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Zhang Tie Quan Ready to Show How a Chinese Athlete Can Fight

Filed under: UFC, WEC

One of the biggest fights of the year in mixed martial arts takes place on Thursday night when Jose Aldo fights Manny Gamburyan for the featherweight champion of the world. But the fight that could be the most significant bout of the year will happen a few hours earlier on the same World Extreme Cagefighting card, and it will be largely overlooked and maybe not even shown on the television broadcast.

That fight features China’s Zhang Tie Quan stepping into the cage to take on an American named Pablo Garza, and it represents a major opportunity for American MMA to break into the Chinese market.

Every American company is intrigued by the possibilities of expanding into China, and Zuffa (parent company of the WEC and UFC) is no different. And while it’s not realistic to think Zhang could do for MMA what Yao Ming did for basketball, Zhang knows that if he succeeds on the American stage, he could have a huge impact on the growth of the sport in the world’s most populous nation.

An Older, Wiser Chris Horodecki Looks to Continue His Charge at WEC 51

Filed under: WECChris Horodecki turned 23 last week. It’s funny, he doesn’t necessarily feel 23. He isn’t even sure how 23 is supposed to feel, but he knows he doesn’t feel like the fresh-faced college grads who are only now confronting the problem o…

Filed under: WEC

Chris Horodecki turned 23 last week. It’s funny, he doesn’t necessarily feel 23. He isn’t even sure how 23 is supposed to feel, but he knows he doesn’t feel like the fresh-faced college grads who are only now confronting the problem of what to do with the rest of their lives.

Horodecki already knows, because he’s been doing it for the last five years.

“I’m young, but I’m no rookie in this sport,” he told MMA Fighting. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I feel great.”

Three years ago Horodecki was the IFL’s undefeated wunderkind. He won seven straight fights in the upstart organization, and yet couldn’t buy his own drinks at the post-fight celebrations.

Back then he was the poster boy for a national organization. Then the promotion went belly up in 2008, and Horodecki had to find a new home. He eventually found his way into the WEC’s lightweight division, where he was no longer a star, but merely another one of the guys trying to claw his way to the top.

MMA FightPicker Update: Submit Your Picks for Aldo vs. Gamburyan and WEC 51’s Other Marquee Matchups

This Thursday night in Broomfield, Colorado, the WEC will be hosting its most star-studded event since Aldo vs. Faber — with many of the same faces squaring off in the cage. In addition to Jose Aldo‘s featherweight title defense against Manvel the Anvil, WEC 51 boasts the bad blood rematch between Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone, Miguel Torres trying to snap a two-fight losing streak against Charlie Valencia, Mike Brown bouncing back against Cole Province, and Leonard Garcia and his Fight of the Year partner Chan Sung Jung returning against new opponents. Set your DVRs now (Versus, 9 p.m. ET) so you don’t have to come crying to us later. And if you’re a FightPicker player, please swing by fightpicker.cagepotato.com or apps.facebook.com/fightpicker to battle your fellow ‘pickers for bragging rights. The complete list of this week’s WEC 51 pool questions can be found after the jump…

WEC Official: Donald Cerrone ‘Crossed a Line of Decency’

Filed under: WEC, NewsThe WEC released an official statement Wednesday morning, condemning lightweight Donald Cerrone’s death threats and insensitive comments earlier this week towards former and upcoming opponent Jamie Varner.

“In a recent radio inte…

Filed under: WEC, News

The WEC released an official statement Wednesday morning, condemning lightweight Donald Cerrone‘s death threats and insensitive comments earlier this week towards former and upcoming opponent Jamie Varner.

“In a recent radio interview, WEC fighter Donald Cerrone went too far in talking about his upcoming fight with Jamie Varner and we believe he crossed a line of decency in doing so,” WEC vice president Peter Dropick stated on WEC.tv. “We will not tolerate a fighter who makes comments that are not consistent with our company values, nor will we tolerate the use of slurs that may offend any segment of the public.”

Donald Cerrone Steps Over the Line Between Good Hype and a PR Problem

Filed under: WECYou’d think that after Frank Mir infamously talked himself into a deep, dark hole by wishing death in the cage upon Brock Lesnar, MMA fighters everywhere would have made a mental note to stay away from death threats altogether in their …

Filed under: WEC

You’d think that after Frank Mir infamously talked himself into a deep, dark hole by wishing death in the cage upon Brock Lesnar, MMA fighters everywhere would have made a mental note to stay away from death threats altogether in their pre-fight smack talk.

You’d be wrong.

The WEC’s Donald Cerrone is the latest fighter to map out a murder during a radio broadcast, telling Tapout Radio last night that when he rematches Jamie Varner at WEC 51 later this month, “…I hope my emotions take over and I just kill this dude. I hope this is the first death in MMA.”

I guess we can add “Cowboy’s” statement to the long list of regrettable remarks that have immediately followed the word ‘dude.’ Because honestly, if he had stopped there, we probably wouldn’t even be talking about it right now.

Report: Mike Brown to Return at WEC 51 Against Cole Province

("Yeah, I was married before. For one day. Long story." Lots more bizarre photos at myspace.com/therealmikebrown)
A year ago, Mike Brown was the two-time defending featherweight champion of the WEC. Now, he’s a belt-less contender on a 1-2 …

("Yeah, I was married before. For one day. Long story." Lots more bizarre photos at myspace.com/therealmikebrown)

A year ago, Mike Brown was the two-time defending featherweight champion of the WEC. Now, he’s a belt-less contender on a 1-2 skid, who most recently suffered a shocking first-round knockout at the hands of Manny Gamburyan. Once again, it’s time to rebuild. According to MMA Junkie, Brown will make his return at WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan (September 30th; Broomfield, Colorado) against Cole Province (6-1).

Province had a two-fight stint in the WEC in 2008-9, losing a decision to Diego Nunes, then winning a decision over Fredson Paixao — which was deemed a no-contest when Province popped for steroids. In June, Province returned to action at an event in Oklahoma City, where he scored a quick submission over Nick Masters. That was apparently enough to earn him a return ticket to the WEC. To summarize, former champion Mike Brown has to fight a 6-1 drug-cheat who’s never actually won in the WEC. In a way, we feel bad for both of them.

The addition of another WEC star adds even more firepower to a card that’s damn near PPV-worthy. The tentative lineup is after the jump…