Elite Fight Night (EFN) announced this week that they will kick off the New Year in a new state-of-the-art indoor multisport venue in Merrillville, Indiana – The Dean & Barbara White Community Center. This will be the EFN’s first visit to the area after hosting several outdoor events in the region at the Railcats Stadium in Gary. This EFN event will feature several up and coming local fighters from Crown Point, Chesterton, Hobart, Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, as well as fighters from Illinois, Tennessee and Michigan.
The fight will take place Saturday, March 18. The main event will feature a professional welterweight bout between local, up and coming star Valanti 300 Atsas and Detroit’s Sherman “The Grim Reaper” Lovely. In addition the co-main event featuring a pro welterweight title bout between Oswego’s Tyler Scott and Michigan’s Konnor Kuppe. The third pro fight of the night features Crown Point’s and IBEW Local 153 electrician Jonathon Appelman vs Brendan Zimmerman from Indianapolis.
“We are excited to kick off 2023 by bringing our professionally produced brand of MMA back to the region,” said Jesse Nunez, CEO of EFN. “Our goal is to give up-and-coming pro and amateur fighters the exposure they deserve by providing an exciting show that fans will want to attend so MMA enthusiasts across the country can watch and start to follow these fighters as they progress in their careers. We offer a superior level of production and makes sure you feel like you’re at a show and not just a fight. We are excited to bring our show indoors during the colder months and the Dean & Barbara White Community Center is the perfect location and facility.”
Tickets for the event range from $45 to $80 and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elite-fight-night-tickets-526212635157. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities please contact Jesse Nunez at 773-502-8383 or jesse@eliteamateurfightleague.com.
Please note, this is a special event with limited tickets available. The event will be recorded for later broadcast on Marquee Sports Network (Chicago) and Stadium Sports Network (Nationally) with a combined broadcast reach of 35 million households.
Current Announced Fights (subject to change):
Pro Fighters:
- Valanti Atsas – Maxim Gym Hobart, Indiana – Home Crown Point, Indiana
- Sherman Lovely – SFS Brighton, Michigan – Home Detroit, Michigan
- Tyler Scott – Dominion MMA Oswego, Illinois – Home Oswego, Illinois
- Konnor Kuppe – Macomb Martial Arts Macomb, Michigan – Home Shelby Township, Michigan
- Jonathon Appelman – Team Colon Martial Arts Merrillville, Indiana – Home Crown Point, Indiana
Amateur Fighters:
- Agustine Bahena – Wrecking Ball MMA Waukegan, Illinois
- Duvellasha Lee Jr. – Team Colon Martial Arts Merrillville, Indiana
- Matt Martinez – Intercept MMA Chicago, Illinois
- Bobby Kelley – Lee Brothers Martial Arts Ft. Wayne, Indiana
- Marco McDonald – Intercept MMA Chicago, Illinois
- JJ Johnson – Maxim Gym / Elite Athletic Club Hobart, Indiana
- Steven Mihajlovich – Elite Athletic Club Hobart, Indiana
- Taylor Burley – Lee Brothers Martial Arts Ft. Wayne, Indiana
- Jalan Gibson – UFC Gym Ricardo Llamas Naperville, Illinois
- Bryce Woener – Wildside Gym Clarksville, Tennessee
- Cesar Ortega – Wrecking Ball MMA Waukegan, Illinois
- Zak Hassan – UFC Gym Ricardo Llamas Naperville, Illinois
- Juan Avila – Wrecking Ball MMA Waukegan, Illinois
- Diego Martinez – Wildside Gym Clarksville, Tennessee
- David Sandoval – Dominion MMA Oswego, Illinois
- Alex Delgado – Circle City MMA Indianapolis, Indiana
- Alex Moscosa – UFC Gym Ricardo Llamas Naperville, Illinois
- Bryshon Heads – UFC Gym Orland Park, Illinois
- Gino DiCaro – UFC Gym Ricardo Llamas Naperville, Illinois
- Payton Hayes – Wildside Gym Clarksville, Tennessee
- Lalo Medina – Intercept MMA Chicago, Illinois
- Amos Bawi – Indianapolis Top Team Indianapolis, Indiana
