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WEC Preview: WEC 40 Fight Card, Preview & Projections

Pro Fighting Fans is the home of WEC fans across the world and we now bring you the best place to find the latest WEC preview. WEC 40 is fast approaching and you can find the WEC 40 fight card and preview below.

The next event for WEC will be WEC 40 on April 5th, 2009 which will feature the Bantamweight Championship fight between Miguel Angel Torres and Takeya Mizugaki. YOu can also view our review of the WEC 39 results which featured the WEC Featherweight Championship bout as Mike Brown easily defended his belt against Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia. Fans can now buy WEC tickets online through Pro Fighting Fans to all of these WEC events.

The latest edition in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion features many intriguing matchups. WEC 40 will showcase 11 total fights, with at least the last 4 fights being televised on Versus. The WEC now features only 4 different weight divisions with the transfer of the 205, 185, 170 lb. divisions into the UFC.

Miguel Angel Torres will again put his Bantamweight title on the line against Takeya Mizugaki. Mizuagaki, who is replacing an injured Brian Bowles as Torres’ opponent will try and give the bantamweight division a new king.

Here is a summary of the main event fights that will be held on April 5, 2009 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.

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WEC 40 Main Card

Rapheal Assuncao vs Jameel Massouh

When the main card hits the airwaves, one of the best fights may just be this one. Both competitors will be making their WEC debuts. This bout will take place in the featherweight division (145 lb). Assuncao has been highly regarded for some time now and “The Sergeant” has the experience he needs to compete at this level. This should be one of the most exciting fights of the night.

Rapheal Assuncao had been signed, sealed and almost delivered to the upstart American Fight League last year as that organization was trying to develop talent before putting on shows. Needless to say it didn’t work out with the AFL and the WEC was next for Assuncao. He will finally make his featherweight debut, making the division yet more crowded.

He comes into the bout riding a four fight win streak. He won those four fights in a variety of ways. He compiled two armbars, a unanimous decision and a knockout during that streak.

His last loss came back at an XFO 13 show against WEC vet Jeff Curran. At that November 11, 2006 fight Curran outlasted Assuncao for three complete rounds winning by majority decision. That loss still stands as the only one on the record of Rapheal Assuncao.

He also has other notable wins against UFC fighter, Joe Lauzon in 2006 via submission. That it itself says a great deal about Assuncao, as Lauzon is one of the best ground fighters with the UFC.

He also was able to earn a unanimous decision victory over World Victory Road start Jorge Masvidal. Although this happened early in the fighters careers, it still is a great accomplishment nonetheless.

Jameel “The Sergeant” Massouh is also making his WEC debut, bringing with him a 20-4 overall record. The 28 year-old featherweight will try and take a huge step toward that title fight with a credible win against Rapheal Assuncao.

Much like Assuncao, Massouh will come into the fight riding a streak of four wins. He earns his win mostly by way of getting his opponent on the ground, working his position on him then getting that submission.

He last lost against Clay French at the original Adrenaline MMA show in June of 2008. He was choked out via rear naked choke by French.

Although he has more overall experience in fights, Massouh has not fought the talent of fighters that Assuncao has. The only other notable win for “The Sergeant” was a February 2008 fight against Craig Howard. He executed an armbar against Howard at 1:11 of the first round for the victory.

Prediction: I like Assuncao to take this one fairly easy via 1st round choke.

Shane Roller vs Benson Henderson

These two lightweights are going to clash and one of the fighter’s long win streaks will come to an end. Shane Roller comes into this fight with a 5 fight win streak, with 2 wins coming in the WEC. Benson Henderson is riding an even longer streak with his 7 fight win streak. His only WEC win came at his last event.

Shane Roller will look to make a significant jump with a win against a competitor like Henderson. He likes to bully his opponents to the ground and loosen them up with some ground and pound action. He also likes to finish his opponents off with his signature move, the guillotine choke.

In both of his WEC wins up to this point he has finished Mike Budnik and Todd Moore off with 1 st round guillotine chokes.

The only loss on his record to this point occurred in his first official professional fight. It took place at a MOTC 16 show in September of 2007 against Jake Pruitt. Ever since that loss Roller has strung together 5 wins in a row in a variety of independent organizations.

He has demonstrated such overpowering skills that he only has been taken past the 1 st round one time. In his 5 wins he has finished off his opponent before the 1st round was over every time. He has 2 TKO and 3 submissions to his credit.

Benson Henderson is every bit as dangerous as Shane Roller. Henderson, like Roller, has only been defeated one time in his short career. He also has 8 wins to go with his one loss. “Smooth” is the ring name he goes by and for obvious reasons. “Smooth” has 6 submissions out of 8 career wins.

Henderson also is riding a lengthy win streak with 7 wins in a row. His last win came against Anthony Njokuami at WEC 38 in January of this year. He dominated the talented Njokuami and finally finished him off early in the 2 nd round with a guillotine choke.

He only blemish on his record came at the hands of Chad Klingensmith during Henderson’s second career fight. Klingensmith caught Henderson with a KO punch in the second round that still stands as his only loss. This fight took place at a December 2005 Ring of Fire 27 event.

This fight is turning out to be fairly even. Roller may hold the slight advantage on the feet and with striking. Henderson definitely holds the advantage when it comes to pulling a submission from the ground.

