MMA FanHouse

WEC 44 Medical Suspensions

Ray Hui — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

Former WEC champions Mike Brown and "Razor" Rob McCullough have been issued short precautionary medical suspensions following Wednesday's WEC 44 event in Las Vegas.

Brown (lacerations above both of his eyes) and McCullough (cut on right eye and left hand contusion) have been suspended by the Nevada athletic commission until Jan. 3, 2010, with no contact until Dec. 19.

Diego Nunes (orbital fracture on his right eye), Cub Swanson (broken left hand), Antonio Banuelos (fractured nose) suffered more severe injuries and will have to be cleared by a doctor to avoid serving a six-month suspension.

Finally, Karen Darabedyan and Will Kerr have been suspended until Dec. 19 for each having a right cheek laceration.

LC Davis, Shane Roller, Daniel Castillo, Kamal Shalorus, Manny Gamburyan, Leonard Garcia and newly-crowned featherweight champ Jose Aldo received no suspensions.

WEC 44 Medical Suspensions originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Top 10 Pound-for-Pound: Jose Aldo Makes a Big Move

Michael David Smith — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, M-1 Global, Rankings, Overall

Two days ago, I don't think anyone had Jose Aldo listed as one of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts. But after what Aldo did to Mike Brown on Wednesday night, I don't think there's any way to exclude him.

Aldo didn't just beat Brown to win the World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight title, he dominated him: Dominated someone who himself had dominated the featherweight division up until he ran into Aldo. So my new pound-for-pound rankings include a new name, and a name that I have a feeling we'll be seeing on pound-for-pound lists for a long, long time.

Top 10 Pound for Pound Fighters in MMA
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Anderson Silva
3. Georges St. Pierre
4. B.J. Penn
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Jose Aldo
7. Brian Bowles
8. Shogun Rua
9. Rashad Evans
10. Miguel Torres

MMA Top 10 Pound-for-Pound: Jose Aldo Makes a Big Move originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Top 10 Featherweights: Jose Aldo Moves to the Top

Michael David Smith — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:52:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, WEC, Sengoku, Rankings, Featherweights

Wednesday night's Jose Aldo vs. Mike Brown fight shook up the featherweight division in mixed martial arts. When I interviewed Brown last week it looked like he was close to clearing out the featherweight division, but now that Aldo is the World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion, the division is a lot more interesting.

Who will get the first shot at Aldo's title? I think it'll be the winner of the WEC 46 bout between Urijah Faber and Rafael Assuncao, and I think Manny Gamburyan's win over Leonard Garcia on Wednesday night makes him a player in the featherweight division, too.

My featherweight rankings are below.

Top 10 featherweights in MMA
1. Jose Aldo
2. Mike Brown
3. Urijah Faber
4. Hatsu Hioki
5. Rafael Assuncao
6. Yuji Hoshino
7. Marlon Sandro
8. Manny Gamburyan
9. Josh Grispi
10. Leonard Garcia

MMA Top 10 Featherweights: Jose Aldo Moves to the Top originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With WEC Featherweight Title Win, Jose Aldo Completes Rise to MMA Royalty

Mike Chiappetta — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

Ladies and gentlemen, last night was a night for the history books. Years from now, you won't remember this column, but you will understand its significance. Because last night, Nov. 18, 2009, was the night that a 23-year-old human highlight reel by the name of Jose Aldo completed his ascension to MMA royalty.

Some of you might be thinking it's way too early to put him in the company of greatness. I've seen enough.

Aldo (16-1) is a singular talent in a world of overachievers. Armed with fast-twitch muscle that makes his standup a thing of destructive beauty, a seasoned ground game, surprisingly effective takedown defense and an even fight temperament, the WEC featherweight phenom laid a beating on defending champion Mike Brown, seizing the belt and starting a reign that has every possibility of lasting for years.

In Brown (22-5), the dynamic Brazilian was facing an opponent who was riding a 10-fight win streak. In theory, Brown was supposed to be the kind of fighter who would be Aldo's kryptonite, a rugged wrestler who can take a punch and is able to put nearly everyone on the ground with his tenaciousness. How do you cancel out a puncher's power? Put him on his back.

In practice, it wasn't much of a contest. Aldo was decidedly faster than Brown, getting to his spots quicker, getting in and out with a landed punch or kick before Brown had a chance to respond. He stuffed takedown tries. He outmaneuvered Brown on the ground. It wasn't so much an indictment on Brown as it was a celebration of Aldo, who has authored an early career highlight to rival the greats of MMA history at a similar stage.

It doesn't hurt Aldo's future marketability as a champion that he also happens to be incredibly charismatic. Upon finishing up a first-round TKO of Rolando Perez back in January, Aldo immediately scaled the cage fence, scampered into the crowd and ran up the San Diego Arena steps to celebrate with the awed fans. He's also used rare moves to dramatic effect, most famously knocking out Cub Swanson with a flying double knee.

As flashy as he can be in the cage, he's also remarkably composed. During pre-fight introductions, he never makes eye contact with his opponent, choosing to concentrate on his own thoughts. During scrambles, he seems to have a knack of ending up with the better positioning, illustrating his poise.

