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By Duane Finley, Senior Editor

The mixed martial arts scene in Eastern Tennessee is on the rise.

Two Knoxville natives will be looking to make a huge statement at Valor Fights 32, airing live on FloCombat.com tonight. 

Steven New and Shamir Peshewa have earned strong local followings due to the work they’ve invested inside the cage during their young careers. 

New was forced to deal with a last minute change of opponent heading into his main event on Friday night. But the lightweight refuses to slow his momentum. New has not only defeated, but finished all three of his most recent opponents, and he’ll be looking to add the talented submission artist Nick Gehrts to his list of victims.

New was looking forward to settling his rivalry with Adam Townsend before an injury forced Townsend off the card. But New is equally excited to see what Gehrts has to offer on Friday night.

“It really didn’t surprise me [Townsend] pulled out of the fight, but I didn’t think it would be due to injury,” New said. “I thought a bigger offer would come around for him or something like that. I was disappointed, because fighting him would have been a great way for me to get my name out there. 

“I’m happy they were able to get me a new opponent, but Gherts isn’t anyone to take lightly. He has very slick jiu-jitsu. He comes to fight. I think this fight is going to be a chess match. We are both good on the ground, and I think there is going to be a lot of great action while we test each other. It’s most likely going to lead to a stand up war, and I don’t think the fans will be disappointed.” 

As the Valor promotion continues to cement itself as the premier organization in Tennessee, the fighters who compete under their banner take pride in assisting that rise. Friday night’s event will mark the second time New has anchored a card for Valor Fights. It's a responsibility he finds added motivation in.

“It feels good to know they trust me to bring the excitement to finish off the night,” New said. “It’s been awesome to watch this thing grow. We started out with the fights on YouTube, and now FloCombat is covering the card. That’s awesome for the fighters. I’m going to take full advantage of the exposure.”

While New intends to cap off the evening with an action-packed grand finale, Peshewa will be looking to bring a spark to her hometown crowd earlier in the night. 

Her scrappy, go for broke style has made her a must-see attraction in Knoxville. The former Roller Derby enforcer turned women’s bantamweight plans to thrill in what could be her final amateur performance.

“I grew up right outside of Knoxville. I haven’t gotten a lot of opportunities to compete near my hometown,” Peshewa said. “There are going to be a lot of people coming out to support me, and I plan to put on a show.”

And when it comes to the specifics of the show Peshewa intends to deliver, she didn’t mince words on what separates her from fighters in larger promotions. 

“I’m a very well rounded fighter. I go in there for looking for the finish," Peshewa said. "This fight is going to be a more exciting female fight than fans are used to seeing. Because in Invicta and the UFC, those girls tend to play it safe. I go all out from the opening bell and I give fans what they came there to see.”