Central Maine BJJ Ready To Show It’s Happening Here on February 11 in Lewiston, ME

Posted on | January 2, 2012 | No Comments

Lewiston, ME (January 2, 2012) – Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) may be one of the best-kept grappling secrets in New England. However, all of that could soon be changing when two CMBJJ representatives step into the cage to showcase their skills in full-contact mixed martial arts (MMA) action atFight Night I on February 11^th.

Owned and operated by Travis Wells, CMBJJ has been quietly building its stable of jiu-jitsu fighters and mixed martial artists since 2004 when Wells first started the school. “At the time it was more like a club,” Wells explained. “Initially we were just a few guys that got together that wanted to do jiu-jitsu. Today, CMBJJ represents a great group of people from every age bracket with varied levels of interest in jiu-jitsu.”

Wells’ own Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) origins began under Julio Fernandez in Burlington, Vermont. After years of dedicated training and competition, Wells was awarded his brown belt from UFC-veteran Ricardo Almeida. Today Travis represents the legendary Master Ricardo de la Riva under the watchful eye of 4^th degree black belt Alexey Cruz Pickerell.

Wells’ star student and BJJ blue belt protégé, Jesse Erickson, will be stepping into the cage for the first time at Fight Night I with the hopes of representing his school—and his instructor—with the honor and discipline he has developed through countless hours of study at CMBJJ. “Erickson is very well rounded and ready to showcase his jiu-jitsu skill set,” stated Wells. “He will be in outstanding shape and ready for this fight.”

For his part, Erickson feels prepared due to Wells’ tutelage. “Travis has been an outstanding instructor and coach,” he said. “He does a great job catering to the strengths and abilities of all of his students. He helps us reach our goals whether it’s competing in BJJ, fighting MMA, or just getting in shape and learning a new art. I’m excited that I get to showcase some of the things I’ve learned from my coaches and teammates at a great new promotion in my hometown. This fight will be the culmination of all my hard work.”

Also representing CMBJJ on February 11^th will be a fighter that goes back a few years in the regional MMA scene, Jesse Peterson. Peterson last fought in 2008, but after his last win was forced into dormancy due to injuries. Peterson, who will jointly represent CMBJJ and his longtime school South Shore Sport Fighting (SSSF), credits Wells with helping him to get back in the cage.

“Travis has been a loyal supporter of mine since I first met him years ago,” Peterson stated. “Despite injuries that impacted a consistent training regimen, Travis has been a faithful friend and supporter and always encouraged me to focus and make a run at it again. My goal at Fight Night is to show how serious I am this time to pay respect to people like Travis who have stayed with me through the years.”

“I feel Jesse has put in a lot of hard work and will be ready for his return to the cage,” Wells said. “People can expect to see a very talented wrestler with a dominant top game when he goes to work at the Colisee on Fight Night.”

As confident as Travis Wells is in his students’ ability to perform on Fight Night, he sees the greater Lewiston/Auburn area as the real winners on February 11^th. “I’m very pleased to have this fight in our backyard,” Wells smiled. “Now that MMA is in Maine we finally have the chance to showcase our local talent—and it’s all right here on this card. Tickets are affordable so anyone that wants to go should be able to attend. We’re in for a real treat; it’s going to be a great night of fights.”

For more information and to stay up-to-date on the latest announcements regarding the inaugural event of Fight Night visit www.mma-fightnight.com.

About Fight Night I

The inaugural event of “Fight Night,” a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotions company, will feature a Main Event professional welterweight bout between undefeated, fast-rising Maine prospect Ryan Sanders (2-0) from Young’s MMA and top Northeast middleweight Dan Keefe (7-2) out of Wai Kru/IntenZe. Promoter Nick DiSalvo has booked the Androscoggin Bank Colisee for “MMA Fight Night I,” which was the venue for the 1965 Heavyweight Boxing Championship rematch between Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali. The 4,500 capacity arena is the premiere venue in the Lewiston/Auburn, Maine region. The facility has added over $4 million in renovations in the last four years including food court/taverns and other amenities to provide fight fans with a top-flight experience.

About Nick DiSalvo Promotions

Nick DiSalvo Promotions is a Mixed Martial Arts promotions company. Nick DiSalvo Promotions’ mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. DiSalvo Promotions’ executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing and advertising.