UFC/WEC=merged

[SPX]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Also, I imagine most of the upper tier WEC guys will be seeing a boost in pay seeing as the most I've ever seen one of them rake in was like $12,000 or something.

I think Faber made $41K one event. I believe that's the highest number I've seen.

[Luke]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Also, I imagine most of the upper tier WEC guys will be seeing a boost in pay seeing as the most I've ever seen one of them rake in was like $12,000 or something.

More than likely.

I dont see why anyone wouldnt be interested in the little guys ,heck the top draws in boxing are 130 lb -154lb fighters and I wont be surprised in a few years if thats not the case in the UFC.

I think these guys being under the UFC name now will make alot of them superstars.

I mean would you rather see two bigger guys go full out for 3 minutes and then gas out and lay on each other for the next 2 rounds or watch Garcia-Korean zombie?

[Ludo]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Honestly I don't know why the UFC would create they're own network. For one it stretches them too thin with obligations to Versus and Spike. Spike gets something like 6-7 free cards a year, Versus is getting 2 right now but getting 4 next year. Thats 11 events next year just in non pay per views. They usually put on about 16 pay per views or so each year so we're looking at almost 30 events in a calender year already, unless they plan to only put a few events on the network each year to start(which is a waste of time really) I don't know if it's even in the works yet. I'm sure they have a mind to do something like that a few years down the road so they can drop Versus and Spike and just run shit on Pay Per View and then UFCBS.

And about the Flyweight thing: I was wondering if we had any domestic fighters to inject into the class. First and foremost the UFC is an American company with a primarily american fanbase, without anyone to cheer for a 125lb weight class won't get off the ground here. I know there are plenty of 125lb fighters in Asia and whatnot but americans will want to see someone they can relate with in there at least some of the time to keep them interested. Also I've not seen any Flyweight fights yet but I would be worried that at that size finishes might be an issue. Am I wrong?

[SPX]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

And about the Flyweight thing: I was wondering if we had any domestic fighters to inject into the class. First and foremost the UFC is an American company with a primarily american fanbase, without anyone to cheer for a 125lb weight class won't get off the ground here. I know there are plenty of 125lb fighters in Asia and whatnot but americans will want to see someone they can relate with in there at least some of the time to keep them interested. Also I've not seen any Flyweight fights yet but I would be worried that at that size finishes might be an issue. Am I wrong?

Well, here's the flyweight fighters in our local org:

http://ucombat.com/fighters.php

I figure if we have some, then plenty of other orgs around the country will have some. I'd imagine that you could go around and grab the best of them and then you'd have a solid division of capable fighters.

As for finishes, you're probably correct, but we see KOs/TKOs in BW fights, and that's only 10 pounds up. And if nothing else, there's always subs, which has nothing to do with weight.

[zY|]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Lol

zy= gives everyone shit but cant take a little.


You acted like I was crazy when I said just merge the UFC and WEC 3 weeks ago saying its just not that easy and its not the right time . Well apparently it is that easy and it is the right time.

I was just giving you shit

Its ok to admit when your wrong zy lol

It's not my fault you have rocks for brains.

[zY|]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Also, I can't believe some of you are complaining about this. Lighter weight fighters are the fucking shit. If I wanted to masturbate to oily big muscled clumsy and unskilled men I'd just watch WWE.

[zY|]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

BTW the best part of this that Britney Palmer is p4p hottest ring girl. Maybe they'll dump Chandzilla.

[Luke]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

^^^^ never heard of her

[Luke]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

It's not my fault you have rocks for brains.

You're one of those people that cant admit to being wrong arent you ?


I can ,I admitted I was wrong about Brock beatin Cain and even congratulated you.

I was just giving you a hard time in the first post but now your acting like a weasel .

[Svino]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Also, I can't believe some of you are complaining about this. Lighter weight fighters are the fucking shit. If I wanted to masturbate to oily big muscled clumsy and unskilled men I'd just watch WWE.

[Shrug] Matter of taste, I guess. I would rather see just about any fight I've ever watched from top heavies like Fedor, Cain, Lesnar, Carwin, or Overeem, than 5 rounds of hummingbird kickboxing.

