http://www.WEC.tv en-us Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:16:12 EST Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:16:12 EST http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=62506 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=62506 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=100&q=75&x=0&y=0&w=100&h=50&ro=0&s=E1CF53CC-1422-0E8C-9A5D6EB7FF75CE42.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri 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. Telling people in France that you are a mixed martial artist doesn't tend to garner much instant respect. Indeed, the purest of all sports is banned throughout France. Thus, in stark contrast to neighboring Britain, MMA fans in France are often tight-lipped about their passion, closely guarding their guilty pleasure so as not to stir aspersions about their sanity. Relatively few people in the land of croissants and crepes even know what the initials 'MMA' stand for, and just as many will show bewilderment or blank stares if you ask them about the UFC brand. "Probably 80 percent of the people in France don't like MMA. They think it's like streetfighting, with no rules. They don't think it's a sport," Casimir, who speaks little English, said through a translator. "The 20 percent who do like the sport - a lot of them are afraid to admit it publicly." Though renowned for its exquisite architecture, fine cuisine and innovative fashions, France is no place for a mixed martial artist who eyes greatness. There are no cages in which to practice, a huge disadvantage when you consider that the two biggest promotions in the world - the UFC and sister promotion WEC - feature fights in Octagon cages, and crafting a strategy that conforms with those steel dimensions can be the difference between your hand being raised after a bout or not. Given the dearth of top MMA fighters in France, and subpar training facilities, the list of mixed martial artists who have made a splash on the biggest stage is alarmingly short: UFC heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo stands alone. Behind him is promising lightweight David Baron (14-3). (It is notable, however, that both Kongo and a former UFC fighter, Jess Liaudin, both trained MMA extensively in England). Like Kongo and Baron, Casimir (19-5-2) is now trying to make a name for himself. At the urging of Ferrid Kheder, a former Olympic judoka and MMA fighter (16-5), Casimir has trained for the past several months in Las Vegas at the TapOuT gym under Shawn Tompkins and Keebo Robinson. On March 6, the French lightweight is slated to make his WEC debut against Ricardo Lamas (7-1), a former collegiate wrestler with solid and ever-improving striking. It would seem, based on the recorded histories of both men, that Casimir would be best served by taking Lamas down and then exploiting him with superior jiu-jitsu. But no fighter has been able to take Lamas down so far - not even Danny Castillo, a former collegiate wrestler who trains with Urijah Faber and a seasoned team of wrestlers. "He looks like a good fighter," Casimir said. "He's a wrestler. A fight is a fight. Anything can happen. My team and I will sit down and develop a strategy for him, but I will just train hard and prepare for everything." For decades France has churned out some of the world's best judo players (ranking second only to Japan). Casimir, however, does not come from a judo background, making it all the more startling to watch him do his thing on the mat. He's been training Brazilian jiu-jitsu for roughly eight years, competing on the European circuit. Armed with natural athleticism and ripped biceps, he is seasoned and dangerous on the ground, boasting a wide array of submissions that include a myriad of kneebars, footlocks and chokes (Note: 12 of his 19 wins have come via submission). But all of Casimir's fights have occurred in Europe, Russia or Japan. The ultimate test of his skills will be in the WEC, where Casimir will have to show that he is more than a one-trick pony to fend off a formidable crop of lightweights. There are indications that Casimir, 28, is catching on quick in the stand-up game. A tale from the TapouT Gym illustrates the point: One day Tompkins showed Casimir a punching and kicking combination. Later that same day in training - against a seasoned pro fighter Casimir threw the same combination, knocking his sparring partner out cold with a high kick. It is not the only knockout that has occurred in their heated, "tough love" sparring sessions. "Yes, yes, yes. We do hard sparring," said Kheder. "We always train hard. If you train hard every day, a fight is really easy. We spar at least three times a week in the same conditions as a fight. For sure, we try not to hurt each other; we don't cut each other or use elbows. But many times, if we can knock out the guy (sparring partner), we do it because we need to work on our defense so we don't get knocked out. It can happen in the fight and you need to be ready to eat some big punches and I think that is the best way to be ready to fight in the big show and be ready for the worst thing that can happen in a fight. Yes, some people are a little bit surprised." No one more than Casimir's mother, who sat down with her son a few years ago to catch a glimpse of his profession - which until then was beyond her comprehension. "Wow, that's incredible that my son practices a sport like that!" she said. "I was thinking that you were pretty quiet and calm." "Yes, but I need that to feel good," he told her. "Ok, if that's what you like, do it. I don't want you to be violent outside of the cage. If you're going to do a sport like that you have to be reasonable." That he is. Casimir went to college in France for two years before dropping out. "I didn't want to be a teacher," he explained. "I just wanted to be an athlete." Casimir's family immigrated to France from Haiti decades ago and settled in a suburb outside of Paris. The massive earthquake that recently devastated Haiti and killed so many remains on Casimir's mind. "I've only visited Haiti once, but I feel like a Haitian because my family is from Haiti," he said. "We have a lot of family over there and my parents know them. It affects me through my parents." A gentle man of few words, Casimir counts among his role models Ghandi. "He's a role model because, without violence, he gained independence for his country," Casimir said. "For me that's an example, because without violence you can get what you want, if you're smart. It's unbelievable because usually people (nations) don't get the change they want without violence." Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:01:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=58224 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=58224 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=23&q=75&x=27&y=7&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=0AF31599-1422-0E8C-9A7D8F9E806F343A.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri 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. "You're better than that guy and you lost," Master Thong told Castillo after the stunning Nov. 18 setback, which saw Castillo control the action for two rounds and then wilt in the third and succumb to a rear naked choke. Later that night, at their hotel in Las Vegas, Master Thong started crying in front of his prot&eacute;g&eacute;. "Seeing the pain that I caused Master Thong, that was hard for me," Castillo said. "There were high expectations for me to win that fight and get a title shot. It was my turn to shine and I blew it. "That sucked. Leave it to me to make Master Thong cry after a fight." Castillo was so bummed - saying his whole world turned "upside down" -- that he didn't show his face for the next three weeks at the Ultimate Fitness Gym in Sacramento. Since the soul-searching hiatus, however, the former account executive (8-2) has returned to Team Alpha Male headquarters, has been steadily regaining his swagger and believes he can purge his lingering disappointment by beating Anthony Pettis on March 6 in Columbus, Ohio. It will be no easy task, especially since Pettis (8-1) is himself coming off a narrow split decision defeat to Bart Palaszewski. Like Castillo, Pettis had his chances to win but let his opportunities slip away and expects to rebound with a vengeance. "A win against Castillo would put me right back on track for a title shot," Pettis said. "He's a big name and he comes from a good camp, so that would be a huge win for me. A loss would set me way back. Two straight losses isn't good for anybody, especially in the WEC. I can't lose this fight. This fight is crucial." Though this fight will be featured on the WEC 47 undercard, it has Fight of The Night potential. Consider that both men combined have notched 14 of their 16 wins inside of the distance. Stylistically, Castillo is a former Division III All-American wrestler, but has shown heavy hands, as evidenced by his TKO win over previously unbeaten Ricardo Lamas. Pettis, a 23-year-old student of Duke Roufus, is slick on the ground, and possesses a mean streak that is best illuminated when he is battering opponents with punches and kicks. For his part, Castillo didn't try to disguise his strategy in this one and credited Palaszewski for exposing weaknesses in Pettis' game. "Nobody's seen too much of Pettis," Castillo said. "He hasn't faced many solid opponents until he faced Bart Palaszewski, who is a seasoned veteran, and he set the blueprint for me on how to prepare for Anthony Pettis. I'm not too worried about his jits. I think he has a problem with wrestlers. His last fight was against Bart Palaszewski and he (Pettis) had difficulty defending the takedown. "In my opinion, I think I'm probably the best wrestler at 155 pounds in the division. Shane Roller is a three-time Division I All-American and I took him down three or four times in my last fight. That's going to be a huge problem for Anthony Pettis to deal with and I hope he's prepared to defend my takedowns because it's definitely going to the ground. Wrestling is my bread and butter and that's what I'm bringing to that fight because it's a long road for me to get back to where I was." Castillo, 30, perceives another chink in Pettis' armor, believing that the fighter nicknamed "Showtime" likes to showboat a bit too much and will pay dearly for it on March 6. "He's a great striker, a very flashy striker, and that may be his downfall," Castillo said. "The nickname 'Showtime' definitely suits his MMA game, because he's there to put on a show and look flashy. I couldn't be any different because I'm there to control a fight. I don't care about being flashy, I just care about winning." In Pettis' last fight, he was at his best while toying with and taunting Palaszewski in round one. Beyond his playful antics, Pettis connected with some nice combinations. Then, in the second round, his offense inexplicably vanished and Palaszewski took control. For most of the third round, the Milwaukee native seemed mysteriously passive until he floored Palaszewski late in the round. It was a close fight and Pettis said he had been conserving his energy because he had undergone shoulder surgery five weeks before the bout, forcing him to prepare for battle with an abbreviated training camp. "I wasn't focusing on finishing the fight, I was focused on surviving the fight and that's what I did," Pettis said. "Going forward I will never take a fight when I'm not ready again. When you lose you find out a lot about yourself, you find out what you're made of. I'm really focused. No excuses coming into this fight. Danny is a tough guy, so this ain't gonna' be a walk in the park. I need to outwork Danny and keep him from taking me down. He has fast hands and good boxing, and then he'll try to shoot in on me. I need to keep my range, keep my hands high, and throw lots of combos &hellip; There is nothing holding me back. I'm just ready to bring it. I learned not to let it go to the judges." Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:20:09 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=49883 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=49883 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=40&q=75&x=82&y=14&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=0B0022B4-1422-0E8C-9A5CEA574691093C.