Mar-9-2010

Go behind-the-scenes of WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz to see portraits of fighters taken immediately before and after their bouts. If you missed the show, you can order the replay at www.ufc.com/live or watch it throughout the month on Versus.

Mar-9-2010

VERSUS, the cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC®), will re-air a night of action-packed fights from the March 6 live WEC event on Wednesday, March 10, at 9 p.m. ET.  The two- hour presentation will feature seven fights from this past weekend's card, including the non-televised bout between Ricardo Lamas (8-1) and Bendy Casimir (19-6-2) - an intense battle that is already being touted as one of the best knockouts of 2010.

Mar-9-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez, who fought last August, are once again on a collision course.

Both fighters earned career milestones at WEC 47 in Columbus, Ohio – with Cruz dethroning WEC bantamweight champ Brian Bowles and Benavidez submitting former kingpin Miguel Angel Torres – and afterward Benavidez made it clear he welcomes a sequel with the belt on the line.

Mar-8-2010

On Saturday, March 6, 2010, WEC was in Columbus, Ohio with a stacked card headlined by a world bantamweight title fight between champion Brian Bowles and number one contender Dominick Cruz. What’s more, WEC’s first trip to Columbus featured the return of former bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres, as well as the comeback of former UFC® lightweight titleholder Jens Pulver.

Mar-7-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC – Those who labeled Dominick Cruz to be a light puncher must eat their words following his masterful performance Saturday night against WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles. The 4-to-1 underdog battered Bowles over two rounds with crisp punching combinations and leg kicks, and Bowles went back to his corner at the end of round two and did not return for a third round. The unbeaten champion told doctors his hand was broken and opted not to continue fighting, conceding his title to his tearful and overjoyed challenger.

Mar-6-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - To become champion, Brian Bowles upset a legend regarded as one of MMA’s most aggressive fighters. To keep the title, he must defeat a 4-to-1 underdog who just might be the most elusive fighter in the game aside from Lyoto Machida.

Mar-5-2010

Below are the official weigh-in results for Saturday’s WEC event, which features the WEC bantamweight title bout between Brian Bowles and Dominick Cruz, as well as the return of Miguel Angel Torres against Joseph Benavidez, and the featherweight clash between Jens Pulver and Javier Vazquez. This card will air live on Versus (10pm ET / 7pm PT) from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
 

Mar-5-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - Dominick Cruz stands accused of being a light puncher, a winner but not a finisher. His unbeaten opponent, meanwhile, has dynamite in his fists and has never allowed a fight to go the distance. No doubt that perceived power differential goes a long way toward explaining why Cruz, days before Saturday’s showdown with WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles, has been branded a 4-to-1 underdog by oddsmakers.

Mar-5-2010

World Extreme Cagefighting® announced today that UFC light heavyweight star Stephan Bonnar will serve as color commentator for the organization’s broadcast on VERSUS this Saturday. Bonnar, one of the most recognizable names in the sport, will work alongside play-by-play voice Todd Harris.

Mar-4-2010

Fight fans in Ohio can get a full day of in-person MMA on Friday, March 5th at the Arnold Sports Festival. If you're in the area, please join us for one -- or all -- of the following events, all of which are open to the public:

Mar-4-2010

Gearing up for Saturday’s loaded event at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, WEC General Manager Reed Harris and bantamweight contender Miguel Angel Torres were honored by the city’s National Hockey League team this morning.

Mar-4-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - An excruciating, month-long training camp at the Jersey Shore honed more than Miguel Torres’ fight game. The experience also apparently sharpened his tongue.

Mar-3-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - If you lose your next fight, will you retire?

The inquiry creates a slightly awkward air for both the interviewer and interviewee. But it is to be expected. When you’re a former UFC champion and have been on a significant slide in recent years – media interviews can easily start to feel like FBI interrogations.

