Tag: World Series of Fighting 3

Seth vs. Jared: UFC 161 and World Series of Fighting 3 Edition


(Buy the entire collection of CagePotato staff fights on VHS today!)

With a veritable buffet of fights going down this weekend in UFC 161 and World Series of Fighting 3, we here at CagePotato decided to dust off a rivalry older than Paraguay vs. Uruguay in attempt to break it all down. CP staff writers Jared Jones and Seth Falvo were more than willing to step up to the plate (and over the bones of their past victims) to wage war on a variety of topics relating to this weekend’s action, so read on and let us know how you think either event will play out in the comments section.

What’s the over-under on Rashad Evans’ “50 takedowns” claim? Also, have you ever heard a worse hook to draw PPV buys? 

Jared: Call me crazy, but I’m taking the under here. Specifically, 4. As Henderson recently stated, Evans has looked a little “shy” on the feet ever since he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida in the midst of delivering one epic tongue-lashing at UFC 98. My prediction is that this fight goes down in a similar, albeit less dominating fashion as Evans vs. Davis. Rashad was able to nail 3 takedowns in that fight, and that was against a guy he was absolutely eating up in the standup department.

A fear of Henderson’s patented H-Bomb is going to result in a Rashad Evans who is timid on the feet (like he was against Lil’ Nog) and who will look to wear out his older foe with his superior speed until Hendo tires out around the 3 minute mark of the second round. It is then when Rashad will truly start looking to impose his will on the ex-Strikeforce champ in the form of the takedown. Truthfully, I hope it doesn’t ever come to that, as I am using the precedent set forth by Vitor Belfort to predict that Hendo lands a TRT-fueled flying knee to Evans’ dome as he shoots for his first takedown.


(Buy the entire collection of CagePotato staff fights on VHS today!)

With a veritable buffet of fights going down this weekend in UFC 161 and World Series of Fighting 3, we here at CagePotato decided to dust off a rivalry older than Paraguay vs. Uruguay in attempt to break it all down. CP staff writers Jared Jones and Seth Falvo were more than willing to step up to the plate (and over the bones of their past victims) to wage war on a variety of topics relating to this weekend’s action, so read on and let us know how you think either event will play out in the comments section.

What’s the over-under on Rashad Evans’ “50 takedowns” claim? Also, have you ever heard a worse hook to draw PPV buys? 

Jared: Call me crazy, but I’m taking the under here. Specifically, 4. As Henderson recently stated, Evans has looked a little “shy” on the feet ever since he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida in the midst of delivering one epic tongue-lashing at UFC 98. My prediction is that this fight goes down in a similar, albeit less dominating fashion as Evans vs. Davis. Rashad was able to nail 3 takedowns in that fight, and that was against a guy he was absolutely eating up in the standup department.

A fear of Henderson’s patented H-Bomb is going to result in a Rashad Evans who is timid on the feet (like he was against Lil’ Nog) and who will look to wear out his older foe with his superior speed until Hendo tires out around the 3 minute mark of the second round. It is then when Rashad will truly start looking to impose his will on the ex-Strikeforce champ in the form of the takedown. Truthfully, I hope it doesn’t ever come to that, as I am using the precedent set forth by Vitor Belfort to predict that Hendo lands a TRT-fueled flying knee to Evans’ dome as he shoots for his first takedown.

To answer your other question: Yes, the “50 takedowns” claim is probably the weakest hook I’ve heard in quite some time – like saying that you’re “going to attempt 100 submissions on this chump before the final bell.” Unless of course, by “takedown,” Evans means that he is going to pick Henderson up and present him to the audience like a life-sized Oscar statuette before slamming him through the mat a la Hughes vs. Trigg 2. Then I could see the appeal.

Seth: Can you even imagine how boring it would be if Evans actually did earn fifty takedowns throughout the course of a three round bout? Henderson would have to literally run into a takedown as soon as the first round begins, but then get back to his feet before Evans could mount any type of offense, only to get taken down again before landing anything himself. Steps two and three would have to repeat until the end of the round, and then the entire sequence would have to repeat for the next two rounds. Joe Rogan would have a heart attack trying to call the (lack of significant) action. “Oh, THERE’S A TAKEDOWN RIGHT THERE…now he’ll look to work for OH HENDO IS BACK UP and loo- oh wait! Rashad’s GOT THE TAKEDOWN HERE and now he’s trying to trap that OH! NICE MOVE BY HENDO! AND NOW A SCRAMBLE!”

