Dana White says WEC's LW will eventually be in UFC

http://mmajunkie.com/news/18799/dana-white-says-wecs-lightweight-division-eventually-headed-to-ufc.mma
Although World Extreme Cagefighting officials have long touted the benefits of having their own lightweight division – the only weight class that overlaps with its sister promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship – a change could be on the way.

In a recent interview with USA Today's Sergio Non, UFC president Dana White said the WEC's 155-pound weight class "eventually" will be folded into the bigger promotion.

The division is currently ruled by top prospect and champ Benson Henderson, who meets Donald Cerrone at Saturday's WEC 48 pay-per-view event at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif.

In the interview, in which White explains why the UFC has taken over production/commentating/announcing duties at WEC 48 (he said all Zuffa pay-per-view shows will be handled by the UFC's experienced PPV team), White also addressed the long-discussed 155-pound division.

"I actually think it's kind of cool," he said. "I think eventually what we do is, we're going to continue to add to lighter weights, and you'll end up seeing these (WEC) guys go into the UFC, the 155 pounders.

Glad he is finally saying what we were hoping he would say for awhile now. Can't wait to see Bendo and Cowboy in the UFC.

OUSOONERSOU wrote:

Glad he is finally saying what we were hoping he would say for awhile now. Can't wait to see Bendo and Cowboy in the UFC.

While I like both Bendo and Cowboy I don't think they're gonna do so well in the ufc. I hope I'm wrong though

They'll be alright

It's guys like Ratcliff and Varner who will have trouble.

sounds like a full merger is still not a consideration.

They wouldn't announce that five days before the first WEC Pay Per View, Cap. Who would buy a product thats about to have a new brand label slapped on it the next day(I mean soon after by next day)?

LudoCain wrote:

They wouldn't announce that five days before the first WEC Pay Per View, Cap. Who would buy a product thats about to have a new brand label slapped on it the next day(I mean soon after by next day)?

The same people that would have bought the WEC before the news broke. It wouldn't change a thing. If anything it might be more appealing to "casual fans" that aren't aware of the UFC connection. Slap the UFC name on any fighter and the stock goes up not down.

Until they realize that it's a bunch of "little" fighters they never heard of before. Your casual fan who never had Versus likely doesn't even know who Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson, Jose Aldo, and maybe even Urijah Faber are. Why would they buy a UFC pay per view when they don't know anything about the main event fighters? Casual fans will become confused at the fact that Cerrone and Henderson are fighting for the title that Frankie Edgar has(Lightweight title). No, they have to let the WEC experiment run it's course before they merge otherwise there is potential money to be made.

LudoCain wrote:

It's guys like Ratcliff and Varner who will have trouble.

Varner? in all reality he's the best of the WEC LWs

Varner makes too many excuses. He has no heart. Benson locked in that choke and Varner didn't even try to throw him off or slam him or anything, he tapped on his feet and then said "I came to fight, he came to grapple". Varner also was getting his ass whooped by Cerrone until the illegal knee. Varner is not the best of the WEC lightweights.

Incorrect Varner was tooling Cerrone for the first 3 rds, takedown after takedown, Cerrone cameback a little, then the knee, Varner was well on his way to a UD. He was also beating Bendo, then got subbed, Really he's the best of the WEC LWs, you don't have to like him, but it's true.

It's true. He is game in any org.

tolivendiewithLA wrote:

Incorrect Varner was tooling Cerrone for the first 3 rds, takedown after takedown, Cerrone cameback a little, then the knee, Varner was well on his way to a UD. He was also beating Bendo, then got subbed, Really he's the best of the WEC LWs, you don't have to like him, but it's true.

Yep hate varner but that is true. Hate him so much I think I'll add him to the hater thread.

Incorrect as well. Round one was Varners easily, he laid the ground and pound hard on Cerrone.

Round two was a much different tune. Cerrone was marching Varner down, winning the standup, and got taken down twice, pulled guard once, and finished the round with a triangle choke.

Round three is all Cerrone until Varner takes him down after landing a good one two but thirty seconds later Cerrone ends up on top and they stand. Varner gets another takedown with about 40 seconds to go but can't do anything with it before the round ends.

Round four, the first half of it anyway is mostly Cerrone doing what he's been doing on the feet, he times Varner over and over with the left roundhouse to the body, negating the charge until Varner chases him down and takes him down. They stay there until about a minute left in the fight, Varner landing a few punches, and Cerrone doing that funky variation of the rubber guard. Varner goes for another takedown and gets it, but doesn't do much but pass guard at one point to half guard, and lands only one shot that I can see doing anything before the round is over.

About thirty seconds in Varner gets the takedown on Cerrone, almost gets caught in a triangle choke for his troubles. They trade a few shots(Cerrone landing more, but mostly inneffective) before Cerrone rolls out backwards and they stand again. They tentatively trade kicks for punches before Cerrone takes Varner down a minute and 20 seconds into the round. He lands in half guard and throws a couple punches(not doing much damage) before Varner starts a wall walk, when Cerrone throws the knee that grazes Varner, in which he cannot continue.

I'd give Varner rounds 1, 3, and 4. But Cerrone won round 2 and was winning round 5 until the mishap. Not quite "tooling" either way.

Look how hard you tried, I had it 3 up through 3 for Varner, Cerrone was getting tooled through at least 2, I say 3, and was def gonna lose a decision. I still can't believe after how long Varner was out with that injury some act like it was nothing. Eiher way he's the most talented of the WEC trio.

Dana White says WEC's LW, FW and BW will eventually be in UFC*



fixed

I dont remember the fight very well .. but I am pretty sure that Varner definitly took the first 3 rounds, probably took the 4th as well .. but cowboy still looked really fresh in the 5th and varner looked like a pussy in the 5th.. So cowboy could have KO'd varner in that round but was in no way going to win a decision

Didnt cowboy get a point deducted too? Or am I blending cerrone fights together?

Anyway.. this is all memory so i could be way off.

Varner, Henderson and Cerrone are all top 20 fighters and any one of them could end up being very dangerous in the UFC.

I think Cerrone should make good on what he said and move to FW instead of moving on to UFC's LW division

He's a bit tall for 145

He's a bit weak for 155

Cerrone is a great fighter, what makes him suck Kings? What are the holes in his game that UFC LW's are going to exploit?

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Cerrone is a great fighter, what makes him suck Kings? What are the holes in his game that UFC LW's are going to exploit?

I never said he sucked. It's not so much holes that they will exploit...only a gap between their talent and his.