Two New Preliminary Bouts Added to World Series of Fighting 3

Surging knockout artist Chris “Gritz” Gruetzemacher (11-1) of Glendale, Ariz. will square off with fellow fast-rising star Jerrod Sanders (11-1) of Oklahoma City, Okla. in a World Series of Fighting featherweight (145 pounds) preliminary card bout at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Friday, June 14.

A bantamweight (135 pounds) contest between emerging force Carson “Little Juggernaut” Beebe (13-2) of Schaumburg, Ill. and undefeated submission ace Joe Murphy (6-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif. has been added to the preliminary card as well, World Series of Fighting announced on Wednesday.

“We are excited to add another pair of match-ups to our preliminary card that will showcase a collection of the sport’s brightest up-and-coming athletes and future champions,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

“Since we launched our promotion last year, World Series of Fighting has made a commitment to building a roster of its own stars, so fighting as many potential future stars at our live events is critical in order to ensure that these athletes gain the necessary competitive experience to take their careers to the next level.”

The 26-year-old Gruetzemacher has been on fire since 2009, winning his last 10 fights.  He has defeated each of his last seven opponents by way of (T)KO or submission, including four consecutive (T)KO victories.

Likewise, Sanders has notched nine straight wins.  The 33-year-old has finished his last three opponents – two by way of submission and the third via TKO.

Beebe, the 24-year-old younger brother of bantamweight submission specialist Chase Beebe, is looking to return to the win column after he dropped a unanimous decision to Rolando Velasco in his last effort on Nov. 15, 2012.  Prior to that, Beebe had reeled off seven consecutive victories.

The 25-year-old Murphy has been unstoppable since he made his professional debut with a first round (2:01) submission (armbar) victory over Orlando Aspericueta on May 1, 2009.  Five of Murphy’s six wins to date have come by way of submission, including his last bout, an April 14 match-up with Tyler Weathers that Murphy won by way of armbar in the second round (2:56).

Tickets for the World Series of Fighting event, priced from $29 (plus applicable service fees), are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

The four-bout main card will air live on NBC Sports Network, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

In the welterweight (170 pounds) main event and a long-awaited rematch, Jon Fitch (24-5) of Fort Wayne, Ind., will square off with fellow superstar Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman (25-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open at 4:30 p.m. PT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Check out the WSOF 3 line-up in MMAWeekly.com’s Rumors.