Less than a year into its existence, World Series of Fighting is taking the next step towards global expansion. The promotion announced its acquisition of Canada’s Aggression Fighting Championship on Wednesday.
AFC, which has staged 29 events since its inception in 2009 and been home to several current UFC fighters including Jesse Ronson and Sarah Kaufman, is expected to re-launch as World Series of Fighting Canada on December 7, 2013 with a show at Vancouver’s PNE Agrodome .
Light heavyweight bruisers Anthony Johnson (15-4) and Mike Kyle (20-10-1, 2 NC) have been tapped to headline the event, which will also feature a rescheduled middleweight tourney bout between Elvis Mutapcic (13-2) and Jesse Taylor (26-9).
“The launch of World Series of Fighting Canada is an incredibly exciting announcement for our promotion,” WSOF President Ray Sefo said in a statement.
“From the beginning, we have maintained our desire to bring our elite-level mixed martial arts action to Canada and the great MMA fans that live there, as well as markets around the globe. We embrace this new division of our company that will allow us to make great strides into Canada, which has long proven to have one of the most passionate and knowledgeable MMA fan bases in the world.”
As with prior events, WSOF 7 will air live on NBC Sports Network.
In addition to the two announced bouts, promotion officials vowed to line WSOF 7’s card with “some of Canada’s brightest prospects.”
“This is an incredible opportunity for us to showcase our Canadian fighters on a massive platform with NBC Sports Network as well as other network partners,” said WSOF Canada COO Darren Owen.
“Our fans will be getting the chance to see world-class MMA fights, and they will be able to enjoy exciting events across our great country. We couldn’t be more excited for both our fighters and fight fans across Canada. We are thrilled to become part something as big as the World Series of Fighting Canada.”