World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) today officially announced its plans for WEC 40: "Torres vs. Bowles," which is scheduled to take place at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., on April 5.

It will mark the first trip for the promotion to the "Windy City," as well as a homecoming of sorts for WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres (35-1).

"Angel" is a graduate of nearby Purdue University in Indiana. He paid his way through college fighting on the underground mixed martial arts scene throughout the region, establishing a cult-like following and a reputation to take on all comers, regardless of size.

Accordingly, Torres is set to headline the show and will defend his 135-pound strap against undefeated four-fight WEC veteran Brian Bowles (7-0). This will be his third title defense for Torres since the Chicago resident captured the crown with a first round submission win over Chase Beebe in February 2008.

In the other match made official, former featherweight standout Jeff Curran (31-9-1) will make his bantamweight debut in a number one contender eliminator match against the training partner of Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez (9-0).

Benavidez is coming off a unanimous decision win over Danny Martinez in his promotional debut at WEC 37: "Torres vs. Tapia" last December. He recorded three other wins in 2008 over Junya Kudo, Maurice Eazel and Jason Georgianna, each by submission.

Tickets for WEC 40: "Torres vs. Bowles" are set to go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. CT. To check out the latest WEC fight card and rumors click here.