Well, the UFC-WEC merger seems to be paying off in a hurry.
Among the 12 bouts scheduled for UFC 128 this Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, seven of the fighters are recent acquisitions from the WEC.
That is a big chunk of violence the UFC would have a hard time filling if it wasn't for the idea of adding a couple weight classes to the classic five it had before.
And, for many of the casual fans that rarely followed the smaller men on Versus, many of these faces are unfamiliar, even if they are proven vets.
Even the hardcore fans have a hard time understanding how Eddie Wineland sneaked his way into a UFC co-main event. But clearly Urijah Faber is the A-side of that show.
Nonetheless, there are plenty of fighters below 155 pounds that deserve to be on the big stage as much as anyone. And I'm not just talking about the champions.
Most people know Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres, as they represented the majority of the star power in the WEC for some time. And, Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo are now UFC champions, so there is no need to tell anyone about them.
The following is a list of WEC fighters that all MMA fans should be familiar with at this point. If you missed out on the amazingly frenetic WEC years, then it is time to do a little catching up.
Because, as evidenced by the upcoming card, these guys are going to have a major role in the UFC.
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