Tag: WSOF

After Palhares Bows Out, Can WSOF Stop Fighters from Treating It as a Pit Stop?

You couldn’t blame World Series of Fighting if it felt a little beat up right now.
Frustrations appeared to be on the rise at the upstart MMA promotion last week, after welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares pulled out of a scheduled title defen…

You couldn’t blame World Series of Fighting if it felt a little beat up right now.

Frustrations appeared to be on the rise at the upstart MMA promotion last week, after welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares pulled out of a scheduled title defense against Jon Fitch in order to take care of his ailing mother.

Jake Shields replaced Palhares—a move that allowed WSOF to maintain a respectable co-main event for its July 5 show—but the 34-year-old Brazilian wild man will be missed.

Even if his excuse was a good one, Palhares’ withdrawal scuttled plans for what was shaping up as the company’s first must-see bout. It also came amid a three-month stretch where the organization lost both Anthony Johnson and Andrei Arlovski to UFC returns and squabbled with Josh Burkman after the 170-pound contender took to Twitter to ask for his release.

In the wake of all this public boat-rocking, WSOF vice president and matchmaker Ali Abdel-Aziz told the media he’s getting fed up with fighters taking advantage of his promotion’s unique place in the MMA industry.

“We’re getting screwed,” Abdel-Aziz said last week, via MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. “I’m trying to put on a fight card and be nice to fighters, and now they don’t want to fight each other. I have to put WSOF first and everyone else second. No more Mr. Nice Guy.”

All threats aside, it’s easy to feel WSOF’s pain here. The company currently occupies a high profile but perhaps unenviable position in our sport: It’s big enough to attract well-known fighters but still small enough that few of them want to make it their full-time home.

Instead, elite-level fighters appear to treat WSOF like an airport layover. They want to get in, get a couple of wins under their belt and vault back into the Octagon, where they believe they belong.

Such is the reality of being a mid-major MMA promotion in 2014, especially one that maintains a friendly relationship with the UFC and has historically seemed to take pains not to cast itself as competition.

Recently, though, there have been signs that perhaps WSOF has higher aspirations, with Abdel-Aziz telling MMA Junkie’s John Morgan: “We try to be the best MMA promotion in the world. We cannot do that with fighters turning down fights.”

The organization wished both Arlovski and Johnson well in their future endeavors when they moved back to the UFC, but it will surely be difficult for WSOF to make many long-term plans if fighters and fans view it as little more than a pit stop on the path back to the big time.

“I don’t want people to get the misconception that we’re just going to release everybody to the UFC,” Abdel-Aziz recently told Morgan. “I believe fighters are trying to take safe fights, run their contract out and try to get released to the UFC. If fighters are going to act this way, I can’t put on any good fights for the fans.”

It’s a tough spot, and the real question may be what WSOF can do about it. Since the fall of Pride in 2007, the UFC has taken the mantle as our sport’s only real destination employer. Fighters who land at WSOF are probably legitimately pleased to be there, but most of them likely think of themselves as just passing through.

It’s possible WSOF has a choice to make here. If it is content to go on being the second- or third-best MMA organization in the world, then it likely has to get used to fighters treating it like a taxi ride back to the top. On the other hand, if it truly wants to be regarded as a contender to the UFC’s throne, maintaining a friendly relationship with Zuffa brass may prove impossible.

It can be one or the other, but probably not both.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

WSOF VP Ali Abdel-Aziz Goes on the Warpath After Rousimar Palhares Pulls Out of Title Fight With Jon Fitch


(Just another day in the life of Paul Harris. Photo via Getty.)

Like my sexual history, the WSOF career of Rousimar Palhares has been brief and emotionally devastating. After being gifted an immediate shot at the WSOF welterweight title against Steve Carl at WSOF 9, Palhares secured said title via a brutal heel-hook in just over a minute. The victory set Palhares up with a fight against fellow UFC castaway Jon Fitch that was scheduled to go down at WSOF 11 on July 5th, but today brought the news that Palhares has withdrawn from the fight to take care of his sick mother.

