On DVD - ‘Fight of the Decade’, 10 Other WEC Fights

By Frank Curreri

“Right place, right time” has been a recurring theme in the distinguished career of Leonard Garcia. The 31-year-old Texas native snatched a slice of history a few years ago when he and Roger Huerta graced the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. Three months ago fate shined upon the giddy brawler yet again: Garcia and South Korea’s Chan Sung Jung kept fans on the edge of their seats by waging a back-and-forth fistic thriller that ringside commentator Joe Rogan instantly hailed as “Fight of the Decade.”

“My mom was watching the fight and she didn’t sit down the entire time,” Garcia said. “She went through every emotion. She had shortness of breath; she went from being happy and screaming, to being sad and crying.”

While any self-respecting fight fan is sure to enjoy the Garcia-Jung classic, the dramatic clash is also the perfect kind of theater to whet the appetite of non-fans and introduce them to MMA, which is one reason why the widely-acclaimed adrenaline fix was a no-brainer for inclusion on the newly released DVD, Aldo vs. Faber, in stores now.

Filmed at Arco Arena in front of more than 14,000 Sacramento fans in April – and broadcast on pay-per-view -- WEC 48 delivered 11 fights that comprised one of the year’s most action-packed fight cards, including compelling title bouts between top featherweights Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber and a much-anticipated rematch between world lightweight champ Benson Henderson and Donald Cerrone (Henderson and Cerrone had fought in 2009 in a five-rounder that many considered to be Fight of The Year).

“If you want to get to know the sport, and you’re not that familiar with it, this is the DVD to buy,” Garcia said. “I’ve heard a lot of people tell me that they watched the fight and became fans of MMA after that. It’s been crazy for me since that fight, even crazier than after the Roger Huerta fight. Everywhere I go people started noticing me.”

Henderson also expects the DVD to elevate people’s consciousness as to just how exciting the lighter weight classes, hoping it will help correct the Big Man Bias that for too long has dominated the fight game.

“I think it’s awesome and a big step for the WEC as a company,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for it for a long time. Hopefully we continue to have all of our fights on DVD and some of the older fights as well. It’s quality, wholesome entertainment. It doesn’t get any better.”

The WEC recently partnered with Image Entertainment in a long-term distribution agreement that gives the California-based company exclusive U.S. and Canadian DVD and Blu-ray rights for select WEC fights. The DVD’s will also offer special, never-before-seen footage surrounding the fights.

“We’re really looking forward to kicking things off with the DVD and Blu-ray release of the historic “Aldo vs. Faber” event and following it up with “The Best of WEC” release in September, which will be a must-have for all MMA fans,” said Jim Goranitis, Executive Director of Marketing for Image Entertainment. “That’s what WEC is all about: the world’s top athletes, intense fighting and non-stop action, not to mention having the greatest, most dedicated fans. And Image Entertainment is excited to work with WEC to provide fight fans with quality home entertainment product that they can enjoy any time they’d like.”

The DVD and Blu-ray can be purchased at UFCstore.com, Walmart, Amazon.com and fye.com.

Garcia said he “takes a lot of pride” in being included on the DVD. The Greg Jackson protégé rested for more than two months following the war of attrition to heal a broken hand. Garcia was so impressed by Jung’s performance against him that he took the extraordinary step of buying a couple “Korean Zombie” t-shirts, which have become wildly popular since their clash. It is Garcia’s way of honoring the man who pushed him to the brink and shared a piece of history with him.

“I just felt like the stylistic matchup was the key for me,” Garcia said. “Anybody who stands in front of me it will make for an interesting fight. That’s just my type of fight. I always try to take fights with guys that are going stand. That was the perfect fight for me.

“I own four of his T-shirts. I support him. He’s a great fighter and a lot of things in did in the fight surprised me. It was a huge step for me that helped cement both of us in the sport.”