Newsworthy for a title change and the end of a notable career, WEC 47 was....well...an MMA event on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

Quite a lead, you might say. Well, WEC's effort wasn't bad by any stretch but was their usual fare: a few great finishes, a title change and a snoozer.

While the group continues to put together well-rounded events, they still can't build any notable stars outside of Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo as their fringe guys are getting beat up.

Let's jump right into it. 

Dominick Cruz def. Brian Bowles by 2nd round TKO to win the WEC Bantamweight Championship

You never want a title change to take place on the stool while at a commercial break. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened here as Bowles' broken right hand was hurting enough for him to call it quits.

Not exactly what you're looking for from your Bantamweight Champion defending for the first time.

Here are the major problems with the Cruz win:

- Since Miguel Torres defeated Takeya Mizugaki in April 2009, the Bantamweight title has been competed for and changed hands twice: to Bowles and then to Cruz. Consistency is important for championships and you get the sense in the 135-pound division that anyone could be the champ now. There's the extreme of BJ Penn but I don't necessarily think that parity is good for divisions either.

- He won during the commercial. There was no flashy finish, not even a moment where Cruz got his hand raised after 25 minutes of war. Quite simply, the win felt flat. It's not Cruz's fault but he didn't get any marketing momentum with the victory. He won a freakin' championship, but did it feel like it?

- Bowles complaining about a broken hand was legit, but the first thing I thought: "Didn't Urijah Faber compete with two broken hands?" I still don't know that much about Bowles, but I didn't get that sense that he would do anything for the belt.

You gotta feel that with these guys and he didn't show any type of desperation when they showed the between the round replay. If you're a champion, don't you try to gut through it?

So Cruz is your new champion and will get Damacio Page (if he can beat Antonio Banuelos at the 4/24 PPV) or Scott Jorgensen (more on him in a bit). I have no idea what happens to Bowles now, but I assume he goes back in the 135-pound mix as I didn't get the sense a rematch was too clamored about.

Joe Benavidez def. Miguel Torres by 2nd round submission (2:57)

What the hell happened to Torres? A FIGHT! Magazine cover boy just a few years ago, the WEC Bantamweight Champion, the respect of the fighting community and the owner of a 36-1 record has now lost two straight, this one finishing with him as a completely bloody mess that puts him further away from a rematch for the title he lost in August.

Well, this cut is what happened to Torres, thanks to a Benavidez elbow while on the ground. Torres got rung up good by Benavidez, who also is in line for a title shot after a convincing victory.

But seriously, what is going on with Torres? Was he as good as we thought or is this just a bad stretch for him? He made news as he had switched camps before this fight, but something drastic needs to change.

It's hard to believe, but Torres is now in a must-win position. Unreal.

But I'd be remiss if I didn't shower praise on Benavidez, who runs his record to 12-1 and looked great in doing so. While he gave up inches to Torres, he came in with a perfect game plan and comes out with a big win. Is he a money-making star? Not really, but he's in line for a title shot and very well could wear the gold by the time 2010 comes to a close.   

He won $10k for Submission Of The Night.

Javier Vazquez def. Jens Pulver by 1st round submission (1:18)

If the WEC has any heart, they will not let Pulver fight again. To go 1-7 in your last eight fights doesn't cut it anymore as he hasn't won since beating Cub Swanson in December 2007.

Even with the victory, Vasquez barely got any credit for the win as the focus was squarely on Pulver and his latest tear-filled kinda/sorta farewell speech. It's too bad for Vazquez as he didn't really get any rub from defeating Pulver yet if Pulver beat him, the "He's back!" cheers would rain down from everywhere.

It was sad seeing Pulver writhing on the mat after having his left arm stretched out. It was sad hearing his post-fight speech (his mom was there!). It was sad knowing that this was the end, but it's definitely just that: the end. Any more fights for Pulver in the WEC would be criminal. He needs to be the full-time WEC color commentator....period.

(By the way, I loved Vazquez's post-fight interview. Very classy...I like that guy a lot.) 