And as far as the PPV draw goes, it’s not like it really matters. Evans and Henderson are both pretty strong PPV draws, and the rest of the main card has some very interesting, fun-looking fights. Evans could have given the fans a link to his favorite stream and this card would still break 400,000 buys. So…I give his bogus fight-hyping attempt an A for “at least it’s original?”

Which UFC 161 main-eventer should retire if he loses, and which UFC 161 fighter has the most to lose on Saturday night?

Seth: I’m glad you asked these two questions together, because my answer is the same for each one: Both of the main-eventers. The decision to book Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson for UFC 165 sends them a pretty clear message that this bout ain’t exactly for contendership — it’s to stay relevant. Both guys are coming off of losses in dreadfully forgettable fights, and making it two straight would be pretty damning at this point in their careers. Factor in how Jones already holds a convincing win over Rashad, how Hendo is pretty much unable to compete in California until further notice, how both guys made a ton of money throughout their careers — and by the way, the whole “neither guy is getting any younger” thing also deserves some recognition – and the idea of either guy attempting to drop to middleweight to rejuvenate his stagnant career just seems ridiculous. Thanks for the memories, now walk away before you’re remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Jared: Damn Seth, do you enjoy taking away men’s livelihoods? This is a tough one for me to answer, quite honestly. Fact is, either one of these guys could still put a whooping on most of the UFC’s light heavyweight division whether they win tomorrow night or not. The question we should really be asking (and you did to some degree with your final statement) is: Do we really want to witness either fighter’s slow demise? Neither Evans nor Henderson has had that Chuck Liddell string of KO losses to convince them that they can’t hang anymore, but I guess the obvious answer here would be that Henderson should retire if he loses based simply on his age.

Henderson had his shot against Jones when there were still enough of us who – whether honestly or out of some “Because PRIDE” delusion – thought he could pose a threat to the unstoppable champ. He blew it (or rather, his MCL did), and his loss to Machida wrote home the notion that Hendo probably isn’t getting anywhere near Jones before he retires. Win or lose, I say give Hendo another fight with Wanderlei Silva next and then force them both to retire. Nostalgia wins, the UFC wins, the audience in attendance wins, and two guys who have sacrificed their minds and bodies to the sport we love for umpteen years will retire on what will surely be a Fight of the Night winner.

And who has the most to lose at UFC 161 should be quite obvious: Roy Nelson. If the dude had agreed to lose a few more pounds when Dana White first asked him to, perhaps he wouldn’t currently find himself in a work environment so hostile that he’s been forced to resort to blatant idiocy to get out of there.

Alright, let’s get down to serious business: Which UFC 161 Fighter has the best nickname?

Seth: One of the best examples of a terrible athlete having a great nickname is that of former NBA athlete Bryant Reeves. What made his nickname so great? For one, it was actually given to him by his college teammates, not something he made up himself. In today’s age of mediocre nobodies calling themselves “The Machine”  and conservative chiropractors telling the media to refer to them by a Motley Crue song title, it’s refreshing to see a guy actually earn his nickname the way he’s supposed to. He was tall, he was husky, he was from such a small town that his teammates gave him the name after watching how fascinated he was by his first ride in an airplane. He was…Big Country.

I tried to like Reeves. I honestly tried. But he was such a stiff in the NBA, with such an undeservedly great nickname, that I just couldn’t cheer for the guy. By the time he was pushed out of the league (not that it took long), I pretty much knew that any time I saw a “Big Country” who was so much as competent at his sport – let alone good – I’d be a big fan. Then along comes Roy Nelson, with his doughy physique, mountain-man beard, and actual skills worthy of the awesome nickname. Easy call. The fact that he’s entering tomorrow night’s bout with three consecutive first-round knockouts to his name just makes it all the better.

Jared: I tend to agree with your argument that nicknames should be earned, not chosen by the fighters themselves, which makes Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley and Ryan “Big Deal” Jimmo (the former of which I would have preferred been spelled using the Justin McCully Grammar Guide) seem all the more pompous. “Suga” Rashad Evans is simply too cliché and unoriginal for my taste, and you chose “Big Country,” so I’m quickly running out of options here. Oh wait, I’m not even close.

