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WEC RETURNS TO THE PALMS
IN LAS VEGAS
 (PRESS
RELEASE) -- Former featherweight champion “The California Kid”
Urijah Faber makes his highly-anticipated 135-pound debut as World
Extreme Cagefighting® returns to The Pearl at the Palms Casino
Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. on Thursday, Nov. 11. The 31-year-old
pound-for-pound great, who once held the featherweight title for
over two years, makes the cut to bantamweight in search of his
second world title reign. He’ll take on one of the division’s
toughest in Japanese striking sensation Takeya Mizugaki.
Plus, featherweight contenders Chad Mendes and Javier Vazquez
collide in a pivotal 145-pound contest, while former bantamweight
champion Brian Bowles locks horns with grappling ace Wagnney Fabiano.
If that wasn’t enough, rising featherweight stars Josh Grispi and
Erik Koch meet in a bout between two of the sport’s hottest
prospects.
With four explosive fights perched atop this card, WEC: Faber vs.
Mizugaki is sure to rock The Pearl on Nov. 11.
“Urijah Faber’s debut at 135-pounds is something both fans and
fellow fighters have been waiting to see,” WEC General Manager Reed
Harris said. “His first fight in the division pits him against
Mizugaki, who has fought the best-of-the-best at bantamweight. The
main event, plus the Bowles-Fabiano, Grispi-Koch and Mendes-Vazquez
fights, makes this a special night at the Palms.”
Tickets for WEC: Faber vs. Mizugaki go on sale Friday, Sept. 24 at 1
p.m. PT and will be priced at $181, $131, and $71. A special
Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter
subscribers on Thursday, Sept. 23 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access
this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through
wec.tv. Tickets will be available at The Pearl box office, online at
ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at
1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices do not 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.
One of the top lighter weight fighters of all-time, former
featherweight champion Urijah Faber (fighting out of Sacramento,
Calif.) has defeated some of the sport’s best names. From Jeff
Curran to Jens Pulver to Raphael Assuncao, the 31-year-old served as
the 145-pound kingpin for over two years. Now, “The California Kid”
has his sights set on winning a championship in the loaded
bantamweight division. Up first for the Sacramento, Calif. native is
Takeya Mizugaki, one of the division’s most talented athletes.
“I’m excited to take this fight at 135-pounds and test myself
against the best bantamweights in the world,” Faber, who owns a
record of 23-4, said. “Mizugaki is really tough, but I’m ready to
make an impact and work toward becoming a champion again.”
Japanese star Takeya Mizugaki (fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) burst
onto the scene last year, waging a five-round war with then-champion
Miguel Angel Torres. Since that time, the 26-year-old has become one
of the most feared bantamweights in the world. Having defeated Rani
Yahya in his last fight in April, Mizugaki (13-4-2) is prepared to
rudely welcome Faber to the 135-pound weight class.
“I never shy away from tough fights, so I’m excited to fight Urijah,”
Mizugaki, who holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering,
said. “Urijah’s first fight in this division won’t be an easy one. I
plan on beating him on Nov. 11.”
Former bantamweight champion Brian Bowles (fighting out of Athens,
Ga.) begins his quest back to the title at The Pearl when he takes
on Wagnney Fabiano. A tremendous finisher who has scored stoppages
in all five of his WEC victories, the 29-year-old Bowles (8-1) is
confident that his versatility will guide him past the
grappling-savvy Fabiano. Known for his stunning knockout of
then-champion Miguel Angel Torres in Aug. 2009, the Athens resident
is gunning for another dominant performance this November.
“I think a big win over Wagnney should give me a title shot,”
Bowles, who trains at the same gym in Athens that launched the
career of UFC® star Forrest Griffin, said. “I’m training hard and if
I’m at my best I don’t think anybody can beat me.”
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu wizard Wagnney Fabiano (fighting out of Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil) is undefeated since dropping to 135-pounds earlier
this year and has his sights set on world title contention. Riding
wins over Clint Godfrey and Frank Gomez, Fabiano (14-2), who served
as the first jiu jitsu coach of current UFC® welterweight champion
Georges St-Pierre, is excited to face the former champion Bowles and
prove that he belongs among the elite in the bantamweight division.
“He’s the former champ,” Fabiano, who will train alongside WEC
featherweight champion Jose Aldo in Brazil for this camp, said. “If
I beat him then maybe I’ll have an opportunity for a title shot. And
that’s my goal, to become champ.”
At just 21-years-old, featherweight phenom Josh Grispi (fighting out
of Boston, Mass.) has taken the division by storm. Unbeaten in WEC
at 4-0, including his submission victory over top contender LC Davis
in his last fight in June, the fighter nicknamed “The Fluke” is one
of the hottest prospects in the sport. Known for his vicious
submission game and 5’11” frame, the Boston native believes he is
closing in on featherweight champion Jose Aldo and wants to prove it
by besting Koch.
“Erik is a great fighter and I can’t look past him,” Grispi, 14-1,
said. “He is standing in my way of a title shot, so this fight is
extremely important for me.”
Training under the tutelage of renowned coach Duke Roufus, Erik Koch
(fighting out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa) has drawn the attention of many
thanks to his crisp striking and dominant grappling. At just 21
years old, Koch (10-1), like Grispi, believes that he will one day
wear WEC gold. Thus, when he meets his Boston foe on Nov. 11, he is
determined to show the world that he is in fact the real future
champion of the division.
"We're both young and I figure this will be a good matchup,” Koch
said. “No one in the WEC has been willing to stand with me yet. One
of Grispi's biggest advantages is his size; he's tall, lanky and
huge for the 145-pound weight class. It's a good style matchup for
me because I haven't seen him fight anybody else with the reach or
striking skills that I have. It will be a hard fight, but I like the
style matchup and I wanted this fight."
A rugged wrestled with heavy hands, Chad Mendes (fighting out of
Sacramento, Calif.) has become an impact player in the WEC’s
featherweight division thanks to wins over Erik Koch, Anthony
Morrison and Cub Swanson. After besting contender Swanson by
decision in his last fight in August, “Money” Mendes has no desire
to leave his next fight in the hands of the judges. When Mendes
(8-0) meets Vazquez at the Palms, the 25-year-old has his sights set
on a knockout.
“I definitely want to make a statement in this fight,” Mendes, who
trains alongside Faber, top bantamweight contender Joseph Benavidez
and lightweight Danny Castillo in Sacramento, said. “Javier has been
in the sport a long time and is a good grappler. But I’m looking to
finish this fight.”
Riding back-to-back victories over Jens Pulver and Mackens Semerzier,
Javier Vazquez (fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) believes
his quest to the world title runs through Mendes on Nov. 11. Known
for his high-level jiu jitsu and years of experience, the
34-year-old nicknamed “Showtime” hopes to hand Mendes his first loss
when the two collide in Las Vegas.
“I can finish the fight with jiu-jitsu, that’s what my record
shows,” Vazquez said. “He doesn’t finish fights, that’s what his
record shows. Look, I personally like Chad Mendes, Urijah Faber and
their guys. Chad is an awesome athlete and a great wrestler and he’s
going to be an incredible fighter some day. But he’s only had eight
fights. I have a big advantage in experience and matching him with
me will be a little too much for him at this point in his career.”
Remaining bouts for WEC: Faber vs. Mizugaki 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). 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.
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.
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