Fresh Faces: UFC 126 Edition part II

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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)

Fresh Faces: UFC 126 Edition part I

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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.

Fresh Faces: UFC Fight for the Troops 2 Edition

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Every UFC event, TapouTVTC.com looks at the fighters making their promotional debuts. Three such fighters will make their debuts this Saturday at "UFC: Fight for the Troops 2," including two making the transition from the WEC. Meet them in this edition of "Fresh Faces."

Courtesy of Tatame.com

Name: Rani Yahya

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Mike Brown

Record: 15-6 (14 submissions) for the WEC and other promotions

Recent body of work: Has lost two straight fights, to Joseph Benavidez (December 2009) and Takeya Mizugaki (April 2010), in the WEC

Who he is: A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Yahya won the prestigious Abu Dhabi Submission Championships in 2007. Those ground credentials are reflective of Yahya's MMA style, where 14 of his 15 wins have come by submission, including three straight Submission of the Night bonuses in the WEC. Overall, Yahya went 4-4 in the WEC, including a championship loss against then-champion Chase Beebe.

Courtesy of MMAjunkie.com

Name: Chris Cariaso

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Will Campuzano

Record: 10-2 (2 (T)KOs, 2 submissions) for the WEC, Strikeforce and other promotions

Recent body of work: Was submitted in the first round by Renan Barao at WEC 53 in December

Who he is: Another carry-over from the WEC/ UFC merger, Cariaso saw his recent six-fight win streak derailed by Barao at WEC 53. The California-based fighter had been 10-1 prior to the loss, fighting for EliteXC and Strikeforce before signing with the WEC.

Name: Willamy Freire

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Waylon Lowe

Record: 17-3 (2 (T)KOs, 9 submissions) for Shooto and other promotions

Recent body of work: Defeated Yusuke Endo by split decision at "The Way of Shooto 3" in May to defend the Shooto Welterweight Championship.

Who he is: Hailing from Brazil, Freire enters the UFC riding an 11-fight win streak, and has not been defeated since dropping a decision to Hacran Dias in 2007. Freire captured the vacant Shooto welterweight (154 lbs.) title with a TKO doctor stoppage victory over Kenichiro Togashi in October 2009, then defeated Mikael Lahdesmaki in a non-title fight before successfully defending the belt against Endo in May.






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Fresh Faces: Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale edition

"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.

Fresh Faces: UFC 123 edition

For every UFC event, TapouTVTC.com introduces you to the fighters making their UFC debuts.


Name: Maiquel Falcao

Weight class: Middleweight

Fighting: Gerald Harris

Record: 25-3 (1 NC) (21 (T)KOs, 3 submissions) for various Brazilian promotions

Recent body of work: Scored a first-round TKO victory over Wendres Carlos da Silva at "Arena Gold Fights 2) in July

Who he is: Fighting out of the Chute Boxe camp, Falcao has only seen one fight go to decision in his career, a span that has lasted 26 fights and six years. The Brazilian is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, with all of those fights ending in the first round.

Name: Edson Barboza

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Mike Lullo

Record: 6-0 (5 (T)KOs, 1 submission) for various promotions in Florida, Louisiana and New Jersey

Recent body of work: TKO'd Marcelo Guidici with kicks to win the Ring of Combat lightweight title in June.

Who he is: A Muay Thai black belt with 28 professional kickboxing fights, Barboza has seamlessly made the transition into MMA. Only one of Barboza's six MMA fights have lasted past the first round.

Name: Mike Lullo

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Edson Barboza

Record: 8-1 (1 (T)KO, 6 submissions) for various U.S. promotions

Recent body of work: Submitted Tyler Combs by armbar at "Chicago Cagefighting Championship" in October

Who he is: Lullo steps in as an injury replacement after Barboza's original opponent, Darren Elkins was forced to withdraw with a knee injury. Based out of the Midwest Training Center in Illinois, Lullo has won eight straight fights since losing his professional debut back in 2008.

Name: T.J. O'Brien

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Paul Kelly

Record: 16-3 (15 submissions) for various U.S. promotions

Recent body of work: Defeated Josh Henry by rear-naked choke at "Midwest Cage Championships 29" in October

Who he is: O'Brien will get a second shot at the UFC after getting knocked out in the elimination round of "The Ultimate Fighter 12" by Team Koscheck first-round pick Marc Stevens. An injury to Gabe Ruediger opened the door to O'Brien, who has won his last six fights and 11 overall by triangle choke.