WEC 46: Varner vs Henderson Fan Buzz

WEC 46 is live this Sunday night on Versus from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, featuring a main event between lightweight champion Jamie Varner and interim champion Benson Henderson. The bout marks the long-awaited return of Varner from injuries sustained in his title defense victory over Donald Cerrone, and will unify the WEC 155 pound belt. While the bout is an intriguing, high-level matchup between two well-rounded fighters, it is actually the night’s co-main event that is drawing the larger share of casual fan interest. When former featherweight champion Urijah Faber steps into the cage to take on Raphael Assuncao, he too will be returning from a long layoff due to injury, yet remains perhaps the most recognizable face of the WEC.

The buzz rankings take into account the level of activity for people searching and reading about each MMA fighter online. The more online buzz, the better the ranking.

The latest buzz rankings for Jamie Varner and Benson Henderson are 251 and 288, respectively, indicating that neither fighter is currently on the radar screen for casual MMA fans. Urijah Faber, meanwhile, is ranked at 77 despite over 6 months of inactivity, and has peaked as high as 8th when he last fought (a title shot loss Mike Brown).

The event represents a solid opportunity for the WEC and Versus to leverage Urijah Faber’s popularity in order to give greater exposure to their best lightweight fighters in Benson Henderson and Jamie Varner. Expect healthy ratings and marketable matchmaking opportunities for the promotion coming out of this event.