PunchDrunkGamer.com - UFC, MMA, Kickboxing, Glory, Xbox One, Video Games, PS4, PC and Entertainment Forums

WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING® ANNOUNCES ANOTHER STACKED CARD IN LAS VEGAS

WEC® PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. RATCLIFF PLUS, NJOKUANI VS. HORODECKI, CARD TO ALSO FEATURE BOUT BETWEEN TWO TOP 10 BANTAMWEIGHTS IN BENAVIDEZ VS. YAHYA

From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV
Saturday, Dec. 19
Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. PT
Fight to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT


Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting® announced today a lightweight showdown that will have tremendous implications on the future of the 155-pound division. On Saturday, Dec. 19 from The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV, lightweight title contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will take on striker extraordinaire Ed Ratcliff, while in the co-main event, Muay Thai sensation Anthony Njokuani battles former IFL star Chris Horodecki. When the smoke clears on Dec. 19, the world may know who is next in line for a crack at the WEC lightweight champion.

“Four of our top lightweights are going to be competing on Dec. 19, each with his sights set on securing a coveted shot at the world title,” WEC GM Reed Harris said. “Cerrone vs. Ratcliff has the potential to be an explosive standup war. We can expect much of the same from Njokuani and Horodecki as well. This is the perfect holiday gift for fans.”

In addition to the lightweight fights, two of the world’s top 10 bantamweights will be in action. In an interesting clash of styles, submission ace Rani Yahya will lock horns with the speedy Joseph Benavidez.

“On Dec. 19, we are showcasing two of the world’s most dynamic bantamweights,” Harris said. “Benavidez-Yahya has the potential to steal the show. We are really excited to bring this card to The Palms.”

Tickets for WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff go on sale Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. PT and will be priced at $175, $100, and $50. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Oct. 30 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.

Cerrone vs. Henderson 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.

After battling Ben Henderson in a “Fight of the Year” candidate in October, Donald Cerrone (10-2, 1 NC) has wasted no time reinserting himself into the world title picture. A gifted striker training out of Albuquerque, NM, “Cowboy” is excited to face the unpredictable Ed “9MM” Ratcliff on Dec. 19. Knowing that his opponent loves to trade leather, Cerrone wants to prove that he has the right arsenal to diffuse Ratcliff. What’s more, the 26-year-old believes a win over “9MM” at the Palms will propel him toward rematches with Henderson and reigning champ Jamie Varner.

“I just have to whip Ed’s tail,” a motivated Cerrone said. “He’s a one-dimensional fighter. He’s not going to take me down and try to wrestle me. He’s going to try to beat me at my game, which is striking. He is a striker and that’s my game, so I hope he’s ready. I want to work my way back to a shot at the belt.”

A black belt in Taekwondo and karate, there are few standup artists as polished as Ratcliff. The 26-year-old holds a 3-1 record inside the WEC and owns victories over Johnny Sampaio, Alex Karalexis, and Phil Cardella. Now training out of San Diego, Calif. with WEC bantamweight contender Dominick Cruz and UFC star Brandon Vera, Ratcliff (7-1) is anxious to fight Cerrone and prove that he belongs atop the WEC lightweight division.

“As soon as my manager said Donald’s name I said ‘Let’s do it,’” Ratcliff said. “He didn’t even have to finish the sentence. My fight with Donald has the potential to be a war and I can’t wait.”

After earning “Knockout of the Night” honors in his last two fights, perhaps no fighter is riding a wave of momentum like Anthony Njokuani. With back-to-back KO wins over Bart Palaszewski and Muhsin Corbbrey, the 29-year-old Las Vegas resident hopes a win on Dec. 19 will fuel his run to WEC gold. Undefeated as a professional Muay Thai fighter, the hard-hitting Njokuani (12-2) wants to earn another bonus by flattening Horodecki in the co-main event.

