HIGH STAKES FOR FABER AND ASSUNCAO

(PRESS RELEASE) -- If Urijah Faber is the Tyreke Evans of the lighter weight classes, you can expect that “The California Kid” will be looking to hit the game-winning shot when he faces Raphael Assuncao at ARCO Arena on Sunday night. An explosive, speedy fighter who is considered among the best 145-pounders in the world, Faber (22-3) has his sights set on reclaiming the featherweight title. And while many believe a Faber win this weekend would lead to a mega-fight with champion Jose Aldo, the 30-year-old Sacramento native isn’t thinking that far ahead just yet. “Jose Aldo, without a doubt, has proven that he’s the champ right now,” Faber said. “So that’s the guy I’ve got to beat. But before then, I’ve got a very tough opponent in Raphael. I don’t want to get too excited about fighting Aldo yet because I’ve got another hard-headed Brazilian to try to throw around on Jan. 10.” It’s probably best that Faber’s sole focus is on Assuncao, because if Faber is Sacramento Kings’ star Tyreke Evans, Assuncao is Los Angeles Lakers’ stud Ron Artest. A staunch defender with a relentless approach, the 27-year-old is among the most dangerous grapplers in the game. While the native of Recife, Brazil is often soft-spoken, he doesn’t mince his words when it comes to his desire to beat Faber and earn a world title shot. “Urijah deserves to be where he is at in this sport,” Assuncao said upon arriving in his opponent’s hometown earlier this week. “But I didn’t get lucky in getting here either. I’ve fought my way all the way up to co-main event status. I’m ready to prove that I’m the best in the world in this weight class.” With the anticipation for the Faber-Assuncao clash growing, WEC officials aren’t surprised that both men are eyeing a future shot at the world title. Thus, WEC officials have flown champion Aldo in from his native Brazil to sit cageside for the event and get a look at perhaps the first challenger to his throne. “Jose wanted to be here in the worst way,” Harris said. “He wants to see Faber and Assuncao first hand and get a look at two fighters that want his belt. With that said, the energy at ARCO Arena on Sunday night is going to be amazing. Urijah Faber and Raphael Assuncao are going to war to determine which fighter is more worthy of a title shot. This could be one for the record books.” Bud Light® presents Varner 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. For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS. 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 Score network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, Globosat in Brazil, 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 Maloof Sports & Entertainment Maloof Sports & Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings (NBA) and ARCO Arena. Led by Joe and Gavin Maloof, and owned by the Maloof family with long-term, local partners, the organization is committed to the community in Sacramento and to making a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of families in need in the Sacramento region. Maloof Sports & Entertainment has donated more than $17 million to charities in 10 years of Maloof family ownership. For more information about Maloof Sports & Entertainment, please visit kings.com and arcoarena.com or call 916-928-0000.