A reasonable excuse if there ever was one, but one that also apparently pissed WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz right the f*ck off. Aziz, who has publicly spatted with WSOF fighter Josh Burkman (and Vinny Magalhaes) in the past, told MMAFighting earlier today that he is sick of being taken advantage by guys like Palhares with their “bullshit stories” about their “sick mothers” and “impoverished upbringing.” Okay, those quotes were made up, but here’s what he actually said:

Enough is enough. I have to put WSOF first and everyone else second. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

We’re getting screwed. I’m trying to put on a fight card and be nice to fighters, and now they don’t want to fight each other.

I’m getting sick of this. If a fighter is not going to respect the promotion, he is going to be shelved for a long time. I will not release anyone to another promotion. Fighters must honor their contracts. 

Eesh. I can see where Aziz is coming from here, but for Christ’s sake, we’re talking about Rousimar’s mother here. Show the Mapinguari her due respect, Ali, or suffer the consequences.


(Just another day in the life of Paul Harris. Photo via Getty.)

Like my sexual history, the WSOF career of Rousimar Palhares has been brief and emotionally devastating. After being gifted an immediate shot at the WSOF welterweight title against Steve Carl at WSOF 9, Palhares secured said title via a brutal heel-hook in just over a minute. The victory set Palhares up with a fight against fellow UFC castaway Jon Fitch that was scheduled to go down at WSOF 11 on July 5th, but today brought the news that Palhares has withdrawn from the fight to take care of his sick mother.

A reasonable excuse if there ever was one, but one that also apparently pissed WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz right the f*ck off. Aziz, who has publicly spatted with WSOF fighter Josh Burkman (and Vinny Magalhaes) in the past, told MMAFighting earlier today that he is sick of being taken advantage by guys like Palhares with their “bullshit stories” about their “sick mothers” and “impoverished upbringing.” Okay, those quotes were made up, but here’s what he actually said:

Enough is enough. I have to put WSOF first and everyone else second. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

We’re getting screwed. I’m trying to put on a fight card and be nice to fighters, and now they don’t want to fight each other.

I’m getting sick of this. If a fighter is not going to respect the promotion, he is going to be shelved for a long time. I will not release anyone to another promotion. Fighters must honor their contracts. 

Eesh. I can see where Aziz is coming from here, but for Christ’s sake, we’re talking about Rousimar’s mother here. Show the Mapinguari her due respect, Ali, or suffer the consequences.

In light of the cancellation, WSOF 11 will now be headlined by our boy Nick Newell challenging lightweight champion Justin Gaethje for the WSOF title. We’ve thrown a video of Newell’s most recent victory over Sabah Fadai at WSOF 7 below.

–J. Jones

Watch Tyrone Spong’s Leg Break Like Anderson Silva’s at GLORY 15 [GIF/Video]

To be honest, we’re not huge kickboxing fans here at CagePotato. In fact, we used to sacrifice kickboxers to high school wrestlers and BJJ blue belts in illegal challenge matches in the basement of CagePotato HQ until Johnny Law put a stop to it.

But we’re writing about this awful injury now because Tyrone Spong is still an MMA fighter (he’s 2-0 and fights for WSOF, in case you forgot) and this so closely mirrors Anderson Silva‘s (in)famous leg break that we had no choice but to post it (either that or it’s a slow news day, pick one).

On Saturday, Spong was fighting at GLORY 15 in Istanbul in a one night tournament. He bested Saulo Cavalari in the semifinals and faced Gokhan Saki in the finals. The leg break occurred only 97 seconds into the fight, when Saki checked one of Spong’s kicks. Here’s a GIF (via Zombie Prophet) in case you can’t watch the video:

To be honest, we’re not huge kickboxing fans here at CagePotato. In fact, we used to sacrifice kickboxers to high school wrestlers and BJJ blue belts in illegal challenge matches in the basement of CagePotato HQ until Johnny Law put a stop to it.

