The WEC puts on its next show tonight as WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 takes place from Las Vegas.

The card features a WEC Bantamweight Championship bout between Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez along with a lightweight contest between Shane Roller and Anthony Pettis.

The main card airs live on Versus at 9PM ET. Here are my picks for the winners.

WEC Bantamweight Championship Bout – Dominick Cruz (15-1) vs. Joseph Benavidez (12-1): This fight is a rematch of a bout that happened a little over a year ago where Cruz won a unanimous decision. Now Cruz is the champion and Benavidez is the challenger and in this fight, look for Benavidez to get the nod. He underestimated Cruz and his wrestling in the first fight and anticipated more standup, which left him flat footed and allowed Cruz to control the fight. This time around, Benavidez should be able to dictate the pacing and placement of the fight. I like Benavidez to win by submission in round four.

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Chad Mendes believes he can be one of the best mixed-martial artists in the world.

On Wednesday, he will have his chance to prove it.

Sporting a 7-0 record in his young pro career, the WEC Featherweight faces his toughest challenge in Cub Swanson in WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez, live on Versus at 9PM ET.

I got a chance to speak with up-and-coming fighter and ask him about his big fight with Swanson, as well has training with guys like Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez, and his sponsorship with AMP Energy.

The Scores Report: Hey Chad, how is everything going?

Chad Mendes: Everything is great, just excited for my next fight.

TSR: Well before we get to your fight with Cub Swanson, talk about your last fight in which you defeated Anthony Morris at WEC 48, a pay-per-view event that took place Sacramento, where you train. What was that whole experience like and by winning by submission in the first round, was it the best performance of your career?

CM: Well, I took that fight on short notice and when the WEC asked me to fill in for an injured fighter, I had to say yes. I got in a solid week of training and went over techniques and a game plan and I really worked on the arm-in guillotine choke. I was having dreams about getting that choke in and when the fight happened, it was just like I had dreamed and the choke was there, so I sunk it in and got the win. In terms of fighting in Sacramento, that was just unbelievable. The crowd was nuts and there was so much energy in the building. It was a great feeling.

TSR: How big is this upcoming fight with Cub Swanson, who has fought some of the best in the world, including current featherweight champion, Jose Aldo?

CM: Every fight is big, but this is clearly a huge step in my career. Fighting Cub is a great honor for me. He is a tough guy and faced all the top opponents. He is a real scrapper and he pushes a tough pace. I am expecting a war and not matter what happens, fighting a guy like Cub can only make me better.

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This weekend Mixed Martial Arts has two solid shows taking place outside of the UFC label. It begins Saturday on Showtime at 10 p.m. with Strikeforce presenting a strong card of recognizable fighters, a few of which are still considered among the best in the world. On Sunday, the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) takes center state with WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2, which is highlighted by the Featherweight championship (145 lbs) rematch of champion Mike Thomas Brown against former champion Urijah Faber. That show will air on Versus at 9 p.m.

Here is a quick breakdown of the feature fights and my predictions for both shows:

Strikeforce at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

– Kevin Randleman (17-12) vs. Mike Whitehead (23-6) Light-Heavyweight (205lbs): Kevin Randleman was a giant in the MMA world in the late 90’s and in the beginning of the 2000’s, but now Randleman is finding himself in the same position as many of the giants in those days like Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, where the sport has passed him bye. Loser of five of his last seven fights, Randleman needs a win over UFC veteran Mike Whitehead, who has won 13 of his last 14 and has looked good since his move down to light-heavyweight (205 lbs). I like Whitehead by decision or TKO from ground-and-pound on a tired Randleman.

– Joe Riggs (29-10) vs. Phil Baroni (13-10) Middleweight (185lbs): Phil Baroni and Joe Riggs are classic examples of two fighters that had worlds of potential and never tapped into it. Both men have tremendous power, but both are notorious for their lack of endurance as fights move on. Baroni tries to throw all his power in each punch which limits him later on and Riggs has a suspect chin that has caused quick knockout losses. If Baroni has truly improved his training, I see him winning this one as Riggs is the mentally weaker fighter. I take Baroni by TKO late in round one.

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