WEC 31
Encyclopedia
WEC 31: Faber vs. Curran was a mixed martial arts (MMA)
event held by World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC)
. The event took place on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
and was aired live on the Versus Network
.
The main event featured a featherweight
title match between champion Urijah Faber
and challenger Jeff Curran
. The card also featured Doug Marshall
defending his light heavyweight
championship against Ariel Gandulla and Paulo Filho defending his middleweight
championship against Chael Sonnen.
The event drew an estimated 629,000 viewers on Versus
.
Valencia defeated McCall via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:19 of Round 1. This bout, although preliminary, appeared on the live broadcast.
Bowles defeated Galvao via KO (punch) at 2:09 of Round 2. This bout, although preliminary, appeared on the live broadcast.
Ratcliff defeated Karalexis via TKO (strikes) at 1:26 of Round 2.
Baker defeated Schambari via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).
Alessio defeated Moore via unanimous decision(30–27, 30–27, 29–28).
Marshall defeated Gandulla via submission (armbar) at 0:55 of round 1 to retain the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Filho defeated Sonnen via submission (armbar) at 4:55 of round 2 to retain the WEC Middleweight Championship. Filho's victory was controversial because Sonnen did not appear to tap out, but yelled while the armbar was placed, and the referee took this as a verbal submission.
Pulver defeated Swanson via submission (anaconda Choke) at 0:35 of round 1.
Faber defeated Curran via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:34 of round 2 to retain the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event held by World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC)
World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
. The event took place on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and was aired live on the Versus Network
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
.
The main event featured a featherweight
Featherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
title match between champion Urijah Faber
Urijah Faber
Urijah Christopher Faber is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. Faber won the WEC featherweight championship at WEC 19 on March 17, 2006 and held the title for over two years until his loss to Mike Brown at WEC...
and challenger Jeff Curran
Jeff Curran
Jeffrey M. Curran is an American mixed martial artist. He fights at a number of different weight classes for a large number of organizations, including: Ultimate Fighting Championship , Strikeforce, PRIDE Fighting Championship, World Extreme Cagefighting , International Fight League , and King of...
. The card also featured Doug Marshall
Doug Marshall
Doug Garrett Marshall is an American mixed martial artist from Visalia, California who currently competes as a middleweight. He is a former WEC World Light Heavyweight champion.-Mixed martial arts career:...
defending his light heavyweight
Light Heavyweight (MMA)
The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....
championship against Ariel Gandulla and Paulo Filho defending his middleweight
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
championship against Chael Sonnen.
The event drew an estimated 629,000 viewers on Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
.
Preliminary card
- Bantamweight bout:
Charlie ValenciaCharlie ValenciaCarlos Enrique Valencia is an American mixed martial artist . He has fought for the WEC and UFC in their bantamweight divisions..-Early life:...
vs. Ian McCallIan McCall (fighter)Ian McCall is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2002, McCall has fought for World Extreme Cagefighting among other organizations. He recently defeated the #1 ranked flyweight fighter in the world, Jussier...
Valencia defeated McCall via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:19 of Round 1. This bout, although preliminary, appeared on the live broadcast.
- Bantamweight bout: Brian Bowles vs
Marcos GalvaoMarcos GalvaoMarcos "Loro" Galvão is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist currently fighting as a featherweight. He holds a professional MMA record of 10 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw. Galvão peaked at a global ranking of #2 among bantamweights in August 2007...
Bowles defeated Galvao via KO (punch) at 2:09 of Round 2. This bout, although preliminary, appeared on the live broadcast.
- Lightweight bout: Alex KaralexisAlex KaralexisAlex Karalexis is an American mixed martial artist of Greek descent. He has a professional record of 10 wins and 6 losses...
vs. Ed RatcliffEd RatcliffEdward Norris Ratcliff is an American mixed martial artist. He was recently cut by UFC in January.-World Extreme Cagefighting:Ratcliff debuted at WEC 27, defeating Johnny Sampaio via TKO in the second round....
Ratcliff defeated Karalexis via TKO (strikes) at 1:26 of Round 2.
- Middleweight bout: Bryan BakerBryan Baker (fighter)Bryan Baker is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Baker fought in various promotions, most notably World Extreme Cagefighting and Bellator Fighting Championships...
vs. Eric SchambariEric SchambariEric Schambari is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, Schambari has most notably fought in World Extreme Cagefighting and was a semi-finalist in the Bellator Season Two: Middleweight Tournament, where he...
Baker defeated Schambari via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).
- Welterweight bout: Todd Moore vs. John AlessioJohn AlessioJohn Paul Alessio is a Canadian mixed martial artist who currently competes as a Welterweight. Alessio has fought for many of the major MMA promotions, including WEC, UFC, PRIDE, KOTC, MFC and DREAM.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
Alessio defeated Moore via unanimous decision(30–27, 30–27, 29–28).
Main card
- Light Heavyweight championship bout: Doug MarshallDoug MarshallDoug Garrett Marshall is an American mixed martial artist from Visalia, California who currently competes as a middleweight. He is a former WEC World Light Heavyweight champion.-Mixed martial arts career:...
(c) vs.
Ariel Gandulla
Marshall defeated Gandulla via submission (armbar) at 0:55 of round 1 to retain the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship.
- Middleweight championship bout: Paulo FilhoPaulo FilhoPaulo Fernando de Souza Leite Filho, better known as simply Paulo Filho , is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist as well as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo practitioner, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
(c) vs. Chael SonnenChael SonnenChael Patrick Sonnen is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon, a two-time University Greco national champion as well as the 85.0 kg silver medalist at...
Filho defeated Sonnen via submission (armbar) at 4:55 of round 2 to retain the WEC Middleweight Championship. Filho's victory was controversial because Sonnen did not appear to tap out, but yelled while the armbar was placed, and the referee took this as a verbal submission.
- Featherweight bout: Jens PulverJens PulverJens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...
vs. Cub SwansonCub SwansonKevin Luke Swanson is an American mixed martial artist . He is currently signed as a featherweight with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-World Extreme Cagefighting:...
Pulver defeated Swanson via submission (anaconda Choke) at 0:35 of round 1.
- Featherweight championship bout: Urijah FaberUrijah FaberUrijah Christopher Faber is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. Faber won the WEC featherweight championship at WEC 19 on March 17, 2006 and held the title for over two years until his loss to Mike Brown at WEC...
(c) vs. Jeff CurranJeff CurranJeffrey M. Curran is an American mixed martial artist. He fights at a number of different weight classes for a large number of organizations, including: Ultimate Fighting Championship , Strikeforce, PRIDE Fighting Championship, World Extreme Cagefighting , International Fight League , and King of...
Faber defeated Curran via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:34 of round 2 to retain the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Reported Payouts
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the WEC.- Urijah Faber: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Jeff Curran: $10,000
- Paulo Filho: $56,000 ($28,000 win bonus) def. Chael Sonnen: $25,000
- Doug Marshall: $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus) def. Ariel Gandulla: $4,000
- Jens Pulver: $60,000 ($30,000 win bonus) def. Cub Swanson: $5,000
- John Alessio: $26,000 ($13,000 win bonus) def. Todd Moore: $4,000
- Charles Valencia: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Ian McCall: $3,000
- Bryan Baker: $8,000 ($4,000 win bonus) def. Eric Schambari: $5,000
- Ed Ratcliff: $8,000 ($4,000 win bonus) def. Alex Karalexis: $8,000
- Brian Bowles: $6,000 ($3,000 win bonus) def. Marcos Galvao: $5,000