But we’re writing about this awful injury now because Tyrone Spong is still an MMA fighter (he’s 2-0 and fights for WSOF, in case you forgot) and this so closely mirrors Anderson Silva‘s (in)famous leg break that we had no choice but to post it (either that or it’s a slow news day, pick one).

On Saturday, Spong was fighting at GLORY 15 in Istanbul in a one night tournament. He bested Saulo Cavalari in the semifinals and faced Gokhan Saki in the finals. The leg break occurred only 97 seconds into the fight, when Saki checked one of Spong’s kicks. Here’s a GIF (via Zombie Prophet) in case you can’t watch the video:

This horrific leg break will actually have implications on MMA. Spong wanted to fight again in WSOF this summer. Obviously, that can’t happen now.

Melvin Guillard Signs With World Series of Fighting, Hopes to Make “Some Real Money”


(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:

We hope that’s truly the case for Guillard, because UFC vets like Josh Burkman might argue otherwise.

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:

We hope that’s truly the case for Guillard, because UFC vets like Josh Burkman might argue otherwise.

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?

–J. Jones

Melvin Guillard Signs Multi-Fight Deal with World Series of Fighting

Former UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard has signed a multi-fight contract with Las Vegas-based promotion World Series of Fighting. 
WSOF executive Shawn Lampman confirmed the news to Bleacher Report on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.&…

Former UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard has signed a multi-fight contract with Las Vegas-based promotion World Series of Fighting. 

WSOF executive Shawn Lampman confirmed the news to Bleacher Report on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

“We are pleased and excited to announce to the MMA world that Melvin Guillard has a new home at the World Series of Fighting,” WSOF president Ray Sefo said. 

“I’m excited to start a new chapter in my career,” Guillard said. “I feel like a new fighter and want to prove I’m one of, if not the best, in the world.”

Guillard was released by the UFC last month after a loss to Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa. The loss was Guillard’s third in his previous five fights. 

The veteran lightweight was a member of the second season of The Ultimate Fighter. He made his official UFC debut with a win over Marcus Davis at The Ultimate Fighter 2 finale. Over the course of his UFC career, Guillard would amass a 12-9 record, with one no-contest. That stint included notable wins over Dennis Siver, Gleison Tibau, Jeremy Stephens and Shane Roller.

Guillard experienced the best stretch of his career in 2010 and 2011, when he racked up five consecutive victories and neared title contention. But a loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136 derailed Guillard’s plans, and he would go 2-5 with one no-contest through the rest of his UFC career. 

Guillard’s debut date for World Series of Fighting has not been determined. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Josh Burkman, Ali Abdelaziz Detail Contractual Issues and Resolution

For a brief period of time on Thursday night, issues between Josh Burkman and his employers at World Series of Fighting seemed untenable.
Burkman expressed his disappointment with vague issues on Twitter, asking to be released from his contract. WSOF m…

For a brief period of time on Thursday night, issues between Josh Burkman and his employers at World Series of Fighting seemed untenable.

Burkman expressed his disappointment with vague issues on Twitter, asking to be released from his contract. WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdelaziz responded to Burkman via Twitter, saying the promotion had been good to Burkman and had bent over backward for him.

On Friday, World Series of Fighting executive Shawn Lampman called Bleacher Report from the promotion’s Las Vegas office. On the line with Lampman were both Burkman and Abdelaziz. Over the next 20 minutes, the trio shed some light on the roots of Burkman‘s frustration with the promotion.

Abdelaziz told Bleacher Report that his issues with Burkman had been resolved and that Burkman would face the winner of the title fight between Rousimar Palhares vs. Jon Fitch, which takes place this summer.

Burkman confirmed the news.

“We can get into this from time to time. Especially me and Ali, because it has happened multiple times,” Burkman said. “But once it’s resolved, it’s resolved and we move on. And I’m very happy that they made it right and that I’m next in line to fight Fitch or Palhares.”

Burkman told Bleacher Report that his issues with Abdelaziz and WSOF stemmed from his recent fight with Tyler Stinson. Burkman told Abdelaziz he wanted to fight on the card, but the promotion was already over its fighter-pay budget. Burkman insisted on fighting, however, and ultimately agreed to take lower pay than what his contract called for.