I could pick James “The James Krause” Krause if I was some “meta” hipster douchebag, but I’ll pass. “HD” is a nickname better suited for a Diaz…“The Savage,” “The Punisher” and “The Duke” are similarly uninspiring…I guess I gotta go with Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis by default. It’s somewhat original, it’s got a clever bit of wordplay involved (which is about the only thing I can praise Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia for these days), and I had a strange fascination with alligators as a child, so there it is. Being that you’ve probably lost half your family to gators down there in Cajun country, I can see how you’d be hesitant to choose hers.

Seth: That’s…that’s not true…*cries into Sazerac and cranks “Stone the Crow”*

Click the “next page” tab to hear Jared and Seth wax poetic on all things WSOF 3-related, then throw cheap shots at each other’s upbringing…

WSOF 3 Interview: Jacob Volkmann Talks Fighter Unions, ‘Fancy Pants’, And Why He’s Done Trashing Obama


(“[Beerbohm’s] not even close to being able to stop my takedowns. This is going to be a ground battle and I’m hoping to finish it.” / Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

By Andreas Hale

In case you haven’t heard, Jacob Volkmann is a disgruntled former employee of the UFC who is preparing to start a new chapter in his career when he faces Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm at World Series of Fighting 3 this Friday, June 14th, in Las Vegas. Of course, being a disgruntled ex-UFC fighter doesn’t make Volkmann unique, as everyone from former champions and title contenders like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon Fitch to lower-tier fighters like John Cholish have been airing their dirty laundry recently.

Volkmann was recently cut after a loss to Bobby Green at UFC 156 back in February despite having a 6-2 record in the Octagon as a lightweight, after starting his UFC career with an 0-2 run at welterweight. The walking papers came as a shock to Volkmann who couldn’t understand how he could be sent on his merry way. However, Volkmann’s departure came secondary to the shocking announcement that Jon Fitch had also been released despite having had a crack at Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title and holding a stellar 14-3-1 record in the UFC. If you ask Volkmann, he’ll tell you that it is because the UFC is looking to condition their fans into watching guys who stand and bang instead of crafty ground competitors.

“That was the biggest reason why I was released,” Volkmann says of his fighting strategy, which often sees him bringing fighters to the canvas rather than trading punches. With only one of his UFC victories coming by way of stoppage, Volkmann has often been labeled “boring” by the type of fans who prefer their MMA fights to look like bar brawls. And though Volkmann’s success should speak for itself, he says that the UFC prefers its fans to see mindless clubbing rather than a ground game of chess. “They are making their fans like the stand up fighters. They could put more ground fighters on the card but they are dictating who watches and what is considered [exciting]. The mainstream isn’t promoting the ground game.”

Whether Volkmann’s declaration is true depends on the viewer. But what most fans don’t understand is the disparity in pay between the UFC’s top-tier fighters and the rest of the bunch. Volkmann has fought on his fair share of main cards but says that the perception that the UFC takes care of its fighters financially is completely false.

“They don’t take care of their fighters all that well,” Volkmann says, while citing that he made $50,000 last year while going 3-0. But the money isn’t the entire issue. “I’m talking about benefits. Their health care is a joke. There is no retirement. If you get injured, you don’t get paid. I’d like to see you get paid something when you are injured.”

You may have heard about Volkmann’s idea of starting a fighters’ union as well to ensure that fighters are protected. “I’d like to see a two-year contract with two fights a year minimum, where the minimum pay is $15,000 for the fight and $15,000 to win,” Volkmann explained. “At least you get paid a minimum of $30,000 a year and I think the UFC can afford to pay their fighters that.”


(“[Beerbohm’s] not even close to being able to stop my takedowns. This is going to be a ground battle and I’m hoping to finish it.” / Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

By Andreas Hale

In case you haven’t heard, Jacob Volkmann is a disgruntled former employee of the UFC who is preparing to start a new chapter in his career when he faces Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm at World Series of Fighting 3 this Friday, June 14th, in Las Vegas. Of course, being a disgruntled ex-UFC fighter doesn’t make Volkmann unique, as everyone from former champions and title contenders like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon Fitch to lower-tier fighters like John Cholish have been airing their dirty laundry recently.

Volkmann was recently cut after a loss to Bobby Green at UFC 156 back in February despite having a 6-2 record in the Octagon as a lightweight, after starting his UFC career with an 0-2 run at welterweight. The walking papers came as a shock to Volkmann who couldn’t understand how he could be sent on his merry way. However, Volkmann’s departure came secondary to the shocking announcement that Jon Fitch had also been released despite having had a crack at Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title and holding a stellar 14-3-1 record in the UFC. If you ask Volkmann, he’ll tell you that it is because the UFC is looking to condition their fans into watching guys who stand and bang instead of crafty ground competitors.

