WEC Confirms Remaining Bouts for March 6th in Columbus!
L.C. Davis vs. Deividas Taurosevicius
Karen Darabedyan vs. Bart Palaszewski
Diego Nunes vs. Leonard Garcia
Scott Jorgensen vs. Chad George
Anthony Pettis vs. Danny Castillo
Courtney Buck vs. Fredson Paixao
Chad Mendes vs. Erik Koch
Bendy Casimir vs. Ricardo Lamas
WEC: Bowles vs. Cruz
From Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio; Saturday, March 6
Fight to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT
Tickets on Sale NOW

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting® proudly confirms the remaining bouts of a fully-loaded card headed to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, March 6. On top of a world bantamweight title fight between Brian Bowles and Dominick Cruz, as well as clashes featuring Miguel Angel Torres vs. Joseph Benavidez and Jens Pulver vs. Javier Vazquez, WEC General Manager Reed Harris announced eight explosive fights slated for Arnold Classic weekend.

The fights are L.C. Davis vs. Deividas Taurosevicius, Karen Darabedyan vs. Bart Palaszewski, Diego Nunes vs. Leonard Garcia, Scott Jorgensen vs. Chad George, Anthony Pettis vs. Danny Castillo, Courtney Buck vs. Fredson Paixao, Chad Mendes vs. Erik Koch, and Bendy Casimir vs. Ricardo Lamas.

“For our first trip to Ohio, the goal is to leave a lasting impression,” Harris said. “There are a lot of intriguing matchups on this card that could prove to be sure-fire slugfests. This card features some of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport and there’s no doubt they’ll deliver.”

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.

Riding a two-fight winning streak that includes victories over Javier Vazquez and Mackens Semerzier, Deividas Taurosevicius (fighting out of Copiague, N.Y.) has proven to be among the toughest featherweights in the world. The Lithuanian hopes to pick up his third straight win in the WEC when he battles the dynamic L.C. Davis (fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) at Nationwide Arena. After handing Diego Nunes the first loss of his career last November with a thoroughly dominant performance, Davis (15-2) believes he is worthy of a shot at featherweight champion Jose Aldo. A win over Taurosevicius (12-3) could be just what the Kansas City native needs to garner a shot at WEC gold.

After defeating former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough in his debut last November, Karen Darabedyan (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) returns with his sights set on climbing one step closer to his first world title. A terrific judo player who also has amateur boxing experience, the 23-year-old faces a stern test on March 6 when he meets seasoned veteran Bart Palaszewski (fighting out of Chicago, Ill.). Having derailed hot prospect Anthony Pettis in his last fight in December, Palaszewski (32-13) hopes to do the same when he battles Darabedyan (9-1) in Columbus. A versatile fighter with tremendous power, the Warsaw, Poland native is hungry to hand the Armenian his first WEC defeat and push one step closer to the lightweight elite.

Leonard Garcia (fighting out of Lubbock, Texas) is known for his free-swinging, hard-hitting approach once he stands toe-to-toe with the opposition. Never afraid to trade leather, the 30-year-old fighter nicknamed “Bad Boy” is eager to test his mettle against Muay Thai ace Diego Nunes (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) on March 6. A decorated striker who owns wins over Rafael Dias and Cole Province since joining WEC in 2008, Nunes (13-1) aims to show the world that he belongs among the 145-pound division’s best. The 27-year-old is confident that his lethal strikes will propel him past Garcia (17-5) inside the hallowed WEC cage.

Scott Jorgensen (fighting out of Boise, Idaho) scored the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career in December when he soundly defeated Japanese star Takeya Mizugaki. Hoping another win earns him a shot at the bantamweight title, Jorgensen (8-3) is on a mission to upend Chad George (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) when the two lock horns in March. A strong wrestler who earned a victory in his WEC debut over John Hosman last year, George (11-4) takes a big step up the ladder when he meets Boise State University wrestling standout Jorgensen. Training alongside UFC vets Dan Hardy and Mac Danzig in Los Angeles, the 27-year-old believes he has the pedigree necessary to beat Jorgensen and plans to make a big statement with a win at Nationwide Arena.

Expect fireworks when Anthony Pettis (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis.) takes on Danny Castillo (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) in lightweight action. A slick grappler with polished striking, the Duke Roufus-trained Pettis is considered one of the top 155-pound prospects in the world. Hoping a win puts him with the likes of Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone atop the division, Pettis (7-1) anticipates a tough fight when he meets the wrestling-savvy Castillo. Recognized for his explosive takedowns and heavy hands, the 30-year-old Castillo (8-2) has won three out of his last four fights and is knocking on the doorstep of world title contention. Thus, “Last Call” wants to knock Pettis out in Ohio and plant himself in the running to face the champion Henderson.

