Former WEC lightweight contender Bart Palaszewski is one of the lucky few to enter the ufc fold despite coming off of a loss. The native of Poland most recently competed at WEC 53, the promotions last show before being assimilated into the UFC fold, where he lost a close split-decision to undefeated mixed martial artist, Kamal Shalorus. The wrestling Olympian had his moments on the feet and was able to work Palaszewski to the mat several times which likely played a big part in the tight-nit decision win. The loss snapped a four fight win streak for Bartimus under the WEC banner, however the loss has not deterred the former IFL star from being one of the few lightweight stars to transition into the UFC. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the first entry in a brand-new series of articles: “Top 5 Best Moments”. This series of articles is designed to give fans who may have missed an event five big reasons to go ahead and check it out. These are the moments that will stand the test of time, the kind that fans can point to and say “this is what made that card so great”. And what better show to start out with than the final WEC show? So let’s get right to it with my Top 5 Best Moments of WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis”. ...

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally here, fans and friends: the WEC is no more, WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” now exists only in the hearts and minds of the countless legions of fans it entertained. In the main event, Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis fought a five-round war that gave birth to one of the craziest strikes ever landed. But now that the WEC has officially ceased operations and will be folded into the UFC, what’s next for the big winners and losers of WEC 53? Let’s examine just that with the latest edition of my “What’s Next” series of articles. ...

It’s all over, fans and friends. WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” is now a thing of the past, and with the close of this show, the “WEC Era” is no more. After this event the WEC will be folded into the UFC, and what an event it was. I think few WEC fans could have asked for a better way to end the WEC than with what I have no trouble calling one of the greatest fights I’ve ever seen. Here are the full results to WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis. ...

wec 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” will be the WEC's final stand. After this event, the promotion as we know it will no longer exist, and all we’ll be left with is fond memories of a ridiculously underrated MMA organization. WEC 53 in particular should give us an ample amount of things to remember, as it features two great title fights and (as usual) a stacked undercard. And it just wouldn’t be a major MMA card without another edition of “Picks and Predictions”, so here’s my thoughts on who I think will win, and why, at WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis”. ...

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”, the series designed to give fight fans a quick rundown on the latest and greatest MMA card, including why you should care, what you should look forward to, and more. Today’s edition features WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis”. This event marks the end of an era: once it's completed, the WEC will cease operations and be folded into the UFC. So, is my “little promotion that could” going out with a whimper or a roar? Let’s find out with the latest edition of “Crash Course”. ...

The upcoming December 16 WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” event will be the last event promoted by the soon-to-be-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. 2011 would have marked the WEC’s ten-year anniversary, instead, the promotion will be folded into the UFC, which adds two new weight divisions thanks to the merger. The full and complete lineup to the card has recently been finalized, so here’s how everything looks to be breaking down. ...

It’s going to be the end of an era… one of the best in recent history, if you want my opinion. The World Extreme Cagefighting promotion will look to end its stellar 2010 run with WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis”, scheduled for December 16 at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. This will officially be the WEC’s swan song before the promotion is folded into the UFC, and recently, eleven fights were confirmed for the event. Here are all the details. ...

An exciting lightweight match up has been added to the VERSUS televised WEC event this December. Former IFL star turned budding WEC contender Bart Palaszewski will look to enter the UFC on good terms with a potential four-fight win streak in it's sister promotion with a victory over the tough Olympic wrestler, Kamal Shalorus. The event, which will take place on December 16th at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona will pit reigning and defending WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson against top contender Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, which also mark's the promotion's final show before the bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight class is folded into the larger organization. ...

It's no secret that Joseph Benavidez is one of the WEC's hottest commodities. With his fast-paced style and charismatic demeanor, he's an easy fan favorite, reminiscent of mentor, training partner, and friend Urijah Faber. But, doe's that mean that Benavidez, a challenger to champion Dominick Cruz' title, should earn more then the number one guy in his weight class? ...

WEC: 50, which features a bantamweight showdown between champion Dominick Cruz defending his title for the first time against former foe Joseph Benavidez in a sure crowd pleaser, before a near sold-out crowd, at The Pearl and Palms casino, in Las Vegas, Nev. ...

International Fight League veteran Bart Palaszewski (30-11) stopped former Ultimate Fighter Alex Karalexis (9-4) at 1:11 of the second round at WEC 37 in Las Vegas Wednesday night. The opening round seemed to favor Karalexis as Palaszewski appeared hesitant to engage in the beginning. Both fighters landed a share of powerful low kicks before Karalexis unloaded a flurry of punches. At one point Palaszewski looked to have caught an finger in the eye. Referee Kim Winslow stopped the action momentarily. Upon restarting the battle, Karalexis looked dominant landing another flurry of respectable punches before the end of the first round. ...

