Just a few short business notes on WEC 46 including attendance, gate, ratings, payouts, and some of the forward looking story lines coming out of the show. WEC 46 featured a lightweight unification bout between champion Jamie Varner and interim champion Ben Henderson, and a featherweight bout Urijah Faber and Rafael Assuncao.
Attendance
Reed Harris of the WEC announced an attendance of 10,027 that generated approximately $550,000 for the organization.
*The organization has 10 business days to submit all of the attendance and gate information to the commission, but the above figures shouldn’t change dramatically.
Ratings
The show pulled in a pretty strong following of nearly 640,000 viewers, which is nearly twice what WEC 45 did (but still no where near the organization’s record draw of 1.54 million (WEC 34: Faber-Pulver).
Payouts
(Courtesy of MMAWeekly)
MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS:
-Benson Henderson: $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Jamie Varner: $18,000
-Urijah Faber: $52,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus) def. Raphael Assuncao: $13,000
MAIN CARD FIGHTERS:
-Kamal Shalorus: $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus) def. Dave Jansen: $4,000
-Mike Brown: $38,000 (includes $19,000 win bonus) def. Anthony Morrison: $4,000
-Deividas Taurosevicius: $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus) def. Mackens Semerzier: $4,000
PRELIMINARY CARD FIGHTERS:
-Charlie Valencia: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus) def. Akitoshi Tamura: $8,000
-Wagnney Fabiano: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Clint Godfrey: $3,000
-Mark Hominick: $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus) def. Bryan Caraway: $4,000
-Eddie Wineland: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) def. George Roop: $3,000
-Will Campuzano: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus) def. Coty “Ox” Wheeler: $3,000
WEC 46 TOTAL DISCLOSED FIGHTER SALARIES: $272,000
Bonuses
Fight of the Night: Campuzano vs. Wheeler ($10,000)
Knockout of the Night: N/A
Submission of the Night: Urijah Faber ($10,000)
Story Lines
Faber vs. Aldo means big business for the WEC:
The organization now has what it needs to offer a substantial PPV fight. Faber is by far the company’s top draw, and Aldo is perhaps their most exciting fighter. In either case the WEC should end up with a solid star to push in the future.
Mike Brown takes a step toward another title shot:
Mike Brown was impressive in quickly dispatching his first opponent since his last bout, a defeat at the hands of Jose Aldo. Brown will likely take another fight in the next few months, but could be in a position to challenge for the featherweight title by the end of the year (which would be a solid follow-up to the Faber-Aldo bout this spring/summer).
WEC picks up AMP Energy Drink and MusclePharm as new sponsors:
The WEC is slowly adding sponsors to the fold independent of the UFC (although it’s all under the Zuffa umbrella), which is important from a brand differentiation stand point. It’s not enough to paint the cage canvas a different color and add a few different commentators – the feel of the event must match the image of the organization.
The WEC would like to hold an event in Calgary, Alberta sometime this summer according to WEC VP, Peter Dropkick. While no dates or venues have been officially announced, the WEC claims to be in advanced stages of the negotiating process. Mexico is also on the company’s slate, but Dropkick admits that they’ve run into a few delays.
Reed Harris shows his gentler side:
The WEC’s General Manager flew an Iraqi veteran down to sit ringside as his special guest of the evening. The soldier suffered horrific burns to his face when an IED blew up during a patrol mission. Zuffa has been known to do great things like this, but often don’t get the credit for it. While it might not be a business issue, it definitely deserves a mention.
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