Four-time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion Fredson Paixao (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) returns to the WEC cage in March to take on Courtney Buck (fighting out of Burnsville, Minn.) in featherweight action. A two-fight WEC veteran, the 30-year-old Brazilian Paixao boasts an overall record of 8-3, 1NC. Since his last appearance in August, Paixao has been working on his striking with renowned coach Gil Martinez, the same man who crafted the boxing prowess of UFC stars Randy Couture and Gray Maynard. With that said, Paixao hopes to put his newfound skills on display when he battles Buck in Ohio. A versatile striker, Buck (6-2) looks to pick up his first win in the organization by defeating Paixao at Nationwide.

The much-anticipated debut of featherweight Chad Mendes (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) takes place at Nationwide Arena when the 24-year-old goes to battle with unbeaten Erik Koch (fighting out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Training out of the same gym that has produced Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez, and Danny Castillo, Mendes brings Division I wrestling credentials to WEC. A two-time All-American at Cal Poly, Mendes (5-0) wants to make an immediate statement with a win over Koch (9-0) in Columbus. Fresh off a win over Jameel Massouh in his WEC debut in December, “New Breed” Koch is a phenomenal athlete with well-rounded skills. At just 21-years old, Koch believes he can steal Mendes’ thunder with a win on March 6.

Ricardo Lamas (fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) returns to the cage in Columbus in search of his third win in WEC. Already owning victories over Bart Palaszewski and James Krause, Lamas (7-1) turns his attention to newcomer Bendy Casimir (fighting out of Alfortville, France) on March 6. An excellent grappler with 12 wins by way of submission, Casimir (19-5-2) looks to make an immediate splash into lightweight title contention with a win over Lamas.

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. _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Contacts:
Dave Sholler, WEC Public Relations, 702-588-5541, 609-992-1315  dsholler@wec.tv

WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING ANNOUNCES
PAY-PER-VIEW FEATURING #1 AND #2 RANKED FEATHERWEIGHTS IN THE WORLD
JOSE ALDO DEFENDS FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST
TOP CONTENDER URIJAH FABER
AT ARCO ARENA IN SACRAMENTO, CALIF.
HENDERSON VS. CERRONE FOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
AND BROWN VS. GAMBURYAN

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – In what will be one of the biggest nights in MMA history, World Extreme Cagefighting® presents its most explosive card ever. On Saturday, April 24, live on Pay-Per-View from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., hometown hero “The California Kid” Urijah Faber attempts to capture the featherweight title from feared Brazilian knockout artist and ESPN’s 2009 Fighter of the Year Jose Aldo.

If that wasn’t enough, lightweight champion Ben Henderson collides with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a rematch of the 2009 Fight of the Year. Their first bout featured five grueling rounds of nonstop action and both promise even more fireworks when they meet again in April. Plus, former featherweight champion Mike Brown locks horns with Armenian judo ace and The Ultimate Fighter™ finalist Manny Gamburyan in one of the most anticipated fights of 2010.

“We are building the most action-packed card we’ve ever done for our first Pay-Per-View,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris said, adding that at least five fights will make the PPV broadcast. “The Jose Aldo-Urijah Faber fight is something fans have been talking about for a long time. When those two step inside the cage, it could be one of the best fights in the history of the sport. With the Cerrone-Henderson rematch and the Brown-Gamburyan fight also scheduled, this guarantees that fans get the most bang for their buck.”

Tickets for WEC: Aldo vs. Faber go on sale Saturday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $185, $135, $75, and $40. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Friday, Feb. 5 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the ARCO Arena Box Office. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com.

WEC: Aldo vs. Faber will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 ($49.99/Canada) for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

Named ESPN MMA Live’s 2009 Fighter of the Year, featherweight champion Jose Aldo (16-1) has proved to be one of the most devastating fighters to ever grace the WEC cage. After scoring consecutive knockouts in his first five WEC fights, Aldo earned a shot against then-champion Mike Brown last November. Using blazing speed and heavy strikes, the 23-year-old Brazilian upended Brown in two rounds to earn his first world championship. He now makes his first title defense against number one contender Urijah Faber and believes a win could serve as the beginning of one of the most dominant championship reigns in history.

“Urijah is a good fighter, but he’s not taking my belt,” Aldo said. “My dream has been to be the world champion. Now that I have the belt, I am not giving it up.”

Having already completed a two-year run as WEC featherweight champion in his stellar career, Sacramento, California’s Urijah Faber (23-3) is poised to recapture the belt when he takes on Aldo at ARCO Arena. Riding the momentum of his January victory over Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Raphael Assuncao, “The California Kid” believes he can diffuse the champion’s speed by using his top-notch wrestling and slick defense. What’s more, Faber has made it clear that when Aldo brings the belt to Sacramento on April 24, he’s leaving it at ARCO Arena.

