http://www.WEC.tv en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:39:04 EST Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:39:04 EST http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=27330 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=27330 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=23&q=75&x=38&y=5&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=0AE6136B-1422-0E8C-9ACEB51F5A758798.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri Minutes after the featherweight title belt changed hands at WEC 44, the inevitable question arose: Did we just enter The Jose Aldo Era? Every world champion is greeted with such abrupt speculation, even though more often than not, title reigns in MMA's big leagues are defined by brevity, not longevity. Asked about Aldo's chances for a long tenure, a stitched-up Mike Thomas Brown didn't completely answer, but sounded skeptical that an Anderson Silva-type of tenure would be duplicated by Aldo, who has won nine straight and hasn't lost in nearly four years. "It's really hard because there are so many good guys and there are so many variables in the sport," said the former champ Brown, who succumbed to Aldo on Wednesday by second-round TKO. "If you're fighting the top two or three guys in the world over and over and over it's hard not to let one slip through your fingers. If you're fighting easy fights then yeah, you could win 20 in a row &hellip; (But) it's like baseball: you don't win 'em all." Some incredibly gifted fighters presently occupy thrones in the UFC and WEC. But of the eight combined champions in both organizations, only Anderson Silva can claim more than three consecutive title defenses (Silva has seven title defenses over three years). Georges St. Pierre has repelled three straight foes, UFC lightweight champ BJ Penn and WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner have each made two defenses, and UFC kingpins Lyoto Machida and Brock Lesnar have one apiece. Brian Bowles, who won the WEC bantamweight belt in August, has yet to defend his title. Brown had beaten his first two challengers and many had presumed he would be too big, too strong and too experienced for Aldo. But it was the Brazilian who steamrolled the steamroller this time around, punishing Brown in the standup game and walloping the American after he fell off-balance to the canvas. While some cageside observers wondered if the stoppage due to head strikes might have been premature, Brown didn't take umbrage with the referee's call. "I wasn't improving my position," Brown said afterward. "I knew he hit me good but I was never wobbly or anything like that. There were some flashes of light. I wasn't hurt but I was caught in a bad position where my legs were in the air and I wasn't getting out of there any time soon, so." Subdued but classy even in defeat, Brown offered no excuses for the setback. He said he was fully prepared and in great condition for the bout, but regretted not throwing more combinations and perhaps attempting more takedowns, particularly of the double leg variety. "I was a little wary to shoot double legs on him because I knew his knees are really good," he explained. "I was trying to throw a (punch), clinch and push him against the cage and take him down but it wasn't really working. He had good balance." Aldo's speed didn't take him by surprise, Brown said, but he developed a healthy respect for the former semi-pro soccer player's vicious leg kicks. "I knew, Ooh I don't want to get hit with too many of those or I'll have trouble walking later on," Brown said. "He's just a good fighter. He has good hips, he's a good athlete. He's not an easy guy to beat. He's one of those guys that you better have your 'A' game on to beat and I didn't have my 'A' game on tonight. He's a world-class guy now and he has the belt." At the post-fight press conference, Aldo was a man of few words, and when a reporter asked him to offer his thoughts on Anderson Silva - Aldo sidestepped the question and made no comparison and the man many consider to be the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. "I started my Muay Thai training with Pedro Rizzo and he always inspired me to do the same game plan, to stand up and bang," said Aldo, who is just 23 years old and had previously said during a WEC interview that he considers himself to the best fighter in the world. In keeping with the let's-wait-and-see theme on Aldo's potential, WEC General Manager Reed Harris also reserved judgment about Aldo's prospects for a lengthy reign. The WEC featherweight landscape is still loaded with talent - former champions Brown and Faber are still formidable, along with hard-hitting Josh Grispi, Raphael Assuncao and Manny Gamburyan, among others. And upsets are fairly routine in MMA, Harris noted. But in Harris' eyes, regardless of Aldo's run at the top, he will forever hold a place of distinction in Harris' heart. "I can tell you that Jose is the first champion to ever kiss me on the forehead," Harris smugly told reporters. "And I have to admit, I kind of liked it." In other news and happenings from WEC 44: The Fight of The Night (and $10,000 bonus checks) went to Cub Swanson and John Franchi for their engaging battle, which Swanson won in the closing ten seconds of the fight despite breaking his left hand and a finger. KO of the Night went to Jose Aldo. Submission of the Night went to Shane Roller, who came-from-behind to submit a very game Danny Castillo. Roller (7-2) told the media afterward: "I think this win solidified me being a true contender for the (lightweight) belt." The Please-Get-A-New-Haircut Award went to Kenji Osawa, who lost a unanimous decision to Antonio Banuelos but proudly sported a half-mohawk, half-mullet hairdo that made him look like someone trying to imitate Big Hair 80s rocker Billy Idol. Manny Gamburyan enjoyed a decision victory over Leonard Garcia - arguably the biggest win of Gamburyan's career - and took time to praise longtime training partner Karen Darabedyan, who defeated former WEC lightweight champ Rob McCullough in his WEC debut. "He's going to be champ, I guarantee you guys," Gamburyan said of Darabedyan. Former Olympic wrestler Kamal Shalorus, who beat Will Kerr by first-round TKO, on his winning strategy: "I know Will Kerr is good at jiu-jitsu and he wanted the ground so that's why I decided to strike. I had the opportunity to take him down easy but I didn't." Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:05:20 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=27085 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=27085 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=17&q=75&x=12&y=22&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=0AE5047C-1422-0E8C-9A1F30D0082A4C3B.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri LAS VEGAS - It's no longer speculation, and he's no longer a secret: Jose Aldo is clearly one of the world's best pound-for-pound mixed martial artists. It will be hard for anyone to argue otherwise after the explosive Brazilian notched his ninth straight win by destroying WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown. The outcome, which had been hotly debated by pundits leading up Wednesday night's mega-fight at The Palms, was never in question once the bout commenced. In a battle billed as speed versus power, Aldo was the aggressor early, whacking Brown with leg kicks and drilling him with combinations. Brown tried to take the fight to the ground, where he presumed he would enjoy a sizable advantage, but Aldo proved even more difficult to take down than Urijah Faber had been, and he fought off the attempts. Brown scored here and there with kicks, but his hard overhand rights were largely blocked and did little damage to the composed challenger. In round two, Aldo revved up his assault, and in a fistic flurry by both men, Brown slipped to the canvas on his knees and Aldo, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, pounced on him and took Brown's back with hooks in. Brown ended up in a terrible position, face-down, and unable to move his hips. Brown's head became an easy target and Aldo unleashed a rapid sequence of heavy punches upon it. With Brown failing to intelligently defend himself - and probably unable to defend himself because his hips were trapped - referee Steve Mazzagatti halted the bout at 1 minute 22 seconds of round two. The new champion fell to his knees and burst into tears. "He was a pretty tough fighter," said Aldo, who is now 16-1 and hasn't lost in nearly four years. "Mike is very strong &hellip;I had to wait for the right moment to finish the fight." Plenty of people had questioned the quality of Aldo's ground game, since all five of his prior WEC wins had come via TKO. But those who train with him recalled how he often beat multiple time world champion Rubens "Cobrinha" Charles in practices, and he showed his mettle on the ground by beating Brown, who coming into this fight had beaten Urijah Faber twice and had the look of a champion who could reign for a long time. Now the fallen champ will have to contemplate what went wrong and how he can fix it. "He had a great night," said Brown, who fell to 23-4 and sported a welt under this right eye. "He was landing the shots and I wasn't; that's how the game is. He's a great fighter. He did a great job and exposed some holes that I have. It's time for me to go back and start (improving) again." Manny Gamburyan vs. Leonard Garcia With a potential title shot at stake, Gamburyan frustrated Garcia with takedowns and a smothering top game to claim a unanimous decision. Garcia tried to unleash his monstrous right hand, but Gamburyan judged his distance well and either stayed out of range or stayed super-tight in the clinch, stifling much of Garcia's offense. The first round saw both men acting with extreme caution, though many judged the round in Garcia's favor because he was more active in the standup realm with wild punches and kicks. Garcia's best blow was a straight left to Gamburyan's grill followed by a body shot. In round two, Gamburyan found his groove, sidestepping Garcia's punches and securing two takedowns. The judo expert controlled Garcia from the top, landing a few clean elbows and knees to the body. In round three, after a hard 1-2 punching combination from Gamburyan, Garcia's frustrations boiled over as he dropped his hands, glared at his opponent and yelled, "Come on! &hellip; Come on!" Garcia then swung for the fences, hitting only air. Moments later, with Garcia hyper-emotional, Gamburyan capitalized with another takedown. Garcia stood up and was taken down two more times and ended the match on his back. The judges awarded Gamburyan the decision by scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. "I mean come on &hellip; He's a tough dude," said Gamburyan, who improved to 11-4. "When Rashad Evans said he hits the hardest&hellip;guys, he does hit hard!" Rob McCullough vs. Karen Darabedyan Coming into this fight, there was every reason to believe that Karen Darabedyan was in way over his head. The longtime training partner of Karo Parisyan and Manny Gamburyan had taken this fight on short notice, was set to battle a former WEC lightweight champion, and he was making his WEC debut. But it's a safe bet that anyone who watched this fight card will remember Darabedyan after his performance against McCullough. The Armenian-American largely abandoned his judo black belt training and instead beat McCullough to the punch for most of their three-round affair. The first round was a boxing match, with Darabedyan repeatedly landing crisp, 1-2 and 1-2-3 combinations. McCullough closed the gap in the second round, and was perhaps more active, but Darabedyan still seemed to land the more telling shots. The third round was a toss-up as Darabedyan seemed to slow down, fighting like a man who was either tired or presumed he had won the first two rounds and wanted to play it safe. Again, McCullough was the busier fighter with kicks and combinations, but Darabedyan's blows seemed to hold more consequence. The judges awarded Darabedyan a split decision by scores of 30-27, 27-30 and 29-28. With the win, the promising lightweight improved to 9-1. Shane Roller vs. Danny Castillo It's not often we see Shane Roller, a three-time All American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, on his back, but Castillo managed to put him in that disadvantaged position several times in their fight. Castillo seemed to win round one on the strength of crisper punching, two takedowns and sustained top control. Roller evened things in the second stanza, landing a nice knee to Castillo's face and securing a double leg takedown midway into the round. Roller then mounted the Californian and transitioned to his back, but eventually got too high and lost the position. Both men got to their feet and the round ended, with Castillo appearing to be the more winded of the two. With the fight up for grabs, it was Castillo who stole the momentum, digging into Roller with a hard punch to the body and then stuffing a takedown, spinning behind Roller and then mounting him. Only two minutes or so remained, and Roller needed to come up big in the clutch. And he did, slamming Castillo to the mat, taking his back and sinking both hooks in. Roller cinched in a rear naked choke and at 3 minutes 32 seconds of the round, it was a wrap. Castillo tapped out and Roller was lobbying for a shot at the winner of January's WEC lightweight title bout between Jamie Varner and Benson Henderson. "I definitely think this gives me a shot. I'll be disappointed if they give me anything other than a shot at the title." Will Kerr vs. Kamal Shalorus Shalorus, a former Olympic wrestler, impressed during his WEC debut with an 86-second demolition of Kerr, a hard-nosed New Englander who took the bout on short notice. Shalorus swarmed Kerr in the opening seconds and dropped him with a fistic flurry, and floored him a second time with a booming right hand that prompted the referee to immediately halt the fight. Shalorus remained unbeaten in his pro career, pushing his record to 5-0-1. "I am from a very small village in Iran," Shalorus said. "Thank you America for giving me this opportunity! I love you!" L.C. Davis vs. Diego Nunes Using a roughhousing style, Davis outmuscled and wore down Nunes, handing the Brazilian his first loss in 14 pro fights. Davis repeatedly stuffed takedown attempts and imposed his own wrestling on Nunes, who appeared to gas midway into the second round and courageously fought on fumes the rest of the way. Time and again Davis, who trains with Pat Miletich's team in Iowa, took Nunes down and the pace of the wrestling match and clinches seemed to take its toll on Nunes. Nunes had heavily wrapped his right ankle, and it was uncertain if the injury perhaps hindered his ability to get into maximum condition for this battle. Regardless, Davis (15-2) landed the more telling shots on their feet. It was a commanding performance, save for a close call at the end of the first round when Nunes trapped Davis in a tight guillotine choke. Thanks to the referee deducting one point for Nunes for repeatedly grabbing the fence, Davis coasted to a unanimous decision by scores of 30-26 across the board. "He hasn't been pushed as hard as I can push," Davis said afterward. "After I kept taking him down over and over I felt him start to break." John Franchi vs. Cub Swanson After making the switch to Greg Jackson's gym in New Mexico, Swanson delivered what was quite possibly his finest performance yet. He landed high kicks galore to Franchi's cranium, including several cartwheel-type capoeira kicks. He landed hard right hands. He executed a beautiful judo throw to send Franchi, a former collegiate wrestler, crashing to the canvas. And when he put Franchi on his back, Swanson made the New Yorker pay with booming ground and pound shots. Franchi was game, cracking Swanson with punches here and there, but Swanson always turned the tables and asserted his will. Jackson, working Swanson's corner, tried to keep his student loose and confident. "OK, why couldn't the tree solve the math problem?" Jackson asked in between rounds. In the second and third rounds, Swanson showed a very diverse assault and got the better of Franchi in the standup realm. Someone in Swanson's corner yelled "I want a knockout." That wish went unfulfilled, but Swanson delivered the next best thing - catching Franchi in a guillotine choke, unleashing a caveman-style "AAAAAaaaaahhh!" Seconds later, with only 10 seconds left in the fight, Franchi tapped out. Swanson, who improved to 13-3, went to the hospital afterward to be treated for a broken hand and a broken finger. Kenji Osawa vs. Antonio Banuelos This bout saw Osawa's head being snapped back with alarming frequency throughout an entertaining yet one-sided slugfest. The speedy and mobile Banuelos repeatedly victimized Osawa with hard overhand rights in every round, including an overhand right that dropped the Japanese showman in the first stanza. While many fighters wisely make adjustments when being battered with the same move, Osawa never did. The fearless bantamweight always kept charging forward, often with his hands low, and consistently circled to his right - which is ill-advised when fighting someone looking to counter with a big right hand. To Osawa's credit, he did prove he is extremely resilient and durable, enduring when many in his circumstance would have crumbled. His best moment came in the second round when he attempted to take Banuelos' back and popped Chuck Liddell's buddy with several hard shots. But Banuelos (17-5) quickly got back to his feet and, despite a bloody nose, controlled the action for much of the remainder of the bout. At conclusion of the fight, Osawa inexplicably thrust his hands into the air and exalted as if he had won. The judges saw it otherwise, awarding Banuelos a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 across the board. Ricardo Lamas vs. James Krause Lamas, coming off a devastating TKO loss to Danny Castillo, rebounded nicely by outshining Krause in nearly every aspect of the game. Krause, 10-1, pushed the pace early and clocked the Chicagoan with several flush uppercuts during the contest, but Lamas always answered with crisp punching combinations of his own, takedowns, and dominant positioning on the mat. As the action intensified in rounds two and three, Lamas repeatedly put Krause on his back, stood over him in open guard and punished the Missouri product with ground and pound. To Krause's credit, he quickly escaped harm every time Lamas took his back or mounted him, but could never seem to place Lamas in a precarious position or on his back. Despite being 6 feet 2 inches tall and having a significant 6-inch reach advantage, Krause was unable to dictate the action in the standup realm, and by the third round, he seemed to slow considerably as Lamas put him on his back and teed off with big punches. In the final minute of the fight one of Lamas' cornermen could be heard yelling "Krause you don't got time!" And then time ran out and the judges awarded Lamas a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 across the board. With the win, Lamas moved to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in the WEC. Seth Dikun vs. Frank Gomez Gomez, a bantamweight, pushed his record to 8-1 by outwrestling Dikun and achieving superior position on the ground, where much of their tussle took place. Not much damage was inflicted by either fighter, other than a Dikun head kick that dazed Gomez in the second round, though Gomez broke his fall and quickly recovered. Though Dikun often seemed to be the aggressor, he was repeatedly outmuscled by Gomez, who scored takedowns in each round and was able to defend Dikun's rubber guard and submission attempts. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:15:00 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26767 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26767 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=55&y=12&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=04CDBB7E-1422-0E8C-9ACF4C637BEEBC49.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 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card, which is headlined by the WEC featherweight title bout between Mike Brown and Jose Aldo, airs live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00pm ET. Main Event - WEC Featherweight Title Mike Brown (145) vs Jose Aldo (145) Manny Gamburyan (146) vs Leonard Garcia (146) Rob McCullough (155) vs Karen Darabedyan (156) Danny Castillo (156) vs Shane Roller (156) Kamal Shalorus (156) vs Will Kerr (155) Diego Nunes (146) vs LC Davis (146) Cub Swanson (146) vs John Franchi (145) Antonio Banuelos (136) vs Kenji Osawa (136) Ricardo Lamas (155) vs James Krause (156) Seth Dikun (136) vs Frank Gomez (136) Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:22:00 EST Ufc In The News http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26663 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26663 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=44&q=100&x=1&y=12&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=E434EFE1-1422-0E8C-9ABEB64E3F3AA0FC.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri It's a mega-fight, so why is Mike Brown calling No. 1 challenger Jose Aldo, an explosive knockout artist and past world champ in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, "just another top, well-rounded fighter?" It's a mega-fight, so why is Aldo trying to mentally ignore that the WEC featherweight title will be on the line? The last thing either combatant seems to want headed into Wednesday's WEC 44 main event is added pressure to perform. That may explain why each man has repeatedly downplayed the magnitude of their clash, which in actuality ranks among the premier matchups in MMA for all of 2009. "(Jose) is a great fighter but I've had other guys that I was just as concerned about," said Brown, whose resume includes wins over Urijah Faber (twice), Leonard Garcia and Yves Edwards. "Aldo's one of the best fighters I've fought. I've fought a bunch of them, but he's up there." Asked to compare Aldo to another fighter, Brown invoked the name Thiago Alves, the UFC welterweight wrecking ball who is Brown's teammate at American Top Team in Florida. While Alves is quite an accomplished fighter, he is not yet at the level of an Anderson Silva, whom occupies the lofty stratosphere where Aldo believes his skills place him. With arguably the fastest set of hands and feet in all of MMA, Aldo (15-1) has steamrolled all five of his WEC foes with sensational TKO's. He has even dared to call himself the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, and beating Brown would go along toward backing up such a bold claim. As for the comparisons to Alves, Aldo didn't seem to take it as much of a compliment. "Thiago is a good fighter but I'm not scared of who he (Brown) trained with or didn't train with," Aldo, speaking in Portuguese, said through a translator. "I'm not impressed." Neither Brown nor Aldo, who both have not lost in nearly four years, has gone overboard to publicly praise the other guy's game. Yet there is plenty to praise about their respective skill sets. The heavy-handed Brown is sort of like a lighter weight version of Brock Lesnar -- but with much more polished striking, a much more dynamic and dangerous ground game, and significantly more experience in the cage. That is to say, Brown, skill-wise, is what Lesnar could be if the UFC heavyweight champ continues to develop over the next several years. What makes Brown-Aldo so compelling and intriguing are the litany of difficult questions that surround the bout. There are subplots galore: It's the classical battle of incredible speed versus tremendous strength and youth versus experience. Other variables deepen the intrigue. "His ground game, that's the question mark," said Brown, a former Division III wrestler who has 12 submissions and four TKO's on his record. "He's had five fights in the WEC and he got taken down one time and got up in three seconds. So I haven't really seen him on the ground at all. But I don't think he's ever fought someone with my punching ability and takedown ability." The lone blemish on Aldo's record was via rear naked choke to a Brazilian named Luciano Azevedo. But Aldo is a past world champ and a black belt under renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Andre Pederneiras, so Brown is giving him the benefit of the doubt. "He's probably a world-class grappler and so am I," said Brown, a BJJ brown belt under Ricardo Liborio. "But in MMA, when you have two world-class grapplers it's the guy on top who is going to win because he can punch and elbow. I'm guessing it's going to be hard for him to get on top of me." Aldo is aware of the rampant speculation about his ground game given that he prefers to knock out opponents rather than submit them. But while some believe Brown's blueprint for victory will include takedowns and a smothering top game, Aldo didn't seem particularly concerned about the prospects of being bullied by Brown. "I'm not worried about him taking me down," Aldo said. "I'm not worried about his size or strength. I've fought people much bigger people than him too. I've fought at lightweight before too. I train everything just so I won't have to worry, so I'll be able to deal with whatever happens. I'm skillful on the ground. On Mike's jiu-jitsu, I don't believe he is at my level on the ground. If Mike Brown takes me to the ground, I'll survive." Aldo, who has never fought past three rounds, will be fighting in a five-rounder for the first time in his career, while Brown proved he could go 25 hard minutes in his rematch with Faber. But the duration of the title bout could prove to be a moot point. With so much firepower inside of the cage on Wednesday night - only 19 percent of Aldo's fights and 23 percent of Brown's have gone the distance - what are the odds this one goes the full five rounds? "Ten percent," Brown estimated. "We both have the ability to finish guys so well, I think somebody is going to go down." On this much, the champion and challenger agree. "The same way Mike Brown thinks he's going to knock me out," Aldo said, "I think I'm going to knock him out." Aldo, only 23, said he feels blessed to be given the opportunity of a lifetime at such a young age. To keep his emotions in check, on what could be one of the greatest days of his life, he is playing mind tricks on himself. "In my head I try to forget it's for the title," he said. "I'm going to treat it as my next fight. I try to forget all of the attention and the media and everything." It is a strategy Mike Brown learned years ago and still uses today. The 33-year-old Brown, who will be making his third title defense, said he gets quite nervous in the days leading up to fights, no matter how talented or underwhelming the opponent. But on fight night he has always been a gamer, and said he will guard against Aldo's ultra-quick strikes by keeping his "chin down, hands up." Beating Aldo might signal to the rest of the world and fellow featherweights that this Mike Brown guy's reign could last a long time. At least, that is Brown's way of thinking. "It would be another notch on the belt and it would pull me further away from the pack," Brown said. "I'm on the top of the heap right now and this win will just pull me further away from the pack. This would really lengthen that gap quite a bit, because who would be next?" Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:35:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26662 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26662 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=27&q=75&x=31&y=6&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=02C29C1D-1422-0E8C-9A47553D07992A20.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri Manny Gamburyan has been saying all week that "I hit harder" than Leonard Garcia, but Bad Boy is beyond skeptical. "He comes in there brave and he's going to get knocked out," Garcia vowed. More than likely, once Gamburyan tastes his punching power, Garcia believes the short and stocky Armenian judo specialist will shoot for a takedown or attempt a throw. That is why Garcia has worked extensively with Joe "Daddy" Stevenson leading up to this fight. "Joe kind of has the same body type as Manny," said Garcia, who, like Gamburyan, formerly competed in the UFC's 155-pound division before dropping a weight class. "They've got a really good squeeze because they're so compact. Normally when I get against the cage I let the guy take me down because I feel strong in my jiu-jitsu. But after rolling with Joe I realized that if I let (Manny) take me down there is a possibility that he can hold me there. So for this fight we worked a lot of getting the guy more stretched out" to defend the takedown. While Garcia is highly regarded as one of the scrappiest fighters on the planet, no one is going to confuse his takedown defense with, say, Chuck Liddell's. But the affable Texan says he's working hard to improve that weakness in his game, realizing it could be the difference between winning and losing on Wednesday at The Palms in Las Vegas. "On a 1 to 10 I'm a 5 right now" in takedown defense, Garcia said. "Hopefully after this fight I'll be considered an 8. We really focused on wrestling for this fight, stretching the guy out, not letting him be so compact, not letting him just take me down." Both Garcia and Gamburyan believe a win would position them for a crack at the WEC featherweight title, though nothing is etched in stone. Garcia craves a rematch with titleholder Mike Brown, the only man to stop him in his illustrious, decade-long career. For that grudge match to materialize, Brown must defeat Jose Aldo in the WEC 44 main event and WEC matchmaker Sean Shelby will have to see something in Garcia that shows he merits another title shot. Garcia said the lopsided loss to Brown no longer weighs on his mind, and that it was erased after his last outing, a split decision win over Jameel Massouh in August. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter dropped Massouh in the first round, then gassed and fought off several dangerously close submissions to escape with the win. Garcia attributed his subpar performance to overtraining and said he has made the necessary changes during his most recent training camp. Before the Massouh fight, Garcia, known for his wild, free-swinging ways and occasional haymakers, expressed a commitment to reforming his reckless style and becoming more technical and controlled. Though he missed the mark against Massouh, Garcia expects a more polished and refined display against The Anvil. "I've grown as a fighter. I feel like my aggression was always getting the better or me. My emotions were getting the better of me and I was not relaxing," Garcia said. "In this fight I'm going to show the Leonard Garcia that should have shown up a couple years back and would be champion now. It's a controlled chaos now, I'm not just sporadic and all over the place." In another interesting development, Garcia said that he and good friend Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone have begun mentoring up and coming fighters who are on the verge of breaking into the UFC and WEC. "Me and Cowboy started a TapOut house where we allow six different fighters each month to come and live and train with us," Garcia said. "That fueled a big fire inside of me because now I'm a guy who six other guys are looking up and trying to reach my point. Those guys are coming in there and coming after me and some of them are high level guys. It really helps to have that new fire in the house. That's a new development that is helping me in the fight game." Garcia said a pilot of the show is being shot that will eventually be shopped to various television networks in the hopes of securing a deal. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:30:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26454 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26454 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=33&q=75&x=46&y=11&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=7275ACCB-1422-0E8C-9A3BE4568053A081.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri "Dude, you smell like vodka." The words from a sparring partner didn't offend Rob McCullough, they amused him. It wasn't' criticism, it was comedy. So what if he had stayed out until 5 a.m. partying and drinking? So what if he had a fight coming up? Hey, he still summoned the strength to crawl out of bed and made it to the gym by 10 a.m., still pushed himself to the limit in training. No biggie. He was the WEC lightweight champ, after all, and winner of won nine straight. He hadn't been beaten in nearly three years and planned on being champ for a long time. By the beginning of 2008, the fast life and late nights had seemingly produced fantastic results for the tough-as-nails knockout artist. He was going to be an exception to the unwritten rule that says overindulgence, an inflated ego and long reigns as champion don't mix well together. "I started making money, I was on TV and I thought I was 'The Man,'" said McCullough, for whom such status marked an incredible rise from the days when he was 14 years old and homeless. "I would go to parties at The Playboy Mansion, you know, I was hanging out with adult film stars, I was blowing money faster than I could make it, like it was going out of style." Reality first struck in February 2008, courtesy of the potent fists of Jamie Varner, who seized McCullough's title via a convincing TKO that night in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Perhaps it should have been a wake-up call to fallen champ. It wasn't. Even when training for a fight, McCullough routinely stayed up late ("I never went to sleep before 2 a.m.," he says) and occasionally partied. Coming up on the short end of a three-round classic with Donald Cerrone cost McCullough a rematch for his title. In March 2009, he fought Marcus Hicks and eked out a split decision victory. The "old" Razor had been replaced by an imposter who looked uncharacteristically hesitant to unleash his fists and vicious kicks. There was a reason for his reluctance: McCullough had suffered a broken hand in the fight. The injury shelved him for several months in what proved to be a blessing in disguise. "Breaking my hand kind of centered me and grounded me," McCullough said. "That and meeting my chick put everything back in perspective." The "chick" to whom McCullough is referring is Lexxi Tyler, May 2009's Penthouse Pet of the Month. The two eloped in October, weeks before McCullough's Nov. 18 bout against Karen Darabedyan. The demands of training meant the honeymoon was postponed. "I turned my whole world upside down for this fight," McCullough said, "and you're going to see a lot new things up my sleeve. I'm in the best shape of my life, I just got married, I'm having a son in February, I quit drinking, I quit doing the party thing. I don't want anything to hold me back." In Darabedyan, McCullough will be facing an opponent that he knows well. McCullough actually did color commentary for some of Darabedyan's fights in smaller MMA shows. He came away impressed by the 22-year-old Armenian, who has trained extensively with Karo Parisyan and Manny Gamburyan and holds black belts in karate, taekwondo and judo. Darabedyan (8-1, 3 knockouts and 1 submission) has said he will not hesitate to stand with McCullough (17-5 with 9 knockouts). "The kid is scrappy," McCullough said. "Some guys come in and run around, try to shoot you and stuff. This kid comes to bang. That's cool; that will be awesome for the fans. That's what I want to do. But I'll take this fight wherever he wants to go. He's a black belt in judo, I know he's got some great leg and foot locks and stuff. But I plan on smashing him. This is his first WEC show so I'm sure he's going to have a lot of added pressure." McCullough, 32, can still laugh at the memory of coming to the gym to train despite being "hammered from the night before." But he is confident that those days are long behind him, and that his new, tamer lifestyle is not just a fad. "I knew there was something that needed to be shaken up," he said. "I look back now and I wasn't fighting at my full potential. I was hindering myself. So I'm pulling my head out of my a--. It's time to grow up. The stakes are higher because I'm not doing this for fun or beer money now. I'm doing this to raise a family now." Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:01:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26403 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26403 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=50&q=75&x=116&y=161&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=BE22B61D-1422-0E8C-9A27614AD94690C3.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri The moment Manny Gamburyan joined the WEC, it was safe to assume that he and Leonard Garcia would be on a collision course, somehow, some way. Both men had built their names under the UFC banner and eventually dropped to 145 pounds and signed with the WEC because they were relatively undersized for the lightweight division. As his training camp wound down, Gamburyan (11-5) offered his thoughts on the intriguing matchup and his chances of beating Garcia if the bout shapes up to be a slugfest. Gamburayan is 1-0 in the WEC, while Garcia is 4-1 with the organization and 17-4 overall. WEC: Manny, any significant changes in training camp for this fight? Manny: My sparring partners. I don't want to mention names, not yet. It's a good matchup for me. An exciting win should put me in line for a title fight. Q: Why the reluctance to mention some of your new sparring partners? Manny: It's not a secret; I just don't want to mention names right now. I still train with Gokor, I still train with Main Event, and sometimes I go to Legends (gym in Hollywood). I always travel to different places. Q: As far as Leonard Garcia goes, you mentioned that you see him more as a brawler. Are you looking to impose your judo, put him on his back, punish him there and go from there? Manny: A lot of people think he plans on standing with me and that my plan will be to try and take him down. No, we will shake hands, engage in the middle and I will start with him from there. Wherever I feel comfortable. I am pretty comfortable in my standup game now. I heard he can hit hard, but I hit harder. Q: Leonard is a big name fighter and both of you are former UFC fighters. There might not be a lot of upside in beating, say, a John Franchi, but will defeating a Leonard Garcia drive up your stock? Manny: I really don't follow that stuff. That doesn't matter for me. A lot of people didn't know Franchi - Franchi was a tough (expletive) let me tell you that much. He was a gamer, a good, strong wrestler with good standup. Leonard obviously has a bigger name because he's from the UFC and he fought for the title and lost to Mike Brown. He's a top-ranked guy and beating him in an (impressive) way or taking him out in the first or second round, obviously, I could be the next one in line. My goal is to be the best fighter in my weight class. I want it to be known that Manny Gamburyan is a bad (expletive). Q: Where do you see yourself in your career? Manny: I want big fights now. I'm not young anymore, 21 or 22. Every morning I wake up I thank God for waking up healthy and being able to train. Every day I try to improve my game. Q: What did you like about your performance against John Franchi and where did you see an obvious need for improvement? Manny: I was pretty cautious fighting with John Franchi after a devastating knockout loss to Rob Emerson and a loss to Thiago Tavares. After two losses I needed to come out and perform really good. Obviously dropping an extra 10 pounds to 145, there was a lot on my shoulders. I knew he was a tough guy, a wrestler, I put the pace on him, a lot of beating on him and it was impressive. I would have submitted him in the first round, it's just I hurt my right hand in the first 30, 40 seconds. Unfortunately I fractured it. Either way, I was impressed. Q: Do you want to make a prediction for this fight? Manny: I'm not going to talk big. It's a fight and anything can happen, but I see my hand raised at the end of the day &hellip; I see myself winning this fight, for sure. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:58:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26192 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=26192 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=67&q=75&x=3&y=148&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=F4EEB3B3-1422-0E8C-9A5F5B5775180A19.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Thomas Gerbasi - (http://www.wec.tv/) After a spectacular night of fights at UFC 105 in Manchester Saturday night, Zuffa returns this week with twice as much world-class mixed martial arts action. Beginning on Wednesday, November 18th, the superstars of World Extreme Cagefighting return at The Pearl at The Palms for WEC: Brown vs Aldo. WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown defends his crown for the third time against Brazilian powerhouse Jose Aldo in one of the most highly-anticipated bouts of 2009. Also in action on the card, which will be televised live on VERSUS beginning at 9pm ET, will be WEC standouts Leonard Garcia, Manny Gamburyan, Rob McCullough, Shane Roller and Danny Castillo in the most important bouts of their careers. Following WEC: Brown vs Aldo, the action shifts to the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, November 21st for UFC 106: Ortiz vs Griffin 2. In the main event, which airs on pay-per-view beginning at 10pm ET / 7pm PT, 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy', Tito Ortiz, returns for a rematch with former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. In the co-main event, welterweight power hitters Josh Koscheck and Anthony Johnson collide, and the rest of the main card is just as stellar, as Amir Sadollah, Phil Baroni, Karo Parisyan, Dustin Hazelett, Luiz Cane, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira all step into the Octagon to cap off Zuffa's biggest week ever. 42 fighters. 21 bouts. 1 town. 1 week. Welcome to Fight Week. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST Ufc In The News 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=25946 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=25946 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=100&q=75&x=0&y=0&w=100&h=50&ro=0&s=E1CF53CC-1422-0E8C-9A5D6EB7FF75CE42.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri For years Karen Darabedyan has humbly toiled in the shadows of Karo Parisyan and Manny Gamburyan, his fellow Armenians and training partners. That will change on Nov. 18, when the 22-year-old Darabedyan - holder of black belts in Karate, Tae Kwon Do and judo - clashes with former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough. "There is so much buzz about this. I think after this fight everyone will know about me," said Darabedyan, who has trained extensively under Gokor Chivichyan, Gene LeBell and Roman Kalanteryan. "I've been in this sport a long time and finally I get a break. People dream of having opportunities like this, being on a big show like this, being on the main card and fighting a big name. With this fight I have everything to lose and everything to gain. I could either make myself or break myself with this fight." Darabedyan (8-1) took the fight on less than a month's notice, but still expects to deliver the finest performance of his career. But he's not quite sure how he will prevail, especially since he is an instinctive fighter who prefers to adlib inside of the cage rather than follow a strict game plan. It is an unorthodox approach, but it does have a few well-known devotees, most notably UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn. "I've never gone into a fight with a really solid game plan and I don't have a really solid game plan for this fight," Darabedyan said. "I'm a pretty smart fighter and I take things as they come. I don't like to plan ahead and say, 'I'm going for the takedown' and then the takedown doesn't work and I break myself. I just take things as they come. I know how good of a kickboxer he is. He's very tough and he has twice as many MMA fights as I do. But I feel comfortable striking and I think I'll feel comfortable standing. I don't think I'll shoot for a takedown &hellip; I don't know, I just have to see what happens in the cage. I'm going to do whatever comes." There is little doubt that McCullough fancies a slugfest, even though the heavy-handed Californian hasn't scored a knockout or TKO in over two years. In Darabedyan, McCullough faces an extremely well-rounded foe who also managed a 12-0 amateur boxing record. Darabedyan's lone loss came two years ago when he dropped a unanimous decision to a stout Japanese fighter named Koji Oishi, who came into the bout with 26 bouts under his belt and UFC experience. By contrast, Darabedyan was just 2-0 at the time of that showdown in Manila. "I took that fight on a month's notice and mostly took it for money reasons," he conceded. "I got paid a good chunk of money to take that fight. I fought in the same stadium that Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali fought in. I went in and there were like 20,000 Filipino fans screaming and yelling. Just the sheer size of the stadium caught me off-guard. I didn't plan on knocking this guy out or submitting him." Yet Darabedyan's confidence and skills have greatly evolved since then. He has scored first-round TKO's over his past two opponents, and is dedicating his career to the memory of his father, who perished almost three years ago at the age of 53. "He passed away from a heart attack. He was at work and they were joking at lunch time and my dad had a severe heart attack and it took him right away," Darabedyan said. "He was my biggest fan and the one that got me into sports. I had good parents and a really strict dad that was always on top of me, always had me in school and went to all of my training practices, and I think that kept me away from all the crazy stuff like drugs and smoking. For awhile (after his death) I just really wanted to let go but then, I couldn't throw away all these years of hard work. I just really want to make my mark in the MMA world and I really think I can make a dent in the 155-pound division. Luckily this door has opened up for me. And this is not only my dream, it's my dad dream." Darabedyan, who was raised in Glendale, Calif., and still lives there with his mother, said he will hold nothing back against McCullough and expects a war. "No one is passing out candies at a fight," he said. "Everyone is coming out there to break somebody's head, so&hellip; I'm pretty confident and hopefully things go my way in this fight and people will find out who I am. Karo and Manny are my friends and I train with them all of the time. They've done so much, and I hope I can come close to what they've done. Hopefully big things will come out of this fight." Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=25951 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=25951 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=49&y=15&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=02BC7991-1422-0E8C-9A26BF72209438A4.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Frank Curreri - (http://www.wec.tv/) By Frank Curreri When you make a promise to mama, do your darnedest to keep it. That is part of what drives Danny Castillo and also why he chose "Last Call" for his nickname (it has nothing to do with drinking). Back in high school, Castillo assured his mother, who raised four children by herself, that he would win a state wrestling title. Regrettably, he did not. Chasing redemption, Castillo wrestled in junior college and then transferred to Menlo College in California and pursued a Division III national title. Once again he fell short, losing by three points in the national finals. But a budding MMA career has breathed new life into the son's guarantee to mom. "This is like my last shot to keep my end of the bargain," Castillo said, explaining the secret meaning behind "Last Call." "All that is left for me is a world title." Just two years into his pro career, Castillo is inching closer to his goal. He boasts a stellar 8-1 record, has triumphed in three straight WEC contests, and on Nov. 18 gets a crack at one of the lightweight division's toughest contenders, Shane Roller. It is unique territory for Castillo because for the first time in his career the man opposite him in the cage just might be the better wrestler. Indeed, there is no denying that, on paper, Roller's wrestling credentials easily trump Castillo's. It's no contest. Roller won four high school state titles in Oklahoma, a hotbed for wrestling; Castillo failed to win one. Roller earned All-America honors three times at the Division I level. Castillo was a national runner-up in Division III, where the talent pool is much thinner. Yet Castillo virtually scoffs at the notion that Roller is going to outgrapple him in an MMA fight. "I read an article where he said he plans to outwrestle and outgrapple me," Castillo said. "Well that's great. I've wrestled over 300 matches in my entire career. If that's what he's bringing to the table, to try and outgrapple me, then I'm a happy man. I don't have to worry about strikes or anything. He wants to outgrapple me? I've been grappling since I was five years old in my mom's living room, so that's the least of my concerns." Castillo elaborated on his comments, stressing that there is a big difference between collegiate wrestling and wrestling for MMA. "In MMA wrestling you have to be really explosive," he said, "and I haven't seen too many explosive takedowns from him (Roller). I think my athleticism, speed and power will be able to nullify his takedowns." Based on performances, Castillo gets the edge in pure standup, courtesy of his TKO win over Rafael Dias and the crushing right hand that knocked Ricardo Lamas from the ranks of the unbeaten. The only fighter to go the distance with the Urijah Faber prot&eacute;g&eacute; is tough-as-nails Phil Cardella. Roller (6-2) has shown better head and foot movement since losing to Benson Henderson, holding his own in the standup arena with Marcus Hicks. But the Oklahoman's performance didn't impress Castillo. "He's a great wrestler, his strength is wrestling and ground and pound. For the most part that's all we've seen," Castillo said. "I've seen him drop Benson Henderson, but when you wear MMA gloves people fall down all the time and it didn't look like it was a devastating punch; Benson Henderson bounced right back from it. I'm not going to take any chances, I'm definitely going to keep my hands up, I'm not trying to get hit with any of his big shots. As far as speed and sharpness, I just don't see it in him. I think that my striking coaches are way better, I come from a better striking camp than he does. My boxing coach is a former world champion, Juan Lazcano, and my striking coach is Master Thong." Castillo said he respects Roller's best weapon - the guillotine choke - and has been working with Urijah Faber on defending the move. Castillo said he is dedicating this fight to his uncle, Sergio Castillo, who passed away two months ago at the age of 43 from an apparent heart attack. "He was able to watch the Ricardo Lamas fight and a couple of weeks later he passed away," Castillo said. "So that's been in the back of my head. I've been training my a-- off and he was a big fan. That's something I think about every day. I want to go out there and win this fight for him. "I've had three wins in a row so far. Another win and it's looking like title implications. So there's added motivation for me to win this fight and put a stamp on my name." Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:01:00 EST Interview http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23594 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23594 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=30&q=75&x=33&y=6&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=18FDE837-1422-0E8C-9A1D6E9395BCD02B.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) PLUS, THE RETURN OF URIJAH FABER BUD LIGHT&reg; PRESENTS: VARNER VS. HENDERSON From ARCO ARENA in Sacramento, California, Sunday, January 10; First Bout at 3 p.m. PT Fight to Air Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m. PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today that the long-awaited lightweight title unification bout between reigning champion Jamie Varner and interim champion Ben "Smooth" Henderson will take place on Sunday, Jan. 10 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. In addition to this explosive championship clash, WEC also confirmed the return of former featherweight champion "The California Kid" Urijah Faber, who will be facing top-ranked contender Raphael Assuncao in his hometown of Sacramento. "ARCO Arena is one of our favorite venues to bring fights, the fans in Sacramento are some of the best," WEC GM Reed Harris said. "The world title bout between Varner and Henderson is a perfect way to start off the New Year. The title fight, plus the return of Urijah, makes this an instant winter classic." Tickets for Bud Light&reg; presents: Varner vs. Henderson go on sale Saturday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $200, $135, $75, and $40. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, Nov. 5 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the ARCO Arena Box Office. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com. Varner vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus. Returning to the cage for the first time since his volatile collision with Donald Cerrone last January, lightweight champion Jamie Varner (16-2-2) is healthy and ready to prove that he is WEC's top 155-pounder. A talented wrestler with slick boxing abilities, the 25-year-old owns a perfect 4-0 record in the organization and is eager to reclaim sole possession of the world title. Believing he is more polished than Henderson, the Arizona resident plans to make a statement on Jan. 10. "He's a tough dude," Varner said of Henderson. "But I'm the champion for a reason. I have nothing but confidence going into this fight. I don't think Ben poses any challenges or threats that I haven't seen before. I'm ready to show the world that I'm still the true champion in this division." After winning the interim title by defeating Cerrone in a brutal fight last year, Ben Henderson (10-1) plans to leave Sacramento as the unified champion. Training out of The Lab in Glendale, AZ, the fighter nicknamed "Smooth" will look to use powerful takedowns to best his cross-state rival. Also known for his devastating ground and pound, the well-rounded Henderson believes that Varner's reign atop the division will end in California. "I think Jamie and I match up pretty well," Henderson, a two-time NAIA collegiate wrestling All-American, said. "He's a good boxer and a tough fighter, so I'm ready to wage war with him. I'm ready to leave it all in the cage and win the undisputed championship." Last June, Urijah Faber (22-3) thrilled fans at ARCO Arena with an epic, five-round performance against featherweight champion Mike Brown. Although he left the cage without the title, "The California Kid" proved that he is one of the toughest competitors in the sport, fighting most of the bout with injured hands. Fully healed and ready to work his way toward another crack at Brown, the 30-year-old hometown hero returns to face gifted grappler Assuncao. The former champ realizes he has a tough test ahead. "He definitely has some dangerous tools in his arsenal," Faber said of Assuncao. "But I think I will have slight advantages in every category of the fight. I'm really excited to fight Raphael in my hometown. Sacramento is my place. This is my spot and I represent the people of this town. I want to win here and climb one step closer to the belt." Having earned two hard-fought decisions over Jameel Massouh and Yves Jabouin since joining the WEC last year, Raphael Assuncao (14-1) is considered to be one of the top featherweights in all of MMA. With that said, his road to the world title now runs through Sacramento and the rejuvenated Faber on Jan 10. A phenomenal Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, the 27-year-old Assuncao believes he has the speed and power needed to drive past "The California Kid." Although he'll be entering hostile territory at ARCO Arena, the native of Recife, Brazil is confident that he'll leave Sacramento destined for a title shot. "A win puts me in line for a shot at the belt," Assuncao said firmly. "I always had a feeling that I'd fight Urijah one day and I'm glad it's going to happen on Jan. 10. I think it's a good matchup of styles and we're going to push each other hard from the start." Remaining bouts for WEC: Varner vs. Henderson will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS. About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About VERSUS VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA) and ARCO Arena. Led by Joe and Gavin Maloof, and owned by the Maloof family with long-term, local partners, the organization is committed to the community in Sacramento and to making a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of families in need in the Sacramento region. Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment has donated more than $17 million to charities in 10 years of Maloof family ownership. For more information about Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment, please visit kings.com, sacramentomonarchs.com and arcoarena.com or call 916-928-0000. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:41:56 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23483 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23483 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=37&q=75&x=10&y=-10&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=A29D62DD-1422-0E8C-9A722A4FBD95380C.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING&reg; ANNOUNCES ANOTHER STACKED CARD IN LAS VEGAS WEC&reg; PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. RATCLIFF PLUS, NJOKUANI VS. HORODECKI CARD TO ALSO FEATURE BOUT BETWEEN TWO TOP 10 BANTAMWEIGHTS BENAVIDEZ VS. YAHYA From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV Saturday, Dec. 19 Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. PT Fight to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today a lightweight showdown that will have tremendous implications on the future of the 155-pound division. On Saturday, Dec. 19 from The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV, lightweight title contender Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone will take on striker extraordinaire Ed Ratcliff, while in the co-main event, Muay Thai sensation Anthony Njokuani battles former IFL star Chris Horodecki. When the smoke clears on Dec. 19, the world may know who is next in line for a crack at the WEC lightweight champion. "Four of our top lightweights are going to be competing on Dec. 19, each with his sights set on securing a coveted shot at the world title," WEC GM Reed Harris said. "Cerrone vs. Ratcliff has the potential to be an explosive standup war. We can expect much of the same from Njokuani and Horodecki as well. This is the perfect holiday gift for fans." In addition to the lightweight fights, two of the world's top 10 bantamweights will be in action. In an interesting clash of styles, submission ace Rani Yahya will lock horns with the speedy Joseph Benavidez. "On Dec. 19, we are showcasing two of the world's most dynamic bantamweights," Harris said. "Benavidez-Yahya has the potential to steal the show. We are really excited to bring this card to The Palms." Tickets for WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff go on sale Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. PT and will be priced at $175, $100, and $50. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Oct. 30 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets will be available at The Pearl box office, online at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Cerrone vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus. After battling Ben Henderson in a "Fight of the Year" candidate in October, Donald Cerrone (10-2, 1 NC) has wasted no time reinserting himself into the world title picture. A gifted striker training out of Albuquerque, NM, "Cowboy" is excited to face the unpredictable Ed "9MM" Ratcliff on Dec. 19. Knowing that his opponent loves to trade leather, Cerrone wants to prove that he has the right arsenal to diffuse Ratcliff. What's more, the 26-year-old believes a win over "9MM" at the Palms will propel him toward rematches with Henderson and reigning champ Jamie Varner. "I just have to whip Ed's tail," a motivated Cerrone said. "He's a one-dimensional fighter. He's not going to take me down and try to wrestle me. He's going to try to beat me at my game, which is striking. He is a striker and that's my game, so I hope he's ready. I want to work my way back to a shot at the belt." A black belt in Taekwondo and karate, there are few standup artists as polished as Ratcliff. The 26-year-old holds a 3-1 record inside the WEC and owns victories over Johnny Sampaio, Alex Karalexis, and Phil Cardella. Now training out of San Diego, Calif. with WEC bantamweight contender Dominick Cruz and UFC star Brandon Vera, Ratcliff (7-1) is anxious to fight Cerrone and prove that he belongs atop the WEC lightweight division. "As soon as my manager said Donald's name I said 'Let's do it,'" Ratcliff said. "He didn't even have to finish the sentence. My fight with Donald has the potential to be a war and I can't wait." After earning "Knockout of the Night" honors in his last two fights, perhaps no fighter is riding a wave of momentum like Anthony Njokuani. With back-to-back KO wins over Bart Palaszewski and Muhsin Corbbrey, the 29-year-old Las Vegas resident hopes a win on Dec. 19 will fuel his run to WEC gold. Undefeated as a professional Muay Thai fighter, the hard-hitting Njokuani (12-2) wants to earn another bonus by flattening Horodecki in the co-main event. "This is the type of fight that I've been looking for," Njokuani, a native of Nigeria, said. "This matchup gets me excited and I can't wait to fight Chris. When I win this one, it will put me at the level that I've been waiting for. It will put me in the mix for a shot at the world title." Nicknamed "The Polish Hammer," Chris Horodecki (13-1) burst onto the MMA scene during his time with the International Fight League. Displaying heavy hands and an aggressive approach, Horodecki is excited to join WEC and thinks a win over Njokuani will make him an immediate contender in the lightweight division. Training with the likes of Mark Hominick and Sam Stout, Horodecki is confident that he is prepared to compete on MMA's biggest stage. "With the right game plan, I'll beat Anthony in the standup and take him down if I have to," Horodecki, originally from London, Ontario, Canada, said. "I'm the fresh face here in the WEC. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves. I'm excited for this fight and I'll be ready to go to battle on Dec. 19." One of the most feared grapplers in the sport, Rani Yahya (15-4) has scored submission victories in four out of his last five fights in the WEC. An Abu Dhabi world champion in 2007, the soft-spoken Brazilian hopes to make Joseph Benavidez his next victim on Dec. 19. Although respectful of Benavidez's abilities, Yahya thinks that he can ground the wiry Californian. "Jiu jitsu is my strength in the cage," Yahya, who has only been out of the first round once in his WEC career, said. "Joseph is a very quick fighter, but I think I can put him in some bad positions and win the fight." Joseph Benavidez (10-1) is one of the bantamweight division's hottest prospects. A well-rounded athlete who boasts speed, power, and good cage awareness, Benavidez is looking to snap Yahya's winning streak at The Palms. A training partner of WEC vets Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo, Benavidez believes that he has the seasoning needed to best Yahya. "This is an important fight for me," said Benavidez, who lost the first bout of his career to Dominick Cruz in August. "There's no doubt that I'm hungry and want to prove a point in this bout. Yahya is an awesome grappler, but I think I'm the better all-around fighter." Remaining bouts for WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff will be announced at a later date. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23206 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23206 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=100&q=75&x=0&y=0&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=E434EFE1-1422-0E8C-9ABEB64E3F3AA0FC.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) MANNY GAMBURYAN VS. LEONARD GARCIA KAREN DARABEDYAN VS. ROB MCCULLOUGH SHANE ROLLER VS. DANNY CASTILLO KAMAL SHALORUS VS. ALEX KARALEXIS L.C. DAVIS VS. DIEGO NUNES JOHN FRANCHI VS. CUB SWANSON KENJI OSAWA VS. ANTONIO BANUELOS JAMES KRAUSE VS. RICARDO LAMAS FRANK GOMEZ VS. SETH DIKUN WEC&reg; PRESENTS: BROWN VS. ALDO From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV Wednesday, Nov. 18; Tickets On Sale NOW Fights to Air Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; proudly confirms the remaining bouts of a tremendous fight card headed to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Nov. 18. In addition to the outstanding main event pitting featherweight champion Mike Brown against top challenger Jose Aldo, WEC is pleased to announce nine other quality bouts. "WEC continually delivers some of the best fights in the business," WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. "With this event taking place the same week as UFC 106, we guarantee that this will be one of the best fight weeks in the history of the sport." Brown vs. Aldo will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus. Two of the featherweight division's top stars will collide on Nov. 18 in a bout that could very well determine the next title challenger to the crown. Fresh off a win over John Franchi in his WEC debut in June, judo ace Manny Gamburyan (fighting out of Hollywood, Calif.) hopes to secure a shot at the world championship with a win over heavy-handed Leonard Garcia (fighting out of Albuquerque, NM). Known for his explosive throws and punishing ground and pound, the 28-year-old Armenian Gamburyan (11-5) believes he can diffuse Garcia's power. Training out of Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, NM, Garcia (17-5) has won three of his last four bouts, including a win over Jameel Massouh in August. He'll bring his polished striking game to Las Vegas with the aims of knocking out Gamburyan. WEC newcomer Karen Darabedyan (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) faces the toughest test of his young career when he battles former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough (fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.). A training partner of Manny Gamburyan, Darabedyan (8-1) looks to prove that he is a legitimate contender at 155 pounds. Standing in his way is the seasoned veteran McCullough. An 11-fight veteran of WEC, McCullough (17-5) returns to the cage for the first time since defeating Marcus Hicks in March. A hard-hitting kickboxer, "Razor" Rob wants to derail Darabedyan and reclaim his spot as one of the best lightweights in the sport. Three-time Division I All-American Shane Roller (fighting out of Las Vegas, NV) believes that a November win over Danny Castillo (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) could serve as the catalyst for a return bout with WEC interim lightweight champion Ben Henderson. With an impressive win over Marcus Hicks in August, the takedown-savvy Roller (6-2) believes his strong wrestling background will guide him past Castillo. No slouch in the wrestling department himself, Castillo (8-1) had an impressive knockout win over Ricardo Lamas in his last bout. A training partner of former featherweight champion Urijah Faber, Castillo hopes to extend his winning streak to four straight when he battles Roller at the Palms. Alex Karalexis (fighting out of Boston, MA) could be the hardest-hitting fighter in the WEC. A member of the original season of The Ultimate Fighter&trade;, the 32-year-old Karalexis (10-4) has spent most of the past year improving his strength and conditioning with Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. He believes that the rigorous training with Allen will allow him to sack WEC newcomer Kamal Shalorus (fighting out of Austin, TX) next month. An undefeated prospect originally born in Iran, Shalorus was a junior national wrestling champion in his home country. After moving to England as an adult, Shalorus continued his wrestling dominance and competed on England's 1994 Olympic team. A refined striker with vicious ground and pound, Shalorus (4-0-1) looks to add to his decorated background with a win over Karalexis in his WEC debut. Closing in on a world title opportunity, undefeated featherweight Diego Nunes (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) seeks his third win in the WEC when he faces the gritty L.C. Davis (fighting out of Davenport, IA). A phenomenal Muay Thai striker with wins over Cole Province and Rafael Dias in his WEC career, Nunes (13-0) boasts precise standup and good cage awareness. Those assets will prove valuable when he meets the crisp Davis in Las Vegas. Having defeated Javier Vazquez in his WEC debut in August, Davis (14-2) believes he can leapfrog Nunes in the 145-pound division by using his strong wrestling and fast hands. A pivotal bout in the featherweight division pits hard-nosed wrestler John Franchi (fighting out of Cortland, NY) against ground ace Cub Swanson (fighting out of Orange County, Calif.). Known for his powerful takedowns and athleticism, Franchi (5-1) will look to outmuscle the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt when the two collide on Nov. 18. No stranger to tough grappling sessions, Swanson (13-3), who has spent much of the past few months training with Donald Cerrone, Joe Stevenson, and Leonard Garcia in New Mexico, Swanson (13-3) believes he can neutralize Franchi's wrestling and regain his place in the title hunt. Antonio Banuelos (fighting out of Arroyo Grande, Calif.) continually competes in fights that are considered among the year's best. His last fight against Scott Jorgensen in June was no different. For three, high-energy rounds, Banuelos and Jorgensen traded leather, with Banuelos eventually earning a narrow decision victory. Riding the emotional high of the win, Banuelos (17-5) now turns his attention to Japanese striker Kenji Osawa (fighting out of Tokyo, Japan). A former top contender in the Shooto organization, Osawa (15-8-2) is a solid boxer with a sturdy chin. He'll look to outbox and outwork Banuelos when the two lock horns at the Palms. Lightweights James Krause (fighting out of Lee's Summit, MO) and Ricardo Lamas (fighting out of Chicago, IL) meet in a bout between two fighters with 16 combined pro wins. A lanky, slick ground fighter, the 23-year-old Krause is a handful for most fighters in the 155-pound division. With excellent submissions and a long-reach in the standup, the Rob Kimmons-trained Krause (10-1) could pose problems for his Chicago-based opponent. A Division III All-American wrestler at Elmhurst College, Lamas (6-1) is an explosive athlete with good all-around skills. With a win over Krause next month, Lamas hopes to prove that he is worthy of his status as one of WEC's hot prospects. Bantamweight submission artists Frank Gomez (fighting out of Albuquerque, NM) and Seth Dikun (fighting out of Victorville, Calif.) are also set to do battle at the Palms in Las Vegas. Both fighters are coming off crowd-pleasing submission wins in June. Gomez (7-1), who trains under the tutelage of the renowned Greg Jackson, bested Noah Thomas via submission in his last fight. Not to be outdone, Dikun also scored a submission victory on the same June card, using a flying triangle to stop Rolando Perez. On Nov. 18, the world will find out which grappler will reign supreme and push himself closer to the likes of Brian Bowles and Miguel Angel Torres atop the 135-pound class. About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About VERSUS VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About The Pearl: The Pearl is Las Vegas' premier concert theater boasting accommodations for up to 2,500 ticket holders. Featuring a stage just four feet from the floor and the farthest seating area being a mere 120 feet from the stage, The Pearl offers the utmost in intimate viewing of your favorite acts. Private and semi-private skyboxes are located on each side of the venue offering private bars, lounges and restrooms. The Pearl is a marvel of modern technology using only top quality sound and video equipment throughout. Hard wired to The Studio at The Palms, The Pearl allows artists to create a cost-effective live album with efficiency and without additional venue set-up. For more information, please visit www.palms.com. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:19:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23039 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=23039 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=23&q=75&x=33&y=2&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=433E439F-1422-0E8C-9AFD870E4BCFB224.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> - (http://www.wec.tv/) RE-LIVE THE FIGHT OF THE YEAR Las Vegas, NV (USA) - On Oct. 10, Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson delivered one of the finest fights in World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; history. For five grueling rounds, Cerrone and Henderson treated the fans in San Antonio, TX to a world title fight that will remain in highlight reels for generations to come. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and VERSUS have teamed up to offer the Cerrone-Henderson main event to fans worldwide for free on WEC.tv and UFC.com. At WEC.tv and UFC.com fans can watch the legendary main event, plus gain exclusive access to the post-fight press conference and a post-fight interview with Cerrone. In addition, VERSUS will re-broadcast the event on television on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 8pm EST/5pm PST and again at 11pm EST/8pm PST. The rebroadcast on VERSUS will feature the main card that originally aired on Oct. 10. "Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone proved on Oct. 10 that WEC is home to the most exciting fights in the world," WEC GM Reed Harris said. "We've teamed up with VERSUS to make sure that fans have the opportunity to witness history again. "As soon as the fight ended, we were inundated with calls and emails asking us when we would show the fights again," Harris continued. "It was a night that fans in this sport will never forget. We're happy to give fans the chance to see it all over again." For more information about the re-air of WEC: Cerrone vs. Henderson, visit wec.tv. Follow WEC on Twitter at http://twitter.com/weconversus. About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About VERSUS VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD) and is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and Sports Jobs with Junior Seau that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22435 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22435 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&rs=50&q=75&x=2&y=1&w=100&h=100&ro=0&s=95227FFA-1422-0E8C-9ABD4DEB06728D42.jpg' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today a television agreement with Setanta Sports in Australia. Beginning with the Oct. 10 card featuring an interim title fight between Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson, Setanta Sports will now carry all WEC events live. The agreement gives over 80,000 viewers in Australia access to the best light weight fighters in the world. "We are pleased to announce this partnership with Setanta Sports and excited to expand our offerings to fans in Australia," WEC Vice President Peter Dropick said. "As we continue to grow our brand globally, we think Setanta Sports will play an important role in our international development." "Setanta Sports is very excited about showing the WEC to our viewers in Australia," Shane O'Rourke, Setanta's President of North American and Australian Operations, said. "This will add a great fight brand with fantastic fighters to our world-class line up of quality sports." World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; joins a television line-up that includes international rugby, top European soccer, and world-class boxing. By giving Australian fans access to the world's elite mixed martial artists such as Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles, Miguel Angel Torres, and Jose Aldo, Dropick believes WEC will develop a substantial fan base down under. "We know the Australian fans are passionate about sports," Dropick said. "Now that they have the chance to see the WEC brand, we think they will gravitate toward our fast-paced, action-packed fight cards." About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. About Setanta Sports Setanta Sports Australia broadcasts exclusively live coverage of the best European and South American football; European rugby, International cricket, boxing and MMA. Setanta is available on the main Pay-TV platforms in Australia, Foxtel, Austar, UBI World TV and TransACT, as well as online via Setanta-i. To Subscribe to Setanta go to http://www.setanta.com/au/ or contact your local cable or Satellite provider. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:51:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22153 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22153 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&s=3E05E2F1-1422-0E8C-9A07E5222E640243.jpg&rs=65&q=75&x=1&y=2&w=100&h=100&ro=0' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) WEC&reg; PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. HENDERSONFrom The AT&amp;T Center in San Antonio, TX - Saturday, Oct. 10;Tickets Go On Sale Friday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. CTFight to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PTLas Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today that it is returning to the Lone Star state on Saturday, Oct. 10 with an action-packed night of fights. Live from the AT&amp;T Center in beautiful San Antonio, TX, fan favorite Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone battles feared striker Ben Henderson in a bout that will crown the interim WEC lightweight champion.The 10-fight card, which was originally slated for Sept. 2, now heads to one of the nation's top cities. What's more, the Oct. 10 event will be WEC's first-ever show on a Saturday night, making it a historic night for the organization."We are really excited to be bringing this fight card to San Antonio," WEC General Manager Reed Harris said, adding that the market has long been attractive to WEC. "They say everything's bigger in Texas. We plan on living up to that slogan by bringing some of the most prominent mixed martial artists in the world to San Antonio."The stars have aligned for this card," Harris continued. "As we stated earlier this week, an injury to Henderson prevented him from being ready to fight on Sept. 2, but he's fired up and ready for 'Cowboy' on Oct. 10. It's the perfect scenario. We've got a world title fight on a Saturday night in one of the nation's biggest cities. It doesn't get much better than that." Tickets for Cerrone vs. Henderson go on sale Friday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. CT and will be priced at $25, $45, $75, and $125. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, Sept. 3 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets will be available at the AT&amp;T Center Box Office, online at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv.Cerrone vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.With lightweight champion Jamie Varner unable to defend the title due to injury, top contenders Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson are set to collide in what could be of the most intense championship bouts of the year.A former professional bull rider, Cerrone (10-1, 1 NC) hopes to lasso his first world title when he meets Henderson in San Antonio. A phenomenal Muay Thai striker, the 26-year-old Albuquerque, NM resident also boasts a potent ground game. With nine of his 10 wins coming by way of submission - including his last victory via rear naked choke over James Krause on June 7 - the Greg Jackson-trained Cerrone is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous fighters in the lightweight division. With a unique blend of striking and submissions, "Cowboy" firmly believes that his versatility will guide him toward the WEC championship. "He's got an awesome ground game and he's a superior wrestler," Cerrone said of Henderson. "The only thing he lacks is his standup. I believe that I have what it takes to become champion. I know Ben well and like him, but when the cage door closes, I want to win that belt." A technically-sound grappler, Henderson (9-1) has lived up to his nickname "Smooth" since debuting in the WEC in January. Fighting out of Glendale, AZ, the former two-time NAIA collegiate wrestling All-American has scored WEC wins over Shane Roller and Anthony Njokuani and is unbeaten since 2006. Thanks to his wrestling prowess and black belt in Taekwondo, Henderson has the ability to finish fights both on the feet and the ground. With a complete arsenal at his disposal, the 25-year-old believes he will out-duel "Cowboy" in their October showdown. "There are guys who get in the cage and you can see in their eyes that they're a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing," Henderson said. "I don't think I'll be overwhelmed. I love Cerrone's game and his 'Terminator' style. He just keeps coming forward. As far as standing up with him and trading some blows, I'd love to. Let's go out there and have fun." About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg;The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.About VERSUSVERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About The AT&amp;T CenterThe AT&amp;T Center opened in 2002 and is operated by Spurs Sports and Entertainment. The AT&amp;T Center is home to the NBA 4-Time World Championship San Antonio Spurs, the American Hockey League San Antonio Rampage, the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars and the annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. The AT&amp;T Center is one of the nation's leading entertainment venues hosting acts such as George Straight, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Josh Groban, Shakira, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and many more. Other events held at the Center include WWE, the Harlem Globetrotters and The Wiggles. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:19:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22061 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=22061 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&s=95227FFA-1422-0E8C-9ABD4DEB06728D42.jpg&rs=100&q=75&x=0&y=0&w=100&h=50&ro=0' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; announced today the postponement of its Sept. 2 card. An injury to main event fighter Ben Henderson forced the postponement of the event.The entire card has been rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10 at a venue to be announced at a later date. The event will be broadcast live on VERSUS.Ticket refunds for the Sept. 2 event can be obtained at the point of purchase.About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:28:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=21967 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=21967 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&s=ED3F1307-1422-0E8C-9AA689590314D9D9.jpg&rs=65&q=75&x=1&y=1&w=100&h=100&ro=0' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING&reg; SPELLS YOUNGSTOWNWEC&reg; PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. HENDERSONFrom The Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio - Wednesday, Sept. 2;First Bout at 6 p.m. ETFight to Air Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PTTickets On Sale NOW Las Vegas, NV (USA) - "What's in a name?" This is a question typically applied by the literary, Shakespearian-types. However, as World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; prepares for its first trip to fight-savvy Youngstown, OH, it makes perfect sense to ask "what's in the name 'Youngstown'?"To understand this question, WEC has broken down "Youngstown" letter by letter to show just how in sync the organization and city are right now:Yves Jabouin. The long-awaited WEC debut of the Canadian Jabouin has many hardcore MMA fans excited. Training out of the same camp as UFC&reg; champ Georges St-Pierre, Jabouin is a phenomenal finisher. He'll put those skills to test against Raphael Assuncao in Youngstown.Ox Wheeler. The once-beaten, unpredictable Wheeler returns to WEC to engage in an early candidate for "Fight of the Night" against Charlie Valencia. A hard working, blue-collar fighter, Wheeler could win over fans in the industrial city of Youngstown.Unbeaten. It's a word that applies to three competitors on the WEC card on Sept. 2. Newcomers Erik Koch and Dave Jansen enter the WEC cage unbeaten in their respective careers, while Anthony Pettis hopes to remain undefeated as prepares for his second fight in WEC next month.Njokuani. Kickboxing sensation Anthony Njokuani faces tested veteran Muhsin Corrbrey inside the Octagon at the Covelli Centre in what is sure to be a dynamic matchup. Fresh off a knockout victory over Bart Palaszewski in April, the 29-year-old native of Nigeria hopes to score another stoppage win against Corrbrey in the town that boxer Kelly Pavlik calls home.Greg Jackson. The world-class trainer based out of Albuquerque, NM has two of his prot&eacute;g&eacute;s fighting at the Covelli Centre. First, hard-hitting Damacio Page battles Akitoshi Tamura in a pivotal bantamweight bout. Then, in the main event, Jackson-trained Donald Cerrone fights Ben Henderson for the interim lightweight title. In a town that top-notch trainer Jack Loew calls home, it will be interesting to see the mark that Jackson's fighters leave in Youngstown.Scott Jorgensen. If there was ever a fighter to lay it all on the line in the WEC, it's the 26-year-old Jorgensen. Having narrowly lost a decision to Antonio Banuelos in June - a fight in which many believe he won - Jorgensen is eager to score a win over Rafael Rebello on Sept. 2. Gritty and full of heart, Jorgensen might just be the type of fighter that earns the hearts of the Youngstown faithful.Taurosevicius. You may not be able to pronounce Deividas Taurosevicius' name 10 times fast, but you will surely see why he's built quite the following after he competes against Mark Hominick in Youngstown. With 8 of his 10 professional wins coming by way of submission, the Lithuanian fighter knows how to finish fights. Just what fans in Youngstown desire, right?On the rise. Much like the city itself, fighters like Raphael Assuncao, Rich Crunkilton, and Manny Tapia are hoping wins in Youngstown will lead them toward a championship fight. Each considered among the best in their respective divisions, don't be surprised if a fighter from this group wears WEC gold in the near future.Wagnney Fabiano. Fans in Youngstown may have heard of this gifted Brazilian grappler, but on Sept. 2 they'll get to see him live. One of the most feared ground fighters in the sport, Fabiano brings his 12-1 record to the table against Erik Koch. Knowing a win could put him in line for a shot at 145-pound champion Mike Brown, expect Fabiano to look for the finish on Sept. 2.Never say never when it comes to WEC events, especially this one in Youngstown. In addition to 11 fights, WEC is also hosting an autograph signing with UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell on Sept. 2, not to mention a Q&amp;A with MMA stars Frank Mir, Jens Pulver, and Urijah Faber on Sept. 1. If that's not enough, Shaquille O'Neal, the newest star of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has already expressed his excitement over WEC coming to the Covelli Centre on Sept. 2. Could WEC have more star-power lined up? Stay tuned&hellip;Tickets for Cerrone vs. Henderson are on sale now and priced at $25, $45, $75, and $125. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the Covelli Centre Box Office. Purchases can also be made at Covelli Centre retail locations, including Giant Eagle and Macy's stores in the Youngstown area. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com.Cerrone 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.About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.About VERSUSVERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.About The Covelli CentreYoungstown's Covelli Centre has hosted a string of sold out events this year including the recent Top Rank championship title boxing match between reigning WBO/WBC Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik and Marco Antonio Rubio; as well as Celtic Woman, Globetrotters, and Disney Live. The Covelli Centre is a 5,000 seat arena owned by the City of Youngstown and is managed by privately-operated JAC Management Group LLC of Struthers, Ohio and SMG, a Philadelphia based company that provides facility services to more than 215 public assembly facilities. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:01:00 EST Press Releases http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=21690 http://www.wec.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=21690 <img src='http://media.ufc.tv/i.cfc?method=get&s=B86C7459-1422-0E8C-9AF10B4190517F6A.jpg&rs=60&q=75&x=130&y=11&w=100&h=100&ro=0' border='1' align='left' hspace='3' vspace='3'> Dave Sholler - (http://www.wec.tv/) WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING&reg; BRINGS FOUR WORLD CHAMPIONS TO YOUNGSTOWN FOR SEPT. 2 FESTIVITIESFormer UFC&reg; champs Pulver, Mir to join WEC&reg; Star Faber for Q&amp;A on Sept. 1Plus, UFC&reg; Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell to Sign Autographs on Sept. 2 at Covelli CentreLas Vegas, NV (USA) - If a 10-fight card, including a world title bout between Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson, wasn't enough, World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; is pleased to announce that four of the sport's biggest names will be heading to the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, OH to take part in the fight week festivities.WEC Vice President Peter Dropick, along with General Manager Reed Harris, today confirmed two huge events that will take place at the Covelli Centre in the days and hours leading up to WEC: Cerrone vs. Henderson. On Tuesday, Sept. 1, former UFC heavyweight champion and current WEC color commentator Frank Mir will join former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber for a unique Q&amp;A session at the Covelli Center. Time will be announced at a later date.Then, just hours before the first fight on Sept. 2, one of the greatest fighters of all-time, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, will sign autographs on the main concourse at the Covelli Centre from 4PM-6PM EST."For our first trip to Ohio, we wanted to make sure fans were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Dropick said. "To attend a title fight is a special experience. To have four of the best fighters of all-time also in attendance makes this an absolute can't-miss event."Tickets for Cerrone vs. Henderson are on sale now and are priced at $25, $45, $75, and $125. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the Covelli Centre Box Office. Purchases can also be made at Covelli Centre retail locations, including Giant Eagle and Macy's stores in the Youngstown area. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com.Cerrone 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.For more information about current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. Follow WEC on Twitter at http://twitter.com/weconversus.About World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship&reg; and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting&reg; and WEC&reg; are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.About VERSUSVERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar&reg; Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.About The Covelli CentreYoungstown's Covelli Centre has hosted a string of sold out events this year including the recent Top Rank championship title boxing match between reigning WBO/WBC Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik and Marco Antonio Rubio; as well as Celtic Woman, Globetrotters, and Disney Live. The Covelli Centre is a 5,000 seat arena owned by the City of Youngstown and is managed by privately-operated JAC Management Group LLC of Struthers, Ohio and SMG, a Philadelphia based company that provides facility services to more than 215 public assembly facilities. Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:01:00 EST Press Releases