Will Nick Newell put WSOF on the map?
by Brian Woodman Jr. on 12/10/13
As I watched Nick Newell earn his 11th professional career victory on Dec. 7 at World Series of Fighting, I found myself wondering what the future holds for this lightweight and the organization he is currently signed with.
Newell, a Milford native with a wrestling background, initially attracted attention because he possesses a daunting handicap for a fighter; he has no left hand and is missing part of his forearm as well. But Newell, who is undefeated, won his latest fights (his first two with WSOF) in the first round and seems poised to make a run for WSOF's vacant lightweight title.
On Dec. 7, Newell submitted opponent Sabah Fadai with a standing guillotine choke after about one minute and twenty seconds. Newell used his wrestling to press Fadai against he fence and go for a single leck takedown, trapping his arm as well. After he brought him to the ground, he let go and secured the hold around his neck. Both men got to their feet and Fadai tapped.
The UFC is obviously the premiere platform for professional MMA and earning a belt there remains the pinnacle for any serious fighter (it's only real competition is Bellator, which seems to put on consistently exciting events; a feat even the UFC can't always manage.WSOF remains a poor third on the national stage despite some legitimate talent in the cage (it's so new that it currently has only two belt holders as of this writing), but Newell is in a position to change that.
