WEC 38 Will Be Held in San Diego on January 25th
Reliable independent sources confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that the WEC is looking to kick 2009 off in style, going big right out of the gate. Current plans call for the promotion to make its first stop ever in San Diego on Jan. 25 with one of its most loaded cards to date.
As mentioned, Urijah Faber is set to be part of the fight card, although he won't get the immediate rematch with Mike Brown that he had hopes for. Brown suffered torn rib cartilage in winning the belt from Faber on Nov. 5 and is unlikely to return to action before March. It is currently unknown whom the WEC will match Faber up against, but the short list includes Leonard Garcia and Jose Aldo.
"Urijah wants to fight in January," his manger, Mike Roberts, stated in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. "We’re still trying to sort out who he’s going to fight."
Current WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner will make the second defense of his title when he faces Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in what is likely to land as the main event at WEC 38. Cerrone earned a shot at Varner with his "Fight of the Night" performance against "Razor" Rob McCullough at WEC 36. Cerrone overcame two knockdowns in the opening round to batter McCullough en route to a three-round unanimous decision.
Welterweight kingpin Carlos Condit will also don the card, looking to keep his eight-fight winning streak intact. No opponent has been locked down at the time of publication, but indications are that a rematch with Brock Larson could be in the works for Condit, who recently made the move to train at Arizona Combat Sports with Varner.
I doubt sources told MMAWeekly.com "WEC is looking to kick 2009 off in style, going big right out of the gate" rather than they told MMAWeekly.com "WEC is holding WEC 38 in San Diego on January 25th", but that's just a personal annoyance.
As for the news, not much to add at this point except Condit told me he believes Larson shouldn't be the next challenger as he only really has one win in the WEC since losing to Condit. Clearly though, the problem Condit faced before his most recent title defense is the one he'll face next as the number of potential challengers to his belt are few and far between.
And, of course, it's welcoming news the WEC is able to move around and expose their product to more audiences. Sticking to the hospitable territory of California is also the safe but smart strategy. Hosting the event in San Diego makes it more likely the venue will be full by main event time, but it also indicates the WEC product can venture too far from warm waters. Still, steady as she goes.
Comments
Hmm...
I live in San Diego county. The 25th of January is my anniversary. This is quite the dilemma.
by Richard Wade on
Nov 19, 2008 2:26 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
It’s cool. Just tell your wife that it’s my birthday. She’ll understand.
by Brett Jones on
Nov 19, 2008 3:53 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
They should have folded 170 along with 185 and 205 IMHO.
by Tonley on
Nov 19, 2008 2:36 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
War Cerrone
Varner’s going down. You heard it here first.
by subo on
Nov 19, 2008 2:41 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
Their actually doing this per my request. You see, that’s my birthday.
by Brett Jones on
Nov 19, 2008 2:50 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
We will indeed, party hard. Your countdown takes on a whole new meaning.
by szucconi on
Nov 19, 2008 2:55 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Though it figures that my boy won’t actually be on this show. I can pull only so many strings.
by Brett Jones on
Nov 19, 2008 3:09 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
I live in San Diego…I just might go to this one.
by IHateMMA on
Nov 19, 2008 2:57 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
Since it seems like there’s no room for him in the UFC right now, I’d like to see a rematch b/w Shields and Condit. Wouldn’t this be a fight with the backstory already set up perfectly. Nice way to transition Shields to the UFC if he wins, especially since GSP is going to be tied up for the near future.
by Frank_Castle on
Nov 19, 2008 2:59 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
I like that idea. Good way to see where they are in respect to the top 10. Both are top 10 170's. Good storyline too.
by lbk on
Nov 19, 2008 4:49 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
If that happened, neither would go to the UFC. Any champion in the WEC most likely stays there until they have had several defenses, and then they might be allowed to relinquish their title and then move to the UFC.
And please dude, stop with the bold.
by iiowyn on
Nov 19, 2008 5:02 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
And please dude, stop with the bold
I think he’s just putting his entire comment in the “title” box instead of the comment box, and that’s why everything comes out bolded. FWIW.
by Kierkegaard on
Nov 19, 2008 5:20 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
It’s not like he can’t stop doing that.
by Richard Wade on
Nov 19, 2008 5:25 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
I know exactly what he is doing…that was my preemptive answer to hey this post isn’t in the title box I expected to come next
by iiowyn on
Nov 19, 2008 5:28 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
On the contrary, a source also told me that WEC is looking to kick 2009 off in style! I would say this shows that WEC looks to really break through in 2009, and have begun the right way, by sending out energetic and exciting information regarding their cards!
source = MMAWeekly.com
by Michaelthebox on
Nov 19, 2008 3:08 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
Looking forward to seeing
Varner in action again.
by Razreshat on
Nov 19, 2008 3:28 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
man, Zuffa was so slick about this one that no one’s even noticed they’re doing a show within driving distance of Anaheim on the same weekend as Affliction.
by andherewego on
Nov 19, 2008 4:13 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
Well, yes, that’s true. Although I question whether anyone in the Los Angeles area with the option to go to Affliction (cost being equal, and I know it’s not) would choose not to in favor of taking a 90+ mile drive to San Diego to watch a rarther run-of-the-mill WEC event (at this point, anyhow).
It is a great addition to the anti-ZUFFA talking points, though.
by Brett Jones on
Nov 19, 2008 5:54 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
I doubt sources told MMAWeekly.com “WEC is looking to kick 2009 off in style, going big right out of the gate” rather than they told MMAWeekly.com “WEC is holding WEC 38 in San Diego on January 25th”, but that’s just a personal annoyance.
“Confirmed” and “said” have two entirely different implications in a news story. It wasn’t a quote, nor was it a paraphrase.
by Popetastic on
Nov 19, 2008 5:17 PM EST
reply
actions
0 recs
even if we grant that, it still isn’t properly used. Was anyone saying before today that “WEC is looking to kick 2009 off in style, going big right out of the gate?” If not, then there is nothing to confirm. And even if there was, do you really think MMAWeekly called the WEC and said “We heard you’re looking to kick off 2009 in style, going big right out of the gate, can you confirm this for us?”
by andherewego on
Nov 19, 2008 6:15 PM EST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
















