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2. Kick Heard ’Round the World
WEC 53
Dec. 16, 2010 | Glendale, Ariz.
World Extreme Cagefighting put on a great series of shows. What began as the house promotion for the Tachi Palace Casino eventually became a top-notch developer of talent; and by the end of its run, the WEC had become the televised home for some of the greatest lighter-weight fighters on the face of the planet.

WEC 53 was the last event before the venerable promotion shut its doors and its fighters migrated to the UFC. Matchmaker Sean Shelby pulled out all the stops, booking a pair of title fights at the top of the card -- Dominick Cruz vs. Scott Jorgensen and Anthony Pettis vs. Benson Henderson -- along with a mixture of action fights and up-and-coming talent. The show offered something for everyone, and it delivered beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

It was stacked with an unbelievable amount of talent in addition to those title fights. Future contender Eddie Wineland slammed Ken Stone into unconsciousness; future UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao choked out future contender Chris Cariaso; Iuri Alcantara knocked out future contender Ricardo Lamas; and action fighter extraordinaire Donald Cerrone submitted Chris Horodecki.

Despite the incredible action on the undercard, the main event managed to dominate the show. Pettis and Henderson put on an incredible, back-and-forth fight that culminated in the single coolest move in the history of mixed martial arts: Pettis’ “Showtime Kick.” Twenty-four minutes into the bout, after a grueling, all-encompassing battle, Pettis ran toward the cage, leaped into the air, pushed off the fence and kicked Henderson in the face. As commentator Stephan Bonnar put it, without exaggeration, “Did you see that? He ran off the wall like a ninja!”

It was the perfect capper to a great promotion.

Number 1 » Historic Reign Ends