Against Brown, he took advantage of a mistake when the champion slipped backwards to the mat. Aldo immediately capitalized on the position, hitting Brown with a few punches from the side before Brown tried to move to his back and bring Aldo into his guard. Instead, in a flash, Aldo had passed to full mount. Brown gave up his back, and Aldo immediately locked in his hooks, then rained down a hailstorm of punches before referee Steve Mazzagatti had no choice but to stop the fight.

This time around, Aldo's emotions got the better of him, and instead of a raucous celebration, his eyes watered as WEC President Reed Harris placed the belt around his waist.

"He had a great night. He was landing shots, and I wasn't," a bewildered Brown said after the fight. "That's how the game is. He's a great fighter."

He also has every tool necessary to become a dominant champion. His striking will draw inevitable comparisons to that of his fellow countryman and fellow champion Anderson Silva, but we have to keep in mind that Aldo is only 23. Scary thought for all 145ers around the world: He is only going to get better.

Aldo himself makes it sound so simple when he talks. Even translated from his native Portuguese, his words cut to a faith in himself that propelled him into MMA stardom.

"Every athlete," he once said, "has to think, has to imagine that he's the best. If he doesn't, who will?"

Imagine no more. Now, it's just a matter of where he stands in the pound-for-pound conversation.

The win caps off a humble and hard rise for the new champion, who grew up in a poor neighborhood in the city of Manaus, the son of a construction worker who from the age of six was routinely dragged along to help his dad, dragging buckets and materials on job sites. To this day, Aldo speaks emotionally about his family, and says that the biggest benefit of becoming a star in MMA is the opportunity to help them.

After Wednesday night, his life -- their lives -- will begin to change.

This is a simple man with simple goals. When he was recently asked about his dream in life, it was simple: he dreamed of owning his own home.

He has one now: the WEC featherweight division, the House of Aldo.

With WEC Featherweight Title Win, Jose Aldo Completes Rise to MMA Royalty originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WEC 44 Video: Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo Post-Fight Press Conference

Michael David Smith — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, WEC

After their World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight championship fight on Wednesday night, Mike Brown and Jose Aldo will meet the press and answer questions at the WEC 44 post-fight press conference. And if you're not there at The Palms in Las Vegas, you can watch right here at FanHouse.

How will the fighters look after going toe to toe in the cage? What will they have to say about their fight? Find out by watching their post-fight comments.

The press conference will start around midnight ET and the video is below.

WEC 44 Video: Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo Post-Fight Press Conference originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WEC 44: Jose Aldo TKOs Mike Brown to Become New WEC Champion

Ray Hui — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:17:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

Jose Aldo defeated Mike Brown by TKO to win the WEC featherweight championship Wednesday in the main event of WEC 44 in Las Vegas.

Aldo finished Brown on the ground with a barrage of unanswered punches at the official time of one minute and 20 seconds into the second round.

"Mike was really strong," said former UFC heavyweight Pedro Rizzo, acting as translator for Aldo. "He respected him a lot in the beginning of the fight and had to wait for the right moment to finish the fight. So when he found the space, he threw all the punches."

Aldo ended Brown's streak of two successful title defenses with his explosive striking, forcing Brown to look to bring the fight to the ground. Aldo defended the takedown attempts and when Brown missed on a huge hook, Aldo kept Brown on ground and secured full mount. Brown gave up his back and Aldo locked in both hooks and punched his way to call for the referee stoppage.

"He had a great night," Brown said. "He was landing the shots and I wasn't. That's how the game is."

Aldo's TKO earned him a $10,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night and improved his record to 16-1, with all six of his WEC wins by TKO. Meanwhile, Brown fell to 22-5, suffering his first loss in four years.

Notes: Shane Roller won Submission of the Night for his rear-naked choke over Danny Castillo ... Cub Swanson and John Franchi each raked in a $10,000 bonus for taking part in the Fight of the Night.

WEC 44 Results:

Jose Aldo def. Mike Brown via TKO (punches) - R2, 1:20 (live blog)
Manny Gamburyan def. Leonard Garcia via unanimous decision
Karen Darabedyan def. "Razor" Rob McCullough via split decision
Shane Roller def. Danny Castillo via submission (rear-naked choke) - R3, 3:32
Kamal Shalorus def. Will Kerr via TKO (punches) - R1, 1:26
LC Davis def. Diego Nunes via unanimous decision
Cub Swanson def. John Franchi via submission (guillotine) - R3, 4:50
Antonio Banuelos def. Kenji Osawa via unanimous decision
Ricardo Lamas def. James Krause via unanimous decision
Frank Gomez def. Seth Dikun via unanimous decision

WEC 44: Jose Aldo TKOs Mike Brown to Become New WEC Champion originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WEC 44 Live Blog: Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo Round-by-Round Updates

Ray Hui — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:45:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

This is the WEC 44 live blog for Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo, the featherweight title bout and main event for WEC 44 at the Pearl in Las Vegas.

Making his third title defense, Brown faces a dangerous striker in Aldo, who has stopped all five of his WEC opponents.

The live blog is below.

Round 1: They trade early with both fighters looking for knockout punches. Aldo double jabs and lands a leg kick. Aldo lands a hard leg kick. Aldo swings a three-punch combo that Brown blocks. They kick at the same time. Aldo turns it up and Brown shoots a single to close the distance and stop Aldo's flurry. Brown changes to a bodylock but Aldo defends the takedown. Brown lands knees to Aldo's thighs in clinch. They separate at 1:13 remaining in the round. Aldo connects with a kick to the body. Brown with a front kick. Aldo lands to the leg. A flying knee touches Brown's body.