“That was the biggest reason why I was released,” Volkmann says of his fighting strategy, which often sees him bringing fighters to the canvas rather than trading punches. With only one of his UFC victories coming by way of stoppage, Volkmann has often been labeled “boring” by the type of fans who prefer their MMA fights to look like bar brawls. And though Volkmann’s success should speak for itself, he says that the UFC prefers its fans to see mindless clubbing rather than a ground game of chess. “They are making their fans like the stand up fighters. They could put more ground fighters on the card but they are dictating who watches and what is considered [exciting]. The mainstream isn’t promoting the ground game.”

Whether Volkmann’s declaration is true depends on the viewer. But what most fans don’t understand is the disparity in pay between the UFC’s top-tier fighters and the rest of the bunch. Volkmann has fought on his fair share of main cards but says that the perception that the UFC takes care of its fighters financially is completely false.

“They don’t take care of their fighters all that well,” Volkmann says, while citing that he made $50,000 last year while going 3-0. But the money isn’t the entire issue. “I’m talking about benefits. Their health care is a joke. There is no retirement. If you get injured, you don’t get paid. I’d like to see you get paid something when you are injured.”

You may have heard about Volkmann’s idea of starting a fighters’ union as well to ensure that fighters are protected. “I’d like to see a two-year contract with two fights a year minimum, where the minimum pay is $15,000 for the fight and $15,000 to win,” Volkmann explained. “At least you get paid a minimum of $30,000 a year and I think the UFC can afford to pay their fighters that.”

For him, the pay is fair considering the amount of money that he has to shell out on everything ranging from training camps to medical expenses.

“They don’t pay our training bills,” Volkmann continued. “Last year alone I spent $16,000 on medical expenses and health care premiums. I pay $1,000 to my gym per fight. Then I pay my boxing coach so that varies. I pay for my own equipment. I pay for gas and travel as well.”

Volkmann says that his new deal with World Series of Fighting doesn’t pay as well as the UFC, but that is mainly because the organization is still new. He chose to fight for WSoF rather than Bellator because WSoF offered him a fight every 4-6 months, and the opportunity to compete for their inaugural lightweight title was appealing. As for the UFC, Volkmann says that he has no plans of returning regardless of whether he puts together enough wins for the leading fight organization to give him a call. He figures that he’s said more than enough to put him in the permanent doghouse but that won’t prevent him from working his ass off to ensure that a fighters, union will exist.

“Other sports leagues have them so it is only a matter of time before there is one in the UFC,” Volkmann says. “I’m hoping it happens within my lifetime. It would be nice to see it in the next ten years. The UFC is trying hard to fight it and anybody that speaks against them or says that they want to form a union, the get rid of like Jon Fitch.”

With all the talk of the UFC and unions, the battle Volkmann has to focus on is inside of the cage against Beerbohm. After all, if he is unable to win, he may have a hard time finding a place to fight in the first place.

“I’ve been working on my standup every day and getting more confident just in case somebody has the power to stop my takedown attempts,” Volkmann says of his approach to Beerbohm. While his strength has always been in his ground game, Volkmann knows that he needs to become more well rounded if he wants to be considered an elite fighter. However, the man who now calls himself “Dr. Feelgood” believes that Beerbohm won’t have much to offer when it comes to stopping Volkmann from what he does best.

“He’s not even close to being able to stop my takedowns,” he said when asked how the fight will end up. “This is going to be a ground battle and I’m hoping to finish it. He seems to give up his back pretty easily and that’s nice for me.”

Considering that Volkmann is one of those fighters who more often than not leaves the fight in the hands of the judges, he’s keenly aware that he needs to become a finisher in order to excel in the World Series of Fighting. And aside from the standup, the other thing Volkmann says that he has worked on is keeping the Obama slander out of his post-fight interviews.

“Unless somebody brings something up about Obama, I have nothing more to say,” Volkmann says. “I have had enough of that. Besides, I stopped saying stuff because he stopped forcing foolish policies. He has been doing pretty well at doing absolutely nothing.”

Tyrone Spong Pulled From ‘World Series of Fighting III’ Over Alleged Visa Issues


(Quite possibly the strangest reaction to Pig Destroyer’s “Gravedancer” that we have ever seen.) 

