Interview with Jay Delgado below:
Art of War Cage Fighting closes their 2024 schedule with our sixth event, AOW 39 Turmbull vs Lopez, on December 15th at the luxurious Valley Forge Casino Resort. AOW has been as busy as any regional promotion in the area as this is the 19th fight card in the last 3 years. It just goes to show the depth of quality MMA fighters in the PA/NJ/DE region. And now, it’s getting even friskier as the PA state athletic commission has endorsed crossover sports being sanctioned in the cage. AOW will host our first professional kickboxing event as Zak Kelly welcomes Shawn Brooks. The fight card as usual, is a loaded one as matchmaker Jillian Peterson and AOW President Mike Bickings keep filling seats for fans to see interesting, action filled fights.
I was a ring announcer way back when and got to announce Paul “The Irish Dragon” Felder as he was pulverizing people as an amateur. You never know when you will come across the next big star which is why these pro-am shows have so much intrigue. There are multiple fighters scheduled that could fit into this category. One of these blue-chip prospects is featherweight, Jay Delgado (2-0 with both 1st round finishes). I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Jay fight, yet, but thesuperlatives being thrown his way are from some of the people in the business that I trust. One might think that all this praise for a young man might be bad and give him a big head. That’s never going to happen with Jay Delgado. It’s impossible to not get humbled regularly, when you’re in the room at Marquez MMA with the largest and most talented group of combat sports athletes in the region. It’s a melting pot of fighters from numerous countries all gathered to work voraciously make each other better.
I took the short trip from south Jersey over the bridge to stop in and meet Jay and talk to him about his fight at AOW 39. This young man is a beacon of light. Always smiling, and kind to everybody…except his opponents. Jay has been at Marquez since he was a toddler as his dad has led the way. His father is a law enforcement officer and has been making the trek up the stairs to the 4th floor to mingle on the mats and in the cage with a host of killers, including more than a half dozen UFC fighters. I’ll let Jay tell you….
“My father is the man. He has helped me so much and is the reason I am able to train full time and chase my dreams of being a professional fighter. I’m here almost every day, multiple times per day. This is what I love. My teammates are everything. I get so many looks and everybody here has the same goal to help each other get better. My cousin, Kayana LaTorre is making her debut on the same card. This is really a family atmosphere. I’m blessed.”
Please check out our interview on the link above. Delgado will be fighting Alex Bendinelli. Alex lost his debut in a terrific debut performance. Despite not getting the win, he took another huge prospect, Liam O’Toole the distance and showed a lot of promise. Alex has a wrestling background and will need another great effort on December 15th.
If you can’t make it to the event, you can order the fight card at the Starfund App. First bell 7pm.
