WEC Chicago, JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ VS. JEFF CURRAN, text courtesy of WEC®

Time to bury the hype: Joseph Benavidez is for real. The diminutive 5’3 fighter made that crystal clear when he produced the biggest win of his career Sunday night, outhustling veteran Jeff Curran en route to a unanimous decision win. With the fight on Curran’s home soil, disappointed local fans showered Benavidez with boos, though the verdict was well-deserved and beyond reproach. 

“I feel like I’m prepared for anyone,” Benavidez said afterward. “I’m not totally satisfied with my performance but I’m really happy to get the win over a great opponent like Jeff. I owe it all to Urijah Faber and the rest of my team.” 



Benavidez was busier and more aggressive than Curran for much of the contest, even dropping “The Big Frog” with a right hand in the first round that landed on the bridge of Curran’s nose (Curran seemed to have all of his mental faculties after the blow, and may have fell partially due to being off-balance). Curran was competitive throughout, tagging Benavidez with a beautiful straight right hand that stopped him dead in his tracks. But the speedy Benavidez scored several takedowns and controlled the action on top, occasionally landing some decent punches and elbows. 

The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Benavidez. Curran, meanwhile, dropped his third straight fight.

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – With the upcoming WEC: TORRES VS. MIZUGAKI headed to the Windy City, World Extreme Cagefighting® is holding a Pre-Fight Press Conference beginning at 12:00pm CT on Friday, April 3 at The ESPN Zone in downtown Chicago.  WEC: TORRES VS. MIZUGAKI takes place Sunday, April 5, 2009 live from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL.

About Torres vs. Mizugaki

 Chicago’s Miguel Angel Torres (35-1) defends the WEC bantamweight title against striker Takeya Mizugaki (11-2-2)

With four straight WEC wins, Torres has rapidly become one of the most feared fighters in the sport. The 28-year-old’s blend of speed, striking, and submissions will be on display when he takes on renowned Japanese star Mizugaki.

Unbeaten since 2007, Mizugaki is heralded for his Muay Thai striking and willingness to trade. The 5’7”, 135-pound challenger makes his U.S. debut in Chicago on April 5 and has vowed to knock out the hometown champion.

In the co-main event, Island Lake, Illinois’ Jeff Curran looks to make his case for a shot at the belt when he battles undefeated phenom Joseph Benavidez.

A longtime favorite of the Midwest fight scene, former WEC featherweight contender and title challenger Jeff “Big Frog” Curran (31-10-1) has long had his sights set on Miguel Torres, and he has even dropped down to the bantamweight division to chase his local rival. There is business to take care of for both men first though, and for Curran, that means his clash with Joseph Benavidez on April 5^th. So expect the 30-year old Curran to come out with guns blazing in order to move forward in the crowded bantamweight division. (more…)