(Hopefully Guillard can earn enough with the WSOF to actually get some lenses put in those frames, but a man can only dream…Photo via Getty)
Whether you were a fan of his brash personality or excitement-first fight philosophy, there’s no denying the impact Melvin Guillard had on the UFC’s lightweight division during his near-unprecedented 9-year run in the organization. His recent release from the UFC may not have been completely unexpected, given his 1-3 1 NC record in his past 5 fights, but it signified the end of an era in its own way. Of course, given Guillard’s fan-friendly style, we figured it wouldn’t be long before he found a new promotion to call home.
And as is usually the case, we were right. After a mere fortnight of unemployment, Guillard has signed a multi-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting, as confirmed by WSOF executive Shawn Lampman and Guillard’s own Twitter account:
After the jump: Guillard speaks with The MMA Hour about life after the UFC and the factors that led to his uninspiring performance against Michael Johnson at Fight Night 37.
(Hopefully Guillard can earn enough with the WSOF to actually get some lenses put in those frames, but a man can only dream…Photo via Getty)
Whether you were a fan of his brash personality or excitement-first fight philosophy, there’s no denying the impact Melvin Guillard had on the UFC’s lightweight division during his near-unprecedented 9-year run in the organization. His recent release from the UFC may not have been completely unexpected, given his 1-3 1 NC record in his past 5 fights, but it signified the end of an era in its own way. Of course, given Guillard’s fan-friendly style, we figured it wouldn’t be long before he found a new promotion to call home.
And as is usually the case, we were right. After a mere fortnight of unemployment, Guillard has signed a multi-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting, as confirmed by WSOF executive Shawn Lampman and Guillard’s own Twitter account:
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, “The Young Assassin” discussed what it felt like to be a free agent for the first time in nearly a decade, as well as the factors that led to his uninspiring performance against Michael Johnson at Fight Night 37.
I was happy. I gave the UFC nine years. I gave them a good nine years. Honestly I gave them one bad performance, which was the London fight (against Johnson). I had two busted ribs, a busted hand in the first round, but I didn’t make any excuses in the fight. I stayed in there, I fought. I could’ve been like most fighters and just threw in the towel when I got up off the seat, but I was fighting injured.
I didn’t expect to get released. I just expected (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) to do the normal thing he does and sit me down for like six months, and make me ask him for a fight. But I ended up getting released, and for me, honestly, I thought it was the best thing that could happen to me right now at this point in my career.
The list of Fight Night 37 medical suspensions seems to corroborate Guillard’s story, so a credit is due to him for not making any excuses following what was an uncharacteristically boring fight on his resume. In any case, who would you like to see Guillard matched up against for his WSOF debut, Nation?
If you recall, Okami was released from the UFC last September (to make room for the Jumabieke Tuerxuns of the world) despite going 3-1 in his last 4 fights, because whatever, fuck you. “Thunder” was quickly snatched up by the WSOF but has been sitting on the shelf ever since his signing for reasons unknown. Regardless, it was announced earlier today that Okami will make his promotional debut against Bulgarian Svetlozar Savov at WSOF 9 on March 29th.
With 11 finishes in his 12 victories, Savov is pretty much the antithesis of Okami, who collected just 4 stoppages in his 18-fight UFC career. That being said, expect Okami to come in as a huge favorite here. Not Cormier vs. Cummins huge, but somewhere around that. Thankfully, this squash match will likely slip completely under the radar once Rousimar Palhares inevitably maims Steve Carl in the evening’s main event.
Seriously, I cannot begin to comprehend why the WSOF is essentially rewarding Paul Harris for his repeated acts of douchebaggery in the cage by giving him an immediate title shot — it’s like giving a convicted arsonist a book of matches, a gallon of kerosene, and the keys to the home of the judge who sentenced him. “Tickets got to be sold,” I guess.
