Monday, June 8, 2009

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WEC 41: Urijah Faber has a hand in Mike Brown’s June 7 victory (Pic)

Posted: 08 Jun 2009 01:51 AM PDT

Props: UrijahFaber.com

Ouch.

WEC 41 bonuses and awards for ‘Brown vs Faber 2’

Posted: 08 Jun 2009 01:33 AM PDT

WEC 41: "Brown vs. Faber 2" from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California, on June 7 has come to a close.

The highly anticipated rematch between featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown and the man he usurped the title from, Urijah Faber, took “Fight of the Night” with a thrilling five round war that saw Brown come away with the unanimous decision victory.

Faber battled valiantly, but a broken hand suffered early in the fight hindered his ability to attack with 100-percent of his arsenal in the later rounds.

Still, the two did enough to dazzle the crowd and the Versus audience who tuned in to see which of the two men would answer the call of Jose Aldo, who came away with the promotion’s “Knockout of the Night.”

Aldo needed just eight seconds and a slick flying knee to stop Cub Swanson. The Brazilian smashing machine is now 5-0 in the WEC with five straight (T)KO victories. Mike Brown may have taken the “W” tonight, but no question a very stiff test still awaits him.

Awaiting Seth Dikun was a “Submission of the Night” bonus for being “2 Quick” for Rolando Perez. The WEC sophomore made it look easy with his flying triangle choke victory at 2:30 of the first round.

WEC 41 was a solid night of action that produced several exciting fights that aired live on Versus. And the fighters honored below more than deserved a little extra cold hard cash for their outstanding performances.

Here are the special fight bonuses for WEC 41:

Fight of the Night — Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber
Knockout of the Night — Jose Aldo
Submission of the Night — Seth Dikun

Each fighter received $10,000 for their efforts in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as they become available.

For complete WEC 41 results and fight-by-fight coverage of the main card action click here .

WEC 41: ‘Brown vs Faber 2′ shatters promotion records for attendance and live gate

Posted: 08 Jun 2009 01:32 AM PDT

WEC 41: “Brown vs. Faber 2,” which took place at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on June 7, shattered company records with 13,027 in attendance for an official live gate of $818,415, according to The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

Those numbers far surpass the former gate and attendance record set by WEC 34 at the Arco Arena in June 2008, which tallied 12,682 attendees who paid a collective $738,855 to watch Urijah Faber choke out MMA legend, Jens Pulver.

WEC 41, with the main event of the evening showcasing a rematch between featherweight champion Mike Brown and the man who he defeated to capture the title, Faber, blew the roof off the Arco Arena after five rounds of terrific back-and-forth action.

Faber may have lost the bout, but he certainly didn’t lose any respect of the hometown crowd or his peers. The number of complimentary tickets are not known at this time; however, stay tuned to MMAmania.com as that information becomes available.

For a complete recap of WEC 41: “Brown vs. Faber 2″ click here.

Rampage Jackson: It’s ‘preposterous’ that he would be scared of ’some karate guy’ Lyoto Machida

Posted: 07 Jun 2009 09:48 PM PDT

WEC 41 recap and final thoughts for ‘Faber vs Brown 2′

Posted: 07 Jun 2009 08:41 PM PDT

WEC 41: "Brown vs. Faber 2″ went off tonight (June 7) from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif., with the main card action airing live on the Versus network.

The main event of the evening — a rematch between featherweight champion Mike Brown and the man who he defeated to capture the title, Urijah Faber — was billed as the “biggest fight ever in the featherweight division.”

And judging by the electric reception that “The California Kid” received from his hometown fans, the description appeared to be spot on. He showed his appreciation by giving the the packed house perhaps the gutsiest performance of his career … albeit in a losing effort.

Brown and Faber went toe-to-toe, up-and-down for the first two rounds in a crazy back-and-forth brawl. Faber landed a huge kick early in the first that busted Brown open, which could have caused problems later in the fight had he been able to work the cut.

But at some point in the second round Faber broke his hand on Brown’s hard melon and an injury to his left paw followed shortly thereafter. As a result, Faber was reduced to bobbing and weaving for most of the final two rounds.

Brown was unable to capitalize, but turned in a solid workmanlike performance that was good enough to earn him a unanimous decision win. The fight was super close prior to the injuries with Brown seemingly getting the better of the former champion. There’s no telling, however, if things would have been different had Faber not been injured.

That’s not taking anything away from Brown — he fought a great fight. It just would have been sweet to see them both go bell-to-bell at 100 percent. I’m greedy. So color me very interested in a third match even though Brown now leads on the scorecards 2 to 0. It’s a great match up.

