WEC 53
Encyclopedia
WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis was a mixed martial arts
event held by World Extreme Cagefighting
that took place on December 16, 2010 at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona
. The event was the first time that Zuffa has hosted an event in Arizona
. This was the final WEC event, due to the merger with the UFC.
.
During the live telecast of WEC 50
, Phoenix was announced as the winner of the contest.
Maciej Jewtuszko
was expected to face Ricardo Lamas
at this event, but Jewtuszko had to withdraw as he suffered a broken hand during training. Lamas ended up fighting Yuri Alcantara
.
This was the final WEC event before merging with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
in 2011. Dominick Cruz
defended his title for the last time and the winner of the bout was recognized as the UFC Bantamweight Champion. The winner of the Ben Henderson
and Anthony Pettis
fight was to face the winner of UFC 125
's Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard
title fight in a bout to unify the WEC and UFC lightweight championships, however the Edgar/Maynard fight ended in a split draw, necessitating a rematch later in 2011.
This event was awarded Sherdog's 2010 Event of the Year.
The event drew an average of 615,000 viewers on Versus
.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event held by World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
that took place on December 16, 2010 at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
. The event was the first time that Zuffa has hosted an event in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. This was the final WEC event, due to the merger with the UFC.
Background
This event was unique in that the WEC and AMP Energy allowed fans to choose the location of the event. The fans were given 30 options and the finalists were Milwaukee, Nashville and PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.
During the live telecast of WEC 50
WEC 50
WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on August 18, 2010 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, Phoenix was announced as the winner of the contest.
Maciej Jewtuszko
Maciej Jewtuszko
Maciej Jewtuszko is a Polish mixed martial artist. He has competed in the lightweight division of various European MMA promotions and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background:...
was expected to face Ricardo Lamas
Ricardo Lamas
Ricardo Alejandro Lamas is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. He trains with Team Top Notch in Elmhurst, Illinois...
at this event, but Jewtuszko had to withdraw as he suffered a broken hand during training. Lamas ended up fighting Yuri Alcantara
Yuri Alcantara
Yuri Alcantara is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2004, Alcantara mostly fought in Brazil before signing with World Extreme Cagefighting to take part in their final event before the merger with the...
.
This was the final WEC event before merging with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
in 2011. Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, who competes as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the current UFC Bantamweight Champion...
defended his title for the last time and the winner of the bout was recognized as the UFC Bantamweight Champion. The winner of the Ben Henderson
Ben Henderson (fighter)
Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...
and Anthony Pettis
Anthony Pettis
Anthony Pettis is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Pettis has made a name for himself mainly fighting in his home state of Wisconsin. He is a former fighter for the World Extreme Cagefighting , where he was the...
fight was to face the winner of UFC 125
UFC 125
UFC 125: Resolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.-Background:...
's Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...
title fight in a bout to unify the WEC and UFC lightweight championships, however the Edgar/Maynard fight ended in a split draw, necessitating a rematch later in 2011.
This event was awarded Sherdog's 2010 Event of the Year.
The event drew an average of 615,000 viewers on Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
.
Preliminary card
- Bantamweight bout:
Renan BarãoRenan BarãoRenan do Nascimento Mota Pegado, known as Renan Barão , is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs.
Chris CariasoChris CariasoChris Cariaso is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Mixed martial arts career:...
- Barão defeated Cariaso via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:47 of round 1.
- Lightweight bout: Ricardo LamasRicardo LamasRicardo Alejandro Lamas is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. He trains with Team Top Notch in Elmhurst, Illinois...
vs. Yuri AlcantaraYuri AlcantaraYuri Alcantara is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2004, Alcantara mostly fought in Brazil before signing with World Extreme Cagefighting to take part in their final event before the merger with the...
- Lightweight bout:
- Alcantara defeated Lamas via KO (punches) at 3:26 of round 1.
- Lightweight bout: Danny CastilloDanny CastilloDaniel "Danny" Alfonso Castillo is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Castillo has made a name for himself fighting in California. He currently fights at lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, and...
vs. Will KerrWill KerrWill Kerr is an American mixed martial artist who formerly fought in WEC's lightweight division. He made his WEC debut against Kamal Shalorus on November 2009 at WEC 44, replacing an injured Alex Karalexis, where he lost via TKO in the first round.Kerr then faced Karen Darabedyan on June 20, 2010...
- Lightweight bout:
- Castillo defeated Kerr via KO (punches) at 1:25 of round 1.
