WEC 45
''WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 19, 2009 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas.www.wec.tv/index.cfm It marked the first time the WEC has held back-to-back events at The Pearl at The Palms. The event drew an estimated 330,000 viewers on Versus. Background Damacio Page was originally slated to face Takeya Mizugaki at this event, but was pulled from the card and replaced by Scott Jorgensen. Mackens Semerzier was once linked to a bout with Erik Koch at this event, but it was later confirmed that Koch would instead be facing Jameel Massouh. Debuting featherweights Brandon Visher and Tyler Toner were scheduled to face each other at this event, but Toner was removed from the event and replaced by fellow WEC newcomer Courtney Buck. The Visher/Toner bout was rescheduled for WEC 48 the following April, where Toner won via TKO. David Smith was supposed to make his WEC debut against ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: , and . To accommodate the smaller fighters, WEC's cage was in diameter— smaller than the standard UFC cage. The smaller cage is now used by UFC for selected events. Last champions Before the UFC bought out the WEC in December of 2010, there were 3 weight classes in its final incarnation, which were Bantamweight, Featherweight, and Lightweight. At WEC 53, the last event before the promotion was closed down, there were two title fights between concurrent champion Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis, which was for the WEC Lightweight Championship. The second fight was against concurrent champion Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgensen, to determine the final Bantamweight Champion, and the inaugural UFC B ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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WEC 48
''UFC Presents: Aldo vs. Faber'', also referred to as ''WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on April 24, 2010 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. This was WEC's first and only event on pay-per-view before their merger with the Ultimate Fighting Championship later that year. Background The event was first announced by WEC President Reed Harris on the Dave and Mahoney Show. Jamie Varner was expected to face Kamal Shalorus at this event, but that bout was called off due to an injury sustained by Shalorus. The match was later rescheduled for WEC 49 on June 20, where both men fought to a split draw. A bout between Alex Karalexis and Zach Micklewright was due to take place at this event, but Micklewright suffered a broken ankle and was later replaced by Anthony Pettis. Antonio Banuelos was scheduled to face Damacio Page at the event, but Page was forced off the card with an injury. Banuelos ending up fac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of World Extreme Cagefighting Champions
This is a list of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champions at each weight class. In December 2006 World Extreme Cagefighting was bought by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, to concentrate on the four smaller weight classes under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Over the next two years, the World Extreme Cagefighting, WEC would phase out weight classes above 155 lbs, with most of the fighters going to the UFC. By the time of the WEC's absorption into the UFC at the end of 2010, the only remaining weight divisions were Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight, Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight and Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight. World Title histories Super Heavyweight Championship :Weight limit: Unlimited Heavyweight Championship :Weight limit: Light Heavyweight Championship :Weight limit: Middleweight Championship :Weight limit: Welterweight Championship :Weight limit: Lightweight Championship :Weight limit: ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nevada Athletic Commission
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxing, boxers, kickboxing, kickboxers, mixed martial arts, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers. The commission is the final authority on licensing matters, having the ability to approve, deny, revoke, or suspend all licenses for unarmed combat. The commission was established in 1941. It has several times been criticized for its conduct and sentences, and has several times been labelled a "kangaroo court". Leadership The Nevada State Athletic Commission is an agency of the Nevada Department of Business & Industry and is made up of five part-time commissioners (known as the "Commission"), an executive director, and seven full-time employees. Each commissioner is appointed by the Governor of Nevada, Governor for a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Brad Pickett
Brad Pickett (born 24 September 1978) is an English former mixed martial artist. He is a former Cage Rage British Featherweight Champion. He competed as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship; Dana White stated that Pickett was one of his favourite fighters to watch. He has also competed for World Extreme Cagefighting and BodogFIGHT, and at the Dynamite!! USA event. Background Pickett's fight entrance typically involved entering to the song "Wallop" by Chas & Dave, wearing a string vest, cut-off jeans and his customary trilby hat. He is a supporter of the London football club Tottenham Hotspur. Pickett played football and boxed growing up, before becoming interested in MMA. Mixed martial arts career Early in his career, Pickett fought mainly for the Cage Rage organisation; his first appearance was on 27 November 2004 with a win over Stuart Grant. He became the Cage Rage British Featherweight Champion on 10 September 2005 at Cage Rage 13 by defeating Ozzy H ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Anthony Pettis
Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Professional Fighters League (PFL). He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion. Pettis was also the final WEC Lightweight Champion prior to the promotion being merged into the UFC. Early life Pettis was born on January 27, 1987, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Annette (''née'' Garcia) and Eugene Pettis Jr. He grew up in the south side of Milwaukee, along with his older brother, Reynaldo Pettis and younger brother, Sergio Pettis, who fights in the flyweight division. Pettis is of Mexican ancestry. His grandfather, Eugenio Pérez, anglicized the family name from Pérez to Pettis to avoid discrimination. Pettis attended Dominican High School. He started training in taekwondo and boxing at the age of 5. When he went to train mixed marti ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bart Palaszewski