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri 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. "I found a magazine article about me that he had kept. It was the first magazine that I ever appeared in," Ricardo Lamas said. "He loved me being a fighter. He was so proud of me." George Lamas, an athletic 42-year-old and former professional bodybuilder, had died in his sleep. He was Ricardo Lamas' older brother, and also perhaps the pro MMA fighter's biggest fan. "It took us all by surprise," Ricardo Lamas said. "He was in fine health. We do have a history of heart disease on both sides of the family. It's just one of those things &hellip; That's life. It was just his time to go, I guess." The death, on Aug. 28 of last year, weighed on Lamas as he trained for his bout against James Krause. It was an especially important matchup for Lamas since he had lost his last fight to Danny Castillo (by second round knockout) and could ill afford two straight defeats in the WEC. "My brother passing away kind of affected me throughout the training camp and at the fight also," he said. "I don't think I performed as well as I should have because I had a lot on my mind and I got too emotional for the fight." Emotions notwithstanding, Lamas delivered a convincing unanimous decision victory and promises that fans will "see a different fighter" when he clashes with French standout Bendy Casimir at WEC 47 on March 6 in Columbus, Ohio. "He looks like he prefers the ground to standup, like he has some decent jiu-jitsu, some explosive kneebars and stuff like that, so he's kind of tricky," Lamas said of Casimir (19-5-2), whose matches Lamas has studied on YouTube. "He rolls a lot and turns things into scrambles. But if he wants to take it to the ground he's going to have to take me down and I don't think he has the wrestling skills to do it. I've never really heard of awesome wrestlers coming out of France or anything like that." Change is a hallmark of Lamas' training for this fight. He still lives and fights out of Chicago, and is affiliated with Top Notch, Overtime MMA and Chicago MMA Training Center. But he spent five weeks sparring at Daniel Valverde's MMA Masters academy in Miami. For the uninitiated, Valverde is a world-class jiu-jitsu black belt who served as the jiu-jitsu instructor for Antonio "Minotauro" Noguiera's team on season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter reality competition. "I'm always sparring with the same guys, and it gets kind of stale, you kind of know each other's styles and you relax more while you're sparring," Lamas said. "Down there (in Miami) I don't know the guys well and they have a lot of good guys down there. The last time I went down there I was getting worked over a little bit, and that's what you need." Though Lamas is 2-1 in the WEC, he has gone the distance in both of his victories. He hopes to fix that in Columbus. "I'm excited because this is my first taste of international competition," he said. "I really would like to get a knockout for the fans. I want to end this fight." Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:39:34 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=41760 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=41760 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=40&y=87&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=1C46963C-1422-0E8C-9A08A99AA9712D3C.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri Awesomeness has defined the past year for Benson Henderson. The affable Arizonan has engineered the kind of magical run most fighters imagine but never actualize - going 4-0 against lightweight powerhouses in the WEC, winning the title, and getting engaged. Though the opponent for his first title defense has yet to be determined, Henderson has a strong hunch that challenge will come from his Who's Who quartet of victims, which is comprised of Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone, Shane Roller and Anthony Njokuani. Only Cerrone went the distance with Henderson in a five-round classic that many pundits and fans hailed as MMA's Fight of the Year. Bendo: Ready for a Rematch "I believe it will be a rematch for me," said Henderson, who dethroned Jamie Varner at WEC 46 on Sunday and resumed training only three days later. "I just have to get back to the grind. I realize that there are a ton of guys who want what I have and they are going to bust their butts to get what I have, so I have to bust my butt that much harder to keep it. I have a big bull's eye on my back and I love it, I relish it." Watch post-fight interview Against Varner, a former sparring partner, patience formed the cornerstone of Henderson's strategy. "I knew he was going to come out and try to go gangbusters and probably have a little adrenaline dump, and that's exactly what he did," Henderson said. "I think he honestly believed he was going to knock me out in the first 30 seconds, that he was going to hit me and I was going to explode and go away." Indeed, Varner tried to test Henderson on their feet in the opening stanza. "I wanted to get a feel for him, get his timing and rhythm down, and then pick it up in the second, fourth and fifth rounds," Henderson said. "So it went exactly according to plan. He wore out down toward the beginning of the second round, I could feel that he wasn't as strong." While some perceived Varner to be less than a class act in defeat (saying 'I came to fight &hellip; he came to grapple'), Henderson took no umbrage with anything the former champ had to say. "I understand that us fighters are very emotional people and I think that fighters should have a five-minute grace period after a fight where whatever they say can't be held against them in the court of public opinion," Henderson said. "We just got done with the fight, it was hard and we're out of breath and super-emotional. Jamie was obviously mad and upset and hurt that he lost, but it would be better to give us some time to catch our breath and relax and compose ourselves and then ask us some questions." Order fight replay The Coming of Kamal One fighter who is quickly creeping into Henderson's rear-view mirror is Kamal Shalorus, a world-class wrestler who dealt Dave Jansen (11-1) his first pro loss at WEC 46. Shalorus stuffed Jansen's takedown attempts with ease and battered and bloodied the Oregonian with power punches. Watch post-fight interview "I looked into his eyes and I say, 'He's tired. I'm not tired, I have more energy, so I'm going to beat him,'" said Iran native Shalorus, adding that he was never bothered by the fact that fans began chanting U-S-A! U-S-A! during the bout. "I like it because I'm living here in the USA, and it's not affecting me at all. I fight for Austin, Texas, and that is in the USA. If the crowd is excited I wanted to make them more excited, you know?" Now 6-0-1 in his career (2-0 in the WEC), Shalorus said he cares not who's next. "I'm ready to fight anybody," he said. "I'm ready to fight the big boys. It's my time now. It's Kamal time." Order fight replay Campuzano, Wineland: Undercard Overacheivers Two of the most impressive performances at WEC 46 were turned in by Will Campuzano and former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland. Fighting in the first fight of the night, Campuzano fought off kneebars and footlocks from Coty "Ox" Wheeler and spent the rest of the bout putting a major beating on the scrappy New Mexican. Even in the bout's final seconds the hard-charging Campuzano was relentlessly cracking Wheeler with heavy leather and kicks. To Wheeler's credit, he survived, and that extraordinary toughness helped make the bout highly entertaining. Watch post-fight interview "I tried to finish him in the third round. I was kind of frustrated," Campuzano said. "I felt like the knockout was there but that's the reason he's named 'Ox' I guess. Wheeler and Campuzano were awarded $10,000 bonuses each for Fight of The Night. Campuzano, who improved to 7-1, also called out Damacio Page afterward. Page dealt Campuzano his lone loss by first-round submission last year. Campuzano had taken the fight on short notice, but said his timing benefitted from a full camp this time around. Campuzano said the loss to Page "kind of burns" still. "Damacio is a contender right now. I've got to fight my way up there so I can get a shot at him," the 23-year-old Texan said. "I don't like losing and being on the receiving end of a loss. It hurts my pride." Watch fight for free on Versus.com Wineland, meanwhile, showcased crisp boxing skills and speed in a one-sided decision victory over former UFC fighter George Roop. Watch post-fight interview "I don't think there are a whole bunch of people at 135 that can match my speed and power," said Wineland (16-6-1). "I don't know if its genetics or the way I work out. I knew I would have an advantage in speed and strength. He (Roop) thought he was going to be the bigger fighter, but just because you're bigger doesn't make you stronger." Order fight replay Mackens Moves On Like Jansen, featherweight Mackens Semerzier suffered the first defeat of his career on Sunday in Sacramento, dropping a three-round unanimous decision to Deividas Taurosevicius. The difference in the match was Taurosevicius' ability to overpower Semerzier early and score takedowns, though the New Yorker did little damage on top. Semerzier (7-1) turned up the heat in the third round, but it was too little too late. Watch pre-fight interview "I thought he fought a very smart fight. He surprised me with his tactics &hellip; I thought he would try to stand a little bit more," Semezier said. "I fought a veteran guy, he knew how to win, and I learned a lot from it. I was hoping that the effort I put out in the third round I could have put out earlier, maybe half-way through the second round I should have picked up on it. I didn't sustain a lot of damage, and in my mind, being a little bit green, I thought I was doing fine. I was on the bottom but not taking damage, I thought I was defending well. "I feel that I could have made a better showing if I had a little more time. I could have done some more damage. But you have to get that damage in within the time allotted. It's a lesson learned. I felt that I didn't leave it all out there. The fight was over and I didn't feel exhausted. I was mad at myself that I didn't try harder and that I wasn't aware enough to try and change the fight in the first and second round." Now Semerzier, whose upset win over Wagnney Fabiano caused the Brazilian to drop a weight class, is considering doing the same. "Maybe I need to get a little bit bigger," he said, "or maybe I need to think about going down a weight class." Order fight replay Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:01:00 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=40751 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=40751 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=60&q=75&x=127&y=17&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=1C61DE1B-1422-0E8C-9A15F0DED7FE7408.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Bryan Levick, BleacherReport.com - Newly crowned WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson is just starting his MMA career. But he sure doesn't fight like an amateur. He combines speed, strength and intestinal fortitude with a solid wrestling background, and continues to hone boxing and jiu-jitsu skills. Bleacher Report had the chance to speak with the champ on everything, from his title to his future. Bleacher Report: How are you feeling now that you have had some time to let it all soak in? Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:50:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=39635 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=39635 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=18&q=75&x=15&y=68&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=433CD74D-1422-0E8C-9AFA9875BB95BEBA.