Benavidez-Wineland Bantamweight Battle Set For UFC Live 5
Mike Whitman May 24, 2011
Joseph Benavidez (above) will meet Eddie Wineland on Aug. 14 |
Photo: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com
A bantamweight scrap between two of the division's best is in place for UFC Live 5, as Eddie Wineland will meet Joseph Benavidez at the Aug. 14 event. The UFC announced the match-up on Tuesday evening.
Highlighted by a pivotal lightweight tilt featuring former WEC titleholder Benson Henderson squaring off with the red-hot Jim Miller, UFC Live 5 will emanate from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Also featured will be a welterweight contest between heavy-handed Brit Dan Hardy and durable veteran Chris Lytle. The event's main card airs live on cable network Versus.
Wineland, 26, became the inaugural WEC bantamweight champion in 2006 by besting Antonio Banuelos at WEC 20. After losing the title in his first defense against Chase Beebe, Wineland returned to the WEC in 2009, racking up a record of 4-1 in the promotion before making his UFC debut against Urijah Faber in March. After holding his own in the first round, Wineland was eventually outworked and out-struck by Faber, losing their UFC 128 clash by unanimous decision.
A training partner of Faber's at Team Alpha Male, Benavidez dominated the WEC's bantamweight division with the exception of Dominick Cruz. The 26-year-old debuted in the smaller blue cage in 2008, notching back-to-back wins before dropping a unanimous decision to Cruz at WEC 42.
Benavidez would put together another two-fight winning streak before facing Cruz once again, this time for his bantamweight title at WEC 50. Again, Benavidez would lose on points, though this time it was by a split verdict. Since that defeat, the southpaw has won his last two fights, submitting Wagnney Fabiano before outpointing Ian Loveland at UFC 128 in March.
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