If you recall, Okami was released from the UFC last September (to make room for the Jumabieke Tuerxuns of the world) despite going 3-1 in his last 4 fights, because whatever, fuck you. “Thunder” was quickly snatched up by the WSOF but has been sitting on the shelf ever since his signing for reasons unknown. Regardless, it was announced earlier today that Okami will make his promotional debut against Bulgarian Svetlozar Savov at WSOF 9 on March 29th.
With 11 finishes in his 12 victories, Savov is pretty much the antithesis of Okami, who collected just 4 stoppages in his 18-fight UFC career. That being said, expect Okami to come in as a huge favorite here. Not Cormier vs. Cummins huge, but somewhere around that. Thankfully, this squash match will likely slip completely under the radar once Rousimar Palhares inevitably maims Steve Carl in the evening’s main event.
Seriously, I cannot begin to comprehend why the WSOF is essentially rewarding Paul Harris for his repeated acts of douchebaggery in the cage by giving him an immediate title shot — it’s like giving a convicted arsonist a book of matches, a gallon of kerosene, and the keys to the home of the judge who sentenced him. “Tickets got to be sold,” I guess.
After signingRousimar Palhares in November, World Series of Fighting is fast-tracking the unpredictable heel-hook artist to a title fight against the promotion’s reigning welterweight champ, Steve Carl. MMAJunkie reports that Carl vs. Palhares will headline WSOF 9, March 29th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event will be co-headlined by the inaugural WSOF bantamweight title fight between Marlon Moraes and Josh Rettinghouse.
Palhares’s upcoming fight against Carl will be a much-needed opportunity to prove that he can behave like a professional, and we truly hope he can straighten out his head. But either way, kudos to World Series of Fighting for getting us to actually care about a Steve Carl title defense. This one should be interesting, folks…
After signingRousimar Palhares in November, World Series of Fighting is fast-tracking the unpredictable heel-hook artist to a title fight against the promotion’s reigning welterweight champ, Steve Carl. MMAJunkie reports that Carl vs. Palhares will headline WSOF 9, March 29th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event will be co-headlined by the inaugural WSOF bantamweight title fight between Marlon Moraes and Josh Rettinghouse.
Palhares’s upcoming fight against Carl will be a much-needed opportunity to prove that he can behave like a professional, and we truly hope he can straighten out his head. But either way, kudos to World Series of Fighting for getting us to actually care about a Steve Carl title defense. This one should be interesting, folks…
What a weird, wild ride it’s been for Anthony “Rumble” Johnson for the past 18 months. He’s gone from being a welterweight prospect with an insanely high ceiling (and an even bigger weight cut), to a high-profile UFC castoff, to a star for the fledgling World Series of Fighting promotion at light-heavyweight. After his spectacular knockout of journeyman Mike Kyle on Saturday night — which fulfilled the last fight on his WSOF contract — there was plenty of speculation among the MMA community on where he’d end up next.
Somehow, Rumble Johnson has become the hottest free agent since Hector Lombard. The WSOF, the UFC, or Bellator (or maybe all three) is going to offer him a big money deal because of one thing: Anthony Johnson is the only unsigned light-heavyweight in the world right now who looks like he could be a relevant fighter in the top tier of the 205-pound division. But the reality is, that’s only because he hasn’t had to face anyone that would suggest otherwise; the current buzz around Johnson wasn’t exactly built on quality of competition.
Bloody Elbow’s Mookie Alexander wrote a terrific piece on why the UFC needs Johnson, if only to bolster its dwindling, aging LHW roster, but I’d argue that Johnson isn’t the sort of high-profile fighter we think he is right now. You could never call him “elite” because he hasn’t fought anyone of note (with the possible exception of Andrei Arlovski, who he fought at heavyweight). In his best moments, Johnson looks like he could actually pass for a UFC title contender, but that could also be the result of some kind matchmaking by World Series of Fighting and Johnson’s management team.
