I just can’t get enough of the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. I’ve been a fan of their’s for several years running, but only recently have I begun to realize that if the UFC did not exist, the WEC would be putting on the best cards on the planet right now. I think there’s even an argument to be made that some of the recent WEC shows have actually been better than some of the recent UFC shows. No matter what your opinion may be in regards to the friendly competition between the two companies both owned by Zuffa, the WEC is riding an incredible wave of momentum heading into their WEC 51 event, which looks to be another great night of fights. WEC 51 features a highly-anticipated WEC Featherweight Championship showdown, the next chapter in one of the bitterest rivalries in the WEC’s history, and the return of a former division kingpin looking to try and regain his former glory. Nine fights have recently been made official for WEC 51, so here’s how the card breaks down so far. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another edition of “Great Moments in MMA History”. Today’s induction features one of my favorite UFC fights, a fight between two Lightweights that would have stolen the show if not for the simple fact that this fight took place on the same card that featured Matt Serra taking down Georges St. Pierre. While both men would go on to have ups and downs in their careers since this fight, this will be one they can tell their grandchildren about. It’s Roger Huerta vs. Leonard Garcia, and it’s one of the best brawls you’ll ever see. ...

We’re seven months into 2010, and now that we’re officially past the half-way point, the annual Fight of the Year debate is beginning to pick up some steam. I like to wait until the year is actually over before firmly committing to a Fight of the Year, but as a concession, here’s what I think is the best fight to happen in 2010 so far, one of the best fights to ever be shown on free TV, in fact. It’s Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia vs. “The Korean Zombie” Jung Chan Sung, and it’s my “Fight of the Half-Year”. ...

WEC featherweight Cub Swanson (14-3) has withdrawn from his WEC 48 matchup versus “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (10-1) in Sacramento April 24 with injured hands, according to Sherdog. ...

WEC featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown (18-4) will defend his title from Nova Uniao's "Junior" Jose Aldo (14-1) at WEC 44 in Las Vegas November 18, the WEC announced. ...

Two-time WEC featherweight Cole Province (6-1) tested positive for methasterone, a banned performance enhancing steroid, after winning a UD over Fredson Paixao (8-4) at WEC 42 in Las Vegas 9 August, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission which issued a report Monday. Also tested at WEC 42, but returning negative results were new WEC featherweight champ Brian Bowles (8-0), former champ Miguel Torres (36-2), Dominic Cruz (13-1), Takeya Mizugaki (10-3-2), "Bad Boy" Leonard Garcia (13-4), Shane Roller (5-2), "9mm" Ed Ratcliff (7-1), and "The Gun" Diego Nunes (11-2). Province's fight license in Nevada has been suspended pending an NSAC review of the positive test result. ...

New WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown’s (15-4) dethroning of “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-2) via first-round TKO won him the “Knockout of the Night” bonus at WEC 36 in Hollywood, FL, 5 November. "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone (8-1) versus “Razor” Rob McCullough (16-5) made “Fight of the Night”.  Cerrone won the unanimous decision over McCullough. Rani Yahya’s (12-2) guillotine choke on Yoshiro Maeda (23-6), which ended the fight at 3:30 of round one, was “Submission of the Night”. Brown, Cerrone, McCullough, and Yahya each earned $7,500 in addition to their regular fight purse. “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) was awarded a separate bonus of $7,500 for his performance versus “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1), according to MMA Weekly.  Garcia won via TKO at 1:12 of the first round. ...

Former WEC Featherweight champion "California Kid" Urijah Faber (21-2) got shocked by American Top Team's Mike Thomas Brown (15-4) via TKO stoppage at 2:23 of the first round Wednesday night at WEC 36 in Hollywood, north of Miami. Brown took the title decisively following a right hand that laid the former champ out.  Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) won a surprisingly boring unanimous decision over Fighters.com's third-ranked middleweight and WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (15-1) in a non-title fight that was heckled by fans throughout.  Official scores were 10-9 twice for Sonnen, 10-8 for Sonnen.  "Bad Boy" Leonard Garcia (11-3) dismantled "Little Evil" Jens Pulver (22-9-1) in a 1:12 TKO shocker to move up the ranks in the WEC's stacked 145-pound division. ...

The WEC has officially added a bout between former UFC Lightweight Champion “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1) and “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) to its 10 September card in Hollywood, FL. After submitting Cub Swanson (12-2) with a guillotine choke in 35 seconds at his WEC debut in December, Pulver lost the unanimous decision in his five-round battle with current Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1) in June. Garcia, who has been battling drug charges, most of which have been dropped, last fought at his WEC debut in February when he TKO’d “Streetfight Bancho” Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1) in the first round. Also official on the WEC 36 card are: “Indio” Danillo Villefort (8-2) v Jake Rosholt (4-0) “Razor” Rob McCullough (16-4) v “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-0) Rani Yahya (11-4) v Yoshiro Maeda (23-5-2) Johny Hendricks (3-0) v “Russian Crusher” Alex Serdyukov (8-4) “9mm” Ed Ratcliff (6-1) v Danny Castillo (5-1) Headlining the event are Faber and Mike Thomas Brown (19-4) in a featherweight title fight, and a middleweight title rematch between Fighters.com’s third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) and Chael Sonnen (20-9-1). ...

“Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) has had his share of tough fights.  In March, a fight for his freedom was in the first round. It all started when a hometown acquaintance of Garcia’s was arrested with a large amount of cocaine back in 2005.  Unfortunately for Garcia, his visitor was caught right outside of Garcia's home with the stash. “This was something that happened way before I was in the UFC or the WEC.  I had kind of took a wrong turn in life and had a poor judgment of friends," Garcia said. The WEC featherweight stand out was charged as a co-conspirator and connected to a South Texas drug ring, affecting whis whole family, which includes Jackson's MMA. The news shocked the entire mixed martial arts world and especially Garcia. ...

"Bad Boy" Leonard Garcia (11-3) posted, "I am innocent," in a MySpace bulletin this morning. Garcia has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and other drug-related crimes stemming from a four-year investigation which included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Garcia indicated the crimes he's charged with are alleged to have occurred three years prior and, in an email, admitted "I knew [the other 12 defendants] three years ago.  We hung out together." Garcia took a break from professional MMA between 2003 and 2006, the time period the alleged crimes are charged to have occurred. Garcia said he was released on a reconnaissance bond and must remain in Texas until a 5 May court date. Though Garcia described the WEC as "supportive", he added, "I will not fight during the trial.  Too much emotional things...I might hurt someone or myself during a fight." Garcia is coming off the biggest win of his career, a first-round TKO over "Streetfight Bancho" Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1) in a return to 145-pounds. Before the fight, Garcia told me, "I think the move to 145 is important because I don't feel like I'm out-advantaged right out of the gate." Garcia, who told me he fights because, "I love to feel that the only person you have is yourself," asked for support from MMA fans and promised, "I will get through this mess and make everyone proud of me as I have done before." ...