WSOF 4 Weigh-In Results: Lew Polley Misses Weight by 32 Pounds, LIKE A BOSS

(Spong vs. DeAnda face-off, via ZombieProphet)

The fighters competing at tomorrow night’s World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda event weighed in today at Dave and Buster’s in Ontario, California, and things went smoothly for the most part. The headliners made weight. Newell made weight. Jorge Santiago weighed in at 172.4 pounds on his first attempt, but was more than two pounds lighter when he tried again. And Lew Polley showed up at 237 pounds for a light-heavyweight bout. Holy shit. Awesome.

Polley’s weight wasn’t even announced publicly — WSOF officials only said that he was “significantly over” the contracted weight and removed him from the bout — but MMAJunkie’s John Morgan got the actual number from an event source. By the way, Polley missing weight by 32 pounds puts him at #1 on the Weigh-In Failure Leaderboard, destroying the old record of 23.75. Polley has already apologized on twitter, although he didn’t offer an explanation as to what went wrong.

Tomorrow night’s event was supposed to be Polley’s WSOF debut, and it’s unlikely that the promotion will have him back. Fortunately, Polley’s scheduled opponent Hans Stringer was paid his show money. The full WSOF 4 weigh-in results are after the jump, in case you’re curious.


(Spong vs. DeAnda face-off, via ZombieProphet)

The fighters competing at tomorrow night’s World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda event weighed in today at Dave and Buster’s in Ontario, California, and things went smoothly for the most part. The headliners made weight. Newell made weight. Jorge Santiago weighed in at 172.4 pounds on his first attempt, but was more than two pounds lighter when he tried again. And Lew Polley showed up at 237 pounds for a light-heavyweight bout. Holy shit. Awesome.

Polley’s weight wasn’t even announced publicly — WSOF officials only said that he was “significantly over” the contracted weight and removed him from the bout — but MMAJunkie’s John Morgan got the actual number from an event source. By the way, Polley missing weight by 32 pounds puts him at #1 on the Weigh-In Failure Leaderboard, destroying the old record of 23.75. Polley has already apologized on twitter, although he didn’t offer an explanation as to what went wrong.

Tomorrow night’s event was supposed to be Polley’s WSOF debut, and it’s unlikely that the promotion will have him back. Fortunately, Polley’s scheduled opponent Hans Stringer was paid his show money. The full WSOF 4 weigh-in results are after the jump, in case you’re curious.

MAIN CARD (NBC Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT)
Tyrone Spong (205) vs. Angel DeAnda (205)
Marlon Moraes (136) vs. Brandon Hempleman (136)
Nick Newell (155) vs. Keon Caldwell (156)
Ray Sefo (255) vs. Dave Huckaba (264)
Tyson Griffin (156) vs. Gesias Cavalcante (156)

PRELIMINARY CARD (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT)
Gerald Harris (171) vs. Jorge Santiago (170.2)
Antonio McKee (155) vs. Lewis Gonzalez (156)
Lew Polley vs. Hans Stringer
Jared Papazian (136) vs. John Robles (134)
Isaac Gutierrez (150) vs. Victor Valenzuela (150)

“Rumble” Out, Arlovski in Against Mike Kyle at WSOF 5 Main Event


(We know we’ve beaten this horse to death, but the guy on the left USED TO FIGHT AT F*CKING WELTERWEIGHT.)

Some mixed news out of the World Series of Fighting, as news broke yesterday that Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who was slated to brutally KO the recently un-retired Mike Kyle at WSOF 5 in September, has been forced to pull out from the headlining fight. Although Johnson’s camp is citing a “training injury” as the reason for his withdrawal, our inside sources tell us that Rumble actually suffered an “empathy implosion” of his ACL while watching the Korean Zombie/Jose Aldo fight car wreck last weekend. Just when you thought you’ve heard it all.

Thankfully, the man stepping up on short notice to take Rumble’s place will be none other than the last man to be defeated by him, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. “The Pit Bull” has not fought since his aforementioned loss at WSOF 2, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Johnson in an entertaining slugfest.

While we imagine that Kyle is probably elated to learn that he is now fighting a guy he stands a decent chance of actually knocking out, expect him to be a huge underdog heading into this one nonetheless. Minus his setback at the hands of Johnson, Arlovski has gone 4-0 with 1 NC since exiting Strikeforce back in 2011 (well, 5-0 if you also happen to think that ONE FC’s stance on soccer kicks is f*cking ridiculous). Kyle, on the other hand, recently scored a quick KO over Travis Wiuff in his comeback bout last May.

Anybody liking “MAK” for the upset here?

J. Jones


(We know we’ve beaten this horse to death, but the guy on the left USED TO FIGHT AT F*CKING WELTERWEIGHT.)

