WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP JAMIE VARNER vs. DONALD “COWBOY” CERRONE AND URIJAH FABER VS. JENS PULVER 2

Live From San Diego Sports Arena, Sunday, January 25

Tickets Start at $35 and Go on Sale Thursday, Dec. 4 at 10AM PT

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting® today announced that for the first event of 2009, the cage will head west to the hotbed of mixed martial arts – California – to hold the first ever WEC® event in San Diego. Two blockbuster matchups will lead the main card, with the World Lightweight Championship fight between Jamie Varner and undefeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone as the main event, and the mega-rematch pitting Urijah Faber against Jens Pulver in the co-main event. World Extreme Cagefighting, featuring Varner vs. Cerrone and Faber vs. Pulver 2, takes place live from the San Diego Sports Arena on Sunday, January 25, 2009.

World Extreme Cagefighting will be televised live nationally on VERSUS beginning at 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT. All live WEC events will be presented in Hi-Definition (HD) where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

Tickets for World Extreme Cagefighting go on sale at 10 a.m. PT Thursday, Dec. 4 and will be priced at $175, $125, $75 and $35 (not including applicable services or taxes). Tickets will be available for purchase through the San Diego Sports Arena Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 619-220-8497.

Don’t blink when WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner (15-2, 1 NC) meets up with No. 1 contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (9-0, 1 NC). Varner has finished his last four opponents, and now the Tempe, Arizona fighter will face his greatest test in the red hot Cerrone.

“I have a lot of respect for Cerrone, but I consider him just one more undefeated fighter that I have to put in his place,” said Varner. “I think it’s awesome to have this fight in Southern California; there is a huge MMA following there, so I think this event will be huge, and a big step for the growth of WEC.”

Undefeated lightweight contender Cerrone ( 9-0,1 No Contest) is one fight away from securing his place as the new champion of the WEC, and he plans on doing everything in his power to get there. The Albuquerque, New Mexico trained mixed martial artist, who is known for his relentless stand-up attack and equally effective ground game, most recently scored a Fight of the Night win against world class striker and former champ “Razor” Rob McCullough.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to fight for the title, and to take on Jamie Varner,” said Cerrone. “He’s well rounded and very athletic, but I’m going to work hard in training camp and on my game plan to win the title. I’m looking forward to fighting in San Diego, and to headline the first WEC event there.”

Urijah “The California Kid” Faber (21-2) is the former WEC Featherweight Champion, a title he has owned since March of 2006. Faber was upset by Mike Brown in November, but he is on a mission to reclaim his status as best featherweight fighter in the world. But first, he has to fight his way through a rematch with Jens Pulver. The two first met in June 2008, fighting toe-to-toe in a five round battle that became one of the best WEC fights to date.

“I know this is going to be another classic for the fans,” said Faber. “Jens is always ready to fight, he’s a competitor, and I expect a tough battle, but I’m going to try to finish it this time – I don’t want it to go the distance.”

Former UFC® lightweight champion Jens Pulver (22-10-1) looks to rebound from two consecutive losses at the expense of Faber. And with a new team behind him, the 33-year-old with the legendary left hand is refocused and ready to continue on his road back to the top.

“Now that I train with Matt Hume, I’ll be doing things a lot differently,” Pulver said comparing his first fight with Faber. “Did I show it against Leonard Garcia? No, it takes time. But I know I’m still competitive…Great fights are still in me.”

All bouts subject to change. For more information about current WEC fight news, visit www.wec.tv.