Tag: WEC 52

‘Locked Down’ Caption Contest: The Winners!

(Images courtesy of AllElbows/Versus, Lionsgate.)
After wading through 178 entries for Friday’s caption contest, one thing is certain: You guys really love The Human Centipede. Not sure what’s up with that. Anyway, we’re psyched to give awa…

Urijah Faber Takeya Mizugaki Josh Rosenthal WEC 52Locked Down DVD Vinne Jones Kimbo Slice Rashad Evans MMA
(Images courtesy of AllElbows/Versus, Lionsgate.)

After wading through 178 entries for Friday’s caption contest, one thing is certain: You guys really love The Human Centipede. Not sure what’s up with that. Anyway, we’re psyched to give away some DVD/Blu-Ray combo packs for the new beat-’em-up flick Locked Down — a film that thankfully does not feature three people who have their gastrointestinal tracts sewn together by an insane German doctor. But first, we feel obligated to print a few captions that just fell short of the glory. Y’know, just to ratchet up the suspense…

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WEC 52 Live Blog: Erik Koch vs. Francisco Rivera Updates

Filed under: WECThis is the WEC 52 live blog for Erik Koch vs. Francisco Rivera, a featherweight bout on tonight’s WEC on Versus event from The Pearl in Las Vegas.

Erik Koch (10-1)’s most recent fight was a first-round submission win over Bendy Casimi…

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This is the WEC 52 live blog for Erik Koch vs. Francisco Rivera, a featherweight bout on tonight’s WEC on Versus event from The Pearl in Las Vegas.

Erik Koch (10-1)’s most recent fight was a first-round submission win over Bendy Casimir in June. A former collegiate football player, Francisco Rivera (5-0) will be making his WEC debut.

The live blog is below.

WEC 52: Erik Koch TKOs Francisco Rivera

Filed under: WECErik Koch used a brutal kick to the head in the first round to knock out the overmatched Francisco Rivera in a devastating stoppage at WEC 52.

Koch’s left shin landed squarely on Rivera’s chin to knock him to the canvas, and Koch pounc…

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Erik Koch used a brutal kick to the head in the first round to knock out the overmatched Francisco Rivera in a devastating stoppage at WEC 52.

Koch’s left shin landed squarely on Rivera’s chin to knock him to the canvas, and Koch pounced and landed a couple of punches on the ground while Rivera did nothing more than cover up before referee Steve Mazagatti stepped in to stop the fight. The entire fight lasted just 96 seconds.

“That was perfect,” Koch said afterward. “Hopefully I get a bonus for this. I thought it was a pretty good knockout.”

Video Evidence: Watch 19-year-old Michael McDonald’s Impressive WEC Debut

(Propers: Versus.com)
Nineteen-year-old bantamweight phenom Michael McDonald officially became the youngest fighter on the Zuffa, LLC roster on Thursday night with his debut on the undercard of WEC 52. The results no doubt raised some eyebrows in th…


(Propers: Versus.com)

Nineteen-year-old bantamweight phenom Michael McDonald officially became the youngest fighter on the Zuffa, LLC roster on Thursday night with his debut on the undercard of WEC 52. The results no doubt raised some eyebrows in the soon-to-be UFC 135-pound division. If not for Cub Swanson’s epic battle with Mackens Semerzier, this one would’ve been a shoe-in for some TV time. McDonald rolled into this bout with seven straight T/KO victories and a record that would seem to indicate he’s been fighting as a pro since age 16. Is that shit even legal? Anyway, his most recent back-to-back victories over WEC vets Manny Tapia and Cole Escovedo at Taichi Palace were good enough to score him a contract with the big show and the kid doesn’t disappoint here.

McDonald looks a little bit like a very emaciated Joe Riggs during his pre-fight interviews, as he laughs off opponent Clint Godfrey’s suggestion that he won’t be ready for this level of competition. The South Dakota boy Godfrey — who trusty CagePotato commenter Karma Ate My Cat told us not to sleep on before we started taping this week’s Bum Rush – looks game, but ultimately overmatched in his second fight in the big blue cage. Obviously you know who wins but some play-by-play spoilers are after the jump, so if you’re gonna pitch a bitch about that watch the video before reading on.

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Urijah Faber Not Promised Title Shot After Divisional Debut, but It’s Coming

Filed under: UFC, WEC, NewsUrijah Faber might not intentionally seek out the spotlight, but he never seems to be too far from it, either. For the final time, the most valuable athlete in World Extreme Cagefighting history strapped on his blue leather g…

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Urijah Faber might not intentionally seek out the spotlight, but he never seems to be too far from it, either. For the final time, the most valuable athlete in World Extreme Cagefighting history strapped on his blue leather gloves, and for the final time, he emerged with a dominant win.

This one was a little different than all those that have come before it though. It came during his first try at bantamweight, and it came just a month and a half before the WEC officially merges with the UFC. The combination of the two perfectly sets up Faber’s entry into the world’s biggest promotion.

Whether or not Faber will get an immediate bantamweight title shot remains at least officially a question mark. But given his performance and the circumstances, you have to assume he’s probably leapfrogged to that top slot.

“I think I’m the best guy in the division,” Faber said on Versus’ WEC 52 post-fight show just after defeating Takeya Mizugaki. “I don’t care when I get to prove that. I’m just going to keep fighting and beating people up.”

Falling Action: Best and Worst of WEC 52

Filed under: WECWhen the WEC disappears from the series of tubes and dishes that comprise cable TV at the end of this year, there’s some stuff I certainly won’t miss. The local news quality graphics, the budget-saver production values, the pint-sized p…

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When the WEC disappears from the series of tubes and dishes that comprise cable TV at the end of this year, there’s some stuff I certainly won’t miss. The local news quality graphics, the budget-saver production values, the pint-sized paychecks – all that can be easily forgotten.

But, as WEC 52 showed on Thursday night, the loss of this guaranteed night of action-packed fights on free TV is something that’s going to leave a void in our lives. Once again the little fighters delivered, bringing us several entertaining scraps for 145 pounds or less. For consistent quality of performances over the years, no organization has delivered like the WEC.

Getting the call to move up to the big show is good for the fighters and their bank accounts, as well as the sport in general, but it’s still bittersweet for those of us who are only now realizing how much we took for granted over the years.

But enough brooding, on to the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between from WEC 52.