Local duo face pivotal WEC bouts in Canada

Two Las Vegas-trained fighters hope to improve their standing in the World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight division tonight.

Mark Hominick and L.C. Davis face pivotal fights at WEC 49 in Edmonton, Alberta, the organization’s first event in Canada.

The card, which features a main event lightweight bout between Kamal Shalorus and former champion Jamie Varner, airs live on Versus (Cable 38) at 6 p.m.

Davis, who will meet Josh Grispi, is perhaps closer to the top of the class than even he believed.

During the promotional tour, WEC general manager Reed Harris said he is awaiting the outcome of the bout to determine who gets the next chance at champion Jose Aldo.

It is an opportunity most, including Davis, thought was reserved for Manny Gamburyan.

“I was a little bit surprised,” Davis said before a training session at Xtreme Couture. “I kind of thought Manny would get the shot since he knocked out Mike Brown, but I’m happy that news came out.

“I would like to fight for a belt. That’s a lifelong dream, and it puts a little more pressure on me to get the victory to get one step closer.”

The 29-year-old Davis, who lives in Kansas City, Mo., when he’s not in camp, hasn’t had any conversations with Harris about the potential title fight.

“First I heard about it was on (the Internet),” Davis said. “I didn’t know anything about it.”

To remain in the conversation, he’ll have to defeat Grispi. Davis has won all three of his WEC appearances by decision and heard boos during his victory in March. He welcomes the matchup with a fighter who has won all three of his WEC bouts in the first round.

“The WEC did a good job of finding me an opponent that I don’t think will have that boring style this time,” Davis said. “Josh Grispi’s really aggressive and really exciting.”

Hominick also has the potential for an action-packed fight when he takes on fellow Canadian striker Yves Jabouin.

The 28-year-old Hominick trains at the Tapout facility for his fights to get away from the day-to-day distractions of running his own gym in Ontario.

Hominick thinks he has some work to do to get in the title mix but has a resume that could get him there quicker than most.

“I’ve done things that nobody else in this division has. I’ve gone up to the UFC and gone undefeated there at 155 and then came back down (to 145 in the WEC),” he said. “I’ve proven myself, and I have that advantage, but I’ve got to go one win at a time and work my way up that ladder.”

Varner held the lightweight title until losing it to Ben Henderson in January. Shalorus is unbeaten in seven pro fights, with victories in his only two WEC appearances.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0353.