NICK COTTONE & BILLY VAUGHAN VIE FOR LITC BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Locked in the Cage, Philadelphia's premier mixed martial arts league, is set to return on October 21st with LITC 9 live from the South Philly Arena. Anchoring a talent laden card is Flyweight prospect and Bellator alum Nick "Killa B" Cottone (7-1) vs Strikeforce veteran Billy Vaughan (10-9) for the vacant LITC Bantamweight title. Killa B operates like a hitman making his very few appearances count for maximum efficiency. He's fought only four times in the last four years. But all four fights are victories over the likes of current Ultimate Fighter contestant Louis Gaudinot and one of Philadelphia's premier martial arts instructors, Tuan Kid Thunder Pham. Billy Vaughan made his bones on the Ohio circuit before finding himself fighting monsters like Jorge Gurgel and Jeff Curran. A win over Baltimore's Binky Jones cleansed the pallet of a four fight losing streak and sets the stage for the October 21st meeting between Columbus, Ohio's Billy Vaughan and Pine Hill, NJ's Nick Cottone.

Joining Cottone and Vaughan on the evening's six fight pro card is Philadelphia's Matt Nice (2-2). Matt is a four time Locked in the Cage veteran winning his final amateur bout and pro debut on LITC 2 and 4 respectively. During August's Locked in the Cage 8, Nice signed off the evening when he put Nathan VanTassel to sleep with a three strike combo in :42. Matt went on to fight on Bellator 48 just more than a month later. Nice will face Roanoke, Virginia's Nicholas Bleser (3-5). Bleser brings an old school "anyone, anywhere, anytime" mentality. The 29 year old fought 17 times as an amateur in 25 months. As a pro, Bleser has sought out the toughest fighters on the East Coast, starting his career against career killer George Sheppard and moving on through fights with Mike Diggs, Binky Jones and most recently Jay Haas.

Hector Pacheco (0-3, 1 NC) is looking to put it all together and end the win draught against a tough Terrell Hobbs (1-3), while Eddie Weiser and Harry Dickey both make their pro debuts when they get locked in the cage together to open the pro card. Cage fighting journeman Lamont "Philly Badass" Lister (9-10) will also be in action against an opponent yet to be announced.

On the amateur undercard, look for prospects like Javier Guzman (Philadelphia Fight Sports), Dan "Bear" Hughes and Kyle Daukaus (Martinez BJJ), Matthew Rizzo (Revolution Academy) and more of Philadelphia's next generation of fighting champions.

Locked in the Cage 9 happens on October 21st from the historic South Philly Arena at the corner of Swanson and Ritner Streets in South Philadelphia. The legendary former ECW Arena is a two time Philly Mag Best of Philly award winner (2008 Guys' Night Out & 2007 Sports Venue) and ESPN boxing venue of the year (2006), and is the spiritual home of combat sports in the fighting city of Philadelphia, PA.

Doors open at 7:00 PM, with a 7:45 belltime. Tickets are available now at http://lockedinthecage9.eventbrite.com. For more information on Locked in the Cage visit http://www.lockedinthecage.com and http://www.facebook.com/lockedinthecagemma.