WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING® ANNOUNCES HUGE SEPT. 2 CARD IN YOUNGSTOWN

For Immediate Release:
June 30, 2009

WEC® PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. HENDERSON

From The Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio - Wednesday, Sept. 2;
First Bout at 6 p.m. ET
Fight to Air Live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Tickets Go On Sale Thursday, July 9 at 10 a.m. ET

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – On Wednesday, Sept. 2, World Extreme Cagefighting® brings its hard-hitting, explosive brand of mixed martial arts to one of the finest fight towns in the country. The best light weight fighters in the world will be on display when WEC invades the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, OH. In the main event, fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone battles feared striker Ben Henderson in a bout that will crown the interim WEC lightweight champion.

“The fight fans in Youngstown have a history of being some of the best in the country,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. “We’re happy to bring a championship fight and loaded card to our first trip to Ohio. We know the fans in Youngstown, and in surrounding areas like Cleveland and Pittsburgh, are anxious to see the WEC live.”

Tickets for Cerrone vs. Henderson go on sale Thursday, July 9 at 10 a.m. ET and will be priced at $25, $45, $75, and $125. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Wednesday, July 8 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the Covelli Centre Box Office. Purchases can also be made at Covelli Centre retail locations, including Giant Eagle and Macy’s stores in the Youngstown area. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com.

Cerrone vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network’s live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

With lightweight champion Jamie Varner unable to defend the title due to injury, top contenders Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson are set to collide in what could be of the most intense championship bouts of the year.

A former professional bull rider, Cerrone (10-1, 1 NC) hopes to lasso his first world title when he meets Henderson in Youngstown. A phenomenal Muay Thai striker, the 26-year-old Albuquerque, NM resident also boasts a potent ground game. With nine of his 10 wins coming by way of submission – including his last victory via rear naked choke over James Krause on June 7 - the Greg Jackson-trained Cerrone is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous fighters in the lightweight division. With a unique blend of striking and submissions, “Cowboy” firmly believes that his versatility will guide him toward the WEC championship.

“He’s got an awesome ground game and he’s a superior wrestler,” Cerrone said of Henderson. “The only thing he lacks is his standup. I believe that I have what it takes to become champion. I know Ben well and like him, but when the cage door closes, I want to win that belt.”

A technically-sound grappler, Henderson (9-1) has lived up to his nickname “Smooth” since debuting in the WEC in January. Fighting out of Glendale, AZ, the former two-time NAIA collegiate wrestling All-American has scored WEC wins over Shane Roller and Anthony Njokuani and is unbeaten since 2006. Thanks to his wrestling prowess and black belt in Taekwondo, Henderson has the ability to finish fights both on the feet and the ground. With a complete arsenal at his disposal, the 25-year-old believes he will out-duel “Cowboy” in their September showdown.

“There are guys who get in the cage and you can see in their eyes that they’re a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing,” Henderson said. “I don’t think I’ll be overwhelmed. I love Cerrone’s game and his ‘Terminator’ style. He just keeps coming forward. As far as standing up with him and trading some blows, I’d love to. Let’s go out there and have fun.”

Remaining bouts for WEC: Cerrone vs. Henderson will be announced at a later date. For more information about current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv.

About World Extreme Cagefighting®

The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting® and WEC® are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.

About VERSUS

VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About The Covelli Centre

Youngstown’s Covelli Centre has hosted a string of sold out events this year including the recent Top Rank championship title boxing match between reigning WBO/WBC Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik and Marco Antonio Rubio; as well as Celtic Woman, Globetrotters, and Disney Live. The Covelli Centre is a 5,000 seat arena owned by the City of Youngstown and is managed by privately-operated JAC Management Group LLC of Struthers, Ohio and SMG, a Philadelphia based company that provides facility services to more than 215 public assembly facilities.

Source: World Extreme Cagefighting