Abdallah’s world title win and his title belt defense just six months later on Nov. 12 — the city’s first ever in its long and proud ring history, has been selected as the Union-Sun & Journal’s Local Sports Story of the Year for 2016.

Amer Abdallah handily defeated not one, but two formidable opponents Saturday night, while successfully defending his World Kickboxing Association Cruiserweight championship belt — Englishman Nathan McCarthy and Father Time. The 39-year-old Abdallah humbled both in an emotional victory before another large and vocal crowd at Lockport’s Kenan Center Arena, earning a 10-round unanimous decision victory over a man 16 years his junior to raise his professional record to an unblemished 18-0.

Ethan McCarthy didn’t need to travel 3,401 miles to find a “pub,” but that’s exactly where the Englishman found himself on Friday night, weighing in, literally, on the opportunity of a lifetime. McCarthy (23-4), accompanied by his experienced trainers Steve East and Steve Moffatt, weighed in at the Lockport Pub for tonight’s World Kickboxing Association Cruiserweight championship bout against Lockport native Amer Abdallah (17-0), at the Kenan Arena.

It’s “youth versus experience” this Saturday night at the Lockport Kenan Center Arena when World Kickboxing Association Cruiserweight Champion Amer Abdallah defends his title against European Champion Nathan McCarthy. Both training camps said they’re confident of victory. It’s Abdallah’s first defense of the world title he captured last May at the Kenan, knocking out England’s Dan Hughes before a standing-room-only crowd.

Less than five weeks away, Lockport’s beloved world cruiserweight champion of the world Amer Abdallah is set to make history again on Nov. 12 at Lockport’s Kenan Center Arena. The undefeated Abdallah (17-0) will take on WKA European champion Nathan McCarthy, 23, of Newcastle, England, in his first defense of the World Kickboxing Association championship he won by knockout earlier this year at the Kenan.