WSOF vs. Bellator on pay-per-view? One promotion lays down a crossover challenge
By MMAjunkie Staff January 6, 2014 3:00 pm @MMAjunkie
World Series of Fighting might be looking to shake things up a little bit in 2014.
The Las Vegas-based promotion on Monday issued a challenge to California-based Bellator MMA for what would appear to be a cross-promoted pay-per-view event.
WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdel-Aziz laid down the challenge on “The MMA Hour,” and the promotion then tweeted a proposed lineup of fights, copying in Bellator’s official Twitter account.
At the top of the bill of WSOF’s dream lineup is a fight between Bellator light heavyweight Quinton Jackson (33-11 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), a former UFC champ, and unbeaten WSOF light heavyweight and renowned kickboxer Tyrone Spong (2-0).
The as yet very hypothetical card also would feature a champion vs. champion fight with Bellator featherweight titleholder Daniel Straus (22-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (22-3). Absent from the proposed lineup was WSOF’s other current champion, welterweight titleholder Steve Carl.
But the bouts WSOF is suggesting are not short on star power, including WSOF’s Anthony Johnson (15-4) vs. Bellator light heavyweight champ Attila Vegh (29-4-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA); former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski (21-10) vs. Bellator champ Vitaly Minakov (13-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA); and a fight between WSOF upcoming lightweight title challenger Justin Gaethje (10-0) and either former Bellator champ Michael Chandler (12-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) or current champ Eddie Alvarez (25-3 MMA, 9-1 BMMA).
Bellator MMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Neither WSOF or Bellator have yet entered the pay-per-view business. WSOF is heading into its eight event later this month with broadcast partner NBC Sports Network. Bellator this past November scheduled its first pay-per-view, but when headliner Tito Ortiz fell out of a fight with Jackson, the pay-per-view was scrapped and turned into a regular event on Spike TV.
There likely would be plenty of hurdles to be cleared between NBC Sports Network, Spike TV and the promotions if such a cross-promoted event were to take place.
The 10-fight proposed lineup as tweeted by WSOF:
•Quinton Jackson (BMMA) vs. Tyrone Spong (WSOF)
•Anthony Johnson (WSOF) vs. Attila Vegh (BMMA)
•Andrei Arlovski (WSOF) vs. Vitaly Minakov (BMMA)
•Eduardo Dantas (BMMA) vs. Marlon Moraes (WSOF)
•Yushin Okami (WSOF) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (BMMA)
•Douglas Lima (BMMA) vs. Rousimar Palhares (WSOF)
•Michael Chandler (BMMA) or Eddie Alvarez (BMMA) vs. Justin Gaethje (WSOF)
•Georgi Karakhanyan (WSOF) vs. Daniel Straus (BMMA)
•Jon Fitch (WSOF) vs. Rick Hawn (BMMA)
•David Branch (WSOF) vs. Brett Cooper (BMMA)
I think Tyrone would finish Rampage unless Quinton utilized a diverse mixed arts game plan effectively, so good chance of Rampage being KO'd because he has not been doing a lot of that.
Yea, i can't call it.... He might try to box, he might even catch Spong if he does. Or he might fight smart, even as he has been criticizing wrestlers for the last few years,
Honestly when was the last time Rampage actually caught someone? Nevermind an elite striker. He'd need to push him against the fence like Machida for a winm
Oh man this card would be amazing my picks would be
•Quinton Jackson (BMMA) vs. Tyrone Spong (WSOF) •Anthony Johnson (WSOF) vs. Attila Vegh (BMMA)
•Andrei Arlovski (WSOF) vs. Vitaly Minakov (BMMA)
•Eduardo Dantas (BMMA) vs. Marlon Moraes (WSOF)
•Yushin Okami (WSOF) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (BMMA)
•Douglas Lima (BMMA) vs. Rousimar Palhares (WSOF)
•Michael Chandler (BMMA) or Eddie Alvarez (BMMA) vs. Justin Gaethje (WSOF)
•Georgi Karakhanyan (WSOF) vs. Daniel Straus (BMMA)
•Jon Fitch (WSOF) vs. Rick Hawn (BMMA)
•David Branch (WSOF) vs. Brett Cooper (BMMA)
Giggidy As a fan , yeah , it sounds really cool , I hope it can get done.
And indeed if Rampage (like he so rarely does) would play a nice fluent complete mma game , he may have a good chance of beating spong given his limited mma experience for now. I've been so eager to see more of spong in mma...
The second thought on Aziz's move reeks of BS kinda. WSOF more then anything is a nuisance to BFC. Their talent pool is far more shallow and overall less talented, their only two champions are guys who were beaten out of BFC tournaments multiple times never seeing a finals, they occasionally land a prospect that might of otherwise of funneled to their promotion, they do not get any kind of decent TV ratings. BFC has no need to entertain WSOF and that is what makes Aziz's move shady because of the fickle false perceptions created in people about things like this.
I don't see WSOF having the lasting power of BFC. I wouldn't mind them allowing fighters to take fights in either organization but I'm not real big on straight up BFC vs WSOF card. But I wouldn't mind fighters having more options to stay active in either organization.
I'm curious why they would feature Fitch and not Burkman when he just destroyed in a couple months ago. Small thing to notice I know, just crossed my mind.
Other than that, I like this card a lot... I'd pay for it, or at least go out to a bar that was hosting it.
Spong wants this fight, he's trying to wind Rampage up. Ramage won't resist trading with Spong, at least initially, and he'll lose that fight. If he thought Jones' leg kicks hurt, he's in for a surprise.
Rampage Jackson, Tyrone Spong exchange shots on Twitter
I know the guy is not in the ufc anymore but thought this was interesting just to bad he didn't have this same energy in last two fight in the octagon!!
A relative harmless tweet from World Series of Fighting light heavyweight Tyrone Spong erupted into quite a Twitter war between Spong and Bellator light heavyweight Rampage Jackson on Saturday afternoon. Check it out below. (Warning: Some language NSFW).
That was a good exchange. I really couldn't say who would win. Never thought about this match up before. This would be a very good test to see where Tyrone is at.
Yeah it seemed far-fetched when WSOF threw down the challenge, I love XFC for what they've done for WMMA but them joining in on the challenge is ludicrous!
Obviously Anthony Johnson being involved on this proposed PPV isn't going to happen considering the fact that he was signed back to the UFC as a light heavyweight.
Honestly this whole thing is kind of ludicrous considering it would be for the number two spot. Also WSOF is pretty much a feeder into the UFC so them winning proves nothing. Not really a point.
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