Former UFC Exec Michael Mersch Named as New World Series of Fighting COO

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship executive Michael Mersch is headed to the World Series of Fighting front office.

WSOF announced on Tuesday that Mersch will join the promotion as its chief operating officer and general counsel, effective immediately. Mersch was in a similar role for the UFC from 2007 to 2015, serving as its senior vice president of business and legal affairs as well as its assistant general counsel. Over the past year, Mersch went a different direction, working as the general counsel for the Nevada Attorney General.

“I am excited to re-enter the MMA business with one of the premier players and recognizable brands in the space,” Mersch said in a release. “With its robust team of media and sports business executives as well as blue-chip partners, beginning with NBC and IMG, World Series of Fighting is in the midst of an exciting phase of growth with great things on the horizon.”

According to the release, Mersch will be responsible for handling WSOF’s “business operations and legal affairs; negotiating and drafting all talent, television, venue, sponsorship and merchandising legal agreements; and spearheading and managing all government relations efforts on behalf of the league.”

WSOF 30, the organization’s next event, is scheduled for April 2 at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and will be headlined by a middleweight title tilt between David Branch and Clifford Starks. The evening’s main card will air on the NBC Sports Network.