HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 15 -- Just over a year to the day when Urijah Faber (Pictures) choked Charlie Valencia (Pictures) in the small desert community of Globe, Ariz., the featherweight Faber and now bantamweight Valencia were again tangled on the mat, this time in Tinseltown, where they joined forces to promote the debut of live mixed martial arts on Versus.

If mixed martial arts lighter stars such as Faber, the current World Extreme Cagefighting 145-pound champion, hope to reach the same heights as their bigger brethren like Chuck Liddell (Pictures) or Randy Couture (Pictures), there will have to be a lot more days like this one.

"I think the lightweights are going to go from zero to 100 in a short time," Faber told Sherdog.com. "I'm doing my part to make that happen. Now Zuffa is doing their part to make it happen. Versus and Spike, they're all starting to show these lightweight guys. It's important to get the exposure out there so people see what they have to watch. It's fast-paced. It's intense. It's some of the best talent in the world."

In Faber's hometown of Sacramento, Calif. on Monday, Versus and WEC began a nine-city barnstorming tour across the U.S. to publicize the June 3 card, which will air in 70 million homes starting at 9 p.m. EST.

A major focus of the WEC will be three weight divisions that until recently hadn't benefited from the sport's explosive growth in the U.S.: 155, 145 and 135.

"Everybody was gearing for the heavier guys," said the five-foot-three Valencia, who will fight Brian Bowles at 135. "Everybody likes to see the big guys pound each other. Not that much technique in a lot of them, but I'm glad WEC brought in these lightweights."

Since gaining notoriety as a top fighter at 145, Faber (18-1-0) hasn't stopped pumping up his and lighter weight divisions. With Zuffa now doing the same with the WEC, and Versus jumping on board as a broadcast partner, Faber is convinced more than ever that guys his size will captivate the burgeoning mixed martial arts audience.

"Part of the reason is a lot of the smaller guys don't have other avenues for professional athletes, so you have some of the top athletes in the world competing as fighters and mixed martial artists," said the 28-year-old former collegiate wrestler. "It's going to be great and I think the public will love us."

With less than three weeks remaining before Faber faces Chance Farrar (Pictures) -- The California Kid's fourth defense of his WEC title -- he's juggling critical weeks of training with an equally crucial stretch of PR.

Over 12 days Faber will have had open workouts and interview sessions in Sacramento and Los Angeles before returning home for a quick rest. Then it's off to Florida, where he'll handle media in Miami and Tampa. A quick jaunt home to sleep in his own bed is followed by a cross-country flight to New York City, the final stop on the WEC and Versus promo tour. Finally, it's off to Las Vegas, where Faber said he'll get some airtime on the Liddell-Jackson II UFC pay-per-view and wait out the remaining days for his fight at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Oh, he'll squeeze in the necessary training, too.

"I've got my training partners with me," said Faber, pointing to a tough 19-year-old he said we'd hear from soon enough. "Everything is following suit. Good food, hard training and a lot of rest."

Valencia too is balancing the rigors of the gym with the demands of promotion.

"I kind of wish I could just concentrate [on training] but the WEC is putting a lot of effort into this," said the former KOTC champ. "It's my responsibility to also go out there and promote the WEC and show what the WEC is doing."

While Valencia is learning to cope with the pops of flashing cameras, he also mentioned that he knows very little about his foe on June 3, something he's dealt with throughout a career that's spanned seven years.

"I fought in the days when you'd show up to a gym and they'd go 'you against him' and there it went," he quipped.

The days of talented fighters a 155 pounds and under going unnoticed, however, appears to be dwindling.

"We've got Urijah Faber (Pictures), who's just one of the most exciting fighters out there," said Valencia (8-2-0). "It gives the world a chance to see someone of his caliber and talent. And I just hope to follow in those footsteps and be right there and get my world championship belt for the WEC and hold onto it for a long time."

"It's pretty unbelievable," Valencia said of the media attention. "I'm proud to be a part of it."