Undefeated World Series of Fighting lightweight Nick Newell is setting his sights high for 2014, and that means getting more vocal about a title shot against champion Justin Gaethje.
“I want that fight because I feel like I would be the underdog, and I love surprising people,” Newell recently told MMAjunkie Radio.
Newell (11-0), who was born with just one fully formed arm, has done just that with the NBC Sports Network-televised promotion, earning back-to-back wins to boost his record to 11-0.
This past December at WSOF 7, he tapped his second straight opponent in the first round with a guillotine choke modified for his congenital amputation, forcing Sabah Fadai to furiously submit to a standing hold against the fence. Newell has now stopped 10 of 11 opponents in the first frame.
His unlikely run, combined with a witty persona and a clean-cut look, makes him one of the more sellable assets on the WSOF’s roster. But as of yet, the 27-year-old Newell isn’t able to say he’s faced top-tier competition, and that’s what a fight with Gaethje (11-0) offers.
So he’s asking directly for it.
“It would be 11-0 vs. 11-0 with 10 first-round finishes, and he’s got 10 finishes, too,” Newell said. “He’s been killing all the top guys over in WSOF, and I think it’s a fight everyone wants to see.”
The fight also could represent a dose of reality, though, and that’s perhaps why the WSOF isn’t rushing to put it together. Gaethje has stopped his past six opponents via knockout, including his most recent opponent, Richard Patishnock, whom he stopped with a flurry of fists and elbows to earn the inaugural WSOF lightweight belt at this past month’s WSOF 8 event.
Newell would be going into a fight with a knockout artist without all the possible tools to stop an onslaught of fists. Still, he believes the WSOF backs the fight and supports his wish to test himself at the highest level.
“I guess they want to build it up a little more, but it could be next,” Newell said. ‘If (WSOF matchmaker) Ali (Abdelaziz) calls me up, I’ll say, ‘Send me the contract.’”
Of course, should Newell lose the fight, it’s likely that armchair critics who’ve followed his career would say it was overdue. Newell is used to encountering all kinds of doubt, however. He doesn’t listen any more to the people who think he shouldn’t be competing in MMA.
“I feel like I could be 100-0, and if I lose a fight, people are going to say I’m terrible, that I never should have fought,” he said. “I’ve come to terms with that, and I’m cool.”
And while Newell wants a fight with Gaethje, he also said he’ll sign any contract as long as it keeps him busy and fighting tough opposition.
With more wins, the groundswell of support would be too much for the promotion to deny him his ultimate opportunity.
“They’re treating me well, and I’m able to make a living doing what I love, so I’m not going to complain or be a pain to them,” he said. “I just want to fight the best fighters possible. As long as they give me someone good, and someone to build my stock, I’m happy.”
For more on the WSOF’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
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