“This is the type of fight that I’ve been looking for,” Njokuani, a native of Nigeria, said. “This matchup gets me excited and I can’t wait to fight Chris. When I win this one, it will put me at the level that I’ve been waiting for. It will put me in the mix for a shot at the world title.”

Nicknamed “The Polish Hammer,” Chris Horodecki (13-1) burst onto the MMA scene during his time with the International Fight League. Displaying heavy hands and an aggressive approach, Horodecki is excited to join WEC and thinks a win over Njokuani will make him an immediate contender in the lightweight division. Training with the likes of Mark Hominick and Sam Stout, Horodecki is confident that he is prepared to compete on MMA’s biggest stage.

“With the right game plan, I’ll beat Anthony in the standup and take him down if I have to,” Horodecki, originally from London, Ontario, Canada, said. “I’m the fresh face here in the WEC. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves. I’m excited for this fight and I’ll be ready to go to battle on Dec. 19.”

One of the most feared grapplers in the sport, Rani Yahya (15-4) has scored submission victories in four out of his last five fights in the WEC. An Abu Dhabi world champion in 2007, the soft-spoken Brazilian hopes to make Joseph Benavidez his next victim on Dec. 19. Although respectful of Benavidez’s abilities, Yahya thinks that he can ground the wiry Californian.

“Jiu jitsu is my strength in the cage,” Yahya, who has only been out of the first round once in his WEC career, said. “Joseph is a very quick fighter, but I think I can put him in some bad positions and win the fight.”

Joseph Benavidez (10-1) is one of the bantamweight division’s hottest prospects. A well-rounded athlete who boasts speed, power, and good cage awareness, Benavidez is looking to snap Yahya’s winning streak at The Palms. A training partner of WEC vets Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo, Benavidez believes that he has the seasoning needed to best Yahya.

“This is an important fight for me,” said Benavidez, who lost the first bout of his career to Dominick Cruz in August. “There’s no doubt that I’m hungry and want to prove a point in this bout. Yahya is an awesome grappler, but I think I’m the better all-around fighter.”

Remaining bouts for WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit http://www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS.

WHERE IS BEN HENDERSON?

WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR DEC. 19 IN LAS VEGAS


TAKEYA MIZUGAKI VS. SCOTT JORGENSEN
BART PALASZEWSKI VS. ANTHONY PETTIS
MUHSIN CORBBREY VS. ZACH MICKLEWRIGHT
CHAD GEORGE VS. JOHN HOSMAN
TYLER TONER VS. BRANDON VISHER
BRAD PICKETT VS. KYLE DIETZ
JAMEEL MASSOUH VS. ERIK KOCH



WEC® PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. RATCLIFF
From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, Dec. 19th
Tickets On Sale NOW
Fights to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT


Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting® proudly confirms the remaining bouts of a loaded fight card headed to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Dec. 19. In addition to Cerrone vs. Ratcliff, Njokuani vs. Horodecki, and Benavidez vs. Yahya, WEC is pleased to announce seven other quality bouts.

“This is the perfect way to close out 2009,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. “We have stacked this card with some outstanding battles featuring our top contenders. This is truly our holiday gift to fans.”

Cerrone vs. Ratcliff 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.

Expect fireworks when free-swinging bantamweights Scott Jorgensen (fighting out of Boise, ID) and Takeya Mizugaki (fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) collide on Dec. 19. Fresh off a submission victory over Noah Thomas in October, Jorgensen (7-3) believes he is closing in on a match with 135-pound champion Brian Bowles. A winner of three out of his last four fights, the Boise-based fighter is prepared for an all-out slugfest with Mizugaki at The Palms. With impressive performances in each of his first two fights in the WEC, Japanese star Mizugaki (12-3-2) has proved to be one of the toughest bantamweights in the world. His five-round fight with Miguel Angel Torres in April, coupled with his decision victory over Jeff Curran in August, has many wondering if the clinch-savvy Mizugaki will soon be wearing the WEC championship. Before Mizugaki can garner a world title shot, he must diffuse Jorgensen in a potential “Fight of the Year.”