Bad news, Potato Nation, as it has been recently announced that the upcoming World Series of Fighting 3 card has taken a major hit in the form of Tyrone Spong, who has allegedly been pulled from the event due to visa issues. The kickboxing powerhouse was expected to face 11-2 Angel DeAnda in the co-main event of the June 14th-scheduled card, which features Josh Burkman vs. Jon Fitch II to determine the promotion’s inaugural welterweight championship.

On the heels of a successful MMA debut beatdown of Travis Bartlett at WSOF’s first event (as well as a second round KO over Remy Bojansky in his latest kickboxing exhibition), Spong was heavily favored to make short work of DeAnda as well. Fortunately for DeAnda, he will live to fight another day. Unfortunately for DeAnda, no replacement opponent has been named as of this write-up, and even if one is, it is very likely that the fight will now be buried on the prelims. The sorrowful life of a stepping stone, you guys.

Based purely off name value, this setback would presumably make Rolles Gracie vs. Dave Huckaba the co-main event of WSOF 3. In other words…

–J. Jones


(Quite possibly the strangest reaction to Pig Destroyer’s “Gravedancer” that we have ever seen.) 

Bad news, Potato Nation, as it has been recently announced that the upcoming World Series of Fighting 3 card has taken a major hit in the form of Tyrone Spong, who has allegedly been pulled from the event due to visa issues. The kickboxing powerhouse was expected to face 11-2 Angel DeAnda in the co-main event of the June 14th-scheduled card, which features Josh Burkman vs. Jon Fitch II to determine the promotion’s inaugural welterweight championship.

On the heels of a successful MMA debut beatdown of Travis Bartlett at WSOF’s first event (as well as a second round KO over Remy Bojansky in his latest kickboxing exhibition), Spong was heavily favored to make short work of DeAnda as well. Fortunately for DeAnda, he will live to fight another day. Unfortunately for DeAnda, no replacement opponent has been named as of this write-up, and even if one is, it is very likely that the fight will now be buried on the prelims. The sorrowful life of a stepping stone, you guys.

Based purely off name value, this setback would presumably make Rolles Gracie vs. Dave Huckaba the co-main event of WSOF 3. In other words…

–J. Jones

World Series of Fighting Announces Four-Fight Lineup, Ticket Dates for WSOF 3 in Las Vegas


(Knocks out a former UFC star, still can’t get his friends backstage passes. No respect, I tells ya. Photo via Dave Mandel of Sherdog.) 

On the heels of a successful second event in March, upstart promotion World Series of Fighting has officially announced the date, location, ticket dates, and TV lineup for WSOF 3 earlier today. Featuring a main event rematch between Josh Burkman and Jon Fitch for the promotion’s inaugural welterweight title (a ballsy decision considering Fitch’s somewhat…ahem…polarizing style of fighting), WSOF 3 is set to transpire Friday, June 14th from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets for the event are set go on sale April 19th and start at just $29.00.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Thirty bucks for a rematch between to mid-tier UFC castaways? My mom will never float me the money for such nonsense!” Well, tell those shyster parents of yours that WSOF 3 will also feature the likes of Tyrone Spong, Rolles Gracie, and Justin Gaethje as well.

On the heels of a straight vicious performance in his MMA debut at WSOF 1, Spong will face off against Angel “The Dream” (Author’s note: Uh-oh…) DeAnda, an 11-2, 5’8″ light heavyweight currently riding a four-fight win streak over a bunch of guys you’ve probably never heard of. DeAnda’s last loss dates back to 2010, where he was knocked out by one-time XARM competitor (and former UFC fighter, we’re being told) James “Why Me?” Irvin in under two minutes. Expect something similar to happen to this poor bastard here as well.

The rest of the announced lineup for WSOF 3 is after the jump. 


(Knocks out a former UFC star, still can’t get his friends backstage passes. No respect, I tells ya. Photo via Dave Mandel of Sherdog.) 

On the heels of a successful second event in March, upstart promotion World Series of Fighting has officially announced the date, location, ticket dates, and TV lineup for WSOF 3 earlier today. Featuring a main event rematch between Josh Burkman and Jon Fitch for the promotion’s inaugural welterweight title (a ballsy decision considering Fitch’s somewhat…ahem…polarizing style of fighting), WSOF 3 is set to transpire Friday, June 14th from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets for the event are set go on sale April 19th and start at just $29.00.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Thirty bucks for a rematch between to mid-tier UFC castaways? My mom will never float me the money for such nonsense!” Well, tell those shyster parents of yours that WSOF 3 will also feature the likes of Tyrone Spong, Rolles Gracie, and Justin Gaethje as well.