Another thing: I hate when fights go to decision, and generally lighter weights mean more decisions.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/10/1/17 ... ight-class

This result might not extend down past lightweight *yet*. But if it doesn't, it probably will eventually after more good fighters populate the weight classes.

[zY|]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Of course championship HW matches are great, but there's nothing worse than watching fat guys with no technique gas out in the first round. WEC consistently puts on the very best MMA shows imo. I can't remember the last snoozer card there was.

Also, those decision stats simply seem to show that the more competitive weight classes, WW, LW, and LHW have the most decisions. That's what I get out of it. MW and HW are shit divisions, and have more finishes.

[Luke]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Of course championship HW matches are great, but there's nothing worse than watching fat guys with no technique gas out in the first round. .

I agree . Heck it isnt even just the HW's gassing the 205 and 185ers gas too.

I really think the UFC will follow boxing and in a few years the little guys will be the biggest stars

[SPX]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Although there were hints of a big change on the horizon, the UFC/WEC merger caught many fight managers by surprise.

Of several prominent managers MMAjunkie.com spoke with, none were aware of concrete plans to fold WEC talent into the UFC.

As such, there are still questions to be answered about the fate of those under contract with the lighter-weighted promotion, namely whether they will reap the immediate financial benefits of fighting on a bigger stage.

"That's part of the unknown that we've got to sort through here," Mike Roberts, who represents WEC athletes such as former featherweight champion Urijah Faber, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

UFC president Dana White announced today that the merger will take place in January 2011. WEC 52 and 53, scheduled for Nov. 11 and Dec. 16, respectively, will be the final events under the existing promotion.

He touted the merger as an opportunity for UFC fans to see the excitement that lighter-weight fighters bring to the cage, as well as a chance for those fighters to fight on the world's biggest MMA stage.

"Our goal is to build this sport worldwide and continue to add weight divisions until we have every single weight division in the UFC," White said.

There are approximately 70 athletes from the WEC's roster that will join the 200-plus already with the UFC, according to White.

Fighters from both promotions are under contract with Zuffa, LLC, which owns both the UFC and WEC.

White said WEC fighters should get a bump in pay when they cross over to the bigger promotion. When that takes place is up in the air.

It's assumed that fighters currently assigned to the WEC will fulfill their existing deals rather than renegotiate when the cross over to the UFC, according to the managers MMAjunkie.com spoke with.

"Nothing has been presented to us to the contrary," said manager Brian Hamper, who represents WEC athletes Donald Cerrone and Leonard Garcia, among others. "We have an agreement, and we're business as usual."

The UFC's "Fight Night" bonuses will likely prove immediately attractive to current WEC fighters. The UFC often offers up to $70,000 for a fight card's best knockout, submission and fight, while the WEC bonuses generally fall in the $10,000 range. Of course, with the prospect of bigger paydays, there's also hope of cutting new deals.

"There's no question that the guys in the UFC are making more money than the guys in the WEC," said manager Andy Beach, who represents former WEC bantamweight champ Brian Bowles.

Despite the bit of uncertainty, Roberts, Hamper and Beach are all excited at the promise of bringing their clients added exposure, which often translates to better earning opportunities both inside and outside the cage. White today announced that the WEC's current television partner, Versus channel, will air four UFC events in 2011, up from two this year. Additionally, a Spike TV official said the network plans to air at least eight UFC events in 2011.

So while WEC fighters will now compete for airtime with their UFC counterparts, the value of the exposure could increase.

"More viewers watch the UFC than WEC, no matter what channel it's on," Roberts said. "I think it will be status quo. If you perform, you're going to get exposure. If you put Urijah on pay-per-view, he's going to be a lot more eyes than a show on Versus."

That's why today's merger announcement is one of those good surprises.

"There's no doubt you have great talent at the lighter weightclasses, and I think it's been something that's been long overdue," Beach said.

[SPX]

Re: UFC/WEC=merged

Reed Harris has come a long way from Lemoore, Calif.

The World Extreme Cagefighting co-founder and general manager – who started the fight promotion in 2001 as a potential one-and-done gig – has managed the growth of the company from its time as a fledgling regional promotion to its current role as the home of the sport's best lighter-weight fighters.

But with today's announcement that the UFC will absorb the WEC beginning in 2011, is Harris perhaps a bit saddened by the dissolution of the brand he helped create?

