Urijah Faber

Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber topped the official payroll for WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone, which took place on January 25th at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California, earning $48,000 for his first-round submission of Jens Pulver, who received $35,000 for the loss.

The California State Athletic Commission today released the official pay figures.

WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner scored $35,000 for his main event victory over Donald Cerrone, who took home $9,000.

The total disclosed payroll for WEC 38, which drew a crowd of 10,201 attendees for a live gate of $486,324, was $217,000.

The official WEC 38 salaries were:

• Jamie Varner ($34,000 – includes $17,000 win bonus) def. Donald Cerrone ($9,000)
• Urijah Faber ($48,000 – includes $24,000 win bonus) def. Jens Pulver ($35,000)
• Danillo Villefort ($8,000 – includes $4,000 win bonus) def. Mike Campbell ($3,000)
• Jose Aldo ($10,000 – includes $5,000 win bonus)def. Rolando Perez ($3,000)
• Benson Henderson ($5,000 – includes $2,000 win bonus) def. Anthony Njokuani ($2,000)
• Edgar Garcia ($6,000 – includes $3,000 win bonus) def. Hiromitsu Miura ($6,000)
• Dominick Cruz ($8,000 – includes $4,000 win bonus) def. Ian McCall ($3,000)
• Scott Jorgensen ($8,000 – includes $4,000 win bonus) def. Frank Gomez ($2,000)
• Jesse Lennox ($4,000 – includes $2,000 win bonus) def. Blas Avena ($7,000)
• Charlie Valencia ($14,000 – includes $7,000 win bonus) def. Seth Dikun ($2,000)

Remember, the salaries listed above are disclosed pay only and do not include all deductions and payments.

For complete, blow-by-blow coverage of WEC 38 click here.

WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone Results

• Jamie Varner (c) def. Donald Cerrone via split decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46)*
  WEC Lightweight Championship
• Urijah Faber def. Jens Pulver via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:34
• Danillo Villefort def. Mike Campbell via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 3:53
• Jose Aldo def. Rolando Perez via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:15
• Ben Henderson def. Anthony Njokuani via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 2, 0:42
• Edgar Garcia def. Hiromitsu Miura via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 1:18
• Dominick Cruz def. Ian McCall via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Scott Jorgensen def. Frank Gomez via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:09
• Jesse Lennox def. Blas Avena via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 0:41
• Charlie Valencia def. Seth Dikun via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

* Varner was unable to continue after an illegal knee to the head while on the ground midway through the final round. Because it was ruled an unintentional foul a decision was handed down based on the scores of the four complete rounds as well as a score for the beginning of the final frame before the foul occurred.

Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver Weigh-In For WEC 38

Welcome to MMAFrenzy.com’s live coverage of WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone, which takes place tonight at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California

WEC 38 is headlined by a lightweight clash between 155-pound title-holder Jamie Varner and undefeated challenger Donald Cerrone. The event also features a rematch between former featherweight champion Urijah Faber and  Jens Pulver.

Join MMAFrenzy.com beginning at 7pm ET for live results and main card play-by-play…

WEC 38 Main Card Play-by-Play

Scroll down for preliminary results.

JOSE ALDO VS. ROLANDO PEREZ

Round 1 — Hard leg kick by Aldo opens the action. Both fighters throwing crisp punches. Both fighters trade leg kicks. Aldo connects then attempts a head kick but it’s blocked.  Perez grabs a kick but lets go. Perez countering with punches. Head kick attempt by Perez misses. Aldo moving forward with combinations and kicks. Perez content to counter but Aldo’s the better striker thus far, landing another combo punctuated by a kick. Aldo floors Perez with a knee and lands several unanswered punches to force the referee to halt the bout.

Jose Aldo def. Rolando Perez via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:15

After the stoppage Aldo immediately ran out of the cage and celebrated the victory in the stands.

MIKE CAMPBELL VS. DANILLO VILLEFORT

Round 1 — Strong kicks by both fighters in the opening seconds. Cambell sets up a takedown with a punch but Villefort quickly works for a submission on the canvas. Campbell picks him up and slams him back the ground to escapes but Villefort quickly locks in a kneebar. Cambell again escapes and both fighters return to their feet. Campbell puts Villefort down with a punch and follows into his guard but Villefort quickly looks for a submission. Villefort transitions to the top and gets Campbell’s back but is unable to do anything with the position. Campbell scrambles back to his feet and Villefort just misses with a kick. Cambell shoots for a takedown but Villefort trips into side control then takes mount. Campbell gives up his back and Villefort pounds away on Campbell’s head until the referee steps in.

