Former WEC title challenger Eddie Wineland (17-6-1) will welcome newcomer Ken Stone (9-1) to the Zuffa-owned promotion at WEC 53 on Dec. 16 in Glenndale, Ariz. — the final WEC event before the promotion’s bantamweight, featerweight, and lightweight roster is absorbed into the UFC — according to MMAFighting.com.

Wineland had been scheduled to face Damacio Page at WEC 52 on Nov. 11 but had to back out of the fight due to a shoulder injury. Since losing to Rani Yahya by rear naked choke submission last year, Wineland has won his last three fights, including a second round KO over Will Campuzano at WEC 49 this past June.

Stone, meanwhile, has looked impressive in the New England MMA circuit, earning all of his wins by submission or TKO and only going beyond the first round on one occasion. In his one loss he dropped a five round unanimous decision to Jason McLean in June 2009.

WEC 53 featured a lightweight title bout between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis and a bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgenson. The winner of the Henderson-Pettis bout will get the next shot at the winner of the UFC 125 championship clash between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, while the Cruz-Jorgenson winner will become the UFC bantamweight champion.

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