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PARK: UK fan's guide to WEC/UFC merger - five WEC stars to watch as they enter the UFC
Nov 4, 2010 - 8:50:21 PM PARK: UK fan's guide to WEC/UFC merger - five WEC stars to watch as they enter the UFC

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By: Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist

British UFC fans will soon have a new hero to cheer for as Londoner Brad "One Punch" Pickett looks to continue his charge up the bantamweight ranks in the UFC's newly formed 135 lb. division.

While the likes of Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy enjoy household name status on these shores, it won't be long before Brad Pickett is joining them.

With that in mind, it seems appropriate to look at five of the newest stars soon to hit the UFC now that the gates to the Octagon are finally open to the bantamweights and featherweights.

Miguel Torres: Former Bantamweight Champion

At just 29 years old, former champion Miguel Torres is something of a veteran. With a 41 fight professional record under his belt, Torres is without question one of the greatest bantamweights of all time.

Torres won all of his first twenty professional bouts, and after suffering his first career loss - a decision to Ryan Ackerman - Torres would then win his next seventeen fights straight. This run was spread over almost six years, and during this time Torres claimed the WEC Bantamweight Title and defended the belt three times.

At WEC 42, Torres made his fourth defence against undefeated wrestler Brian Bowles. Despite having never tasted defeat, few gave Bowles any real chance of knocking Torres from the top of the heap.

However, only four minutes into their title fight, Torres was knocked out cold. Bowles found himself wearing the WEC title while Torres was left to reflect on the first stoppage loss of his career.

Torres would then go on to fight top contender Joseph Benavidez, knowing a win would put him right back into title contention. The comeback didn't go quite to plan, as Benavidez submitted the former champion to cement himself as the No. 1 contender instead.

A September victory over Charlie Valencia will have done a lot for the confidence of Miguel Torres as he looks to go on a third long run of wins, only this time fulfilling a dream of being a UFC fighter.

Torres is rumoured to be making his UFC debut at UFC 126 on Super Bowl weekend with Antonio Banuelos the expected opponent.


Dominick Cruz: Reigning Bantamweight Champion

Cruz is one of the WEC's most promising fighters, and deservedly holds the 135 lb. Title, having stopped former Champion Brian Bowles at WEC 47. Cruz then went on to successfully defend the title defeating Joseph Benavidez in their rematch at WEC 50.

Back at WEC 26, Cruz made his debut for the organisation when he challenged Urijah Faber for the 145 lb. title. After failing in his first championship quest - losing to Faber via guillotine choke - Cruz dropped down to the bantamweight division where he is currently enjoying a seven-fight winning streak.

At 16-1 overall, that loss to Faber remains the sole blemish on the American's professional record and is a defeat he will look to get back in the future. Next up, however, will be No. 1 ranked contender Scott Jorgensen. That fight is set for the final ever WEC show in December. The winner of that bout will then enter the UFC as the first Bantamweight Champion in UFC history.


Jose Aldo: Reigning Featherweight Champion

Not only regarded as the best competitor to come from the WEC, Aldo is considered as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the game today by many, and soon the whole world will see why.

At WEC 34 Aldo made his debut with a second round TKO victory over Alexandre Nogueira. This would be the first of five consecutive stoppage victories that would set up a title showdown with highly the respected champion, Mike Brown.

Aldo, however, was on a different level to Brown, and just over a minute into the second round the Brazilian handed the veteran champion the first stoppage loss of his 27-fight career, and subsequently claimed the WEC Featherweight Championship.

That win over Brown set up the biggest fight in the organisation's history, as Aldo vs. Faber took the WEC to pay-per-view for the very first time.

Jose Aldo took "The California Kid" apart during a one-sided, five-round decision, which saw Faber kicked into near submission. Aldo had successfully defended his title, and while Faber was the first WEC fighter to take the Brazilian the distance; the American had been kicked so badly he had to be carried back to the locker room by his corner.

Most recently Jose Aldo was in action against Manny Gamburyan, defending his title for the second time, while recording yet another devastating knockout victory.

Already named as the first ever UFC Featherweight Champion, Aldo will make his next title defence against Josh Grispi at UFC 125 on January 1, in what will be a milestone occasion for the UFC.


Uriah Faber: Former Featherweight Champion

Arguably the most famous name to come from the WEC, "The California Kid" is already a fan favourite amongst American fans.

With more than 25 professional fights to his name, Faber has been in there with the best, having notched up victories over the likes of Jens Pulver, Dominick Cruz and Charlie Valencia.

During a 12-fight win streak, Faber won the Featherweight title by defeating Cole Escovedo, and went on to successfully defend the crown on five separate occasions. In his sixth title defence Faber suffered a TKO defeat at the hands of Mike Brown at WEC 36.

Despite an impressive comeback that resulted in a submission win over Jens Pulver, Faber fell short again in his rematch with Brown, this time losing a five-round decision.

Another successful comeback saw Faber finish Raphael Assuncao with a rear naked choke before once again fighting for the title, only this time the phenomenal Jose Aldo was wearing the championship belt.

Aldo decisively won the five-round encounter, and after an inconsistent run of results Faber was prompted to make the drop to the 135 lb. division. Faber is set to make his bantamweight debut when he takes on Takeya Mizugaki next week, knowing a win could very well set up the first UFC bantamweight super-fight with Miguel Torres.


Brian Bowles: Former Bantamweight Champion

With three wins in his first three fights, American wrestler Brian Bowles found himself on the fight card for WEC 28, where he would submit top bantamweight contender Charlie Valencia via rear naked choke.

Bowles won his next three fights, finishing all of his opponents inside the distance, to set up a title showdown with fan-favourite Miguel Torres. Despite being undefeated and having finished all seven of those opponents inside the distance; few believed Bowles could take out the experienced Torres.

With a minute remaining in the very first round, Bowles shocked the world when he knocked the champion out to be crowned the new king of the 135 lb. division. The manner of the victory and the speed in which Bowles executed it left many in a state of shock, as Bowles snatched the title from the hands of Torres.

Taking his record to 8-0 overall, Bowles made his first defence last March against the promising Dominick Cruz, and his reign at the top was to be very short-lived. At the end of the second round, Bowles didn't answer the bell due to suffering a broken hand earlier in the fight.

Brian Bowles is still yet to make his comeback, and will likely do so as a UFC fighter. Ranked as No. 2 in the division; it won't be long before Bowles is fighting for the UFC title for the first time.

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Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!