Young’s MMA of Bangor receives awards for 2012 bouts

Young’s MMA of Bangor received plenty of recognition in NortheastMMA.net’s recent 2012 year-end awards, being cited in four categories in the fan voting.

Ray “All Business” Wood won two awards, as amateur fighter of the year and for his role in the fight of the year.

Wood went 2-1 in amateur bouts in 2012 before turning pro in November with a victory over John “First Class” Raio at Fight Night V in Lewiston.

Wood defeated New Yorker Ahsan Abdullah by first-round technical knockout at Fight Night I in Lewiston on Feb. 11, then moved up from his regular 145-pound weight class and lost a unanimous decision to another New Yorker, Shane Manley, at Fight Night II in Biddeford on April 14.

Wood then won the NortheastMMA.net fight of the year with a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Soaphanarith “Soap” Am in a battle of two of the top 145-pound amateurs in the region at Derry, N.H., on Oct. 12.

The 23-year-old Wood, ranked third in the division, used the wrestling skills he honed while at Bucksport High School to overpower the top-ranked Am, who had entered the bout with a 4-0 record.

Wood finished his amateur career with a 5-1 record, then went on to defeat Raio by technical knockout at 4:22 of the second round of their mutual pro debut in his most recent bout.

Young’s MMA teammate Aaron Lacey of Orono won submission of the year honors, rallying after losing the first two rounds of his amateur debut to win defeat Jared Lanagas with a triangle choke at 54 seconds of the third round of their 155-pound bout on the Oct. 12 card at Derry, N.H.

And knockout of the year honors went to Brewer’s Bruce Boyington, whose stunning 10-second stoppage of Keegan Hornstra with a spinning back kick at Fight Night III at Lewiston on June 16 gained national attention on the “Inside MMA” television program and went viral on the Internet with more than a quarter-million views.

Ernie Clark

About Ernie Clark

I'm a veteran sportswriter who has worked with the Bangor Daily News for more than a decade. A four-time Maine Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, my coverage areas range from high school sports to mixed martial arts.