Urijah Faber (23-4) will drop to 135 pounds for the first time in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion to face Japanese fighter Takeya Mizugaki. They’ll headline the upcoming WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki show on Nov. 11th in Las Vegas.
Faber is a former WEC featherweight champion, and after suffering his most recent loss to […]
Urijah Faber (23-4) will drop to 135 pounds for the first time in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion to face Japanese fighter Takeya Mizugaki. They’ll headline the upcoming WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki show on Nov. 11th in Las Vegas.
Faber is a former WEC featherweight champion, and after suffering his most recent loss to 145 lbs champ Jose Aldo makes his move to bantamweight. In a recent interview with USAToday.com, “The California Kid” explains why he wanted to make the drop in weight and why it will be easy for him to make that weight on Nov. 11th.
When I first started fighting seven years ago, California hadn’t legalized MMA. It wasn’t on TV. There wasn’t much going on with the sport, and I was actually 133-pound wrestler in college and was walking around at 148. I fought my first (MMA bout) at ‘55.
I told them for a long time that I wanted to go down to ‘35, but I was world champion at 145. And then I also was one of the top contenders when I didn’t have the belt, so my plan was to basically get the belt (back) at 145, and then go down to 135.
I’m getting down to 140 today. I weigh 143 and a half as we’re talking. I feel incredible at this weight.
The last seven years for me have been a real hassle trying to put weight on. My body likes to stay at 154 to 158. One fifty-two to 155 is where I usually walk around. I know guys like Aldo, they’re around 168. Mike Brown about 165, 168. Gamburyan about 165.
I did this cut for five years in college and I haven’t grown any, unfortunately. I wish I was a little bit taller, (but) I’m pretty much the same size that I’ve always been. It’s just that instead of trying to gain weight, I’m trying to lose weight.
Be sure to check out the entire interview as Faber discusses how the fight with Mizugaki will go down, fighting teammates, mma fans in America, who he’d like to fight, plus a lot more. Visit USAToday.com for the interview.
(pictured Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone via WEC.tv)
A Donald Cerrone (12-3) and Jamie Varner (16-4-1) part III will not be happening anytime soon, but both men will appear on the upcoming WEC 53 card in Arizon this December.
Both fighters just finished a three round war with one another in the co-main event of last months […]
(pictured Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone via WEC.tv)
A Donald Cerrone (12-3) and Jamie Varner (16-4-1) part III will not be happening anytime soon, but both men will appear on the upcoming WEC 53 card in Arizon this December.
Both fighters just finished a three round war with one another in the co-main event of last months WEC 51 event. Cerrone walked away with a unanimous decision victory, evening their feud at 1-1 for each fighter. After their bout, both men talked about squaring off for a third time, but fans will have to wait for that fight to materialize.
Cerrone will instead face Canadian lightweight Chris Horodecki (16-2), while Varner will take on former Oklahoma State wrestler Shane Roller (8-3).
Cerrone is 1-1 in his last two, losing to Ben Henderson in a WEC lightweight title bout before his victory over Varner, and is 2-1 in his last three fights. While Varner is 0-2-1 in his past three, which includes the loss to Cerrone, losing the title to Henderson at WEC 46, and earning a draw against Kamal Shalorus at WEC 49.
Now Cerrone faces Horodecki, in a likely #1 lightweight contender bout. Horodecki has won his last two bouts and is 4-1 in his past five. He earned a split decision over Ed Ratcliff at WEC 51 and submitted Danny Downes at WEC 49 earlier this summer.
Roller is coming off a loss after having his three fight win streak stopped by Anthony Pettis at WEC 50. So far he’s 5-1 under the WEC banner having stopped Anthony Njokuani, Danny Castillo, and Marcus Hicks with his last three wins.
WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis is set for Dec. 16 at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona and will feature two title bouts on the card. WEC lightweight champ Ben Henderson faces Anthony Pettis, while bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz takes on #1 contender Scott Jorgensen.
Japanese featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1) feels he’s beaten the best in Japan and wants to make a move to the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion in America. Once there the fighter wants to challenge WEC featherweight champ Jose Aldo for his belt.
“For me, the WEC is the top promotion in the States so I’m seriously […]
Japanese featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1) feels he’s beaten the best in Japan and wants to make a move to the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion in America. Once there the fighter wants to challenge WEC featherweight champ Jose Aldo for his belt.
“For me, the WEC is the top promotion in the States so I’m seriously considering fighting there. I’m very determined and willing to fight in the WEC at some point, and I was exchanging emails with them, but we still haven’t met in person. It’s not an official offer yet, but we are in talks. Jose Aldo is a well-rounded fighter, and an interesting opponent for me, but technique-wise I am better and I’d like to prove that.”
“Outside of (DREAM featherweight champion) Bibiano Fernandes or (Shinya) Aoki, I don’t really have interest in fighting anyone in DREAM. (Kazuyuki) Miyata is a good friend of mine so it is kind of difficult for us to fight and (Mitsuhiro) Ishida is just not interesting to me.”
