July 5th , the day after Independence day, and the continuation of chest swelling, high fiving, all American pride being shown by everyone , in every town in the U.S.A . But on this particular holiday weekend, while there will certainly be MMA events being held all around the country, none of them, and let me reiterate that , I said none of them are more important to the MMA community than World Series of Fighting 11 Gaethje vs Newell, and not for the reason that most might think.

There is certainly a buzz about the main event , the hard hitting champion Justin Gaethje, solid all around game , and a big banging right hand that can end a fight before you blink. The challenger “Notorious” Nick Newell. The man who has defied the odds his whole life as a congenital amputee, being born with only one fully developed arm, and turning in to the undefeated (11-0) MMA star in the making, seeking his second World Title (former XFC LW champion) as he continues to amaze and inspire all those that see him fight.

An under-card filled with familiar names, some definite fan favorites. Jon Fitch , Melvin Guillard and the TUF cast off Cody Bollinger, who may be remembered in the MMA world for the wrong reasons after not making weight in the house for his last fight, and we all know the rest.

And while the names , and the story lines above have their own drama and intrigue by themselves, with a huge title fight, and so many future stars and current stars on this card, they are all a part of the small scene inside the big picture, and this time , there is hope that these folks at WSOF can be the ones, that is the ones to compete on the big stage of network television and be relevant on the MMA landscape as they ascend on their rise to the number two MMA promotion in the world.

NBC is putting their hat inside the cage and bringing MMA to their network for the first time in their history, and World Series of Fighting will bear the torch ,and or the peacock if you prefer,in this first of what many hope to be the beginning of numerous shows on the network.

The executives at NBC and WSOF could not of asked for a more exciting and inspiring main event for their first card, as two all- American undefeated tough guys go head to head on July 4th weekend to take home the World Title. You know the old adage, somebody’s 0 has gotta go! And while this fight is expected to have fireworks that should rival any you will see the night before, the rest of the card has to deliver, and in reality every fighter on this card needs to for lack of a better term , over achieve.

MMA fighters of today need to have a place where they can go and fight , and feel respected and appreciated, plus get the exposure that will help them secure the financial stability through sponsors, and big money fights that they deserve as they grow in their careers. WSOF can be that for so many as long as the partnership with NBC continues, and events will continue to be aired on the network. that’s why July 5th has to be a home run.

With the current shake up at Bellator MMA, as Bjorn Rebney is out , and Scott Coker of Strikeforce fame joining Bellator, WSOF needs to take the bull by the horns, and grab hold of the opportunity in front of them. Give the MMA fans , and the casual viewer that will certainly be watching that night , possibly for the first time ever, a great night of exciting fights!

Newell vs Gaethje will certainly have action and a great human interest story that no other fight can bring to the table, and as long as the rest of the card delivers, fans will be made, and new relationships will be formed that night, with both fighters that will want to join the fighter friendly organization headed up by Ray Sefo, (an incredible , and great fighter in his own right), and sponsors that want to join up with the still fledgling MMA promotion.

WSOF 11, the eleventh show for a company, (hence the WSOF 11 name, sorry had to do it), that is still getting their feet wet in the industry,and they are jumping in with both feet in the deep water of network tv where only the UFC has had success, and they have no fear, that is important. Win , lose or draw on July 5th WSOF arrives in your living room, don’t touch that dial! WSOF 11 takes place on July 5th from The Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fl, and will be broadcast on NBC. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com and

ALL ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL with i.d GET IN FREE Nice way for WSOF to give back to our real fighting heroes.

MAIN CARD NBC, 4pm ET / 1pm PT Justin Gaethje vs. Nick Newell for lightweight title Jon Fitch vs. Dennis Hallman Gesias Cavalcante vs. Melvin Guillard Pablo Alfonso vs. Cody Bollinger