At last month's UFC on FOX event, all four main card winners -- Demetrious
Johnson, Glover Teixeira, Anthony Pettis and Ricardo Lamas -- were
alumni of the WEC's unforgettable blue cage.
As the organization's
former fighters continue their unbridled success inside the Octagon -- including the WEC 53 opener Renan Barao, defending his title tomorrow at UFC on FUEL TV 7, let’s look back at one of the most entertaining events in MMA memory:
WEC 53.
On December 16th, 2010, World Extreme Cagefighting held its final event in Glendale, Arizona in front of a lucky 6,348 fight fans who witnessed history live. From bonuses to belts, the show’s stacked card has since flooded the UFC’s ranks with talent that has taken over the flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight divisions. Here, some facts and figures about that event and its fighters:
3
Number of WEC 53 fighters who are now UFC champions (Benson Henderson, lightweight; Dominick Cruz, bantamweight; Renan Barao, bantamweight-interim)
1
Number who currently have a title shot lined up (Anthony Pettis)
26
UFC post-fight bonuses awarded to men in the WEC since they came over
54
Combined UFC wins of the 22 fighters from that event after the WEC merged with the UFC
1,560,000
Amount, in dollars, of those 26 bonuses
410,000
Amount, in dollars, of that belonging to Donald Cerrone for his 3 FOTN, 2 KOTN, and 1 SOTN hauls
16
Number of fighters at WEC 53 who are still in the UFC
14
Number of fighters at UFC 124, which took place the same month, who are still in the UFC
1
Number of WEC 53 fighters who now have a column on UFC.com (Dan Downes, The Downes Side)
120
Time in minutes that Benson Henderson has fought inside the UFC Octagon, with all wins coming by decision
256
Time in seconds Anthony Pettis has fought in the last 2 performances, which were both Knockouts of the Night
63
Number of seconds left in the WEC 53 main event when Anthony Pettis landed his now-famous Showtime Kick
3
Matrix-like leg attacks from Pettis in the UFC -- “Showtime Knee” on Cerrone, one-handed cartwheel kick on Cerrone, and a bounce-off-the-Octagon-twisting-kick-to-the-face to Clay Guida
506
Significant strikes thrown by WEC 53 alumni Brad Pickett and Eddie Wineland at each other in a slugfest decision at UFC 155
3
Submission attempts made by Ivan Menjivar in the UFC
2
Number of those that resulted in submission wins
100
Percentage of those two finishes that earned him Submission of the Night bonuses
6
Pink mohawks inside the Octagon between Scott Jorgensen’s 5 UFC fights and Bart Palaszewski’s at UFC 137
75
Percent of Brad Pickett’s Octagon appearances that have earned bonuses
1
Number of UFC fighters who wear breakaway tuxedos at weigh-ins (Danny “Last Call” Castillo)