In the meantime, we may just have to settle watching Brown take on a new challenger. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

In the co featured fight of the night, Jose Aldo and Cub Swanson touched ‘em up with a possible number one contender spot on the line. It’s safe to say that Aldo emerged as the hands-down best challenger in the weight class after blasting Swanson with a flying knee that essentially put him down for the count.

It was academic from that point forward.

All told, it took just eight seconds for Aldo to notch his fifth straight win under the WEC banner, all of which have come by way of (technical) knockout. That had to set some kind of record … thank goodness for digital video recorders — the deconstruction happened so fast.

Aldo clearly has the talent and ability to give Brown — or even Faber when he recovers from his injuries — one hell of a fight win or lose. He is an absolute beast who is a treat to watch fight … and celebrate.

More please.

Former (and current) number one lightweight contender, Donald Cerrone, was out to erase the memories of his most recent loss to division champion, Jamie Varner, when he locked horns with undefeated promotional newcomer, James Krause.

Krause was game in the early going, but it was soon clear that the all-around skills of “The Cowboy” were just too much for him to handle. Cerrone mixed it up well with knees, punches and submission attempts, as well as solid takedown defense.

He eventually registered an impressive finish and, during the post-fight press conference, made a point to call out “The Worm,” saying he was ready for his rematch when Varner is discharged from the “intensive care unit.”

Varner smiled when the cameras panned to him in the stands, but his insides were more than likely burning after hearing Cerrone’s remarks. That’s a fight that has to happen and more than likely will, with both fighters bringing the heat when fight night finally arrives.

Can’t wait.

In the opening fight of televised main card, Jens Pulver was out to snap a three-fight losing skid against up-and-comer, Josh Grispi. It didn’t happen. Grispi — who is 14 years younger than the mixed martial arts pioneer — needed less than 40 seconds to choke out the grizzled veteran in opening round of the bout.

It was no “fluke” either … Pulver simply could not pry the Bostonian’s limbs from around his neck. Pulver probably should have known better than to get in a bad position like that; however, it happened so fast that he more than likely didn’t know he was in trouble until it was too late.

The win for Grispi — his ninth straight — is no doubt a huge stepping stone that could catapult him into the upper echelon of a very deep WEC featherweight division. On the flip side, it was another massive setback for Pulver, who held back tears and hinted that retirement was top of mind.

It’s safe to say that the torch has been passed, regardless of Pulver’s future plans.

“Brown vs. Faber 2″ was a solid show with jaw-dropping knockouts and slick submissions that will be talked about around the water cooler and on the message boards for days, weeks and months to come. If you missed any of the action, be sure to check out our complete WEC 41 results and blow-by-blow coverage by clicking here .

Now that’s enough out of us for one night, it's time to hear your WEC 41-related thoughts. Sound off in the comments section below, Maniacs!

WEC 41 results and LIVE fight coverage TONIGHT (June 7)!

Posted: 07 Jun 2009 12:56 PM PDT

WEC 41: “Brown vs. Faber 2″ will take place tonight (June 7) LIVE from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. The main card will air live on the Versus network, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

WEC 41 will feature a monster rematch between Mike Thomas Brown and hometown hero, Urijah "The California Kid" Faber, in a featherweight championship bout with Brown's 145-pound title on the line. In the co main event, Jose Aldo and Cub Swanson are set to collide in another dynamite featherweight showdown.

As always, MMAmania.com will provide detailed play-by-play, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card bouts, beginning with the 9 p.m. ET telecast on Versus. In addition, we are delivering up-to-the-minute quick results of the under card action RIGHT NOW!

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Versus telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment or 10 before you leave and chat with many of our readers during the show — it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after WEC 41.

Without further delay, see below for the latest WEC 41 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest fight updates!)

WEC 41 QUICK RESULTS:

Mike Thomas Brown defeats Urijah "The California Kid" Faber via unanimous decision to remain WEC featherweight champion
Jose Aldo defeats Cub Swanson via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
Donald Cerrone defeats James Krause via submission (rear naked choke) in round one
Josh Grispi defeats Jens Pulver via submission (guillotine choke) in round one
Manny "The Pitbull" Gamburyan defeats John Franchi via unanimous decision
Rafael Rebello defeats Kyle Dietz via submission (rear-naked choke) in round one
Anthony "Showtime" Pettis defeats Mike "The Beast" Campbell via submission (triangle choke) in round one
Antonio Banuelos defeats Scott Jorgensen via split decision
Frank Gomez defeats Noah Thomas via submission (arm triangle choke) in round two
Seth "2 Quick" Dikun defeats Rolando Perez via submission (triangle choke) in round one