Some mixed news out of the World Series of Fighting, as news broke yesterday that Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who was slated to brutally KO the recently un-retired Mike Kyle at WSOF 5 in September, has been forced to pull out from the headlining fight. Although Johnson’s camp is citing a “training injury” as the reason for his withdrawal, our inside sources tell us that Rumble actually suffered an “empathy implosion” of his ACL while watching the Korean Zombie/Jose Aldo fight car wreck last weekend. Just when you thought you’ve heard it all.

Thankfully, the man stepping up on short notice to take Rumble’s place will be none other than the last man to be defeated by him, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. “The Pit Bull” has not fought since his aforementioned loss at WSOF 2, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Johnson in an entertaining slugfest.

While we imagine that Kyle is probably elated to learn that he is now fighting a guy he stands a decent chance of actually knocking out, expect him to be a huge underdog heading into this one nonetheless. Minus his setback at the hands of Johnson, Arlovski has gone 4-0 with 1 NC since exiting Strikeforce back in 2011 (well, 5-0 if you also happen to think that ONE FC’s stance on soccer kicks is f*cking ridiculous). Kyle, on the other hand, recently scored a quick KO over Travis Wiuff in his comeback bout last May.

Anybody liking “MAK” for the upset here?

J. Jones

WSOF Check-In: Lightweight Tournament Announced, Newell & Spong Prepare for Fights This Saturday

(Learn more about lightweight rising star Nick Newell and the challenges he’s overcome | Video via MMA World Series Youtube page)

We’ve been following lightweight prospect Nick Newell’s unlikely and inspiring career for some time now here at CagePotato, and this Saturday he makes his next big move at the World Series of Fighting 4 event in Ontario, California. Newell will face TUF veteran Keon Caldwell.

Even though Newell hasn’t yet won his WSOF debut, the promotion announced that a win over Caldwell would earn Newell a spot in its upcoming lightweight tournament, which will crown the promotion’s inaugural 155-pound champion. If Newell does indeed enter that tournament, he’ll have a chance to prove once and for all that he’s truly a UFC-caliber fighter.

Why, you ask? Well, simply because the tournament is stacked with top international lightweights including a number of UFC veterans. Dan Lauzon will be in the tournament, as will the winner of an excellent WSOF 4 match up between Tyson Griffin and Gesias Calvacante.

Of course, all this doesn’t sit so well with Keon Caldwell’s camp, who tell MMA Junkie that they are worried of unfair treatment from the WSOF. While Newell has been publicly guaranteed a spot in the lightweight tournament if he’s victorious this weekend, Caldwell has been given no such offer. (“I just think they’re on the Nick Newell hype train,” said Caldwell’s trainer Richard Cox.)

Also fighting this Saturday will be kickboxing star Tyrone Spong, who will be headlining WSOF 4 against California-bred knockout artist Angel DeAnda. It will be Spong’s second World Series of Fighting appearance following his beat-down of Travis Bartlett in November. You can check out a lil’ video of Spong hitting people and acting cocky after the jump. Above, you can enjoy a mini documentary show on Newell’s life that takes you inside his camp, family, and home.


(Learn more about lightweight rising star Nick Newell and the challenges he’s overcome | Video via MMA World Series Youtube page)

We’ve been following lightweight prospect Nick Newell’s unlikely and inspiring career for some time now here at CagePotato, and this Saturday he makes his next big move at the World Series of Fighting 4 event in Ontario, California. Newell will face TUF veteran Keon Caldwell.

Even though Newell hasn’t yet won his WSOF debut, the promotion announced that a win over Caldwell would earn Newell a spot in its upcoming lightweight tournament, which will crown the promotion’s inaugural 155-pound champion. If Newell does indeed enter that tournament, he’ll have a chance to prove once and for all that he’s truly a UFC-caliber fighter.

Why, you ask? Well, simply because the tournament is stacked with top international lightweights including a number of UFC veterans. Dan Lauzon will be in the tournament, as will the winner of an excellent WSOF 4 match up between Tyson Griffin and Gesias Calvacante.

Of course, all this doesn’t sit so well with Keon Caldwell’s camp, who tell MMA Junkie that they are worried of unfair treatment from the WSOF. While Newell has been publicly guaranteed a spot in the lightweight tournament if he’s victorious this weekend, Caldwell has been given no such offer. (“I just think they’re on the Nick Newell hype train,” said Caldwell’s trainer Richard Cox.)

Also fighting this Saturday will be kickboxing star Tyrone Spong, who will be headlining WSOF 4 against California-bred knockout artist Angel DeAnda. It will be Spong’s second World Series of Fighting appearance following his beat-down of Travis Bartlett in November. You can check out a lil’ video of Spong hitting people and acting cocky after the jump. Above, you can enjoy a mini documentary show on Newell’s life that takes you inside his camp, family, and home.

