After a recent run using ION TV and net-based streaming as options, it appears Spike TV will likely be home once again for a pair of preliminary fights come February 5 and UFC 126. The network last aired undercard action in November for UFC 123. The two bouts believed to be targeted for the broadcast feature WEC stand-outs Chad Mendes and Donald Cerrone making their promotional debuts.

News of the still-unfolding scenario was reported by MMAWeekly where it was explained sources have indicated negotiations between Spike and the UFC are moving in a positive direction.

If things continue as planned fans will have a chance to see Mendes and Cerrone in two of the biggest tests each has faced thus far in their collective careers. The 9-0 Mendes is set to mix it up with Michihiro Omigawa, a winner of his last five fights with past success in the ring against Nam Phan, Marlon Sandro, Hatsu Hioki, and others. Meanwhile, Cerrone will square off against 26-year old Brit Paul Kelly who possesses a well-rounded attack and five wins in the Octagon.

UFC 126 is headlined by a middleweight championship bout featuring title-holder Anderson Silva putting his belt up for grabs against Vitor Belfort. Other notable match-ups on the card include former champs Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader.
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• Japanese featherweight Michihiro Omigawa signs with UFC, will debut against Chad Mendes
• Dana White confirms signing of Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto
• Sengoku featherweight grand prix semifinals set for “Ninth Battle”

World Extreme Cagefighting has always been known for putting on entertaining events, and, with word of two new fights being added to the show, it appears likely the conclusion to their run as a promotion next month should offer proper tribute to that very reputation.

WEC 53, already announced as featuring a pair of title bouts, has added a quartet of lightweight contenders to its line-up in what will be a final audition for viewers prior to the group merging with the UFC’s star-studded 155-pound division in 2011.

According to the WEC itself, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Jamie Varner will be fighting on the card…but not against each other. Cerrone will face 23-year old Chris Horodecki at the Glendale event, while Arizona’s own Varner has been paired up with Shane Roller.

Cerrone is coming off a victory over the afore-mentioned Varner, while Horodecki has won back-to-back bouts and is 4-1 in his last five. Both are known for being fairly fearless strikers and should keep fans on their feet from start to finish as a result.

Not as fortunate in their previous outings, Varner and Roller will both be looking to right their proverbial ships when they mix it up in earlier main-card action. Roller lost via submission in the final seconds of his match-up with contender Anthony Pettis at WEC 50, while former WEC lightweight champ Varner hasn’t notched a win since barely out-pointing “The Cowboy” in a controversial result almost two years ago at WEC 38. Since then, in addition to Cerrone, he has fallen to current 155-pound title-holder Ben Henderson and drawn against Kamal Shalorus.

On top of the previously mentioned scraps, WEC 53 – set for December 16th – will also feature Henderson defending his belt against Pettis, as well as bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz putting his strap on the line against Scott Jorgensen.
Similar Posts:

• Dominck Cruz retains in closely contested championship clash against Joseph Benavidez
• Ben Henderson slated for title-defense at WEC 53
• WEC 50 Salary and Bonus Information
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• UFC absorbs WEC divisions, announces deal with Versus

Welcome back to another edition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of work from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy…

Dana White Discusses his Initial Meeting with Fedor Emelianenko (Versus.com)

UFC and THQ Extend Partnership for “Undisputed” Title (MMAConvert.com)

Martin Kampmann is Ready to Expose Jake Shields in the Ring (Heavy.com)

Claude Patrick Not Happy with UFC 120 Win (FIGHT! Magazine)

Joe Rogan Does His Best Mauro Renallo Impersonation (MMAScraps.com)

Mike Pyle Talks About Handing John Hatahway his First Career Loss (WatchKalibRun.com)

Chris Horodecki Could Be Fighting Donald Cerrone at WEC 53 (CagePotato.com)

Josh Barnett has a Message for Fabricio Werdum (MiddleEasy.com)

Tito Ortiz Talks Health, No Longer Drinking (MMAFighting.com)

Similar Posts:

• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club

Welcome back to another edition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of work from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy…

Dana White Discusses his Initial Meeting with Fedor Emelianenko (Versus.com)

UFC and THQ Extend Partnership for “Undisputed” Title (MMAConvert.com)

Martin Kampmann is Ready to Expose Jake Shields in the Ring (Heavy.com)

Claude Patrick Not Happy with UFC 120 Win (FIGHT! Magazine)

Joe Rogan Does His Best Mauro Renallo Impersonation (MMAScraps.com)

Mike Pyle Talks About Handing John Hatahway his First Career Loss (WatchKalibRun.com)

Chris Horodecki Could Be Fighting Donald Cerrone at WEC 53 (CagePotato.com)

Josh Barnett has a Message for Fabricio Werdum (MiddleEasy.com)

Tito Ortiz Talks Health, No Longer Drinking (MMAFighting.com)

Similar Posts:

• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club

When you come from a home ripped asunder by alcoholism and domestic violence, a home where your parent’s marriage exploded into horror, the experience points out the future direction of your life like the needle on a compass.