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri SACRAMENTO - Benson Henderson, one-time sparring partner of Jamie Varner, is now the undisputed WEC lightweight champion: Can I get an amen? Varner had said before the fight that he considered himself in a league above Henderson, but a flying guillotine choke that caused him to tap out at 2 minutes 41 seconds of round three suggested otherwise. Through two rounds, the fight seemed even, with Varner slamming Henderson during a fairly conservative opening stanza and spending more time in the top position. In the second round, Henderson landed a leg kick and Varner smiled back at him. Seconds later Varner returned the favor with a leg kick of his own. "How you like that?" he taunted Henderson. Both fighters played it safe, trading leg kicks and high kicks, though it was Henderson who seemed busier and able to land with greater frequency, repeatedly whacking Varner with kicks to the rib area. The second round was close, and could have been scored for either man. In the third round, Henderson emerged as the aggressor and scored with another hard kick to the rib area, followed by a knee to midsection, and a high kick that was blocked. The pivotal sequence happened midway through the frame, when Varner attempted a takedown and Henderson locked in that fateful choke that would catapult him from simply having the "Interim Champion" label to being the full-fledged champion (Henderson had defeated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone last year for the interim WEC lightweight belt while Varner was still recovering from injuries and hand surgery). After the biggest win of his career, Henderson conceded that he had plenty of doubts coming into this fight. "Jamie Varner is a tough scary dude," he said. "I was a little intimidated at first, like, 'Oh, he wants to hurt me.'" Varner's disappointment was evident afterward. "I came to fight, Ben was the better man and he caught me with the guillotine," he said. "I knew coming in that he had that guillotine &hellip; I was winning that fight. He didn't want to box. I came to fight, Ben came to grapple, two different things." Faber vs. Assuncao Joining "Smooth" Henderson in the winner's circle on this night was Urijah Faber, who kicked off his comeback tour Sunday night with a convincing victory over highly-regarded Raphael Assuncao. Now The California Kid is taking aim at another Brazilian, WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. After submitting Assuncao with a rear naked choke in the third round, and setting off pandemonium in the packed house at ARCO Arena, Faber took the mic and vowed, "I'm going to get that belt. We have a great champion right now who is a phenom &hellip; I'd love to get in there and get that belt. I just gotta' bring my 'A' game. Like I said, he's a tough guy, but in my mind that's my belt." Aldo happened to be in the cage as well, and didn't mince words about a possible challenge from Faber. "I respect you Urijah," Aldo said, "but no one will take my belt." Against Assuncao, widely regarded as a Top 10 featherweight, Faber served notice that he is still a top contender. The first round was close and conservative, with lots of clinches, and one could argue Assuncao (14-2) landed the better punching combinations and kicks. But Faber upped the ante in the second stanza, scoring a takedown and landing elbows on top. The former champ trapped Assuncao in a guillotine, but the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt escaped. Faber cinched the momentum for good when he dropped Assuncao with a thunderous overhand right. In round three, Faber faked a punch and scored yet another takedown. Assuncao got back to his feet, only to hit the deck again after a punch from Faber, setting into motion the ground scramble that culminated in the fight-ending choke at 3:49 of the round. In other action Sunday night: Kamal Shalorus vs. Dave Jansen Over the course of 15 grueling minutes, Jansen attempted numerous takedowns on Shalorus, but never came close to getting the former Olympic wrestler on the mat. Jansen's face was covered in blood from the litany of power punches Shalorus had landed in what was predominately a boxing match between two wrestlers. Game throughout, Jansen absorbed heavy damage and occasionally tagged Shalorus in retaliation, but the Team Quest fighter's valor and grit could not change his fortunes. Shalorus's standup was too much, earning him a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) that pushed his record to 6-0-1. "I'm a world-class wrestler. I'm a world champion," Shalorus said afterward. "That's what I tried to prove. Nobody can take me down." Nicknamed "The Prince of Persia" because he was born in Iran, Shalorus was a captive audience to chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" from some in the crowd, which only seemed to provoke him to inflict more damage on Jansen. While Jansen had vowed to prove himself the better wrestler, it was Shalorus who scored several takedowns (doing little damage on top, however). Jansen, who was coming off a thrilling victory over Rich Crunkilton, fell to 11-1 in his pro career. Mike Brown vs. Anthony "Cheesesteak" Morrison Determined to exorcise the demons of losing the WEC featherweight championship, Brown took a major gamble by agreeing to return to action relatively soon against the explosive Morrison (15-7). Based on his chiseled physique and six-pack abs, it was apparent Brown (23-5) had taken this fight seriously and once in the cage he made swift work of the Philadelphian, taking him down and sinking in a rear naked choke for the tap at 1:54 of round one. The former champ, who was mercilessly booed here last summer after beating Urijah Faber for a second time, was rewarded with a rousing ovation from the Sacramento crowd. "I just needed a win. I just wanted to win so badly. It's very important that you don't lose two in a row. Maybe I'll get a shot in the future." Deividas Taurosevicius vs. Mackens Semerzier Semerzier emerged from his corner in round three, likely assuming that he was trailing on the judges' scorecards and would need to pull off something dramatic to preserve his 7-0 record. With less than two minutes remaining, Semerzier turned up the heat, cracking his tiring Lithuania-born foe with hard ground and pound shots, even drawing blood from Taurosevicius' head. In a race against the clock, with less than 20 seconds remaining, Semerzier locked in a guillotine choke and squeezed with everything he had. The suspense ended seconds later when Taurosevicius popped his head out, enabling him to escape with a unanimous decision victory by scores of 29-28 across the board. Taurosevicius executed his strategy early on, pushing for a takedown in the opening seconds and then securing one. The Lithuanian, who now lives in Long Island, New York, inflicted no damage on top and Semerzier was back on his feet midway into the stanza. Taurosevicius again pressed the action, slamming the unbeaten Virginian for a second time. Again, nothing going on the ground, prompting a referee standup. The grinding round came to a halt in what seemed to be a Taurosevicius round. In round two of main card, Semerzier came out scoring with kicks, but again Taurosevicius took him down. On the ground, Semerzier hunted for his favorite technique, a triangle choke - the same move that carried him to victory over Wagnney Fabiano in November - but Taurosevicius astutely defended, trapped his opponent against the cage and scored with ground and pound shots on top. In defeat, Semerzier fell to 7-1; Taurosevicius improved to 12-3. Akitoshi Tamura vs. Charlie Valencia Valencia, a crowd favorite who has trained in the past with Urijah Faber's team, survived a scare in the second round to eke out a split decision victory over Tamura. Valencia landed the crisper punches on their feet in the opening round and topped it off with a solid high kick, causing his Japanese adversary to essentially pull guard. Tamura trapped Valencia in a rubber guard variation, which Valencia eventually slammed his way out of, then rained down some heavy ground and pound shots. In round two, the tide turned, with Tamura jumping on the Californian's back early in the round and trapping him in a body lock. To the crowd's dismay, an extraordinarily long stalemate ensued, with Valencia wisely remained standing for several minutes and fighting off a rear naked choke. The round ended on the mat, with Valencia still defending the choke. By round three, Valencia's leg kicks on Akitoshi's lead leg produced visible bruising. Valencia came out swinging. He dropped Tamura with a right hand, then scored with ground and pound blows. Tamura quickly regained his wits and managed to get back to his feet, but never threatened from there, as Valencia boxed and scored with a digging right hand to the body and overhand rights. When it was all said and done, Valencia got the nod by scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28. Wagnney Fabiano vs. Clint Godfrey In a battle of southpaws, Godfrey was trying to become the second straight unknown to make a name for himself against Fabiano, formerly the No. 3 ranked featherweight in the world. But the underdog magic that propelled Mackens Semerzier to victory over Fabiano, and prompted the Brazilian to drop a weight class, was nowhere to be found for Godfrey as Fabiano triumphed by unanimous decision in a predominately grappling-based performance that was effective but not particularly exciting. Simply put, Fabiano dominated the takedowns and controlled on top - occasionally scoring with ground and pound shots. Fabiano (13-2) had mounted the South Dakotan (11-2) on two occasions, but was unable to put him away. Bryan Caraway vs. Mark Hominick Memo to all future opponents of Mark Hominick: Don't sleep on the Canadian's submission skills. Better known as a standup stud, the Shawn Tompkins prodigy showed some nifty jiu-jitsu moves and transitioned from a slick triangle choke to an armbar that finished former college wrestler Caraway at 3 minutes 48 seconds of round one. Caraway had scored a double leg takedown early in the fight but was unable to do any damage on top. With the win, Hominick, who recently married, improved to 17-8. Caraway fell to 14-4. George Roop vs. Eddie Wineland Wineland could do no wrong in this one, outclassing Roop in a boxing match that saw the former WEC bantamweight champion floor his 6'1 foe with a right hand and wobble him with another. A former 155-pounder who dropped two weight classes, Roop seemed more affected by Wineland's speed than by the dramatic weight cut. Despite having a considerable reach advantage, Roop rarely made contact with Wineland's grill, while the latter seemed to land hard overhand rights any time of his choosing. By round three, with Roop bleeding in the mouth and nose area - and clearly needing a finish to win - you had to wonder if Roop was going to employ Plan B and perhaps try to test Wineland on the mat. But Roop, who had never been knocked out in his career, seemed content to settle matters on their feet. He was effective at times with front kicks and leg kicks, but was never able to land the crisp combinations necessary to dig out of the deep hole he had dug himself. Roop survived the bout, but Wineland emerged with a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 across the board. Will Campuzano vs. Coty "Ox" Wheeler Many fans were in their seats for this bout, which kicked off at about 3:50 p.m., and produced wildly entertaining theater that kept Wheeler's cutman busy. More to the point, Campuzano simply bloodied and bashed Wheeler for most of the 15 minutes. By fight's end, Wheeler's face was covered in blood, with a huge welt under his right eye and another over his left eye. Campuzano continually pounded Wheeler in the standup game with punches, kicks and knees - and when Wheeler attempted kneebars and foot locks on the mat, Campuzano escaped and again made him pay with punches and hammer fists. Wheeler somehow survived the carnage, losing a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 across the board. With the win, Campuzano improved to 7-1; Wheeler fell to 10-3. Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:45:00 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=39183 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=39183 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=40&q=75&x=62&y=5&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=85DFDE03-1422-0E8C-9A702984965A2A90.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Thomas Gerbasi - (http://www.wec.tv/) Below are the official weigh-in results for Sunday's WEC event at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. The card, which is headlined by the lightweight championship bout between Jamie Varner and Ben Henderson and the return of former featherweight champ Urijah Faber against Raphael Assuncao, airs live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00pm ET / 6pm PT. WEC Lightweight Championship Ben Henderson (154.5) vs Jamie Varner (155) Raphael Assuncao (146) vs Urijah Faber (145.5) Kamal Shalorus (155) vs Dave Jansen (156) Anthony Morrison (146) vs Mike Brown (146) Deividas Taurosevicius (146) vs Mackens Semerzier (144.5) Akitoshi Tamura (135) vs Charlie Valencia (134) Clint Godfrey (135.5) vs Wagnney Fabiano (136) Eddie Wineland (135.5) vs George Roop (135.5) Bryan Caraway (146) vs Mark Hominick (146) Will Campuzano (136) vs Coty "Ox" Wheeler (136) Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:28:10 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=39035 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=39035 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=51&q=75&x=8&y=0&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=E73B4AD4-1422-0E8C-9A7CB7B589EACFFE.