FanHouse scores the round 10-9 for Aldo.

Round 2: Aldo with a spinning back kick. Aldo aggressively attacks and Brown shoots. Aldo ducks a massive hook and Brown loses his balance. Aldo hops in mount. Brown gives up his back and Aldo rains down punches. Brown covers, but he is trapped and the referee stops the fight. Aldo becomes the new WEC featherweight champion.

Aldo wins via TKO (punches) - R2, 1:20

WEC 44 Live Blog: Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo Round-by-Round Updates originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WEC 44: Manny Gamburyan, Karen Darabedyan Win Decisions

Ray Hui — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:41:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

The Ultimate Fighter 5 finalist Manny Gamburyan won his second straight fight for the WEC, defeating Leonard Garcia by unanimous decision after three rounds Wednesday at WEC 44 in Las Vegas.

After three rounds, the judges rendered the fight in favor of Gamburyan with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

"When Rashad Evans said he hits the hardest. Guys, he does hit really hard!" Gamburyan said. "I survived today. He's a good fighter and hopefully we can meet up one more time."

Garcia clearly wanted to keep the fight standing and utilize his hard-hitting hands, while Gamburyan relied on taking his opponent to the ground. Garcia was able to land shots and thwart Gamburyan's takedown attempts in the first round, but the final two rounds went to Gamburyan for his dominant wrestling offense.

Gamburyan improved his record to 10-4, while Garcia fell to 13-5.

Meanwhile, Gamburyan's training partner and fellow Armenian, Karen Darabedyan, won his WEC debut over former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough.

Darabedyan was not afraid to strike with McCullough and actually outboxed the kickboxer, landing bigger punches and opening a cut early on the bridge of McCullough's nose. McCullough focused on leg kicks, which Darabedyan had little answers for. Darabedyan slowed in the final round, but did enough to win the fight by split decision.

The final scores were 30-27, 27-30 and 29-28 to raise Darabedyan's record to 9-1 and drop McCullough's to 17-6.

WEC 44: Manny Gamburyan, Karen Darabedyan Win Decisions originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WEC 44 Results: Brown vs. Aldo

Ray Hui — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

FanHouse has WEC results of WEC 44 from the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The main event features the featherweight championship bout between titleholder Mike Brown and challenger Jose Aldo.

Results are below.
Versus Bouts:

Jose Aldo def. Mike Brown via TKO (punches) - R2, 1:20 (live blog)
Manny Gamburyan def. Leonard Garcia via unanimous decision
Karen Darabedyan def. "Razor" Rob McCullough via split decision
Shane Roller def. Danny Castillo via submission (rear-naked choke) - R3, 3:32
Kamal Shalorus def. Will Kerr via TKO (punches) - R1, 1:26

Preliminary Bouts:

LC Davis def. Diego Nunes via unanimous decision
Cub Swanson def. John Franchi via submission (guillotine) - R3, 4:50
Antonio Banuelos def. Kenji Osawa via unanimous decision
Ricardo Lamas def. James Krause via unanimous decision
Frank Gomez def. Seth Dikun via unanimous decision

WEC 44 Results: Brown vs. Aldo originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Top 10 Bantamweights: WEC Dominates the Division

Michael David Smith — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:36:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, WEC, Rankings

Wednesday night's WEC 44 event is a featherweight showcase, headlined by Mike Brown defending his 145-pound title against Jose Aldo.

But the WEC's bantamweight division, which won't be represented in any of Wednesday night's live fights on Versus, might be even more stacked than the featherweight division. My list of the Top 10 bantamweights in MMA is topped by six WEC fighters, with champion Brian Bowles and former champion Miguel Torres clearly the class of the division.

A couple of Shooto fighters make my list, as does Dream's Bibiano Fernandes (whom I consider a bantamweight even though he's the promotion's featherweight champ), but there's no question that at the top, the division is dominated by the WEC.

Top 10 Bantamweights in MMA
1. Brian Bowles
2. Miguel Torres
3. Takeya Mizugaki
4. Dominick Cruz
5. Rani Yahya
6. Joseph Benavidez
7. Masakatsu Ueda
8. Eduardo Dantas
9. Bibiano Fernandes
10. Akitoshi Tamura

MMA Top 10 Bantamweights: WEC Dominates the Division originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WEC 44: Preview and Predictions on Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo, More

Michael David Smith — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:43:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

There's a lot of good MMA in November, but there's no better MMA match-up this month than the one that will take place Wednesday night in Las Vegas, when World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Mike Brown defends his title against Jose Aldo at WEC 44. We've got the full preview and predictions below.

What: WEC: Brown vs. Aldo

When: The undercard starts around 6 PM ET Wednesday, and the televised card begins at 9.

Where: The Pearl at the Palms, Las Vegas

How: Watch live on Versus.

