Andrei Arlovski vs. Devin Cole

Round 1

The discrepancy is striking technique in this one was clear. After defending a takedown attempt, Arlovski clipped Cole with a right hand and finished the fight with hammerfists. With that, the World Series of Fighting debut event is in the books.

Arlovski defeated Cole by technical knockout (punches) at 2:37 of the first round.

Anthony Johnson vs. D.J. Linderman

Round 1

Linderman showed a lot of toughness early, but he was clearly not on Johnson's level. Despite having his vision impaired, possibly by an accidental eye poke, Johnson blasted Linderman with a right hand. Unconscious, Linderman fell flat on his face, and the fight was over.

Johnson defeats Linderman by knockout (punch) at 3:58 of the first round.

Miguel Torres vs. Marlon Moraes

Round 1

Moraes was throwing punches and kicks with knockout power from the start and hit Torres with some heavy shots. Torres briefly had a chance to secure a heel hook, but Moraes escaped and got the fight back to a standing position, where he seemed to have both speed and power advantages.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Moraes.

Round 2

Torres was able to get his jab going in the second round, which allowed him to avoid being backed up against the cage as he was in parts of the opening frame. The former WEC champion still got tagged by a few looping punches, but Torres was able to land with much more frequency than Moraes.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Torres.

Round 3

Throughout the first four minutes of the final round, Torres landed his jab, while Moraes answered with an almost equal amount of heavy leg kicks. In the final minute, Moraes scored an important takedown that may have secured the win for him on the scorecards.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Moraes (29-28 Moraes).

Moraes defeated Torres by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28).

Tyrone Spong vs. Travis Bartlett

Round 1

Until Spong faces a high-level grappler, it's tough to say how good he truly is in MMA, but he sure looked promising in his debut against Bartlett. Spong picked his shots until eventually putting Bartlett away with an accurate straight right hand.

Spong defeated Bartlett by knockout (punch) at 3:15 of the first round.

Gregor Gracie vs. Tyson Steele

Round 1

Again, World Series of Fighting was not able to show this bout live, likely due to potential time constraints as a soccer game neared overtime on NBC Sports Network. According to John Morgan of MMAJunkie.com, Steele survived mutliple Gracie submission attempts before finishing the member of the legendary MMA family with strikes.

Steele defeated Gracie by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:52 of the first round.

Ronys Torres vs. Brian Cobb

Unfortunately, this fight was also not streamed by World Series of Fighting. MMAJunkie.com reporter John Morgan was on-site and called the bout a back-and-forth contest that could have been scored either way. In the end, the judges saw the bout in favor of Cobb.

Cobb defeated Torres by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

Steve Carl vs. Ramico Blackmon

Round 1

Interestingly, World Series of Fighting decided not to stream this fight, and it predictably ended with a first-round submission. Carl was able to catch Blackmon in a rear-naked choke less than halfway through the opening stanza.

Carl defeated Blackmon by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:11 of the first round.

Gerald Harris vs. Josh Burkman

Round 1

Burkman opened the fight with some thudding inside leg kicks. The Pit Elevated fighter then slammed Harris to the ground with a double-leg takedown. After fending off Burkman's attempts to secure a choke from a front-headlock position, Harris stood and slowed the pace until the end of the round.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Burkman.

Round 2

After allowing Burkman to control the action in the first round, Harris pressed forward in the second frame. Against the fence, Harris threatened Burkman with a guillotine choke, but Burkman was able to escape the submission late in the round.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Harris.

Round 3

The final round started with both fighters trading and looking to take the edge on the scorecards. Initially, Burkman countered well, but Harris slowed his opponent's momentum by landing a looping right hook and pushing forward for takedown attempts. 

In the later half of the round, Harris began to fatigue. Burkman took advantage by scoring an important takedown and finishing the fight in back mount.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Burkman (29-28 Burkman).

Burkman defeated Harris by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

Gesias Cavalcante vs. T.J. O'Brien

Round 1

Cavalcante made quick work of O'Brien in his World Series of Fighting debut. The Brazilian took O'Brien to the ground with a double-leg and attacked a leg shortly after. With his knee twisted, O'Brien was forced to tap. 

Cavalcante defeated O'Brien by submission (leg lock) at 1:03 of the first round.

David Branch vs. Dustin Jacoby

Round 1

Jacoby stuffed single-leg takedown attempt early in the round, but he wasn't able to land many strikes afterward. Eventually, Branch was able to score a takedown, and he maintained the top position long enough to probably win the round on the scorecards.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Branch.

Round 2

After feeling his opponent out in the first round, Jacoby opened up more with his striking in the second frame. Branch was able to score another takedown during the stanza, but Jacoby quickly escaped and was able to land much more frequently than Branch throughout the remainder of the round.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Jacoby.

Round 3

Possessing the reach advantage in this matchup, Branch began to make use of his jab in the final frame. Branch also stuffed a number of takedown attempts. Jacoby's change of game plan in the final round was telling of how the 24-year-old felt the judges were seeing the action in the third stanza.

Bleacher Report scored the round 10-9 Branch (29-28 Branch).

Branch defeats Jacoby by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

While we wait for the fights to start, here is video from the first ever World Series of Fighting pre-fight press conference. 

Andrei Arlovski, Devin Cole, Miguel Torres, Anthony Johnson, D.J. Linderman, Tyrone Spong, Travis Bartlett, Josh Burkman were all on hand for the press conference, while the arrivals of some other fighters were delayed due to travel obstacles created by Hurricane Sandy.

Quotes

"My Halloween is going to be on Saturday." — Andrei Arlovski 

"It's an honor all the way around." — Devin Cole

"I know [Marlon] Moraes is going to come bring it. I've trained with him before, so I know his stand-up is very good. I think it's going to be an exciting fight, and I can't wait to fight Saturday for you guys." — Miguel Torres

"I just feel good. I'm happy I don't have to lose all the weight I was losing." — Anthony Johnson

"I think Anthony is going to have a problem with the power I bring down from heavyweight and the quickness I have now." — D.J. Linderman

"I'm a guy I like challenges, and I achieved a lot in kickboxing. I just needed something new. I came to the States, trained with a lot of MMA guys and I thought I'd give it a chance. Here I am, and I'm excited to make my debut this Saturday." — Tyrone Spong

"I have no secrets. I fight one way. If he stays outside and plays the leg kick game and dances around, if he went that route, I'd try to take him down. But, if he wants to stand and bang and truly fight, I think it's a fight sport first, not a sport fight. We fight first. If he wants to see who can own the real estate in the middle of the ring, I'm game." — Travis Bartlett