After seeing what domestic strife can do to those he loved, a then 14-year-old José Aldo vowed never to drink or hurt his wife.

A few years later, Aldo was making his way in a new world when he met an older girl named Vivianne at a gym in Rio, and she and her family took Jose in once the couple were married.

FIGHT! Life followed the WEC featherweight champ and 2009 FIGHT! Magazine Fighter of the Year for this series which reveals a positive spin on a life which started at the very bottom.  The secret? Aldo’s young bride may well be the fuel which drove the  meteoric rise of the WEC superstar from the streets of Manaus to the favelas of Rio to the top of the MMA universe.

Aldo defends his featherweight title tonight against challenger Manny Gamburyan.

Produced and directed by Matthew Ross. Camera: Rick Lee, Michael Mardonez, Randy Ward. Edit: Ashley Cahill and Ryan Jackson-Healy.

WEC 51

Broomfield, Colorado

Versus Network starting at 9:00 PM EST

WEC 51 weigh-in results:

• Nick Pace (135 lbs) vs. Demetrious Johnson (135 lbs)
• Chad George (135 lbs) vs. Antonio Banuelos (136 lbs)
• Diego Nunes (145 lbs) vs. Tyler Toner (145 lbs)
• Cole Province (146 lbs) vs. Mike Brown (145 lbs)
• Pablo Garza (154 lbs) vs. Tiequan Zhang (154 lbs)
• Ed Ratcliff (155 lbs) vs. Chris Horodecki (155 lbs)
• Mark Hominick (145 lbs) vs. Leonard Garcia (146 lbs)
• George Roop (145 lbs) vs. Chan Sung Jung (146 lbs)
• Charlie Valencia (136 lbs) vs. Miguel Torres (136 lbs)
• Donald Cerrone (155.5 lbs) vs. Jamie Varner (156 lbs)
• Manny Gamburyan (145 lbs) vs. Jose Aldo (145 lbs)

Similar Posts:

• WEC 51 Results
• Aldo vs. Gamburyan set as all WEC 51 fighters hit mark at weigh-ins
• Reinhardt Fails Eye Exam – Out Against Tie Quan Zhang at WEC 51
• “Korean Zombie” Jung vs. George Roop, Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick likely for WEC 51
• WEC 48 Live Results

If WEC 51 is half as entertaining as its related weigh-ins were it stands to reason the show could be the best in promotional history. All of the event’s participants stepped on the scale in Broomfield, Colorado Wednesday afternoon in anticipation tonight’s card with more than one memorable occurrence taking place throughout the process. Fortunately, however, none of the stand-out moments involved a fighter unable to make weight meaning the lot of WEC 51 bouts will take place as originally scheduled.

Headliners Manny Gamburyan and WEC featherweight champ Jose Aldo measured in without incident. In fact, both men weighed 145-pounds on the dot. Aldo will put his title on the line for the second time in his career during the main event, the first defense being a dominating decision win over Urijah Faber at WEC 48 last April.

While their weigh-in may have gone off without a hitch, the same could not be said for a number of the other match-ups including that featuring former 135-pound champion Miguel Torres. Torres came in slightly heavy for his bout against Charlie Valencia but was eventually able to make the 136 pound limit after stripping down.

Also notable were lightweight rivals Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone for going head-to-head during the proceedings…literally. The two, who came in at 156 and 155.5 pounds respectively, had to be separated by WEC officials after aggressively pressing their foreheads together throughout their pairing’s standard stare-down.

WEC 51 will be broadcast on the Versus Network starting at 9:00 PM EST. In addition to the above fights, the event also features George Roop facing Chan Sung Jung, aka “The Korean Zombie”, and Leonard Garcia testing his stand-up against well-rounded veteran Mark Hominick.

Here is a complete rundown of WEC 51 weigh-in results:

Nick Pace (135 lbs) vs. Demetrious Johnson (135 lbs)
Chad George (135 lbs) vs. Antonio Banuelos (136 lbs)
Diego Nunes (145 lbs) vs. Tyler Toner (145 lbs)
Cole Province (146 lbs) vs. Mike Brown (145 lbs)
Pablo Garza (154 lbs) vs. Tiequan Zhang (154 lbs)
Ed Ratcliff (155 lbs) vs. Chris Horodecki (155 lbs)
Mark Hominick (145 lbs) vs. Leonard Garcia (146 lbs)
George Roop (145 lbs) vs. Chan Sung Jung (146 lbs)
Charlie Valencia (136 lbs) vs. Miguel Torres (136 lbs)
Donald Cerrone (155.5 lbs) vs. Jamie Varner (156 lbs)
Manny Gamburyan (145 lbs) vs. Jose Aldo (145 lbs)Similar Posts:

• WEC 51 Results
• Jose Aldo’s Climb To the Top of the Mountain
• Reinhardt Fails Eye Exam – Out Against Tie Quan Zhang at WEC 51
• WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan Preview and Predictions
• “Korean Zombie” Jung vs. George Roop, Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick likely for WEC 51

Event for event, WEC is the best promotion in the world. No matter who is fighting and no matter how many people are watching, you know you’re going to get an action packed WEC event. On top of great fights you also get to see Brittney Palmer. And best of all, it’s free.