LC Davis def. Deividas Taurosevicius by majority decision

God, this fight was bad. This was just a clash of styles that didn't work in any possible way and was painful to watch. The highlight might have been Taurosevicius landing a low blow to Davis and the referee not catching it. Seriously, that might have been the lone interesting thing. Ugh. Two judges scored it 29-28 while another had it 29-29.

The 16-2 Davis has had five straight fights go to a decision. Doesn't feel like a 16-2 guy to me. 

Bart Palaszewski def. Karen Darabedyan via 1st round submission (4:40)

Darabedyan was doing great for most of the round, dropping plenty of big punches from the top and controlling all the action. But Palaszewski worked and worked and worked and didn't like KD get any real punishing blows in. He sunk in an armbar and got KD to tap, his 3rd straight after losing two in a row.

Darabedyan now goes back to that big ol' drawing board after getting a seven-fight win streak snapped. 

The Undercard 

Scott Jorgensen def. Chad George by 1st round submission (4:29) 

Jorgensen? Dominant. If there is a guy that is more ready for a title shot, I don't know who it is. George shot in, Jorgensen sunk in a guillotine choke and took away his consciousness in 31 seconds. Great showing by SJ who is ready for the next level now. 

Anthony Pettis def. Danny Castillo by 1st round TKO (2:17)

Pettis looked great here, dropping Castillo with a nasty Cro Cop-esque head kick and quickly finishing him off with some unnecessary follow-up punches. He's a good looking prospect and someone that seems to have some personality.

Pettis won $10k for Knockout Of The Night.

Notes

- Total attendance was 8345.

- George Roop and Leonard Garcia each took home $10k for Fight Of The Night. 

Josh Nason has published MMA blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to FIGHT! Magazine and appears regularly on The Fight Show and Fight Network Radio. Follow him on Twitter.

Since the big news of the week is about the UFC finally going ahead and signing James Toney to a deal, it seemed appropriate to dredge up this column I did a few weeks ago when the whole situation looked dead.

It's time to jump in the way back machine (all of a few weeks) and look back...enjoy!

"If I told you that a 41-year-old boxer with no professional MMA experience and very little training was offered a deal by the UFC and turned it down, what would you think is more ridiculous: the offer or the denial?

The recent public courting between alphabet soup heavyweight champion James Toney and the UFC took a turn up to the bedroom but didn't make it up the stairs.

Among other things, Toney explained last week that, "Dana White's first offer was a joke and that lets me know he really don't want to do this."

Toney's recent persistence in pushing for a UFC contract was spurred by a few things, mostly opportunity and money. As most fight fans are aware, boxing has devolved into a frustrating sport that seems more about promoters and athletes avoiding big fights rather than put them together."

To read the rest of the post, click here. 

Josh Nason has published MMA blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to FIGHT! Magazine and appears regularly on The Fight Show and Fight Network Radio. Follow him on Twitter.

Regional MMA continues to grow in North America and tonight in Massachusetts, I'm going to finally try my first sample of the local scene by checking out World Championship Fighting.

The event - set for the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA, with a bell time of 7:30 pm - will feature a slate of fights involving local talent at every level of the game, headlined by Mike Campbell vs. Marc Stevens and Rick Hawn vs. Tom Gallicchio.

Hawn (5-0) brings an impressive judo background into the ring (not cage, think Pride) with a top 10 finish at the 2004 Summer Olympics and four national titles to his credit. Gallicchio is a submission machine and has won seven of his last eight fights going into Friday.

Friday will be the ninth event for owner Joe Cavallero, who I talked to last week for almost an hour. It wasn't an official fact-finding interview but really just getting to know the guy who is trying to bring a quality MMA product to the area. According to the numbers and buzz, he's succeeding.

After getting off the phone, I was convinced. Cavallero is a guy that is confident in his product, but very humble about how he got here, his background in the sport and what he's trying to do for local fans. He's brought in top talent for appearances and autograph signings and is a long-time friend of UFC President Dana White. He's instantly likable and in today's fight game, that can go a long way.