WEC 41 MAIN CARD FIGHT COVERAGE:

WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown vs. Urijah "The California Kid" Faber (145-pound limit)

Round one: Here we go! The arena is on fire. Chess match early with neither fighter looking to engage. Brown narrows the distance and presses Faber up against the cage. He lands a few elbows, but nothing serious. Both are back to the center of the cage and Faber unleashes a blistering head kick that lands flush on Brown’s beard. Brown now chasing Faber and finds himself in a guillotine from which he is able to escape. Brown is able to get Faber’s back, but Faber eventually works his way to his feet. Brown has a gash over his eye courtesy of the earlier head kick. Faber eventually frees himself and Brown lands a nice punch as the two part ways. Faber DRILLS Brown in the top of the head, but is somehow able to get a takedown. He gets Faber in a TIGHT choke and Faber does a flip and gets out. Brown is now in North-South position, but Faber again gets to his feet just before the horn sounds to end the round. Wow …

Round two: Round two both guys still seem amped from the earlier action. Brown tries to punch his way in with his head down but Faber is like a ghost. He eventually finds him, landing two solid punches. Faber misses with a head kick. Brown closes the distance and drills Faber with a nice right hand-takedown combination. He’s got Faber on the ground again maneuvering for chokes from every possible angle. Faber gets to his feet again with Brown draped across his back hammering him with punches while Faber is pressed face first against the cage. Faber, on his butt now, works for a guillotine choke that doesn’t work. Both guys scramble for a bit and end up on their feet again. Trading short punches now. And that’s how the action-packed round will end.

Round three: More of the same to start this round — Brown stalks Faber and Faber fades in and out. Faber throws a flying knee that misses it’s mark, but the elbow right after doesn’t. Brown stifles a takedown and attempts another guillotine choke. Faber escapes and the pair exchange punches again once they get to their feet. Faber throws another right elbow — his hand may be injured. Brown pins Faber up against the cage and works for a takedown. Faber sprawls and gets on top of Brown, who immediately works for a leg lock. Faber escapes and they are once again standing. Brown catches Faber with a big right hand, but he seems fine. He lands another. Brown goes for a trip and misses. Faber is wincing in pain as he tries to clasp his hands in the clinch — something is wrong with the “California Kid.”

Round four: Faber comes out kicking because his hand is hurt. Pace is a little less frenetic at this point in the fight. Brown has Faber up against the cage and lands some nice shots. Brown works the jab and lands some body blows, too. Faber scores with a standing elbow strike. Halfway through round four and they are clinching alongside the cage. Faber doesn’t appear to be able to mount much offense, but Brown can’t seem to capitalize. Big body shot from Brown. He is landing more but the shots don’t appear to be doing much damage. Faber is handicapped at this point. Brown tries to hit a takedown as the round comes to a close, but time expires.

Round five: Here we go … fifth and final frame. Faber throws a short looping left hook that lands. Follows it with a front kick and upper cut. Brown’s jab finds its mark again. Brown gets a takedown, but isn’t able to do anything at all — Faber gets to his feet easily. Faber bitch slapping Brown now with his left hand. He goes for a standing guillotine, but Brown picks him up and dumps him on his head. They don’t stay on the mat long — back on their feet. Brown lands a nice right-left combination. Brown gets a double-leg takedown. Faber pops to his feet instantly. Faber somehow pulls off an awesome-looking guillotine choke, but could not finish it because he cannot use his hands properly. Brown escapes, but it could have been bad news if Faber was well. He tries to finish the round with a takedown, but Faber is just too elusive. The round ends. Awesome fight! First half was better than the second … for obvious reasons.

Final result: Mike Thomas Brown defeats Urijah "The California Kid" Faber via unanimous decision to remain WEC featherweight champion

-end-

Jose "Junior" Aldo vs. Cub Swanson (145-pound limit)

Round one: Both fighters touch gloves and Swanson smiles as the two hard-hitting brawlers are ready to go to war. Not for long. Aldo unleashes a hellish flying knee just four seconds into the bout and Swanson drops to the canvas like a sack of spuds, covering his face in the center of the cage in a pool of blood. Aldo drops two big lefts to the downed fighter just for good measure and the referee comes in to save Swanson before Aldo murders him. Dear lord. Mr. Aldo is a savage.

