"The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale" kicks off this Saturday in historic fashion. Not only will the night crown the next Ultimate Fighter, but it will also mark the first card that the lower weight classes from the WEC will fight under the UFC banner.
In preparation, we introduce you to six bantamweights and featherweights that will make history Saturday night.
Name: Will Campuzano
Weight class: Bantamweight
Fighting: Nick Pace
Record: 7-2 (4 (T)KOs, 2 submissions) for the WEC and other regional promotions in Louisiana and Texas
Recent body of work: Defeated Steve Garcia by split decision at "King of Kombat 9: Resurrection."
Who he is: Campuzano entered the WEC with a perfect 6-0 record, but went 1-2 in the promotion with losses to Damacio Page and former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland. The decision win over Garcia put Campuzano back on the winning track, and he will now get a second chance with the Zuffa organization.
Name: Nick Pace
Weight class: Bantamweight
Fighting: Will Campuzano
Record: 5-1 (1 (T)KO, 2 submissions) for the WEC, Bellator and Ring of Combat
Recent body of work: Dropped a unanimous decision to Demetrious Johnson at WEC 51 in September.
Who he is: The inaugural Ring of Combat bantamweight champion, Pace garnered some media attention with a spectacular flying knee KO over Collin Tebo at Bellator 11. Now, Pace will enter the UFC looking to bounce back from his first career defeat.
Name: Fredson Paixao
Weight class: Featherweight
Fighting: Pablo Garza
Record: 10-3 (1 NC) (1 (T)KO, 4 submissions) for the WEC and various promotions in Brazil, Japan and the U.S.
Recent body of work: Defeated Bryan Caraway by split decision at WEC 50 in August.
Who he is: Paixao is a three-time gold medalist at the Mundials, one of the most prestigious grappling tournaments in the world. After losing his first two WEC contests to Wagnney Fabiano and Cole Province (the latter was later ruled a no contest when Province tested positive for banned substances), Paixao has rebounded with two straight wins over Courtney Buck and Caraway.
Name: Pablo Garza
Weight class: Featherweight
Fighting: Fredson Paixao
Record: 9-1 (1 (T)KO, 6 submissions) for the WEC and various promotions in North Dakota and Minnesota
Recent body of work: Lost by submission to Zhang Tie Quan at WEC 51 in September.
Who he is: Garza appeared on the "Ultimate Fighter 12," losing to top pick Michael Johnson in the debut episode, then went 2-0 for smaller promotions. Nicknamed "the Scarecrow," Garza then signed with the WEC, but lost his debut to Zhang Tie Quan by first-round submission.
Name: Ian Loveland
Weight class: Featherweight
Fighting: Tyler Toner
Record: 13-7 (6 (T)KOs, 6 submissions) for the IFL, Ring of Combat and various other promotions
Recent body of work: TKO'd Xavier Desrochers in 41 seconds at "Wreck MMA."
Who he is: A 20-fight veteran of the sport, Loveland enters the UFC as an injury replacement for Leonard Garcia on two weeks' notice. Loveland is riding a six-fight win streak, and has not lost a bout since 2007.
Name: Tyler Toner
Weight class: Featherweight
Fighting: Ian Loveland
Record: 10-2 (1 NC) (6 (T)KOs, 2 submisions) for the WEC, Strikeforce, Ring of Fire and Battlequest
Recent body of work: Lost a unanimous decision to Diego Nunes at WEC 51 in September.
Who he is: A native of Colorado, Toner entered the WEC with a first-round TKO knockout of Brandon Visher at WEC 48, but then saw his three-fight winning streak snapped by Nunes. Toner was originally scheduled to face Leonard Garcia, but an injury forced Garcia off of the card.