But back to the show itself, an 11-fight event headlined by Campbell and Stevens. Campbell (6-2) has competed in the WEC twice but returned to the local scene to get some more seasoning before giving it another go. Campbell is coming off a September 1st round KO of Mike Medrano at WCF 8 and win or lose, won't be in there long. He's never gone past the first round in his career.

Stevens (12-4) is looking to keep an undefeated 2009 rolling with his first fight of 2010. A top ranked lightweight in New England, Stevens has been at the fight game since April 2006 and will be looking at making a big statement with a win over Campbell. This should be an entertaining match to see unfold.

Also on the show is a battle of undefeateds when Jamie Campbell and Colin Schrader go to toe-to-toe. Campbell has been off for quite some time (WCF 3 was his last event), while Schrader will be making his WCF debut after winning his first two fights by submission.

For a look at John Benoit as he prepares for his fight against Noah Weisman, here's a Q/A done by Bryan Levick. Tickets are still available for the show by going to the group's website. For more info, check them out on Facebook.

If you like your MMA ripe with drama, angst and pure unadulterated hatred, the build toward completion of one of the UFC's most memorable trilogies is for you.

No, they haven't formally announced Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar III yet, but don't fret. Even if Shane Carwin defeats Mir at UFC 111, the 3rd meeting of two of the sport's most polarizing personalities is going to happen at some point this year. The title doesn't even matter with these two as this rivalry has outgrown the belt - something I didn't think was possible until the past few days.

The latest chapter in our sordid little tale got written over the weekend as Mir had a few choice words for Lesnar:

"I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries. That’s what’s going through my mind.”

Okay then! White decided to let UFC 110 pass and then addressed Mir as the host of one of his regular radio stops, Carmichael Dave, texted him to ask his opinion and well, he got it.

"Frank Mir is a fu**ing idiot! I have never heard something so unprofessional and idiotic in my life."

So far, this is just like a Roger Goodell/Tom Brady exchange, right? The next person to chime in wasn't Lesnar (somewhere in Minnesota likely not aware or caring about any of this) but Frank Mir's wife, Jen. Yes, his wife got involved as Dave asked for a comment from Mir.

"Frank will be making a statement this afternoon from the UFC headquarters. Frank is disturbed by the reaction to his comments regarding Brock Lesnar. Frank is a warrior and an ambassador for this sport. After his statement, he will not be speaking about Brock again, and will choose to instead focus on his next opponent, Shane Carwin."

Wait, Mir's fighting Carwin next...not Lesnar? Oh. You don't say? When is that again? (For what it's worth, Carwin has stayed quiet during this whole ordeal which is probably a smart move on his part.)

White made a more formal statement Wednesday afternoon...

“I was disappointed by Frank Mir’s comments. Frank’s been with the UFC a long time, he’s a two-time heavyweight champion and a commentator for the WEC. I think his emotions are running high right now, he has a big fight coming up next month and he’s still upset about his loss to Lesnar. He’s been talked to, he regrets what he said, and he won’t be saying anything like that again.”

....followed by the hero of the day, Mir.

“I would like to apologize to Brock Lesnar, his family, the UFC and the UFC fans for my stupid remarks. I respect Brock, all the other fighters, and the sport of mixed martial arts. I’m sorry that I stepped out of line.”

Was what Mir said wrong? Considering there are still just a few U.S. states to go before full regulation and two giant opportunities still waiting in New York and Toronto, Canada, the Mir comments were ill-timed as the sport still battles a perception issue among those who still choose not to research today's MMA.

But if you think for a second that Mir doesn't feel hatred for Lesnar, you're wrong. He may have been forced to apologize publicly, but there will come a day when he is able to speak freely without fear of retribution and then, watch out. It's like the Red Sox and New York Yankees pre-2004 or the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Quite simply, there is a dislike for each other that is unmatched in the rest of their sport.

The buyrate for UFC 100 will have some competition by the end of the year when it's all said and done. The build-up alone should be put on pay-per-view.

Josh Nason has published MMA blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to FIGHT! Magazine and appears regularly on The Fight Show and Fight Network Radio. Follow him on Twitter.