LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (July 16, 2013) – With a return to active competition on the horizon, World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo has officially elected to take a temporary leave from his executive role.
“I’m looking forward to another chance to step into the cage, but before I do, I felt taking a temporary leave from my executive duties was the right thing to do,” Sefo said. “I’m fortunate to have an outstanding team at World Series of Fighting which I know will handle our operations while I’m gone. And after my fight, I’ll step back into my role as World Series of Fighting President.”
Sefo returns to the cage on Aug. 10, where he meets Dave Huckaba (20-5) of Sacramento, Calif., on the NBC Sports Network-televised main card of World Series of Fighting 4, which takes place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
Sefo, an 18-year veteran of combat sports, is best-known as a six-time Muay Thai world champion and eight-time K-1 World Grand Prix participant. However, he’s also a longtime trainer at the famed Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas and has previously competed three times under mixed martial arts rules.
In fact, between his kickboxing, boxing and MMA experience, Sefo boasts 99 total combat-sports appearances. His most recent outing was a March 2012 kickboxing bout against respected veteran Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and Sefo has since maintained hope that he would have a chance to compete just one more time.
“Even though I took on an executive role at World Series of Fighting, I never actually retired from active competition,” Sefo said. “About three years ago, I set a personal goal of reaching the century mark, 100 fights, and then calling it quits. Now I’m excited to say I have a chance to do that.
“But I knew I couldn’t be the president of World Series of Fighting and fight for the company at the same time. To try and do so would have been a disservice to all of our fighters and my team at WSOF, not to mention me as an athlete and to all of the fans who will be watching me in action again. I’m fortunate to work with an outstanding group at World Series of Fighting, and I have total confidence their work will allow the success we’ve enjoyed so far to continue on Aug. 10.”
Tickets for World Series of Fighting 4, which start at just $29, are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets.
Doors at Citizens Business Bank Arena open at 4 p.m. PT local time (7 p.m. ET), and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT local time (8 p.m. ET).
The live, two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting 4 main card begins at 7:30 p.m. PT local time (10:30 p.m. ET). The night’s preliminary bouts stream live on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com.
ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.
ABOUT CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA
Citizens Business Bank Arena, built and owned by the City of Ontario, operated by AEG Facilities, includes 9,500 fixed seats with additional “portable” seating risers to accommodate capacities of 11,089 for concerts, 9,736 for ice hockey and 10,832 for basketball. The 225,000 square foot venue features 36 luxury suites located on two levels and a continuous concourse hosting a variety of refreshment stands, merchandise kiosks, a VIP club and other fan amenities. Citizens Business Bank Arena hosts ice hockey and a variety of other sporting competitions, concerts, family shows, special events, conventions, school and community activities as well as private events. The Arena is home to Ontario Reign, an ECHL Premier AA Hockey Team. The venue is the biggest and most modern arena within the Inland Empire, an area with over 4.1 million people. It is located in the City of Ontario, on a 37-acre parcel located between Haven Avenue and Milliken Avenue, Fourth Street and the I-10 Freeway. For more information and future updates please visit: CBBankArena.com
ABOUT NBC SPORTS NETWORK
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
