Six preliminary bouts added to next month's World Series of Fighting 9 event
World Series of Fighting official today announced the addition of six preliminary-card fights added to WSOF 9, which takes place March 29 Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The matchups include Chris Gruetzemacher (11-1) vs. John Gunderson (34-15), Sean Cantor (1-0) vs. Bryson Hansen (6-1), Phil Dace (9-4) vs. Danny Davis (8-8-1), Jimmy Jones (4-2) vs. Rudy Morales (2-0), Gil Guardado (2-0) vs. Jimmy Spicuzza (2-0), and Tanner Cowan (0-0) vs. A.J. Williams (0-0).
WSOF 9 is headlined by a welterweight title fight between champ Steve Carl and ex-UFC fighter Rousimar Palhares. The event’s main card airs live on NBC Sports Network following prelims on MMAjunkie.
Strikeforce vet and MMA Lab product Gruetzemacher makes his WSOF debut after a layoff following a third-round TKO of UFC vet Roli Delgado in June 2012. Gunderson, who fights out of Las Vegas’ Syndicate MMA, drops to featherweight after fighting the bulk of his career at 155 pounds, where he lost his past two outings.
Wand Fight Team bantamweight Cantor makes his WSOF debut following a successful debut pro fight in August 2012. Hawaii resident Hansen also makes his debut following a first round TKO this past March, which followed a submission loss to current UFC vet Russell Doane.
Welterweight Dace, another Syndicate MMA product, hopes to make it two in a row following a second-round TKO this past May on the regional circuit. Davis, training out of Suffer MMA and Vadnais Fighting, makes his WSOF debut following back-to-back wins.
Bantamweight Jones makes his first appearance in the WSOF cage following a loss to Sergio Pettis at RFA 4 in November 2012. He meets the undefeated Morales, who this past year racked up back-to-back wins in California’s BAMMA USA promotion.
Lightweight Guardado, who works out of Las Vegas’ Xtreme Couture, also picked up a pair of wins in BAMMA following a 4-0 amateur career. He meets fellow Las Vegan Spicuzza, who’s unbeaten in two pro outings with one amateur loss.
Cowan makes his pro debut following an impressive 8-1 amateur career including a January TKO win. Williams, a Syndicate MMA fighter, is 3-1 as an amateur with all of his victories coming by way of submission or stoppage due to strikes.
With the additional bouts, the World Series of Fighting 9 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD
Champ Steve Carl vs. Rousimar Palhares – for welterweight title
Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Rettinghouse – for inaugural bantamweight title
Josh Burkman vs. Tyler Stinson
Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Johnny Nunez
Mike Corey vs. Shane Kruchten
PRELIMINARY CARD
Chris Gruetzemacher vs. John Gunderson
Sean Cantor vs. Bryson Hansen
Phil Dace vs. Danny Davis
Jimmy Jones vs. Rudy Morales
Gil Guardado vs. Jimmy Spicuzza
Tanner Cowan vs. A.J. Williams
