WEC 51 is coming up...does anyone care?

by Matthew Roth on Sep 26, 2010 5:54 PM EDT

With an extremely busy MMA filled weekend with a Dream event and a UFC card, you would normally expect very little press for the WEC card. Under normal circumstances both organizations would receive plenty of press with the WEC being put on the back burner. That was not the case however. Both cards were received with very little fanfare and even less media attention. It was almost as if the MMA media as a whole (including blogs) were less concerned about two fight cards in 24 hours than they were about Chael Sonnen allegedly testing positive for PEDs.

UFC 119 was an important card but very underwhelming. Sean Sherk and Evan Dunham fought for relevancy, one to maintain it in an every changing division, and the other hoping to gain it in hopes of moving from a prospect to a contender. At the end of the fight both fighters showed that they could compete with the best of the division. Unfortunately, the fighter also fighting for relevancy last night, was met with a knee to the face in an extremely boring main event. Mirko Cro Cop, since leaving PRIDE for the UFC has be a shell of his former self. He seemed to have made adjustments in his game when he was able to choke out Pat Barry. It gave hope to his fans that maybe he was still able to compete at a moderately high level. Unfortunately, that man did not show up last night. He didn't seem to want to be there. He was timid and you could see a once great fighter fade before your eyes. The biggest story after last night was Fake Emcee losing a sig bet after Matt Mitrione was able to defeat Joey Beltran. Yes, it was that underwhelming of a night.

Dream 16 was actually worse, if that's even possible. As the first leg of the two part event called "Save Our Company", the staff at FEG stacked the card with as many ratings friendly fighters as they could in a last ditch hope to their television partners that it was still a viable company. Satoshi Ishii looked dominant against a much smaller Minowaman in a fight that was strictly booked for a ratings grab. DREAM 16 was on paper the best card the company could put on, but when the night was over, everyone who stayed up to watch the event was left disappointed. The biggest question after the event was if websites would rank Gegard Mousassi in the top 5 now that he has a Light Heavyweight Belt again.

So with these two events having little press before and even less after, why isn't anyone talking about WEC 51? It's perhaps the most stacked card since the Aldo/Faber championship event. The card is so good that Mike Brown, the unanimously agreed number four featherweight in the world, is fighting on the undercard. That's absurd! Writers/Bloggers/Fans complain about the lack of mainstream interest in the obviously exciting WEC but show that same attitude. This is an event to promote yet less than 400,000 people will see it.

Finally a point I'd like to bring up: The media can say that it isn't their responsibility to promote these fights, and to a certain extent they are right. They aren't promoters. They are the media who are supposed to cover a sport that they supposedly care enough about to write in some sort of a capacity. This event failing is no more the responsibility of the WEC marketing department as it is the responsibility of every writer out there. There are fans who may not have known about this event who check blogs/news sites. The fact that there is no coverage on Yahoo or CBS or Sherdog is laughable.

I guess my question is: What's your problem?

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

Tweet Comment 59 comments | 6 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I can’t wait. This will be the best card of the month. WEC never fails to deliver. The main event is a bit of an odd one because it seems they have already ran out of people to fight Aldo and I think he is in another stratosphere to Gamburyan but maybe he will prove me wrong. The rest of the card should be dynamite as well.

Mir, Nightmare , Axe Murderer , Bones

by MMA-UK on Sep 26, 2010 6:03 PM EDT reply actions

The main card is set to be either a massive upset (very unlikely) or

just a total domination. Either way Jose Aldo is rarely boring so it’ll be more than worth it as a fight.

This is set to be the best card of the last third of this year. Plenty of cards with more exciting matches but none with this many exciting matches.

by Roa on Sep 26, 2010 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Ur preachin to the choir

I think most people here would agree wec puts on the most exciting fights top to bottom on a card, but nobody besides hardcores know the brand. I for one love wec but most of my friends know very little to nothing at all about it

by 19Miles on Sep 26, 2010 6:38 PM EDT reply actions

This is my most looked-forward to event of the month in terms of MMA. The WEC always delivers.

Main event isn’t that bad considering Gamburyan blitzed Brown, a former champion in the first round. When you can hit as hard as he does, anything can happen. That being said, I’m still taking Jose Aldo by 2nd round (T)KO.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

-Sun Tze

by LYHL on Sep 26, 2010 6:39 PM EDT reply actions

I don't know who that was that fought Gamburyan last..

but it sure didn’t look like the Mike Brown that fought Faber twice.