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri For weeks, former sparring partners Jamie Varner and Benson Henderson struck complimentary tones when publicly discussing each other, but suddenly their title fight has developed a touch of vitriol. "He never finished me when we trained together. He had a hard time even taking me down," Varner asserted. "I hit him once with a right hand and all he did was shoot on me &hellip; so he never really hit me and never did any damage. Both of those guys (Henderson and UFC fighter Efrain Escudero), they're supposed to be tough lightweights and both of them were round-robining on me and they couldn't even win a round. "If Ben Henderson was to come into my gym tomorrow, and we were to fight, I don't think he would make it out of a round. I wouldn't be nervous at all. I would wake up, eat my oatmeal, go to the gym and get it done. But since this fight is in front of about 15,000 people, that adds a lot more pressure on me. Plus I have my world title on the line and I know that anything can happen." While Henderson is gentlemanly in front of fans and the media, nothing short of Mr. Congeniality, Varner said he was upset by recent comments Henderson made during an interview. The WEC lightweight champ claims Henderson questioned his courage and will to win. "You know, for Ben to say he's going to take me down and choke me out, I mean, he had one hell of a time with me and I was a guy getting round-robinned on. What bothers me is, I was watching videos on the WEC last night, and he was calling me quitter and talking s---," Varner said. "That guy fought on the same card as I did when I got hurt against Cowboy (Cerrone), and I'm pretty sure he was on the same plane ride home with me, and he saw me with a cast on my foot, cast on my hand, with one crutch hobbling through the airport. It's just crazy to hear this guy (Henderson) who I've had nothing but respect for, I've said nothing but good things about him, and then to have him disrespect me really pisses me off. I thought he had a little bit more class than that. Whatever. Business is business and he's just jumping on the whole Cowboy bandwagon, you know, 'let's (inaudible) on Jamie Varner.'" Henderson, who earned his title shot by beating Cerrone for an interim title while Varner was sidelined with a broken hand, broken foot and eye lesion, said he has no idea what interview Varner referenced. "I can't think of any interview where I was being disrespectful," said Henderson, who trained for a week and a half with UFC lightweight kingpin BJ Penn for this fight. "I might have definitely said something that he (Varner) didn't like, that's quite possible. I'm sure he's not going to agree with everything I say. Obviously he thinks he's going to win the fight and I think I'm going to win the fight. He doesn't have to agree with everything I say, it's not a big deal. But no, I wasn't purposely trying to be disrespectful, doubting his skills, or saying he's a quitter. I don't want to be a guy who is putting him down or talking crap or anything like that. He's a good dude, a good champ and a tough fighter." Henderson's recollection of his sparring sessions with Varner, some 18 months or so ago, differ from the man he will face on Sunday in Sacramento (WEC 46, live on VERSUS, 9 pm EST/6 pm PST). "I was brought in to help him get ready and to imitate Marcus Hicks and to give him a good look and help him get better," Henderson said. "And not to brag or anything, but I did a good job. I helped him out and he did a great job in the ring - he beat up on Marcus Hicks. But you can't really take too much away from those sparring sessions. A sparring session is people working to get better -- it's not an actual fight. I do take a little bit away from it; obviously there are some things that Jamie Varner specifically worked on that I got a chance to see. I got a good look at what Jamie Varner brings to the table and plus I've seen him a ton of times on TV." Varner (16-2) and Henderson (10-1) are both former college wrestlers who are seasoned in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, though it is former collegiate boxer Varner who has proven to have the heavier hands, with five TKO's. Varner has been out of action for roughly a year, confined to swimming, Muay Thai and bag punching drills until the past four months, when he was able to spar at full speed. His training partners for this fight include Joe Riggs and Jesse Forbes. Said Varner: "Ben definitely poses the skills that it takes to beat me. He's very athletic, he's got well-rounded skills, but after training with him I'm really confident and I don't generally make many mistakes in there. "I like to think of myself on a different level," Varner said. "So when I think about that, who is Ben Henderson? That makes me feel confident. Seeing his fight with Cowboy, he was a stud, he fought hard, but I feel like I beat up Cowboy way worse than he did." Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:59:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=38713 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=38713 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=34&q=75&x=61&y=8&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=BE1DD6B3-1422-0E8C-9AC5CE538FC1355A.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri Most people can fit all of their New Year's resolutions on one piece of paper. Urijah Faber's wish list consumes three pages. At the top of the former champ's California dreamin' for 2010 is this dandy: "Finish Raphael Assuncao in the first round. Dominate the entire fight. Be extremely entertaining and creative." Though he is "looking to put the stomp" on the 14-1 Brazilian bulldog, Faber respects Assuncao and believes he will have to dig deep to emerge victorious. "He's one of the top guys in the division. He's fearless, well-rounded and immensely tough," Faber said. "He and I both go for the kill, so I need to be really respectful of Raphael. It's unfortunate that he's ranked number five in the world yet nobody really knows who he is. There are plenty of guys at different weight classes that aren't ranked but people know who they are. I think this fight will be an eye-opener for a lot of fans and show how tough Raphael is. I look forward to putting the stomp on him, but I know he's going to put up a great fight." The potential prize for the winner of this bout could be a date with WEC featherweight champ Jose Aldo, who TKO'd all five opponents last year and has resembled a miniature version of Anderson Silva. With so much at stake in Sunday's clash, Assuncao, who usually trains in Atlanta, moved his camp to Miami for five weeks. Two new faces in that handpicked camp are 2009 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Champion Pablo Popovitch and 1996 Olympic bronze medal wrestler Alexis Vila. "My camp was super-strong," said Assuncao, who believes that Faber, a former Division I All-American wrestler, will most likely try to exploit him in the wrestling department. "I think he feels he has a slight advantage in wrestling, so a lot of my emphasis in training has been on wrestling. In other parts of the game I don't think he has a big advantage on me. If he wants to wrestle I'm prepared. I was never a wrestler but my base is pretty solid. I've also gained some weight and got up to 165 pounds, so I'm more powerful." Assuncao vowed to remain disciplined throughout the fight and to "stick to my gameplan" - while declining to discuss exactly what that gameplan is. It will be interesting to see how far Assuncao could veer from the gritty style that has become his trademark. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt prefers to take opponents down, submit or ground and pound them. If he has to stand, Assuncao will swing away and has a first-rate chin. In many ways his short, stocky frame and relentless style mirrors that of Faber (22-3), who is also undersized for a featherweight and seems a tad more speedy and polished on his feet than Assuncao. "I can see it being a slugfest with a lot of scrambles, just a lot of action," Faber said. "We're going to see a mixed martial arts battle with a combination of everything. I feel like Raphael, like me, is a hybrid; he's a mixture of wrestling and jiu-jitsu. But his base is jiu-jitsu and my base is wrestling &hellip; I think that gives me the advantage. I think I'll be better in the scrambling situations. I think wrestling with jiu-jitsu is a better combination than jiu-jitsu with wrestling. And I think that will be a factor. I think I will have an advantage dictating where the fight goes. I think I'm going to end up on top." Faber likes the matchup, but what else would you expect The California Kid to say? Let's face it, this cheery dude is MMA's ultimate eternal optimist. He dislocates a thumb and breaks his hand in a sequel with Mike Thomas Brown (fighting four rounds with one-arm and putting up a heck of a battle) and requires two steel plates and eight screws to repair the hand, causing him to miss months of live sparring ("While I was injured I added to my strength and conditioning and explosivity, especially in my legs," he said). The fact that he has endured a six-month layoff and is 1-2 in his past three bouts also can't wipe the smile off Faber's face. "I've been competing since I was a kid in sports. Rust has never been a factor for me," he said. "I don't go out and party and get out of shape and then have to get back into shape. I'm not worried about rust. I write down all the good things that will happen to me if I win. All the things I want to do during the fight, I write down things I want to say after I win. That's how I approach a fight. Dwelling on the negative isn't a way to prepare for anything." Assuncao emits a more low-key confidence, and is not hiding his concern that the fight will be in Faber's hometown. "I just hope that if it goes to a decision that the judges are fair, because I've had bad experiences before," said Assuncao, who lost a split decision to Jeff Curran in Chicago and believes he actually won the fight. "Urijah is famous and well-known. If he imposes his will, pushes the pace and controls the fight then I can't say anything. It would be reasonable. But I just hope the judges are fair and reasonable because I don't want to go through that again." If Faber has his way, the judges' scores won't matter. He wants to get past Assuncao and move on to Aldo, saying "I'm the guy who has the best chance to beat Aldo." Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=38517 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=38517 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=24&q=100&x=39&y=5&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=4352BE1D-1422-0E8C-9A122C095E1802A8.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Thomas Gerbasi - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Thomas Gerbasi Stop me if you've heard this one before. Hard working fighter comes up the hard way, pays his dues on the local circuit, taking on opponents much bigger than he is simply because there are few if any opportunities here in the States for fighters his size. Finally, he finds hope in the form of the WEC, puts a few wins together, and all of a sudden, as a 30-something prize fighter, he is on the verge of becoming a world champion. That's the story of former WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown, who shocked the mixed martial arts world in 2008 with his upset win over Urijah Faber - a victory that propelled him into the spotlight and towards two successful title defenses before he lost the belt last November to Jose Aldo. And strangely enough, it's also turning into the story of bantamweight Charlie Valencia, who, at 35, is finally within shouting distance of a championship fight. "Mike Brown and me pretty much have the same character," agrees Valencia. "We came from backgrounds where we had to work hard, there wasn't that much fame or money, and we did this because we loved the sport." Valencia isn't just saying that for the sake of a good sound bite - he means it. How else would you explain a decade of service in a sport that has seen him fight for free in the early days before the WEC came to prominence and gave the bantamweights a place to showcase their skills? Or why he keeps doing this when the bonus for a night's work didn't come via check, but in the form of a torn ACL, broken cheekbone, broken orbital bone, or pinched nerve? Again, his answer is unchanged. "I love this sport, I've done it for free, I've fought up to 170 at one point in the beginning, and I wouldn't change anything," he said. "I love to compete and I like to try to prove to myself that I can handle these guys that are the best in the world, and the WEC provides that. I'm just a hard worker, and whatever comes from me working hard is just great. I love what I do." As for the rough times, Valencia just shrugs them off. "It's part of the sport and everybody goes through this," he said. "It's difficult on you, but you've got to accept it. You're gonna get knocked down, you're gonna get cut, but you've got to deal with that. If you don't accept that, then you shouldn't be fighting." If that type of hard-nosed, blue collar attitude makes you instantly like Valencia, it's for good reason, because the native of East LA is one of the game's good guys even before he steps into the cage. And once the bell does ring, you'll probably like him even more simply because he always shows up to fight. If you want an example of what he brings to the table, all you need to do is look up the finishing sequence of his 2007 bout with Ian McCall, a 30 second flurry of striking, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu that captured the essence of mixed martial arts. To this day, Valencia gets comments on the bout, and he recently called it the most memorable of his career. "I get a lot of compliments on that one, and it was a fun fight," said Valencia. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to capitalize on the momentum of the bout, as he lost both of his 2008 bouts, to Yoshiro Maeda and Dominick Cruz. No shame there, but Valencia needed to turn things around in 2009 if he wanted to make a serious run at the 135-pound belt. So he did, scoring decision wins over Seth Dikun and Coty "Ox" Wheeler last year to up his pro record to 11-5. It was the jolt his career needed. "If you lose, it can take you out, but that's the nature of this business, and I understand that," he said. "You have to win in order to make money and I would love to stick around more." On Sunday night, Valencia is back for his first bout of 2010 and it's a pivotal one as he takes on Japanese contender Akitoshi Tamura. "He's a tough guy, top ten in the world, and he's fought some pretty good guys," said Valencia. "Overall, he's gonna be the toughest guy I ever fought besides Urijah Faber, but I think I can beat him." If he does, that's three wins in a row, and he can start making his case for a bout against the winner of March's championship bout between champion Brian Bowles and challenger Cruz, both of whom he has a little history with. That's good stuff right there, but Valencia - who walks around at only a few pounds over the bantamweight limit - has even bigger (actually smaller) hopes - the chance to help stamp the flyweight division on the WEC map. "The one thing I am looking forward to is if they open up this 125-pound weight class," said Valencia, who wrestled at 118 pounds in high school and college. "I'm generally the smallest guy out there at 135, and I'm looking forward to that (the flyweight division) because it's more of my natural weight and I can perform a lot better. I want to give myself every opportunity I can to compete." For now though, it's the bantamweights for Charlie Valencia, and he's just fine with that. "The bantamweights are tough," he said. "Everybody that you fight at 135 is gonna be tough and that's just the way that this sport has evolved, and it just feels great to be part of it. That's the most important thing for me right now, to be a part of something that is moving in the right direction. The WEC is doing a great job of promoting us and taking care of us, and there's no promotion I would rather be with. I appreciate every moment I get to represent the WEC and I want to represent them with hard work, great fights, and by being entertaining." Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:59:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=38437 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=38437 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=24&q=75&x=32&y=7&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=4341D59F-1422-0E8C-9AD10AC420EA4747.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri Attention Kamal Shalorus: To hijack a phrase from Georges St-Pierre, Dave Jansen is 'not impressed with your performance.' On the wrestling mat, that is. A former member of the British Olympic Wrestling team, Shalorus at one time was ranked among the 10 best freestyle wrestlers in the world. Jansen, a state champion grappler in high school, competed for two years at the Division I level (University of Oregon) before dropping out. Given the wide gulf between their wrestling pedigrees, Jansen's analysis of Shalorus before their fight this Sunday is sure to raise some eyebrows. "On paper he might be the better wrestler, but when it comes down to it I think I'm the better wrestler," said Jansen, a Team Quest fighter who has trained with the likes of wrestling Olympians Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. "It would be a lot more impressive if he (Shalorus) had made the Iranian Olympic team, compared to the British team. I think I could make the British team (chuckles). I was a Division I wrestler, and when you add in punching most of the fundamentals of wrestling go out the window." Part of the WEC 46 main card, this is a Somebody's O Must Go matchup; Jansen is 11-0, Shalorus is 5-0-1. There is a decent chance that the outcome will be decided on their feet, since often times a boxing or kickboxing match breaks out when two wrestlers collide. Should that hold true in this meeting, Shalorus is the more acclaimed puncher, having TKO'd four of his foes, compared to only one such stoppage for his Team Quest adversary. "I'm going to confuse him," vowed Shalorus, who was born in Iran and is thusly nicknamed "The Prince of Persia." "I think there will be a lot of striking from both of us. If I see he's too open I'm going to take him down." Coming off an 86-second demolition of Will Kerr in his WEC debut, Shalorus said the victory served as a reminder that his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills still have a long way to go. Shalorus fought off a heel hook attempt before punching Kerr into a state of oblivion. When he returned to Austin, Texas, where he resides, Shalorus started training more jiu-jitsu with WEC veteran and Relson Gracie Black Belt Phil Cardella and his students. "Striking and wrestling are no problem," Shalorus said. "If an opponent is going to catch me it's going to be with jiu-jitsu." It is precisely that realm where Jansen figures to test Shalorus. Jansen is a finisher on the ground, with an especially dangerous concoction of anaconda, guillotine and rear naked chokes. The fact that Shalorus dispatched Kerr in short order doesn't intimidate Jansen in the least. "It's a good matchup for me. He's a striker with a wrestling background, but his striking game isn't as crisp as some of the other guys I've fought," Jansen said. "And I'm not saying striking is my forte (strength), but I'm straighter with my punches &hellip; He's two dimensional: He can hit like a truck and he can wrestle like a bear. I think he's going to come out throwing bombs. He doesn't have a lot of lateral movement&mdash;he comes forward and he throws hooks. He throws hooks (chuckles). It doesn't look like he goes to his wrestling like a lot of other wrestlers do. A lot of wrestlers get in the habit of striking even though that's not their best attribute. That's where Kamal is at this point in his career. He's still an inexperienced fighter." Declaring himself in the best shape of his career, Jansen considers himself to be the favorite based on what he presumes to be better coaching and training partners. His strategy for this fight is "a lot of forward pressure." Shalorus, meanwhile, pronounced himself ready for the challenge. "I've never been to California. I'm so excited," he said. "It's going to be a war. I want to prove myself. I'm promising victory. Yes, I'm going to win." Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:59:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=31076 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=31076 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=100&q=100&x=0&y=0&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=47CAECF0-1422-0E8C-9A0FBDEE6BB5DC18.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING&reg; CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR DEC. 19 IN LAS VEGAS TAKEYA MIZUGAKI VS. SCOTT JORGENSEN BART PALASZEWSKI VS. ANTHONY PETTIS MUHSIN CORBBREY VS. ZACH MICKLEWRIGHT CHAD GEORGE VS. JOHN HOSMAN TYLER TONER VS. BRANDON VISHER BRAD PICKETT VS. KYLE DIETZ JAMEEL MASSOUH VS. ERIK KOCH WEC&reg; PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. RATCLIFF From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV Saturday, Dec. 19; Tickets On Sale NOW Fights to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; proudly confirms the remaining bouts of a loaded fight card headed to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Dec. 19. In addition to Cerrone vs. Ratcliff, Njokuani vs. Horodecki, and Benavidez vs. Yahya, WEC is pleased to announce seven other quality bouts. "This is the perfect way to close out 2009," WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. "We have stacked this card with some outstanding battles featuring our top contenders. This is truly our holiday gift to fans." Cerrone vs. Ratcliff will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus. Expect fireworks when free-swinging bantamweights Scott Jorgensen (fighting out of Boise, ID) and Takeya Mizugaki (fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) collide on Dec. 19. Fresh off a submission victory over Noah Thomas in October, Jorgensen (7-3) believes he is closing in on a match with 135-pound champion Brian Bowles. A winner of three out of his last four fights, the Boise-based fighter is prepared for an all-out slugfest with Mizugaki at The Palms. With impressive performances in each of his first two fights in the WEC, Japanese star Mizugaki (12-3-2) has proved to be one of the toughest bantamweights in the world. His five-round fight with Miguel Angel Torres in April, coupled with his decision victory over Jeff Curran in August, has many wondering if the clinch-savvy Mizugaki will soon be wearing the WEC championship. Before Mizugaki can garner a world title shot, he must diffuse Jorgensen in a potential "Fight of the Year." At just 26 years old, few fighters boast the level of experience offered by the heavy-handed Bart Palaszewski (fighting out of Chicago, IL). With 45 fights in his seven-year career, "Bartimus" believes his MMA seasoning will fuel him past fiery lightweight prospect Anthony Pettis (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI). Unbeaten at 7-0 in his young career, the 22-year-old Pettis scored an impressive submission victory over Mike Campbell is his WEC debut in June. Training out of the same camp that has produced UFC veterans Pat Barry, Ben Rothwell, and Eric Schafer, Pettis thinks he has all of the tools necessary to best Palaszewski (32-13) and climb one step closer to the 155-pound elite. WEC newcomer Zach Micklewright (fighting out of Davenport, IA) has built a solid reputation as a gritty lightweight fighter willing to trade leather. Micklewright (8-1), who is a training partner of rising featherweight star L.C. Davis, hopes to show WEC fans his exciting standup game when he takes on tested veteran Muhsin Corbbrey (fighting out of Savannah, GA) in Las Vegas. Nicknamed "The Technician," Corbbrey (13-4-1) is a versatile athlete with strong jiu jitsu and striking. The 31-year-old believes his complete arsenal will help him spoil Micklewright's debut on Dec. 19. An intriguing bantamweight bout pits John Hosman (fighting out of Evanston, IL) against WEC rookie Chad George (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.). Holding a record of 17-5-1, the 29-year-old Hosman is a solid wrestler with good submissions. A longtime training partner of UFC star Clay Guida, Hosman looks to pick up his first win in the WEC when he locks horns with the hard-hitting George at The Palms. Considering that nine of his 10 wins have come by way of stoppage, George (10-4) believes he can become an immediate contender in the stacked bantamweight division. What's more, the fighter nicknamed "Savage" hopes to do so by knocking off the rugged Hosman on Dec. 19. Two hard-hitting featherweight newcomers meet when Tyler Toner (fighting out of Denver, CO) wages war with Brandon Visher (fighting out of Maui, Hawaii) at