But though he agreed to take the pay cut, Burkman wasn’t happy. After he knocked Stinson out, Abdelaziz came in the cage.

“I love you, Ali, but I don’t like you,” Burkman told the matchmaker.

“That’s our relationship. I don’t think it’s going to change. I don’t think it’s the last run-in we’re going to have over contracts or fights,” Burkman said. “But at the same time, I appreciate the person that Ali is. Some things got blown out of proportion, and I didn’t want that to happen.

“I like Ali, but he’s kind of a pain in my ass sometimes. Which is kinda his job, right? What happens is that there are some changes and miscommunication in contracts, and I was unhappy about it. I should have voiced how I felt about it a little bit better, maybe before I fought Tyler Stinson. But I figured the time for me to voice my opinion was after I won. I probably should have done that before the fight instead of doing it after. We didn’t all see eye to eye on it, but we came to a common ground. I appreciate how this has been handled.”

Burkman said he was unhappy with his treatment after coming off a loss to Steve Carl last year.

“I didn’t really like how I was treated. But I think that’s how it is in our sport. When you win, everything goes smoothly. But when you lose, that changes,” Burkman said. “There was a little bit of miscommunication. I wasn’t real happy with the way it all went down.”

“World Series of Fighting is a new company. We’re about to announce a very big thing, and there are a lot of moving parts,” Lampman said. “There was just some lack of communication. I think Josh had a reason to be a little upset. But I talked to Josh and we figured it out.”

Lampman told Bleacher Report that the promotion on Friday paid Burkman the difference in what he should have contractually received for the fight.

“When a fighter is coming off a big win, they have an expectation. And I think sometimes things get lost in the shuffle. Not intentionally. I was talking to Josh, and I completely understood how he felt. On a couple of issues, we agreed to disagree, but we resolved it,” Lampman said. “I think now, as Ali said, we have the making of an epic fight. Either Fitch vs. Burkman 3, or a war with Palhares. And Josh has the tools to beat both of them. It’s an honor to have him in our company and as a friend.”

Abdelaziz addressed Burkman directly.

“Josh, listen, me and you are going to become best friends,” Abdelaziz said. “I’m going to come down there and maybe you can choke me a couple of times.”

Burkman and Abdelaziz both expressed some regret in the way the situation played out over Twitter, but both chalked it up to the often volatile nature of social media.

“I’m a very emotional guy, and I speak my mind very loud. And when I saw the tweet, I got a little bit hurt. I kinda feel bad about it, because everyone started talking about me and Josh,” Abdelaziz said. “And that’s what people want. They want drama. I think I should have texted him, and he should have texted me. Whatever happens, me and Josh respect each other because we always speak our mind. No regrets. That is part of life.”

Burkman agreed.

“I don’t have any regrets. I made sure I thought about what I was going to say, and that I knew what I was getting myself into. I never said anything derogatory about Ali. I just said that, yeah, he can be a pain in the ass to deal with. I never said anything about World Series of Fighting except that I was unhappy and that, contractually, something went wrong.

“Social media is something else. You say one or two things, and then people ask you questions. And then it turned into something very big. Which is why I posted that WSOF has been mostly good to me. The people involved there are good people. So I wasn’t trying to bash the WSOF in any way. I was just trying to get things fixed that I wanted to get fixed, and it has been done.”

When asked by a fan on Twitter if Burkman wanted to fight the winner of Palhares vs. Fitch for the championship, the fighter responded by saying he didn’t want the WSOF belt.

“Josh, let me ask you a question: Do you want that belt now?” Abdelaziz asked Burkman.

Burkman said he does, in fact, want the belt. 

“I definitely am very competitive. I think that comes out in the way I fight and negotiate. Now? I’m very interested in the Fitch vs. Palhares fight,” Burkman said. “And I’m very excited for the opportunity to fight the winner. I want to be the best in this organization, and you need the belt to do that.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com