World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001.

[2] After the purchase, several WEC events were held in Zuffa's hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, much like the UFC.

[3] WEC's first live event was broadcast on June 3, 2007, on Versus from The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Todd Harris was the play by play announcer on every televised WEC event on Versus, and was joined by former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir on color commentary until the spring of 2010, when Mir was replaced by UFC light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar.

Fellow Zuffa fighters Kenny Florian and Jens Pulver have also filled in on color commentary due to Mir or Bonnar's absences.

WEC announced that it would dissolve their light heavyweight and middleweight divisions after their December 3, 2008 event to further their concentration on lighter classes.

The only weight class that still crossed over between WEC and the UFC prior to the merger was the 155 lb (70 kg) lightweight division.

[7] Due to its shared ownership under Zuffa, fans and commentators had continually speculated about a unification between WEC and the UFC, particularly the lower weight classes.

[8][9][10] The relationship between the WEC and UFC had also been complicated by their respective primary partnerships with cable television channels, Versus and Spike, Fight Magazine reported.