Bart K. Palaszewski (; born May 30, 1983) is a retired Polish-American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...'s Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division. A professional competitor from 2002 until 2014, Palaszewski has also formerly competed for the World Extreme Cagefighting, WEC, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the International Fight League, IFL, and King of the Cage. Background Palaszewski was born in Warsaw, Poland and lived there until he was 13 years old when he and his family immigrated to Wonder Lake, Illinois. In Poland, he was a "punching bag" for his older cousin who was involved in kickboxing, and Palaszewski also began judo when he was in the third grade. However, his coach became an O ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rani Yahya
Rani Ahmad Yahya (born September 12, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and BJJ practitioner. He won the 66 kg division of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in April 2007. He currently fights in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Yahya was born to a Syrian father and Brazilian mother. He trained judo, taekwondo and karate in his childhood, finding Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 11. Mixed martial arts career World Extreme Cagefighting Yahya made his WEC debut against former TKO Major League MMA featherweight champion Mark Hominick at WEC 28 on May 3, 2007. Yahya defeated Hominick in the first round with a rear naked choke. He fought and lost to Chase Beebe via unanimous decision for the WEC bantamweight championship at WEC 30 on September 5, 2007, and earned ''Fight of the Night'' bonus. On November 5, 2008, at WEC 36, Yahya fought Yoshiro Maeda and won via Submission in the first round ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Joseph Benavidez
Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He fought for the UFC Flyweight championship four times. Background Benavidez was born on July 31, 1984, in San Antonio, Texas, and is of Mexican descent. Benavidez grew up with his single mother and two brothers. He attended Las Cruces High School, where he began training in Boxing and Wrestling. in which he became a New Mexico State champion. He continued to wrestle for one semester at William Penn University before dropping out. From college onwards Benavidez struggled with alcohol and drug abuse before becoming sober, subsequently turning his interest into mixed martial arts. After fighting in smaller shows while working as a screen printer in Las Cruces, New Mexico, he joined up with Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in 2007. Benavidez has since fought in Dream, WEC and most recently the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chris Horodecki
Christopher Horodecki (born September 24, 1987) is a Polish-Canadian mixed martial artist. He has competed for the WEC, the IFL, Bellator, TKO Major League MMA, and Palace Fighting Championship. Background Horodecki was born in London, Ontario, Canada. At age 13, he attended a seminar run by Shawn Tompkins in Port Stanley and became "addicted" to mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts career International Fight League Chris made his debut knocking out Erik Owings at IFL: Championship 2006. He then scored victories over Ed West, Ryan Schultz, Bart Palaszewski, Josh Odom and Shad Lierley. Chris then defeated Bart Palaszewski again that earned him a spot in the finals for the lightweight title. Horodecki was then defeated by Ryan Schultz in the finals of the 2007 IFL Grand Prix. Affliction Chris was originally scheduled to fight Dan Lauzon at Affliction: Day of Reckoning but was denied his license for failing his physical. Chris then suffered from a bulging disc in his n ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Anthony Njokuani
Anthony Obinna Njokuani (born March 1, 1980) is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional competitor since 2003, Njokuani has also formerly competed for the UFC, WEC, and ONE Championship. Background Born in Enugu, Nigeria on March 1, 1980, Anthony Njokuani and his family immigrated to the United States in 1983, settling in Garland, Texas. Njokuani began his martial arts training in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 17 before later moving on to Muay Thai and then mixed martial arts at the age of 21. Njokuani's younger brother, Chidi Njokuani, is also a professional mixed martial artist. Career Early career (2001–2008) Njokuani began his professional career in 1999, initially fighting as a kickboxer. He enjoyed some success in the sport by compiling a 24–0 record and winning the Kansas state Muay Thai title. He turned his hand to mixed martial arts in 2003 and became champion of the Texas-based Art of War promotion in 2007 before making a br ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ed Ratcliff
Edward Norris Ratcliff (born March 5, 1983) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2005 until 2010, he fought in the WEC. Background Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Ratcliff is African-American but is also of Iroquois Native American descent. Ratcliff was raised alongside his sister by his single mother, Laceine. It was Ratfcliff's mother who was his original martial arts instructor. In elementary school, Ratcliff began Tae Kwon Do and would eventually earn black belts in both disciplines. At the age of 17, Ratcliff tried out to be a part of Ken Shamrock's gym The Lion's Den in 2001 and made the team. Mixed martial arts career Early career Ratcliff made his professional MMA debut in 2005 and compiled an undefeated professional record of 4-0 before being signed by the WEC. World Extreme Cagefighting Ratcliff debuted at WEC 27, defeating Johnny Sampaio via TKO (knees) in the second round. Next, he faced Ultimate Fighter alum ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |