Issue 097

January 2013

Fighting veteran Ray Sefo is delighted with new promotion WSOF, and is promising bigger things to come – quite literally!

The World Series of Fighting arrived finally in November. Its inaugural card, at PH Live inside the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, featuring a plethora of former UFC stars including Andrei Arlovski, Anthony Johnson and Miguel Torres, among others. And nobody present looked happier than the new organization’s president, Ray Sefo. 

The WSOF has inked a deal with NBC Sports to broadcast up to 10 events each year. But Sefo insists the process will be slowly, slowly. “From small acorns…” he offers up, explaining that it has been in the pipeline, as a thought process, for the best part of five years. He’s keeping quiet about his business partner, though, a silent one, but reveals the stars were aligned at the right time.

“We’d known each other for a long time,” Sefo reveals, “and just as I’d come off a radio show with Crooklyn MMA, my business partner called to discuss it the next day. The two events were unconnected, but it just seems as if the timing was right.” 

Why another fight organization? “Well, because there’s so much talent out there. The perfect example is if you have a look at our cards. Those people don’t have another place to go.” 

Sefo’s theory is that there’s a danger the UFC is so large – yet has only 450 fighters on its roster – there is a growing need to create a stronger cottage industry to support fighting coming out of, or trying to get into, the largest organizations. “I don’t think it’s a danger. We’re starting off small and we’ll take it one step at a time and we’re blessed to have the talent we do. 

“The UFC is the leader and lynchpin of the game and that’s no secret. Everybody understands that and everybody knows that. We’ll just take one step at a time and move forward with the talent that we have and we hope to acquire more talent and have a bigger roster. But you’ve got to crawl before you walk.

“I’m at almost every UFC event. I have nothing but respect for UFC. I have a relationship with them. I train some of their top fighters and I love the game. I think when promoters and fighters understand, we can all work together. There should never be an issue or a problem. I have nothing but praise for the UFC for what they’re doing for the sport and for the athletes. We’re not looking in five to 10 years we’re just looking at now. The next event – the second event.” 

Standing six-feet tall, and seemingly six-feet wide, Sefo has spent a lifetime in fight sports. The New Zealander built his fight career as a kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist, before turning his hand to coaching at Xtreme Couture. The 41-year-old’s last contest – in all he reckons he’s had 93 pro fights – was a defeat to Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ in a kickboxing contest. It was only his third MMA fight, and his first loss in the sport. “I’d like seven more, as I’d like to reach the 100 mark,” Sefo says. As a boxer, he racked up a 5-1 record, but it was in kickboxing where he found most success, going 56-22-1 during 17 title-laden years. 

Sefo has also promoted before. “Myself and one of my business partners used to run the K-1 New Zealand event and prior to that myself and another business partner promoted the biggest kickboxing fight in New Zealand history, which had seven world titles. So the promoting side isn’t new to me. I’ve done this before and as I come towards the end of my career, it’s the next role for me to step into.” 

Sefo highlights two things: heavyweights, and smaller, technical fighters. “Everyone wants to see people get knocked down and stand up. If you look at ‘Mighty Mouse’ (Demetrious) Johnson and the flyweight title against Joe Benavidez, although no one really got knocked out, those fellows displayed so much talent. 

“There are takedowns, they sweep each other, they went through all combinations then were back to standing. The first UFC flyweight title was one of the best fights I’ve seen ever in terms of combination fighting.” 

Then there are the heavyweights. “One of the things in boxing is that you’ve got heavyweight boxing and then you’ve got the rest, and I think in MMA it’s kind of the same as well, because there’s nothing like seeing two guys that are 240lb going at it. That’s what makes it exciting. Fans love to see the big men going toe-to-toe.” 

THE BIGGER THE BETTER

Ray Sefo isn’t playing around when he lights up propounding the theory that, one day, a Maori or Samoan will be crowned as the UFC heavyweight champion. “We will see more Samoans and Maoris coming into the sport as it develops, and I say that 100%, without a doubt. MMA is the biggest, fastest rising sport in the world now, especially in New Zealand, and Australia.” 

Rugby, of course, is the number-one sport of choice for the populace there. “Yes, but in that part of the world they love the fight sports, no matter what they do. They love MMA, kickboxing… everything. You’d say I was a big guy, but I played on the wing in rugby – to a decent level. I’m one of the little guys out on the rugby field.”  

Venturing to suggest that the UFC is now tapping into the China and India markets, Sefo is categoric that he, as president of the WSOF, will ‘tap into’ the South Sea Island culture. He adds: “Absolutely that’s what I’m going to do. There’s such a large talent pool down there and it doesn’t surprise me. Without a doubt, a heavyweight UFC champion will come from there some time soon – whether it be Samoan or Maori. Definitely.”  

RAY SEFO BY THE NUMBERS

93

Fought 93 times professionally across three disciplines

90,500

Followers on Twitter

6

A six-time Muay Thai world champion

2011

Inducted into the USA Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame