The World Extremem Cagefighting promotion confirmed the full card for it’s upcoming Sept. 30 event. “WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan” will go down at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado and feature a featherweight title bout between champion Jose Aldo vs. Manvel Gamburyan.
Main card
Featherweight Championship bout: Jose Aldo vs. Manvel Gamburyan
Lightweight bout: Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone
Bantamweight bout: Miguel Torres vs. Charlie Valencia
Featherweight bout: Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop
Featherweight bout: Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick
Preliminary Card
Featherweight bout: Mike Brown vs Cole Province
Lightweight bout: Ed Ratcliff vs. Chris Horodecki
Featherweight bout: Diego Nunes vs. Tyler Toner
Bantamweight bout: Antonio Banuelos vs. Chad George
Bantamweight bout: Demetrious Johnson vs. Nick Pace
Full Press Release
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One of the deepest cards of the year just received more firepower as World Extreme Cagefighting® confirmed six additional bouts for its debut at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. on Thursday, Sept. 30.
WEC General Manager Reed Harris confirmed the following bouts: Jason Reinhardt vs. Tiequan Zhang, Cole Province vs. Mike Brown, Ed Ratcliff vs. Chris Horodecki, Diego Nunes vs. Tyler Toner, Chad George vs. Antonio Banuelos, and Nick Pace vs. Demetrious Johnson.
“The UFC has put on some very successful events in Broomfield and we are hoping to duplicate their success,” Harris said. “This card is absolutely loaded with tremendous fights. In addition to the main card bouts, fans are in store for the return of former featherweight champ Mike Brown and the debut of our first Chinese fighter, Tiequan Zhang. Plus, hometown fighter Tyler Toner competes in his own backyard against a very dangerous Diego Nunes. We are extremely excited to bring this event to Colorado.”
Tickets for WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan are on sale now and priced at $185, $135, $75, and $40. Tickets are available online at www.TicketHorse.com or by phone at 866.461.6556. TicketHorse kiosks are also located at all Colorado Dick’s Sporting Goods Stores (credit cards only). In addition, tickets are also available at 1STBANK Center Box Office on July 30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. MT or at Pepsi Center during normal box office hours.
WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network’s live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.
Sept. 30 will serve as a milestone date in WEC history as the organization welcomes its first fighter from mainland China, Tiequan Zhang (fighting out of Beijing, China). Recognized for his versatility and impressive submission game, the unbeaten 32-year-old (16-0) meets battle-tested veteran Jason Reinhardt (fighting out of Decatur, Ill.) in an exciting lightweight showdown. Reinhardt (20-1), a UFC veteran who has been competing professionally since 2000, believes his ability to finish fights will propel him to victory at the 1STBANK Center.
Former featherweight champion Mike Brown (fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) begins his trek back to the world title in Colorado when he takes on seasoned wrestler Cole Province (fighting out of Edmond, Okla.). A product of American Top Team, the 34-year-old Brown (23-6) ruled the 145-pound division for over a year thanks to his heavy hands and versatile ground game. He’ll look to return to form when he meets Province later this month. Recognized for his strong wrestling and conditioning, Province (6-1, 1 NC) believes his first win in WEC will come at Brown’s expense. The 29-year-old expects to spark a title run of his own by upending the former champion on Sept. 30.
The long-awaited clash between lightweights Ed Ratcliff (fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) and Chris Horodecki (fighting out of London, Ontario, Canada) erupts in Broomfield this Fall and is sure to be a war between two of the division’s best strikers. A speedy Taekwondo artist who trains alongside WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in San Diego, the 27-year-old Ratcliff (7-2) hopes to cement his contender status with a win over his Canadian counterpart. Hungry to secure his own place among the lightweight elite, the 22-year-old Horodecki (14-2) looks to earn his second straight victory inside the WEC cage. The Canadian star defeated Danny Downes by submission in his last fight in June.
Hometown favorite Tyler Toner (fighting out of Denver, Colo.) will display his high-level striking in his own backyard when he takes on Muay Thai ace Diego Nunes (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in an intriguing featherweight matchup. After knocking out previously-unbeaten Brandon Visher in his WEC debut in April, the 27-year-old Toner (11-1, 1 NC) plans to defend his turf when he meets Nunes. The task will be easier said than done though. Nunes (14-1) is coming off the biggest win of his career over Raphael Assuncao in June and is motivated as ever to climb the featherweight ladder.
A dark horse for Fight of the Night pits Chad George (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) against Antonio Banuelos (fighting out of Arroyo Grande, Calif.) in bantamweight action. Respected for his fluid jiu jitsu skills and supreme cardio, George (11-5) is nicknamed “The Savage” for a reason. He hopes to earn his second win in the WEC over Banuelos by utilizing his relentless pace. Banuelos (18-6), who trains alongside UFC legend Chuck Liddell, is no stranger to high-intensity bouts and plans to use his standout wrestling and precise striking to best George in Broomfield.
Bantamweight Demetrious Johnson (fighting out of Parkland, Wash.) earned the respect of many in his WEC debut in April against contender Brad Pickett. Using his speed and strength, the 24-year-old went toe-to-toe with one of the division’s best. Now, the 10-1 fighter has his sights set on another impressive performance when he meets newcomer Nick Pace (fighting out of New York City, N.Y.). Equally driven to make a solid impression in front of the WEC faithful, the 5-0 Pace is ready for everything his opponent will throw at him. The Team Tiger Schulmann product expects a fast-paced bout when he collides with “Mighty Mouse” on Sept. 30.
For more information, on WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS.
About World Extreme Cagefighting®
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® 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 Score network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, Globosat in Brazil, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting® and WEC® 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, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, prides itself on super-serving passionate sports fans across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the National Hockey League (NHL), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR). VERSUS also airs NASCAR, NBA, UFC, college football and college basketball programming. The network is home to the best outdoor programming on television and airs original programs not available anywhere else, including The Daily Line and Sports Soup. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.