Filho-Doerksen, Condit-Larson headline Sunday

For UFC fans looking for the newest up-and-coming fighters, World Extreme Cagefighting's TV special from Las Vegas on Sunday, with a double headliner of Paulo Filho vs. Joe Doerksen and Carlos Condit vs. Brock Larson is a must-see. The promotion, owned and operated by UFC parent company Zuffa, focuses on lighter weight classes and fighters on the rise.

Filho, considered by some to be the top 185 pound fighter in the world, is the center of the first main of two main events. He trains out of the vaunted Brazilian Top Team, and has amassed an unblemished 14-0 record in PRIDE, a mixed martial art league in Japan. He's an aggressive ground fighter, who likes to take down his opponents, punch from the top, and go for submissions. With an established international reputation in mixed martial arts, Filho will fight for his first WEC fight for the WEC Middleweight Championships. Fans have confidence in him-- in a poll on WEC's Web site, more than 70 percent of fans picked Filho to win on Sunday.

The only thing standing in his way of a belt is the confident and experienced Joe Doerksen. While Filho is highly regarded because of his success in PRIDE, Doerksen has fought longer than Filho and against a higher level of competition. His list of past opponents includes a host of top level fighters, including Matt Hughes, Matt Lindland, Denis Kang, Ed Herman, David Loiseau and Nathan Marquardt.

Doerksen also has extensive experience fighting in a cage, while Filho is more familiar with PRIDE's ring. The ring and cage pose different tactical challenges, and there has been an adjustment period for other Pride fighters making their cage debuts. Doerksen said he's sure his opponent will practice in a cage before stepping it with him. His game is to stay on his feet and go for his weaknesses. "I have to stay mobile and keep my legs moving," he said. "I can't stand in front of him. He's got great takedowns and is a very explosive fighter. If he takes me down I'll have to work hard to get back up. I want to stand on my feet."

Doerksen is more than comfortable with the fight on the ground -- 31 of his 39 mixed martial arts victories have come via submission. However, MMA very often comes down to exploiting the weaknesses of one's opponent. That is precisely what Doerksen has in mind. "I'm not scared to go to the ground but want to stand because I think that's where he's weakest," he says.

That's not such an easy feat. Filho is known to be relentless with takedown attempts. Doerksen has to train for Filho like any other opponent, but he acknowledges it is a very important fight. "I've been doing the sport for eight years and haven't quite reached the level I'm looking to get and he's the type of person I have to beat to get there," he said.

In the other main event, WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit defends his title against Brock Larson. There is an old adage that styles make fights, and the Condit-Larson matchup has the makings of a great one. Both men are action fighters with balanced skill sets. Larson has great wrestling and submissions. Condit is a talented standup fighter with very good jiu jitsu skills. Both are known for finishers -- Condit and Larson have 41 combined wins, and only two of those came via decision.

Larson and Condit were originally supposed to fight in June, but Condit was injured and had to pull out of the fight. Larson dispatched his replacement opponent in 27 seconds, and now looks to take the title from Condit. A fully healed Condit has a different idea of how the fight is going to go. "I'm feeling very confident," he said. "I had a really good training camp and I'm ready to take care of business.

Condit is a complete mixed martial artist, comfortable wherever the fight goes. He is a dangerous striker, with good technical kickboxing ability. He demonstrated great takedown defense in his most recent fight against John Alessio, and he will try to frustrate Larson by blocking his takedowns. Condit also presents problems if the fight goes to the ground. Condit is experienced and comfortable with submissions. Condit takes pride in always looking to end the fight. Larson is likely better off on the ground, which is where most of his fights have ended up. Larson started out as a wrestler, but started his MMA training with a jiu jitsu expert.

As a result, Larson learned to mix wrestling and submissions from very early on in his career. He recognizes that his jiu jitsu ability gives him weapons that other wrestlers do not possess.

No matter what, Larson is ready for the fight. "Our styles are pretty much exactly the opposite," he said. "He's tall, rangy, likes to pick people apart from the outside. I'm explosive, I like to get in tight and use my power and athleticism. I'm a good top guy, submitting people on top. He's a good bottom guy, with good submissions from the bottom. Wherever it goes I think I'm going to be a little better."