As we inch closer to WEC 37 on Dec. 3, it seems likely that World Extreme Cagefighting will put on yet another stellar show. 

The card is headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Miguel Torres and challenger Manny Tapia. In the co-features: featherweights Wagnney Fabiano and Akitoshi Tamura will meet for what could potentially mean a future title shot against the winner of Mike Thomas Brown vs. Leonard Garcia. And top bantamweights Brian Bowles and Will Ribeiro will clash for a potential opportunity against the winner of the main event. 

Coming off the heels of a string of upsets at WEC 36 earlier this month, including the crowning of a new featherweight champion as Mike Thomas Brown made quick work of Urijah Faber, this show has the potential to deliver more unpredictable fights. With top-ranked 135 and 145 pound fighters all over the main card in evenly matched bouts, the level of competition should be top notch.

Torres (34-1) made a splash into World Extreme Cagefighting in late 2007. In his debut, he made quick work of Jeff Bedard. By then of course, Torres had racked up an impressive 31-1 record. It became abundantly clear from the get go that Torres would become a force to be reckoned with in the Zuffa-owned promotion. Now fighting on the VERSUS Network with a much bigger audience for him to flaunt his natural abilities, terrific muay thai and stunning jujutsu skills, Torres was ready to claim championship gold. In only his second fight under the Zuffa banner, Torres submitted Chase Beebe via anaconda choke in the first round at WEC 32 to win the bantamweight title. 

Earlier this year at WEC 34, which featured a breathtaking main event war between Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver, Torres also participated in what was arguably one of the year's best fights. He stopped Pancrase veteran Yoshiro Maeda in a fast-paced clinic that truly put on display what mixed martial arts is all about. Torres, who possesses one professional loss, a unanimous decision to Ryan Ackerman at an Ironheart Crown card in 2003, is one of the most entertaining fighters on the planet. At 135 pounds, he mixes lightning quick kicks with swift movement in the cage and an array of submissions, which he can attribute to his dedication to jujutsu. In September, Torres received his Brazilian jujutsu black belt under Carlson Gracie Jr. Needless to say, he is ready to return to action and has the potential to steal the show, further cementing himself as one of the world's pound-for-pound finest. 

Tapia (10-0-1), while not nearly as experienced as Torres, is undefeated thus far in his campaign in the cage. After acquiring seven consecutive victories in the reputable King of the Cage promotion, eight if you discount a draw in his second pro fight, Tapia was ready to step up his level of competition. He debuted in the WEC in May 2007 and vanquished Team Bison member Brandon Foxworth. Inactivity could play a factor because Tapia, who is injury prone, has not seen action since February when he edged out a split decision over WEC veteran Antonio Banuelos. 

Already a capable jujutsu practitioner, Tapia has continually evolved his overall game, which has resulted in better stand-up ability with each and every performance. Hoping to keep his undefeated streak going, Tapia must be ready to exchange with one of world's exemplary mixed martial artists in terms of well-roundededness. Conditioning is unlikely to be much of a factor given the superb cardio of both guys. Torres and Tapia are putting everything on the line in this thrilling 135-pound war and while my money is on Torres, anything could happen in this fight. If you blink, in the words of Mike Goldberg, it could be, "All over!"

In the first of two fantastic co-features, Wagnney Fabiano (10-1), a Canadian resident that recently transitioned to training in Brazil with Andre Pederneiras and the Nova Uniao camp, makes his much anticipated WEC debut against Akitoshi Tamura. Fabiano's lone conquest, a highly questionable decision loss to Jeff Curran at an APEX card in 2006, has hardly halted his continued rise to the top of the 145-pound ranks. The Brazilian undoubtedly caught the eye of Zuffa management by going 6-0 in the now-defunct International Fight League. The last reigning IFL featherweight champion, Fabiano is an excellent addition to an already overwhelmingly stacked division. He is the epitome of a man that eats, sleeps and breathes the sport of mixed martial arts. 