Elias Cepeda

WSOF’s Next Main Event Dares Ask: “Hey, Anyone Wanna See Rumble Johnson KO Another Guy?”


(Our answer? HELL TO THE YES.) 

Look, we know the idea of paying to see Ricardo Mayorga get in a sanctioned Nicaraguan street fight might be asking a little much, even for such seasoned freak show aficionados as yourselves. Thankfully, World Series of Fighting recently announced a slightly less freakish but equally confuddling headliner for their next event, and you don’t even have to pay for this one!

On the heels of a unanimous decision victory over Andrei Arlovski at heavyweight in the promotion’s second event, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will find himself back at light heavyweight when he squares off against Mike “MAK” Kyle at WSOF 5 on September 14th in New Jersey. The over-under on how long this thing lasts is currently set at 24 seconds.


(Our answer? HELL TO THE YES.) 

Look, we know the idea of paying to see Ricardo Mayorga get in a sanctioned Nicaraguan street fight might be asking a little much, even for such seasoned freak show aficionados as yourselves. Thankfully, World Series of Fighting recently announced a slightly less freakish but equally confuddling headliner for their next event, and you don’t even have to pay for this one!

On the heels of a unanimous decision victory over Andrei Arlovski at heavyweight in the promotion’s second event, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will find himself back at light heavyweight when he squares off against Mike “MAK” Kyle at WSOF 5 on September 14th in New Jersey. The over-under on how long this thing lasts is currently set at 24 seconds.

Since retiring from the sport in…uh…2013 and unretiring from the sport…uh…later in 2013, Kyle has picked up a quick and incredibly violent KO victory over journeyman Travis Wiuff at CFA 11 in May. We’ve thrown a video of that fight below, not only for the brutal knockout but for the incredible amount of restraint that Kyle showed when dealing with a referee who seemed to be goading him into falling back on his old habits.

Crazy, right? By my count, Kyle pulled nearly as many punches as he threw against poor Weeufff — not bad for a guy who built his early reputation requiring three or four referees to separate him from his opponents. This fight was the MMA equivalent of Red telling the parole board to stop wasting his goddamn time. Rehabilitation status: APPROVED.

So, Potato Nation, will Kyle re-reconsider retirement after Johnson is through with him? Or will WSOF set the stage for another massive upset?

J. Jones

World Series Of Fighting Confirms Six Matches For Fourth Event This August

Press Release – LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 20, 2013) –Tickets priced from $29, for the star-studded World Series of Fighting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. on Saturday, August 10, go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. PST tomorrow, Friday, June 21 at www.axs.com, Citizens Business Bank Arena […]

World Series of Fighting logoPress Release – LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 20, 2013) –Tickets priced from $29, for the star-studded World Series of Fighting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. on Saturday, August 10, go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. PST tomorrow, Friday, June 21 at www.axs.com, Citizens Business Bank Arena box office, and charge-by-phone at 888-929-7849.

Slated for the live, fight-five NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event is a light heavyweight (205 pounds) showdown between world kickboxing champion turned unbeaten MMA upstart Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (1-0) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Suriname and fellow hard-hitting KO artist Angel “The Dream” DeAnda (11-2) of Oakdale, Calif.

The 27-year-old Spong is a veteran of 77 professional kickboxing bouts while DeAnda has scored (T)KOs in 10 of his 11 career MMA victories, including his last four starts

Red-hot Marlon Moraes (10-4) of Jupiter, Fla. will battle fellow streaking bantamweight (135 pounds) Brandon “Hot Rod” Hempleman (9-1) of Boise, Idaho. The 25-year-old Moraes is coming off his fourth consecutive victory – a stunning first round (2:55) KO of rival star Tyson Nam by way of head kick at the World Series of Fighting event on March 23 – while Hempleman is a winner of six consecutive fights.

In other main card action, World Series of Fighting President and six-time world kickboxing champion Ray Sefo (2-1) of Las Vegas will shed his business attire and put on his fighting trunks and combat gloves to face heavy-handed KO artist Dave Huckaba (20-5) of Sacramento, Calif.

Sefo, also a two-time Hall of Famer, has faced and defeated nearly every major rival of his era in the kickboxing ring, while Huckaba, a dangerous and seasoned power puncher, has earned 16 of his 20 career victories by way of (T)KO.

“This will be, without a doubt, our finest event to date in terms of the talent lined up from top to bottom,” said Sefo. “As a promoter, I am extremely proud of this fight card that our company has assembled for our fourth live event and, as a fighter who still has the burning desire to compete, I am naturally excited to have the opportunity to step in the cage and show what I can do in there against a seasoned opponent.”