- Bantamweight bout: Eddie WinelandEddie WinelandEddie Wineland is an American professional mixed martial artist from Highland, Indiana who fights in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Wineland is a former World Extreme Cagefighting Bantamweight Champion...
vs. Ken StoneKen Stone (fighter)Ken Stone is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the UFC. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Stone had fought mostly in regional promotions on the east coast, before signing with Zuffa.-Background:...
- Bantamweight bout:
- Wineland defeated Stone via KO (slam) at 2:11 of round 1.
- Bantamweight bout:
Brad PickettBrad PickettBrad Pickett is an English mixed martial artist and the former Cage Rage British Featherweight champion and Ultimate Challenge MMA Featherweight Champion. He currently competes as a Bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs.
Ivan MenjivarIvan MenjivarIvan Menjivar is a Salvadoran-Canadian professional mixed martial artist currently fighting in the bantamweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Mixed martial arts career:...
- Bantamweight bout:
- Pickett defeated Menjivar via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).
- Lightweight bout: Jamie VarnerJamie VarnerJames Christopher Varner is a mixed martial artist who fought for World Extreme Cagefighting. He is a former WEC Lightweight champion.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
vs. Shane RollerShane RollerShane Derrick Roller is an American mixed martial artist, currently fighting as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
- Lightweight bout:
- Roller defeated Varner via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:55 of round 1.
- Lightweight bout:
Zhang Tie QuanZhang Tie QuanZhang Tiequan, or Zhang Tie Quan , often anglicised to Tiequan Zhang, is a Chinese mixed martial artist, who fights as a featherweight. He has spent most of his career fighting in the Art of War Fighting Championship in his native China, but in 2010, he joined World Extreme Cagefighting in the...
vs. Danny DownesDanny Downes-Mixed martial arts career:Since turning professional in 2007, Downes has competed for several smaller organizations, while compiling an undefeated record and obtaining wins in promotions such as King of the Cage, with all of his fights taking place in his native Wisconsin...
- Lightweight bout:
- Downes defeated Zhang via unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, 29–28).
Main card
- Lightweight bout:
Bart PalaszewskiBart PalaszewskiBart K. Palaszewski is a Polish-American mixed martial artist. He fought for the Quad City Silverbacks of the now defunct International Fight League. Following the UFC/WEC merger, Palaszewski is now under contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs.
Kamal ShalorusKamal ShalorusKamal Shalorus is an Iranian-British professional mixed martial artist. He currently fights in UFC's lightweight division.-Early life:Born in the city of Khalkhal in northern Iran, Shalorus began wrestling as a teenager in Iran before beginning training in Turkey and Russia at the age of 17...
- Shalorus defeated Palaszewski via split decision (30–27, 28–29, 29–28).
- Lightweight bout: Donald CerroneDonald CerroneDonald Anthony Cerrone is an American mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently competes as a lightweight in the UFC...
vs. Chris HorodeckiChris HorodeckiChristopher Horodecki is a Polish-Canadian mixed martial artist. He is best known for his fights in the WEC and the IFL.-Mixed martial arts career:Horodecki was born in Poland and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada...
- Lightweight bout:
- Cerrone defeated Horodecki via submission (triangle choke) at 2:43 of round 2.
- Bantamweight Championship bout: Dominick CruzDominick CruzDominick Cruz is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, who competes as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the current UFC Bantamweight Champion...
(c) vs. Scott JorgensenScott JorgensenScott Roger Jorgensen is an American mixed martial artist competing in the UFC Bantamweight division and is a member of the Twisted Genetiks Fight Team based out of Boise, Idaho. He is considered a perennial top 5 ranked bantamweight fighter...
- Bantamweight Championship bout:
- Cruz defeated Jorgensen via unanimous decision (50–45, 50–45, 50–45) to retain the WEC Bantamweight Championship and become the first UFC Bantamweight Champion.
- Lightweight Championship bout: Benson HendersonBen Henderson (fighter)Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson, a former WEC Lightweight Champion, is known for his aggressive style and his ability to escape from deep submission attempts...
(c) vs. Anthony PettisAnthony PettisAnthony Pettis is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Pettis has made a name for himself mainly fighting in his home state of Wisconsin. He is a former fighter for the World Extreme Cagefighting , where he was the...
- Lightweight Championship bout:
- Pettis defeated Henderson via unanimous decision (48–47, 48–47, 49–46) to become the final WEC Lightweight Champion.
Bonus Awards
Fighters were awarded $10,000 bonuses.- Fight of the Night: Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis
- Knockout of the Night: Eddie Wineland
- Submission of the Night: Shane Roller