Top 5 WEC championship reigns
For years, the WEC served as an entertaining alternative to the UFC. The promotion was crucial for the smaller weight divisions as they provided a platform to compete at their natural weight.
Many fighters became household names and marketable stars during their tenure. They had a unique product and both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions were a big selling point. The divisions were somewhat different than what the UFC was offering and it became their attraction. Fighters like Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres became pioneers for the smaller weight divisions and one of the reasons their popularity grew. In addition, the promotion offered fighters another opportunity as they were under the Zuffa umbrella.
In 2010, the promotion's smaller weight divisions merged with the UFC. It can be argued that had the smaller divisions not done well, perhaps Zuffa wouldn’t have purchased the promotion. Despite not having the same longevity as the UFC, they still had impressive title reigns. This list will look back at the top 5 WEC championship reigns.
#5. Dominick Cruz – WEC bantamweight champion
Dominick Cruz is one of the most successful fighters to come out of the WEC. After being unsuccessful in his attempt at becoming featherweight champion, he moved down to 135lbs. He has since built an incredible legacy and is regarded as one of the greatest bantamweight fighters of all-time.
Cruz made a permanent move to bantamweight in 2008 and won four-straight bouts. After a unanimous decision win over Joseph Benavidez, he earned a Fight of the Night bonus and title shot.
‘The Dominator’ defeated then bantamweight champion Brian Bowles via TKO after the doctor felt it was unsafe for Bowles to continue. He retained the title twice as he defeated Benavidez by split decision and Scott Jorgensen by unanimous decision.
Having two title defenses and being the promotion’s final bantamweight champion, Cruz was awarded the inaugural UFC bantamweight championship. He defended the title twice more before vacating it due to injuries.