Smealinho Rama signs with WSOF Canada, eyeing eventual WSOF heavyweight title

Highly regarded heavyweight Smealinho Rama has signed a new deal with WSOF less than six months after debuting with the promotion’s Canadian branch.

Rama (8-1 MMA, 0-0 WSOF), a 22-year-old from Canada who recently fought for the MFC heavyweight title, has won back-to-back fights in 2014, including a win over NCCA wrestling champion Steve Mocco at WSOF Canada in February and a first-round TKO of UFC veteran Tim Hague in May.

“I’ve been very impressed watching Rama’s career develop,” WSOF Canada executive Darren Owen stated. “He gets better every fight and he’s always looking to finish, whether he is looking for the knockout on his feet or a submission on the ground. I know that he wants to fight the best WSOF has to offer, and soon he’ll be doing just that.”

No details were announced of Rama’s next fight for the promotion, but it may be for WSOF Canada before potentially moving to the Las Vegas-based WSOF’s main banner.

“I’m very excited to sign with the World Series of Fighting,” Rama stated. “I want to fight for the WSOF Canada title and then the WSOF world title. I want to fight the best guys in the world, and I know with WSOF I’ll get the opportunity to show what I’m capable of.”

Rama was set to fight for MFC’s heavyweight title this past year after starting 6-0 with six first-round finishes. But a fight against Chris Barnett at MFC 37 was canceled due to medical issues for Barnett. Instead, Rama fought Anthony Hamilton for the belt at MFC 38. There, though, in October, he suffered the first loss of his career when the Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA-trained Hamilton knocked him out with a head kick in the second round.

But his rebound in 2014 has been impressive, starting with the February upset of American Top Team’s Mocco, the first loss of the highly touted wrestler’s career. Then he stopped Hague just 101 seconds into their co-main event of Unified MMA 19 in Edmonton.

WSOF has held two WSOF Canada events so far, the most recent coming this past Saturday in Edmonton.

For more on WSOF’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.