"Walk not down that road, I cannot tell you where it goes. Ask me no more questions - some things you're not meant to know." - The Sword

by duck on Sep 26, 2010 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

and say what you will about Manny, but that little bastard always shows up to fight.

by Shaun32887 on Sep 27, 2010 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m all about it as well. Sucks that Jose Aldo gets a lot of lip service, and zero coverage, as he’s the most exciting fighter going. I think Gamburyan will take an impressive amount of damage before losing to strikes in the third. He just doesn’t have the speed, and he’ll be reacting to Aldo’s ghost all night. I hope he can lay hands on Jose a few times, as I was amazed at how Brown got handled in their fight. Curious to see if Jose can stuff Manny early on, before the tide of hellacious leg kicks accumulates to the point that Manny is just hobbling like a bull before the finishing blow.

Varner/Cerrone is going to be another angry war. The Korean Zombie returns. Miguel Torres tries to steady himself and get back on track against Valencia. If Miguel loses this fight his career is in serious trouble. On top of that, you’ve got Mike Brown trying to kickstart himself, and Zhang Tie Quan coming in as China’s pointman into American MMA. There’s headlines aplenty. I predict a sudden media scramble mid week to catch up…at least I hope so!

What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?

by Kwisatz Haderach on Sep 26, 2010 6:42 PM EDT reply actions

It's the WEC Cycle

1. WEC card comes up. No one except for hardcores notice.
2. WEC card goes down. Awesome fights happen. No Faber = No one except for hardcores watch
3. WEC ratings come out. Faber cards do relatively well. Non-Faber cards not so much.
4. A couple of talking points come out from the card, hardcores become angry that the FW and BW divisions aren’t going to be in the UFC for a while, and we move on a few days later.

If Derek Jeter clubbed a baby seal on earth day while wearing a mink coat and crocodile skin boots while burning tires on an iceberg, the reaction would be "Its OK Derek, you’re a Yankee." -First mammal to wear pants

by Tonley on Sep 26, 2010 6:44 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs

this x 1000.

Mir, Nightmare , Axe Murderer , Bones

by MMA-UK on Sep 26, 2010 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions

we must evolve!!!

I'm Don Frye and your not. - Don Frye

by MrTechnique420 on Sep 27, 2010 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions

I train UFC, not WEC bro.

Really though, this should be a really, really dope show.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 6:49 PM EDT reply actions

I always look forward to WEC

There is a ton of interesting match ups on this card. My only problem is the weird nights that WEC puts on fights. Anyone have any insight on that? 49 was a Sunday(which I seem to remember being the norm) 50 was a Wednesday and now 51 is Thursday?

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. -Mae West

by marta_gallo on Sep 26, 2010 6:50 PM EDT reply actions

My theory:

Football is on Sundays now, and that would kill their ratings. College football is Saturdays. Normally they like Wednesdays for during the week, but TUF 12 is on in that timeslot on Spike. Zuffa doesn’t want to split the viewership. So Thursday makes as much sense as any other day at that point.

"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe

by pdl on Sep 26, 2010 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Makes a lot of sense

Thanks! It just throws off my schedule haha :)

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. -Mae West

by marta_gallo on Sep 26, 2010 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Except that this means I'll be useless on Friday at school

I mean a Friday Night event would at least be convenient.

by Roa on Sep 26, 2010 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Dude I'm fucking GOING

And with Donald Cerrone’s sister, to boot.

When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com

by Derek Suboticki on Sep 26, 2010 6:52 PM EDT reply actions

I'm calling shenanigans.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Pics or GTFO

"If by romantic, you mean homosexual"-Luke Thomas
A new Cole Miller fan

by II SMASH II on Sep 26, 2010 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions

You made me do this

by Derek Suboticki on Sep 26, 2010 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs

HAHA this fuckin guy

"If by romantic, you mean homosexual"-Luke Thomas
A new Cole Miller fan

by II SMASH II on Sep 26, 2010 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Ha

Subos a ginger beard. Now that I have that face to picture when I read your comments it’s just gonna make me even more pissed off then usual.

West coast sucks a dick. 2Pac had nothing on Big and Easy E and Magic Johnson got HIV cause West Coast broads are dirty as hell. I wish I was from New Jersey because the shitty bagels and pizza I have out here are making my butthole bleed.

by Fake Emcee on Sep 26, 2010 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I THOUGHT IT WAS A RECESSIVE GENE.

What the fuck son.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

sick grey hair above the ears, i thought you were like 25 not 45

by DirtyML on Sep 27, 2010 2:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I think that's the lighting

by Derek Suboticki on Sep 27, 2010 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions

oh haha, maybe it’s the cigs? i kid, but i recall you saying you were in your 20s at some point

by DirtyML on Sep 28, 2010 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

How ironic is it that Subo bears a striking resemblance to this:

by Polyhedron on Sep 27, 2010 4:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Damn Subo I think I’ve seen you around. The next time you ask me for change at the gas station I will not say “get a job”.