In other main card action, Tyson Griffin (16-6) of Santa Rosa, Calif. will face off with fellow lightweight (155 pounds) star J.Z. Cavalcante (17-7-1) of Deerfield Beach, Fla. via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Newly signed, undefeated phenomenon “Notorious” Nick Newell (9-0) of Springfield, Mass. will square off with Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell (9-1) of Moultrie, Ga. in another lightweight scrap. Newell has earned eight of his nine career wins by (T)KO or submission while, similarly, Caldwell has notched eight of his nine career victories by way of (T)KO.

In preliminary card action, welterweight (170 pounds) stars Jorge Santiago (25-11) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Rio de Janeiro and Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (21-5) of Tulsa, Okla. will collide.

Additional preliminary card bouts will be announced soon.

Doors at Citzens Business Bank Arena will open at 4:00 p.m. PST and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m.

The live NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event will begin at 10:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. PST.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

Based in Las Vegas, Nev., the fight capital of the world, World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit www.WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA

Citizens Business Bank Arena, built and owned by the City of Ontario, operated by AEG Facilities, includes 9,500 fixed seats with additional “portable” seating risers to accommodate capacities of 11,089 for concerts, 9,736 for ice hockey and 10,832 for basketball. The 225,000 square foot venue features 36 luxury suites located on two levels and a continuous concourse hosting a variety of refreshment stands, merchandise kiosks, a VIP club and other fan amenities. Citizens Business Bank Arena hosts ice hockey and a variety of other sporting competitions, concerts, family shows, special events, conventions, school and community activities as well as private events. The Arena is home to Ontario Reign, an ECHL Premier AA Hockey Team. The venue is the biggest and most modern arena within the Inland Empire, an area with over 4.1 million people. It is located in the City of Ontario, on a 37-acre parcel located between Haven Avenue and Milliken Avenue, Fourth Street and the I-10 Freeway. For more information and future updates please visit: CBBankArena.com

ABOUT NBC SPORTS NETWORK

NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

Nick Newell Draws Keon Caldwell for August 10th WSOF Debut


(From left to right: Newell, and a Google Image Search result for “Black Assassin.” See, now *that* would be a competitive fight. / Nick photo courtesy of WSOF via MMAWeekly)

Looks like the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) is serious about grooming and spotlighting recent signee Nick Newell. The lightweight prospect has been matched up with former Ultimate Fighter Season 13 competitor Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell at WSOF 4: Spong vs. DeAnda, August 10th at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

If you remember Keon Caldwell at all, it’s probably not in a good way. He’s the guy who voluntarily left TUF 13 shortly after arriving, a decision we thought was career suicide at the time. Caldwell has only competed once since then, scoring a TKO win over Jonathan Baldree, in July 2011. Caldwell has a 9-1 record overall, but most of his wins have come over fighters with losing records, and again, he hasn’t fought in nearly two years. Yikes. Our condolences go out to Caldwell’s family.

The undefeated Newell has yet to fight in 2013 but is coming off two straight first round finish wins, which brought his pro record to 9-0. The former XFC lightweight champion signed with the World Series of Fighting in hopes that he would get tougher fights against top lightweight free-agents, and eventually get signed by the UFC. This booking doesn’t exactly accomplish that.


(From left to right: Newell, and a Google Image Search result for “Black Assassin.” See, now *that* would be a competitive fight. / Nick photo courtesy of WSOF via MMAWeekly)

Looks like the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) is serious about grooming and spotlighting recent signee Nick Newell. The lightweight prospect has been matched up with former Ultimate Fighter Season 13 competitor Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell at WSOF 4: Spong vs. DeAnda, August 10th at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

If you remember Keon Caldwell at all, it’s probably not in a good way. He’s the guy who voluntarily left TUF 13 shortly after arriving, a decision we thought was career suicide at the time. Caldwell has only competed once since then, scoring a TKO win over Jonathan Baldree, in July 2011. Caldwell has a 9-1 record overall, but most of his wins have come over fighters with losing records, and again, he hasn’t fought in nearly two years. Yikes. Our condolences go out to Caldwell’s family.

The undefeated Newell has yet to fight in 2013 but is coming off two straight first round finish wins, which brought his pro record to 9-0. The former XFC lightweight champion signed with the World Series of Fighting in hopes that he would get tougher fights against top lightweight free-agents, and eventually get signed by the UFC. This booking doesn’t exactly accomplish that.

WSOF has to be expecting that they’ll be able to showcase Newell kicking somebody’s ass in his debut fight for them, by pairing him against Caldwell. Newell’s overcoming of his disability — he was born with only one fully-developed arm — as well as his dynamic fighting style and penchant for winning violently make him a potential star for the burgeoning organization.

WSOF 4 will also feature President Ray Sefo’s stunt-fight against Dave Huckaba, Tyson Griffin vs. Gesias Cavalcante, and Gerald Harris vs. Jorge Santiago.

What do you say, Nation? Will Newell continue to shine at WSOF and will he eventually get a shot at the UFC?

Elias Cepeda