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Yesterday, we previewed the four bantamweights making their UFC debuts at UFC 126 this Saturday. Now, we look at the final three fighters stepping into the UFC octagon for the first time, including a three-time title contender and two undefeated prospects. Also, make sure to check out part I if you missed it!
Name: Donald Cerrone
Weight class: Lightweight
Fighting: Paul Kelly
Record: 13-3 (1NC) (11 submissions) mainly for the WEC
Recent body of work: Submitted Chris Horodecki by triangle choke at WEC 53 in December
Who he is: Cerrone emerged as one of the most popular lightweights in the WEC roster. His feud with perpetual heel Jamie Varner led to some of the most vicious trash talking in recent memory, and their two fights both earned Fight of the Night honors. In all, Cerrone has five Fight of the Night awards to his credit, and his WEC 43 fight against Ben Henderson was awarded Fight of the Year from Sherdog.com. Despite becoming a number-one contender three times, Cerrone was never able to capture WEC gold, losing championship bouts once to Varner and twice to Henderson.
Name: Chad Mendes
Weight class: Featherweight
Fighting: Michihiro Omigawa
Record: 9-0 (2 (T)KOs, 2 submissions) mainly for the WEC
Recent body of work: Defeated Javier Vazquez by unanimous decision at WEC 52 in November
Who he is: Mendes comes out of Team Alpha Male where he trains with the likes of Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez. A two-time All-American wrestler out of Cal Poly, Mendes relies heavily on his strong wrestling base and cardio to wear down his opponents and grind out victories. With an undefeated record -- including a 4-0 mark in the WEC -- Mendes looks primed for a title run in 2011.
Name: Kenny Robertson
Weight class: Welterweight
Fighting: Mike Pierce
Record: 10-0 (2 (T)KOs, 7 submissions) for Bellator and various regional promotions
Recent body of work: Submitted John Kolosci by keylock at Bellator 25
Who he is: Undefeated at 10-0, Robertson was originally supposed to make his UFC debut at UFC 122 against Pascal Krauss, but was forced to withdraw from the bout with a broken toe. Robertson wrestled collegiately at Eastern Illinois University and recently defeated UFC veteran John Kolosci at Bellator 25.
(Pictures courtesy of MMAfrenzy.com, CombatLifestyle.com and Fightinginsider.com)
