Local MMA fighter Tyson Cunningham will make his return to the cage Saturday, Dec. 7, looking for the same type of success he found in his professional debut.

In October, the Enumclaw product launched his pro career in impressive fashion, winning by a first-round knockout.

Saturday, fighting at 170 pounds, he will look to build on that momentum when he takes on Lee McCurry at CageSport XXVIII. The event will be hosted at the Emerald Queen Casino.

In Cunningham’s professional debut in October, he took on Spokane’s Kyle Maloney and impressed the local fight crowd with a dominating performance. In the only round the two fought, Maloney showed good striking ability while on his feet, but the momentum swiftly changed in Cunningham’s favor when he was able to get Maloney on the ground and pound away with elbows and punches. The fight was stopped after 2 minutes, 43 seconds, with Cunningham awarded a technical knockout.

Saturday’s fight is the next step in Cunningham’s professional MMA career, a path he followed after being a two-time welterweight champion in the amateurs.

Cunningham trains out of Enumclaw’s Combat Sport and Fitness, owned and run by UFC veteran Jeff Hougland. The gym has quickly become one of the premier gyms in the Northwest with one member, Justin Harrington (6-0) capturing the CageSport lightweight title in October and another member, Ian Williams (8-1), defeating UFC veteran Damarques Johnson in November. With a successful team behind him, Cunningham aims to become the next standout from the Enumclaw gym.

Doors for CageSport XXVIII open at 6 p.m. with the first fight scheduled for 7. For more information, visit www.halquistproductions.com and the official Facebook and Twitter pages of CageSport MMA and Battle at the Boat.

Tickets for CageSport XXVIII can be purchased at the Emerald Queen Casino box office and online through Ticketmaster. Prices start at $35.