The combat sports are consistently looking for the next big faces to represent them. Mike Tyson once held that mantle in boxing. Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao are three other men who achieved a similar level of name recognition. In MMA, Jon Jones seemed to be the person ready for that position, but Ronda Rousey has quickly snatched away that title. One thing is very clear: the next big name in the sport of MMA is not coming from the World Series of Fighting.
It’s clear that the organization continues to struggle when it comes to filling out its roster. The company has seven champions, but only three of them have challengers planned for the near future. David Branch, the current middleweight champion, is competing in the organization’s light heavyweight tournament at WSOF 20. As for the others, they are fighting sparingly as the promotion searches for “suitable” contenders for their belts. These title challengers are usually individuals that have been jettisoned from the UFC or are honing their craft in regional circuits.
The company has slowly built up “stars” in Marlon Moraes and Justin Gaethje (who competed last weekend at WSOF 19), but the question that is consistently asked about these fighters is “how well would they perform if they were a part of the UFC’s roster?” Instead of wanting to see these athletes compete against the men on WSOF’s roster, fans would rather watch these people compete on MMA’s grandest stage.
With that being said, why should any of these individuals want to stick around? The clear answer to that question is they shouldn’t. Anthony Johnson and Andrei Arlovski both stand out as examples of what happens when WSOF fighters make their jump to the UFC. Both men are within striking distance of UFC gold, as Johnson has his date with Jon Jones at UFC 187 and Arlovski is currently sitting near the top of the heavyweight division. Moraes, Gathje, Lance Palmer, and Jessica Aguilar should all have their hearts set on moving to the Octagon once their current contracts are up. Branch and welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares have already competed in the UFC, and their runs ended via pink slip, so returning might not be in the cards for them, but even they should be open to the possibility.
To make things worse, the UFC isn’t cutting too many competitors at this point in time. Since the promotion is working hard to fill its growing slate of events, Zuffa is in fact bringing in more men and women to compete. Unless fighters are at the top of the division and commanding too much money, Dana White and company are doing the best they can to hold on to their prized possessions, as well as acquire the prized possessions of promotions like WSOF.
Not to mention that Bellator is also waiting in the wings with Viacom’s deep pockets to make large offers to these fighters. WSOF cannot compete with the exposure that is available through Bellator and the potential for larger paydays.
The saddest part is that the WSOF has very few options to fix this situation. The organization has been working to build the roster by bringing in new talent from other promotions, but unfortunately, these individuals are not the kinds of fighters that can develop champions into viable names within the sport. For example, Palmer is rumored to be facing Chris Horodecki next, but Horodecki is widely considered to be a journeyman, far from the type of fighter that would bolster any competitor’s ledger.
Mixed martial arts is still a young sport, and with proper planning and backing, it’s possible that there may yet be an organization with the ability to become a true competitor to the UFC. But the World Series of Fighting is not that company. Over two years after its debut, the organization struggles to keep its cards and its champions relevant, and one can’t help but wonder how much longer WSOF will be a part of this volatile industry. However, for the promotion’s best and brightest, WSOF going under might not be the worst thing.
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WSOF 20: Branch vs. Markes (formerly WSOF 20: Hamill vs. Magalhaes) takes place on April 10, 2015 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
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