Torres, Tapia on Target for WEC 37
Sherdog.com Staff Dec 3, 2008
World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Miguel
Torres and challenger Manny Tapia
have won 24 consecutive fights between them. Something has to
give.
Torres checked in at 134 pounds for his scheduled title defense against the undefeated Tapia (134) in the main event at WEC 37 on Wednesday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The 18 other fighters on the card also made weight without incident at Tuesday’s official weigh-in.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has emerged as one of the
world’s top pound-for-pound fighters, Torres (34-1) will ride into
the bout on a 15-fight winning streak that dates back to November
2003. The 27-year-old has finished his last 10 foes, six of them
inside one round. Torres last fought in June when he stopped former
King of Pancrase Yoshihiro Maeda in the third round in what many
consider the “Fight of the Year.”
Tapia (10-0-1), meanwhile, will see his first action since undergoing surgery for a torn knee ligament. Based out of Millennia Jiu-Jitsu, he has fought only twice in the last 24 months and has not competed since he eked out a split decision against Antonio Banuelos at WEC 32 in February. A former King of the Cage champion, Tapia made his WEC debut in 2007 and snapped Brandon Foxworth’s 14-fight winning streak with a technical knockout victory.
A top contender for the Torres-Tapia winner will likely emerge from WEC 37, as well, as Brian Bowles will meet Will Ribeiro in a battle between two fast-rising bantamweights.
Spawned by the same Athens, Ga., gym as reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, Bowles (6-0) -- who tipped the scales at 135 -- has never gone the distance as a professional and has finished all three of his WEC opponents in two rounds or less. Victories over Charlie Valencia and Marcos Galvao launched him onto the international stage.
Ribeiro (10-1), who weighed in at 136, made a sudden impact in his WEC debut in June, when he earned a split decision against former bantamweight titleholder Chase Beebe. The talented 25-year-old Brazilian will enter his showdown with Bowles having rattled off four straight wins. Five of Ribeiro’s 10 victories have come by knockout or technical knockout.
WEC 37 will also mark the promotional debut of former International Fight League featherweight champion Wagnney Fabiano. He weighed in at 146 for his bout with former Shooto titleholder Akitoshi Tamura (145).
WEC 37 Weigh-In Results
Miguel Torres (134) vs. Manny Tapia (134)
Wagnney Fabiano (146) vs. Akitoshi Tamura (145)
Brian Bowles (135) vs. Will Ribeiro (136)
Joseph Benavidez (135) vs. Danny Martinez (136)
Justin Haskins (169) vs. Johny Hendricks (171)
Ricardo Barros (205) vs. Mark Munoz (205)
Diego Nunes (146) vs. Cole Province (146)
Alex Karalexis (156) vs. Bart Palaszewski (155)
Cub Swanson (145) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (146)
Shane Roller (156) vs. Mike Budnik (155)
Torres checked in at 134 pounds for his scheduled title defense against the undefeated Tapia (134) in the main event at WEC 37 on Wednesday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The 18 other fighters on the card also made weight without incident at Tuesday’s official weigh-in.
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Tapia (10-0-1), meanwhile, will see his first action since undergoing surgery for a torn knee ligament. Based out of Millennia Jiu-Jitsu, he has fought only twice in the last 24 months and has not competed since he eked out a split decision against Antonio Banuelos at WEC 32 in February. A former King of the Cage champion, Tapia made his WEC debut in 2007 and snapped Brandon Foxworth’s 14-fight winning streak with a technical knockout victory.
A top contender for the Torres-Tapia winner will likely emerge from WEC 37, as well, as Brian Bowles will meet Will Ribeiro in a battle between two fast-rising bantamweights.
Spawned by the same Athens, Ga., gym as reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, Bowles (6-0) -- who tipped the scales at 135 -- has never gone the distance as a professional and has finished all three of his WEC opponents in two rounds or less. Victories over Charlie Valencia and Marcos Galvao launched him onto the international stage.
Ribeiro (10-1), who weighed in at 136, made a sudden impact in his WEC debut in June, when he earned a split decision against former bantamweight titleholder Chase Beebe. The talented 25-year-old Brazilian will enter his showdown with Bowles having rattled off four straight wins. Five of Ribeiro’s 10 victories have come by knockout or technical knockout.
WEC 37 will also mark the promotional debut of former International Fight League featherweight champion Wagnney Fabiano. He weighed in at 146 for his bout with former Shooto titleholder Akitoshi Tamura (145).
WEC 37 Weigh-In Results
Miguel Torres (134) vs. Manny Tapia (134)
Wagnney Fabiano (146) vs. Akitoshi Tamura (145)
Brian Bowles (135) vs. Will Ribeiro (136)
Joseph Benavidez (135) vs. Danny Martinez (136)
Justin Haskins (169) vs. Johny Hendricks (171)
Ricardo Barros (205) vs. Mark Munoz (205)
Diego Nunes (146) vs. Cole Province (146)
Alex Karalexis (156) vs. Bart Palaszewski (155)
Cub Swanson (145) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (146)
Shane Roller (156) vs. Mike Budnik (155)
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