WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING® SPELLS YOUNGSTOWN

Source - World Extreme Cagefighting:

For Immediate Release:
August 17, 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 On Sale NOW

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – “What’s in a name?” This is a question typically applied by the literary, Shakespearian-types. However, as World Extreme Cagefighting® prepares for its first trip to fight-savvy Youngstown, OH, it makes perfect sense to ask “what’s in the name ‘Youngstown’?”

To understand this question, WEC has broken down “Youngstown” letter by letter to show just how in sync the organization and city are right now:

Yves Jabouin. The long-awaited WEC debut of the Canadian Jabouin has many hardcore MMA fans excited. Training out of the same camp as UFC® champ Georges St-Pierre, Jabouin is a phenomenal finisher. He’ll put those skills to test against Raphael Assuncao in Youngstown.

Ox Wheeler. The once-beaten, unpredictable Wheeler returns to WEC to engage in an early candidate for “Fight of the Night” against Charlie Valencia. A hard working, blue-collar fighter, Wheeler could win over fans in the industrial city of Youngstown.

Unbeaten. It’s a word that applies to three competitors on the WEC card on Sept. 2. Newcomers Erik Koch and Dave Jansen enter the WEC cage unbeaten in their respective careers, while Anthony Pettis hopes to remain undefeated as prepares for his second fight in WEC next month.

Njokuani. Kickboxing sensation Anthony Njokuani faces tested veteran Muhsin Corrbrey inside the Octagon at the Covelli Centre in what is sure to be a dynamic matchup. Fresh off a knockout victory over Bart Palaszewski in April, the 29-year-old native of Nigeria hopes to score another stoppage win against Corrbrey in the town that boxer Kelly Pavlik calls home.

Greg Jackson. The world-class trainer based out of Albuquerque, NM has two of his protégés fighting at the Covelli Centre. First, hard-hitting Damacio Page battles Akitoshi Tamura in a pivotal bantamweight bout. Then, in the main event, Jackson-trained Donald Cerrone fights Ben Henderson for the interim lightweight title. In a town that top-notch trainer Jack Loew calls home, it will be interesting to see the mark that Jackson’s fighters leave in Youngstown.

Scott Jorgensen. If there was ever a fighter to lay it all on the line in the WEC, it’s the 26-year-old Jorgensen. Having narrowly lost a decision to Antonio Banuelos in June – a fight in which many believe he won – Jorgensen is eager to score a win over Rafael Rebello on Sept. 2. Gritty and full of heart, Jorgensen might just be the type of fighter that earns the hearts of the Youngstown faithful.

Taurosevicius. You may not be able to pronounce Deividas Taurosevicius’ name 10 times fast, but you will surely see why he’s built quite the following after he competes against Mark Hominick in Youngstown. With 8 of his 10 professional wins coming by way of submission, the Lithuanian fighter knows how to finish fights. Just what fans in Youngstown desire, right?

On the rise. Much like the city itself, fighters like Raphael Assuncao, Rich Crunkilton, and Manny Tapia are hoping wins in Youngstown will lead them toward a championship fight. Each considered among the best in their respective divisions, don’t be surprised if a fighter from this group wears WEC gold in the near future.

Wagnney Fabiano. Fans in Youngstown may have heard of this gifted Brazilian grappler, but on Sept. 2 they’ll get to see him live. One of the most feared ground fighters in the sport, Fabiano brings his 12-1 record to the table against Erik Koch. Knowing a win could put him in line for a shot at 145-pound champion Mike Brown, expect Fabiano to look for the finish on Sept. 2.

Never say never when it comes to WEC events, especially this one in Youngstown. In addition to 11 fights, WEC is also hosting an autograph signing with UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell on Sept. 2, not to mention a Q&A with MMA stars Frank Mir, Jens Pulver, and Urijah Faber on Sept. 1. If that’s not enough, Shaquille O’Neal, the newest star of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has already expressed his excitement over WEC coming to the Covelli Centre on Sept. 2. Could WEC have more star-power lined up? Stay tuned…

Tickets for Cerrone vs. Henderson are on sale now and priced at $25, $45, $75, and $125. 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.

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.