on the heavy right hands. Hamilton misses another and Carr grabs his opponent. They end in a clinch. Carr 29-28

Official decision: 29-27, 29-27, 29-28 unanimous for Carr

Am. Featherweight Bout Between Evolution Athletix’s Tyler Smythe (Debut) and Independant Clifford Redman (0-11)

Round #1: Smythe originally booked at 125 lbs, stepping up to face a short notice opponent in Redman who’s still searching for his first win. Smythe working the takedown and slams his opponent to the canvas, gets the hooks in and secures the rear naked choke. Unlocks before the referee calls the submission, Redman is out.

Smythe by rear naked choke at 30 seconds. (Announced as a TKO finish)

Am. Welterweight Bout Between Team Landry’s Jason Landry (2-1) and CMBJJ’s Dustin Carrier (Debut)

Round #1: Carrier in blue, Landry in the red corner. Both look to exchange and it’s Landry forcing the clinch. Landry landing the knees in the clinch and they break. Landry working his left shoulder, Carrier looks to land and Landry works the takedown. Landry in mount as Carrier grabs the hands, looking for the underhook to get out. Landry staying put as Carrier slides from the cage and rolls clockwise. Carrier holding his opponent in, now forces Landry to half guard and Landry shrugs it off ending in mount. Landry 10-9

Round #2: Landry continues to work the left shoulder and Carrier lunges forward, landing. Landry tosses Carrier, and ends up again in mount. Grabs the arm for a kimura and Carrier gets out, now scrambles into Landry’s guard. Carrier on top, not able to posture up but landing from position. Landry pops, now on top of Carrier and grabs the right arm again for a kimura. It’s locked in and referee Kevin MacDonald waves off the action.

Landry by kimura at 2:48 of round two

Am. Heavyweight Bout Between T4 Survival’s Titus Pannell (1-0) and South Shore Sportfighting’s Darryl Andrews (Debut)

Round #1: Andrews in blue, Pannell in the red corner. Andrews lunges in quickly and throws Pannell into the cage. Andrews on top and landing, Pannell tries to get to his feet and Andres lands some more before once again taking the action to the mat. Andrews in half guard against the cage and now into mount as Pannell rolls. Pannell on his feet as Andrews once again takes his opponent down. Pannell working to get to his feet but Andrews continues to pressure and land. Pannell is up with his back against the cage, Andrews grabbing a single. They break and Andrews drops Pannell with a heavy right hook at the bell. Andrews 10-8

Round #2: They exchange and Andrews goes deep for the double leg, earns the takedown. Andrews from half guard now landing right hands to the left side of Pannell. Pannell working to gain position and threatening a kimura. They roll and Andrews ends up with Pannell’s back, landing again and again. Pannell reverses but Andrews gets out. 20-16 Andrews

Round #3: Pannell has his hands by his sides as Andrews stalks him. Wild exchange, Andrews clinches and Pannell lands hevy strikes before once again getting taken down. This time Pannell’s head is free and he lands. Andrews tries to advance but Pannell gets free. Pannell lands an illegal elbow from the clinch and action’s stopped. Referee Kevin MacDonald takes a point from Pannell as a result. Andrews resumes by shooting for the takedown and they clinch. Andrews getting struck again from Pannell, lands the takedown once again. Ending the round in mount, Andrews 30-24

Official decision: 29-25, 30-25, 29-26 for Dylan Andrews

Am. 158 lbs Catchweight Bout Between Redline’s Brian Cosco (5-8) and CMBJJ’s Nate White (4-0)

Round #1: White in the blue corner, Cosco in red. White has his hands high, closing distance and lands a kick to the midsection as Cosco catches it and throws his opponent. White reverses and he’s on top, grabbing the right arm. Abandoning a submission he looks for the ground and pound, Cosco rolls and White finishes up the contest with a flurry of shots from back mount.

White by TKO at 1:11 of round one

Am. Bantamweight Bout Between First Class MMA’s Felipe Gunter (1-0) and CMBJJ’s Hannon Sanford (Debut)

Round #1: Sanford in the blue corner, Gunter in red. Sanford closing in quickly, Gunter throws the right kick to the body that’s caught and Sanford pushes for the clinch. Gunter with a high guillotine attempt as Sanford walks on and pushes off. Gunter looking once again to set up the kicking attack, attempts a spinning wheel kick that misses and slides to the mat. Back to his feet Gunter closes in and take the fight to the mat. Gunter stacks as Sanford pushes off and stands. Sanford closes, they break. Gunter lands heavy right hands and ends the round pushing his opponent against the cage. Gunter 10-9

Round #2: They meet in the middle and Gunter threatens a standing triangle. They break and Gunter unloads, pressure mounting and they clinch in the blue corner. Gunter breaks and Sanford pressures forward. Gunter’s opened up his opponent’s nose, as he eats shots he lunges in for the takedown which is successful. Gunter working from half but Sanford doing a very good job of disallowing the advances. Sanford gets up and the round comes to a close. 20-18 Gunter

Round #3: Sanford pressures and in an instance lands on top. Gunter lands an upkick as Sanford looks to gain position, now Sanford working from guard, gets up and is spewing blood. Referee calls time as Gunter lands another upkick, illegal in amateur MMA. They resume by exchanging blows and it’s Gunter the more accurate striker. 30-27 Gunter

Official decision: 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 unanimous for Gunter

Am. Welterweight Bout Between Kaze’s Mike Bezanson (4-0) and Recon’s Greg Ishihara (2-1)

Round #1: Ishihara in blue, Bezanson in the red corner. Bezanson looking to kick his way into a quick finish, again and again with his hands low. Ishihara closing distance and landing in close. Ishihara pushes to clinch, one underhook in and looking for more. Bezanson breaks with a stiff knee, now both in the center of the cage. Ishihara pushes in and Bezanson returns fire. Bezanson lands a stiff right that jolts Ishihara against the cage, follows it up with stiff shots until referee MacDonald calls an end to the action.

