WSOF President Ray Sefo says UFC outs not built into promotion's contracts

Exclusivity is a tough ask for promoters who want to sign and build a fighter but may not necessarily have the resources to give them a living. And from a standpoint of prestige, convincing a prospect to stay in one place when the UFC is calling is nearly impossible.

That’s why most regional MMA promotions write into their contracts an out clause that allows a fighter to void his or her deal if the industry-leader comes calling. But there are exceptions to the rule, most notably the shows that hope to compete with the UFC on the national stage.

Some promoters, such as Bellator MMA and WSOF, require exclusivity, which has led to several disputes with fighters looking for greener pastures. Most notably, former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez battled in court with the Viacom-owned promotion and later won his release amid a management shakeup to sign with the UFC.

WSOF President Ray Sefo said that while his promotion has only been less than two years, he finds it humorous that MMA observers compare it to the UFC. But when it comes to locking down talent, he said, WSOF is unequivocal about keeping people in one place.

“There’s never been a contract like that (that allows a UFC out),” he told MMAjunkie following this past Saturday’s WSOF 13 Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Pa.

That might be bad news to one standout currently signed to WSOF: bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes. Following a second-round submission in a non-title fight, he said he was thinking about moving on to bigger challenges in the UFC and said “if a good opportunity appears for both promotions, I feel they’ll let me go my way.”

So far, however, the UFC and WSOF have no incentive to collaborate. The former dwarfs the latter in talent and resources and has little interest in sharing the MMA market with competitors, though it does welcome the idea of smaller shows sending talent to bolster its roster.

If Moraes wants to fight in the UFC, then, his fate could be in the hands of the contract he signed with the WSOF, and it’s unclear what the limits of his deal are given that he currently holds the title. Championship clauses are known to restrict a fighter’s movement moreso than a traditional deal, as the promotion stands to lose big if a champion vacates the belt.

Sefo and the WSOF hope to make it worth a fighter’s while to make the promotion an attractive option for a career, though they face a steep uphill battle when it comes to matching the pay of the UFC’s top stars.

For now, though, the promotion will try to keep its stars in one place, and they’ll put paper behind it.

“We’re not a feeder to the UFC,” Sefo said. “We are a premier league ourselves, and I’m sure we’ve proven that. In the span of a little over a year-and-a-half, I’m very proud of what myself and my team have done to get us where we are today. To be on a network, to be in over 80 countries around the world, that’s pretty amazing for a company that’s only a year-and-a-half old. I love it when people feel the need to compare us to the UFC.”

For complete coverage of WSOF 13, check out the MMA Events section of the site.