Predictions on the four televised fights:
Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo
This is a fight I've been clamoring for since Brown and Aldo earned a couple of spectacular wins in June, and I'm thrilled that it's finally here. Brown is stronger than Aldo and will be able to control him if he can get his hands on him, but Aldo is one of the sport's most dynamic strikers and will have a reach advantage against the shorter, stockier Brown. I think the champion will retain his belt, but it won't be easy. Pick: Brown

Manvel Gamburyan vs. Leonard Garcia
This is a great example of a fight that should make MMA fans pay closer attention to the smaller weight classes. Both Gamburyan and Garcia fought as lightweights in the UFC and earned respect from the fans for their winning attitudes and their hard-charging fighting styles, but they were simply too small to fight at 155 pounds. Now that they're in the WEC, fighting in the 145-pound class, they're going up against opponents their own size, and I think they're going to put on an excellent fight in the co-main event. Ultimately, I expect Gamburyan to pull out a win and likely earn a title shot against the Brown-Aldo winner. Pick: Gamburyan.

Rob McCullough vs. Karen Darabedyan
Darabedyan (who trains with Gamburyan, his fellow Armenian) is a hard-punching former boxer who has impressive judo skills, but I don't think he's ready for a fighter of McCullough's class. This is McCullough's 22nd MMA fight and 10th in the WEC, and it's just Darabedyan's ninth MMA fight and first in the WEC. That experience advantage is significant, and it's why I'm going with McCullough. Pick: McCullough.

Danny Castillo vs. Shane Roller
Castillo was a good college wrestler who trains with Urijah Faber and is developing into a well-rounded martial artist, and he's won three straight fights in the WEC. I think he'll make it four in a row against Roller. Pick: Castillo.

WEC 44: Preview and Predictions on Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo, More originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WEC 44 Weigh-In Video

Michael David Smith — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, WEC

All of the fighters on Wednesday night's WEC 44 fight card will step on the scales Tuesday at The Palms in Las Vegas for the WEC 44 weigh-ins, and if you can't be there in Vegas, you can watch right here at FanHouse.

The WEC 44 main event is a featherweight title fight between champion Mike Brown and No. 1 contender Jose Aldo. Both Brown and Aldo will have to make the featherweight limit of 145 pounds, and if you watch the weigh in you'll notice that Brown is the bigger man.

The WEC 44 weigh in starts at 7PM ET Tuesday, and the video is below.

After the weigh-in, be sure to keep watching here, as former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, who will call WEC 44 on Versus, will host a question-and-answer session with WEC fans.

WEC 44 Weigh-In Video originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMA Hour: Mike Brown Previews WEC 44; Dustin Hazelett Talks UFC 106

Ariel Helwani — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, WEC, FanHouse Exclusive

On this week's edition of the The MMA Hour, we were first joined by WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown. Brown will defend his title against Jose Aldo at WEC 44 this Wednesday night, and the American Top Team member discussed what could be his toughest title defense yet.

Later in the show, we spoke to welterweight fighter Dustin Hazelett about his UFC 106 bout against Karo Parisyan. "McLovin" talked about returning to action following a year-long layoff and getting bullied as a kid in high school.

MDS and I also previewed a jam-packed week of MMA action, and in our "Tweep of the Week" segment, we were joined by a former cast member on The Ultimate Fighter, Blake Bowman, and E. Spencer Kyte of Keyboard Kimura. Watch or listen to the show below.

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The MMA Hour: Mike Brown Previews WEC 44; Dustin Hazelett Talks UFC 106 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Brown Talks Jose Aldo and Cleaning Out the Featherweight Division

Michael David Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:53:00 EST

Filed under: WEC, FanHouse Exclusive

Mike Brown is so easygoing and plain-spoken that you wouldn't guess he's one of the most dominant fighters in the world.

But "dominant" is exactly the word to describe Brown, the World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion who has beaten all comers in his weight class. As Brown prepares to fight Jose Aldo on Wednesday night in Las Vegas (live on Versus), he's getting close to a point at which he'll have completely cleaned out his weight class. And although Brown said in an interview with FanHouse that he's not looking past Aldo, he acknowledged that he'd like to try moving up to lightweight and fighting in the UFC.

Michael David Smith: What kind of an opponent do you think Jose Aldo is?
Mike Brown: He's very tough, a good striker who's been going right through people. He's been knocking people out so quickly that it's hard to see what his complete game is like, but his striking is good.

Have you watched a lot of film of him to get ready?
I've gotten six or seven of his fights and watched them all a couple of times apiece. I'll watch them, take a break from watching film, and then go back and watch them again. And I always make sure to give tapes to my coaches and ask them to watch them and come back and tell me what they think.

I've heard that he's a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, but he's actually only submitted one opponent, and that was four and a half years ago. Have you seen much of what he can do on the ground?
No. He's had five fights in the WEC, and in those five fights he's been taken down one time, and in that one fight he got up after literally like two seconds. I did see one fight that he lost when he got taken down and submitted before he was in the WEC.

That was his only loss, against Luciano Azevedo in 2005. Do you think he's improved since then?
I'm sure he has.

Where do you think you have the advantage? Is it safe to say you're bigger and stronger than him? I would say you're probably the strongest fighter in the whole 145-pound weight class.
I'm pretty close to it. My advantages over him are strength, punching power and wrestling. On the ground it's kind of an unknown. I mean, he's a black belt, but there are very different calibers of black belts. There are guys who are black belts and then there are world-class Brazilian jiu jitsu champions, like Marcelo Garcia.

