Alvarez, who won his debut at Locked in the Cage’s last event on Dec. 3, is set to compete in a 155 lbs. contest against 29-year old fight veteran Randy Campbell in an amateur rules bout.
Locked in the Cage VII will be held at the National Guard Armory in the northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just minutes from Alvarez’s home in Kensington. Much like his older brother, Alvarez is also a fan favorite and sold over 300 tickets for his December fight, a dominant unanimous decision victory over Pedro Torres.
“I am excited for the opportunity to be able to perform once again in front of my hometown crowd for Locked in the Cage,” said Alvarez. “I thank Randy Campbell for stepping up and taking this fight. The pressure is on, I have been training hard and can’t wait to get in the cage again. It is going to be an exciting fight and I look forward to coming home with a win.”
“It’s an honor to be part of the start of Albert’s quest to become a world class pro,” said Locked in the Cage President Fran Evans. “This show has me pumped. Every show just keeps growing. Watching the growth of MMA and the fighters on our card — it’s just leaves me speechless.”
In addition to Alvarez’s second-ever bout, the card will be headlined by a double title featherweight title fight between Scott Heckman (4-1 pro; 3-0 amateur) vs. Brian Jackson (2-1 pro) of the famed Philadelphia Fight Factory, home to both Eddie and Albert Alvarez.
Heckman and Jackson will be competing for both the vacant Locked in the Cage and WMMAC featherweight titles. The LITC featherweight title was relinquished after the former title holder, Wilson Reis, could not defend due to his contractual commitments with the Bellator Fighting Championships. Meanwhile, the WMMAC is a sanctioning body started by fighters in the Tri-State area aimed at creating a fair and balanced ranking system for East Coast competitors.
The event will also feature a heavyweight tilt between rising prospect Azunna “Zu” Anyanwu (1-0 pro; 2-0 amateur) taking on Corey Mullis.
Anyanwu is quickly becoming one of the most talked about prospects on the East Coast and recently devoted a portion of his training camp to working out with Team Takedown in Dallas, Texas. Team Takedown is comprised of current UFC fighters and former NCAA wrestling champions Shane Roller and Johnny Hendricks along with former three-time NCAA champion Jake Rosholt and his younger brother, former NCAA heavyweight tournament finalist Jared Rosholt. Anyanwu was specifically recruited to train in Texas in order to help prepare the younger Rosholt for his professional MMA debut.
Also scheduled is a featherweight encounter between Steven Baker vs. Hector Pacheco; a bantamweight contest featuring professional Thai fighter and boxer Rami Ibrahim vs. David Bates; and a middleweight bout between Philadelphia police officer and Gulf War veteran Lamont Lister taking on Erik Purcell. Additional matchups are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Tickets for the event start at just $40 and can be purchased at www.LockedInTheCage.com.
