The third Saturday in November is going to be a busy day for the mixed martial arts community.
Nov. 15, which already features UFC 180 and Bellator 131, is the new date for World Series of Fighting 15. WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz confirmed to MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that the show, initially slated for Oct. 24, was moved to Nov. 15. The location of the event has yet to be determined.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, it was NBCSN, the broadcast partner of WSOF, who pushed to move the event to Nov. 15.
WSOF 15 will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion David Branch and Yushin Okami. Riding a four-fight winning streak, Branch (14-3) will make his first title defense against the veteran Okami (30-8), who finished Svetlozar Savov in his promotional debut.
That same night will feature the UFC’s debut in Mexico, headlined by the return of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez against Fabricio Werdum.
Also on Nov. 15, light heavyweight veterans Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar will headline Bellator 131 in San Diego, with Will Brooks meeting Michael Chandler for the lightweight championship in the co-main event.
According to Abdel-Aziz, WSOF 16 is scheduled for Dec. 13, with the city and venue still yet to be determined. That WSOF show will also goes head-to-head with a UFC event, as UFC on FOX 13, headlined by Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic, is set for that same day in Phoenix.