Bizzarro to hold back-to-back nights of boxing, MMA at Bayfront Convention Center next week
The Bayfront Convention Center will host back-to-back nights of action as Bizzarro's Boxing and MMA Promotions brings back an Erie tradition after a one-year layoff.
Tuesday Night Fights, a six-fight boxing card, is scheduled for Tuesday before about a dozen mixed martial arts bouts take place the following night during the Bayfont Brawl 11 on Wednesday.
"We're excited," said promoter Ernie Bizzarro. "It's a big tradition in Erie. The fans wanted it. It's one of my favorite shows of the year. It's something that's been in the family, and it's great to be back."
Erie boxers Anthony Bizzarro and Jeremiah Yeager will make their returns to the ring after winning matches at the Bayfront Brawl 10, which took place on Aug. 14.
The main event of Tuesday's boxing slate is a super welterweight fight between Frenchman Salim Larbi (21-11-2) and Evincii Dixon (10-26-2) of Lancaster, Pa.
Bizzarro and Yeager have different approaches to their upcoming matches.
Bizzarro is coming off his professional debut, a unanimous decision over Ohio fighter Robert Presley. He said he has focused on preparing for a different fighter in next week's opponent, Darius Doaks (0-2), of Chambersburg.
"Camp has been the same (as the last fight)," he said. "We've been going over different strategies for a different fighter. We work on things that we can do to beat our opponent."
Meanwhile, Yeager said that looking at his opponents is not exactly his style. He is 1-1 with his only two fights coming against Ivan Hernandez of Dunkirk, N.Y. Yeager lost to Hernandez in 2017 before winning a return fight at Bayfront Brawl 10.
Yeager is set to box Baltimore fighter Leonidas Fowlkes (2-5) next week in a super welterweight match.
"I've got no idea about him to be honest," Yeager said. "I don't like looking at other fighters. It kind of throws my game off. I focus on me."
Tuesday's boxing action will also include an undefeated boxer out of Buffalo, Gerffred Ngayot (4-0), who will look to continue his streak in lightweight action against Ohio's Jerrell Hodge (1-1).
One of the top fights of Bayfront Brawl 11 will be a matchup between Victor Guarriello (2-0) of Erie's 3 Elements Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Nikolai Gionti (3-2) of Willoughby, Ohio. That match was supposed to take place in August.
A number of other area fighters are returning to the caged octagon after competing at Bayfront Brawl 10. That group includes Blair Phillips (2-1), a crowd favorite known as "Mr. No Gimmick," who won his last time out in August.
Jarel Abdelaziz (1-0), Jaison Morales (1-1) and Jake Boring (1-0) are other local competitors trying to win again after last time out. Kane Patron (1-1), of Erie Wrestling Club, has split his matches at the last two Bayfront Brawl events.
The MMA night also includes a women's fight between Brittany Bickhart of Lock Haven and Ohio fighter Stephanie Lehecka.
Tickets for either night of action can be purchased at erieevents.com or the Erie Insurance Arena box office or by calling 814-452-4857.
Contact Josh Reilly at jreilly@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreilly.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Bizzarro to hold back-to-back nights of boxing, MMA in Erie next week
