Anthony Pettis

World Extreme Cagefighting® hits Arizona for the first time on Thursday, Dec. 16 with two explosive world title fights at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. This historic night features Glendale’s Ben Henderson defending the lightweight crown against 23-year-old superstar Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, while Tucson-born Dominick Cruz defends the bantamweight title against Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen.

With two of the most anticipated title fights of the year headlining the card, WEC’s debut in Arizona closes 2010 with a bang.

“Arizona deserved a card like this after winning the Amp Energy Hometown Takedown contest,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. “Fans in the Phoenix market voted for over two months and beat out 30 other cities to bring WEC to their area. Now, we are bringing fans two awesome title fights to Jobing.com Arena. Glendale’s Ben Henderson will face the stiffest test of his career in Anthony Pettis. Plus, Cruz-Jorgensen has the chance to be one of the greatest bantamweight title fights of all time. We cannot wait for this event in Glendale.”

Tickets for WEC: Henderson vs. Pettis go on sale Thursday, Sept. 30 at 12 p.m. PT and will be priced at $165, $135, $65 and $35. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Wednesday, Sept. 29 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets can be purchased at the Jobing.com Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800.745.3000 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com and www.JobingArena.com. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges.

Henderson vs. Pettis will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network’s live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

Unbeaten in WEC at 5-0, Ben “Smooth” Henderson (fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) has become one of the most dominant champions in company history. With victories over Anthony Njokuani, Shane Roller, Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone (twice), the 26-year-old Henderson (12-1) has his sights set on beating the rising star Pettis on Dec. 16. Knowing that he’ll be defending the title on his home turf only further motivates the champion.

“I’m very excited to fight in front of my friends and family in Glendale,” Henderson said. “Pettis brings high-energy and good skill set to the table. He’s dynamic and tough, and he showed a lot of heart and grit by tapping out Shane Roller with a triangle in his last fight. If he wants it, let’s find out who the better man is on Dec. 16.”

Known for his fiery striking and fluid jiu jitsu skills, Anthony Pettis (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) has taken the sport by storm since debuting in WEC last June. With four victories in the organization, including a submission win over Shane Roller in Aug., “Showtime” has become one of the most feared lightweights in the world. Pettis (12-1), who was featured on MTV’s hit show “World of Jenks” this month, is ready to capture his first world title and realize a lifelong dream.

“I love the matchup,” Pettis said. “Ben Henderson is at the top of the division and that’s where I want to be. He’s a well-rounded fighter who brings it every time. Neither of us quit so it’s going to be an interesting fight. I’m going to be ready for everything and anything.”

The most dynamic striker in 135-pound history returns for his second title defense on Dec. 16. Tucson-born Dominick Cruz (fighting out of San Diego, Calif.), who has never lost a fight in the bantamweight division, locks horns with Scott Jorgensen in Arizona. The 25-year-old known for his fast feet and crisp striking plans on being ready for all that his wrestling-savvy opponent offers this December.

“He’s a strong, powerful guy with great wrestling ability,” Cruz, 16-1, said. “But his winning streak means nothing to me because I’m on a streak myself. He’s got a different matchup with me and I’m excited to put an end to his streak. I’ve got nothing but respect for the guy, he’s a great fighter, but I’m going to be better that night.”

With five straight victories, perhaps no fighter has more momentum than Scott Jorgensen (fighting out of Boise, Idaho). After defeating rugged Englishman Brad Pickett in a Fight of the Year candidate in Aug., the 27-year-old Boise State University wrestling standout finally cemented his place as number one contender in the bantamweight division. Now Jorgensen (11-3) has a chance to wear WEC gold, an opportunity he plans to take full advantage of come Dec. 16.

“I’m going to beat him down for 25 minutes,” Jorgensen said. “I want to fight for five rounds because I’m a grinder, that’s what I do. That’s a scary thing for Dominick to face. He’s never had an opponent that is built like me and has the mindset that I’ve got. He’s in for a rude awakening when he gets in that cage with me. He’s never felt the pressure that I’m going to bring.”