The Pearl at the Palms. One look at each fighter's stats leads many to believe that this could steal "Fight of the Night" honors. In nine pro victories, Toner (9-1) has scored an impressive five knockouts and two submissions. He'll look to take the next step in his MMA career against his Hawaiian-born opponent. Nicknamed "The Viper," Visher is unbeaten at 13-0 in his five-year career and owns finishes in 10 of those bouts. An aggressive striker with a slick ground game, the highly-touted Maui resident promises an explosive contest when he debuts next month. A winner of his last seven fights, England's Brad "One Punch" Pickett (now fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL) makes his highly-anticipated WEC debut when he takes on Kyle Dietz (fighting out of Davenport, IA) in an exciting bantamweight bout. A close friend and teammate of former featherweight champion Mike Brown, Pickett (17-4) enters the WEC with heavy momentum. With submissions wins in three out of his last four fights, the outspoken Brit wants to make an immediate mark by besting Dietz. A 23-year-old prot&eacute;g&eacute; of UFC vet Spencer Fisher, Dietz (13-1) is hungry for his first victory inside the Octagon&trade;. He hopes to use his vicious Muay Thai and slick grappling to overpower Pickett at The Palms. A battle of the Badger State pits Milwaukee residents Jameel Massouh (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI) and Erik Koch (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI) against one another in featherweight action. A top star in the Pancrase organization, Massouh (21-6) has fought some of the top competition in the world, including Leonard Garcia and Raphael Assuncao. The 25-year-old looks to jump into the mix at 145-pounds with a win over the unbeaten Koch. Boasting an unblemished record of 8-0, the 21-year-old Koch is a tremendous grappler who has only been to a decision once in his career. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter believes he has the potential to one day wear WEC gold and hopes to pave his way to the title with a win over Massouh on Dec. 19. For more information on WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC on twitter http://twitter.com/weconversus About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, Globosat in Brazil, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About VERSUS VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About The Pearl: The Pearl is Las Vegas' premier concert theater boasting accommodations for up to 2,500 ticket holders. Featuring a stage just four feet from the floor and the farthest seating area being a mere 120 feet from the stage, The Pearl offers the utmost in intimate viewing of your favorite acts. Private and semi-private skyboxes are located on each side of the venue offering private bars, lounges and restrooms. The Pearl is a marvel of modern technology using only top quality sound and video equipment throughout. Hard wired to The Studio at The Palms, The Pearl allows artists to create a cost-effective live album with efficiency and without additional venue set-up. For more information, please visit www.palms.com. Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:53:55 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=29341 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=29341 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=102&q=75&x=-2&y=19&w=100&h=60&ro=0&s=4D29D13D-1422-0E8C-9A580711F679F4E1.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) (Boston) - Massachusetts has become the 42nd state in the country to bring regulated mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions, including Ultimate Fighting&reg; Championship&reg; (UFC&reg;) events, to thousands of Bay State fans. The Massachusetts Legislature recently passed a bill that would allow the Department of Public Safety to oversee regulation of the popular sport in the state. Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the UFC&reg;, does not conduct events in any state that does not properly regulate MMA. This legislation will now enable the company to hold events in Massachusetts. Specifically, the legislation mandates safety and medical requirements for every MMA fighter and event held in the state. The events will also bring an economic boost to local communities across Massachusetts that hosts them. The UFC&reg; has worked with members of the Massachusetts Legislature and the Department of Public Safety for over two years to pass legislation to regulate the sport so it could bring events to the state. The UFC&reg; is the largest live pay-per-view event content provider in the world and the fastest growing mainstream sports organization in history. Its programming is distributed in 132 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Kenny Florian, a Massachusetts native and one of the UFC&reg;'s premier lightweight fighters, campaigned to get the legislation passed said, "The chance to fight in front of my hometown crowd has always been a dream of mine. Now it looks like my dream will finally come true". The Boston College graduate testified before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security supporting regulation of mixed martial arts. "Mixed martial arts events are enormously popular in Massachusetts and held in venues across the state every day. That is why passing legislation to regulate the sport was so important: We want it to be safe for everyone" said State Senator James Timilty, chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security who led the effort to regulate MMA. Dana White, the President of the UFC&reg;, who grew up in Boston, expressed the reaction of many fans as well when the legislation passed, "I am so pumped that the UFC&reg; is finally coming to Massachusetts. I guarantee that we will put on an incredible UFC&reg; event for Boston in 2010" he said. The first UFC&reg; fight in Massachusetts could be held as early as Summer 2010. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:45:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26512 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26512 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=36&y=3&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=02C1EC65-1422-0E8C-9A08899F84BF2839.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) WEC featherweight Leonard Garcia came by his nickname naturally. While a student at Texas Tech, he was stabbed eight times in a fight at a restaurant. Another incident left him with a bullet wound in the stomach Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23594 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23594 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=33&y=6&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=18FDE837-1422-0E8C-9A1D6E9395BCD02B.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) PLUS, THE RETURN OF URIJAH FABER BUD LIGHT&reg; PRESENTS: VARNER VS. HENDERSON From ARCO ARENA in Sacramento, California, Sunday, January 10; First Bout at 3 p.m. PT Fight to Air Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m. PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today that the long-awaited lightweight title unification bout between reigning champion Jamie Varner and interim champion Ben "Smooth" Henderson will take place on Sunday, Jan. 10 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. In addition to this explosive championship clash, WEC also confirmed the return of former featherweight champion "The California Kid" Urijah Faber, who will be facing top-ranked contender Raphael Assuncao in his hometown of Sacramento. "ARCO Arena is one of our favorite venues to bring fights, the fans in Sacramento are some of the best," WEC GM Reed Harris said. "The world title bout between Varner and Henderson is a perfect way to start off the New Year. The title fight, plus the return of Urijah, makes this an instant winter classic." Tickets for Bud Light&reg; presents: Varner vs. Henderson go on sale Saturday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $200, $135, $75, and $40. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, Nov. 5 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the ARCO Arena Box Office. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com. Varner vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus. Returning to the cage for the first time since his volatile collision with Donald Cerrone last January, lightweight champion Jamie Varner (16-2-2) is healthy and ready to prove that he is WEC's top 155-pounder. A talented wrestler with slick boxing abilities, the 25-year-old owns a perfect 4-0 record in the organization and is eager to reclaim sole possession of the world title. Believing he is more polished than Henderson, the Arizona resident plans to make a statement on Jan. 10. "He's a tough dude," Varner said of Henderson. "But I'm the champion for a reason. I have nothing but confidence going into this fight. I don't think Ben poses any challenges or threats that I haven't seen before. I'm ready to show the world that I'm still the true champion in this division." After winning the interim title by defeating Cerrone in a brutal fight last year, Ben Henderson (10-1) plans to leave Sacramento as the unified champion. Training out of The Lab in Glendale, AZ, the fighter nicknamed "Smooth" will look to use powerful takedowns to best his cross-state rival. Also known for his devastating ground and pound, the well-rounded Henderson believes that Varner's reign atop the division will end in California. "I think Jamie and I match up pretty well," Henderson, a two-time NAIA collegiate wrestling All-American, said. "He's a good boxer and a tough fighter, so I'm ready to wage war with him. I'm ready to leave it all in the cage and win the undisputed championship." Last June, Urijah Faber (22-3) thrilled fans at ARCO Arena with an epic, five-round performance against featherweight champion Mike Brown. Although he left the cage without the title, "The California Kid" proved that he is one of the toughest competitors in the sport, fighting most of the bout with injured hands. Fully healed and ready to work his way toward another crack at Brown, the 30-year-old hometown hero returns to face gifted grappler Assuncao. The former champ realizes he has a tough test ahead. "He definitely has some dangerous tools in his arsenal," Faber said of Assuncao. "But I think I will have slight advantages in every category of the fight. I'm really excited to fight Raphael in my hometown. Sacramento is my place. This is my spot and I represent the people of this town. I want to win here and climb one step closer to the belt." Having earned two hard-fought decisions over Jameel Massouh and Yves Jabouin since joining the WEC last year, Raphael Assuncao (14-1) is considered to be one of the top featherweights in all of MMA. With that said, his road to the world title now runs through Sacramento and the rejuvenated Faber on Jan 10. A phenomenal Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, the 27-year-old Assuncao believes he has the speed and power needed to drive past "The California Kid." Although he'll be entering hostile territory at ARCO Arena, the native of Recife, Brazil is confident that he'll leave Sacramento destined for a title shot. "A win puts me in line for a shot at the belt," Assuncao said firmly. "I always had a feeling that I'd fight Urijah one day and I'm glad it's going to happen on Jan. 10. I think it's a good matchup of styles and we're going to push each other hard from the start." Remaining bouts for WEC: Varner vs. Henderson will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS. About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About VERSUS VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA) and ARCO Arena. Led by Joe and Gavin Maloof, and owned by the Maloof family with long-term, local partners, the organization is committed to the community in Sacramento and to making a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of families in need in the Sacramento region. Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment has donated more than $17 million to charities in 10 years of Maloof family ownership. For more information about Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment, please visit kings.com, sacramentomonarchs.com and arcoarena.com or call 916-928-0000. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:41:56 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23483 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23483 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=37&q=75&x=10&y=-10&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=A29D62DD-1422-0E8C-9A722A4FBD95380C.