The fight card for King of the Cage’s return to Western Pennsylvania is starting to take shape, as three notable fighters now have fights on the the official card for KOTC: Counter Attack, which takes place on July 11 at the Meadows Casino in Washington, PA.
The main event slot will go to Ohio-based heavyweight Nick Gaston (6-1), who will make his return to the cage after an absence of more than four years. Gaston, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, will face Oregon-based fighter Anthony McDonald (2-1) in the event’s feature bout. All seven of Gaston’s professional bouts have come under the KOTC banner, including three TKO victories and a pair of submissions. His most recent outing was a loss, however, as he was stopped by Tyler East in 2011. McDonald has also competed exclusively inside the KOTC cage as a pro, with both of his wins coming via first round TKO.
Fight Club Pittsburgh product Justin Steave (7-5) will look for his second win under the KOTC banner, as he is set to take on Indiana’s Brady Hovermale (9-4) at featherweight. Steave stopped XFC and Strikeforce veteran Chris Coggins at KOTC: Lone Survivor in April. He’ll face Hovermale, who looks to snap a two-fight losing streak dating back to last March.
A third pro bout features bantamweights Jerrell Hodge (0-1) and Jeremiah Yeager (1-4). Hodge had an impressive 11-1 amateur record, but he was submitted in just 38 seconds in his professional debut just under a year ago. Yeager was 8-2 as an amateur but his professional career hasn’t gone as well as planned. He was submitted by Charlie Gathers in the third round at KOTC: Lone Survivor in April.
A featherweight bout featuring Pittsburgh’s Mark Cherico (8-1) vs. Canadian Adrian Vilaca (5-1) is also slated for the event, but Cherico’s opponent is currently listed as TBD on the official fight card.
Official KOTC: Counter Attack Fight Card
Pro Bouts
Anthony McDonald (2-1) vs Nick Gaston (6-1)
Mark Cherico (8-1) vs Adrian Vilaca (5-1)*
Brady Hovermale (9-4) vs Justin Steave (7-5)
Josh Baker (7-0) vs TBD
Jerrell Hodge (0-1) vs Jeremiah Yeager (1-4)
Phillip Rowe (0-2) vs TBD
Amateur Bouts
Chris Humes-Mitchell (4-2) vs TBD
Ben Suehr (0-1) vs Justin Patton (0-1)
Dave Gabig (6-3) vs TBD
Jonathan Coffman (3-4) vs TBD
Derek Hays (3-9) vs TBD
John Jaquay (2-1) vs TBD
*not officially announced