(In case you missed it, here’s what Rumble did to Mike Kyle on Saturday. Props: Arquivo El)
What a weird, wild ride it’s been for Anthony “Rumble” Johnson for the past 18 months. He’s gone from being a welterweight prospect with an insanely high ceiling (and an even bigger weight cut), to a high-profile UFC castoff, to a star for the fledgling World Series of Fighting promotion at light-heavyweight. After his spectacular knockout of journeyman Mike Kyle on Saturday night — which fulfilled the last fight on his WSOF contract — there was plenty of speculation among the MMA community on where he’d end up next.
Somehow, Rumble Johnson has become the hottest free agent since Hector Lombard. The WSOF, the UFC, or Bellator (or maybe all three) is going to offer him a big money deal because of one thing: Anthony Johnson is the only unsigned light-heavyweight in the world right now who looks like he could be a relevant fighter in the top tier of the 205-pound division. But the reality is, that’s only because he hasn’t had to face anyone that would suggest otherwise; the current buzz around Johnson wasn’t exactly built on quality of competition.
Bloody Elbow’s Mookie Alexander wrote a terrific piece on why the UFC needs Johnson, if only to bolster its dwindling, aging LHW roster, but I’d argue that Johnson isn’t the sort of high-profile fighter we think he is right now. You could never call him “elite” because he hasn’t fought anyone of note (with the possible exception of Andrei Arlovski, who he fought at heavyweight). In his best moments, Johnson looks like he could actually pass for a UFC title contender, but that could also be the result of some kind matchmaking by World Series of Fighting and Johnson’s management team.
Right now, Rumble is just starting to tap into the potential he showed when he was first in the UFC. And right now he’s mimicking Lombard’s career in that he looks like a Top 10 fighter because he’s been destroying guys who aren’t in his league, and who are far from UFC-caliber — even by the lowered definition of “UFC-caliber” that we’re now experiencing in the Royston Wee Era. Two of Johnson’s past six wins have come against fighters without Wikipedia pages. Mike Kyle’s a solid opponent, but his best days are well behind him. Jake Rosholt and David Branch are journeymen who had a cup of coffee in the UFC and probably won’t make it back, either.
Johnson has looked the part of a savage killer because he’s been able to get the sort of highly winnable fights he needed before (and during) his stint in the UFC. Without a taxing weight cut taking up most of his training camp, he’s facing limited competition at his ideal weight. This is the fighter we’ve seen glimpses of over the years and who now looks to have found his place in the sport.
Johnson’s an easily likeable fighter — everybody loves a knockout artist, after all — and he seems like a decent person outside the cage too. He’s in the right moment at the right time to have found a groove. Other than Alexander Gustafsson, the light-heavyweight division is so bereft of fighters who could conceivably beat Jon Jones that Johnson immediately looks like an attractive prospect simply because everyone else has failed the Bones Test. Jones is nearly out of challenges, looking upwards for more worlds to conquer, and Johnson coming into the UFC gives Zuffa more time to keep their nascent superstar at what’s traditionally been its marquee weight class. Bellator makes a big splash with him in their division and WSOF would be thrilled to retain its first real star.
As long as Johnson sticks at 205 pounds, there will be no worries about him blowing weight like he repeatedly did when he was trying to convince himself he was a welterweight, then a middleweight. But just because you look elite relative to your competition doesn’t mean you could roll into the UFC, for example, and start knocking off Top 5 contenders. And just because there are no other light-heavyweight free agents floating around to get excited about, it doesn’t mean we all need to get excited about Rumble Johnson again. Not yet, at least.
Believe it or not, there’s a World Series of Fighting event happening this weekend. WSOF 8 goes down this Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, featuring the twice-delayed fight between Anthony Johnson and Mike Kyle, and the promotion’s inaugural lightweight title fight between undefeated banger Justin Gaethje and Richard “Who Da Fuq?” Patishnock. [Ed. note:Not his real nickname. But seriously, have any of you heard of this guy?]
