Travis Lizotte "Full Contact Writer"
Springfield, Massachusetts - Saturday, February 29th Premier FC leaps into the New Year with it’s first fight card of 2020. Owner and matchmaker Karyn Wesch has put together one of the better fight cards in the promotion’s history as Premier FC returns to the MassMutual Center with 15 MMA fights, eight of those fights being contested in the professional ranks with six fights being fought for Premier FC title belts. From top to bottom this fight card is littered with household New England MMA names starting with two highly touted Maine Amateurs who hope to bring Premier FC gold back to their home gym; Nostos MMA in Somersworth, NH. Waterboro, Maine’s Zac “Rocky” Richard (6-2-1) will be looking to collect his third title across three seperate New England MMA promotions (Reality Amateur Featherweight Champion, NEF Amateur Lightweight Champion) as he showsdown with New York’s Yorrick Anderson (2-0) for the vacant Premier FC Amateur Featherweight title. Richard’s teammate; Flyweight; Jake “The Bull” Bagley (3-1) will be chasing a shot at redemption as he attempts to capture his first Amateur title, in what will be his second career title fight, this time against undefeated Brazilian Guilherme Crossi (4-0) for the Premier FC Amateur Flyweight strap. Premier will also have it’s Amateur Welterweight title up for grabs as promotional veteran Chris Almestica (4-4) squares off with (3-0) Cameron “Carnage” Resnisky in the third and final Amateur title fight of the night.
Highlighting the professional portion of the Premier FC 30 card will be a band of New England favorites including Team Link Hooksett’s Nick “JC” Alley (5-3) who comes up in weight from his customary 170 pounds, to a Catchweight of 180 pounds, to throwdown with well traveled Massachusetts veteran; Stephen Stengel (4-14) who returns to the cage for the first time in nearly five years. Former Cage Titans Amateur Featherweight Champion; Kenny “Rise of the Phoenix” Champion (1-0) aims to keep his professional record unblemished as he meets veteran of over 20 pro fights, New England staple; Raymond “The Reaper” Yanez (5-19) in a Featherweight feature bout. Champion’s teammate at Golden Falcon Gym; Arslan Otchiyev (1-2) who has held his own against some of the toughest dudes in New England, will have another tough task in front of him, in grizzled veteran; Lionel “Boogz” Young (8-16).
Premier FC is set to crown three new Professional Champions Saturday night and they will start by doing so in the Flyweight division as New York’s Josh “Ruthless” Ricci (5-2) looks to capture his first professional crown as he welcomes Ohio’s Donnie “The Real Deal” Ballou (5-3) to the New England scene for the very first time. In the Evening’s Co-Main event Premier FC Light-Heavyweight Champion Terrance Jean-Jacques (4-2) will look to become a two division Champion as he bumps up to Cruiserweight to fight late replacement, fellow New England big man; Ras “Rasquatch” Hylton (5-3). Hylton, who makes the quick turnaround, following a second round TKO of Brad Lee (0-1) at NEF 42 just 21 days prior, will attempt to capture his first ever professional title in his second career Cruiserweight title fight. And in the Main Event, the most decorated Champion in Premier FC history; Pat “The Gorilla Ninja” Casey (6-1) will look to capture Gold for the first time in his professional career when he jumps up to Middleweight to lock horns with New York’s Yu Ji (2-0) for the vacant Premier FC Middleweight strap.
First bell is due to sound at 7pm local time from the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts as Karyn Wesch presents Premier FC 30. Below is a detailed look at the fight card and fight order.
Bout 1: Amateur Featherweight
Kevin Hampton (Debut, Ali’s Basement) v. Ron Roman (Debut, Fighting Arts Academy)
Bout 2: Amateur Heavyweight
Gage Capen (1-2) v. Max Lombardo (Debut, Cage JSA)
Bout 3: Amateur Bantamweight
Jessen Ramcharan (1-1, Renzo Gracie) v. Broderick Matticks (1-1, Thornton’s)
Bout 4: Amateur Lightweight
Isaac Carlson (Debut, NESF) v. Brandon Murphy (2-2, Boxing Gym)
Bout 5: Amateur Flyweight Title
Jake Bagley (3-1, Nostos MMA) v. Guilherme Crossi (4-0, Marcellos)
Bout 6: Amateur Featherweight Title
Zac Richard (6-2-1, Nostos MMA) v. Yorrick Anderson (2-0, Radical MMA)
Bout 7: Amateur Welterweight Title
Chris Almestica (4-4, Team Link) v. Cameron Resnisky (3-0, The Cage)
Bout 8: Welterweight
Jason Showers (Debut, Xtreme Ambition) v. Timmy Tyler (1-4, American MMA)
Bout 9: Light-Heavyweight
Ron Marshall (1-2, Nostos MMA) v. Larry Perna (Debut)
Bout 10: Catchweight (180)
Stephen Stengel (4-14, Independent) v. Nick Alley (5-3, Team Link Hooksett)
Bout 11: Featherweight
Raymond Yanez (5-19, Topp Dogg MMA) v. Kenny Champion (1-0, Golden Falcon)
Bout 12: Featherweight
Lionel Young (8-16, Citadel) v. Arslan Otchiyev (1-2, Golden Falcon)
Bout 13: Flyweight Title
Donnie Ballou (5-3, Alliance MMA) v. Josh Ricci (5-2, Mohawk Valley MMA)
Bout 14: Cruiserweight Title (Co-Main Event)
Ras Hylton (5-3, First Class MMA) v. Terrance Jean-Jacques (4-2, American Top Team)
Bout 15: Middleweight Title (Main Event)
Yu Ji (2-0, Radical MMA) v. Pat Casey (6-1, Arvelo MMA)
Comments