BATTLE IN BARRE 10 / MAIN EVENT
ANDREW PROVOST vs JOSEPH McNEIL
Professional Lightweight MMA Bout
NORTH EAST MMA Media

ANDREW PROVOST vs JOSEPH McNEIL: PRO LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENT

BATTLE IN BARRE 10 / MAY 13, 2023 / BARRE, VERMONT

ANDREW PROVOST fights out of Plattsburgh, New York and brings a (1-1) professional record into the cage.  Provost trains under the guidance of Robert Hugus BJJ and will be looking for his second win as a pro May 13^th under the bright lights of the Barre Auditorium.  The thirty-five year old New Yorker made his amateur MMA debut in March of 2010.  He gathered up three regional MMA championship titles during his amateur career and produced a formidable (7-1) record. Provost made his professional debut in September of 2021 at Battle in Barre 5 delivering a unanimous win over a tough Chris Rooney.  In May of 2022 Provost came up short in his second pro bout, a unanimous decision loss to Nathaniel Grimard (1-0) at NEF 47.  Provost wields an aggressive wrestling style and can unleash considerable power inside the cage.  Andrew is a tough fighter.  On March 11^th of this year Provost leaped at an opportunity to compete on POWER SLAP, a TBS new reality TV show promoted by the UFC’s very own DANA WHITE.  The show centers on two competitors standing face to face.  Both competitors trade slaps to the side of the face and head.  Not just any kind of slap, but the kind of slaps that come from hell.  Slaps that produce thunderous knockouts.  Competitors are not allowed to move their head or face during the impact.  With just a one week notice Provost was on his way to Las Vegas, Nevada to compete in POWER SLAP 1.  Provost walked away with a win, turning off the lights for his opponent and sending his opponent flat to the ground like a tree falling in a field.  There is little doubt that Provost brings real in your face toughness and has the power to back it up.  Provost proved beyond a doubt that he is a beast that goes beyond the borders. A victory over McNeil would point Provost’s recently established pro career in the right direction.

JOSEPH McNEIL will be making his pro debut at Battle in Barre 10.  His opponent Andrew Provost makes for a big test.  McNeil fights out of Massachusetts and trains under the leadership of Worcester MMA.  He made his amateur MMA debut in December of 2019, a win via second round rear naked choke finish over Jarett Turnbaugh.  In September of 2021 with only one amateur fight to his credit McNeil took a shot at the vacant DonnyBrooke Fight Promotional amateur MMA lightweight championship title, the opponent undefeated Romano Medina (5-0) whom many within the fight community considered to be a future pro prospect.  McNeil fought hard for three rounds before the referee had seen enough, stopping the bout in favor of Romano Medina via KO/TKO.  Joseph brings more than just bravery with him.  He also carries muay thai experience having generated a (1-0) record in muay thai as an amateur.  The Massachusetts fighter is going to need to be prepared to dig deep into his fight kit.

I see Provost as the favorite in what looks to be a very entertaining main event.  With that said, this is the fight business, and one can never count out a fighter’s chance.  Yes it is true, every fighter has a puncher’s chance and it only takes one shot to win a fight.  It is also true one poor decision or one bad move and somebody is tapping out.  If McNeil can find a home for his striking or is able to execute an aggressive ground game it is fair to say anything can happen. 

Northeast fight fans don’t miss this pro lightweight main event as DonnyBrooke Fight Promotions continues to bring combat sports to the state of Vermont.  I took a brief moment to speak with Rex Thompson, the promoter of DonnyBrooke Fight Promotions. I asked him his thoughts on DonnyBrooke and how it has grown. “To be honest I’m very pleased at our growth in the New England fight scene, we just added a brand new production crew to our staff for this show, so we can take our video production to the next level,” he replied. Rex explained to me the importance of not growing too fast. He explained how slow steady growth is important in building a solid foundation. The promotion is looking to expand their small glove muay thai kickboxing fights both amateur and professional. “We have some huge fights lined up for this year,” exclaimed Rex. The future is looking bright for DonnyBrooke and New England fight fans can continue to expect pure excitement at every event. Andrew Provost versus Joseph McNeil looks to be a stout main event. “This is one of the most even matchups I could make,” stated Rex Thompson. Even fights make for action packed fights and action packed fights make for energized fans. New England fight fans do not miss BATTLE in BARRE 10.

By Tommy Vickers (Combat Sports Journalist)