The rise of the cagefight
We all know that the UFC is the premiere organization in MMA. It has all the biggest promoted fights and the most recognizable faces in the sport. However, there is one organization that seems to fall under the radar despite having the same ownership as the UFC.
If you're familiar with the sport you know that I am talking about the WEC and surprisingly enough the WEC has had 41 events with plenty more planned for the future, yet the fights aren't as well known and neither are the athletes that make the WEC home.
The WEC stands for World Extreme Cagefighting and typically features fighters at a lighter weights such as Flyweight (125lbs), Bantamweight (135lbs), Featherweight (145lbs) and Lightweight (155lbs) and while you certainly won't garner the physically intimidating monsters such as Brock Lesnar, you do get a very different feel for the sport of MMA and one that most fight fans go on to enjoy very much.
Despite the UFC and WEC both being MMA at their purest sense, the WEC is a completely different type of fighting. Some would argue that it is more exciting and it's a sentiment I would have to agree with. The light weights of the fighters make the fights all that more technical and quick. It's no stretch of the imagination to see a 135lb individual be more flexible and quick then someone who weighs more then 200lbs.
You won't find Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva or any other champion from the UFC make an appearance in the WEC anytime soon but they do host quite an impressive cast of characters and some that make legitimate arguments to be on the ever-debated pound for pound list.
The most recognizable face in the WEC would be Urijah Faber who is not only recognizable for his in cage performance (he boasts a 22-2 record) but his gigantic butt chin and his hockey-flow hair, he's a hard guy to miss. Faber had a long run as the Featherweight champion before losing his belt to Mike Brown, since then Faber has a rematch fight scheduled with Brown. Without a doubt, Faber would be tops on the list for fighters that would be the “face” of the WEC.
Miguel Torres is a name you will want to remember. The 28 year old has a recorded record of 37-1 and is the Bantamweight champion in the WEC. He appears on the majority of top 10 pound for pound lists and very well could be the most exciting fighter around. When you look at his most recent fights it's hard to find one that didn't get you out of your seat.
Some other fighters you will want to make sure to catch in the WEC are the aforementioned Mike Brown, Jamie Varner, Leonard Garcia and Manny Tapia just to name a few.
The best part about the WEC doesn't actually lie in the fights or fighters though. Strangely enough it actually is how the fights are consumed, on free television. The fights all air on the Versus network in the United States, then shortly after on TSN here in Canada. For a fight fan there really isn't anything better then free fights on TV. The UFC does a good job of this with SpikeTV showing an array of Fight Night cards throughout the year but the UFC events on a regular basis are on Pay-Per-View and at $44.99 a pop, it adds up quick.
I'm not saying to turn a blind eye to the UFC in anyway, but just be aware that the next time a WEC event is on it's nothing amateur and you are surely strolling upon a gem in the MMA world.
If you're familiar with the sport you know that I am talking about the WEC and surprisingly enough the WEC has had 41 events with plenty more planned for the future, yet the fights aren't as well known and neither are the athletes that make the WEC home.
The WEC stands for World Extreme Cagefighting and typically features fighters at a lighter weights such as Flyweight (125lbs), Bantamweight (135lbs), Featherweight (145lbs) and Lightweight (155lbs) and while you certainly won't garner the physically intimidating monsters such as Brock Lesnar, you do get a very different feel for the sport of MMA and one that most fight fans go on to enjoy very much.
Despite the UFC and WEC both being MMA at their purest sense, the WEC is a completely different type of fighting. Some would argue that it is more exciting and it's a sentiment I would have to agree with. The light weights of the fighters make the fights all that more technical and quick. It's no stretch of the imagination to see a 135lb individual be more flexible and quick then someone who weighs more then 200lbs.
You won't find Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva or any other champion from the UFC make an appearance in the WEC anytime soon but they do host quite an impressive cast of characters and some that make legitimate arguments to be on the ever-debated pound for pound list.
The most recognizable face in the WEC would be Urijah Faber who is not only recognizable for his in cage performance (he boasts a 22-2 record) but his gigantic butt chin and his hockey-flow hair, he's a hard guy to miss. Faber had a long run as the Featherweight champion before losing his belt to Mike Brown, since then Faber has a rematch fight scheduled with Brown. Without a doubt, Faber would be tops on the list for fighters that would be the “face” of the WEC.
Miguel Torres is a name you will want to remember. The 28 year old has a recorded record of 37-1 and is the Bantamweight champion in the WEC. He appears on the majority of top 10 pound for pound lists and very well could be the most exciting fighter around. When you look at his most recent fights it's hard to find one that didn't get you out of your seat.
Some other fighters you will want to make sure to catch in the WEC are the aforementioned Mike Brown, Jamie Varner, Leonard Garcia and Manny Tapia just to name a few.
The best part about the WEC doesn't actually lie in the fights or fighters though. Strangely enough it actually is how the fights are consumed, on free television. The fights all air on the Versus network in the United States, then shortly after on TSN here in Canada. For a fight fan there really isn't anything better then free fights on TV. The UFC does a good job of this with SpikeTV showing an array of Fight Night cards throughout the year but the UFC events on a regular basis are on Pay-Per-View and at $44.99 a pop, it adds up quick.
I'm not saying to turn a blind eye to the UFC in anyway, but just be aware that the next time a WEC event is on it's nothing amateur and you are surely strolling upon a gem in the MMA world.
