World Extreme Cagefighting returns with championship doubleheader
LAS VEGAS – Their first fight captivated the mixed martial arts world and the end result was debated for weeks. But on Wednesday, March 26, WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho wants to leave no doubts in the minds of anyone, especially challenger Chael Sonnen, about who the superior fighter is when these two 185-pound standouts square off for a second time in the main event of the latest World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC™) card.
But that’s not all, as WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Doug ‘The Rhino’ Marshall puts his belt on the line for the second time against unbeaten Brian ‘All-American’ Stann in one of the most highly anticipated bouts in WEC history.
Considered by many to be the premier middleweight fighter in the world today, WEC Champion Paulo ‘Eli’ Filho (16-0) has fought the best that the 185-pound division has to offer, both here and abroad, and he has yet to taste defeat. In 2007, Filho made his WEC debut in stirring fashion, stopping Joe Doerksen in the first round to win the organization title. He was pushed to the limit in his first title defense last December though, when Chael Sonnen got him in trouble early and dominated the first round. In the second round, Filho rebounded, catching Sonnen in an armbar with only seconds to go in the frame. And while there was some controversy over whether Sonnen verbally submitted or not, the fight was halted with five seconds left in the round and Filho retained his crown. Yet like a true champion, Filho respected the challenger’s performance and didn’t want his victory to have any question marks surrounding it, so he granted Sonnen a rematch.
Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) left quite an impression in his WEC debut last December with his stellar performance against Filho. But this six-year MMA veteran is no stranger to competing at the top levels of the sport, having beaten world-class fighters such as Jason Miller, Jason Lambert, Trevor Prangley, and Amar Suloev. Now approaching his prime as a fighter at 30, Sonnen plans on bringing the belt home in his second shot on March 26.
One of the hardest hitting competitors to ever set foot in the WEC cage, Light Heavyweight Champion Doug ‘The Rhino’ Marshall (7-2) will always leave opponents knowing that they’ve been in a fight. Winner of three in a row, Marshall – who has fought his entire career in the WEC – showed some new wrinkles in his game in his first title defense last December as he submitted Ariel Gandulla in just 55 seconds.
A first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps who was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery in battle during the Iraq War, Brian “All-American” Stann (5-0) has made a significant impact in and out of the WEC cage. Inside of it, the 27-year old Pennsylvanian has gotten better and better with each performance en route to a perfect record that has seen all of his bouts end in the first round. In his last match, on September 5th, Stann stopped Jeremiah Billington at 3:07 of the opening frame.
The remaining bouts and location for WEC: Filho vs Sonnen II will be announced in the near future. All bouts subject to change. For more information about WEC: Filho vs Sonnen II and current WEC fight news, visit www.wec.tv.
About World Extreme Cagefighting
The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. Founded in 2001, the WEC features many of the most prominent athletes in the sport of mixed martial arts today. 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. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit www.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 (VERSUS.com) celebrates real competition in all its forms. Now in more than 72 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events like The Tour de France, the America’s Cup, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefigthing (WEC), Professional Boxing, the Boston Marathon and Davis Cup. The network also offers collegiate sports from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events 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.
Related Posts
Posted February 14th, 2008 l 168 views