“It’s Jose Aldo’s belt right now – but in my mind, that’s my belt,” Faber, who owns wins over Dominick Cruz, Jeff Curran, and Jens Pulver (twice), said. “My belief is that I should have that belt, and I’m gonna go in there and try to get it. I’m out here ready to prove it.”

“I think the guy that poses a threat to Aldo is a guy that’s just as fast as he is,” Faber continued. “That guy also has dangerous strikes, but has the advantage of dictating where the fight goes. That guy might just be me. I’ve got a proven record of submitting and grounding and pounding guys and I’m very difficult to knock out.”

WEC lightweight champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson (11-1) has defeated a Who’s Who of elite lightweights since joining the division in 2009. Owning wins over Anthony Njokuani, Shane Roller, Donald Cerrone, and most recently Jamie Varner, the 26-year-old has relied on his tremendous grappling and precision striking en route to capturing lightweight gold. The Glendale, Ariz. resident now turns his attention to a fight with Cerrone, who he battled for five grueling rounds last October.

“I expect another great fight and hopefully I’ll be able to end it this time, like I do with most of my fights,” Henderson, who unified the lightweight titles with a win over Varner at ARCO Arena in January, said. “Call me crazy, but I’m ready for another five-round war with Cerrone. Let’s have the exact same five-round, hard, all-out war. I love that, I’m not going to lie. But at the end, I want to finish it. I don’t want it to go to a judges’ decision, I don’t want any controversy; I don’t want any ifs, ands or buts. I want to end it.”

Fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is blunt when he speaks of his upcoming rematch with champion Ben Henderson. When the 26-year-old meets Henderson on April 24, he plans to pick up where the two left off last fall. Except this time, Cerrone doesn’t believe the fight will make it to the judges’ scorecards.

“What’s different this time is that I know what he has,” Cerrone, who scored a victory over Ed Ratcliff in his last fight in December, said. “He gave me everything he had last time. I know what I did wrong and what I need to fix. I feel like Ben can be finished and I’m ready to show the world that he can be put away.”

Former featherweight champion Mike Brown (23-5) believes a win over Manny Gamburyan in April will put him first in line for a crack at the winner of the Jose Aldo-Urijah Faber bout. With that said, the 34-year-old, who owns wins over Jeff Curran, Urijah Faber (twice), Leonard Garcia, and Anthony Morrison, plans to make a big statement when he fights the Armenian judo ace.

“It’s the perfect step for me right now to make my way back to the title,” Brown, who returns to scene of his last victory in Sacramento,” said. “We’re both solid takedown guys with solid jiu-jitsu, but I’m the bigger, harder puncher. I just have to crack him hard. If I hit him hard, I think he won’t want any part of it.”

Unbeaten since dropping to featherweight last year, Manny Gamburyan (12-5) considers himself among the best 145-pounders in the sport. Thanks to a dominant performance against Leonard Garcia in his last fight in November, “The Anvil” finds himself facing former champion Brown in a pivotal fight. The significance of the bout is not lost on the 28-year-old, and he believes fans will see the best Gamburyan ever on April 24.

“He’s a former world champion and I give him props,” Gamburyan said. “But I’m going to find his weaknesses and beat him. It’s going to be a good fight. I can’t wait for this fight.”

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

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WEC® Announces AMP Energy as Official Energy Drink

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting® announced today that AMP Energy will serve as the organization’s Official Energy Drink for 2010. One of the most prominent energy drinks in the world, AMP Energy will also serve as a key promotional partner for this year’s WEC events.

“We are pleased to have AMP Energy as the Official Energy Drink of WEC,” WEC Vice President Peter Dropick said. “AMP Energy is committed to working with the best athletes and organizations in the sports world and we are excited to have them on board.”

AMP Energy will also sponsor three of WEC’s top stars. Featherweight Urijah Faber, who fights on Jan. 10 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif, will compete under the AMP Energy banner, as will featherweight prospect Chad Mendes and bantamweight title contender Joseph Benavidez.

 “We’re excited to be partnering with WEC as its Official Energy Drink,” Dave Mingey, Vice President, Marketing, AMP Energy, said. “By teaming up with WEC and its talented athletes, we’ve positioned ourselves at the forefront of one of the fastest growing sports in the world.”

 For more information on World Extreme Cagefighting, visit www.wec.tv. For more information on AMP Energy, visit www.ampenergy.com.

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 AMP Energy                                                                                           AMP Energy is a product of Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages (PCNAB). PCNAB is a division of PepsiCo, which offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries.

With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

Press Contacts:Dave Sholler, WEC Public Relations 702-588-5541 (office) 609-992-1315 (cell) dsholler@wec.tv Bart Casabona, AMP Energy Public Relations 914-253-2027 bart.casabona@pepsi.com