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING&reg; ANNOUNCES ANOTHER STACKED CARD IN LAS VEGAS WEC&reg; PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. RATCLIFF PLUS, NJOKUANI VS. HORODECKI CARD TO ALSO FEATURE BOUT BETWEEN TWO TOP 10 BANTAMWEIGHTS BENAVIDEZ VS. YAHYA From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV Saturday, Dec. 19 Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. PT Fight to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today a lightweight showdown that will have tremendous implications on the future of the 155-pound division. On Saturday, Dec. 19 from The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV, lightweight title contender Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone will take on striker extraordinaire Ed Ratcliff, while in the co-main event, Muay Thai sensation Anthony Njokuani battles former IFL star Chris Horodecki. When the smoke clears on Dec. 19, the world may know who is next in line for a crack at the WEC lightweight champion. "Four of our top lightweights are going to be competing on Dec. 19, each with his sights set on securing a coveted shot at the world title," WEC GM Reed Harris said. "Cerrone vs. Ratcliff has the potential to be an explosive standup war. We can expect much of the same from Njokuani and Horodecki as well. This is the perfect holiday gift for fans." In addition to the lightweight fights, two of the world's top 10 bantamweights will be in action. In an interesting clash of styles, submission ace Rani Yahya will lock horns with the speedy Joseph Benavidez. "On Dec. 19, we are showcasing two of the world's most dynamic bantamweights," Harris said. "Benavidez-Yahya has the potential to steal the show. We are really excited to bring this card to The Palms." Tickets for WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff go on sale Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. PT and will be priced at $175, $100, and $50. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Oct. 30 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets will be available at The Pearl box office, online at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Cerrone vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus. After battling Ben Henderson in a "Fight of the Year" candidate in October, Donald Cerrone (10-2, 1 NC) has wasted no time reinserting himself into the world title picture. A gifted striker training out of Albuquerque, NM, "Cowboy" is excited to face the unpredictable Ed "9MM" Ratcliff on Dec. 19. Knowing that his opponent loves to trade leather, Cerrone wants to prove that he has the right arsenal to diffuse Ratcliff. What's more, the 26-year-old believes a win over "9MM" at the Palms will propel him toward rematches with Henderson and reigning champ Jamie Varner. "I just have to whip Ed's tail," a motivated Cerrone said. "He's a one-dimensional fighter. He's not going to take me down and try to wrestle me. He's going to try to beat me at my game, which is striking. He is a striker and that's my game, so I hope he's ready. I want to work my way back to a shot at the belt." A black belt in Taekwondo and karate, there are few standup artists as polished as Ratcliff. The 26-year-old holds a 3-1 record inside the WEC and owns victories over Johnny Sampaio, Alex Karalexis, and Phil Cardella. Now training out of San Diego, Calif. with WEC bantamweight contender Dominick Cruz and UFC star Brandon Vera, Ratcliff (7-1) is anxious to fight Cerrone and prove that he belongs atop the WEC lightweight division. "As soon as my manager said Donald's name I said 'Let's do it,'" Ratcliff said. "He didn't even have to finish the sentence. My fight with Donald has the potential to be a war and I can't wait." After earning "Knockout of the Night" honors in his last two fights, perhaps no fighter is riding a wave of momentum like Anthony Njokuani. With back-to-back KO wins over Bart Palaszewski and Muhsin Corbbrey, the 29-year-old Las Vegas resident hopes a win on Dec. 19 will fuel his run to WEC gold. Undefeated as a professional Muay Thai fighter, the hard-hitting Njokuani (12-2) wants to earn another bonus by flattening Horodecki in the co-main event. "This is the type of fight that I've been looking for," Njokuani, a native of Nigeria, said. "This matchup gets me excited and I can't wait to fight Chris. When I win this one, it will put me at the level that I've been waiting for. It will put me in the mix for a shot at the world title." Nicknamed "The Polish Hammer," Chris Horodecki (13-1) burst onto the MMA scene during his time with the International Fight League. Displaying heavy hands and an aggressive approach, Horodecki is excited to join WEC and thinks a win over Njokuani will make him an immediate contender in the lightweight division. Training with the likes of Mark Hominick and Sam Stout, Horodecki is confident that he is prepared to compete on MMA's biggest stage. "With the right game plan, I'll beat Anthony in the standup and take him down if I have to," Horodecki, originally from London, Ontario, Canada, said. "I'm the fresh face here in the WEC. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves. I'm excited for this fight and I'll be ready to go to battle on Dec. 19." One of the most feared grapplers in the sport, Rani Yahya (15-4) has scored submission victories in four out of his last five fights in the WEC. An Abu Dhabi world champion in 2007, the soft-spoken Brazilian hopes to make Joseph Benavidez his next victim on Dec. 19. Although respectful of Benavidez's abilities, Yahya thinks that he can ground the wiry Californian. "Jiu jitsu is my strength in the cage," Yahya, who has only been out of the first round once in his WEC career, said. "Joseph is a very quick fighter, but I think I can put him in some bad positions and win the fight." Joseph Benavidez (10-1) is one of the bantamweight division's hottest prospects. A well-rounded athlete who boasts speed, power, and good cage awareness, Benavidez is looking to snap Yahya's winning streak at The Palms. A training partner of WEC vets Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo, Benavidez believes that he has the seasoning needed to best Yahya. "This is an important fight for me," said Benavidez, who lost the first bout of his career to Dominick Cruz in August. "There's no doubt that I'm hungry and want to prove a point in this bout. Yahya is an awesome grappler, but I think I'm the better all-around fighter." Remaining bouts for WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff will be announced at a later date. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23206 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23206 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=100&q=75&x=0&y=0&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=E434EFE1-1422-0E8C-9ABEB64E3F3AA0FC.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) MANNY GAMBURYAN VS. LEONARD GARCIA KAREN DARABEDYAN VS. ROB MCCULLOUGH SHANE ROLLER VS. DANNY CASTILLO KAMAL SHALORUS VS. ALEX KARALEXIS L.C. DAVIS VS. DIEGO NUNES JOHN FRANCHI VS. CUB SWANSON KENJI OSAWA VS. ANTONIO BANUELOS JAMES KRAUSE VS. RICARDO LAMAS FRANK GOMEZ VS. SETH DIKUN WEC&reg; PRESENTS: BROWN VS. ALDO From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV Wednesday, Nov. 18; Tickets On Sale NOW Fights to Air Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; proudly confirms the remaining bouts of a tremendous fight card headed to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Nov. 18. In addition to the outstanding main event pitting featherweight champion Mike Brown against top challenger Jose Aldo, WEC is pleased to announce nine other quality bouts. "WEC continually delivers some of the best fights in the business," WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. "With this event taking place the same week as UFC 106, we guarantee that this will be one of the best fight weeks in the history of the sport." Brown vs. Aldo will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus. Two of the featherweight division's top stars will collide on Nov. 18 in a bout that could very well determine the next title challenger to the crown. Fresh off a win over John Franchi in his WEC debut in June, judo ace Manny Gamburyan (fighting out of Hollywood, Calif.) hopes to secure a shot at the world championship with a win over heavy-handed Leonard Garcia (fighting out of Albuquerque, NM). Known for his explosive throws and punishing ground and pound, the 28-year-old Armenian Gamburyan (11-5) believes he can diffuse Garcia's power. Training out of Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, NM, Garcia (17-5) has won three of his last four bouts, including a win over Jameel Massouh in August. He'll bring his polished striking game to Las Vegas with the aims of knocking out Gamburyan. WEC newcomer Karen Darabedyan (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) faces the toughest test of his young career when he battles former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough (fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.). A training partner of Manny Gamburyan, Darabedyan (8-1) looks to prove that he is a legitimate contender at 155 pounds. Standing in his way is the seasoned veteran McCullough. An 11-fight veteran of WEC, McCullough (17-5) returns to the cage for the first time since defeating Marcus Hicks in March. A hard-hitting kickboxer, "Razor" Rob wants to derail Darabedyan and reclaim his spot as one of the best lightweights in the sport. Three-time Division I All-American Shane Roller (fighting out of Las Vegas, NV) believes that a November win over Danny Castillo (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) could serve as the catalyst for a return bout with WEC interim lightweight champion Ben Henderson. With an impressive win over Marcus Hicks in August, the takedown-savvy Roller (6-2) believes his strong wrestling background will guide him past Castillo. No slouch in the wrestling department himself, Castillo (8-1) had an impressive knockout win over Ricardo Lamas in his last bout. A training partner of former featherweight champion Urijah Faber, Castillo hopes to extend his winning streak to four straight when he battles Roller at the Palms. Alex Karalexis (fighting out of Boston, MA) could be the hardest-hitting fighter in the WEC. A member of the original season of The Ultimate Fighter&trade;, the 32-year-old Karalexis (10-4) has spent most of the past year improving his strength and conditioning with Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. He believes that the rigorous training with Allen will allow him to sack WEC newcomer Kamal Shalorus (fighting out of Austin, TX) next month. An undefeated prospect originally born in Iran, Shalorus was a junior national wrestling champion in his home country. After moving to England as an adult, Shalorus continued his wrestling dominance and competed on England's 1994 Olympic team. A refined striker with vicious ground and pound, Shalorus (4-0-1) looks to add to his decorated background with a win over Karalexis in his WEC debut. Closing in on a world title opportunity, undefeated featherweight Diego Nunes (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) seeks his third win in the WEC when he faces the gritty L.C. Davis (fighting out of Davenport, IA). A phenomenal Muay Thai striker with wins over Cole Province and Rafael Dias in his WEC career, Nunes (13-0) boasts precise standup and good cage awareness. Those assets will prove valuable when he meets the crisp Davis in Las Vegas. Having defeated Javier Vazquez in his WEC debut in August, Davis (14-2) believes he can leapfrog Nunes in the 145-pound division by using his strong wrestling and fast hands. A pivotal bout in the featherweight division pits hard-nosed wrestler John Franchi (fighting out of Cortland, NY) against ground ace Cub Swanson (fighting out of Orange County, Calif.). Known for his powerful takedowns and athleticism, Franchi (5-1) will look to outmuscle the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt when the two collide on Nov. 18. No stranger to tough grappling sessions, Swanson (13-3), who has spent much of the past few months training with Donald Cerrone, Joe Stevenson, and Leonard Garcia in New Mexico, Swanson (13-3) believes he can neutralize Franchi's wrestling and regain his place in the title hunt. Antonio Banuelos (fighting out of Arroyo Grande, Calif.) continually competes in fights that are considered among the year's best. His last fight against Scott Jorgensen in June was no different. For three, high-energy