http://www.WEC.tv en-us Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:23:15 EST Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:23:15 EST http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=85011 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=85011 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=24&q=75&x=33&y=7&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=wec4807jorgensenvsbanuelos007.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri If you have followed the career of Antonio Banuelos, current teammate and former roommate of Chuck Liddell, then you may have noticed the 5'3 fighter's ongoing love affair with body ink. The many symbols and words that adorn the bantamweight's body are the result of a unique tradition he began with his MMA debut nine years ago: After every fight, win or lose, Banuelos adds another tattoo. I recently had a conversation with this colorful gent, who discussed his weeks of training with BJ Penn, his fascination with skin art, and his upcoming fight with Chad George at WEC 51. Curreri: You went out to Hawaii to help BJ Penn get ready for his rematch with Frankie Edgar. How did that come about? Banuelos: I helped him train before for one of his fights - a fight with Caol Uno years ago -- and he gave Chuck (Liddell) a call. They wanted a small, quick, light guy out there and BJ thought of me and asked if I could come. It's not a bad thing to go out to Hawaii and train with the best in the world. Curreri: How long were you in Hilo? Banuelos: Three weeks. When I came back I started my training camp for Chad George. BJ finished his camp in Costa Mesa (California) and I went down to Costa Mesa twice a week to train with him. Curreri: JD Penn (BJ's brother) made a comment to the effect, 'Banuelos is faster than Frankie Edgar.' What do you make of that comment? Banuelos: That's what he said. It might have something to do with me being 135 pounds and we move a little bit faster, so &hellip; Curreri: Tell us about the experience training with BJ this time around versus the last time when you trained with him before his fight with Caol. Did you feel a difference in his game and his energy? Banuelos: Like his brother said, a motivated BJ is a scary guy. He's just on fire. Every training session we had he was just going all-out, 120 percent. BJ is creepy, scary good. It's like he's five steps ahead of you. He's in awesome shape and he wants that belt back. He's fired up for this fight. You can just tell. When he pops you one, you can feel it. Curreri: You beat Scott Jorgensen the first time you guys fought and lost to him in April by decision. How did you absorb that loss? Banuelos: I took it hard like everybody does. I took a week off, I went and got tattooed - like I normally do. I sat down with Chuck and we talked over some things. There's nothing you can do except get back on the horse and keep grinding. It was hard because my nose was broken and I was just hitting bags, I couldn't wrestle or anything. John and Chuck didn't let me fall too much out of shape. I just want to get back out there and show I'm better than the fight I put on (in the loss to Jorgensen). You can't take anything away from Scott Jorgensen. That guy's a stud and I want a rubber match. But first I've got to get through Chad. Curreri: When you sat down with Chuck after the loss and talked, was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else and hanging up the gloves? Banuelos: I had some things on my mind and I think I was taking the loss a little too hard. I was like, '(Expletive), what I am I going to do now?' I wanted to get a title shot after the Jorgensen fight but I lost. I was worried too much and Chuck was like, 'Just relax. You put on a good show and you're not losing your job. We just need to make small changes in your game plan.' Hearing it from him made me settle down and relax a little bit. He's the man, a living legend, so I just got back to training and didn't skip a beat. I have faith in him so that's what we did. Curreri: How many tats do you have? Banuelos: I don't know. Curreri: Give me a ballpark. More than 20? Banuelos: Crap: I've got one on my head, one on my lip, two on my neck. (Starts counting) One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight &hellip; fifteen, sixteen &hellip; Yeah, I've probably got about 20. I'm always training so my only window to get tattooed is the week off after a fight. I'm tattooed from head to toe. Curreri: What's the tat on your head? Banuelos: It says "Shoot to kill." I got it after my fight with Kenji Osawa. Curreri: How about neck and lip tattoos? Banuelos: I have a black widow with a skull under it right below my ear. On the other side I have a snake coming out of my neck. Curreri: Did you have any hesitation to get a tattoo on your lip? That's not a tattoo we see every day. Banuelos: The lip was the only thing I could get tattooed while I was training with a buddy for his fight. So I got it tattooed and it says "(Expletive) off" on my lip. It's the bottom lip. I'd have to pull it out for anyone to see it. I can't show it to my opponents during a fight because I'd get fined. Curreri: Tell me about the significance of some of your tattoos and what they represent to you. Banuelos: I have my last name across my back; I always wanted my last name on me. I have Ohana on my shin, which is Hawaiian for "family." When I got my black belt under John and Chuck in Hawaiian Kenpo I had that put on my shin, so that means a lot to me. I have my mom's name on me. I have skull and cross bones on each shoulder. I have matching tattoos that me, Chuck, John Hackleman and his daughter all did - we all have black hearts on our ring fingers. It's between us four because we're all close and tight. It just lets us know that our friends are always around. The rest of the tattoos I have an idea as to what would look cool. I don't know what tattoo I'll get next. It'll come to me and then I'll have my friend, who has been tattooing me for 11 years, will do it. Curreri: Have you ever missed getting a tattoo after a fight? Banuelos: No, I've never broken that tradition. Curreri: What's the end goal with tattoos? Are you going to be a walking billboard of tats like Kat Von D? Banuelos: I don't know. I don't know what I want until I think of something that is cool. I'm going to start on my legs now. So if I'm tattooed from head to toe that's cool and if I'm not it's not a big deal. I have a couple of friends that have face tattoos, but I'm not into that. Other than the front of my face I'm open to it. Just not the front of my face. Curreri: Let's turn to your next opponent, Chad George. What are your impressions of him as a fighter? Banuelos: He's a great fighter, a tough guy. It's going to be a good fight for me. There are no more easy fights in the WEC. Everybody is a stud now. I think 135 is the most competitive weight class. Curreri: Do you want to make a prediction for this fight? Banuelos: I predict that it will be a great fight and I'm going to come out on top. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:56:25 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84904 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84904 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=105&y=6&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=cruz47beforeafter-03-09-10-20-2-8-278.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri LAS VEGAS - The gap between Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez has narrowed considerably, but their rematch Wednesday night produced the same result: Cruz's hand was raised following a split decision triumph that allowed him to keep his WEC bantamweight title. The closely contested bout marked Cruz's first championship defense since winning the belt in March and the 25-year-old Californian fended off a ferocious effort by Benavidez, who landed many more punches against Cruz than in their first go-round last August and even cut the champ on the bridge of his nose. Coming into the fight Benavidez (12-2) said he could not allow Cruz (16-1) to take him down as he had in their first bout. Yet Cruz's takedowns again proved to be a big difference maker in their main event at The Palms casino &amp; hotel. "I gave it all that I had; he just executed again a little better than me," Benavidez said. "I'm disappointed." Judges scored it 49-46 and 48-47 for Cruz and 48-47 for Benavidez. The champ left the cage to an undeserved chorus of boos from a pro-Benavidez crowd that had chanted "Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!" throughout the five-rounder. "Joe Benavidez is a great competitor. I give him all the credit in the world. I respect him a lot," said Cruz, who simply seemed "bigger, faster, stronger" than the No. 1 challenger and stuck to his same-old unique and elusive boxing style during the fight. "I just concentrated on doing what I do best and that's being hard to hit. I rank among the best in the world, there's not a doubt in my mind." In other action Wednesday night at The Pearl: Anthony Pettis vs. Shane Roller Get used to seeing a whole lot more Anthony Pettis, perhaps even in a title bout. The man they call "Showtime" found himself in one heck of a scrap in Wednesday night's co-main event and used stingy takedown defense and a triangle choke to overcome the beast that is Shane Roller. Standing in the Octagon immediately after the win, Pettis exalted and had a few words for WEC lightweight champ Benson Henderson. "I'm as high as I've ever been &hellip; I trained hard for this fight and I'm ready for the champ. Where's he at?" Henderson did not respond but was probably impressed with Pettis' performance, which saw the Milwaukee native often stuffing Roller's takedowns and scoring with kicks and punches. Not only did Pettis deny most of the takedowns, he actually took Roller down twice. Dealing with Pettis' extreme athleticism and acrobatic skills is no easy chore. The Tae Kwon Do black belt fired off cartwheel head kicks, flying front kicks and whacked Roller with a mean upkick. Roller was game and competitive throughout, keeping it close. His best moment came late in the second round when he cornered Pettis against the cage and unleashed a storm of punches. In the third round, trailing on every judge's scorecard, Roller had a chance to finish it. He trapped Pettis in his trademark submission - the guillotine - but Pettis rolled out. The Duke Roufus prot&eacute;g&eacute; soon trapped Roller in a triangle choke, earning the tap at 4:51 of the final round. "I was a little frustrated," Roller said. "I just didn't feel good in here tonight. I just couldn't get going. Chad Mendes vs. Cub Swanson One of the hottest prospects in MMA, Mendes moved his record to 8-0 by smothering Swanson with eight takedowns and showing much improved standup that will serve as a warning to future featherweights that the former Division I wrestler is just as dangerous with his hands. The Urijah Faber prot&eacute;g&eacute; showed evolution in his jab and scored with straight right hands. Swanson heated up in the second round, landing uppercuts and body shots, though he couldn't really pin down Mendes as he danced about the Octagon. Judges adjudicated it 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for Chad Mendes. "Cub's a tough guy," Mendes said. "Obviously I'm a wrestler so I'm always going to stick with my wrestling. I feel most comfortable on the ground but I've been working on my standup so much, so I'm always excited to get in there and use it." Brad Pickett vs. Scott Jorgensen Is Scott Jorgensen next in line for a shot at the WEC bantamweight title? The scrappy Idahoan stated his case by surviving a bloody, back-and-forth bout against Britain's Brad Pickett. Jorgensen's fifth straight win did not come easy. Pickett jumped on him early, catching a kick and knocking him on his rump. Pickett cut Jorgensen beneath his right eye, snapped his head back with a punch, and also stunned him with a powerful right hand. Courtesy of a reliable chin and unquestioned cardio, Jorgensen fought on and, by the second round, his punches were finding their mark with greater frequency - including a right hand that sent Pickett's mouthpiece flying. The difference in that second round just might have been a Jorgensen takedown that saw him also score with elbows on top. Blood streamed down the side of Pickett's face in the third round and Jorgensen scored three takedowns and controlled the action for much of the round, effectively clinching the fight for him and pushing his record to 11-3. Judges scored the fight 30-27 across the board. "I knew Brad was a tough guy and he can take a punch - I know I can," Jorgensen said. "I totally deserve that next title shot." Bart Palaszewski vs. Zack Micklewright A barn-burner while it lasted. Palaszewski, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, would have likely enjoyed a significant advantage on the canvas, but instead opted for a slugfest with his fellow Midwesterner that climaxed with an impressive TKO just 31 seconds into round two. "I'm always out to throw," Palaszewski said. "I'm an entertainer first and a fighter second. If I have to take a couple blows to the head to put on a show, I'm willing." Palaszewski noted that he, in fact, defied the strategy that Jeff Curran and his trainers had designed for the fight. "We worked wrestling for about three months to get Micklewright to the ground," he said. "But after a couple of minutes of trying I just said, screw it. Let's just stand." Fans were treated to a high-paced, bombs-away display in the opening stanza that saw both men land some heavy leather - though the blows of "Bartimus" seemed to have more steam on them and landed with a bit more frequency. Palaszewski stormed Micklewright with punches early in the second round, whacking him with a hard kick to the body and then dropping him with a short right hand. Before Palaszewski could rush in and finish his dazed foe, referee Steve Mazzagatti called an end to the fight. With the win Palaszewski improved to 35-13. Micklewright fell to 9-2. Anthony Njokuani vs. Maciej Jewtuszko There aren't many 155 pounders who crave a standup war with Anthony Njokuani. But Poland's Maciej Jewtuszko said he wanted a kickboxing match and tonight became the first MMA fighter ever to knockout the lightning-quick contender. Things started well enough for Njokuani (12-4) when he caught a kick and knocked Jewtuszko to the canvas, then buttered him up with a few heavy punches. Jewtuszko quickly returned to his feet and turned the tables with a spinning backfist that dropped Njokuani. The stunned Nigerian-born fighter gamely fought off a guillotine choke but was dropped again after successive uppercuts. As Njokuani slumped forward and Jewtuszko moved in to pounce, referee Herb Dean stopped the action at 1:36 of round one. The triumph pushed the Polish firefighter's record to 8-0. Mackens Semerzier vs. Javier Vazquez Vazquez put a jiu-jitsu clinic on Semerzier from the opening horn and then submitted him with a rear-naked choke, making good on his pre-fight prediction. A Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt who considers himself the featherweight division's best grappler, Vazquez (15-4) slammed Semerzier early in round one and never looked back, constantly threatening for submissions and punishing his Virginia Beach, Va., foe with elbows. The 34-year-old veteran continued his assault in round two, scoring a takedown and transitioning to Semerzier's back for the fight-ending choke at 1:35 of round two. Said Vazquez: "I'm pretty sick and tired of getting beat up standing so I made sure I did some beating on the ground." Dave Jansen vs. Ricardo Lamas Lamas notched his third straight win by bloodying Jansen on their feet and holding his own on the mat. In a battle of former collegiate wrestlers, Lamas' crisp punches and timely kicks - including a nifty body shot to head kick combo - made it clear that Jansen probably needed to take the action to the ground to win. Always very game and extremely tough, Jansen fought on despite a wicked gash over his left eye that bled profusely and made him look like an extra in a horror flick. The gutsy Oregonian kept the fight competitive with takedowns, including a thunderous double-leg in round two. Despite coming up a little short in the standup exchanges, Jansen controlled much of the second round with three takedowns. Two judges awarded him that round. Jansen came close to ending the fight in the third-round with a rear-naked choke but Lamas eventually escaped, landed some heavy elbows and threatened with two tight guillotine chokes. Judges scored the bout 29-28 across the board for Lamas, pushing his record to 9-1 and making him someone to keep an eye on in the WEC lightweight division. Jansen dropped his second straight and fell to 14-2. Bryan Caraway vs. Fredson Paixao The scouting report when you're fighting Fredson Paixao is fairly simple: Stop his takedowns and make him stand. Well, for the most part Bryan Caraway succeeded at implementing that strategy - and yet it was Paixao who nevertheless emerged with the split decision victory. Caraway often found a home for his left hook in the bout but was on the receiving end of plenty of leg kicks, including one that buckled him early in the first stanza. Paixao, generally stiff with his standup, scored occasionally with dirty boxing and rare 1-2 combos. Though Caraway successfully stuffed Paixao's takedowns - and scored a few himself - he seemed overly cautious and unwilling to unleash more than two punches at a time. Two judges scored it 29-28 for Paixao; one scored it 29-28 for Caraway. Danny Castillo vs. Dustin Poirier Determined to halt a two-fight losing streak, Castillo survived several dicey moments in a triangle choke and relied on ground-and-pound to rebuff the previously unbeaten Poirier. A former collegiate wrestler, Castillo's takedowns were the difference maker in his unanimous decision victory. Poirier, a 21-year-old Louisianan, was making his WEC debut. He came in with a sterling 7-0 record, all by finish. For as long as he could stay upright, Poirier was effective with leg kicks and knees. He briefly threatened Castillo with a knee bar and heel hook but ate some hard leather because of it. Judges awarded Castillo a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27. "He's a tough kid," Castillo said. "But I'm a tough matchup for anybody. He'a tough, young kid and I think he has a long career in this sport." Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:00:45 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84881 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84881 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=20&q=75&x=28&y=14&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=wec50weighin030.