Las Vegas (August 29, 2016) - World Series o te whawhai (www.WSOF.com) announced today that it has bolstered its roster of world-class athletes yet again with the signing of lightweight (155 pauna) star and former Ko te Ultimate Fighter competition reality television series runner-up Ramsey Nijem (9-6), ki te motuhake, multi-fight promotional agreement with the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) league.
Fighting out of Orem, Utah, te 5-waewae-11, 28-year-old Nijem, he mema o te superstar Gilbert Melendez’s Skrap Pack fight team, will make his debut under the World Series of Fighting banner on a date to be announced soon.
“We have been aggressively pursuing some of the best available fight talent on the market and as a phenomenal and established competitor, Ramsey Nijem should make an exciting addition to our stacked, 155-pauna wehenga,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni Rangatira Matua.
Nijem defeated three straight adversaries – two by way of submission and one via TKO – to finish as runner-up on Ko te Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos i roto i te 2011, while competing at welterweight (170 pauna) as a member of UFC superstar Junior Dos Santos’ seven-man fight team that opposed a squad captained by WWE icon and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
Nijem began his successful run on the reality television show with a second round (3:31) tāpaetanga (kowaowaotia iho muri-tahanga) o Charlie Rader, and followed up the victory with a quick, 56-second submission (kowaowaotia iho muri-tahanga) o Clay Harvison and a second round (1:49) WHO (nifó) o Chris Cope, aua, to reach the show’s final round of competition where he was stopped with an onslaught of punches by Tony Ferguson i roto i te taka noa tuatahi (3:54) o te whawhai.
During his 10-fight stint with the UFC, Nijem earned both a “Performance of the Night” honor for his first round (4:20) WHO (nifó) conquest of Beneil Dariush i runga i April 11, 2014, as well a “Fight of the Night” award for his gritty effort in a second round (1:53) WHO (nifó) defeat at the hands of Carlos Diego Ferreira i runga i August 30, 2014.
A lifelong athlete, Nijem was a three-sport (mamau, cross country and soccer) competitor in high school before going on to wrestle for NCAA Division I Utah Valley University.
Ora World Series o te mahi whawhai hoki ki te NBCSN i runga i Rāhoroi, Oketopa. 7, with an unprecedented, three-hour telecast and world championship doubleheader, timata i 11 p.m. AND/8 te ahiahi, from Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Koe.
In the main event of WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubgov, reigning, undefeated world lightweight champion Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (16-0) o Safford, Ariz. will risk his title against number one contender Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2) of Ridgewood, N.J.
In the light heavyweight (205 pauna) tahi-matua hui, reigning world champion Rawiri Manga (16-3) o New York, N.Y.. will defend his title against fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and battle-tested veteran Vinny Magalhaes (14-7) o Las Vegas, Nev. mā Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