Mar-2-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - He’s a former collegiate wrestling star with only 18 months in the MMA game. But as Chad Mendes crams for his WEC debut against unbeaten Erik Koch (9-0), the Urijah Faber protégé makes it abundantly clear that he is a quick study.

Mar-1-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - So, Deividas Taurosevicius, who are you training with these days to get ready for L.C. Davis?

“I’m training with my sparring partners,” he responds earnestly in his thick Lithuanian accent.

Feb-28-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - Despite his opponent’s recent stretch of bad luck, 11-year pro Javier Vazquez knows better than to underestimate a former UFC Champion. A Rodrigo Medeiros Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Vazquez sternly dismisses talk of there being an “Old Jens Pulver” and a contemporary Jens Pulver whose skills have slipped over time.
 

Feb-27-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - A fighter’s essence can often be summarized in one word. For Karen Darabedyan, “chill” seems most fitting.

No mental switch needs flipping when this maven of mellow steps into the cage. The Californian’s flat-line demeanor stands out because he wears it equally both inside and outside of competition. Unlike many of his peers, the 155-pound WEC fighter can steamroll an opponent with the same nonchalance that he displays while grocery shopping or talking on the phone with a reporter.
 

Feb-26-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - Out of sacrifice, LC Davis lived and trained in Davenport, Iowa for three years while leaving his heart in Kansas City, which explains the featherweight fighter’s recent decision to depart the renowned Miletich Fighting Systems gym in Iowa and move back to his hometown.

Feb-24-2010

Take Cincinnati.com's  fighter quiz to win tickets to WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz.

Feb-23-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - No matter how trying the circumstances, Bart Palaszewski just keeps plugging away. After all, how many other pro fighters start their careers 0-4 yet recover to make a name for themselves?

That is precisely what the Poland-born 26-year-old has done, packing 45 fights into his pro career so far while also demonstrating a willingness to step into the cage with anyone.

Feb-21-2010

KC featherweight endures grueling workouts

Fights March 6

Feb-16-2010

Pro MMA Radio - WEC featherweight Jens "Lil' Evil" Pulver joins UFC 110 fighter Ryan Bader on Pro MMA Radio to talk about their upcoming MMA bouts. Pulver is slated to appear on the main card of WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz in Columbus, Ohio, on March 6.

Feb-13-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - He tried transforming from hot-blooded brawler to cool-headed technician, but after tasting defeat in two out of three fights in 2009, Leonard Garcia has declared an end to the experiment:

He’s eager to fully re-embrace his true nature inside of the cage.

Feb-9-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - If Scott Jorgensen could have handpicked his next opponent, it would have been Miguel Torres. Instead the Idahoan drew Chad “Savage” George, an up and comer who lacks the name-power and cachet of the former bantamweight champion.

Feb-5-2010

Par Frank Curreri - Et Bendy Casimir, citoyen français, imagine le jour où ses compatriotes désapprobateurs le croiront enfin. Pour le moment, ce combattant professionnel demeure une sorte de paria malgré lui dans son propre pays, à cause de son choix de carrière impopulaire et en grande majorité incompris.

Feb-4-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - Le MMA est un sport.

And Bendy Casimir, a lifelong French citizen, envisages the day when his disapproving countrymen come to believe it. As it stands today, the pro fighter remains a reluctant outcast of sorts in his own country, courtesy of his unpopular and widely misunderstood career choice.

Jan-29-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - Danny Castillo did not weep after his last loss. But one of his trainers did. It wasn’t Urijah Faber, but Master Thong, the seen-it-all Muay Thai specialist who had never been moved to tears by a fighter’s performance until Castillo botched what seemed like certain victory last November against Shane Roller.

Jan-25-2010

Frank Curreri, WEC - The stunning blow struck on a Saturday, and Ricardo Lamas hastily scrambled in search of a flight out of town.

A day later, the 27-year-old Chicagoan boarded a plane bound for Arizona. When the aircraft landed, he drove to a residence with his father and brother. The somber trio walked inside and began sifting through George Lamas’ possessions.