At just 26 years old, few fighters boast the level of experience offered by the heavy-handed Bart Palaszewski (fighting out of Chicago, IL). With 45 fights in his seven-year career, “Bartimus” believes his MMA seasoning will fuel him past fiery lightweight prospect Anthony Pettis (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI). Unbeaten at 7-0 in his young career, the 22-year-old Pettis scored an impressive submission victory over Mike Campbell is his WEC debut in June. Training out of the same camp that has produced UFC veterans Pat Barry, Ben Rothwell, and Eric Schafer, Pettis thinks he has all of the tools necessary to best Palaszewski (32-13) and climb one step closer to the 155-pound elite.

WEC newcomer Zach Micklewright (fighting out of Davenport, IA) has built a solid reputation as a gritty lightweight fighter willing to trade leather. Micklewright (8-1), who is a training partner of rising featherweight star L.C. Davis, hopes to show WEC fans his exciting standup game when he takes on tested veteran Muhsin Corbbrey (fighting out of Savannah, GA) in Las Vegas. Nicknamed “The Technician,” Corbbrey (13-4-1) is a versatile athlete with strong jiu jitsu and striking. The 31-year-old believes his complete arsenal will help him spoil Micklewright’s debut on Dec. 19.

An intriguing bantamweight bout pits John Hosman (fighting out of Evanston, IL) against WEC rookie Chad George (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.). Holding a record of 17-5-1, the 29-year-old Hosman is a solid wrestler with good submissions. A longtime training partner of UFC star Clay Guida, Hosman looks to pick up his first win in the WEC when he locks horns with the hard-hitting George at The Palms. Considering that nine of his 10 wins have come by way of stoppage, George (10-4) believes he can become an immediate contender in the stacked bantamweight division. What’s more, the fighter nicknamed “Savage” hopes to do so by knocking off the rugged Hosman on Dec. 19.

Two hard-hitting featherweight newcomers meet when Tyler Toner (fighting out of Denver, CO) wages war with Brandon Visher (fighting out of Maui, Hawaii) at The Pearl at the Palms. One look at each fighter’s stats leads many to believe that this could steal “Fight of the Night” honors. In nine pro victories, Toner (9-1) has scored an impressive five knockouts and two submissions. He’ll look to take the next step in his MMA career against his Hawaiian-born opponent. Nicknamed “The Viper,” Visher is unbeaten at 13-0 in his five-year career and owns finishes in 10 of those bouts. An aggressive striker with a slick ground game, the highly-touted Maui resident promises an explosive contest when he debuts next month.

A winner of his last seven fights, England’s Brad “One Punch” Pickett (now fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL) makes his highly-anticipated WEC debut when he takes on Kyle Dietz (fighting out of Davenport, IA) in an exciting bantamweight bout. A close friend and teammate of former featherweight champion Mike Brown, Pickett (17-4) enters the WEC with heavy momentum. With submissions wins in three out of his last four fights, the outspoken Brit wants to make an immediate mark by besting Dietz. A 23-year-old protégé of UFC vet Spencer Fisher, Dietz (13-1) is hungry for his first victory inside the Octagon™. He hopes to use his vicious Muay Thai and slick grappling to overpower Pickett at The Palms.

A battle of the Badger State pits Milwaukee residents Jameel Massouh (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI) and Erik Koch (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI) against one another in featherweight action. A top star in the Pancrase organization, Massouh (21-6) has fought some of the top competition in the world, including Leonard Garcia and Raphael Assuncao. The 25-year-old looks to jump into the mix at 145-pounds with a win over the unbeaten Koch. Boasting an unblemished record of 8-0, the 21-year-old Koch is a tremendous grappler who has only been to a decision once in his career. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter believes he has the potential to one day wear WEC gold and hopes to pave his way to the title with a win over Massouh on Dec. 19.