Fabiano began training at the age of three and before long, he would dedicate his life to jujutsu. Already a black belt at just 21 years of age, Fabiano won five state titles, three national titles and a bronze in the BJJ World Championships. He is also known to have trained Georges St. Pierre in BJJ before the French-Canadian earned his black belt last month. Fabiano's skills have translated well into MMA thus far. Much like Torres, Fabiano has demonstrated an improvement in both his stand-up and his wrestling. Having trained with the Canadian wrestling team, Fabiano is well-versed in grappling and anyone who doubted his stand-up was likely silenced by his 37-second knockout of Shad Lierley in April. His skills will truly be put to the test against one of the world's best at featherweight.

Tamura (12-6-2) is a veteran in Japan. Training out of the Tsudanuma Dojo, this Japanese sensation last saw action at a Shooto card on May 3 when he submitted fellow Shooto veteran Rumina Sato. Tamura's record is somewhat misleading as the majority of his six losses occurred early in his mixed martial arts career, which many argue is beneficial to the long-term success of a fighter. Since 2006, Tamura is 7-2, including a win over Takeshi Inoue, a man that had defeated Tamura earlier in his career. I am on a similar boat as many fans in that I have not had the chance to see as much of Tamura as I would have liked, but this is yet another coup for the WEC. They have landed a highly touted international contender at 145 pounds and they are bringing him in to showcase his skills on the VERSUS Network in front of a vastly uneducated North American MMA audience. 

With more entertaining fighters coming in to compete at lighter weight classes, these fights have the potential to attract new fans. If you hate MMA, I am convinced a fight between Yves Edwards and Duane Ludwig will not win you over. But when it comes to World Extreme Cagefighting, I truly believe these high caliber fights could win over some fans. It's free, it's quick, it's well produced, not to mention the tremendous MMA. Boxing and kickboxing fans in particular could gain interest in MMA by watching some of these lighter divisions. If MMA is too slow for your liking, give WEC a chance because its pacing cannot be compared to the UFC, both in terms of production and the fights they deliver.

In the second co-feature, Brian Bowles (6-0), an undefeated prospect based out of the Hardcore Gym, looks to make it 4-0 since joining the WEC. Management quickly took notice of Bowles when he defeated Marcos Galvao at WEC 31 in December 2007. He displayed first-rate takedown defense and striking ability en route to a knockout. A training partner of the aforementioned Fabiano, Galvao was was already considered a top 135-pounder following an impressive series of victories in Japan. In his last fight, Bowles submitted Greg Jackson Submission Fighting product Damacio Page at WEC 35 in August. Another victory really puts Bowles at the forefront of contenders in the bantamweight division, though Jeff Curran could earn himself a title shot before you can think twice. A standout in high school wrestling, Bowles made a seamless transition into MMA. Four of his six victories have come by way of submission. If he hesitates against his opponent at WEC 37, he risks tasting defeat for the first time. 

Will Ribeiro (10-1) is a jujutsu specialist whose knockout ability is unquestionable. The Brazilian made his promotional debut at WEC 34 in June with a split decision over Chase Beebe. Ribeiro is on a four-fight winning streak and could become a mainstay in the WEC bantamweight division if he knocks off Bowles. In addition to a background in jujutsu, Ribeiro is a muay thai and kickboxing expert. Half of his victories have been knockouts. If Bowles shoots in, he risks getting caught, so stylistically, this is in an intriguing match-up. A former boxing champion in Brazil, Ribeiro's power is jaw-dropping for a featherweight and his takedown ability is not too shabby judging from his performance against Beebe. Both Ribeiro and Bowles are evenly matched and just like Torres-Tapia and Fabiano-Tamura, this one has fight-of-the-night potential. 

Rounding out the main card is a featherweight bout between Sacramento-native Joseph Benavidez and former TKO 145-pound kingpin Danny Martinez. 