Final result: Jose Aldo defeats Cub Swanson via technical knockout (strikes) in round one

-end-

James Krause vs. Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (155-pound limit)

Round one: Cerrone opens up with the action with a body kick that Krause follows to the mat to attempt a takedown. They scramble. Cerrone is on his back and angles for a triangle, which he transitions to an omoplata that Krause defends. Cerrone eventually gets the omoplata tight, forcing Krause to roll to avoid shredding his shoulder. Cerrone now in top position, working some ground and pound. Krause goes for a leg lock that doesn’t pan out and both fighters make it to their feet. Krause goes for a takedown that Cerrone defends and in the process locks in a tight standing guillotine while unleashing a nice knee to the face. Cerrone blasts Krause with a huge punch! Krause is hurt bad, covering up hoping to avoid more damage. Cerrone follows him to the mat and has his back. He flattened him out and is softening up Krause with punches. Cerrone finally sees an opening and sinks in a fight-ending rear naked choke with about 40 seconds left on the clock. Great action!

Final result: Donald Cerrone defeats James Krause via submission (rear naked choke) in round one

-end-

Josh "The Fluke" Grispi vs. Jens "Little Evil" Pulver (145-pound limit)

Round one: Both fighters open up by trading kicks that cancel each other out. Pulver scores a big takedown, but falls into a tight guillotine choke. It appears that he will be able to pop his head out. No! Grispi tightens his grip and Pulver seems to be fading. He has no choice but to tap. It’s over in just 32 seconds! Pulver is extremely dejected, refusing the assistance of those in the ring who are there to check on him. Big win for Grispi … another bitter loss for “Lil Evil.”

Final result: Josh Grispi defeats Jens Pulver via submission (guillotine choke) in round one

-end-

Brett Rogers vs Alistair Overeem possible for August 15 Strikeforce event in San Jose, California

Posted: 07 Jun 2009 12:53 PM PDT

Strikeforce Executive Mike Afromowitz confirmed to MMAmania.com yesterday that surging heavyweight sensation Brett Rogers will likely meet current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in a title fight on the upcoming August 15 event in San Jose, California.

“It’s definitely a possibility,” Afromowitz said after Saturday’s press conference. “I know Brett said he is ready. We will see how he is feeling next week and go from there. Overeem is locked in for the August 15 fight card.”

“The Grimm” is coming off a devastating knockout win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at the June 6 ‘Lawler vs. Shields’ event from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Rogers was a +300 underdog heading into the fight but needed just 0:22 seconds to put “The Pitbull” to sleep — the second time for Arlovski in as many fights.

At the post fight press conference, Rogers spoke out about his future within the promotion. “I was kind of aiming for (Overeem)…I was expecting the title today so he is still in my sights.”

Rogers, now 10-0, looks poised to capitalize on his new found stature. “This sport is all about timing,” he said. “This fight took me to the next level and now is definitely my time. Everyone saw tonight that I am not one to play with.”

A potential title fight against “Demolition Man” could end up playing second fiddle to the long-anticipated "Carano vs. Cyborg" superfight. Also on the August 15 fight card, Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson and interim champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez will finally rematch to unify the 155-pound strap.

Keep it dialed in to MMAmania.com for more information on the August 15 event as it unfolds.

Strikeforce: ‘Lawler vs Shields’ MMAmania.com image gallery

Posted: 07 Jun 2009 12:09 PM PDT

Check out more exclusive pics from Strikeforce: ‘Lawler vs. Shields’ after the jump.

For the recap of last night’s ‘Lawler vs. Shields’ event click here .

WEC 41 Q&A video highlights with Miguel Torres, Brian Bowles and Kenny Florian

Posted: 07 Jun 2009 11:58 AM PDT

MMA Quick Quote: Jake Shields has no interest in wasting time on Joe Riggs

Posted: 07 Jun 2009 11:58 AM PDT

"I want the big fights from here on out. I think I showed I can fight at both 170 and 185 pounds. Guys are a little bigger then me at middleweight but I'm faster. My jiu-jitsu style is super aggressive…I bring the wrestling mentality of forcing things and making things happen. As far as a fight at 170, I think my fight there would be for a title fight and Joe Riggs is of no concern for me. He’s not even worth my time … I'm really not even giving him the time of day."

– Jake Shields expressed complete disinterest toward a possible match up against Joe Riggs when speaking at the Strikeforce post-fight press conference. Apparently Shields was not impressed with the "Diesel's" dominating win over "The New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni. Shields and Riggs were originally scheduled to fight on the “Lawler vs. Shields” card last night; however, that fight was scrapped in favor of the more marquee fight against Robbie Lawler. Riggs expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision, and after his win over Baroni, Riggs told the crowd he still wants a fight with Shields. If Riggs in not a worthy foe for Shields at 170, it will be interesting to see who Strikeforce pits Shields against, assuming the promotion wants to crown a welterweight champion by the end of the year. As for Riggs, his future options also appear scant … unless, of course, a rematch with Nick Diaz interests both parties. Hmmm ….

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