WSOF focuses on NBC partnership, puts pay-per-view plans on hold ‘for now’

The World Series of Fighting announced plans of doing pay-per-view shows in 2015, but that’s not their focus right now.

After promoting 14 fight cards in less than two years of existence, and with two other cards scheduled for the rest of the year, WSOF president Ray Sefo announced the idea of doing WSOF shows on pay-per-view. The fighters would also earn a share of the money.

However, WSOF will only look at the pay-per-view market after building their brand on NBC and NBC Sports in 2014.

"Right now, we have to be on NBC, we have to be on NBC Sports, we have to be on Brazilian television," WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz told MMAFighting.com. "After that, when fans get familiar… And this is going to happen soon. And after that we’re going to be ready for pay-per-view. For now, we’re just focused on NBC and NBC Sports, and we’ll go from there."

WSOF has several high-level MMA fighters under contract today, including UFC veterans in Yushin Okami, Jon Fitch, Jake Shields, Rousimar Palhares and Melvin Guillard, and rising prospects in Marlon Moraes, Justin Gaethje and Nick Newell.

When fans get familiar with the promotion and its fighters, it will be time to jump on the pay-per-view market in 2015.

"This is something that is going to happen in the future," he said, "but right now we want to get big ratings, we want to get the fans to know the fighters because when the fans know the fighters, they’re going to buy the pay-per-view. Right now, it’s still a process."