New England Fights (“NEF”) presents its next event “NEF 69: Crossfire” on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. The promotion returns to the arena portion of the venue for the first time since May 2025. The event is scheduled to feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and kickboxing bouts. Tickets are on sale now at www.TicketMaster.com. The event is being brought to Bangor by Long Coast www.drinklongcoast.com.
Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional MMA welterweight fight to the card. “THE” Ryan Sanders (23-12) will take on Jhony “Winchester” dos Santos (8-10) at a fight weight of 170 pounds.
Sanders has stated that this will be the final fight of his legendary MMA career. His time with NEF goes back all the way to February 2012 when he was victorious in the main event of “NEF 1.” Since that time, Sanders has had memorable battles in the NEF cage with Marcus Davis (23-11), Gil De Freitas (18-6), Ali Zebian (10-7), and Manny Walo (14-6-1) among many others. He won the NEF professional MMA lightweight title in 2017 and defended it successfully the following year. Outside of NEF, Sanders is also a veteran of the Bellator cage. He currently represents VisionQuest Muay Thai.
“How lucky am I to go out on my terms and in my hometown?!” said Sanders. “I’ve had an incredible MMA career, but it’s time to start a new chapter in my life. I’m grateful for (NEF owners) Matt (Peterson) and Nick (DiSalvo) for pulling strings to make this fight happen. They offered this fight to several 170ers in the region, but sadly they were too terrified to sign on the dotted line. But I don’t blame them though. My opponent that night will feel the energy and presence of a bad man who has something to prove. And a man with something to prove is a dangerous man. I’ll see you all November 14th for one last walk.”
Jhony dos Santos holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. While the bout with Sanders will be dos Santos’ first in the NEF cage, he has been a regular on the New England combat sports circuit for some time now. A native of Brazil, dos Santos began competing in MMA in his home country in 2014. In recent years, dos Santos has fought MMA, kickboxing, and boxing throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. He represents Team Fight Academy.
“Different journeys. Different stories. Different battles. Different paths,” stated dos Santos when reached for comment. “But inside the ring, we are equals: two warriors, one goal – victory. I respect Sanders, but I believe in our work, and I am hungry for this win. On fight night, what counts is heart, technique, strategy, and determination. It’s the last dance for Sanders, but I’ve still got plenty left in the tank. We’re going for the win and moving forward!”
“NEF 69” takes place on Saturday, November 14, 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. The event is being brought to Bangor by Long Coast www.drinklongcoast.com.