Not one bit.

"When I started the WEC, we thought we'd maybe do one show," Harris told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "To be sitting here today and have something that I was involved in become part of the biggest sports company in the world is very satisfying.

"It's kind of like when your kids go to college. At first, you're concerned, but then after they leave, it's pretty great."

While MMA pundits and fans alike have long called for the two sister promotions to unify, both UFC and WEC brass have long declined to discuss the possibility. With the dream concept now a reality, Harris says the merger is a winning proposition for all involved.

"This is something we've been planning for a while," Harris said. "They way we talked about it when we did the planning was that our fights were so good and so dynamic that these guys had to get on the big stage and open this up to all the MMA fans in the world. There's no bigger stage than the UFC.

"Everybody is really, really excited about it. I think the fighters are going to be as excited as we are, and it's just going to be great for everyone involved."

While UFC officials will certainly benefit from the additional marquee matchups created by the adoption of the WEC's bantamweight and featherweight divisions, it's unquestionably the fighters that stand to gain the most. WEC stars like Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres will benefit from the increased exposure commanded by the UFC logo, and bigger paydays will undoubtedly follow.

While Harris is happy with the progress those fighters made under the WEC banner, he believes they will flourish even further with the new arrangement.

"All along, our goal was to really build and have people identify with the lighter-weight fighters," Harris said. "We worked really hard on that, and like (UFC president) Dana White said, it's just time (to merge) with the expansion of the UFC and expanding into international markets.

"We knew that we would need to grow the UFC brand, as well. What better way than to add these two weight divisions, and as Dana said possibly even another weight division (flyweights) at some point."

Harris said he's actually been somewhat pleased by MMA pundits' calls for a merger between the two promotions. While the WEC hasn't been able to match the viewership and attendance numbers of the UFC, the smaller promotion's fighters delivered with in-cage performances that often eclipsed those of their UFC counterparts.

"The thing that I'm most proud of is that no one has argued with me that these guys aren't ready to go to that next level," Harris said. "Everyone is saying Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber, Dominick Cruz, all these guys are ready to show their skills on the world's biggest stage, which is the UFC."

White announced today that WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is now the UFC's first-ever 145-pound title holder and will make his UFC debut in January. WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defends his title against Scott Jorgensen at the final WEC event in company history, WEC 53 in December, and the winner will also become a UFC champion.

Meanwhile, the WEC lightweight belt is up for grabs in the WEC 53 bout between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis, while the UFC's 155-pound title is on the line at UFC 125 when Frankie Edgar meets Gray Maynard. That leaves a future lightweight title unification bout between the WEC and UFC champions as what will likely prove the final step in the dissolution of Harris' promotion.

So will Harris be cheering – at least on the inside – for "his guy" to win the fight?

"Of course I'll be cheering for the WEC guys," Harris said with a laugh. "Both Maynard and Edgar are friends of mine, so it will be tempered.

"I've done this long enough to know that whoever wins deserves it, but I can't lie to you. Both Pettis and Henderson are guys that we brought in that no one knew prior to them joining the WEC. I'm very proud of the fact that both have them have been able to get to the level where I think either one of them can go in and take the UFC title."

As for Harris' own future, the WEC co-founder says he's not ready to discuss that just yet. There are two more WEC events on the horizon, and with today's news, each of them has become even more significant.

"At this point, I'm not able to discuss my role because we're going to focus on November and December," Harris. "Now these fights take on a whole new importance – obviously for the fighters and our organization.

"In November, we've got Takeya Mizugaki fighting Urijah Faber at WEC 52, and obviously that's a fight that has title implications at some point in the future, and now those implications are for the UFC title. We've got two title fights in December at WEC 53, and now those kind of take on a new role. I'm focused on that, and I think in January we'll probably announce what I'm doing."

That said, Harris is all smiles as he considers what the future may hold for him and the new-look UFC.

"The WEC was literally so successful that there was no other option but to move it into the UFC and expand this huge sports brand that is the UFC," Harris said. "I'm can't wait for UFC fans to witness the action we've had for years in the WEC. As anyone who has watched these lighter-weight fighters will tell you, when these guys step into the cage, they let it fly."