So where does the WEC get off putting three title fights on their upcoming card. It is, really, about putting together a high quality product for the fans, but also doing their best to get some serious attention while promoting some of their less famous fighters.
The biggest matchup on the card is the first title defense of undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu machine Paulo Filho (15-0-0). Some fans rank Filho as the number one fighter in the world at 185 pounds, and nobody has him ranked outside of the top three. He's set to fight UFC veteran Chael Sonnen (19-8-1) who, as a wrestler, provides nothing that Filho hasn't seen before in an opponent, but really offers Filho the opportunity to show his strengths as a grappler while also facing an opponent who can't simply be written off as a nobody. Really, the matchup is to further introduce American fans to the style of fighting they can expect from the WEC, display the dominance of Filho and give the main even on the card some notoriety.
The most interesting fight on the card is the match between current WEC featherweight champion and resident organization animal Urijah "The California Kid" Faber (19-1-0) and Jiu-Jitsu legend Jeff "Big Frog" Curran (28-8-1). Curran is a long time veteran of the sport and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu chops and experience will prove an interesting test for Faber, who has been no less than devastating in his three fights in the WEC, where he has yet to hear the bell ending the first round.
Both of those fights will provide most of the draw, but the great unknown champion of the infant WEC organization is the lightheavyweight champion working lower in the card: Doug "The Rhino" Marshall. While little is known about Marshall (6-2-0) as a fighter, because he has only had 8 fights, all have been in the WEC, so he is established in the organization and may become the first big star brought up in the organization. The WEC certainly has a good deal riding on Marshall, but his opponent, Cuban Ariel Gandulla (4-0-0) isn't considered a serious threat to his title, because he only won his title shot by a split decision.
Still, the lighter weight classes for which the WEC is fast become noticed, are set to provide an interesting backing for the quickly expanding lightheavyweight division, and the installation of Filho as champion of the middleweight division shows that the WEC is serious about expanding it's ranks of champions from the bottom up. So expect the announcement of some heavyweight contracts in the next six to ten months, and the emmergence of a belt in about eighteen.
The WEC is going to really put some pressure on and may put together a show that makes MMA fans drawn in by the publicity behemoth that is the UFC start turning to smaller options and the quality of fights they are seeing in the UFC start diminshing.
It's almost as though WEC is offering a challenge to its big brother cagefighting organization:
If you're not going to give people title fights, we will.
And I'm excited to see what will happen
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