Despite Omigawa’s 12-8-1 record, the fighter has proven himself in the last two years by going 8-1 with fight promotions in Japan such as DREAM and Sengoku. In his last fight he submitted Cole Escovedo at DREAM.16 in September with an inverted armbar. Now the fighter is looking for one more fight in Japan for FEG’s Dynamite!! New Year’s Eve event before he attempts a move to America.
(Well that explains why he’s so vicious. Apparently Dede keeps Aldo chained up in the basement and feeds him nothing but raw meat between fights.)
Jose Aldo revealed to Tatame today that he turned down the opportunity to move up a weight class to take …
(Well that explains why he’s so vicious. Apparently Dede keeps Aldo chained up in the basement and feeds him nothing but raw meat between fights.)
Jose Aldo revealed to Tatame today that he turned down the opportunity to move up a weight class to take on UFC lightweight Kenny Florian in December.
According to Aldo, who has fought as a lightweight before, after talking it over with his managers, Ed Soares and Joinha and his coach, Andre Pederneiras they came to the conclusion that the timing wasn’t right for him to make the move up to 155, partially because it takes time to put on the mass required to move up a weight class and also because he doesn’t want to have to fight any of his Nova Uniao teammates.
"Actually I started in a lighter division, then changed to this one and tried the division above, but it’s up to [Andre] Dedé [Pederneiras] and he knows better," Aldo explained. "When I was fighting on the division above he thought there were many people of the gym on that division, and on my division there’s me and Marlon [Sandro] and I can play pretty hard on this one and I’m the champion, so I think it’s best for me to stay on this weight division."
Current World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion José Aldo (18-1) turned down a fight with Kenny Florian in the UFC according to the fighter who spoke to Tatame.com recently.
According to the fighter, his managers declined the bout. “They made the proposal. I wanna fight, it can be at WEC or in the UFC.”
Having turned down that […]
Current World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion José Aldo (18-1) turned down a fight with Kenny Florian in the UFC according to the fighter who spoke to Tatame.com recently.
According to the fighter, his managers declined the bout. “They made the proposal. I wanna fight, it can be at WEC or in the UFC.”
Having turned down that fight, Aldo will instead face Canadian Mark Hominick (19-8) in January at an upcoming unnamed WEC event.
Aldo is coming off a recent win over Manny Gamburyan at last month’s WEC 51 event. The fighters second straight consecutive title defense and his eleventh straight victory. Aldo earned a unanimous decision over Urijah Faber at WEC 48 previous to the Gamburyan win.
Hominick won a split decision over Leonard Garcia on the same WEC 51 card in September, earning him a shot at the featherweight title according to Aldo. The Canadian fighter has earned four straight wins that include victories over Yves Jabouin, Bryan Caraway, and Savant Young.
In that interview with Tatame, Aldo alluded to the reason for fighting at 145 instead of moving up in weight, saying that to many of his teammates fought at 155 and that it was better for him to stay at featherweight.
Actually I’ve starter on a lighter division, then changed to this one and tried the division above, but it’s up to Dedé and he knows better. When I was fighting on the division above he thought there were many people of the gym on that division, and on my division there’s me and Marlon (Sandro) and I can play pretty hard on this one and I’m the champion, so I think it’s best for me to stay on this weight division.
The World Extreme Cagefighting promotion has confirmed their upcoming WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki event including headliners Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki in “The California Kid’s” promotional bantamweight debut.
Other bouts listed for the event Erik Koch vs. Josh Grispi, Wagnney Fabiano vs. Joseph Benavidez, Javier Vazquez vs. Chad Mendes, Damacio Page vs. Eddie Wineland, LC […]
The World Extreme Cagefighting promotion has confirmed their upcoming WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki event including headliners Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki in “The California Kid’s” promotional bantamweight debut.
Other bouts listed for the event Erik Koch vs. Josh Grispi, Wagnney Fabiano vs. Joseph Benavidez, Javier Vazquez vs. Chad Mendes, Damacio Page vs. Eddie Wineland, LC Davis vs. Raphael Assuncao, Edward Faaloloto vs. Anthony Njokuani, Dustin Poirier vs. Zack Micklewright, Michael McDonald vs. Clint Godfrey, Mackens Semerzier vs. Cub Swanson and Brandon Visher vs. Yves Jabouin.
Here is the full WEC Press Release:
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World Extreme Cagefighting® delivers another sensational night of mixed martial arts action on Thursday, Nov. 11, as General Manager Reed Harris has confirmed seven additional fights set to take place at The Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas.
