Tyrone Spong vs. Angel DeAnda named World Series of Fighting 4 headliner

A previously announced light heavyweight matchup between kickboxing champ Tyrone Spong (1-0) and Californian knockout artist Angel DeAnda (11-2) has been officially installed as the headliner for next month’s World Series of Fighting 4 event.

WSOF officials recently announced that Spong vs. DeAnda will be the featured contest of the Aug. 10 event, which takes place Aug. 10 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Additionally, the night’s five-fight, main-card lineup is now set with Marlon Moraes (10-4-1) vs. Brandon Hempleman (9-1) taking the night’s co-feature slot and Ray Sefo (2-1) vs. Dave Huckaba (20-5), Nick Newell (9-0) vs. Keon Caldwell (9-1) and Tyson Griffin (16-6) vs. Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (17-7-1) rounding out the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast on NBC Sports Network.

Spong, a Surinamese-Dutch striker with a 72-6-1 pro kickboxing record, fights in an MMA cage for just the second time. Back in November, he made his highly anticipated MMA debut and made short work of Travis Bartlett, whom he knocked out in the first round. This past month, the 27-year-old Spong, who trains with the Florida-based Blackzilian team, returned to kickboxing and scored a single-night, eight-man tournament win under the GLORY banner.

DeAnda, meanwhile, most recently fought in November, when he knocked out former Strikeforce title challenger Anthony Ruiz at a Tachi Palace Fights event. It marked the California-based fighter’s fourth straight win and his 10th knockout in 11 career victories. His only loss in his past 11 fights came to UFC vet James Irvin.

Bantamweight Moraes brings a four-fight win streak to the event, a run that includes an impressive knockout win over Tyson Nam at WSOF 2 event. He meets “Hot Rod” Hempleman, a once-beaten Idaho resident who boasts a six-fight win streak.

WSOF President Sefo, a 2000 K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 runner-up with a 56-21-1 pro kickboxing record, fights MMA for the first time in more than two years. After an MMA victory in 2005 and one again in 2009, he suffered a submission loss to Valentijn Overeem at a Strikeforce event in 2011. Facing the 42-year-old bossman is Huckaba, a onetime Bellator fighter and regional-circuit vet who’s won three straight fights and nine of his past 10 (seven of those nine wins have come via knockout). 

Newell, who recently left the Xtreme Fighting Championships promotion after winning their lightweight title, was previously announced for the event but did not have an opponent. He’ll face “The Black Assassin” Caldwell, a former cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 13.”

Griffin, a former UFC lightweight contender who also had a short stint at featherweight, makes his promotional debut. The fighter, who picked up five “Fight of the Night” awards with the UFC, returned from a yearlong layoff in November and scored a decision victory over Efrain Escudero at RFA 4. Prior to the victory, Griffin was stuck in a 1-4 skid that included losses to the likes of Evan Dunham and Takanori Gomi.

Cavalcante, meanwhile, fights for the third time under the WSOF banner. The Brazilian, a DREAM and Strikeforce vet, made his debut in November and submitted TJ O’Brien. However, in March, a doctor’s stoppage led to a first-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje. It moved “JZ” to 1-3 in his past four fights.

With the official schedule now set, the WSOF 4 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

• Tyrone Spong vs. Angel DeAnda
• Brandon Hempleman vs. Marlon Moraes
• Dave Huckaba vs. Ray Sefo
• Keon Caldwell vs. Nick Newell
• Gesias Cavalcante vs. Tyson Griffin

PRELIMINARY CARD

* – Not officially announced

For more on “World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda,” stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Tyrone Spong)Tyrone Spong)