That's a good point: We hear all the time, "Oh, this guy's a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt." But Marcelo Garcia submits other Brazilian jiu jitsu black belts.
That's what we have at our gym: Some guys are black belts, but we have guys who are some of the best in the world in sport jiu jitsu. There are different levels of black belts. Saying two guys are both black belts doesn't mean they're even close to being on the same level.

Is Marcelo Garcia someone you're training with at American Top Team?
Not right now because he's up in New York, but I train with him when he's here. But we have a lot of great guys. We have "Tagarela" [Jonatas Gurgel] -- he's just a monster on the ground. We have JZ Calvan, we have Rafael Dias, Rafael Rebello, we've got some amazing guys.

Have you improved your Brazilian jiu jitsu from earlier in your career? All four of your losses are by submission. Can you say now that you wouldn't get caught in the same submissions that you were caught in a few years ago?
I can't say that I wouldn't get caught because great jiu jitsu guys still get caught in submissions. I mean, Wagnney Fabiano just got caught in a triangle. Who would have thought that? But I can definitely say I've improved to the point where now I think submission grappling is my strong suit. Ricardo Liborio is my head coach and the guys I work with on a daily basis have done a great job getting me ready.

You sound proud when you talk about the guys you're working with at American Top Team, and I remember after you beat Urijah Faber last time you got very emotional talking about those guys. Can you explain what it is about ATT that it has come to mean so much to you?
We're a really tight team. Everybody hangs together, everybody treats each other well, it's very friendly -- very welcoming. I don't have a big family, so they've become my family. And that last fight against Urijah in Sacramento, I just felt like everyone in the arena was against me and those guys were for me, and that meant a lot.

Who impresses you with their work ethic at ATT?
A lot of guys. JZ Calvan is one of the hardest workers we've got. Thiago Alves is an amazing fighter. Hector Lombard is a great guy, I don't know if a lot of people know about him, but he's a monster in the gym -- he just crushes everybody in the gym. Rafael Dias is really improved. There are too many to name.

Have you seen much of Kimbo Slice or Bobby Lashley?
Kimbo's in there every day. Bobby Lashley I haven't seen as much lately, I think he's been working out in Colorado. But Kimbo is in every day.

What do you think of Kimbo? How does he look?
He looks great. People don't realize that he really had no formal training. I was watching some of his stand-up and thought maybe he had some boxing training, but he said, "No, that stuff I just learned on the street with my friends." It's pretty amazing, and it's also amazing how humble he is. People bad-mouth him all the time, say he's no good, and he never, ever -- not once -- says anything bad about anybody. Even though everyone's looking at him and talking s**t. People think he doesn't deserve what he's gotten. He does deserve it. He's got a huge fan base.

Does Kimbo have what it takes to succeed in the UFC?
Yes. He's a great athlete who's just starting to learn the game. When he fought James Thompson, he had almost no training at all, and James Thompson is a guy who fought in Pride, and people thought Kimbo didn't knock Thompson out fast enough? That was Kimbo's third MMA fight and he was fighting a guy who had more than 20 pro fights.

A lot of people think Kimbo has no business in the UFC and is just there because of his name. It sounds like you're impressed with him.
I am, and I'm most impressed with his attitude: He's famous, he's making great money, but he just works hard and isn't afraid to fight anybody.

So are you looking forward to seeing him fight in December?
Everyone is looking forward to seeing him fight. That's the thing. People can say whatever they want to say about him, but everyone tunes in. Everyone wants to see him fight, going back to when he was with EliteXC. Now, is he as good as Fedor Emelianenko? No. But his ratings were better.

You're a big Fedor fan, aren't you? You and I have talked about him before.
Huge Fedor fan. The guy's amazing. Unbelievable.

I think he's the best in the world, pound-for-pound, and certainly the best heavyweight.
I agree. Just look at his record. I mean, the one loss wasn't even really a loss, he just got cut against Tsuyoshi Kosaka and they said he couldn't go on in the tournament. That doesn't even count to me. He's fought all these world-class fighters and never had a bad night. He's had 30-plus fights and has never gotten caught, never knocked out or submitted. And he's 230 pounds and fighting guys who are 280. He's one in 6 billion.

Do you try to model yourself after him?
I would love to, but I don't think I'm anywhere near his class. The guy is the greatest fighter on the planet. I just try to do the best I can do. Now I'm the No. 1 featherweight in the world, and that's enough for me.

You say you're not near his class, but the last time I did pound-for-pound rankings, I had Fedor No. 1 and I had you at No. 6. Do you think you're close to the best in the world?
I mean, it seems kind of weird to me that anyone would say that -- like it's a dream or something. I never anticipated I would be at this level, I just did this sport because I loved it, and I'm getting better all the time and winning a lot. I never thought I'd be the top featherweight in the world or one of the best pound-for-pound guys. It's just been something that's happened, that I've kept winning fights.

And you've got a big fight against Aldo. One of the things that I would think is difficult about him is his style -- do you have anyone at your gym who can prepare you for that style?
Actually, I think he's a mini-Thiago Alves. He throws very straight punches, just like him, great knees just like him, great kicks just like him. Aldo looks a lot like "Pit Bull," if you look at his style. Pit Bull is obviously a lot bigger, but he has helped me a lot with what to do in certain situations because Pit Bull approaches his fights the same way that Aldo does.