The WEC has offered IFL light heavyweight “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (29-11) a six-fight deal and may have him fight 10 September in Hollywood, FL, according to Sherdog. Palaszewski’s coach “Big Frog” Jeff Curran (30-10-1) made the announcement Sunday, which was how "Bartimus" found out as well. Palaszewski most recently fought in June at Adrenaline’s debut event, where he TKO’d Jeffrey Cox (9-6) in the second round. WEC featherweight Curran also announced he would move down to bantamweight. After fighting “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1) unsuccessfully for his belt in December, he lost a unanimous decision in June to Mike Thomas Brown (17-4). ...

Lightweight "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (29-11) will join the Xtreme Fighting Organization 9 August in Island Lake, north of Chicago, for his next fight, Palaszewski revealed to Fighters.com Friday. "I'm going local," said the former IFL standout. No opponent has been named. Palaszewski snapped a three-fight skid with one big thwack last month in Chicago at Adrenaline MMA. Palaszewski knocked out Jeffrey Cox (9-6) with a right high kick at 3:07 of the second round. The 9 August event will be the XFO's 25th. ...

Sometimes rivalries are turf wars for hometown bragging rights.  Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le (6-0) versus "Legend" Frank Shamrock (23-9-2) comes to mind. Sometimes there's a culture clash, like between brash Long Islander and Fighters.com's fifth-ranked welterweight "Terror" Matt Serra (9-6) and cocky farm boy seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7). Sometimes styles make fights. Adrenaline MMA has lightweight rivalry in the making that covers home turf and pits cultures and styles. Tatt'ed skater from Chi-town "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (29-11) versus clean-cut Illinois country boy Clay French (16-2) is a classic match-up and perfect to determine Adrenaline's first titlist. ...

Chicago's "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (29-11) snapped a three-fight losing streak with a right high kick that left "Grinder" Jeffrey Cox (9-6) unconcious against the fence at 1:27 of round two Saturday night at Adrenaline MMA in Hoffman Estates, east of Chicago. After a paced and cautious first round for both fighters, "Bartimus" began working kicks in the second, first a solid body shot, then snapping at Cox's leg. During the final flurried exchange, Palaszewski wheeled a wide left hook to Cox's body, backing Cox into range for the right high kick finisher. Palaszewski literally lept out of the cage upon the stoppage "W". In the main event, Michael Russow (10-1) manhandled late replacement for "Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-8),  Jason Guida (17-16), tapping Clay's big brother in a standing neck crank against the fence at 2:13 of round one. "I hope he's OK," Russow related after the stoppage. Hometown hero Rory Markham (14-4) said, "Let's get serious.  That guy just jumped over me!" after "Silent Assassin" Jay Ellis (5-19) launched a flying knee at the opening bell, indeed, flying right over Markham.  "So, I decided I was going to keep it on the ground." Markham pounced on Ellis; but, Ellis swept to Markham's guard, which Markham climbed into a triangle tapout at 57 seconds of round one. ...

Fighters.com was live in Hoffman Estates, east of Chicago, Friday for the Adrenaline MMA weigh-ins. Late main event replacement for "Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-8), former middleweight Jason Guida (17-5) weighed-in at 241.5 pounds, and it didn't look like he found heavyweight girth in the gym (unless "The Gym" is the name of a pizzeria in Little Italy.) Guida's opponent, Chicago police officer Michael Russow (9-1) looked svelte at 243.2 pounds. Middleweights Terry Martin (16-4) and bleached blond Daiju Takase (7-11-1) made their weight class at 185.2 and 185.8 pounds repectively. IFL veteran Rory Markham's (13-4) opponent, Jay Ellis (5-18), will give up nearly twenty pounds to Markham in their 180-pound catch weight match-up.  Markham weighed 180.1 pounds and Ellis weighed 161.6 pounds. Fighters.com's third-ranked heavyweight "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (24-4) attended with his girlfriend, who didn't weigh-in but stood about 5'1" next to 6'7" Sylvia, and chided "Meat Truck" Kerry Schall (21-9), shouting, "Meat Trick!" as Schall weighed in. ...

