WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles has verbally agreed to make his first title defense against top contender Dominick Cruz at WEC 47 on March 6 in Columbus, Ohio, according to a reported from MMAjunkie.com.

The WEC chose to hold an event in March in Columbus, Ohio after its sister promotion, the UFC, decided not to hold a show in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival in 2010, which would have been its fourth-straight year doing so.

It will be the WEC's first ever event in Ohio. WEC 43 was originally set to take place in Youngstown in October, however, that event was moved to San Antonio, Texas.

Bowles is coming off a stunning first-round knockout win over former bantamweight champ Miguel Torres at WEC 42 in August to capture the WEC bantamweight title. The win moved him to a perfect 5-0 in the WEC, with previous wins in the promotion coming over Charlie Valencia, Marcos Galvao, Damacio Page and Will Ribeiro. 

The Hardcore Gym product has put together a 8-0 MMA record since turning pro in May 2006. He has shown a knack for finishing fights with stoppage wins in all of his 8 career wins including five finishes coming in the first round.

Cruz started out his WEC career on the wrong foot, suffering his first career loss against former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber in a title bout at WEC 26 in March of 2007. He has since won five-straight fights; which include four straight wins in the WEC as a bantamweight. Cruz most recently handed Joseph Benavidez his career loss at August's WEC 42 event.

Cruz has fought the majority of his four-year career with Total Combat and Rage in the Cage, fighting a combined 10 of his 15 career bouts with the two promotions. He sports a near perfect 14-1 MMA record, with half of his wins being by stoppage.