World Series of Fighting (WSOF) has a venue and a time for its July 5 WSOF 11 card.
The event will take place at 4 p.m. ET at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, WSOF Executive Vice President and Matchmaker Ali Abdel-Aziz recently confirmed to Bleacher Report via text message.
WSOF 11 represents the first MMA event to be hosted on NBC, so stakes are high for the company and for the fighters on the card.
“Without them (NBC), we wouldn’t be here,” Abdel-Aziz told Bleacher Report. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner than they are.”
Looking to do its part to ensure an electric slate of fights, WSOF brass went all in with this event, stacking the card with a lightweight title fight, the WSOF debut of former UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard and a rubber match between Jon Fitch and Josh Burkman.
“Every fight we put together, the fights, the nights always deliver—every show,” Abdel-Aziz said.
In the night’s main event, WSOF lightweight champion Justin Gaethje (11-0) will face Nick Newell (11-0), the undefeated phenom who has quickly made a name for himself in the past year with two first-round guillotine victories under the WSOF banner.
Gaethje has been on a similar tear, finishing all four of his WSOF fights since debuting for the promotion in March 2013.
In 22 career fights between them, Gaethje and Newell boast just one decision victory, a fact which highlights their vicious killer instincts inside the cage.
“Nick Newell is a phenomenon,” Abdel-Aziz said. “The guy’s got courage, he’s got everything he needs. Nobody wanted to fight Justin Gaethje…except Nick Newell. And he earned the title shot, and I think it’s going to be a lot closer than people think.”
Adding more intrigue to this event is the WSOF debut of Melvin Guillard, the former UFC lightweight who signed with WSOF in April. Guillard is one of the most feared strikers in the lightweight division, and if he gets past Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante on July 5, he will likely be next in line for the winner of Gaethje vs. Newell.
Beyond the fighters on the card, it’s worth noting that WSOF will kick off the event at 4 p.m. ET, giving it time to conclude before the UFC runs its July 5 card, UFC 175.
On Sunday, July 6, the UFC will also host the finale of Season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter in Las Vegas, so fight fans can look forward to a weekend-long binge of fights, beginning with WSOF 11 Saturday afternoon.
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