WSOF Releases Ex-Champ Steve Carl in the Wake of Scheduling Concerns
Seven months ago, Steve Carl was the World Series of Fighting welterweight champion. On Thursday, he was unemployed in professional MMA.
After significant protest from the fighter and his management team, WSOF officials have released Carl from his promotional contract. The former champion was purportedly upset because he was not fighting frequently enough for his liking under the promotion's banner.
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The release was first reported by Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie.
Carl has not been shy about his displeasure with and desire to leave WSOF, and he used social media as a tool to express that desire in public:
"3 fights in the last 2 years...@MMAWorldSeries apparently you think being a pro fighter should only be a part time gig #FML #ShootMeNow
— Steve Carl (@Steve_Carl) November 5, 2014"
"I secured my release from WSOF today! Sucks it had to come to this, but time to take a step forward and leave it behind me. #Determined #MMA
— Steve Carl (@Steve_Carl) November 5, 2014"
Carl has only fought four times since debuting for WSOF in November 2012. It was a very successful run at the beginning, as he upset Josh Burkman in October 2013 to capture the WSOF welterweight strap.
People wondered whether Carl had the stuff to be great. In March 2014, Rousimar Palhares disproved those notions for the moment with an inverted heel hook. Palhares needed only 69 seconds to dispatch Carl and claim the WSOF title.
That was in March 2014. Carl hasn't fought since, though that can partially be explained by the time he missed recovering from the Palhares fight.
The 29-year-old Carl is 21-4 overall and 3-1 with WSOF. All three of his wins came by submission, including the title-winning technical chokeout of Burkman.
Rousimar Palhares is now scheduled to defend his new title in December against Jon Fitch, himself a former UFC grinder who lost to Burkman in his WSOF debut but had actually defeated Burkman several years prior while both men were in the UFC.
Carl has never fought in the UFC.
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