And the news keeps coming in. UFC 128, which is expected to take place on March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey will feature a championship headliner, pitting light heavyweight title holder Mauricio "Shogun" Rua as he looks to defend the 205-pound strap for the first time against former champ Rashad Evans. Recently, a new rumored addition to the pay-per-view event will feature a special lightweight attraction that will have all fans in attendance jumping out of their seats. ...

Welcome back to “All I Want for Christmas”, fans and friends, my special four-part Christmas Day mini-series that celebrates a day of well-wishing and familial bonding. I’ve got high hopes for MMA in 2011, and hopefully these various Top 5 lists have filled you with a sense of wonder as well. Take it as my little effort to spread some holiday cheer, to get some spirits up and inject a little positivity into a medium that so often only focuses on the negative. With that said, let’s head right into the final entry of today’s list, the Top 5 things I’m looking forward to for the UFC in 2011. ...

Merry Christmas fans and friends! The day is still young, but hopefully it’s already treating you well. In the spirit of the season, I’m going to be taking a break from my usual routine and instead launching a special little mini-series called “All I Want for Christmas”. It’ll be a time for wishing as well as predicting, as I give my thoughts on what I’d like to see and what I think we as MMA fans can look forward to as the clock turns ever closer to 2011. So let’s get right to it with my first entry in today’s series of Top 5 lists: 5 things I really want to see happen in 2011. ...

While some of Mike Brown's career highlights have come under the now defunct WEC promotion, where he became the featherweight champion after defeating Urijah Faber and fending off challenger Leonard Garcia, he is not unfamiliar with the UFC. In fact, Brown has been inside the octagon once before, but only before his accolades as a consensus top-10 fighter we're well established. Now, back on the biggest stage, the pinnacle of any man's mixed martial arts career, Brown will have a chance to once again become a champion in 145-pound division, but he hopes that he won't be bitten by the 'octagon jitters' for a second time. ...

An additional lightweight match up has been added to the UFC's second foray into Australia. Headlining UFC 127 will be former welterweight and lightweight champion BJ Penn as he takes on perennial contender Jon Fitch in a welterweight clash. Also on the card will be a pivotal middleweight match up as Jorge Rivera takes on fellow "The Ultimate Fighter" alumni in Michael Bisping. However, possibly the most exciting bout of the night will be un-televised, but here's hoping that this fight will not go unnoticed. ...

Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner has lost two-in-a-row in a time in his career when he could least afford to. Recently, World Extreme Cagefighting has since merged with it's sister promotion the Ultimate Fighting Championship, both promotion's fall under the Zuffa LLC. banner. Among the acquisition of both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions, a stacked 155-pound class has since been assimilated into the UFC. With the high influx of fighters, many have since found themselves fighting for their jobs in most recent events, with the lightweight class being atop of the chopping block. ...

If anyone knows what it’s like to say goodbye to the WEC, it’s Reed Harris. Not only was Harris the General Manager of the WEC after its purchase by Zuffa, he was in fact one of the WEC’s co-founders. Throughout the WEC’s decade-long history, Harris was a pivotal figure in the developments that saw the WEC rise from a regional promotion to a nationally-televised premier league. In a recent interview, Harris gave a very fitting end to his, mine, and everyone else’s “little promotion that could”. ...

Anthony Pettis is many things. He’s a relative newcomer to MMA, having only competed for about three years. He’s also a very young, at only 23 years of age. But most importantly, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis is an incredibly dynamic, vastly entertaining fighter that fully deserves his status as the current and final WEC Lightweight Champion. Anthony Pettis recently clutched an excellent five-round war against then-champion Ben Henderson at WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” with one of the craziest strikes that’s ever landed in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. And as hard as it is to believe, given his brilliant performances in the WEC’s blue cage, “Showtime” swears that the best is still to come. ...

Donald Cerrone scored a very impressive win during the recent wec 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” event, locking in a tight triangle over former IFL standout Chris Horodecki. This latest win puts Cerrone on a two-fight win-streak, his previous fight being a five-round thrashing of arch-rival Jamie Varner in the rematch that was several years in the making. Never one to rest on his laurels, “The Cowboy” recently spoke candidly about the mistakes he made against Horodecki and who he wants to fight now that his place in the ufc is almost certainly assured. Here are the highlights. ...

Dominick Cruz is now recognized as the UFC bantamweight champion of the world. Now that, doesn't suck. For five rounds, Cruz coasted a seemingly easy, but hard fought decision victory over the always tough Scott Jorgensen. With his wrestling and boxing credentials on full display, Dominick, did everything short of finishing the fight in order to wow the crowd at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz. With eight straight wins bolstering his recent success in the professional world of mixed martial arts, Cruz now has a one track mind: beat Urijah Faber. ...

After it was all said and done, nearly 10 years in the game, and I think it's safe to say that the WEC left the world of mixed martial arts with a bang, and a proper farewell casted off by all of their combatants just last night. In the main event of the evening, Anthony Pettis shocked the world when he displayed devastating arsenal of striking techniques which culminated in a highlight reel head kick knockdown executed by "Showtime" launching himself from the cage and landing the maneuver mid-air on former champion Ben Henderson, before a ruckus crowd in Glendale, Ariz. While Pettis' star shined the brightest in his lightweight title clash with the hometown favorite in Henderson, several others displayed a varied array of skills that netted them an additional ten thousand dollars for their efforts. ...

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. ...