Bezanson by TKO at 2:24 of round one.

Am. Lightweight Bout Between First Class MMA’s Justin Kangas (0-2) and CMBJJ’s Joe Howard (2-3)

Round #1: Howard in blue, Kangas in the red corner. Kangas looks to close distance and as soon as he’s able to get in close Howard also pushes in and earns a swift double leg takedown. Howard in half guard and moving forward. Kangas gets to butterfly and back up to his feet. Stiff knee from Kangas in the clinch, each fighter with an underhook. They break slightly and Howard lands a stiff hook dropping Kangas, following up with ground and pound before referee English calls the action

Joe Howard by TKO at 1:51 of round one

Am. 165 lbs Catchweight Bout Between Camden Combat / The Foundry’s Mike Murray (2-1) and South Shore Sportfighting’s Tim Birkenhead (1-0)

Round #1: Birkenhead in the blue corner, Murray in red. Birkenhead looks to land a kick to the midsection that’s caught by Murray and the fight goes to the ground. An odd call in the action as both fighters are stood up by referee John English as the fighters were grabbing heels from the mat. Strong right lands for Birkenhead, Murray attempts one of his own and Birkenhead changes levels en route to a double leg takedown. Birkenhead working from guard, Murray avoiding the offensive by holding his opponent. Murray scoots closer to the cage and pining for an arm. Birkenhead stands and lands parting shots before round’s end. Birkenhead 10-9

Round #2: Murray extends for the kick which is caught by Birkenhead who earns the takedown. Birkenhead working and reversed by Murray. Birkenhead scrambles out and now working Murray against the cage, deep into a single. Murray tries to stand and he’s taken down by his opponent who ends up on top in mount. Murray has a guillotine but Birkenhead slips out as Murray now reverses and pops up. Murray lunges in to Birkenhead who’s getting up and but is reversed again. They trade position and Birkenhead earns the left leg of Murray, extending for the stretch and submission victory via kneebar.

Birkenhead by kneebar at 2:53 of round two

Pro Featherweight Bout Between First Class MMA’s Jacob Deppmeyer (1-2-1 am., Pro Debut) and Young’s MMA’s Carl Langston (0-4)

Round #1: Our first pro contest seeing Langston in blue with Deppmeyer in the red corner. Langston attempts a head kick and slips, pops back up and slams Deppmeyer to the canvas. Langston in guard but Deppmeyer stopping the offensive. Langston in half guard and fighting for the wrist, pushing for more but Deppmeyer with a nice forearm and shin control. Langston tries to jump into position and Deppmeyer hops up. They exchange and Deppmeyer lands heavy knees in the flurry. Langston pressuring Deppmeyer against the cage, Deppmeyer foots stomps. They break and exchange in the centre of the cage. Deppmeyer is on Langston’s back, Langston flips him up and over. Langston stands and in a melee Deppmeyer hooks an inverted triangle and begins striking.

Langston taps, due to strikes in the position at 4:15 seconds

Pro 140 lbs Catchweight Bout Between CMBJJ’s Nate Boucher (6-3 am., Pro Debut) and Gate City MMA’s Chris Caterino (3-3)

Round #1: Boucher in the blue corner, Caterino in red. Boucher low, Caterino blocking kicks early as Boucher shoots and earn the takedown. Caterino holding as Boucher slides into Caterino’s guard. Boucher looking to stack, Caterino still holding pat. Boucher landing from top position and mixing in strikes to the head and body. Referee MacDonald asking for more action, Boucher content with pressuring from guard and peppering shots. Caterino grabs Boucher’s left arm and applies the squeeze, Boucher taps.

Caterino by armbar at 3:45 of round one

Pro Heavyweight Bout Between First Class MMA’s Ras Hylton (4-3) and Paladin Combat Sports’ Brad Lee (Debut)

Round #1: Lee in the blue corner making his debut, Hylton in red with former foe Chris Sarro in his corner.

Round #2: Ras Hylton by TKO at 1:21 of round two

Co-Main Event: Pro Lightweight Bout Between Vision Quest Muay Thai’s Josh Harvey (7-0-1) and CMBJJ’s Jesse Erickson (9-8)

Round #1: Erickson in the blue corner, Harvey in red. Harvey lands a crisp left hand to kick off the action. Erickson pushing the pace, lands a kick and pressures the clinch. Harvey now in position with Erickson’s back against the cage, both men with an underhook apiece. Erickson looking to slip out, chooses to grab high and pull guard. Harvey now in guard with Erickson grabbing Harvey’s right arm and pulling the armbar. Harvey not willing to tap, pulls away and holding Erickson’s weight on that forearm. Harvey scrambles, Erickson’s submission is now fully tightened and Harevy taps.

Jesse Erickson by armbar at 3:25 of round one

Main Event: Vacant Pro Lightweight Title Fight Between Titan Athletics’ Bruce Boyington (17-11) and South Shore Sportfighting’s Manny Bermudez (14-2)

In our main event, Boyington able to capture the belt with a win while Bermudez is simply looking to get back in the win column as he missed weight by 3.8 lbs. Bermudez in blue, Boyington in red. Both men from orthodox, Boyington opens with a flurry and catches Bermudez who connects with a right of his own. Bermudez attempts a quick guillotine but Boyington is out. Bermudez gets the fight to the mat and gets quickly into mount while sinking in the choke.

Manny Bermudez victorious in his promotional debut, at 1:24 by mounted guillotine