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WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz
 (PRESS
RELEASE) -- Two legendary names in the world of mixed martial arts
return on Saturday, March 6 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio in
what is shaping up to be one of the deepest World Extreme
Cagefighting® cards ever. WEC General Manager Reed Harris confirmed
today that former bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres (36-2)
will face top-ranked contender Joseph Benavidez (11-1), while former
UFC® lightweight champion and featherweight star Jens Pulver
(22-12-1) begins his trek back to the top with a bout against
seasoned veteran Javier Vazquez (13-3).
“Joseph Benavidez and Miguel Torres both want a shot at the winner
of the Brian Bowles-Dominick Cruz title fight,” Harris said. “So we
expect these two to leave it all in the cage when they collide in
Columbus on March 6. The same goes for Jens and Javier. Both guys
are well-respected in this sport and both guys want to prove that
they have what it takes to win the featherweight championship. It’s
going to be a tremendous night.”
Tickets for WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz are on sale now and priced at $125,
$75, $45, and $25. Tickets may be purchased at the Nationwide Arena
Ticket Office, at all Ticketmaster locations, online at
www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also
available at the FOX Sports Ohio Blue Line store at The Mall at
Tuttle Crossing and ticket outlets at Chiller Dublin, Chiller Easton
and Chiller North. Tickets are subject to service charges.
WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz will be televised nationally live on VERSUS
beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 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.
A winner of 17 out of his last 18 fights, former bantamweight
champion Miguel Angel Torres is on a mission to reclaim the world
title. Owning wins over the likes of Chase Beebe, Manny Tapia, and
Takeya Mizugaki in his stellar career, the 28-year-old Gracie Jiu
Jitsu black belt plans to make a statement when he faces Benavidez
in Columbus.
“I can’t wait to get back in the cage and show what I can do,”
Torres, a native of East Chicago, Ind., said. “Benavidez is probably
the top contender at 135 right now and I want to prove that I’m
still the best in this division. I want to earn my way back to the
belt.”
Fresh off a devastating knockout win over Rani Yahya in December,
Joseph Benavidez looks to continue his impressive rise in the
bantamweight division with a win over Torres. The 25-year-old, who
trains alongside WEC stars Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo in
Sacramento, Calif., knew that he and Torres would cross paths at
some point and is eager to lock horns with the former belt holder.
“I have envisioned us fighting for a long time,” Benavidez, who owns
notable victories of Yahya, Jeff Curran, and Danny Martinez since
joining WEC, said. “I think fans are in for one of the best fights
of the year. I think I’m capable of beating him. I’m really looking
forward to proving myself against someone people have considered a
legend and the best in the world.”
From BJ Penn to Takanori Gomi and Caol Uno, Jens Pulver has traded
leather with some of the best lighter weight fighters of all-time.
Universally known for his powerful left hand and strong wrestling,
the 35-year-old Midwest native feels rejuvenated heading into his
March 6 fight against Vazquez. With that said, “Lil’ Evil” hopes to
begin another run toward a world title when he steps inside the cage
to meet “Showtime” in Ohio.
“I’m pretty jacked to be fighting in the Midwest,” Pulver, who began
his career training in Bettendorf, Iowa, said. “I’m ready to go in
there and show people that I’m not done. Javier is always tough, so
I’m excited to fight a guy like him.”
Calling it the biggest fight of his career, 16-fight veteran Javier
Vazquez did not hesitate one bit when WEC officials offered him a
bout against Pulver. A Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt who has been
fighting professionally since 1998, Vazquez has long sought a fight
with Pulver. Understanding Pulver’s iconic status in the sport,
Vazquez looks to propel himself into immediate title contention with
a win over the crafty southpaw.
“I wanted this fight seven or eight years ago,” Vazquez said. “So
I’m really excited that the opportunity is finally here. He is such
a big name in this sport and I respect him a lot. I’m glad this
fight is happening because it could prove to be a turning point in
my career.”
Remaining bouts for WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz will be announced at a
later date. 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 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). 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 has partnerships
with top sports leagues such as NASCAR, NBA and UFC and airs
collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top
conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West. The
network is also home to the best outdoor programming on television
and airs original programs not available anywhere else, including
Sports Soup and Sports Jobs with Junior Seau. VERSUS, a wholly owned
company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is
distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the
United States.
About Nationwide Arena
For more information about upcoming events at Nationwide Arena,
visit www.NationwideArena.com or call (614) 246-2000. Nationwide
Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), is an SMG-managed
facility. Headquartered in Philadelphia, SMG provides facility
services to more than 210 venues controlling over 1.5 million
entertainment seats worldwide.
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