Today marks the end of what I fully believe will one day be remembered as one of the most important Mixed Martial Arts promotions of all time. Just like the UFC itself broke down barriers with the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and live, free events on Spike TV, the WEC broke the weight barrier by putting all the best lighter-weight fighters together and making them fight each other time after time. In the process, the WEC helped proved that weight is only a number, and that exciting finishes and amazing fights can happen regardless of how big or small you are. I know I’ve only been a fan of the WEC for a short time, and believe me, I wish that wasn’t the case. Nevertheless, since all the major sites are bidding farewell to the WEC in their own special way, here’s my top 5 memories from my all-too-brief time as a WEC fan. ...

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 ufc recently made an interesting pairs of signings in order to further beef up their newly-minted Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions in the days leading up to the UFC’s official merger with the wec. The UFC saw to draw on some big-name international talent, as it recently signed both Michihiro Omigawa and Norifumi Yamamoto out of Japan and into exclusive contracts. Unfortunately, the promotion also recently released a WEC veteran who had competed with the promotion five times. Despite going 3-2 in the promotion, LC Davis will have to work his way back up from the minor leagues before he’s able to call the UFC home. Here are all the details. ...

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. It’s an old saying, yes, but it perfectly describes the three wec champions that will soon be making their way into the UFC in 2011. At the final WEC event, WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis”, WEC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz will defend his title against Scott Jorgensen in a bout that will determine the last-ever WEC Bantamweight Champion as well as the first-ever UFC Bantamweight Champion. But according to a report, Cruz’s debut in the UFC may be postponed by almost half a year, regardless of whether or not he successfully defends his title. Here are all the details. ...

The ufc will kick off 2011 by introducing two new weight divisions thanks to their upcoming merger with the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion: the 135-pound Bantamweight Division, and the 145-pound Featherweight Division. The UFC even has plans to add a 125-pound Flyweight Division at some point in the future. How close we are to that point depends on who you ask. But according to one major UFC representative, the additions stop with Flyweight, and no pre-existing weight divisions will be splintered anytime soon. Here are all the details. ...

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. ...

Former top contender at both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions inside the WEC, Wagnney Fabiano will still be in the UFC fold despite a loss to Joseph Benavidez. World Extreme Cagefighting, the sister promotion of the UFC under the Zuffa banner, has since merged with the worlds largest mixed martial arts organization and as such, with the heavy influx of new fighters, a lot will be cut heading in. More than likely, those of whom are coming off of losses heading into the UFC will be cut pre-merger, however Fabiano is still secured to be among the few to transition into the organization's new bantamweight class. ...

Two more bouts have become official for the second installment of "UFC Fight for the Troops" event, which will take place at Fort Hood, Killeen, Tex. on Jan. 22. The headliner of the evening will put former title challenger Kenny Florian against top lightweight contender Evan Dunham. Serving as the co-main event is expected to be the fast-rising prospect in Matt Mitrione, whom was featured on the ultra-popular tenth season of "The Ultimate Fighter", as he takes on veteran Tim Hague. A multitude of bouts have been added to the stacked 11-bout fight card, and now today two-more have been officially confirmed by the promotion for the event. ...

As the ufc heads towards its last few shows for the remaining 2010 calendar year, several recent stories have emerged. Former UFC Lightweight turned WEC Featherweight Leonard Garcia, who once challenged for the WEC Featherweight Championship, has been removed from his upcoming bout at “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 Finale event. In addition, it was recently confirmed that Nick Osipczak has been released from his contract. Here are all the details. ...

Now more than ever, especially with the wec merger looming on the horizon, the point must be made: the ufc is by far the most competitive Mixed Martial Arts organization on the planet. More and more fighters are being let go on a per-event basis. Everybody and anybody is getting released, and it seems as if no job is safe unless you perform to the absolute best of your abilities. And according to UFC President Dana White, that’s just how he likes it. And he doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. ...

Just a couple of days after receiving his coveted UFC featherweight title in a special ceremony preceding UFC 123 last Saturday, Jose Aldo has had to bow out of his title defense against top contender, Josh Grispi. The Brazilian went an incredible 8-0 inside the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion before it had been officially announced that the soon-to-be-defunct organization would be assimilated into the UFC fold. Both companies both operate under the Zuffa umbrella. Aldo had filled in as the co-main event at UFC 125, which takes place on Jan. 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, slot when an injured Shane Carwin had fallen to injury as well, a back injury that will keep him out of the octagon for the foreseeable future, requiring invasive back surgery. For Jose, he will be back to training in one month, and will hopefully debut within the organization in the first quarter of 2011. ...

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. ...

Former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Jose Aldo is on a plane. The Nova Uniao product is on his way to the States to pick up his coveted UFC title, which has been assimilated due to Aldo being the last reigning and defending champion in the WEC, which just a couple of weeks ago was merged with it's sister promotion under the Zuffa banner. Jose will be back in action in January after crushing season five finalist of "The Ultimate Fighter" Manny Gamburyan inside of the first round at WEC last September, via knockout. ...

Speculation has run rampant as far as what Michihiro Omigawa's next move will be. Having traveled all around the world, including a two-fight stint in the UFC as a lightweight fighter, the Japanese Judoka reinvented himself as a featherweight, and since making the drop to the new weight class, has looked nearly unstoppable. After an adventure with both Sengoku and DREAM, where Omigawa has become a title contender in both organizations, it looks like he may give up infamy in his native country for a second shot here in the states, and what better organization to do that with then with the largest one in the sport. ...

As the new wave of World Extreme Cagefighting fighters make their way into the ufc fold, the organization is currently in a settling in process with it's two new weight classes, featherweights and bantamweights. However, ever since the wec was purchased by Zuffa, they have long focused on the lighter weight fighters in the world, though one weight class had always been on the cusp of entering the promotion, but never came to fruition. Now, people are asking for the flyweight division to come to head, and Dana White, the President of the UFC, says that we may see the 125-pound weight class inside the octagon sooner than you think. ...