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WEC CONFIRMS REMAINING
BOUTS FOR SEPT. 30 EVENT IN COLORADO
 (PRESS
RELEASE) -- One of the deepest cards of the year just received more
firepower as World Extreme Cagefighting® confirmed six additional
bouts for its debut at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. on
Thursday, Sept. 30.
WEC General Manager Reed Harris confirmed the following bouts: Jason
Reinhardt vs. Tiequan Zhang, Cole Province vs. Mike Brown, Ed
Ratcliff vs. Chris Horodecki, Diego Nunes vs. Tyler Toner, Chad
George vs. Antonio Banuelos, and Nick Pace vs. Demetrious Johnson.
“The UFC has put on some very successful events in Broomfield and we
are hoping to duplicate their success,” Harris said. “This card is
absolutely loaded with tremendous fights. In addition to the main
card bouts, fans are in store for the return of former featherweight
champ Mike Brown and the debut of our first Chinese fighter, Tiequan
Zhang. Plus, hometown fighter Tyler Toner competes in his own
backyard against a very dangerous Diego Nunes. We are extremely
excited to bring this event to Colorado.”
Tickets for WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan are on sale now and priced at
$185, $135, $75, and $40. Tickets are available online at
www.TicketHorse.com or by phone at 866.461.6556. TicketHorse kiosks
are also located at all Colorado Dick’s Sporting Goods Stores
(credit cards only). In addition, tickets are also available at
1STBANK Center Box Office on July 30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. MT or at
Pepsi Center during normal box office hours.
WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan 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.
Sept. 30 will serve as a milestone date in WEC history as the
organization welcomes its first fighter from mainland China, Tiequan
Zhang (fighting out of Beijing, China). Recognized for his
versatility and impressive submission game, the unbeaten 32-year-old
(16-0) meets battle-tested veteran Jason Reinhardt (fighting out of
Decatur, Ill.) in an exciting lightweight showdown. Reinhardt
(20-1), a UFC veteran who has been competing professionally since
2000, believes his ability to finish fights will propel him to
victory at the 1STBANK Center.
Former featherweight champion Mike Brown (fighting out of Coconut
Creek, Fla.) begins his trek back to the world title in Colorado
when he takes on seasoned wrestler Cole Province (fighting out of
Edmond, Okla.). A product of American Top Team, the 34-year-old
Brown (23-6) ruled the 145-pound division for over a year thanks to
his heavy hands and versatile ground game. He’ll look to return to
form when he meets Province later this month. Recognized for his
strong wrestling and conditioning, Province (6-1, 1 NC) believes his
first win in WEC will come at Brown’s expense. The 29-year-old
expects to spark a title run of his own by upending the former
champion on Sept. 30.
The long-awaited clash between lightweights Ed Ratcliff (fighting
out of San Diego, Calif.) and Chris Horodecki (fighting out of
London, Ontario, Canada) erupts in Broomfield this Fall and is sure
to be a war between two of the division’s best strikers. A speedy
Taekwondo artist who trains alongside WEC bantamweight champion
Dominick Cruz in San Diego, the 27-year-old Ratcliff (7-2) hopes to
cement his contender status with a win over his Canadian
counterpart. Hungry to secure his own place among the lightweight
elite, the 22-year-old Horodecki (14-2) looks to earn his second
straight victory inside the WEC cage. The Canadian star defeated
Danny Downes by submission in his last fight in June.
Hometown favorite Tyler Toner (fighting out of Denver, Colo.) will
display his high-level striking in his own backyard when he takes on
Muay Thai ace Diego Nunes (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
in an intriguing featherweight matchup. After knocking out
previously-unbeaten Brandon Visher in his WEC debut in April, the
27-year-old Toner (11-1, 1 NC) plans to defend his turf when he
meets Nunes. The task will be easier said than done though. Nunes
(14-1) is coming off the biggest win of his career over Raphael
Assuncao in June and is motivated as ever to climb the featherweight
ladder.
A dark horse for Fight of the Night pits Chad George (fighting out
of Los Angeles, Calif.) against Antonio Banuelos (fighting out of
Arroyo Grande, Calif.) in bantamweight action. Respected for his
fluid jiu jitsu skills and supreme cardio, George (11-5) is
nicknamed “The Savage” for a reason. He hopes to earn his second win
in the WEC over Banuelos by utilizing his relentless pace. Banuelos
(18-6), who trains alongside UFC legend Chuck Liddell, is no
stranger to high-intensity bouts and plans to use his standout
wrestling and precise striking to best George in Broomfield.
Bantamweight Demetrious Johnson (fighting out of Parkland, Wash.)
earned the respect of many in his WEC debut in April against
contender Brad Pickett. Using his speed and strength, the
24-year-old went toe-to-toe with one of the division’s best. Now,
the 10-1 fighter has his sights set on another impressive
performance when he meets newcomer Nick Pace (fighting out of New
York City, N.Y.). Equally driven to make a solid impression in front
of the WEC faithful, the 5-0 Pace is ready for everything his
opponent will throw at him. The Team Tiger Schulmann product expects
a fast-paced bout when he collides with “Mighty Mouse” on Sept. 30.
For more information, on WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan, 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). 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 Sports Soup.
VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA,
CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators
throughout the United States.
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