That's a good point -- I can see the similarities, especially in the way they both use their knees so effectively.
That's a big part of it but it's also the leg kicks. I think they're two of the best leg kickers in the game.

How much thought do you give to what's next for you, beyond your next fight? A third fight with Urijah Faber?
Right now I'm not really thinking about anyone other than Aldo. But it's been strange, a lot of the other guys who are high up there in my weight class have been knocked down, like Wagnney Fabiano. Rafael Assuncao is fighting Faber next, which should be a good fight. Josh Grispi is a very good featherweight but he's injured right now. Manny Gamburyan could be my next opponent if he beats Leonard Garcia. But I'm really just looking at my next fight.

Do you watch other promotions? I think Hatsu Hioki is probably the best featherweight outside the WEC, although he just lost what I thought was a bad decision to Michihiro Omigawa.
I haven't seen that one yet. I don't have HDNet, unfortunately, I wish I did. Hioki is a great fighter but he just got knocked off. These guys getting knocked off is sort of increasing the gap between me and Urijah and the rest of the pack.

I think you're right about that: The Sengoku and Dream tournaments served more to knock some top contenders off than to crown champions that would be real threats to you and Urijah.
Right, Omigawa has a .500 record, but he's winning big fights in Sengoku. And people thought Kid Yamamoto was the man but he lost in the Dream tournament.

So you're the No. 1 featherweight, you've already beaten the No. 2 featherweight twice, and Aldo is probably No. 3. If you beat him do you feel like you've cleaned out your weight class?
Yeah, I wouldn't have expected that, but I think it's happening.

If you clean out the featherweight division, is it time for a move up to lightweight?
I'd love to, especially because there's more money up there. That's definitely a possibility.

Have you talked to the bosses at Zuffa about moving up to lightweight in the UFC?
My manager has. I have another fight or two on my contract and then we'll see. The UFC can afford to pay more. Those guys are making bank.

Do you think you could compete at a high level if you were fighting guys 10 pounds heavier than the guys you're fighting now?
Yes. It'll be tough, especially because a lot of those guys are taller, but I think I've got the power and if I swing hard I can knock out anyone.

So you think it's possible that in a year we could see you in the UFC?
I think it's possible. I look forward to the opportunity.

But first you've got to defend your WEC belt. Would you care to predict how that'll go?
I don't like to make predictions, and I know the possibility of losing is always there. But I'm very confident in my abilities and I think I'm going to go out there and win the fight.

Mike Brown Talks Jose Aldo and Cleaning Out the Featherweight Division originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Brown Is a Kimbo Slice Fan

Michael David Smith — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, WEC, FanHouse Exclusive

Kimbo Slice is viewed by many as nothing more than a marketing gimmick, a street fighter with no real mixed martial arts skills whose status as one of America's most popular fighters is a black eye for MMA.

But one fighter who indisputably does have real mixed martial arts skills -- World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Mike Brown -- says Kimbo is great for the sport. Brown, who trains alongside Kimbo at American Top Team, said in an interview with FanHouse Wednesday that he believes Kimbo is preparing the right way and will be a successful fighter in the UFC.

"Kimbo's in there every day," Brown said. "He looks great. People don't realize that he really had no formal training. I was watching some of his stand-up and thought maybe he had some boxing training, but he said, 'No, that stuff I just learned on the street with my friends.' It's pretty amazing, and it's also amazing how humble he is. People bad-mouth him all the time, say he's no good, and he never, ever -- not once -- says anything bad about anybody. Even though everyone's looking at him and talking s**t. People think he doesn't deserve what he's gotten. He does deserve it. He's got a huge fan base."

That huge fan base has seen Kimbo fight twice on CBS and once on Spike, and he hasn't exactly set the world on fire in those three fights: He struggled to beat James Thompson in his CBS debut, was knocked out by Seth Petruzelli in his other CBS fight, and lost by TKO to Roy Nelson on this season's Ultimate Fighter. But Brown said he thinks Kimbo's critics fail to recognize how hard it is for someone who's new to MMA to step into the cage with experienced mixed martial artists.

"He's a great athlete who's just starting to learn the game," Brown said. "When he fought James Thompson, he had almost no training at all, and James Thompson is a guy who fought in Pride, and people thought Kimbo didn't knock Thompson out fast enough? That was Kimbo's third pro fight and he was fighting a guy who had more than 20 pro fights."

Brown said he loves seeing the way Kimbo simply does what the coaches at American Top Team ask of him and acts like a young up-and-comer who's just trying to make it, rather than the most famous guy in the gym.

"I'm most impressed with his attitude: He's famous, he's making great money, but he just works hard and isn't afraid to fight anybody," Brown said. "Everyone is looking forward to seeing him fight. That's the thing. People can say whatever they want to say about him, but everyone tunes in. Everyone wants to see him fight, going back to when he was with EliteXC. Now, is he as good as Fedor Emelianenko? No. But his ratings were better."

Mike Brown Is a Kimbo Slice Fan originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jamie Varner, Ben Henderson to Unify WEC Lightweight Titles at WEC 46

Ray Hui — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:23:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner will fight interim titleholder Ben Henderson to unify the belts at WEC 46 on Jan. 10 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., the WEC announced Monday. Also, former champion Urijah Faber will fight Raphael Assuncao in a featherweight bout.

"The world title bout between Varner and Henderson is a perfect way to start off the New Year," WEC general manager Reed Harris said in a press release. "The title fight, plus the return of Urijah, makes this an instant winter classic."

Varner (16-2-2) last fought at WEC 38 in January and won a technical split decision over heated rival Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Injuries prevented Varner from defending his belt which prompted the WEC to create an interim title bout between Cerrone and Henderson (10-1), with the latter taking the close decision last month at WEC 43.

Faber (22-3) failed to recapture the belt in an unanimous loss at WEC 41 in June to featherweight champion Mike Brown in a five-round battle that saw Faber break both his hands. Faber returns from the injuries to work towards another title shot in front of his hometown at WEC 46 against Assuncao (14-1).

Jamie Varner, Ben Henderson to Unify WEC Lightweight Titles at WEC 46 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miguel Torres: 'I Didn't Go Anywhere'

Ariel Helwani — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: WEC, FanHouse Exclusive

Miguel Torres has been a busy man as of late even though he doesn't have a fight coming up. The former WEC bantamweight champion recently filmed a movie with the likes of Kimbo Slice and Roger Huerta and just returned from training with boxer Miguel Cotto in Florida. Torres was offered a fight on WEC's upcoming Dec. 19 show, but didn't feel as though he had enough time to prepare.

FanHouse spoke to the 28-year-old about when he expects to return to action, what went wrong against Brian Bowles in August, and the evolution of his famous mullet. Check out the video interview below.

Shot and edited for FanHouse by E. Casey Leydon.

Miguel Torres: 'I Didn't Go Anywhere' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After Move and Medication, Jens Pulver To Return To WEC Cage in 2010

Mike Chiappetta — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: WEC, FanHouse Exclusive

Jens Pulver is planning to bring a little evil back to the WEC cage one more time.

The former UFC lightweight champion and MMA legend, who has not been heard from since losing to Josh Grispi in June and was assumed to be finished as an active fighter, plans to return to featherweight action in early 2010, he told FanHouse.

"I'm going to fight again," he said. "And I'm about as confident as I possibly can be."

The comeback will mark an important point in a personal growth period for the legend, who suffered from anxiety and depression for several years until recently seeing a psychiatrist for the first time.

He says the problems crippled him in his athletic career and personal life for almost six years, but that after two weeks of taking new medication, he felt revitalized. Finally clear-headed, he decided to leave his longtime surroundings in Iowa and move to Nampa, Idaho, where he is currently building a training center to be called Driven Training Facility. (He also owns a Driven clothing line).

"For me, the biggest thing was that I wasn't going to take a fight unless I got out of the sad-ass circle I was sitting in in Iowa, and I'm not attacking any one person there," he said. "I wouldn't do it if I didn't come home. God love the midwest and Iowa, thank you for everything, but I missed the blue turf, I missed the water, I missed the mountains. Out here, I'm back where I started and doing it right."

The move to Idaho is so recent there are still boxes to be unpacked. But he has with him his wife Nikka and son Karson (another daughter does not live with him), in a setting that feels like home. Pulver attended college in Idaho and only left to further his MMA career. Now, he's come full circle in trying to revive it. There are doubters, of course. Maybe even some in his own company. Moments after a loss to Urijah Faber in January, he was surprisingly asked in the cage by WEC broadcaster Craig Hummer if he was still "relevant."

The question nearly floored Pulver at the time, and he responded emotionally as the fans roared their support for him. He sees it as another of the peaks and valleys of a life that has always been open for public discourse. No matter what, he always seems to offer his fans his heart. He's most famously been very open about his abusive childhood, including sharing a story of his father putting a gun into his mouth as a seven-year-old boy.

The upbringing left scars that carried far into his adulthood, even when he was racking up MMA victories and winning championships. Most recently, he suffered through the passing of one of his closest friends, MMA fighter Justin Eilers, who was killed in a domestic dispute with his stepfather James Robert Malec last year. Eilers is buried in Nampa.The fact that he worked around his self-doubt, lack of self-esteem and general sadness is something of a minor miracle.

"I lived in a dark cloud," he said. "People think I fight because I'm arrogant. It's just the opposite. I always felt I had nothing to offer. People would ask me, 'Why don't you do seminars?' I thought, 'Who's going to come to my seminar?' I don't believe I'm popular even though people tell me I am. I didn't allow myself to embrace what comes from all the hard work I did to get to where I was."

Though some fighters say they find peace in the cage, Pulver was finding increasingly more confusion in the sporting arena as the years went on.

When he was younger, he felt immortal there, but as he got older and understood the reality of life, that feeling began to fade.

"I'd just blank out," he said. "I'd stand there, couldn't think of my game plan. All I'd be thinking is 'Don't get punched.' Then, bang, I'd get punched. When I was younger, I was bulletproof and 10 feet tall. My feeling was if you hit me, I'm going to hit you back, and twice as hard. But over time it was like, Don't get caught.' I'm not using that as an excuse, just telling it like it is."

He hopes the return to his roots combined with his new medication will change that. He doesn't know for sure, as he hasn't done any MMA training since his fight with Grispi, but what he does know is how it makes him feel now.