Prediction: Henderson over Roller via 2nd round guillotine choke

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Jeff Curran vs Joseph Benavidez

This featherweight bout seems to be a very important fight for the future of the division. Jeff Curran was brought in to the WEC to be a contender to the featherweight title. The results have been mixed at best for Curran. As for Benavidez, time will tell what type of fighter he really is. Yes, he has a sparkling record and some nice fights but this is the first time he will get to show it against a top tier level fighter.

Curran has all the experience that you could want a contender to have. He fought for several different organizations including the UFC, Pride, IFL and KOTC among many others. When recruited by the WEC, Curran was riding a win streak that was 14 wins out of his last 15 fights.

At WEC 29 in Las Vegas, the organization matched Curran against Stephan Ledbetter. The two went back and forth for three rounds with Curran getting the best of the younger fighter on many occasions. Curran was awarded a fairly easy win in his return to the organization. He then was thrown right to champion Uriah Faber. The Faber fight did not go as planned for Curran. He was choked out fairly easy in the second round of the fight at WEC 31 for the belt. His next fight was against Mike Thomas Brown at WEC 34. This fight would be to determine who would face Faber again for the featherweight belt. Although, many people didn’t give Brown a chance he upset Curran with a unanimous decision victory.

With 2 losses in a row it puts Curran in a must win situation for the WEC. He still has the skills and ability to compete at the top level. He must show that against another up and comer fighter in Joseph Benavidez.

Joseph Benavidez is coming into this fight with Curran as a highly regarded, undefeated prospect at 9-0. Out of his 9 career wins 6 have come by some sort of submission.

The 24 year-old fighter from Sacramento, California last fought and won against Danny Martinez on a December WEC fight card. He battled Martinez for three rounds and was awarded the unanimous decision victory.

Before his debut with the WEC, Benavidez was chosen as an alternative in the DREAM lightweight GP 08 Final in Japan. He did win his fight was not needed to advance into the tourney.

While traveling around many independent circuits, Benavidez has accumulated a nice record and some impressive highlights. We will now be able to tell whether all the talk is justified or not. Curran poses a worthy opponent and if Benavidez can get by him he will be in for a very bright future.

Prediction: Curran over Benavidez via unanimous decision

World Bantamweight Championship: Miguel Torres vs Takeya Mizugaki

Most of the time when a fighter has to back out you get a less skilled fighter to take his place. In the case of Brian Bowles having to back out of his bantamweight championship fight with Miguel Torres, I’m not sure if Takeya Mizugaki is a step down in talent.

Now if you have watched any WEC in the last two plus year then you know Miguel Angel Torres. He is just a fighting machine that doesn’t lose. All the hype that he gets, it’s not enough. He deserves the amount of hype as other dominant champs such as UFC’s Anderson Silva, GSP and Affliction’s Fedor. Torres just doesn’t win, he wins by wide margins and until something else happens there isn’t much else to talk about.

Torres is a 28 year old Chicago native who has a 35-1 career record. Torres has ripped his way through his fighting career with only the one loss. That loss was to Ryan Ackerman at a IC 6 event on November of 2003. He did get to avenge that loss and defeated Ackerman later in his career.

Throughout his career he has accumulated 8 TKO, 22 submission and 5 decision victories. Needless to say that Torres is an all around fighter. He is exciting on his feet but probably more dangerous on the ground.

He has run through some of the WEC’s biggest future stars. Manny Tapia, Yoshiro Maeda, Chase Beebe and Jeff Bedard have been the latest to go down to Torres.

Takeya Mizugaki is going to some into the fight with Torres as a virtual unknown to WEC fans. He is anything but an unknown. He has been fighting and winning in Japan for years and waiting to make the jump to the United States. It is now his time to make that leap.

Mizugaki is 11-2-2 overall while fighting the majority of his fights with Cage Force and Shooto in Japan. He is a 25 year-old striking specialist who is very exciting to watch.

He also is riding a win streak that is 5 fights long. All five wins have come from the Cage Force organization in Japan. He has either a TKO or KO in 2 of his last 3 wins. He is very versatile, much like his counterpart in this bout.

His only loses come to popular fighters in the Japanese circuit. He lost to Atushi Yamamoto and Kenji Osawa on Shooto cards late in 2006 and early in 2007.

This fight may not have the hype as a Brian Bowles vs. Miguel Torres but I believe it will be a much better fight. I don’t believe we have found the man to beat Torres, but I do believe Mizugaki is a great fighter and given the chance later in his career he may just do that.

Prediction: Torres over Mizugaki via 3rd round TKO

WEC 40 Preliminary Fights:

• Anthony Njokuani vs. Anthony Pettis
• Dominick Cruz vs. Ivan Lopez
• Diego Nunes vs. Cub Swanson
• Wagnney Fabiano vs. Fredson Paixao
• Eddie Wineland vs. Rani Yahya
• Akitoshi Tamura vs. Manny Tapia
• Rafeal Dias vs. Cole Province

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer

Past WEC Previews & Recaps:

• WEC 39 results & review
• WEC 39 preview & predictions
• WEC 38 Recap: A Fan's View
• WEC 38 Recap & Review
• WEC 37 Recap & Review
• WEC 36 Recap & Review
• More MMA news articles at ProFighting-fans.com