Keon Caldwell camp worried WSOF favoring Nick Newell for spot in tournament

A press release issued this past week by World Series of Fighting announced an upcoming lightweight tournament to crown its first champion at 155 pounds.

Among the fighters targeted for the competition was Justin Gaethje, Dan Lauzon, the winner of a fight at WSOF 4 between Gesias Cavalcante and Tyson Griffin and one-handed fighter Nick Newell (9-0).

Newell’s opponent at WSOF 4, Keon Caldwell (9-1), was not mentioned, and that has his camp feeling two things – worried the promotion is displaying favoritism, and motivated to spoil its plans.

“Throughout the whole process, it seems like the attention has been on Nick a little more than Keon,” Caldwell’s trainer, Richard Cox, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “(WSOF is) a great company – I just think they’re on the Nick Newell hype train.

“(Newell’s) people have done a good job of marketing him, so the spotlight’s on him, and that’s cool. That’s the best for us. We’re some south Georgia guys and we’re not used to the glitz and glamour, so being the underdog is the best spot for us. I just hope they give us that tournament slot if we get the win over Newell.”

As of now, Caldwell’s camp is unsure of whether the stakes are equal.

“My understanding is that Keon is a WSOF fighter,” said Caldwell manager Jason Ellis. “We still have some fights left on our deal. When I asked them if he would get the opportunity, it was more or less explained to me that they’re unsure at this point. I think if he does come in and do what he needs to do and gets the win over Nick, he deserves the opportunity to compete with the other athletes in the WSOF.”

WSOF 4 takes place Saturday at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. The event’s main card airs live on NBC Sports Network. Prelims stream at MMAjunkie.com.

“[Keon] needs to prove himself like all the other guys,” Abdel-Aziz said. “‘JZ’ Cavalcante proved himself. Nick Newell proved himself. What has this kid done to prove himself to be involved on that platform? But we gave him the opportunity to prove himself on the main card of WSOF.

“One of the reasons I brought him in was that I did not want Nick Newell to fight a bum. And he’s not a bum. He can beat Nick Newell up. I don’t know who’s going to win, and I don’t care who wins. If he wins, it’s great. If Nick Newell wins, it’s great. To me, it’s an equal opportunity and all he has to do is get in the cage and prove himself. But honestly, I think his manager and trainer want to get in the media and get their two minutes of fame, and that is why they [spoke to the media].” Newell, who signed with the promotion earlier this year, said he wasn’t concerned about the relative attention he and his opponent are getting prior to the event. But he said Caldwell should have the same opportunity to enter the tournament.

“I would give it to him if he beats me, but I don’t make the rules,” Newell said. “At this point, I think maybe they want me because I’ve accomplished more with my career, but it really means nothing when we both step into the cage. The better man is going to win on Saturday night.”

Newell, who is missing his left hand and most of his left arm below the elbow due to congenital amputation, began fighting in 2009 and attracted a tremendous amount of attention in his quest to become an MMA fighter despite his disability. Although he struggled to find willing opponents, he built an undefeated record and this past December won a title with Xtreme Fighting Championships. After leaving the promotion earlier this year, he signed with WSOF.

Caldwell signed with WSOF earlier this year after nearly two years away from professional fighting. A cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter 13,” he was forced to leave the show due to family issues.

Caldwell’s trainer said the fighter isn’t taking WSOF’s offer to Newell personally and is focused on winning at Saturday’s event.

“He’s putting the work in,” said Cox. “He’s just in that mentality; he’s ready. He’ll tell me little things. People talking crap bothers him, but his response is just to put the work in, and ‘I’m going to let my cagework do the talking.’”

For more on WSOF 4, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site

(Pictured: Keon Caldwell)

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Story updated at 9 p.m. ET on 8/5/13 to reflect additional quotes from Abdel-Aziz.