"I love feeling normal again," he said. "I've got my balance back. Before, my aggression level was wasted by the depression and anxiety. It became hard to do five minutes when before I could do 25 in my sleep. Now, physically, I feel great. I have an anchor lifted off my head and chest."

After losing six of his last seven, Pulver's career mark is 20-12-1, and most assumed his career was over. But now, it's almost like he's starting from scratch. He has a new home, and will soon have a new gym. When it's ready, he'll start training again (he admits he has some work to do on his body, characterizing himself as "chubby") with no expectations and nothing weighing him down. He'll always have the legacy of being UFC's first 155-pound champion, and he'll always be seen as a pioneer. But that's not what matters most to him.

"The only legacy I got is one: I'm as real as can be," he said. "I wore my heart on my sleeve. I gave my fans honesty from the day I started. I think I was one of the most genuine fighters out there, and if that's my legacy, that's cool with me."

After Move and Medication, Jens Pulver To Return To WEC Cage in 2010 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Main Events Set for WEC 45 on Dec. 19

Ray Hui — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:50:00 EST

Filed under: WEC

A pair of bouts between lightweight contenders have been announced as co-headliners for the final WEC event of the year, WEC 45 on Dec. 19 at the Pearl in Las Vegas.

Donald Cerrone, coming off an interim title loss to Ben Henderson earlier this month, will take on Ed Ratcliff, while former IFL standout Chris Horodecki will make his WEC debut against Anthony Njokuani.

Bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki will fight on the card against Scott Jorgensen. The WEC had arranged for the Cage Force veteran to fight Damacio Page, but the Greg Jackson team member has withdrawn due to injury.

In other bantamweight action, Joseph Benavidez, out of Urijah Faber's camp, will take on grappling expert Rani Yahya. Benavidez will look to bounce back from the first loss of his career, an unanimous decision to Dominick Cruz in August.

Fight Card:

Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff
Chris Horodecki vs. Anthony Njokuani
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Scott Jorgensen
Rani Yahya vs. Joseph Benavidez
Bart Palaszewski vs. Anthony Pettis

Main Events Set for WEC 45 on Dec. 19 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miguel Torres Learns New Tricks from Boxing Champ Miguel Cotto

Ray Hui — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:36:00 EST

Filed under: WEC, MMA Boxing, FanHouse Exclusive

Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres will never train the same thanks to another famous fighter sharing his given name, WBO welterweight boxing champion Miguel Cotto.

Torres was a special guest last week at the Fight Factory in Tampa, Fla., the site of Cotto's training camp for his Nov. 14 fight against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

"I'm picking up a lot of details, a lot of little things he does different than what I would in one of my training camps," Torres told FanHouse. "And I got to see how a professional boxer at the top of his game conducts his training camp and how his trainers cater to his needs and make him a better fighter."

One of the first things Torres noticed was how structured Cotto's regimen is. Different coaches each watch Cotto's footwork, defense and punching power. In addition to a strength and conditioning coach that keeps Cotto in world-class form, the champion boxer achieves an optimized diet through a personal chef that prepares his meals.

More importantly for Torres, who carries a never-say-die attitude, is to train his body more intelligently.

"I set up my own camps and when I go out and train, I basically beat myself down every day to make myself a tougher and better fighter," Torres said. "And Cotto's camp it's totally different. They train him just enough. They push him to a level where he's getting pushed and when he gets there, they let him rest and make sure he eats well and make sure he's working out right.

"They make sure he has scheduled workouts at the right times and when I did my own camps I was just try to push myself to the limit every time, and I've learned you can't do that, cause that breaks your body down and you never recover."

The two popular Hispanic fighters met through their sponsor Ecko Unlimited, who proposed the idea to Torres following his title loss to Brian Bowles at WEC 42 in August.

"There is some value in boxers hanging out with MMA fighters and training together," said Eric Samson, Director of combat sports marketing for Ecko Unlimited. "Both guys have a very tough mentality, a very tough attitude and both guys are pretty high level athletes in their respective sports. So the idea [came] of putting them together and seeing if they can train well together and if they can learn from each other and support each other."

Torres laced up his boxing shoes and spent the week at the Fight Factory hitting pads with Cotto's head trainer Joe Santiago, exercising with strength and conditioning coach Phil Landman and jumping in the ring with Cotto's sparring partners. Unfortunately though, Torres has not been clocking in actual sparring sessions with Cotto, who is only mixing it up with southpaws for his preparations against Pacquiao.

Torres is hoping that they'll work more closely next time around if Cotto is available to join him for his next WEC training camp.

"That's one of the things I would love to do," Torres said. "Either me go to Puerto Rico and train with him a couple of weeks or him come down here. We'll be able to hook up for sure because the relationship we've developed is very strong."

Torres believes he and Cotto share similar mentalities in that nothing in the ring or cage will surprise them when they are in peak shape and properly prepared.

"That's going to make his mentality a lot stronger, because he knows he's done everything the right way," said Torres, who will be in attendance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 14 in support of Cotto.

As for Torres' next fight, the WEC wanted him for the WEC 45 card in December, but Torres' schedule would prevent him from participating in a full training camp. He has informed the WEC that he'll be available to fight at the earliest in January.

"After my last loss, I want to come with a smarter approach to my game, and that's what I'm learning from Miguel Cotto," Torres said.

Miguel Torres Learns New Tricks from Boxing Champ Miguel Cotto originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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