Eddie Wineland Happy With Progression, Eyeing Return to Title in 2011

Eddie Wineland slams Ken Stone at WEC 53

Eddie Wineland was the first WEC bantamweight champion, earning that designation with a stunning head kick on Anthony Banuelos midway through 2006.

Thursday night was the final World Extreme Cagefighting event ever, and while Wineland didn’t walk away from WEC 53 with a belt in hand, he is well on his way to putting himself back in contention for the now-UFC bantamweight title.

And make no mistake about it, that belt is where Wineland’s laser-beam focus is aimed.

“The ultimate goal is that hardware,” he said at the WEC 53 post-fight press conference. “Congrats to Dominick. He performed top-notch. My eyes are on that prize.”

Since losing the bantamweight belt to Chase Beebe in 2007, Wineland has lost only one other fight, to top-notch ground stylist Rani Yahya. Including that loss, he is 6-1 after dropping the belt. His current streak sits at four-straight victories.

“I think had I not had to pull out of the Damacio (Page) fight, that maybe would have pushed me a little bit closer,” said Wineland. “As long as I keep winning and I keep doing what I’m doing, they can’t really deny me the push.”

Wineland was scheduled to face Page, another Top 10 fighter, in November, but had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury. Had he fought and won that bout, as he said, he probably would have been a fight or two away from a title shot.

He’s still probably not far off from a shot, at least, not far according to WEC general manager Reed Harris, who is expected to continue with the UFC in an as of yet unannounced role.

“Hey, he’s been on a good run. That win that he got tonight, that guy that he fought was tough,” said Harris after the fight. “We’ll talk about it Monday, but I think we have big plans for Mr. Wineland. He’s been getting better and better. Every time I watch him, he seems to be growing as a fighter.”

Current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is likely to face Urijah Faber if everything falls into place, but Wineland shouldn’t be far behind, eyeing a title shot some time in 2011.

(Updated on Dec. 18, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. PT – corrected date of title loss to Chase Beebe.)