WEC PRESENTS: CERRONE VS. RATCLIFF
From The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV
Saturday, Dec. 19;
Tickets On Sale NOW
Fights to Air Live on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT

TAKEYA MIZUGAKI VS. SCOTT JORGENSEN
BART PALASZEWSKI VS. ANTHONY PETTIS
MUHSIN CORBBREY VS. ZACH MICKLEWRIGHT
CHAD GEORGE VS. JOHN HOSMAN
TYLER TONER VS. BRANDON VISHER
BRAD PICKETT VS. KYLE DIETZ
JAMEEL MASSOUH VS. ERIK KOCH

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting proudly confirms the remaining bouts of a loaded fight card headed to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Dec. 19. In addition to Cerrone vs. Ratcliff, Njokuani vs. Horodecki, and Benavidez vs. Yahya, WEC is pleased to announce seven other quality bouts.

“This is the perfect way to close out 2009,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. “We have stacked this card with some outstanding battles featuring our top contenders. This is truly our holiday gift to fans.”

Cerrone vs. Ratcliff will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 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.

Expect fireworks when free-swinging bantamweights Scott Jorgensen (fighting out of Boise, ID) and Takeya Mizugaki (fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) collide on Dec. 19. Fresh off a submission victory over Noah Thomas in October, Jorgensen (7-3) believes he is closing in on a match with 135-pound champion Brian Bowles. A winner of three out of his last four fights, the Boise-based fighter is prepared for an all-out slugfest with Mizugaki at The Palms. With impressive performances in each of his first two fights in the WEC, Japanese star Mizugaki (12-3-2) has proved to be one of the toughest bantamweights in the world. His five-round fight with Miguel Angel Torres in April, coupled with his decision victory over Jeff Curran in August, has many wondering if the clinch-savvy Mizugaki will soon be wearing the WEC championship. Before Mizugaki can garner a world title shot, he must diffuse Jorgensen in a potential “Fight of the Year.”

At just 26 years old, few fighters boast the level of experience offered by the heavy-handed Bart Palaszewski (fighting out of Chicago, IL). With 45 fights in his seven-year career, “Bartimus” believes his MMA seasoning will fuel him past fiery lightweight prospect Anthony Pettis (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI). Unbeaten at 7-0 in his young career, the 22-year-old Pettis scored an impressive submission victory over Mike Campbell is his WEC debut in June. Training out of the same camp that has produced UFC veterans Pat Barry, Ben Rothwell, and Eric Schafer, Pettis thinks he has all of the tools necessary to best Palaszewski (32-13) and climb one step closer to the 155-pound elite.

WEC newcomer Zach Micklewright (fighting out of Davenport, IA) has built a solid reputation as a gritty lightweight fighter willing to trade leather. Micklewright (8-1), who is a training partner of rising featherweight star L.C. Davis, hopes to show WEC fans his exciting standup game when he takes on tested veteran Muhsin Corbbrey (fighting out of Savannah, GA) in Las Vegas. Nicknamed “The Technician,” Corbbrey (13-4-1) is a versatile athlete with strong jiu jitsu and striking. The 31-year-old believes his complete arsenal will help him spoil Micklewright’s debut on Dec. 19.

An intriguing bantamweight bout pits John Hosman (fighting out of Evanston, IL) against WEC rookie Chad George (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.). Holding a record of 17-5-1, the 29-year-old Hosman is a solid wrestler with good submissions. A longtime training partner of UFC star Clay Guida, Hosman looks to pick up his first win in the WEC when he locks horns with the hard-hitting George at The Palms. Considering that nine of his 10 wins have come by way of stoppage, George (10-4) believes he can become an immediate contender in the stacked bantamweight division. What’s more, the fighter nicknamed “Savage” hopes to do so by knocking off the rugged Hosman on Dec. 19.

Two hard-hitting featherweight newcomers meet when Tyler Toner (fighting out of Denver, CO) wages war with Brandon Visher (fighting out of Maui, Hawaii) at The Pearl at the Palms. One look at each fighter’s stats leads many to believe that this could steal “Fight of the Night” honors. In nine pro victories, Toner (9-1) has scored an impressive five knockouts and two submissions. He’ll look to take the next step in his MMA career against his Hawaiian-born opponent. Nicknamed “The Viper,” Visher is unbeaten at 13-0 in his five-year career and owns finishes in 10 of those bouts. An aggressive striker with a slick ground game, the highly-touted Maui resident promises an explosive contest when he debuts next month.

A winner of his last seven fights, England’s Brad “One Punch” Pickett (now fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL) makes his highly-anticipated WEC debut when he takes on Kyle Dietz (fighting out of Davenport, IA) in an exciting bantamweight bout. A close friend and teammate of former featherweight champion Mike Brown, Pickett (17-4) enters the WEC with heavy momentum. With submissions wins in three out of his last four fights, the outspoken Brit wants to make an immediate mark by besting Dietz. A 23-year-old protégé of UFC vet Spencer Fisher, Dietz (13-1) is hungry for his first victory inside the OctagonTM. He hopes to use his vicious Muay Thai and slick grappling to overpower Pickett at The Palms.

A battle of the Badger State pits Milwaukee residents Jameel Massouh (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI) and Erik Koch (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI) against one another in featherweight action. A top star in the Pancrase organization, Massouh (21-6) has fought some of the top competition in the world, including Leonard Garcia and Raphael Assuncao. The 25-year-old looks to jump into the mix at 145-pounds with a win over the unbeaten Koch. Boasting an unblemished record of 8-0, the 21-year-old Koch is a tremendous grappler who has only been to a decision once in his career. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter believes he has the potential to one day wear WEC gold and hopes to pave his way to the title with a win over Massouh on Dec. 19.

For more information on WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC on twitter http://twitter.com/weconversus

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