Down Side to WEC's Downfall: Joseph Benavidez Gets Buried

Filed under: UFC, WEC

When the UFC announced that it was absorbing its little brother promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting, most mixed martial arts fans saw that as a good thing: The WEC had great fighters, and moving them into the UFC would mean increased exposure for those fighters.

It isn't working out that way for Joseph Benavidez.

Benavidez, who's recognized by most MMA observers as the second- or third-best bantamweight in the world, won't have his UFC debut shown on television. The fight between Benavidez and Ian Loveland at UFC 128 next week won't be on the pay-per-view broadcast, won't be on the Spike TV broadcast, and won't even be on the live Facebook stream prior to the broadcast. And that stinks.

Bob Mathias Gale Sayers AJ Foyt Jimmy Connors Bobby Hull