(PRESS RELEASE) -- 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.
“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.
For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS.
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.