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri Ill will can add spice to a fight, but for the most part, pleasantries have been exchanged leading up to tonight's WEC bantamweight title bout between Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez. Unlike his mentor Urijah Faber, No. 1 challenger Benavidez does not hold a grudge against the 135-pound kingpin (I'll address the alleged roots of the Cruz-Faber tensions later in this story). Rather than hurl insults at the intense champ, Benavidez kindly refers to him as "a jigsaw puzzle" and claims he failed to fully appreciate Cruz's skills when they tussled a year ago in a non-title bout that Cruz won by unanimous decision. "He went for more takedowns than I expected and his wrestling was better than I expected," Benavidez said. "I usually don't care about giving up the takedown because I know I can get up, but those takedowns gave him points that helped him win the fight. So this time I can't let him take me down." The native of Las Cruces, New Mexico intends to be better prepared this time around, not the same guy who was kept off-balance by Cruz's crisp punching combinations and elusiveness. "I thought I could go in there and just react &hellip; and not really train for a specific person," Benavidez said. "But when you go against a guy like Dominick - who is basically like a jigsaw puzzle and has a different style than any other fighter out there - you really need to study him and know his tendencies. So I've made a lot of changes physically and mentally since then. I have a ton of teammates that are mimicking Dominick's moves and his style, watching videos on him and all that stuff. "I'm also really excited to be in a five round fight for the first time ever. "I have great cardio and I can outwork anyone. He outpointed me for three rounds and he has that down to a science - moving around for 15 minutes and scoring points. But two more rounds and 10 minutes gives me more rounds to finish. So I think it will favor me." Generally regarded as an undersized bantamweight who could compete as a 125-pound flyweight down the road, the 5-feet-4-inch Benavidez has also bulked up for his first-ever title shot. Cruz, who claimed the WEC title in March with a one-sided battering of Brian Bowles, has also packed on muscle since their fast-paced three-rounder. The San Diego-based champ, a prot&eacute;g&eacute; of Lloyd Irvin and Brandon Vera, pronounced himself more motivated than ever and anticipates a tougher test in the rematch. "I think last time he kind of underestimated a lot of things about me. That won't happen this time around," said Cruz, a 15-1 pro who hasn't lost in three and &frac12; years. "I always train like I'm fighting Godzilla, no matter who I fight. It's just another fight to me so I'm going to go out there and fight the best Joseph Benavidez there has ever been, and that's what I'll do." Like many people, Cruz was impressed with how Benavidez (12-1) ferociously rebounded from the only loss of his career with a first-round knockout of Rani Yahya and a second-round submission over former champ Miguel Torres. Yet, no matter how reinvigorated and resurgent Benavidez might be, Cruz believes his unique skill set, four-inch height advantage and reach advantage will always pose major challenges for Benavidez, no matter how hard the challenger trains or how much visualizing he does. "Let's keep it real: styles make fights and both of the last two guys he has fought stood right in front of him," the 25-year-old Cruz said. "You can't stand in front of him -- you have to use footwork and move. Joseph can't match my footwork and I have a reach advantage on him. That doesn't guarantee me the win but it allows me to dictate a lot of the fight. I fought him once and not a lot of his game has changed. He has definitely improved, as have I, every single day. But there are a lot of tricks up my sleeve that I will use against Joseph for this fight. "Joseph has to adjust to my style more than I have to adjust to his, for the simple fact that I have such a big advantage on him. Other than that he is just as athletic and quick as I am and has all the potential in the world, but I'll counter with every single ounce of my heart, which is a lot." One of the knocks on Cruz had been that he was a volume puncher, not a power puncher. This perception existed because Cruz went four consecutive bouts in the WEC without a finish, simply coasting unscathed to dominant decision victories. But Cruz dispelled that light-puncher myth during his fistic destruction of Bowles earlier this year. Now, leading up to his first title defense, the new champ is playing mind tricks - not on his opponent - but on himself. "I'm going in with the mindset that I don't even have the title, that I'm going out there and winning a new title," Cruz said. Often, when Cruz gets in front of reporters, he is asked about his ongoing tiff with former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber - who submitted Cruz three-and-a-half years ago. Cruz shed light on the tensions, which were allegedly sparked when both fighters signed posters for fans before their 2007 fight and Cruz made a habit of signing his autograph on Faber's face. "I don't hate the guy," Cruz said, referring to Faber, who recently announced he was dropping to the 135-pound weight class. "Hate is a strong word. The big thing that has never been mentioned about this whole thing is that I wasn't even put on that (event) poster. I was fighting for a world title, my name was in the fine print at the bottom and I just felt disrespected. It had nothing to do with Urijah necessarily &hellip; but my way of being on the poster was to sign across the face. (So) &hellip; I got on that poster and everybody knew who I was after that - in a certain sense. "You know, it's just the fact that he (Urijah) calls me out all the time and says all this and that about me. That's his prerogative. It's not really what I've been doing but I really have no problem with fighting Urijah when the time comes. Right now 100% of my focus is on Joseph because he's a tough opponent himself and to look past him would be pretty ignorant. So I really haven't thought too much into the whole Urijah Faber incident, but maybe after this fight, and after a win, I can go ahead and look into it a little bit more." Benavidez also weighed in on the gripe. "Urijah doesn't like him for his own reasons but I don't have anything against Dominick. We get along fine and I don't mind having a conversation with him," Benavidez said. "He's a cool guy and we have a lot in common with our backgrounds. But I'm going to still get after him when we get out there." It will be a tall order. But for Benavidez, the potential payback is not personal. The challenger knows he must find a way to solve the puzzle because these kinds of opportunities don't come around too often. "Two of the main goals in my career are to win a title and avenge that loss, and I get to do them both in one same night," Benavidez said. "I'm so thankful I got a second chance because you don't get second chances all of the time. It's so perfect and I feel like it's fate. I'm a different fighter since I fought him last time. He had a great night and I had a bad night, and it was still really close, so if I fight like I'm capable of I have no doubt I will come out with the victory." Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:59:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84876 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84876 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=17&q=75&x=18&y=0&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=wec50weighin030.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Thomas Gerbasi - (http://www.wec.tv/) Below are the official weigh-in results for Wednesday's WEC event, which features the WEC bantamweight title bout between Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez, as well as the lightweight clash between Shane Roller and Anthony Pettis, and the featherweight bout between Chad Mendes and Cub Swanson. This card will air live on Versus (9pm ET / 6pm PT) from The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. Click to watch weigh-in Dominick Cruz (134) vs Joseph Benavidez (134) Shane Roller (156) vs Anthony Pettis (155) Cub Swanson (146) vs Chad Mendes (145) Scott Jorgensen (135) vs Brad Pickett (136) Bart Palaszewski (156) vs Zack Micklewright (156) Anthony Njokuani (154) vs Maciej Jewtuszko (155) Javier Vazquez (145) vs Mackens Semerzier (146) Ricardo Lamas (155) vs Dave Jansen (156) Fredson Paixao (145) vs Bryan Caraway (145) Danny Castillo (156) vs Dustin Poirier (156) Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:28:00 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84837 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84837 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=27&q=75&x=40&y=6&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=003CCADB-1422-0E8C-9A5F4D2A13AE4525.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri You can thank Cub Swanson for the jaw-dropping Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia classic. Sort of. The southern Californian was originally scheduled to face "The Korean Zombie" in April but was scratched due to injury. That opened the door for his go-for-broke teammate, Garcia, to step up and fight his mirror image inside of the Octagon. Now, after a nine-month layoff - the longest of his career - Swanson returns to the cage Wednesday for a pivotal main card matchup against fast-rising featherweight Chad "Money" Mendes. The much-anticipated battle pits a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt (Swanson) against one of MMA's top wrestlers. In terms of experience, Swanson trumps his foe six years to two. Swanson seems to have the more refined Muay Thai skills and submissions, while Mendes packs one-punch knockout power and relentless ground-and-pound. Both men benefit from outstanding camps; Swanson trains under Greg Jackson, Mendes under Urijah Faber. "He's a great opponent," said Swanson, 14-3 as a pro. "He's really fast and I'm working hard to match that speed and explosiveness. Every day here at Jackson's is a battle so I will be ready for an all-out fight." Mendes is 2-0 in the WEC and 7-0 overall. But he expects Swanson to be a cut above Erik Koch and Anthony Morrison, the two men he has beaten in the WEC. "This is definitely the toughest fight for me so far," said the 25-year-old Mendes, who wrestled and graduated from Chuck Liddell's alma mater, Cal-Poly. "Cub is an awesome opponent and it's awesome to fight him. He's been in the sport for a long time, fought some tough guys and has some big wins. He's scrappy; the guy loves to stand up and brawl and on the ground he's got great submissions. But I think this is going to be a great win on my record because I train with guys like Joseph Benavidez, Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo on a daily basis. Our game plan is solid and I'm going to go out there and show everybody what I came here to do." A key priority for Swanson, who had been sidelined so two broken hands could heal, will be negating Mendes' wrestling. Mendes was an NCAA national runner-up just two years ago and Swanson can ill afford to let Mendes roughhouse him and dictate the action with his takedowns. "I've been training with Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Leonard Garcia, Clay Guida, Aaron Riley, Ike Valley-Flag and tons of short wrestlers," Swanson said. "I'm hitting my stride. I always try to expand my game and keep all my old tools sharp. My fighting style can adjust to anyone, so it's not a big change for Mendes. I want another shot at (Jose) Aldo, so I am taking every step I need to take to get it." For the unfamiliar, Swanson lost to Aldo more than a year ago in just 8 seconds. Swanson attempted a takedown and Aldo greeted him with a flying knee that flattened Swanson and opened a massive, grotesque gash over his left eye. Aldo, of course, has since steamrolled everyone else in his path and won the WEC featherweight championship. Like Swanson, Mendes has Aldo in his sights. "I'm training to get that belt but I'm taking it one fight at a time," he said. "I'm young and learning but I feel like I'm on the right track to get that belt." Mendes said he has grown more comfortable under the weight of expectations that surround him and his remarkable abilities. "There was a little bit of pressure for my first fight in the WEC just because I was taking that next step into a big organization," he said. "But once I got that behind me, it's basically a fight just like any other fight, it's just in a bigger organization. So I'm just training hard and doing what I do. Being a part of the WEC is a dream come true." Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:01:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84824 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84824 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=23&q=75&x=3&y=2&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=wec4807jorgensenvsbanuelos006.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri A few months back Scott Jorgensen and Joseph Benavidez, two buddies who compete in the same division, made a pact: "We knew we were neck-and-neck for the next title shot and we said, "It doesn't matter who gets it. One of us will fight Dominick (Cruz) and then we'll fight each other for the belt.'" That is Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen talking. The bantamweight contender out of Boise, Idaho has learned to accept that it is Benavidez - not him - who will get the first crack at WEC champion Dominick Cruz at WEC 50 this Wednesday. Jorgensen, meanwhile, had to settle for a clash against tough-as-nails Brad Pickett, who has prevailed in nine straight fights dating back to 2007. The bout could have title shot implications, but Jorgensen refuses to let his hopes get too high. "I'm not looking at anything beyond Wednesday night," Jorgensen said. "It really doesn't matter to me. My name has been mentioned as a title contender a couple of times - and I was thinking I had earned a title shot and it never comes through. So now I'm just going to take care of business one fight at a time and everything will fall in line." Brad "One Punch" Pickett will do everything in his power to foil Jorgensen's master plan. Although two of his WEC fights have been televised in the United States, Pickett considers main card vet Jorgensen to have a bigger name than him. But the 32-year-old Brit believes he can change that with a stellar performance on Wednesday. "There's more pressure on him," said Pickett, who trains with American Top Team in Florida and is close friends with former WEC featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown. "He's the one shouting out that he deserves a title shot, he's ranked higher than me in the world rankings, so I have nothing to lose in this fight &hellip; He's going to have to knock me out or lay me unconscious because I'm not going to lay over and die for anybody. And that's the same mentality he has. We're both very durable characters and tough and unless one of us makes a mistake - I believe it's going to be a three-round, exciting fight." Looking sensational in his last fight, Pickett devoured and punished previously-unbeaten Demetrious Johnson en route to a unanimous decision win. Johnson had been a state champion wrestler in high school yet Pickett outwrestled him, slamming Johnson hard to the canvas on several occasions. Jorgensen's pedigree, before jumping into MMA, was that of a decorated Division I wrestler. He insists Pickett won't be slamming anybody this time around. "I don't get ragdolled, man, I ragdoll people," Jorgensen said. "I'm a wrestler and I've never been pushed around in my life in a fight or a wrestling match and certainly not Wednesday night. Brad Pickett has got a rude awakening if he thinks he's going to throw me around and bully me. That's never happened a day in my life and it's certainly not going to start now." Asked what he must do to win, Jorgensen said he cannot afford to get caught up in Pickett's "wild game" and will impose a fast pace on the man he respectfully referred to as "a hard-nosed kid" (even though Jorgensen happens to be four years younger than the "kid"). "I can't wait on Brad to do what he wants and then counter him," Jorgensen said. "It's got to be an offensive game. That's what has been working for me lately. Everywhere he's good at I'm better. He's a tough kid but he's not where I'm at. He's never fought anyone of my caliber or an opponent like me. I'd prefer to fight for 15 minutes because if it goes 15 minutes I'm going to have a heyday for 15 minutes. It'll be a total domination for 15 minutes." Pickett, who has power in his hands and boasts nine submission victories, isn't particularly concerned with Jorgensen's grappling credentials, nothing that he trains with many "high-level" wrestlers and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. "Scott Jorgensen is obviously bigger than Demetrious Johnson but I'm still going to go out there and fight how I normally fight, which is to try and bully and beat anyone up as much as I can," Pickett said. By the way, just for the record, Jorgensen offered his very biased opinion on the outcome of the rematch between Cruz and Benavidez. "Joseph is my friend and I've got a feeling ... I'm a firm believer that in rematches the fighter who has evolved the most will come out victorious," Jorgensen said. "Just watching Joseph in his last few matches, my feeling is he's more evolved and he's hungry. I read somewhere that Joseph's motive is not the belt. And that's a much scarier thing for Dominick to have to deal with. Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:20:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84822 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84822 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=40&q=75&x=76&y=23&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=AABC4ABB-1422-0E8C-9A78EFF1FC7E5B19.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri 100 or more pro fights is what Bart Palaszewski is shooting for. As of today, "Bartimus" is almost halfway to the century mark. Opponent #47 is coming up on Wednesday in the form of Zack Micklewright, a scrappy U.S. Marine who trains under Pat Miletich in Iowa and who can't believe his luck. "Palaszewski is a really good fighter," Micklewright said. "I developed as a fighter watching him and learning from him because he fought for the IFL (Quad Cities) Silverbacks and that was our hometown team. I've seen him fight live and on TV so it's kind of crazy that I'm fighting him now." Palaszewski (33-13) has fond memories of his time training in Bettendorf, Iowa during what was a heyday for Team Miletich. "I actually commuted to Iowa. I would spend three or four days a week training at Pat's gym and then go home and train" with Jeff Curran in Crystal Lake, Ill., Palaszewski said. "Training at Pat's gym was great. They had a lot of great guys at the time. My main training partners were guys like Jens Pulver, Spencer Fisher and Josh Neer. It was phenomenal." The 23-year-old Micklewright was not training at Miletich's school at the time but anticipates he will benefit from his coach and others having special insights into Palaszewski's tendencies and trouble spots. "I know plenty about him," said Micklewright, who was sidelined for several months earlier this year with a broken ankle. "I've watched a lot of tape on him and I think there are areas where I can pick him apart. I think I know more about him than he knows about me so I've got an advantage. "We both have killer instinct and are aggressive. He's got a hard head, I've got a hard head. He hits hard, I hit hard. I think I'm stronger and a little more athletic than him." Palaszewski comes marching into the matchup riding a three-fight win streak that includes a win over rising star Anthony Pettis and Karen Darabedyan (one of Manny Gamburyan's training partners). Shortly after submitting Darabedyan, a judo black belt, Palaszewski received his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Jeff Curran and Pedro Sauer. Even though Palaszewski is a well-rounded and highly-dangerous finisher - with 11 subs and 15 TKOs - he has preferred standup battles in recent years. The Poland-born fighter has just two submissions in his past 11 fights. "Every fight he comes in aggressive and it seems like he wants to stand," Micklewright said, who is 9-1 as a pro. "Even if the guy is beating him up standing he tries to one-up the guy standing. And that's what I'm looking forward to. I'm not looking for a submission. I'm looking for a knockout or I'm going to grind out a decision. I think we're going to bang. I would love to clip him and pound him out." Palaszewski said he made adjustments in training to account for his opponent's southpaw stance and height advantage - Micklewright is 6 feet tall versus 5'9 for Palaszewski. "This was one of my best training camps in over two years," Palaszewski said. "There were no setbacks. Everything went according to plan. When the fight was made I didn't know anything about Zack. Now it's just what I've seen on film. He's tough but everybody's tough in the WEC, you know. We'll see how it goes. If I'm having success on my feet I'll keep it there. But I've seen his weakness on the ground and his wrestling, those are two things. I've been working on my wrestling a lot and jiu-jitsu is my bread and butter - I've been working on jiu-jitsu for 11 years. So if I have any problems standing I'll take him down and submit him." While elite fighters such as Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre have walked into the Octagon wearing their kimonos and black belts, Palaszewski said no one should expect the same from him on Aug. 18. "No I'm not doing anything that crazy," he said. "I train in the gi but it's too much to wear because you've got to get dressed and then undressed. I'll wear shorts and a t-shirt and keep it simple." As for claims that the Miletich camp has a great scouting report on Palaszewski's style and tendencies, Palaszewski isn't buying it. "I haven't trained with Pat for like two years and I've evolved as a fighter so I don't see them having any insights on me," Palaszewski said. "So anything that Pat has on me is outdated." Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:29:14 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84821 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84821 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=29&y=5&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=1C503274-1422-0E8C-9AC178C65D68DD44.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri Mackens Semerzier has already submitted one Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in the WEC. But can "Mack Da Menace" repeat the feat against a cocksure fighter who regards himself as the 145-pound division's "best grappler in the world?" We're going to find out on Aug. 18 when Semerzier collides with Javier Vazquez in Las Vegas. The undercard battle is crucial for both men and their title aspirations. Semerzier (7-1) burst on the scene last year with a triangle choke win over Wagnney Fabiano, but the Virginia Beach resident suffered his first loss months later via unanimous decision to Deividas Taurosevicius. Like Semerzier, Vazquez (14-4) has never been finished. In fact, rather remarkably, all four of the Californian's losses were by split decision. Vazquez has never been knocked down or hurt by punches in his pro career. But the 12-year veteran expects Semerzier, a BJJ purple belt, to try and emulate the standup strategy that Taurosevicius and L.C. Davis used against him en route to their wins. "He's going to do the same thing everybody else does: He's going to try and keep it standing and try to knock me out," Vazquez said. "Because taking me down is not super-easy and if he does, I'm better on the ground than him. I'd be pretty surprised if he tried anything different than that." Semerzier, who was supposed to fight Anthony "Cheesesteak" Morrison earlier this year but bowed out due to a rib injury, has prepared for this bout at LINXX Academy in Virginia, and also with Greg Nelson and at Jeff Curran's martial arts academy in Crystal Lake, Ill. "Javier has a fast, explosive game with a wrestling influence," said Semerzier, 29. "His game is just as dangerous as Wagnney's, if not more so. He's all-around good. I think I have some physical advantages on him and I'll try to exploit that. I have more invested in my situation now so this is a more important fight than my fight with Wagnney. I'm better prepared this time. I've had more time to prepare and I'm not injured." Vazquez, who is coming off a dominating submission win over Jens Pulver, has been competing as a pro mixed martial artist since 1998. The Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt envisions Semerzier as just another stop on the road to the championship. "He's pretty good," said the 34-year-old Vazquez. "He's still learning. I mean, we're all learning - but I definitely feel a little bit ahead in my skill set than he is. We both supposedly lost to the same guy (Taurosevicius) so I'm curious to see who wins. I definitely think I'm better in all aspects of MMA. "I've lost two close fights which I'm not very happy about, so I have to go out and do what I have always done. Nothing has changed: My goal is to finish guys." Semerzier said a lack of focus and complacency had doomed him against Taurosevicius. But he pronounced himself to be more committed to the sport than ever. "All I think about is fighting, buying a house and having another baby," Semerzier said. "Everything is on the line right now. This is part of my plan and I don't want to mess my plan up so I need to win this fight." Vazquez went a step farther in his pre-fight rhetoric. "I'm going to do everything in my power to win this fight, and I honestly believe I'm going to win," he said. "I've got a few new surprises &hellip; If he can stop me, God bless him. But not many people can. I'm the best grappler in the world at my weight class. I've trained with guys my size that are amazing grapplers and to this day I'm still the best in the world at my weight class, and if anybody wants to try and prove otherwise they are more than welcome to try. But they usually lose. "I respect Mackens. He's a good fighter, but I would bet on me. I'll probably tap him in the second round." Sat, 14 Aug 2010 10:28:41 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84748 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84748 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=100&q=75&x=0&y=0&w=100&h=50&ro=0&s=95227FFA-1422-0E8C-9ABD4DEB06728D42.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri You might have trouble pronouncing his name, but odds are high that you will remember Maciej Jewtuszko after watching him perform inside of a cage. Poland's top lightweight prospect boasts an aggressive, crowd-pleasing style and a sterling 7-0 pro record - and he's yet to allow one of his bouts to be decided by the judges. Popular and poised to become an MMA pioneer in his homeland, the 29-year-old firefighter nevertheless realizes that the ultimate test of his skills can only happen under the Zuffa umbrella, which is why he is pumped for his looming Aug. 18 showdown against standup fighter extraordinaire Anthony Njokuani (12-3). I recently spoke with Jewtuszko (whose full name is pronounced Mah-chey Yev-Tushko) about making his WEC debut, what the opportunity means for him, and growing up in a country that had previously been under Communist rule. FC: What is the state of MMA in your home country of Poland? MJ: I recognize that the level in the United States, especially in Zuffa's organization, is the major leagues. The quality of fighters there are much higher than in Poland or Germany, and even though I have beaten some top European fighters I know that I will have to give my best. I'm ready for it. There are a lot of boxing fans here because we've had some great boxers in the past. In general, in Eastern Europe - Russia and Poland - there are a lot of people interested in fighting. In Poland, in the last five years, MMA has been growing really fast. We've had shows that have attracted talent from all over the world. Some of the fights have been broadcasted on national TV, which most recently the World's Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski fought on there and five million people watched it live. Pawel Nastula, who fought for Pride, he was already like a celebrity from his judo background. He fought MMA and that brought a lot of attention to the sport. Pudzianowski and Pawel Nastula are like A-list celebrities in Poland and they have represented the sport well. Jiu-jitsu, in particular, is very well-known in Poland. Our city