A bantamweight contest between former champion Brian Bowles (8-1 MMA, 5-1 WEC) and Nova Uniao submission ace Wagnney Fabiano (14-2 MMA, 4-1 WEC) has been targeted for WEC 52.
Top-six bantamweight Scott Jorgensen strengthened his case for a World Extreme Cagefighting title shot with a hard-earned win over Brad Pickett on Wednesday.
While the buzz is still deservedly on the main event, arguably the most impressive performance from Saturday's UFC 117 wasn't even seen by anyone watching on PPV.
One fighter is making his first rise toward title contention; the other is trying to claw his way back.
When WEC 50 was mapped out, the biggest question was who would face Dominick Cruz in his first title defense? The answer ultimately was Joseph Benavidez, who takes on the champion on Aug. 18. The person he got the nod over as top contender also returns on the same date, with a title shot of his own on the line.