In addition to Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki, Erik Koch vs. Josh Grispi, Wagnney Fabiano vs. Joseph Benavidez and Javier Vazquez vs. Chad Mendes, Harris announced the following matchups today:
Damacio Page vs. Eddie Wineland, LC Davis vs. Raphael Assuncao, Edward Faaloloto vs. Anthony Njokuani, Dustin Poirier vs. Zack Micklewright, Michael McDonald vs. Clint Godfrey, Mackens Semerzier vs. Cub Swanson and Brandon Visher vs. Yves Jabouin.
“WEC has a reputation for putting on the best fights in all of MMA,” Harris said. “This card is filled with the fastest, most explosive competitors in our sport and we expect to give fans another awesome night of action on Nov. 11.”
Tickets for WEC: Faber vs. Mizugaki are on sale now and priced at $203.50, $150.35, and $98.15. Tickets are available at The Pearl box office, online at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices include service charges.
Faber vs. Mizugaki 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.
Expect a standup war when bantamweights Damacio Page (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) and Eddie Wineland (fighting out of Chesterton, Ind.) collide on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas. A winner of two straight, the 28-year-old Page (12-4) is known for his heavy hands and slick ground game. The Greg Jackson-trained product hopes to propel himself into title contention with a win over the former bantamweight champion next month. Arguably the best pure boxer in the WEC’s 135-pound division, the 26-year-old Wineland (17-6-1) has defeated Manny Tapia, George Roop and Will Campuzano in consecutive fights. The full-time firefighter believes a win over Page at the Palms will lead the way toward a shot at champ Dominick Cruz.
LC Davis (fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) returns to the WEC cage on Nov. 11 with a renewed sense of motivation. Having won three out of his last four fights, the 28-year-old Davis (16-3) offers that his combination of solid wrestling and crisp boxing makes him a bad matchup for anyone in the featherweight division. He hopes to prove that point when he meets jiu jitsu ace Raphael Assuncao (fighting out of Atlanta, Ga.). Known for his tremendous grappling and polished technique, the Brazilian-born Assuncao (14-3) has fought some of the sport’s best, including Urijah Faber. When he locks horns with Davis in Las Vegas, he expects nothing less than one of the toughest tests of his career.
Knockout artist Anthony Njokuani (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to reinsert himself in the lightweight title picture on Nov. 11 when he meets newcomer Edward Faaloloto (fighting out of Honolulu, HI). Recognized as one of the best Muay Thai strikers in the sport, the 30-year-old Njokuani (13-4) has earned three Knockout of the Night honors in his WEC career. He hopes his fourth comes at the expense of Faaloloto. Training under the tutelage of UFC star Chris Leben in Hawaii, Faaloloto (5-0) is no stranger to intense battles. Thus, he plans to come out swinging against “The Assassin” at the Palms.
Rising lightweight prospects meet when Dustin Poirier (fighting out of Lafayette, La.) takes on Zack Micklewright (fighting out of Davenport, Iowa) in Las Vegas. At just 21 years old, Poirier (7-1) has become one of the divisions “fighters to watch.” Blending speed and power, Poirier, who trains alongside MMA veterans Tim Credeur and Rich Clementi in Louisiana, believes he will be too much for his opponent to handle on Nov. 11. Fighting out of the Miletich Camp in Iowa, the 24-year-old Micklewright (9-2) possesses efficient striking and loves to trade leather with his opponents. With that said, Micklewright will be searching for a brutal knockout victory when the cage door closes in Sin City next month.
Highly-touted bantamweight prospect Michael McDonald (fighting out of Modesto, Calif.) makes his WEC debut in Nov. against Clint Godfrey (fighting out of Rapid City, S.D.). Owning a record of 10-1, including wins over WEC vets Cole Escovedo and Manny Tapia, McDonald has won seven of his fights by way of submission. He’ll be put to the test when he meets Godfrey (11-2), a rugged competitor known for his strength and tenacity.
Division staple Cub Swanson (fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) looks to reignite his run toward WEC gold when he meets Mackens Semerzier (fighting out of Virginia Beach, Va.) at The Pearl at the Palms. A smooth jiu jitsu ace who is also one of the best at using angles and feints in the striking game, Swanson (14-4) plans to outclass Semerzier on Nov. 11. The task will be easier said than done. The 29-year-old Semerzier (7-2) is a former Marine who boasts tremendous athleticism and the ability to finish fights.
Featherweights Brandon Visher (fighting out of Maui, Hawaii) and Yves Jabouin (fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) kick off the action on Nov. 11 in a darkhorse candidate for “Fight of the Night.” A menacing striker and powerful grappler, the 26-year-old Visher (13-1) is best known for his devastating knockout victory over Courtney Buck last year. He’ll be pushed to his limits next month when he meets Jabouin (14-6), a technical kickboxer who trains out of the same gym as UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
For more information, 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 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 The T.Ocho Show. 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 furthest 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.
Urijah Faber (23-4) will drop to 135 pounds for the first time in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion to face Japanese fighter Takeya Mizugaki. They’ll headline the upcoming WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki show on Nov. 11th in Las Vegas.
