New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 66: Salute” on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. The event will feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and kickboxing bouts. Tickets are on sale now at www.TicketMaster.com.
Earlier today, NEF announced the main event for the card. Bruce Boyington (19-14) will face CJ Ewer (3-3) in a professional welterweight MMA contest.
Boyington and Ewer are two of the most popular athletes to ever emerge from the Bangor area. The pair trained together for years at Young’s MMA, where both developed under head coach Chris Young. Today, Ewer remains at Young’s MMA, while Boyington represents nearby rival Titan Athletics under head coach Jeremy Tyler.
Both Boyington and Ewer are veterans of the U.S. military. Boyington served in the U.S. Marine Corps, while Ewer served in the U.S. Air Force. Fittingly, the bout will take place on Armed Forces Day.
Bruce Boyington has had one of the most storied in-cage careers of any athlete in NEF history. A former NEF Professional MMA Lightweight Champion, Boyington has competed in global events in places like Russia and Madison Square Garden in New York City. He enters the bout on a two-fight win streak and recently captured another championship in Minnesota.
“I was a bit surprised when I was told that CJ had thrown my name out there. I was hesitant to accept the fight because I’ve always seemed to have gotten along well with CJ. He’s pretty quiet and is a military man like myself. We’ve trained extensively together at Young’s MMA and sparred together plenty of times, so I can understand someone calling an old teammate out if they had some kind of beef. Perhaps he does, and I’m just unaware of it. I sure hope he mentions it if so.
“I figured perhaps he just wants to find someone smaller to fight so he doesn’t have to deal with the pressure of not being able to hold somebody down and control them, which is, I’m sure, what he’s gonna try to do.
“Honestly, it hurts more to think about Coach Young coaching against me than this fight with CJ, because he was my main coach for most of my career. I have never said a bad word about him. He’s a great coach and knows all my secrets, all my ins and outs. So the thought of hearing Coach Young telling CJ how to fight me, when I can picture Coach Young talking me through that several times in big fights throughout my career, kind of disturbs me. But we’ll see what happens.
“I know this: I’m looking forward to no weight cut. I know exactly what I’ve got to do in training camp. I’m just excited to be back in the gym, healed up and healthy, and back here in Bangor in front of so many of my loyal friends and family. Fighting at the Cross Center has been one of the biggest blessings in my fight career, especially with New England Fights. And now, as an employee of Hollywood Casino and Raceway, it’s right across the street from where I’m at most days, so it makes it even more thrilling to me.
“All I gotta say, CJ, is be careful what you wish for, buddy. We both know how this is gonna go. Either you’re gonna be down on the ground unconscious, or it’s a boring fight where you lay on top of me for three rounds and don’t dare move because I’d get a submission or a KO.”
CJ Ewer is the former NEF Professional MMA Middleweight Champion. He won that title in 2017 in the very room where he will battle Boyington on May 16. The fight will be Ewer’s first since 2019.
“I asked for this fight specifically because I thought it’s something that the fans would be interested in seeing,” said Ewer. “I’ve trained with Bruce for many years and respect him as a fighter. He’s fought all over the world and at the highest levels. He should be able to make quick work of me. But bet against me and see what happens.”
“Bruce Boyington and CJ Ewer have years of shared history behind them, both in Bangor and under the same coach,” said NEF co-owner Nick DiSalvo. “This fight already has a life of its own.”
“NEF 66” takes place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Doors will open at 6 pm with the first fight taking place at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.TicketMaster.com.