Spong tipped the scales at 205 pounds for his light heavyweight scrap with reigning Tachi Palace Fights champion Angel DeAnda (205) in the World Series of Fighting 4 main event on Saturday at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. Co-headliners Marlon Moraes (136) and Brandon Hempleman (136) checked in under the bantamweight threshold at Friday’s official weigh-in.
Nicknamed “King of the Ring,” Spong operates out of the Blackzilians camp in Florida, where he trains alongside former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholders Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort. The Suriname-born Dutchman owns a 72-6-1 record as a professional kickboxer. Spong made his MMA debut at WSOF 1 in November, when he knocked out Travis Bartlett at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
DeAnda will enter his first World Series of Fighting appearance on a four-fight winning streak. He last fought at Tachi Palace Fights 15 in November, when he wiped out Anthony Ruiz with third-round punches at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif. A Last Stand Fight Team export, DeAnda has delivered 10 of his 11 career wins by knockout or technical knockout, four of them in less than a minute.
World Series of Fighting 4 “Spong vs. DeAnda” -- which airs live on the NBS Sports Network at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT -- will also feature a heavyweight clash pitting WSOF President Ray Sefo (255) against Dave Huckaba (264), along with a pair of lightweight tilts, as Tyson Griffin (156) locks horns with Gesias Cavalcante (156) and Nick Newell (155) battles “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 alum Keon Caldwell (156).
Two and a half hours prior, Sherdog.com will stream the entire undercard: Gerald Harris (171) vs. Jorge Santiago (170), Antonio McKee (155) vs. Lewis Gonzales (156), Jared Papazian (136) vs. John Robles (134) and Isaac Gutierrez (150) vs. Victor Valenzuela (150). A scheduled light heavyweight clash between Lew Polley and Hans Stringer was cancelled when Polley came in well over his contracted weight limit.
*Santiago made weight on his subsequent attempt.
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