WEC? I don't get it.

sonnysaggese · 12-13-2007, 11:06 AM

Is the Wec supposed to be to UFC what the Triple A is to Major League Baseball? IF that is the case then why do so few fighters move up to UFC? Also I don't understand why a fighter that loses on TUF gets to be in the UFC. Why not the WEC? It makes very little sense to me, this whole set up. Perhaps it is a work in process, but right now it just seems very unfair. I love TUF. It's a great show, and there are always a few fighters on the show that are UFC worthy. What about the WEC though? Isn't a champion in the WEC a better fighter then a TUF winner, or runner up, or third place? Shouldn't they graduate to the UFC? Maybe two or three defenses of a championship in the WEC should graduate a fighter to the UFC.
Any thoughts?

geezhound · 12-13-2007, 11:15 AM

I would think they're trying to build a solid stable of fighters before they start moving all of their current talent pool up to the UFC.
Right now only Faber and Filho are household names, but when Marshall, Condit, Razor Rob and a bunch of other guys start reaching "big name" status I assume they'll start moving up.

Island_Thunder · 12-14-2007, 07:15 AM

Good point about the TUF guys being better off in the WEC.

As for the current names in the WEC, it's likely that they'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.

Dolomite · 12-14-2007, 07:16 AM

See the show the other night? Seen the ones before that?

WEC > UFC

hxc79cf · 12-14-2007, 07:23 AM

Yeah its kinda like Zuffa's minor leagues, depending on the weight class, obviously they showcase Feather and Banthamweight fighters, so as far as lighter weight classes go, they are trying to bring on the best fighters even though the best in those weight classes are over in Asia, IMO. And then you have a few guys that are above and beyond most of the competition but fight at common weights, like Filho and Razor Rob

BKBarile · 12-14-2007, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonnysaggese

Is the Wec supposed to be to UFC what the Triple A is to Major League Baseball? IF that is the case then why do so few fighters move up to UFC? Also I don't understand why a fighter that loses on TUF gets to be in the UFC. Why not the WEC? It makes very little sense to me, this whole set up. Perhaps it is a work in process, but right now it just seems very unfair. I love TUF. It's a great show, and there are always a few fighters on the show that are UFC worthy. What about the WEC though? Isn't a champion in the WEC a better fighter then a TUF winner, or runner up, or third place? Shouldn't they graduate to the UFC? Maybe two or three defenses of a championship in the WEC should graduate a fighter to the UFC.
Any thoughts?

Philio is top 5 in the world, so is Faber

it is not AAA it is a full fleaded fighting org

Whathehell · 12-14-2007, 07:32 AM

They are run as seperate entities under the same ownership.

prodigybest · 12-14-2007, 07:42 AM

The minor leauge of UFC is WEC.

unlimited · 12-14-2007, 07:46 AM

They said during the Pulver fight that "his move from the U.F.C. to the W.E.C. is not a move down it is a lateral move".

They don't see themselves as being a lower level show or AAA. They see both organizations as equals.

megaseth7 · 12-14-2007, 07:46 AM

I dont think WEC is any sort of farm league. I think the WEC is around in order to expose people to MMA. I think there are quite a number of pople out there who will start watching MMA on account of there being frequent re-runs and that the events are for free.

It's an org in the process of growing and maybe some day they will start picking up TUF fighters...llike the runners up.