WSOF President Ray Sefo: People are underestimating champ Steve Carl

Match a UFC veteran with a fighter groomed in smaller promotions, and most fans will pick the former.

WSOF welterweight champion Steve Carl is no longer an unknown, but the promotion’s president said he still struggles to be taken seriously.

“Rousimar Palhares is no joke; he’s proven time and time again that he’s a badass,” Sefo recently told MMAjunkie Radio. “But I think people still underestimate Steve Carl.”

On Saturday, Carl (21-3) gets another high-profile opponent when he attempts his first title defense, which comes against controversial submission specialist Palhares (15-5) at WSOF 9. The event takes place at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas with main-card bouts airing live on NBC Sports Network.

The title fight’s winner meets onetime UFC title challenger Jon Fitch (25-6-1), Sefo said.

Carl, who struggled in Bellator MMA but rallied to win seven straight, picked up his biggest win to date when he submitted longtime UFC vet Josh Burkman with a triangle choke at this past October’s WSOF 6 event.

Sefo said Carl and Burkman both came into the fight injured: Carl had a back issue, and Burkman was sick two weeks prior to the fight. Yet Burkman was the unquestioned favorite going into the bout, and it wasn’t hard to see why.

“Burkman, after defeating (Aaron) Simpson and then coming out and submitting Jon Fitch the way he did so fast and so early in the fight, obviously that’s the reason why a lot of people looked at him and said this is going to be a tough ask for Steve Carl,” he said. “But again, I think a lot of us underestimated Steve, and he proved what he is made of.”

The WSOF exec admitted even he is still coming around to Carl’s abilities.

“There’s a fight of Steve’s where he’s in a triangle, and the guy has it tight, and Steve is in there for a little while,” Sefo said. “He escapes, which really surprised me because I thought he was done. And the fact that he’s fought with all these injuries? It shows that he is a champion and he has the heart and will to come out on top.”

Carl has the chance to up his stock even further by defeating Palhares, who’s the owner of vicious heel-hook skills that have brought him as much acclaim as it has trouble. The Brazilian fighter has been suspended for holding the joint lock too long, and this past fall, the UFC released him when he repeated the infraction.

Sefo said he consulted with fellow WSOF execs to make sure the promotion was making the right decision by picking up a fighter who could prove a liability in the cage. But he said he’s been reassured that Palhares won’t repeat his past mistakes.

Sefo attributed Palhares’ repeated troubles to the way he was taught by his coaches.

“So, really, it’s not his fault,” he said. “But again, we’ve talked to him, and we’ve made it clear: If the referee is saying stop, you’ve got to stop. We’re not going to tolerate that kind of silliness if it continues. But we’re in Nevada; we’re the second-chance state. We felt it was necessary for us to give him an opportunity. And he’s a great fighter. He’s proven that time and time again.”

While he isn’t picking sides, Sefo said Carl is a lot tougher than people give him credit for. He said the champ came into his title fight with a back injury and at several points contemplated quitting.

“His heart just wouldn’t allow him to,” Sefo said. “It’s a testament to his heart and his spirit, and he definitely displayed that.”

Most likely, MMA fans will still favor Palhares heading into Saturday’s title bout. But Sefo believes it’s a closer fight than many would think.

For more on WSOF 9, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.