The Saturday, March 6 show, which aired live on Versus, drew 8,345 spectators — far fewer than the crowds the WEC’s sister promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, drew in Columbus from 2007 to 2009 but good enough to rank fifth all-time among the WEC’s 47 all-time shows.
“We did even a little better than we had hoped for,” Harris said. “It’s a great possibility we’ll be coming back next year.”
WEC 47 featured an action-packed undercard, and the night’s co-headliners provided a pair of upsets. Co-main-event fighter Joseph Benavidez submitted ex-champ Miguel Torres and likely earned a title shot with new champ Dominick Cruz, who upset title-holder Brian Bowles via TKO in the main event.
‘Little Evil’ says goodbye
For all the positives, WEC 47 did provide a bittersweet moment: The retirement of MMA legend Jens Pulver.
Returning from a short-lived retirement for one final shot at glory, Pulver fell short and suffered a submission loss to fellow vet Javier Vazquez in a featured bout.
Pulver, an early superstar and UFC champion in the days when just three U.S. states sanctioned MMA (40 fewer than today), struggled in recent years with five consecutive losses and seven defeats in his past eight fights.
Pulver, whose autobiography “Little Evil” detailed a horribly abusive childhood, often points to MMA as the thing that gave his life meaning and purpose. His impact is so widespread that a good chunk of the WEC 47 post-fight press conference featured fellow fighters discussing their personal interactions with the fighter.
Ultimately, though, Pulver said he doesn’t want to disappoint fans.
“I love you way too much to put you through this again,” said Pulver, a longtime Midwesterner who was WEC 47’s most-cheered fighter. “You guys have made my life a miracle. You’re the only reason I’ve done this since Day One.”
Harris said that Pulver will always be involved in the sport, and “once the dust has settled” from the weekend, they’ll discuss ways to keep him involved in the WEC outside the cage.
Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, voted best media outlet in the 2008 and 2009 World MMA Awards. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to MMAjunkie.com.
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