On the heels of a straight vicious performance in his MMA debut at WSOF 1, Spong will face off against Angel “The Dream” (Author’s note: Uh-oh…) DeAnda, an 11-2, 5’8″ light heavyweight currently riding a four-fight win streak over a bunch of guys you’ve probably never heard of. DeAnda’s last loss dates back to 2010, where he was knocked out by one-time XARM competitor (and former UFC fighter, we’re being told) James “Why Me?” Irvin in under two minutes. Expect something similar to happen to this poor bastard here as well.

Also set for WSOF 3 is a matchup between Rolles Gracie and knockout artist Dave “Bad Man” Huckaba. Since being ousted from the UFC following a disastrous performance in his lone appearance at UFC 109, Gracie has scored five straight wins via submission including a triumphant submission via pitter-patter punches victory over Bob Sapp. Huckaba, on the other hand, has collected nine victories in his past ten contests (eight by stoppage) and holds notable victories over Tank Abbott’s next opponent, the manbearpig who died after fighting a roided up Ken Shamrock, and the guy who tapped to Kimbo’s strikes in under 20 seconds. Should be a fun scrap.

The rest of the announced lineup for WSOF 3 is below.

MAIN CARD (NBC Sports Network, 11 p.m. ET),
-Josh Burkman vs. Jon Fitch
-Brian Cobb vs. Justin Gaethje
-Angel DeAnda vs. Tyrone Spong
-Rolles Gracie vs. Dave Huckaba

PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised, 8 p.m. ET)
-John Gunderson vs. Dan Lauzon
-Kendrick Miree vs. Krasimir Mladenov

–J. Jones

Jon Fitch Signs Four-Fight Deal With World Series of Fighting, Expected to Make Debut on June 14th


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)

Following his controversial dismissal from the UFC, top-ten welterweight Jon Fitch has found his next home with World Series of Fighting. WSOF’s senior executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz revealed last night that Fitch has agreed to a four-fight contract, and will likely make his debut at the fledgling MMA promotion’s third event on June 14th. Fitch confirmed the news on twitter, saying that he’ll be officially signing contracts today.

Fitch’s opponent for the 6/14 card has not been determined yet, despite Gerald Harris‘s admirable efforts to troll his way into the booking.

In a related story, former UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann — who was also recently fired during the UFC’s ongoing mass executions — will be making his World Series of Fighting Debut at WSOF 3 against former Strikeforce standout Lyle Beerbohm. “Fancy Pants” left Strikeforce following back-to-back losses to Pat Healy and Shinya Aoki, but has racked up five straight wins since then.

World Series of Fighting’s next event — headlined by Andrei Arlovski vs. Anthony Johnson — takes place March 23rd at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City. The full lineup for that card is after the jump.


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)

Following his controversial dismissal from the UFC, top-ten welterweight Jon Fitch has found his next home with World Series of Fighting. WSOF’s senior executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz revealed last night that Fitch has agreed to a four-fight contract, and will likely make his debut at the fledgling MMA promotion’s third event on June 14th. Fitch confirmed the news on twitter, saying that he’ll be officially signing contracts today.

Fitch’s opponent for the 6/14 card has not been determined yet, despite Gerald Harris‘s admirable efforts to troll his way into the booking.

In a related story, former UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann — who was also recently fired during the UFC’s ongoing mass executions — will be making his World Series of Fighting Debut at WSOF 3 against former Strikeforce standout Lyle Beerbohm. “Fancy Pants” left Strikeforce following back-to-back losses to Pat Healy and Shinya Aoki, but has racked up five straight wins since then.

World Series of Fighting’s next event — headlined by Andrei Arlovski vs. Anthony Johnson — takes place March 23rd at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City. The full lineup for that card is after the jump.

***********

World Series of Fighting 2: Arlovski vs. Johnson
March 23rd, 2013 

Main Card (NBC Sports Network)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Anthony Johnson
Marlon Moraes vs. Tyson Nam
Dave Branch vs. Paulo Filho
Josh Burkman vs. Aaron Simpson
Gesias Cavalcante vs. Justin Gaethje

Preliminary Card
Waylon Lowe vs. Cameron Dollar
Rick Glenn vs. Alexandre Pimentel
Kris McCray vs. Danillo Villefort
Igor Gracie vs. Richard Patishnock
Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Chris Wade