Harley Locklear Captures Kyle Kahler’s Cage Wars Title in Fight of the Year
Tonight, Cage Wars delivered the 48th installment of their promotion on the 20-year anniversary of September 11, 2001. Clifton Park Volunteer firefighter color guards stood center of the cage with Old Glory as soprano singer, Irina Petrik delivered a beautiful rendition of the national anthem. Locklear and Kalher headlined the talented fight card Cage Wars President Tim Rankins assembled. The headliners delivered an epic battle for the ages. In the co-main event, Mohawk Valley MMA fighter Brendan Kennedy finished Team Jucao’s Kyle Glasheen in the first round. Cage Wars 48 went down at River Casino and Resort in Schenectady, New York.
In the Main event, Harley Locklear and Kyle Kahler went toe-to-toe through the first two rounds. The constant strikes and blows these two fighters exchanged left both fighters battered and bloody. In round three, Locklear found success with a couple of takedowns which changed the pace of the fight. Locklear wouldn’t let Kahler stand the couple times Kahler’s back was on the canvas. Eventually, Locklear’s strikes from above played dividends and bloodied up “Catdaddy’s” nose. These two warriors displayed heart inside the cage. They put on a performance for the ages. Their physical and mental toughness had the fans speaking for ages to come. Locklear went on to earn the victory and the Cage Wars lightweight championship belt via unanimous decision.
MVMMA’s Brendan Kennedy demonstrated why he sits alone on the peak in this MMA region. After taking the back of a very talented Kyle Glasheen, Kenndey attempted the keylock and transitioned beautifully to the armbar where he finished Glasheen. Kennedy used his double-leg takedown to bring Glasheen to the canvas. Glasheen managed to reverse Kennedy at one point, but the position was short-lived. Kennedy’s armbar forced Glasheen to tap immediately. The submission came at 2:42 in the first round. Kennedy retained his Cage Wars featherweight crown.
“The Postmaster” Al Marro returned to the cage after a lengthy time off. Marro dominated Carlos Pereira in nearly a full three-round grind. The MVMMA heavyweight used his boxing skills to close the distance and showed an impressive amount of strength with several lifts to takedowns slash slams. Marro used this to control and ware down on Pereria. Eventually, in the third round, Marro was delivering numerous strikes that eventually forced Big Dan Miragliotta to end the fight due to lack of protection. Marro captured the victory via TKO in round 3 at 2:50. Marro also captured Performance of the Night and proposed to his girlfriend inside the cage. A Cage Wars First! Congratulations to Al Marro and his fiancé.
Shawn Clow earned Submission of the Night when he finished Cole Alaxanian in a straight ankle lock. Moments before being submitted, Alaxanian battered Clow’s face to the point he was gushing blood out of his face and once the blood was wiped off, his eyes were swollen. It was an epic photo moment as Clow screamed at the crowd in excitement. The first-round finish came at 1:32.
Luis Melendez brought a crowd with him as his family and friends all rocked the Puerto Rican shirts. Melendez earned Knockout of the Night with his second-round finish. In the early seconds of the fight, Melendez landed a head kick. After pushing back his foe, Melendez showed off his striking skills before he went Street Fighter on Anthony Supiro and finished him via strikes in round 2 at 0:56.
Honorable Mentions go out to Bobby Angelo in his first-round via TKO. Joseph Keyser also gets an honorable mention for his performance tonight. David Galli also earns an honorable mention as he shot a nice duck-under and took the back of Jahliel Palmer. Galli transitioned to Palmer’s back after taking a beating from Palmer on their feet, Galli slipped in a deep Rear-Naked choke and was forced to make Palmer tap.
Cage Wars returns to the Rivers Casino and Resort on November 20, 2021. Tickets are on sale NOW at cagewarsmma.com. Keep an eye out for new rankings on CCMMAPodcast.com. Be sure to stay tuned for new interviews and upcoming
