Just two weeks ago, I was in Tokyo at Shooto Shooting Disco watching Luke Rockhold and Wayne Phillips enjoy an evening out. Takeya Mizugaki was there cornering a fighter from his gym and I was reminded about Faber’s foray into bantamweight. As I was about to start a discussion as to whether you think this is a good move, we hear news that the WEC is going to fold into the UFC.
My colleage at MMAfighting.com Ben Fowlkes answers a question as to whether he’ll miss the WEC in a way that perfectly summarizes how I feel about it —
“I think we’re all going to miss the WEC, but we’ll miss it the way you miss that terrible studio apartment you used to have. That is to say, you wouldn’t actually want to go back in time and live there again, even if you could, but some part of you regards it as a simpler time that you’ll never get back again.”
And that’s true! I’m happy for the guys being brought into the UFC because that means bigger paychecks, bigger bonuses and sponsors, more exposure overall. So this is going to be an awesome celebration, right?
I’m super excited for fighters like Michihiro Omigawa, Hatsu Hioki, Marlon Sandro, and other fighters over in Japan that now have a bigger option out here in the states.
We should all cheer on the WEC for putting on amazing fights for years, bringing the best in lighter-weight talent. I’ve always loved watching WEC. Maybe it’s my own tiny size, but featherweight is probably my absolute favorite weight class. Faber vs Mizugaki is at bantamweight on November 11 (that’s soon!), and I’m interested to know what you all think will happen. How many of you will be there? It’s a lovely, intimate event at the Palms Casino and your favorite videographer, Casey, will be there with Ariel Helwani for Versus.
Casey and I pretty much agree that featherweight is tops. It’s offers a perfect balance of cardio, speed, and violent capabilities.
How about you? What’s your favorite weight class and why?
If you’re at WEC November 11th at the Palms, wave to Casey and Ariel and say hello for me — or cheer extra loud and maybe I’ll spot you on TV. If you don’t have tickets, you can get them here. And you can follow the Palms on Twitter for more info on their events.