WEC Featherweight Title Fight: Manny Gamburyan vs. Jose Aldo ©

Many consider Jose Aldo one of the five best fighters in the world and he’s certainly the world’s best featherweight. He holds a 7-0 WEC record and has amassed a highlight reel that is second to none. Manny Gamburyan doesn’t have the same reputation. He’s a UFC lightweight wash-out, many consider his KO victory over Mike Brown a fluke, and worst of all bro, he’s related to Karo Parisyan.

This is a fight Aldo should win. Not only is he the superior technical fighter but he also as the physical advantages and he can beat you in a variety of ways. He KO’d Cub Swanson with an explosive double flying knee, he over-powered and dominated Brown to capture the title, and he out-quicked Urijah Faber in a five round route. The only technical advantage Gamburyan has in this fight is his Judo but to use any of those Judo throws, he’ll have to clinch with Aldo, which means dealing with Aldo’s strength and muay-thai expertise. So how can Gamburyan win? If they’re both 100% and on top of their game, he can’t. But maybe Aldo isn’t on top of his game. Now that he’s the face of the featherweight division and he just headlined the first ever WEC PPV, maybe the notoriety and publicity has gone to his head or hindered his training. I liken this fight to Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra at UFC 69. Not only are the psychical and technical aspects about the same but so are the mental. Aldo just destroyed the face of the division, he’s been running through opponents, he’s considered one of the best fighters in the world, and nothing can go wrong. Gamburyan washed out of the UFC, got a shot at redemption in the WEC, and wants to make the most of his one possible title shot. Fans and media aren’t giving Gamburyan a chance and the oddsmakers have him a +450 underdog. He has nothing to lose in this fight and that’s the way he should fight.

Many people think Aldo could compete with the top lightweights in the UFC. If this is true, he should roll through Gamburyan, a UFC lightweight wash out. Even if it’s not true, he should roll through Gamburyan, a mediocre fighter. Expect Aldo to have his way with Gamburyan on the feet, avoid the big punch, stuff the takedowns, and finish him early.

Prediction – Jose Aldo by TKO in Round Two

Lightweight Fight: Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner

In January 2009, Jamie Varner defeated Donald Cerrone and retained the WEC lightweight title by technical decision after the fight was stopped early in the fifth round due to an illegal knee by Cerrone. Now, 20 months later, they meet again. No title is on the line and given that they’re 0-3 against current champion Ben Henderson, a title shot may not be on the line. But after plenty of trash talk and even death threats by Cerrone, reputations are on the line, and sometimes, that’s more important than gold attached to leather.

Cerrone is a well-rounded fighter with one glaring weakness – wrestling. Varner is not only a very good wrestler but he also has excellent hands with plenty of power. Cerrone is the more diverse striker and he has power as well but Varner has a proven chin. In the first fight, whenever Varner was in trouble on the feet, he would score a timely takedown that ended up winning him the round. Cerrone is very slick off his back and the only two times Varner has been finished in his career, it’s been by submission. The biggest knock on Cerrone, besides his wrestling, is his slow starts. He’s notorious for giving away rounds early and then coming back strong in the later rounds. That’s never a good habit, especially when you’re facing top competition like Varner. Cerrone will be on his back in this fight. The thing he needs to do is not let Varner get comfortable on the ground. Make him fend off submissions and even stand back up. In other words, Cerrone needs to come to grapple and hope Varner comes to fight.

Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of Varner and I’m a big fan of Cerrone. With that out of the way, I don’t like this match up for Cerrone. He’s a slow starter and doesn’t have the 10 extra minutes he had in the first fight, his wrestling isn’t good enough to stop Varner’s takedown, and Varner’s submission defense is good enough to stifle the slick ground game of Cerrone. It will likely be an exciting back and fourth fight but Varner will do just enough in each round to get the nod.

Prediction – Jamie Varner by Decision

Bantamweight Fight: Charlie Valencia vs. Miguel Torres

Once the face of the bantamweight vision, Miguel Torres has fallen on hard time as of late. After never being finish in 38 career fights, Torres has been finished in his last two fights. One by brutal KO at the hands of Brian Bowles and the other by tight guillotine at the arms of Joseph Benavidez. Now he faces Charlie Valencia, a career mid-level fight who has won three straight, in an effort to prove he’s still one of the best bantamweights in the world.