Danillo Villefort def. Mike Campbell via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 3:53

URIJAH FABER VS. JENS PULVER

Round 1 — Both fighters miss with kicks in the opening seconds. Pulver catches a Faber kick and dumps him to the canvas but Faber keeps Pulver away and gets back to his feet. Right by Pulver connects then Faber shoots for a takedown but Pulver fends him off. Faber hurts Pulver with a body shot then puts him on the canvas with a knee to the body. Faber quickly secures a guillotine and Pulver taps.

Urijah Faber def. Jens Pulver via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:34

After losing his third-straight fight and fifth is his last six bouts, Pulver began crying when asked if he was still relevant in the featherweight division, resulting in a massive ovation from the San Diego crowd before he vowed to continue fighting.

JAMIE VARNER VS. DONALD CERRONE
WEC Lightweight Championship

Round 1 — After a tentative start Varner comes forward with a punch and Cerrone counters with a kick to the body. Cerrone counters with another kick then Varner returns the favor. A left stuns Cerrone and Varner shoots for the takedown and goes to work from Cerrone’s guard. High guard by Cerrone as the challenger looks to ser up a submission. Short punches from the top by Varner. Varner gets free and drops powerful punches on Cerrone. Cerrone remains active with his legs but Varner again escapes and works more ground and pound. Back in Cerrone’s guard Varner looks to pass to half guard. More ground and pound by Varner, who has caused a mouse to develop on Cerrone’s forehead. Free again, Varner stands and drops bombs but Cerrone escapes and returns to his feet to deliver knees to the body before the first round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Varner.

Round 2 — Kick by Cerrone opens the second.  More kicks to the body but Varner gets the takedown and works from half guard. Cerrone gets back to full guard then pops back to his feet. Varner just misses with a power right. Kicks to the body connect for both fighters. Varner backs away but grabs a kick and gets Cerrone back to the canvas. Another ground and pound flurry by Varner from the top but Cerrone escapes and the fighters return to their feet. Cerrone works more kicks, focusing on the legs. Both fighters slipping punches through. Another big right attempt by Varner is avoided. Another takedown for Varner in the closing seconds and Cerrone locks in a triangle choke but time expires. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Cerrone.

Round 3 — Kicks and knee to the body by Cerrone and Varner continues to move forward and punch. Right to the body connects for Cerrone. Varner opens up a cut on Cerrone’s eye with a hard combination then gets a takedown. Guillotine attempt by Varner but Cerrone escapes immediately returns to his feet. Both fighters slip punches through their opponent’s defense. More strikes to the body for Cerrone. Varner shoots and gets Cerrone back to the canvas but is unable to do much before round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Varner.

Round 4 — Head kick by Varner in the opening seconds of the fourth, but Cerrone doesn’t wobble. Varner backing away and Cerrone attempts a flying knee but it misses. Kick to the body by Varner. Combination lands for Cerrone. Varner thows a combo that sets up a successful takedown. Cerrone does a good job controlling Varner, who is limited to only mild ground and pound before the fighters stand up. Another successful takedown for Varner but upkicks by Cerrone keep him out of his guard temporarily. Varner works ground and pound from half guard but Cerrone limits the damage until the bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Varner.

Round 5 — The fighters hug in the center of the cage before the final round begins. Varner quickly shoots and again has Cerrone on the ground but they’re back on their feet quickly. Cerrone shoots and gets a takedown of his own and goes to work from half guard. Cerrone stands and illegally glances Varner with a knee while he’s on the ground. The bout is temporarily halted to allow Varner time to recover, but he’s unable to do so, complaining that he’s unable to see and the bout is waved off.

Because it was ruled an unintentional foul a decision will be handed down based on the scores of the four complete rounds as well as a score for the beginning of the final frame before the foul occurred.

Jamie Varner (c) def. Donald Cerrone via split decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46)

WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone Quick Results

• Jamie Varner (c) def. Donald Cerrone via split decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46)
  WEC Lightweight Championship
• Urijah Faber def. Jens Pulver via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:34
• Danillo Villefort def. Mike Campbell via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 3:53
• Jose Aldo def. Rolando Perez via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:15
• Ben Henderson def. Anthony Njokuani via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 2, 0:42
• Edgar Garcia def. Hiromitsu Miura via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 1:18
• Dominick Cruz def. Ian McCall via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Scott Jorgensen def. Frank Gomez via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:09
• Jesse Lennox def. Blas Avena via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 0:41
• Charlie Valencia def. Seth Dikun via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone Weigh-In For WEC 38

All 20 fighters slated to participate at WEC 38 tomorrow night at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California successfully made weight earlier today.

WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner came in exactly at the 155-pound division limit, while challenger Donald Cerrone tipped the scale at 154.5 pounds. Urijah Faber (145.5) and Jens Pulver (146) also successfully weighed in for their featured featherweight rematch.

Ben Henderson, Edgar Garcia, and Blas Avena all missed weight on their initial weigh-in by half a pound, but the trio successfully made weight on their second attempts.

The full WEC 38 weigh-in results were:

MAIN CARD (Versus – 9pm ET)

• Jamie Varner (c) (155) vs. Donald Cerrone (154.5)
  WEC Lightweight Championship
• Urijah Faber (145.5) vs. Jens Pulver (146)
• Mike Campbell (170.5) vs. Danillo Villefort (170.5)
• Jose Aldo (145.5) vs. Rolando Perez (145)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Unaired)

• Ben Henderson (156) vs. Anthony Njukuani (156)
• Edgar Garcia (171) vs. Hiromitsu Miura (170.5)
• Dominick Cruz (135) vs. Ian McCall (135.5)
• Scott Jorgensen (135.5) vs. Frank Gomez (136)
• Blas Avena (171) vs. Jess Lennox (170.5)
• Seth Dikun (136) vs Charlie Valencia (134)

Jeff Curran

Injuries have forced two lineup changes for WEC 38 as featherweight Rolando Perez has been tapped to replace Fredson Paixao on the evening’s main card against Jose Aldo and lightweight Ben Henderson will meet Anthony Njokuani in place of Ed Ratcliff on the unaired preliminary card.

WEC 38 “Varner vs. Cerrone” takes place this Sunday at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. The event, which airs live on Versus, features lightweight title-holder Jamie Varner against Donald Cerrone and a rematch between top featherweights Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver

*****

In other WEC news, several upcoming bouts have been reported in recent days:

– Lightweights Bart Palaszewski and Richard Crunkilton will square off at WEC 39 on March 1st in Corpus Christi, Texas. Two title bouts will headline WEC 39 as welterweight champion Carlos Condit battles Brock Larson and featherweight champ Mike Brown defends his title for the first time against Leonard Garcia.

– Bantamweight contenders Jeff Curran and Joseph Benavidez will clash at WEC 40, which is slated to take place on April 5th in Chicago. The event will also feature bantamweight title-holder Miguel Torres against challenger Brian Bowles.

Jamie Varner

World Extreme Cagefighting has finalized the lineup for WEC 38, which takes place on January 25th at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

The Versus-broadcast event is headlined by a lightweight championship bout featuring current title-holder Jamie Varner putting the 155-pound title on the line against Donald Cerrone. A rematch featuring featherweights Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver co-headlines the event, while Danillo Villefort vs. Mike Campbell and Jose Aldo vs. Fredson Paixao round out the main card.

Ed Ratcliff vs. Anthony Njokuani, Edgar Garcia vs. Hiromitsu Miura, Dominick Cruz vs. Ian McCall, Scott Jorgensen vs. Frank Gomez,Blas Avena vs. Jesse Lennox, and Charlie Valencia vs. Seth Dikun are slated for the untelevised preliminary card.

Sources close to the fight have confirmed the likely matchup with MMAWeekly.com, though official agreements have not yet been signed for the bout.

Despite losing in convincing fashion to Mike Brown at WEC 36 earlier this month via first-round TKO, Faber was likely to receive an immediate opportunity to reclaim his title. However, torn rib cartilage has sidelined Brown from defending his newly-claimed title at the promotion’s January event and Faber will instead battle Pulver for the second time.

Faber and Pulver previously met at WEC 34 in June with Faber getting the best of the former UFC lightweight champion in an exciting five-round unanimous decision victory.

Prior to his loss to Brown, Faber had won 13-straight fights, including title defenses over notables Jeff Curran and Pulver. His loss at WEC 36 was just the second of his career, the other coming to notable lightweight Tyson Griffin back in 2005.

Pulver has lost four of his last five fights, though he’s faced some stiff competition in Faber, BJ Penn, Joe Lauzon, and Leonard Garcia. His lone victory over the span was a first-round submission of Cub Swanson in his WEC debut.

WEC 38 is headlined by a lightweight championship fight as WEC 155-pound title-holder Jamie Varner takes on challenger Donald Cerrone in the evening’s main event.

For the latest WEC 38 fight card check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

Update: Faber was originally in discussions to face Jose Aldo (12-1) at WEC 38 but will instead rematch Pulver after negotiations with Aldo fell apart in recent days.