If World Series of Fighting 22 was going to pose even a minor threat to UFC 190, it was going to need a pretty stacked card.
Mission accomplished.
WSOF 22, airing on the same day as Ronda Rousey defends her women's bantamweight title against Bethe Correia at UFC 190, will include three championship fights and the return of combat sports sensation Tyrone Spong, according to a report published Tuesday by John Morgan of MMA Junkie. Both events go down Saturday, August 1.
“This is, in my opinion, the most incredible lineup of fights featuring marquee talent that WSOF has put together since we launched the company in 2012,” said WSOF president Ray Sefo, according to the report.
#WSOF22 is STACKED!!! Palhares vs Shields Moraes vs Moraes Bibulatov vs Frelow Spong vs Kyle http://t.co/xRqIRCS9Mv pic.twitter.com/XkIf9ZUyND
— WSOF (@MMAWorldSeries) May 26, 2015
At the top of the WSOF 22 card, controversial submission artist Rousimar Palhares defends his welterweight belt against fellow grappler and UFC veteran Jake Shields.
UFC officials released and banned Palhares in 2013 for his practice of repeatedly holding dangerous submission holds too long—a charge that has followed him to WSOF.
Bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes will face challenger and blue-chip prospect Sheymon Moraes in the evening's co-main event. Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) is still only 27 years old and widely considered the best bantamweight outside the UFC. But Sheymon Moraes is hot on his heels, being 7-0 as a 24-year-old pro, though his WSOF debut was an uninspiring split-decision win.
In the evening's third title tilt, Magomed Bibulatov and Donavon Frelow do battle to determine the promotion's first flyweight champ. Native Chechen Bibulatov (9-0) will probably be favored to grab the belt in his first fight for WSOF.
Plenty of fans, however, might be most intrigued by one of the evening's non-title matchups. Tyrone Spong, a former professional kickboxing champion, returns to MMA for the first time WSOF 4 in 2013. Spong, who trains with the vaunted Blackzilians team in Florida, will face UFC alum Mike Kyle. The 29-year-old light heavyweight is 2-0 in professional MMA.
