WEC 47

Dominick Cruz took home the bantamweight belt at WEC 47.

Sherdog/Dave Mandel

WEC 47 took place last night in Columbus, Ohio, and what promised to be an exciting card full of quality fights certainly delivered. Some of the biggest names in the promotion took part in 47, including former UFC fighters Leonard Garcia and George Roop, Bart Palaszewski, Javier Vasquez, future Hall of Famer Jens Pulver, former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres, and Dominick Cruz and Brian Bowles in a battle for that bantamweight strap. In addition, California was well-represented on the card, as Chad Mendes, Karen Darabedyan, and Joseph Benavidez were featured. All in all, it was a night of surprises, upsets, and career-changing performances.

The event drew 8,345 attendees, according to WEC head Reed Harris. If the number is confirmed by the Ohio State Athletic Commission, than it will be the fifth-highest attended WEC event in its history. Here are the quick preliminary (untelevised) card results:

• Scott Jorgensen defeated Chad George via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:31 of round 1
• Chad Mendes defeated Erik Koch via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Anthony Pettis defeated Danny Castillo via knockout (head kick) at 2:17 of round 1
• Leonard Garcia vs. George Roop declared split draw (29-27, 27-29, 28-28)
• Fredson Paixao defeated Courtney Buck via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:39 of round 1
• Ricardo Lamas defeated Bendy Casimir via knockout (knee) at 3:43 round 1

The undercard featured a bit of everything, with submissions, knockouts, a decision, and even a draw. Big winners include Scott Jorgensen, who took a big career jump in lifting Chad George off the ground with a guillotine en route to the submission win. Anthony Pettis rebounded from a difficult loss to Palaszewski to deliver a highlight reel KO via head kick at Danny Castillo’s expense, while Fredson Paixao and Ricardo Lamas breathed new life into their WEC careers. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said of fan favorite Leonard Garcia and George Roop. It was an entertaining fight, but Garcia was deducted a point late in the 3rd round due to a low blow, and the fighters had to settle for a rarely-seen split draw.

Here are the full results of the main card:

Bart Palaszewski (34-13) defeated Karen Darabedyan (9-2) via submission (armbar) at 4:40 of round 1: At only 26 years old, Bart Palaszewski is a veteran of over 50 fights. But though his opponent has one-fifth the experience he does, many felt that Palaszewski would end up on the losing end of this one. And if he did win, it would certainly be on the feet, and not on the mat. But they were wrong. The RoufusSport fighter loves to stand and bang. But this time, it wasn’t needed. Darbedyan showed he has some work to do with his grappling, as he left his arm out there for the experienced veteran to take hold of. With twenty seconds left, he was forced to tap as a result. After losing two in a row, Palaszewski has now reeled off three straight wins, and is close to regaining his contender status. Darabedyan saw his seven-fight win streak stopped.

L.C. Davis (16-2) def. Deividas Taurosevicius (12-4) via majority decision (29-29, 29-28, 29-28): It was a bout that was about as evenly-matched as one could hope for. Davis and Taurosevicius went move-for-move, with neither seeming to gain much of an advantage. In the end, it was L.C. that did just enough to get the nod. Neither fighter lost much in the fan’s eyes, and both combatants proved they are to be taken seriously. Davis gets his third straight win, and is most likely in line for a shot at a contender in his next bout.

Javier Vasquez (14-4) defeated Jens Pulver (22-13-1) via submission (armbar) at 3:41 of round 1: In what probably signals the end of his storied career, pioneer lightweight Jens Pulver went down in defeat to another longtime fighter in Javier Vasquez. The crowd was firmly entrenched behind “Lil’ Evil,” but sadly for the fans, it was not to be. And the manner in which Vasquez did it was very intelligent. He skirted the fight on the feet, preferring to bring it to his world: the mat. Once the fight moved there, it was only a matter of time, as the SoCal featherweight moved from position to more dominant position. In the end, it was enough to get the victory. Speaking of the crowd’s positive reaction to Pulver in the fight, “I would have been in corner, too. I'm just as big of a fan of Jens Pulver as anybody else. It was an honor to fight him.” But Vazquez got the win as he envisioned, and was obviously pleased. “I couldn't have scripted it any better,” said “Showtime.” Pulver, for his part, seemed to think he’s done. “It's over. The vintage, the authentic. I don't know how many times I can cry in front of all of you,” he stated. “I'll never say that (I'm retiring), but I'm telling ya'll, I love you way, way, way too much to put you through this again.” If it sticks, we’ve just seen one of the all-time greats ride off into the sunset.

Joseph Benavidez (12-1) defeated Miguel Torres (37-3) via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:57 of round 2: For the first time, Miguel Torres is facing consecutive losses in his career. After losing the belt to Brian Bowles, Torres now has to head back to the proverbial drawing board. Urijah Faber’s teammate, Joseph Benavidez, cut through all the hype and dominated the former champ. He opened up a nasty gash with an elbow, drawing a lot of blood from Torres. As the two scrambled on the mat in the second round, Benavidez sunk in the fight-ending choke, and might have secured himself a title shot in the process. “I just went in there to fight a fight,” said Benavidez after the fight. “It was just another fight for me. I've been waiting for this fight for forever, so I was totally prepared for it.” Torres will have to work at rebuilding his career.

Dominick Cruz (15-1) defeated Brian Bowles (8-1) for the WEC Bantamweight Championship via TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 5:00 of round 2: When Brian Bowles knocked out Miguel Torres for the belt in August of last year, it was viewed by many to be a huge upset. At 47, it was Bowles’ turn to face that monster, as Dominick Cruz utilized his speed advantage to frustrate the champ and take his belt. It was a masterful performance. Bowles was visibly aggravated, and it was clear his hand was hurt. When the doctors took a look at the hand at the end of the second round, they discovered it was broken, and stopped the fight. “The first punch I threw in the whole fight, I broke my hand,” said the former champ. “It threw me off. My mind starting thinking about my hand.” As far as his future goes, Bowles knows where he stands. “I'm sure I'll have to fight somebody before I fight for the belt again.” Cruz, meanwhile, was happy with his performance. “He's got heavy hands. He popped me a few times in the mouth. I just had to move a lot, just like I said I was going to do. I executed the game-plan.” So what’s next for the new champ? With Benavidez’s big win, he’s probably lined himself up to rematch with the new champ.

Fight night bonuses went to Leonard Garcia and George Roop for “Fight of the Night,” Joseph Benavidez for “Submission of the Night,” and Anthony Pettis for “KO of the Night.” Each fighter received a $10,000 bump in pay for the night. Overall, the night must be considered a win for the UFC’s sister promotion. A new champion was crowned, new stars cemented themselves, while a couple of the “older guard” made their presence known. The WEC’s next event will be on pay per view, their first such offering. Things are about to get more interesting.