If you want to hear my opinion on Les Miles go to BJPenn.com.

by DayGeaux on Sep 28, 2010 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

He doesn’t even have a sister you big faker.

http://www.instrength.com

by Tim Burke on Sep 26, 2010 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Her name is Ashleigh

I first met Donald when I was eleven years old. His mom is a nurse. I’m going to stop now.

by Derek Suboticki on Sep 26, 2010 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I was just playing anyway

but I think this man is telling the truth.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions

So is he as much of a tool as he seems, or does he just play really poorly in the media?

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired. -Jonathan Swift

by Scott C. Broussard on Sep 27, 2010 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Shit yeah I care

that’s gonna be a crazy ass night, it has to be right…RIGHT? The WEC has never disappointed and considering the names on the card I think the universe will be making up for the last couple of shows on that night.

And as far as bets go, I’m just gonna do my time quietly and not try to start no trouble with nobody, you Jersey schmuck.

by Fake Emcee on Sep 26, 2010 7:20 PM EDT reply actions

I'M THE BEST EVA! EVA! I'M THE MAAAAAAN! YEAAAAAAAH!!! DUTCHBABY YOU'RE NEXT!!!

Follow me on twitter @thisredengine

Also please check out SBnation's Red Bulls blog @ www.onceametro.com

by Matthew Roth on Sep 26, 2010 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Yo.

1) I don’t even have a sig.
b) I don’t even do sig bets.
3) I can’t even imagine what you could come up with for me.
23) You’re ridiculous.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I forgot this card existed

I’ll probably forget about it again 5 minutes after I type this. There’s a 0% chance this isn’t the most thrilling card this month, but I look at it and I’m like whatever. Weird.

"There's this image that you have, this interior image of something that's absolutely perfect, and that's your signpost, your guide. And you'll never get there. But without it you'll never get anywhere."

by crazybones on Sep 26, 2010 7:44 PM EDT reply actions

Not so weird. The name WEC just turns people off.

Just freaking combine it into the UFC already. You don’t even have to broadcast the divisions on the same PPV’s but just start calling the separate events UFC XXX and it’ll be huge.

by Roa on Sep 26, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I only know a few people who have watched WEC

And they said they were watching UFC shows on versus… but they were small

by majuca8 on Sep 26, 2010 8:35 PM EDT reply actions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEj-S73kOW8

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions

lol, i dont think that was it

by majuca8 on Sep 26, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh. Word. Okay then.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I care about this card?

Wait when is it?

"If by romantic, you mean homosexual"-Luke Thomas
A new Cole Miller fan

by II SMASH II on Sep 26, 2010 9:36 PM EDT reply actions

Exactly

Main Bouts (On Versus):
-Jose Aldo (17-1; #1 Featherweight)* vs. Manny Gamburyan (11-4; #2 Featherweight)†
-Donald Cerrone (11-3) vs. Jamie Varner (16-3-1)
-Miguel Torres (37-3; #4 Bantamweight) vs. Charlie Valencia (12-5; #10 Bantamweight)*
-Chan Sung Jung (10-2) vs. George Roop (10-6-1)
-Mark Hominick (18-8) vs. Leonard Garcia (14-5-1)

Preliminary Bouts (Non-Televised):
-Mike Brown (23-6; #3 Featherweight)* vs. Cole Province (6-1)
-Chris Horodecki (15-2) vs. Ed Ratcliffe (7-2)
-Diego Nunes (14-1; #7 Featherweight)* vs. Tyler Toner (10-1)
-Antonio Banuelos (17-6) vs. Chad George (11-5)
-Demetrious Johnson (5-1) vs. Nick Pace (5-0)
-Tiequan Zhang (16-0) vs. Jason Reinhardt (21-0)

That card get no coverage? WHAT THE FUCK IS EVERYONE’S PROBLEM?!

