WEC fighters speak on UFC merger

Several prominent WEC fights commented to Sherdog.com on the company's merger with its sister company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber:

"I'm excited, man. I've been pushing for [the merger] for a while now. We WEC guys haven't been getting the credit or the exposure that we deserve. It's also going to mean better paydays, which is obviously great. Not having to explain the difference, or lack of a difference, to the fans is going to be nice. I'm looking forward to the satisfaction of there finally being no difference between the UFC and the WEC. I didn't think there was a difference before, except the initials, but now it's official."

Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres:

"It's definitely bittersweet, because I've been with the WEC a while, and I've been fighting since '98. I think I'm a pioneer, but now the future is open to me. I think it's really good. It's going to give us lighter guys more attention. We've sort of been viewed as second-tier fighters, and now we've got the opportunity to show the world that we belong in the UFC."

WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson:

"It would mean a lot [to become the UFC lightweight champion]. It'd be a dream come true. I want to be the best on the planet, so I'll probably eventually fight both guys. I want to beat everybody -- not my buddies, but everybody else."

No. 1 lightweight contender Anthony Pettis:

"It's crazy. It's not even real yet, and it's not going to be real until it finally happens. I've heard the rumors for a year and a half. The possibility of headlining a pay per view is huge."