rounds, Banuelos and Jorgensen traded leather, with Banuelos eventually earning a narrow decision victory. Riding the emotional high of the win, Banuelos (17-5) now turns his attention to Japanese striker Kenji Osawa (fighting out of Tokyo, Japan). A former top contender in the Shooto organization, Osawa (15-8-2) is a solid boxer with a sturdy chin. He'll look to outbox and outwork Banuelos when the two lock horns at the Palms. Lightweights James Krause (fighting out of Lee's Summit, MO) and Ricardo Lamas (fighting out of Chicago, IL) meet in a bout between two fighters with 16 combined pro wins. A lanky, slick ground fighter, the 23-year-old Krause is a handful for most fighters in the 155-pound division. With excellent submissions and a long-reach in the standup, the Rob Kimmons-trained Krause (10-1) could pose problems for his Chicago-based opponent. A Division III All-American wrestler at Elmhurst College, Lamas (6-1) is an explosive athlete with good all-around skills. With a win over Krause next month, Lamas hopes to prove that he is worthy of his status as one of WEC's hot prospects. Bantamweight submission artists Frank Gomez (fighting out of Albuquerque, NM) and Seth Dikun (fighting out of Victorville, Calif.) are also set to do battle at the Palms in Las Vegas. Both fighters are coming off crowd-pleasing submission wins in June. Gomez (7-1), who trains under the tutelage of the renowned Greg Jackson, bested Noah Thomas via submission in his last fight. Not to be outdone, Dikun also scored a submission victory on the same June card, using a flying triangle to stop Rolando Perez. On Nov. 18, the world will find out which grappler will reign supreme and push himself closer to the likes of Brian Bowles and Miguel Angel Torres atop the 135-pound class. About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About VERSUS VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About The Pearl: The Pearl is Las Vegas' premier concert theater boasting accommodations for up to 2,500 ticket holders. Featuring a stage just four feet from the floor and the farthest seating area being a mere 120 feet from the stage, The Pearl offers the utmost in intimate viewing of your favorite acts. Private and semi-private skyboxes are located on each side of the venue offering private bars, lounges and restrooms. The Pearl is a marvel of modern technology using only top quality sound and video equipment throughout. Hard wired to The Studio at The Palms, The Pearl allows artists to create a cost-effective live album with efficiency and without additional venue set-up. For more information, please visit www.palms.com. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:19:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23039 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23039 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=23&q=75&x=33&y=2&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=433E439F-1422-0E8C-9AFD870E4BCFB224.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) RE-LIVE THE FIGHT OF THE YEAR Las Vegas, NV (USA) - On Oct. 10, Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson delivered one of the finest fights in World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; history. For five grueling rounds, Cerrone and Henderson treated the fans in San Antonio, TX to a world title fight that will remain in highlight reels for generations to come. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and VERSUS have teamed up to offer the Cerrone-Henderson main event to fans worldwide for free on WEC.tv and UFC.com. At WEC.tv and UFC.com fans can watch the legendary main event, plus gain exclusive access to the post-fight press conference and a post-fight interview with Cerrone. In addition, VERSUS will re-broadcast the event on television on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 8pm EST/5pm PST and again at 11pm EST/8pm PST. The rebroadcast on VERSUS will feature the main card that originally aired on Oct. 10. "Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone proved on Oct. 10 that WEC is home to the most exciting fights in the world," WEC GM Reed Harris said. "We've teamed up with VERSUS to make sure that fans have the opportunity to witness history again. "As soon as the fight ended, we were inundated with calls and emails asking us when we would show the fights again," Harris continued. "It was a night that fans in this sport will never forget. We're happy to give fans the chance to see it all over again." For more information about the re-air of WEC: Cerrone vs. Henderson, visit wec.tv. Follow WEC on Twitter at http://twitter.com/weconversus. About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About VERSUS VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD) and is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and Sports Jobs with Junior Seau that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22435 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22435 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=50&q=75&x=2&y=1&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=95227FFA-1422-0E8C-9ABD4DEB06728D42.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today a television agreement with Setanta Sports in Australia. Beginning with the Oct. 10 card featuring an interim title fight between Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson, Setanta Sports will now carry all WEC events live. The agreement gives over 80,000 viewers in Australia access to the best light weight fighters in the world. "We are pleased to announce this partnership with Setanta Sports and excited to expand our offerings to fans in Australia," WEC Vice President Peter Dropick said. "As we continue to grow our brand globally, we think Setanta Sports will play an important role in our international development." "Setanta Sports is very excited about showing the WEC to our viewers in Australia," Shane O'Rourke, Setanta's President of North American and Australian Operations, said. "This will add a great fight brand with fantastic fighters to our world-class line up of quality sports." World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; joins a television line-up that includes international rugby, top European soccer, and world-class boxing. By giving Australian fans access to the world's elite mixed martial artists such as Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles, Miguel Angel Torres, and Jose Aldo, Dropick believes WEC will develop a substantial fan base down under. "We know the Australian fans are passionate about sports," Dropick said. "Now that they have the chance to see the WEC brand, we think they will gravitate toward our fast-paced, action-packed fight cards." About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About Setanta Sports Setanta Sports Australia broadcasts exclusively live coverage of the best European and South American football; European rugby, International cricket, boxing and MMA. Setanta is available on the main Pay-TV platforms in Australia, Foxtel, Austar, UBI World TV and TransACT, as well as online via Setanta-i. To Subscribe to Setanta go to http://www.setanta.com/au/ or contact your local cable or Satellite provider. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:51:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22153 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22153 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&s=3E05E2F1-1422-0E8C-9A07E5222E640243.jpg&rs=65&q=75&x=1&y=2&w=100&h=100&ro=0' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) WEC&reg; PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. HENDERSONFrom The AT&amp;T Center in San Antonio, TX - Saturday, Oct. 10;Tickets Go On Sale Friday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. CTFight to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PTLas Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today that it is returning to the Lone Star state on Saturday, Oct. 10 with an action-packed night of fights. Live from the AT&amp;T Center in beautiful San Antonio, TX, fan favorite Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone battles feared striker Ben Henderson in a bout that will crown the interim WEC lightweight champion.The 10-fight card, which was originally slated for Sept. 2, now heads to one of the nation's top cities. What's more, the Oct. 10 event will be WEC's first-ever show on a Saturday night, making it a historic night for the organization."We are really excited to be bringing this fight card to San Antonio," WEC General Manager Reed Harris said, adding that the market has long been attractive to WEC. "They say everything's bigger in Texas. We plan on living up to that slogan by bringing some of the most prominent mixed martial artists in the world to San Antonio."The stars have aligned for this card," Harris continued. "As we stated earlier this week, an injury to Henderson prevented him from being ready to fight on Sept. 2, but he's fired up and ready for 'Cowboy' on Oct. 10. It's the perfect scenario. We've got a world title fight on a Saturday night in one of the nation's biggest cities. It doesn't get much better than that." Tickets for Cerrone vs. Henderson go on sale Friday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. CT and will be priced at $25, $45, $75, and $125. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, Sept. 3 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets will be available at the AT&amp;T Center Box Office, online at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv.Cerrone vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.With lightweight champion Jamie Varner unable to defend the title due to injury, top contenders Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson are set to collide in what could be of the most intense championship bouts of the year.A former professional bull rider, Cerrone (10-1, 1 NC) hopes to lasso his first world title when he meets Henderson in San Antonio. A phenomenal Muay Thai striker, the 26-year-old Albuquerque, NM resident also boasts a potent ground game. With nine of his 10 wins coming by way of submission - including his last victory via rear naked choke over James Krause on June 7 - the Greg Jackson-trained Cerrone is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous fighters in the lightweight division. With a unique blend of striking and submissions, "Cowboy" firmly believes that his versatility will guide him toward the WEC championship. "He's got an awesome ground game and he's a superior wrestler," Cerrone said of Henderson. "The only thing he lacks is his standup. I believe that I have what it takes to become champion. I know Ben well and like him, but when the cage door closes, I want to win that belt." A technically-sound grappler, Henderson (9-1) has lived up to his nickname "Smooth" since debuting in the WEC in January. Fighting out of Glendale, AZ, the former two-time NAIA collegiate wrestling All-American has scored WEC wins over Shane Roller and Anthony Njokuani and is unbeaten since 2006. Thanks to his wrestling prowess and black belt in Taekwondo, Henderson has the ability to finish fights both on the feet and the ground. With a complete arsenal at his disposal, the 25-year-old believes he will out-duel "Cowboy" in their October showdown. "There are guys who get in the cage and you can see in their eyes that they're a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing," Henderson said. "I don't think I'll be overwhelmed. I love Cerrone's game and his 'Terminator' style. He just keeps coming forward. As far as standing up with him and trading some blows, I'd love to. Let's go out there and have fun." About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg;The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.About VERSUSVERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About The AT&amp;T CenterThe AT&amp;T Center opened in 2002 and is operated by Spurs Sports and Entertainment. The AT&amp;T Center is home to the NBA 4-Time World Championship San Antonio Spurs, the American Hockey League San Antonio Rampage, the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars and the annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. The AT&amp;T Center is one of the nation's leading entertainment venues hosting acts such as George Straight, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Josh Groban, Shakira, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and many more. Other events held at the Center include WWE, the Harlem Globetrotters and The Wiggles. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:19:00 EST Press Releases