Look, I’d happily tune in to watch Rumble Johnson beat up any unretiredjobber they throw at him. But it’s worth mentioning that WSOF 8 features a second title fight, which might turn out to be the most competitive, meaningful fight on the entire card. I’m speaking, of course, of the inaugural women’s strawweight championship match between Jessica Aguilar and Alida Gray.
For devoted fans of WMMA, Jessica Aguilar should need no introduction, but here it is anyway: Aguilar is an eight-year veteran of the sport who’s best known for her 5-1 stint in Bellator, where she won decisions against Carla Esparza, Lisa Ellis, and Megumi Fujii. Then, last October, Aguilar traveled to Fujii’s home-turf and beat her again (although not without controversy).
When Bellator shut down its women’s division last August, Aguilar signed with the World Series of Fighting — perhaps prematurely. In short order, other female Bellator refugees found themselves snatched up by the UFC (like Jessica Eye) or signed to Invicta and then snatched up by the UFC (like Felice Herrig). In other words, Jessica Aguilar is probably the best female 115-pounder not in the UFC, for better or worse.
As for Alida Gray, well, even if you don’t recognize her name, you may have seen her around here before…
Believe it or not, there’s a World Series of Fighting event happening this weekend. WSOF 8 goes down this Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, featuring the twice-delayed fight between Anthony Johnson and Mike Kyle, and the promotion’s inaugural lightweight title fight between undefeated banger Justin Gaethje and Richard “Who Da Fuq?” Patishnock. [Ed. note:Not his real nickname. But seriously, have any of you heard of this guy?]
Look, I’d happily tune in to watch Rumble Johnson beat up any unretiredjobber they throw at him. But it’s worth mentioning that WSOF 8 features a second title fight, which might turn out to be the most competitive, meaningful fight on the entire card. I’m speaking, of course, of the inaugural women’s strawweight championship match between Jessica Aguilar and Alida Gray.
For devoted fans of WMMA, Jessica Aguilar should need no introduction, but here it is anyway: Aguilar is an eight-year veteran of the sport who’s best known for her 5-1 stint in Bellator, where she won decisions against Carla Esparza, Lisa Ellis, and Megumi Fujii. Then, last October, Aguilar traveled to Fujii’s home-turf and beat her again (although not without controversy).
When Bellator shut down its women’s division last August, Aguilar signed with the World Series of Fighting — perhaps prematurely. In short order, other female Bellator refugees found themselves snatched up by the UFC (like Jessica Eye) or signed to Invicta and then snatched up by the UFC (like Felice Herrig). In other words, Jessica Aguilar is probably the best female 115-pounder not in the UFC, for better or worse.
As for Alida Gray, well, even if you don’t recognize her name, you may have seen her around here before…
Here we have Gray’s crushing third-round knockout of Soannia Tiem back in October, which we called “the Most Vicious (Strawweight) One-Punch KO of All Time” — and we still stand by that. With a pro record of just 4-0 (all wins by stoppage), Gray is significantly under-seasoned compared to the 16-4 Aguilar. But when you can slug like that, does experience even matter? What’s crazy is that Gray doesn’t even come from a striking background — she’s a former competitive judoka (and 1996 Olympic alternate) who became a high school wrestling coach and began studying MMA in 2010. She has won three amateur fights and one pro fight by armbar. Gray is green, so to speak, but she’s no pushover.
Can you blame us if we’re more excited about Aguilar vs. Gray than the latest Rumble Johnson squash-match or a “Lightweight World Title Fight” featuring a virtual unknown? If you’re interested, you can watch the action this Saturday at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Network.
Case in point: On today’s installment of The MMA Hour, World Series of Fighting Executive Vice President and matchmaker Ali Abdel-Aziz challenged Bellator to a roster vs. roster pay-per-view event, with WSOF’s best fighters facing off against Bellator’s top talent. Abdel-Aziz even took the time to lay out what the hypothetical fight card might look like, as illustrated in the Excel document you see above.
