World Extreme Cagefighting isn’t just looking to make a good first impression. The UFC, the mother ship, has long commanded the big stage. And for WEC’s first journey into the deep waters of pay-per-view, they’re bringing out a luxury liner to compel fans used to seeing events free on Versus to spend $44.95 on a Saturday night.
Five fights, each worthy of headliner status, comprise the main card. It’s not too often the event lives up to the hype, but WEC has had a knack for producing at least one Fight of the Year candidate per show.
Two title fights combined with three more that will determine the next No. 1 contender in each division is being counted on to revive what’s been a forgettable month for mixed martial arts.
WEC 48 main card breakdown
Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber -- Featherweight title
No disrespect to Mike Brown, who owns two wins over The California Kid, but Aldo represents the biggest challenge of Faber’s career -- and vice versa. Aldo bashed Brown to win the WEC featherweight title and the two losses to Brown have actually made Faber a better fighter. In their first fight, Faber made one mistake and paid for it. Though he dropped a unanimous decision in the rematch, Faber fought five rounds through a broken right hand and a dislocated left.
Out of action for seven months, Faber returned with an impressive submission win over Brazilian jiujitsu black belt Raphael Assuncao at WEC 46. Don’t expect the challenger to try and slow down this bout to neutralize Aldo’s explosiveness -- which nobody has come close to doing. On the contrary, Faber plans to meet fire with fire with a quick-strike offense of punches, elbows and knees.
“I haven’t toned down anything,” Faber said during the WEC conference call. “You know, I am 23-3. I’ve had two fights that I lost because of being wild and crazy and I’ve had a ton of wins because I’m wild and crazy. Of course I keep refining my technique and getting better and better, and I’ll be aware of his tools for sure. But, you know, I don’t tone things down.”
You’re looking at the two best strikers in the division, so the one who eventually gets the fight to the ground in addition to taking risks will earn an advantage.
Faber’s big-fight experience could be the difference in the fight.
Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone -- Lightweight title
The two lightweights who earned 2009 Fight of the Year honors knuckle up in a rematch for Henderson’s title. Henderson had an answer for everything in the first fight, which forced the Cowboy, even though he fought well enough to defeat a lesser opponent, back to the war room.
“Looking back and seeing what he did to counter what I did, you know, of course,” Cerrone said when asked if he knows what needed improvement. “But, man, just going out there and letting it all go is what my main plan is. You know, just give it all just like, start the fight like I ended it last time.”
A notorious slow starter, Cerrone fought off a game Ed Ratcliff to slap on a rear-naked choke that ended the fight in the third round of his last fight. Henderson is coming off wins over both Cerrone and Jamie Varner that won him the title.
Once Cerrone gets someone to the ground, that’s when he’s most dangerous. However, in their first fight, “Smooth” survived each of his guillotine choke attempts. Henderson doesn’t want to be put in those positions again. His striking doesn’t measure up to Cerrone’s, but he possesses long arms and legs that can back him off and control the tempo. Cerrone is too good to suffer the same fate.
Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
UFC president Dana White is touting this one as his darkhorse contest and it’ll come down to Gamburyan’s ability to get Brown on his back. Easier said than done. Brown’s strength is his wrestling and getting an opponent off his vertical base. His punching power is also capable of ending a fight early (ask Faber). A win by Brown virtually assures him the winner of Aldo-Faber.
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
A rising star (Njokuani) faces a certified roadblock (Roller) whose wrestling can silence the flashiest of fighters. Every fight, however, begins standing up, and that’s where Njokuani owns a significant advantage. “The Assassin” sets the tone early and often to earn a likely lightweight title shot barring Henderson-Cerrone III.
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen
My pick for Fight of the Night. Jorgensen stepped up as an injury replacement for Damacio Page and will compete seven weeks after his 31-second blasting of Chad George at WEC 47. Jorgensen entered 2010 expecting a bantamweight title shot. He was relegated to prelim status at WEC 47, but takes center stage in the curtain riser against the man who narrowly defeated him via split decision at WEC 41. Jorgensen has won three straight and five of six since, including a unanimous-decision Fight of the Night victory over Takeya Mizugaki. That elevated his game to new heights, especially his ability to work off the clinch. “Young Guns” showed in their first bout he owns a stamina advantage. His punching power and ruthless guillotine ends this rematch much sooner and secures a coveted date with champ Dominick Cruz.