Benavidez (8-0), an undefeated training partner of former featherweight champ Urijah Faber, adds much depth to the already impressive division in World Extreme Cagefighting. He raised his stock at DREAM.5 in July with a first-round submission win over Junya Kudo. Prior to outclassing Kudo for the victory, he was slated to meet one of the world's premier pound-for-pound mixed martial artists, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto. Had the fight gone on as planned and had Benavidez emerged the victor, he would have cemented himself in MMA's history books. Most of his wins have been crafty submissions, so Martinez would be wise to avoid playing the ground game come Dec. 3. 

Martinez (12-2) will also be making his WEC debut in this bout. He is on a three-fight winning streak, including a submission of Joey Marimberga at an Evolution MMA event in October. Martinez has a ton of experience in his two-year career. Just this year alone, he has already fought six times. His lone losses include a unanimous decision to Affliction and WEC veteran Mark "The Machine" Hominick and another unanimous decision setback to Adrian Wooley, both under the TKO banner. Martinez, already the Rage in the Cage bantamweight champion, could add a second belt to his collection if he is successful in his WEC tenure. With two hungry competitors making their promotional debuts on the main card, I expect fireworks because neither man wants to disappoint WEC management. Benavidez should be favored to win, but anything can happen.

With an already stacked main card, the undercard of WEC 37 has potential to be a memorable one as well. Three fights in particular have caught my attention.

First, IFL veteran Bart Palaszewski makes his first appearance for the Zuffa-owned brand against UFC and WEC veteran Alex Karalexis. 

Palaszewski (29-11), a member of Team Curran, is coming off a TKO victory over Jeff Cox at Adrenaline MMA's inaugural event. With notable wins over Ryan Schultz and Ivan Menjivar, Palaszewski is a well-rounded fighter who has proven that he can win by knockout or submission on any given night. Despite reigning supreme in his last fight in August, Palaszewski desperately needs a win against Karalexis after losing his last three fights in the International Fight League. With a competitive lightweight division in the WEC, Palaszewski can't afford a loss in his first fight if he wants to stick around.

Karalexis (9-3) is no stranger to WEC fans. He is 3-1 under the World Extreme Cagefighting banner. Karalexis looks to rebound from a TKO loss to Ed Ratcliff at WEC 31 last December. Ring rust could be a factor for the UFC veteran, who holds a notable win over Thomas Denny and a loss to top lightweight contender Kenny Florian. Denny is slated to meet the returning Pat Miletich at the next Adrenaline MMA card promoted by Monte Cox, which should be an interesting show in itself.

Another fight to catch my eye is Cub Swanon vs. Hiroyuki Takaya. 

Swanson (12-2) was widely regarded as a top contender until he was submitted by Jens Pulver at WEC 31. Needless to say, his 11-fight winning streak had been halted by a bona fide veteran. However, Swanson now has the opportunity to prove that he is still a force. After taking an outside fight at an IFBL card in February, in which he submitted Donnie Walker in the third round, Swanson had returned to his winning ways. Now coming back to the promotion that brought him the most attention, the King of the Cage veteran can re-establish himself and erase Pulver's dominating win from the memory of fans. The sky is the limit for this Palm Springs-native. It is up to Swanson to capitalize on the opportunity. But in his path is another well-travelled veteran.

Takaya (9-5-1) has fought a far higher level of competition in his five-year career. Also on the rebound trail following a knockout at the hands of Leonard Garcia at WEC 32 in February, Takaya will try to re-assert himself in the featherweight division. Takaya holds notable wins over highly touted 145-pound competitors Hatsu Hioki and Antonio Carvalho, plus the benefit of experience. Having faced Gilbert Melendez, Genki Sudo and Gesias Cavalcante, Takaya is no stranger to world-class competition. Following a disappointing performance in his introduction to WEC fans, much like Swanson, Takaya has everything to lose in this fight. The Streetfight Bancho is likely to be favored in terms of betting odds, but Swanson should not be under-estimated.

