WEC Signs Mizugaki; Replaces Injured Bowles against Torres on April 5th

By Thomas Gerbasi

With a back injury forcing unbeaten bantamweight contender Brian Bowles to withdraw from his April 5th challenge of WEC champion Miguel Torres, the WEC has brought in world-renowned Japanese standout Takeya Mizugaki to challenge one of MMA’s best, pound for pound, in a championship bout guaranteed to produce fireworks for the fight fans at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.

Currently riding a five fight winning streak that includes two knockouts and a submission, the 25-year old Mizugaki (11-2-2) has been a terror on the Japanese fight scene since making the move from the Shooto organization to GCM Cage Force in 2007. And given his familiarity with fighting in the cage, he brings an edge to his WEC and United States debut that few of his countrymen have enjoyed.

Now all he’ll have to deal with is the dynamic attack of Torres, whose stock continues to rise with each passing victory. After a 2008 that saw him submit Chase Beebe for the WEC 135-pound crown, stop Yoshiro Maeda in a Fight of The Year candidate, and knock out Manny Tapia in the second round, Torres is firmly entrenched on the pound for pound list and eager to accept the challenge of Mizugaki.