Follow me on twitter @thisredengine

Also please check out SBnation's Red Bulls blog @ www.onceametro.com

by Matthew Roth on Sep 26, 2010 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions

If only there was an easy person to blame

"If by romantic, you mean homosexual"-Luke Thomas
A new Cole Miller fan

by II SMASH II on Sep 26, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I can't think of anyone.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 26, 2010 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I guess people would rather bitch about merging them with the UFC than actually talk about them and the fights. I swear if there were half as many posts actually discussing the product and not reasons why it needs to be merged maybe we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

"they mad at me, I keep going hard reppin/
cause what's your Rampage to Rashad Evans/"
-Joe Budden (Something To Ride To)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/76866807deabe3c1/

by Nightwhistler on Sep 27, 2010 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I think he's asking why people don't talk about the WEC more

So I think you’re right, if people were talking about the WEC more, we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion.

by Brent Ducharme on Sep 27, 2010 12:33 AM EDT up reply actions

I care...very deeply.

by Revolver on Sep 27, 2010 12:02 AM EDT reply actions

this card is going to be a lot better than 119 and it will also not receive 1/10 of the attention.

Awesome how sports entertainment works.

by DirtyML on Sep 27, 2010 2:09 AM EDT reply actions

The writers complain about it moving to sports entertainment

but won’t cover it like a sport. Seriously, the #1 FW fighter and arguably a top 5 p4p fighter is fighting as are former champs…no coverage but whining about 119? WHAT?

Follow me on twitter @thisredengine

Also please check out SBnation's Red Bulls blog @ www.onceametro.com

by Matthew Roth on Sep 27, 2010 2:28 AM EDT up reply actions

you spoke more about the ufc and dream cards then you did the wec one, so the article speaks for it’s self.

"How you expect to run with the wolves come night when you spend all day sparring with the puppies" - Omar Little

by The Omaplatapus on Sep 27, 2010 8:23 AM EDT reply actions

This really shows how little the WEC is treated. This show is stacked in accordance to WEC standards by getting many of their top fighters fighting on the same card, but it is hardly talked about.
Jose Aldo is coming off a huge win over Urijah Faber on the main event of the WECs first PPV (even though the WEC name was not there), and it is simply a mistake that it is not being followed up promotionally. Zuffa has the fighter who more or less crippled Urijah Faber in the cage, and they are not following up and strongly promoting Aldo.

Check out MMA For You at http://www.youtube.com/user/Gobusiness123 for MMA reviews, predictions, and analysis.

by chrisbboy82 on Sep 27, 2010 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

It's everyone's fault

Shit me and you should be telling people about this fight. I’m pretty sure this post reminded people about this event and that’s fucking ridiculous. The fact that the only story on the front page remotely tied to this event is an interview with Manny on Luke’s show is absurd.

Follow me on twitter @thisredengine

Also please check out SBnation's Red Bulls blog @ www.onceametro.com

by Matthew Roth on Sep 27, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I already did my WEC 51 predictions a week ago on my YouTube show so I am trying to get the word out there, and there are some Manny Gamburyan supporters out there. But I know what you mean as far as everyone else geting the word out there.
I think that this event is hurt by the fact that it is on a Thursday, and while many here on BE watch Bellator on Thursdays, I don’t think other more casual MMA fans are expecting MMA on a Thursday. Sucks that the Gamburyan interview has less than 20 comments as of this posting.

Check out MMA For You at http://www.youtube.com/user/Gobusiness123 for MMA reviews, predictions, and analysis.

by chrisbboy82 on Sep 27, 2010 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

i care, u care, maybe 40-50 other people care

and thats it, it makes no sense

Jose Aldo is 24 years old and already one of the sports best fighters, hes the p4p #3 fighter and noones ever fucking heard of him its a god damn joke, this fight is a ppv headliner not the mir vs cro cop glorified sparring session we had to watch

i dont get why zuffa has one of the best fighters ever, who has the potential to be the best (noone outside vitor has accomplished so much so fast) and they seem to not care

We have a saying back home that if your coming on, COME ON!!!!

by milk72 on Sep 27, 2010 4:59 PM EDT reply actions

Shogun was PRIDE MWGP winner when he was 23-24ish

and ranked number one in the world, pretty high on p4p lists if I recall correctly.

But yes, Jose Aldo is an anomaly in terms of accomplishments at such a young age. Everything else you said, I agree with.

"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe

by pdl on Sep 27, 2010 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions

It is frustrating to always see the WEC events not getting the attention they deserve. Not even sure what the problem is though. I never know who to blame or why.

Is it Zuffa’s fault for not promoting it better? Is it Versus fault for not promoting it better? Is the MMA media at fault for not covering it better? Or what is the problem?

There probably is some of all that but for me it always hits me the day of a WEC event. Why haven’t I seen any commercials for this WEC event? I’m guessing it’s because the only time I watch Versus is for the WEC. So if Versus isn’t advertising Versus programming on another network besides Versus then I’m not going to see it.

Just BE.

by mattman73 on Sep 27, 2010 8:23 PM EDT reply actions