Finally, I wanted to touch on the light heavyweight tilt pitting Mark Munoz against Ricardo Barros.

Barros (2-1) is not so much the point of interest. Having compiled an unremarkable record in eight years of action, Barros, though a Brazilian jujutsu black belt, is hardly a legitimate light heavyweight contender by any stretch of the imagination. His opponent, however, is a completely different story.

Munoz (4-0) trains out of the Capital City Fighting Alliance alongside former 145-pound titlist Urijah Faber. This Sacramento-native looked spectacular in his WEC debut against Chuck Grigsby in June. Ever since initially making his mark, I have wanted to see more of Munoz. He was previously scheduled to compete against Steve Steinbeiss on the WEC 36 card last month, but injury forced the former NCAA All-American wrestler off the card. This bout is of major significance to Munoz because World Extreme Cagefighting has already announced plans to abandon its middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. As a result, Munoz knows he will have UFC officials, namely Joe Silva, watching this fight to see where he would fit in on the UFC roster. Another dominant performance in the WEC is just what Munoz needs to prove he deserves to hang with the big boys in the UFC.

Well, there you have it. A pretty stacked card from top to bottom with lots of meaningful match-ups. Unlike its partner promotion the Ultimate Fighting Championship, World Extreme Cagefighting is constantly striving to feature its top talent on each and every show. 

The Fight Network's content partner FiveOuncesOfPain.com revealed on Tuesday that Scott Adams and Reed Harris are assuming a reduced role with the company and Joe Silva is said to be handling matchmaking responsibilities for both the UFC and the WEC. One wouldn't have come to such a conclusion judging by the caliber of matchmaking. I hope a reduced role for Adams and Harris does not translate into a declining product. 

It amazes me that the same man who puts on Pulver vs. Faber II would consider fights such as Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evensen worthy of a pay-per-view showing. Let's not forget that the UFC put out a pay-per-view last year headlined by Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans and Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva.

You are giving better fights away for free on VERSUS! And that is an understatement as they are often leaps and bounds superior to fights on UFC pay-per-view.

With the WEC abandoning its heavier weight classes, I worry about how the UFC plans to build up fighters moving forward. If the goal is to restrict the WEC to lighter divisions, then the UFC should potentially consider establishing a developmental league. That's where you can build up the likes of Neil Wain, Houston Alexander, Jon Jones, James Irvin, Kendall Grove, Jason Day, Tamdan McCrory, Matt Brown, Aaron Riley and Jeremy Stephens, just to name a few. A UFC D-League would not necessarily need to be televised, but it certainly could and would be a profitable endeavor if done properly. There is no reason any of the aforementioned fighters should be appearing on pay-per-view. There is enough talent to go around for the UFC to put on constantly stellar cards and that is a fact. 

World Extreme Cagefighting could get that much better with the rumored signings of Gina Carano and Cristine "Cyborg" Santos. EliteXC did a good job building up this match-up on CBS and there is no conceivable way for the UFC to drop the ball. As a promoter, Carano is as marketable a fighter as you will ever have and if Dana White had watched some of EliteXC's female division, he had to have been blown away. To each his own opinion on whether women should be fighting, but they are undeniably producing excellent fights. As such, they are deserving of an opportunity and it's about time White came around and put this blockbuster fight together. Moreover, scrap the three-minute rounds because it makes absolutely no sense. Whoever made the assessment that women should not be allowed to fight five minutes just like men had clearly never seen a Carano fight. 

WEC 37 is less than a week away and I urge all mixed martial arts fans to tune in. Every single World Extreme Cagefighting show this year has been a success. This is as good as mixed martial arts gets. Solid graphics... Respectable announcing... Excellent production... Spectacular fights... Outstanding matchmaking... Good price...

And that price is free!