BY WEB STAFF
sportsnet.ca
The WEC stairs in to pay-per-view domain upon Saturday night, as great as a stakes have been high.
Not usually for a fighters, 4 of whom will be fighting for pretension belts, though for a classification itself.
In actuality a destiny of a promotion, which is land a uncover upon PPV for a initial time in a nine-year history, could be influenced by how great it does, in conditions of buys.
On a discussion call this week, UFC boss Dana White done it transparent their aim for WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber, which takes place during a Arco Arena in Sacramento, is great some-more than stand in what a brand new fighting rematch upon PPV in between Roy Jones Jr. as great as Bernard Hopkins did.
“Let me discuss it we what, if Jones/Hopkins does 90,000 (buys) as great as these guys don’t stand in that, that’s terrible,” White said. “This isn’t usually a single (expletive) quarrel with dual aged guys fighting. This is a label full of gifted guys as great as you’re starting to get a great night of fights for 45 bucks.”
That’s not to contend if it falls short, a not as large sister classification to a UFC is indispensably in trouble. But with intensity skeleton already to have a WEC’s lightweight multiplication a subsequent to pierce in to a UFC, who’s to contend some-more changes wouldn’t be afoot.
White, however, simplified comments he done progressing to which effect.
“What we pronounced was, ‘As we begin to supplement some-more weight groups to a WEC, when we begin adding lighter weight divisions, which (155-pound) multiplication would substantially have clarity usually to put in to a UFC,’” White explained
With former groups during light-heavyweight, middleweight as great as welterweight already collapsed in to a UFC, merging a lightweight groups would potentially leave usually 3 in a WEC — featherweight, bantamweight as great as flyweight, which has nonetheless to debut.
As for Saturday’s event, White pronounced it is additionally critical to have a successful quarrel label to have up for a black eye a competition has taken from a events of a past dual weeks, which saw a argumentative categorical eventuality opening by UFC middleweight hold up Anderson Silva as great as a post-fight quarrel during final Saturday’s Strikeforce show.
“I was unequivocally unfortunate with what happened (at UFC 112) in Abu Dhabi. And final week was, we know, an embarrassment,” White said. “It was bad for a sport. … We’ve got all of these alternative countries we’re perplexing to mangle into. The final thing we need is bad things function in a sport. … we know for a fact, these (WEC fighters) have been starting to go out as great as perform upon Saturday night. They regularly do. They regularly have. These guys have been so motivated.
“And similar to we said, we wish to get this quarrel upon as quick as probable as great as erase what’s happened in a final dual weeks.”
Viewers who do ante up for a uncover will get a feel they have been examination a UFC event, given it will be hosted by a common UFC crew, with White, enclosure announcer Bruce Buffer as great as a promote twin of Mike Goldberg as great as Joe Rogan.
White pronounced which it wasn’t a thoughtfulness upon a opening of those who customarily do a WEC shows upon wire channel Versus.
“We’re a pay-per-view team. We’re we do a pay-per-views. When these guys have been upon Versus it will be a same organisation which does a uncover for Versus. Everybody will be a same. Nobody’s been demoted or nobody’s left or we’re bringing in brand new guys.”
All fighters done weight Friday, with featherweight hold up Jose Aldo right upon a series during 145 as great as Urijah Faber weighing in during 144.5. Lightweight title-holder Ben Henderson strike a scale during 155 as great as competition Donald Cerrone was 154.5.
Faber, for his part, pronounced he isn’t endangered by any vigour there might be with this uncover being upon pay-per-view.
“I’ve felt the, we know, media things for a prolonged time now,” Faber said. “I’ve been, we know, a flattering outspoken man for a association as great as someone which people generally a media has incited to kind of paint so it hasn’t been anything opposite for me really.”
NOTES: The 3 stream or former champions upon a label took 3 opposite stances upon how their romantic state in a moments inside a enclosure rught away after capturing a belt.
In a context of final Saturday’s quarrel of leader Jake Shields by intensity challenger Jason (Mayhem) Miller, which sparked a melee, Faber pronounced he wouldn’t similar to it if it happened to him, Aldo pronounced he wouldn’t thoughts it during all, whilst Henderson pronounced he would usually cite a small time to suffer a perfection of all his tough work.
Henderson: “Personally, we would conclude a small bit of time, similar to twenty-four hours, to soak it in as great as conclude it. Go online, go speak to all a reporters we wish to as great as go have a stage as great as contend we wish a rematch … But give me a small bit of time, let me get outward a enclosure or something, we know?”
Faber: “It would have got upon my nerves probably. we mean, we don’t consider we would have attempted to quarrel any a single about it. But who knows? The usually thing that’s 100 per cent unchanging regularly is guys will burst in as great as assistance out their buddies if there’s a fight. So which was a a single thing we did expect.”
Aldo (through translator Ed Soares): “I unequivocally wouldn’t thoughts it during all. we hold which once we turn a champion, we kind of put a aim upon yourself as great as everybody’s seeking as great as everyone’s gunning after you. And during a finish of a day, we hold we know, if a man wants to come in as great as plea you, we consider it’s a great promotion. And it usually leads off a graduation for a subsequent large fight.”
