The WEC/UFC merger has caused a huge injection of talent into the UFC. With a staggering seven fighters making their UFC debuts at UFC 126 -- including five former WEC fighters -- we have divided up this edition of "Fresh Faces" into two parts. First up, meet the four bantamweights making their debuts this Saturday, then check back tomorrow for part II!
Name: Miguel Torres
Weight class: Bantamweight
Fighting: Antonio Banuelos
Record: 38-3 (9 (T)KOs, 23 submissions) mainly in the WEC
Recent body of work: Submitted Charlie Valencia by rear-naked choke at WEC 51 last September
Who he is: The former WEC bantamweight champion, Miguel Torres was once considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. A decision win over Takeya Mizugaki ran Torres' record to a staggering 37-1, and fans were clamoring for a superfight against featherweight Urijah Faber. Torres would soon fall on hard times, though, losing his title to Brian Bowles via first-round KO, then getting submitted by Joseph Benavidez in his return bout seven months later. Suddenly, fans and pundits alike were questioning whether or not Torres' record --which included a 32-1 mark outside of the WEC against mostly unknown competition -- was really smoke and mirrors. After changing his training partners and fight preparation, Torres stormed back at WEC 51 to dominate Charlie Valencia on the feet before finishing him on the ground in the second round. Back on the winning track, Torres will look to use his UFC debut to take another step towards regaining his title.
Name: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
Weight class: Bantamweight
Fighting: Demetrious Johnson
Record: 18-3 (1NC) (13 (T)KOs, 2 submissions) mainly for Shooto, K-1 and DREAM
Recent body of work: Made his bantamweight debut at DREAM 14 last May, defeating Federico Lopez by KO in the first round
Who he is: A star in his native Japan, "Kid" Yamamoto has built a reputation on his aggressive style, highlighted by his four-second knockout of Kazuyuki Miyata in 2006. The former 2005 K-1 Middleweight Grand Prix winner dropped to bantamweight after losing two straight decisions and rebounded with a first-round knockout of Federico Lopez last May.
Name: Demetrious Johnson
Weight class: Bantamweight
Fighting: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
Record: 8-1 (2 (T)KOs, 5 submissions) for the WEC and various regional promotions
Recent body of work: Submitted Damacio Page by guillotine choke at WEC 52 last November
Who he is: Johnson raised eyebrows with his dominant performance over former top-ten fighter Damacio Page at WEC 52. Standing at just 5'3'', Johnson clocks in at the shorter end of the bantamweight spectrum, but his cardio and wrestling base have helped him succeed against taller opponents. "Mighty Mouse" has won two straight fights since suffering his first career loss at the hands of Brad Pickett.
Name: Antonio Banuelos
Weight class: Bantamweight
Fighting: Miguel Torres
Record: 18-6 (7 (T)KOs, 1 submission) mainly in the WEC
Recent body of work: Defeated Chad George by unanimous decision at WEC 51 last September
Who he is: A ten-year veteran of the sport, Banuelos has spent the majority of his career --14 fights -- in the WEC. Banuelos is 4-1 in his last five bouts, with his only loss coming to former number-one contender Scotty Jorgensen.