has around 400,000 people and every jiu-jitsu school in our city has more than 150 students. There are a lot of Brazilian jiu-jitsu clubs and a lot of Brazilians coming over to do seminars. We have a lot of support from the mayor of our city. Jiu jitsu clubs can apply for some of city funds. MMA is already overshadowing wrestling and I think soon it will overshadow boxing. FC: What was it like growing up in Poland? MJ: My father worked as a border officer on the Germany/Poland border and my mother was a nurse. I was 9 years old when Communism fell. As a teenager there was a huge transformation in Poland. There were not many resources here so many kids were just outside playing games like soccer and cycling. I was boxing a little and always doing something athletic. I grew up in a middle-class family so there weren't a lot of hardships. I finished university and earned my degree two years ago. Right now I'm a firefighter. FC: What is your college degree in? MJ: Sociology. FC: To a lot of us here in the states it seems like Poland is one of those nations - kind of like Australia, Great Britain and Canada - where there's a lot of machismo and tough guys are everywhere. Why do you think that is? MJ: The Polish nation has always had to fight for themselves. We were under occupation for 300 years and earned our independence in 1989. So there has always been a lot of resistance in our history. In every history class you learned about all of the wars and resistant uprisings that we had. That's how we are brought up. Growing up in Poland there weren't a lot of resources. There weren't computers and people weren't traveling so all you could do was stay in the city and be active in sports. The boxing community was big, wrestling was big and judo, after Pawel Nastula winning the gold medal. I think whenever the country is not really rich a lot of people gravitate to sports, just like in Brazil. You have a lot of fighters from countries where people have to strive to survive. 10, 20 years ago it was just like that in Poland. FC: What do you remember about Poland when it was under Communist rule? MJ: When there was Communism I remember that it was really hard to get anything from the stores. My memory was standing in line and waiting for hours for basic stuff, food, oranges, bananas. There was basically nothing you could buy on the shelf. Once Communism fell there was a big transformation; people were so free and could do whatever. There were a lot of new businesses growing. Once Communism fell you could get food and oranges. It was like a new world, a new beginning for the country. Overnight it changed. You had access to basic stuff. For a lot of people in other countries it is not something you can imagine. But I remember the freedom that came with the transformation. FC: When you fight, do you feel like you are fighting for all of Poland? MJ: I fight for the whole nation and my fans. I realize it's hard for a major organization like the WEC to notice a fighter from such a small, far-away city &hellip; so this is my opportunity to not only prove myself but to create opportunities for young fighters in areas of the world that are not as well known. I see this as a huge step for all of Polish MMA. FC: Do you consider yourself to be a Polish pioneer for MMA fighters? MJ: When it comes to lightweights, yes, I consider myself to be a pioneer. I always watch the WEC because it's the biggest organization in the world for lightweights. Zuffa is a big step, of course. When it comes to Europe, Poland is one of the top countries for MMA. But there is still a little gap between fighters from Poland and fighters from the U.S.A. and Brazil, mostly in the way that they train; they have a lot more resources for training and access to top trainers. There is also a difference in the way that we see weight-cutting. Most of the U.S. guys cut like 20 pounds for a fight and that's not as popular in Poland. I'm one of the few guys in Poland that cut a lot of weight. In the next four or five years when MMA matures in Poland and guys travel more then we will be comparable to the fighters overseas. FC: Do you aspire to eventually train MMA in America? MJ: I know that the U.S. is the place to be for MMA. That's why I want to perform very well in my WEC debut. Of course I would have no problem with coming to the states to train but right now I'm still an up and coming fighter and I don't have the resources and the sponsors to go there and train for a few months. But it's definitely my dream to go and train with other teams around the world. FC: For those who haven't yet had the privilege of seeing you fight, describe your fighting style. MJ: I started with jiu-jitsu and am currently the Polish national champion in Muay Thai. For the past few fights I like to stand, I like fireworks, of course, to put on a good show for the fans who paid for the tickets. I love Anderson Silva's style. It would be an honor to someday hear me described as the Polish Anderson Silva. FC: Have you ever visited America? MJ: I was in the states four years ago. I worked at a casino in Reno for four months. It's a beautiful country with a lot of possibilities. I had a good time and look forward to returning there again. FC: What are your impressions of Anthony Njokuani as a fighter? MJ: I like his Muay Thai and I think it will be a great fight for the fans because I intend to stand up with Anthony to see how my standup matches with his. The fans should expect fireworks. It will be Fight of The Night. Absolutely, for sure. Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:37:39 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84541 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84541 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=100&q=100&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 Dustin Poirier's first-ever trip to Las Vegas a few months back filled him with great optimism. And there was good reason for the Louisianan's high hopes: The wide-eyed 21-year-old had auditioned for The Ultimate Fighter season 12 reality show in late April; his performance earned him a follow-up audition so producers could further size him up. "I was in top shape for the auditions. I had been dieting and training my butt off," Poirier said. "I went into the meeting and I was myself. I didn't go in there and act like an idiot." Sporting a stellar 6-0 record, all by finish, the scrappy lightweight plainly stated his case for selection to the cast: "I've devoted my life to being the best fighter I can be," offered Poirier, crediting MMA for reforming his wild teenage lifestyle. "I believe in myself and know how good I can be. I think the sky is the limit. I just want to show that to everyone and let them see what I bring to the table." After answering a bevy of questions, Poirier returned to his hotel room. To his surprise, 20 minutes or so later there was a knock on the door. Poirier opened the door and stood face-to-face with a representative from the show. "Sorry, man, but we have a list of guys that we cut and you're on the list," the representative informed him. On the plane ride home to the Bayou State, emotional devastation set in. "I felt like I belonged there," he said. "I thought they would see what I had to bring, but they didn't." While his popularity continued to climb in Louisiana and neighboring Texas, Poirier feared it might take years to net another opportunity on Zuffa's big stage. But in late July, his phone rang: "Wanna fight Danny Castillo in the WEC?" Just like that, Poirier has intensified his training and will be flying to Las Vegas yet again for an Aug. 18 showdown with Castillo on the WEC 49 undercard. "It didn't feel real to me until a couple of days ago," Poirier said. "I kept thinking, 'Man, is this really happening?'" Poirier, who added a first-round knockout to his record while competing in Canada, also accumulated an 8-1 record as an amateur, he said. In many ways his fighting style resembles that of WEC star Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Both men are long and lanky and like to bang on their feet. But when the action hits the mat they become ultra-slick and have an uncanny knack for submitting foes. A southpaw, Poirier recalled laying in bed one night with his wife and watching Castillo, A.K.A. "Last Call," fight on television against Ricardo Lamas - a fight Castillo would end up winning by knockout. "I thought, 'This guys is a gamer,'" Poirier said. "He's a good wrestler but he was out there slugging. So it's going to be a tough fight, man. It might be a knockout or a decision. But if he doesn't get knocked out then he's going to have to try and grind out a decision and I'm going to be going 100 miles per hour the whole fight, so &hellip;" Poirier, who trains regularly with UFC veterans Rich Clementi, Kyle Bradley and Tim Credeur, said training with fighters of that pedigree has been a real confidence-booster and measuring stick for where his game is. "My favorite fighters are guys like Sam Stout and Jeremy Stephens, guys' who put it all on the line and want to put on a great fight like I do," he said. "Martial arts has helped me a lot and made me clean up my life. I'm proud of being a good person and doing things the right way. I want to be known as one of the best fighters in the world and maybe someday open up my own martial arts school. And 20 years from now when I can't fight any more I'd like to share martial arts with everybody." Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:01:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84441 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84441 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=70&q=75&x=100&y=21&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=115-pre-pc-chuck-liddell-vs-rich-franklin.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP&reg; CONFIRMS FIGHTERS FOR UFC&reg; FAN EXPO IN BOSTON AUGUST 27 &amp; 28 (LAS VEGAS, NV --- July 28, 2010) - With the city of Boston buzzing about the arrival of the UFC&reg; Fan Expo&trade; at the John B. Hynes Convention Center on August 27 and 28, the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; turned up the heat today by announcing the list of fighters that will participate in the weekend of festivities. The following fighters will participate in autograph sessions and a variety of other fan activities: UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio &quot;Shogun&quot; Rua, WEC&reg; lightweight champion Ben Henderson, WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, Carlos Condit, Clay Guida, Cole Miller, Efrain Escudero, Gabriel Gonzaga, Jon Jones, Josh Grispi, Kurt Pellegrino, Matt Hamill, Martin Kampmann, Pat Barry, Roy Nelson, Thiago Alves, Anthony Johnson, Ricardo Almeida, Renzo Gracie, and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Additional fighters added to the UFC Fan Expo will be announced in the coming weeks. All the UFC Fan Expo activities will be planned in conjunction with UFC 118, which takes place at TD Garden on Saturday, Aug. 28. Headlined by a lightweight title rematch between champion Frankie Edgar and former division leader BJ Penn, UFC 118 also marks the mixed martial arts debut of three-time world champion boxer James Toney, who will take on UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. For more information on UFC Fan Expo and to purchase tickets, visit www.ufcfanexpo.com. To subscribe to the official UFC Fan Expo newsletter visit www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com. Don't wait, space is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:01:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84334 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84334 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=16&q=75&x=6&y=5&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=01aldo-04-27-10-14-8-8-617.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) For Immediate Release: July 26, 2010 WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING&reg; ANNOUNCES FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT ON SEPT. 30 IN COLORADO Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyan Plus, Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner Miguel Angel Torres vs. Charlie Valencia Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop Tickets on Sale Saturday, July 31, at 10 a.m. MT From 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. Thursday, Sept. 30 Las Vegas, NV (USA) - One of the sport's pound-for-pound elite returns this fall to defend his title against one of the division's most dangerous fighters. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo, universally recognized as the number one ranked lighter weight fighter in MMA, makes the second defense of his crown against judo ace Manny Gamburyan when World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; invades the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. on Thursday, Sept. 30. WEC follows the lead of its sister company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg;, which has put on two successful events in Broomfield in recent years. In addition to the featherweight title fight, WEC General Manager Reed Harris confirmed today that Denver native Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone will meet former lightweight champion Jamie Varner in a long-awaited grudge match. Plus, former bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres returns to the cage to take on the red-hot Charlie Valencia. If those fights weren't enough, Sept. 30 also features featherweight bouts pitting Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick and "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop. "From top to bottom, this card is stacked with Fight of the Year-caliber matchups," Harris said. "In addition to having a title fight, a grudge match, and a bantamweight war, this card features warriors like Garcia, Hominick, and 'The Korean Zombie.' These guys have all been in some of the most memorable fights in WEC history. Now, they have a chance to put on epic fights in front of the great Colorado fans." Tickets for WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan go on sale Saturday, July 31 at 10 a.m. MT and will be priced at $185, $135, $75, and $40. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Friday, July 30 starting at 10 a.m. MT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets will be available online at www.TicketHorse.com or by phone at 866.461.6556. TicketHorse kiosks are also located at all Colorado Dick's Sporting Goods Stores (credit cards only). In addition, tickets are also available at 1STBANK Center Box Office on July 30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. MT or at Pepsi Center during normal box office hours. WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan 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. Ranked as one of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, featherweight champion Jose Aldo (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is unbeaten at 7-0 in WEC and on course to become the most dominant 145-pounder ever. Fresh off a dominant performance over former division kingpin Urijah Faber in April, the 23-year-old knockout sensation Aldo (17-1) has his sights set on his 10th consecutive victory. "I'm excited to fight Manny Gamburyan, who is a really good fighter," Aldo said. "I know that he has good judo and punching power, but I expect to knock him out. He's not taking my belt." Unbeaten at 3-0 since dropping to featherweight last year, Manny Gamburyan (fighting out of Hollywood, Calif.) stunned many observers in April by knocking out former champion Mike Brown. The win earned the Armenian judo practitioner a shot at Aldo, and more importantly, the opportunity to realize a lifelong dream. With a world title in his crosshairs, Gamburyan (13-5) expects to shock the world when he meets the Brazilian champion in Colorado. "I feel blessed to have this opportunity," Gamburyan said. "This is a fight featuring the number one and number two fighters in the world in this division, so there are no secrets to my game plan. I've gotta' bring my 'A' game. I have to be in top-notch shape, I've got to have good standup, ground and wrestling. Everything has to be perfect. I think he's a great fighter and I respect him as a champion, but I fight to destroy. It's my time and I've got to shine." Ask Donald Cerrone (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M) which fight he'd like the most and he'd undoubtedly tell you that it's a rematch with former world champion Jamie Varner. Since their first fight in Jan. 2009 ended in a controversial decision loss for Cerrone - a loss than came when Varner was struck with an illegal knee and could not continue - the Denver-born fighter has made no qualms about his desire to get back inside the cage with Varner. Now, on Sept. 30, "Cowboy" gets his wish and he gets it in his backyard of Colorado. "I've wanted this fight for a long time," Cerrone (11-3, 1 NC) said. "There's definitely bad blood there. Jamie is definitely the perfect fight for me to get motivated and come back stronger than ever. Plus, I've never lost in Broomfield and I have a lot of support there. It will be good to feel that energy and fight Jamie Varner in Colorado." One of the most division's most talented athletes, Jamie Varner (fighting out of Tempe, Ariz.) is on a quest to reclaim the WEC lightweight title. After battling unbeaten Kamal Shalorus to a draw in June, the 25-year-old Varner (16-3-3, 2 NC) has his sights set on a rematch with Cerrone and the opportunity to silence the former pro bull rider once and for all. "This Cerrone fight has been a question mark in my career and everybody has question marks in their life," Varner said. "So this fight is the opportunity to turn that question mark into a period or an exclamation mark. This is a good opportunity to shut him up and silence the critics and let them see that I'm the real deal." Once the most dominant bantamweight on the planet, Miguel Angel Torres (fighting out of East Chicago, Ind.) believes he has recaptured the formula that led him to becoming world champion. Fueled by a new training regimen that includes refining his aggressive striking and high-level jiu jitsu, the 29-year-old Torres (36-3) is as motivated as ever and hopes to prove that point on Sept. 30 when he locks horns with Valencia. "Charlie is tough and he's been around a long time like me," Torres, a Carlson Gracie black belt, said. "I can't underestimate him, but I match up well with him in all areas of the game. I'm looking to make a statement with this fight and I have to show everybody that I haven't gone anywhere. I'm still here and I'm dangerous. I'm not looking to just beat Charlie. I want to put him out" Riding consecutive victories over Seth Dikun, Ox Wheeler, and Akitoshi Tamura, Charlie Valencia (fighting out of Ontario, Calif.) is knocking on the doorstep of world title contention. As the explosive 35-year-old gears up for his biggest fight to date against Torres, Valencia (12-5) predicts one of the year's best fights. "I'm usually the underdog and I relish that role," Valencia said. "In MMA, anything can happen. I'm out there to win and put on exciting fights. I respect him for what he's done for the bantamweight division. I expect this fight to be fast-paced and entertaining." Sept. 30 also marks the return of Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung, who waged war against one another in the "Fight of the Decade" in April. Garcia (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) heads to Broomfield to take on Canadian star Mark Hominick (fighting out of Thamesford, Ontario, Canada), who had his own epic clash in June with long-time rival Yves Jabouin. Meanwhile fan favorite "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung (fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) looks to leave Colorado buzzing when he locks horns with gritty featherweight George Roop (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.). Remaining bouts for WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS. Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=81713 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=81713 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=50&q=75&x=35&y=16&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=6E163798-1422-0E8C-9AF113108BCB22CB.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) The world's best, including stars Caol Uno, Hermes Franca, Javier Vazquez, and Fredson Paixao, take to the mat for historic submission grappling matches Plus, Penny Thomas and Shayna Baszler Meet in an Anticipated Women's Match Las Vegas, NV - An already loaded UFC&reg; FAN EXPO&trade; just got some added firepower. UFC President Dana White announced today that this year's festivities will include four grappling superfights featuring the likes of MMA stars Caol Uno, Hermes Franca, Javier Vazquez, and Fredson Paixao, as well as a much-anticipated women's contest. On Friday, May 28 at 1PM PT, ADCC world champion Penny Thomas locks horns with MMA veteran Shayna Baszler in an intriguing women's matchup. Plus, former UFC star Hermes Franca, a dangerous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who owns submission victories over the likes of Nate Diaz, Mike Brown, and Jamie Varner, takes on jiu jitsu phenom Bill "The Grill" Cooper. Then, on Saturday, May 29 at 1PM PT, UFC star and MMA legend Caol Uno battles WEC contender and four-time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion Fredson Paixao in an exciting grappling showdown. If that wasn't enough, WEC star Javier Vazquez, a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt, takes on 23-time Grapplers Quest champ Jeff "Pipelayer" Glover in what is sure to be an explosive contest. "For grappling fans, this is an awesome opportunity to see some of the world's best ground fighters compete against one another," said UFC President Dana White. Tickets for the UFC&reg; FAN EXPO&trade; are on sale now and can be bought exclusively at www.ufcfanexpo.com. This year's event leads into UFC&reg; 114: RAMPAGE vs. EVANS, featuring the long-awaited grudge match between former light heavyweight champions Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. About The Competitors: Recognized for his colorful hair, engaging personality, and ferocious fighting spirit, former UFC star Hermes Franca is also widely-respected in grappling circles. A highly-decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Franca returns to grappling competitions at the UFC Fan Expo when he takes on Bill Cooper in an exciting matchup. At just 23 years old, Bill "The Grill" Cooper is already a grappling sensation. Since earning his black belt from Ricardo Miller at the age of 20, Cooper has won 25 Grapplers Quest titles from around the country. Now teaching in Thousand Oaks, California, Cooper will face one of the toughest tests of his young career in Hermes Franca on May 28. Penny Thomas is a South African Jiu-jitsu star fighting out of San Diego, Calif. Training under the tutelage of Saulo and Alexandre Ribeiro, Thomas is a two-time Abu Dhabi World Champion, as well as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and defending Grapplers Quest All-Star Pro Champion. Representing Gracie Humait&aacute;, Thomas is eager to take on Baszler on May 28. Shayna &quot;The Queen of Spades&quot; Baszler competes out of Sioux Falls, S.D. and owns an MMA record of 11-6. Baszler has scored notable victories over Roxanne Modafferi and Megumi Yabushita in her career and looks to make a big statement with a grappling win over Thomas later this month. One of the most respected fighters in the history of the sport, Japanese star Caol Uno began his career in 1996 and blazed a trail for lighter weight fighters. Having fought a Who's Who of MMA, including BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Rumina Sato, and Dennis Hallman, the 35-year-old has defeated over half of his opponents by submission. The dynamic Uno looks to test his grappling mettle when he battles Fredson Paxaio at the UFC Fan Expo. Fredson Paixao's accomplishments in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu speak for themselves. A four-time world champion, the 30-year old from Parintins is considered one of the best grapplers of this era. Now competing in MMA for the WEC, Paixao - who is only the second person in the world to go from purple to black belt in just four years - will get back to his roots by grappling competitively during the UFC Fan Expo. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the late Carlson Gracie, 34-year-old Javier Vazquez ranks among the most gifted grapplers in the world. With nine of his 14 professional MMA victories coming by way of submission, the WEC star vows to put on a show when he takes to the mat against Jeff Glover on May 29. With 23 Grapplers Quest titles to his name, California's Jeff Glover has taken the jiu-jitsu world by storm. Add in accolades as a 2008 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship-Silver Medalist, 2008 PacSun Hawaii Absolute/No-Gi/Gi Champion, 2007 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship Gold Medalist, and it's clear why seeing Glover's name on the marquee means some high-level jiu-jitsu. Among the best guard players to ever grace the mat, Glover plans to showcase his high-level grappling when he takes on Javier Vazquez later this month. Please note that all rings of the UFC Fan Expo tournament will be stopped during these Superfights, and that while fans will get to see all the tournament and Superfight action, seating will be limited and handled on a first come, first served basis. For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com. Tue, 18 May 2010 09:00:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=80526 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=80526 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/method=get&rs=21&q=75&x=24&y=-4&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=wec4704pettisvscastillo008.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) SATURDAY, APRIL 24 (9:00-10:00PM ET/6:00-7:00PM PT) 'The Ultimate Fighter 1' Contestant Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis and Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung New York, NY, April 15, 2010 - Two action-packed prelims from the highly-anticipated "ALDO vs. FABER" event will telecast live on Spike TV from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA on Saturday, April 24 (9:00-10:00pm ET/6:00-7:00pm PT). "Aldo vs. Faber Prelims Live" will feature former "The Ultimate Fighter" season one contestant Alex Karalexis (10-4) against Anthony Pettis (8-1) in a battle of lightweight (155 lb) contenders and Leonard Garcia (17-5-1) vs. Chan Sung Jung (10-1) in a featherweight (145 lb) contest. Karalexis, fighting out of Las Vegas, honed his mixed martial arts skills in the inaugural season of "The Ultimate Fighter" and made an immediate impact on the world scene at the "The Ultimate Fighter 1" finale in April 9, 2005 with a win over Josh Rafferty. Karalexis has won four of his last six fights, including a first round TKO win over Greg McIntyre in March 2009. 23-year-old Milwaukee native Pettis is an up-and-coming lightweight contender who trains with UFC veteran Pat Barry and is a prot&eacute;g&eacute; of Muay Thai trainer Duke Roufus. A winner of two of his last three contests, Pettis will look to utilize his rapid-fire combination of heavy-handed punches, high kicks, knees, and elbows to defeat the veteran Karalexis. Training under world-renowned coach Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, N.M., Garcia has fought many of the world's toughest contenders, including Roger Huerta, Jens Pulver, Cole Miller, and Manny Gamburyan. One of the sport's most entertaining fighters, the Lubbock, Texas native aims to utilize his superior standup skills versus the South Korean dynamo, Jung. Nicknamed the "Korean Zombie," Jung is a brash 23-year-old making his debut fight on American soil against Garcia. Renowned for being able to deliver, as well as absorb, incredible amounts of punishment, Jung is an explosive fighter with an unyielding will to win. "Aldo vs. Faber" will air live on Pay-Per-View Saturday, April 24 directly following the Spike TV telecast at 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT. &quot;Countdown to Aldo vs. Faber&quot; airs on Spike TV Wednesday, April 21 at 12:00am midnight. Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:44:53 EST Press Releases 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