“Listen, a lot of people said Bellator [is] number two and a lot of the media said Bellator is number two, but I believe it’s all about winning.” Abdel-Aziz said. “If we line up nine of our guys and nine of their guys, I believe we’ll win. We are number two, strong number two.”
Abdel-Aziz suggested that the event could be a “winner take all” card, in which the pormotion that came out on top would keep all gate receipts and PPV revenue. And despite the ludicrous, won’t-happen-in-a-million-years nature of his proposal, Abdel-Aziz insists that this isn’t just a publicity stunt:
(Click image for the full-size version. Yes, Eddie Alvarez is indeed listed as “hostage.” Image via @NewYorkRic)
Case in point: On today’s installment of The MMA Hour, World Series of Fighting Executive Vice President and matchmaker Ali Abdel-Aziz challenged Bellator to a roster vs. roster pay-per-view event, with WSOF’s best fighters facing off against Bellator’s top talent. Abdel-Aziz even took the time to lay out what the hypothetical fight card might look like, as illustrated in the Excel document you see above.
“Listen, a lot of people said Bellator [is] number two and a lot of the media said Bellator is number two, but I believe it’s all about winning.” Abdel-Aziz said. “If we line up nine of our guys and nine of their guys, I believe we’ll win. We are number two, strong number two.”
Abdel-Aziz suggested that the event could be a “winner take all” card, in which the pormotion that came out on top would keep all gate receipts and PPV revenue. And despite the ludicrous, won’t-happen-in-a-million-years nature of his proposal, Abdel-Aziz insists that this isn’t just a publicity stunt:
“A lot of people wanted to see UFC vs. PRIDE. It never happened. Strikeforce vs. UFC. It never happened. But why not get the fans excited and give them something they want? It’s great for everybody if we want to grow the sport. If we can put on a megashow like that and entertain the fan, why not?…
“I want people to stop saying we’re not number two because I believe we are number two. Look at our fight card. They have great fighters, but you can’t bring in Brazilian and Russian fighters to try to market them in America. I think we have a lot more Americans.”
‘I’m not trying to get attention. This is real. I really mean it and the winners are the fans and the fighters.”
Alright then. My only question is, would the winner of WSOF vs. Bellator then fight the UFC for the Promotion vs. Promotion Superfight Fantasy Title? And would any MMA promoter in the world agree to these wacky “winner takes all” financial terms? This shit is like Billy Madison meets Diggstown. Then again, I’d happily pay $19.99 to watch Tyrone Spong beat up Rampage Jackson.
Like any ambitious small-time MMA fighter calling out a big fish, Abdel-Aziz is even working on a grudge match angle for his challenge of Bellator:
“I like Bellator, but I don’t like certain people in Bellator,” he elaborated. “They recently did something very disgusting and very dirty. They tried to take something that’s not theirs.” Abdel-Aziz suggested he’d reveal what that was at a later date and suggested Spike TV, Bellator’s television outlet, might not even know about it.
He also noted the saga with Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is a cause for people, especially fighters, to give WSOF a second look. Abdel-Aziz underscored his point by listing Alvarez on the side of the proposed WSOF vs. Bellator card with a label of ‘hostage’ under his name.
“One of the things we will never do is keep as guy who doesn’t want to be in World Series of Fighting. For example, if you go to war and you get caught in a crossfire, you can’t be torturing and shooting people because they’re prisoners of war. You have to go by the rules. I believe Eddie Alvarez is a hostage.
“It put a lot of questions in fighters’ mind. ‘Do I really want to sign with this promotion?’ It really made a lot of people scared,” he said.
As of now, Bellator hasn’t officially responded to Abdel-Aziz’s plan, which means only one thing: Ali Abdel-Aziz now has to release a parody video full of wacky costumes and stupid accents. It’s the fight game, dude. This is the only way things get done.
