WSOF vs. Bellator on pay-per-view? One promotion lays down a crossover challenge
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)
