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Weigh-in blog: All fighters make weight for Aldo vs. Gamburyan

Donald Cerrone, Jamie Varner exchange final words before Thursday showdown

BROOMFIELD, Colo — All 22 fighters set to compete on this week's WEC 51 card came in on weight during Wednesday's official weigh-in at the 1st Bank Events Center.

Defending featherweight champion Jose Aldo received the warmest welcome from the Colorado crowd. The 24-year-old Brazilian is looking to make his second successful title defense against No. 1 contender Manny Gamburyan (13-5).

Aldo (17-1) didn't have too much to say in his last opportunity to speak before the fight, simply stating he expects to dictate which direction the fight takes.

"I trained hard for this fight," said Aldo, through an interpreter. "I'm on top of my tactics, and I'm going to put my game in place."

Both fighters weighed in at 145 pounds for the fight.

As electrifying a fighter as Aldo is, there's a good chance Thursday's show will be stolen by a lightweight matchup between Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone.

The two 155-pounders already met once before, with Varner escaping with a split-decision win in the fifth round. The end came with some controversy, however, when Varner said he couldn't continue after taking an illegal knee from Cerrone.

That finish has led to a heated rivalry between the two. At Wednesday's weigh-ins, the two touched foreheads and exchanged a few last-minute words.

"I'm here to fight," Varner said. "The last time it was a great fight. Tomorrow night, the score will be settled."

Also receiving a warm response from the crowd was former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres. After losing his last two fights, Torres will be looking for a big comeback win against veteran Charlie Valencia.

Torres was accompanied to the scale by head trainer Firas Zahabi, who is well-known for his involvement with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

WEC 51 is considered to be one of the most stacked cards of the year for the organization. Also featured on the card are popular fighters such as Chan Sung Jung, Leonard Garcia, Mike Brown and Ed Ratcliff.

The event is set to air on VERSUS. Doors open to the event at 3:30 p.m. MT.

Full Results:

Jose Aldo (145) vs. Manny Gamburyan (145)

Jamie Varner (156) vs. Donald Cerrone (155.5)

Miguel Torres (136) vs. Charlie Valencia (136)

Chan Sung Jung (146) vs. George Roop (145)

Leonard Garcia (146) vs. Mark Hominick (145)

Tiequan Zhang (154) vs. Pablo Garza (154)

Mike Brown (145) vs. Cole Province (146)

Chris Horodecki (155) vs. Ed Ratcliff (155)

Tyler Toner (145) vs. Diego Nunes (145)

Antonio Banuelos (136) vs. Chad George (135)

Nick Pace (135) vs. Demetrious Johnson (135)

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at LVSunFighting

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