This is essentially a “gimme” fight for Torres if he’s still a top fighter who has just faltered against other top fighters. Valencia is a well-rounded fighter but he’s always lost to top competition. Torres will have a huge reach advantage, although that didn’t do him much good against Benavidez. Valencia is a better wrestler but Torres is known for his extremely active ground game that sees him constantly striking and threatening from the bottom. Torres looked a little gun shy against Benavidez following his KO loss to Bowles but Valencia has never shown the striking prowess that Benavidez has. Valencia’s best bet to win is to takedown Torres and grind him out. That’s much easier said than done.

Look for an extremely motivated Torres in this fight. His back is against the wall, he’s been given a favorable fight, and he needs to prove that he’s still one of the best bantamweight’s in the world. Expect Torres to dominate on the feet and finish things on the ground.

Prediction – Miguel Torres by Submission in Round One

Featherweight Fight: George Roop vs. Chan Sung Jung

Everyone knows the story of “The Korean Zombie.” He made his WEC debut against Leonard Garcia at WEC 48, he turned in one of the most memorable brawls in MMA history, and now he’s back to do what he didn’t do against Garcia, and that’s win. George Roop isn’t exactly the most known fighter and at 10-6 he’s not exactly top competition but he might be willing to stand with Jung and that’s what WEC wants.

We know what Jung wants to do in this fight. He’s an excellent kick boxer who never stops moving forward, has power, and might have the best chin in MMA today. Roop specializes in jiu-jitsu but he has been training his striking the past few years with Shawn Tompkins. Roop will likely want to get things to the ground because finishing Jung on the feet is harder than trying figure out the plot of The Event. Even if things do go to the ground, Jung has an underrated ground game and he could submit Roop if he takes him lightly. Roop’s submission defense is also very questionable as four of his six loses have come by submission.

Like Torres vs. Valencia, this seems like a designed win for Jung. Simply put, he’s a better fighter than Roop and should be comfortable wherever the fight goes. Roop will likely be willing to stand, which will make for an exciting fight, but will also be his downfall.

Prediction – Chan Sung Jung by Decision

Featherweight Fight: Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick

Leonard Garcia was the forgotten participant in his brawl against “The Korean Zombie” at WEC 48. So for those who forgot, he won that fight. Mark Hominick has won three straight fights and has a lot of momentum behind him right now.

Expect fireworks in this fight. Garcia not only has power in his hands but he’s also extremely tough to finish. Hominick will likely be willing to go toe to toe with Garcia given his kickboxing background. This fight just comes down to Garcia’s power against Hominick’s technique. Garcia really isn’t that great of a striker but he gets away with his punches because of his power and chin. Hominick on the other hand is an outstanding technical striker who mixes things up very well. It doesn’t seem fair to question Hominick’s ground game any more given his recent performances on the ground. It’s highly unlikely that the fight will go to the ground anyway given both competitors willingness to punch each other in the face.

This could be a fight of the year contender. If Garcia can land the one big punch, obviously he could turn Hominick’s lights out. But Hominick might be the best technical striker in the featherweight and he’ll likely batter Garcia with leg kicks and counter punches. It would be a huge feather in his toque if Hominick is able to finish Garcia but I’m not expecting it.

Prediction – Mark Hominick by DecisionSimilar Posts:

• Aldo vs. Gamburyan set as all WEC 51 fighters hit mark at weigh-ins
• WEC 51 Results
• “Korean Zombie” Jung vs. George Roop, Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick likely for WEC 51
• Reinhardt Fails Eye Exam – Out Against Tie Quan Zhang at WEC 51
• Jose Aldo’s Climb To the Top of the Mountain

A World Extreme Cagefighting official today condemned comments Donald Cerrone made about WEC 51 opponent Jamie Varner in a recent radio interview.

WEC Vice President Peter Dropick stated that Cerrone's comments "are not consistent with our company values" and the organization will not "tolerate the use of slurs that may offend any segment of the public."

The WEC.tv statement made no mention of a punishment, and officials declined to comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cerrone has some strong feelings about his upcoming opponent and on September 30th he will be able to physicalize his hatred for Jamie Varner. Cerrone tells us how he really feels about Varner and how the bad blood came about. Don’t miss WEC: Aldo vs Gamburyan – Live on Versus at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jamie Varner isn’t giving a lot of respect to his WEC 51 upcoming opponent Donald Cerrone when he says that Cerrone doesn’t deserve to fight him. The two last fought at WEC 38, with Varner getting a premature win due to an illegal strike to the temple but the match won fight of the night honors. Does Cerrone deserve to be in the ring with Varner, as both have lost to current WEC champion Ben Henderson? Well find out on September 30.