Thursday Adrenaline MMA, formed of the American executives from the now defunct M-1 Global promotion, issued it's official fight card for the promotion's Chicago premier 14 June. As reported by Fighters.com, the main event matches grappler "The Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-7) versus wrestler Michael Russow (9-1) in a mat struggle. "The Snowman" will fight Russow just two weeks after taking on Fighters.com's third-ranked heavyweight "Babyface Assasin" Josh Barnett (21-5) at Sengoku II in Tokyo. UFC fighter turned boxer Terry Martin (16-4) will fight Japanese middleweight Daiju Takase (7-11-1) before his hometown crowd. Martin comes off UFC losses to "Crippler" Chris Leben (18-4) and "Beastman" Marvin Eastman (15-7-1), but won his boxing debut 12 April with a knockout of Ricardo Upchurch (0-2 in boxing). Lightweight jiu-jitsu player Alberto Crane (8-2), who lost both of his UFC fights, will bounce back matched against King of the Cage vet Clay French (15-2). IFL lightweight standout "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (28-11), who's taken three tough losses consecutively, will rebound in his hometown versus Jeffrey Cox (9-5), who lost his UFC debut to "Pitbull" Manvel Gamburyan (8-2) last month in Denver. Also on the card to be held at the Sears Centre: "The Freak" Tony Fryklund (14-9) v Brian Gassaway (28-17-2) Taiwan Howard (4-1) v Rory Markham (13-3) James Giboo (11-2) v Mark Miller (8-3) "Herc" Antoine Hayes (6-5) v "Meat Truck" Kerry Schall (21-9) Rob Kimmons (20-3) v Hector Urbina (11-4) Aaron Rosa (10-2) v "Killing Fields" Ron Fields (22-25-1) Dom O'Grady (4-0) v Mike Stumpf (9-1) Joe Jordan (39-12-2) v Ryan Williams (5-2) Christian Reynosa (6-2) v John Hosman (7-3-1) ...

Three IFL title-holders tightened the straps on their belts in the Izod Center just through the Lincoln Tunnel from New York City Saturday night. "The Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), Wagnney Fabiano (10-1), and Jay Hieron (15-4) all defended their respective titles with knockouts. Lightweight standout Chris Horodecki (12-1) picked up a unanimous decision, while one-time top 155-pounder "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (28-11) continued his slide with a loss by unanimous decision. Featherweight Fabiano set-up a right slobber-knocker to Shad Lierley (2-2) with just his reputation as a submission specialist. "People think I'm just a jiu-jitsu fighter," Fabiano explained after the fight.  "Today I knew he would expect me shooting, so I changed my game plan." The KO came after just 37 seconds. Hieron, an Xtreme Couture 170-pounder, dispatched Mark Miller (8-3) in just 2:10. "It went quicker than I thought, but man it was not easy," said Hieron after his right hook set-up a single-leg takedown leading to a G'n'P finish. "The Janitor" had the toughest time of the IFL's three defending champions. Hometown Jamal Patterson (4-2), who's won exclusively by submission, cranked up striking flurries in the first round causing Matyushenko to duck-and-cover. But, Matyushenko handed Patterson his ass in the second with a ground'n'pound barrage the required the ref to wave the fight finished at 3:35. IFL newcomer Jim Miller (11-1) ran "Bartimus" ragged for three rounds, dumping the winless-in-three lightweight at will and filing through submission attempts like he had an extra limb.  Palaszewski fought back valiantly with several crafty escapes, but Miller took all of the cards in his IFL debut. Horodecki had a handfull named Nate Lamotte (6-3) to contend with in Horodecki's return from his first loss to "The Lion" Ryan Schultz (19-9-1) in IFL's Lightweight Grand Prix final. Lamotte delivered some vicious G'n'P when he was able to catch Horodecki, but the IFL vet kept Lamotte at bay with a snapping jab and pin-pointed punches to take a UD by 29-28 times three. And the rest of the story saw light heavyweight "Shark" Emyr Bussade (11-5) win his IFL debut with a kneebar of Jesse Lennox (6-1) at 1:25 of round two. "Bad" Brad Blackburn (12-9-1) TKO'd "Pe de Chumbo" Delson Heleno (13-5) at 1:50 of the third round of a welterweight matchup. Featherweight LC Davis (10-1) kicked Rafael Dias (10-4-1) in the head for the KO "W" at 3:56 of round three. Xtreme Couture middleweight Alex Schoenauer (13-9) eeked out a split decision over Brendan Barrett (3-3). Finally, heavyweight Miletich fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz (13-3) cut Kongo-conqueror "The Fury" Carmelo Marrero (7-2) with an unintentional headbutt in a fight declared a No Contest after 1:37. The IFL returns 16 May in at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. ...