Main event: 145 lbs.: WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown (145) vs. Jose "Junior" Aldo (145) Main card (Televised): 145 lbs.: Manny "Pitbull" Gamburyan (146) vs. Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia (146) 155 lbs.: "Razor" Rob McCullough (155) vs. Karen Darabedyan (156) 155 lbs.: Shane Roller (156) vs. Danny Castillo (156) Under card (May not be broadcast): 145 lbs.: L.C. Davis (146) vs. Diego "The Gun" Nunes (146) 145 lbs.: John Franchi (145) vs. Cub Swanson (146) 155 lbs.: James Krause (156) vs. Ricardo Lamas (155) 135 lbs.: Frank Gomez (136) vs. Seth Dikun (136) 155 lbs.: Will Kerr (155) vs. Kamal “Prince of Persia” Shalorus (156) 135 lbs.: Antonio Banuelos (136) vs. Kenji Osawa (136)

Mike Brown currently sits at the top of the WEC's featherweight division. The talented American Top Team member is in the midst of a ten-fight winning streak with big wins coming against Yves Edwards, Jeff Curran, Leonard Garcia and Urijah Faber (x2). Brown is considered to be among the worlds best fighters pound-for-pound and looks to further cement his status as the world's greatest featherweight when he takes on a man that many feel could be his greatest test in undefeated Jose Aldo. Brown sat down with Tommy Kail of FiveKnuckles.com to discuss his upcoming opponent, his place in the division, and give his insight on how his past few fights have changed his career. FiveKnuckles.com: To start off, let's back track to the night you shocked the MMA world with a first round knockout of Urijah Faber in November, 2008. That victory capped an eight-fight win streak resulting in a WEC featherweight championship. Can you describe what that night meant to you? Mike Brown: That night was a culmination of years of hard work. I was very happy with my performance. Fortunately enough for me, I was in the right position to cash in on it. The toughest part of the journey wasn't winning the fight, it was drafting for position to get myself inline for the title shot. Going into the fight I was confident that I was going to win, but confidence alone isn't always enough. A fighter can never really know what's going to happen once the cage door shuts. At that point, I did all I can do to make sure I was on top of my game because the opportunity could have easily slipped through my fingers. That night it all came together for me. I got my shot and I made sure I took advantage of it. I knew going in that I was capable of winning that fight. My teammates and coaches were all confident in me. I think I was viewed as the underdog because I was flying under the radar. The fact of the matter is being successful in MMA really comes down to exposure. It can be tough sometimes. If a fighter doesn't have a lot of notoriety or televised fights, then people just aren't interested. There are a ton of tough fighters out there, but nobody knows about them because they lack the right exposure. That fight changed everything for me. FiveKnuckles.com: In March of this year, you defended your title against Leonard Garcia who many figured to pose a significant threat in your division. Can you take me through that first title defense? Mike Brown: I think the world of MMA was anxious to see me defend the title. I knew Leonard was going to be really tough. He's got a good chin and hits really hard. I wanted to make sure I stayed away from some of his bigger shots. I connected big on him early and he got hurt. I was very happy with my performance being that I finished him early on in the fight. It was the first time he's ever been finished. I never anticipated that fight going as well for me as it did. I expected to be able to take him down and submit him eventually. I didn't expect to drop him with a right hand within the first ten seconds or so. Sometimes that's just how it goes. I prepared for that fight to be a battle. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. You just have to prepare for everything. FiveKnuckles.com: What was it like fighting Urijah Faber in a twenty-five minute rematch where you were the defending champion? Mike Brown: I pretty much have the same mentality going into every fight. I'm very basic and I don't change a lot. I want to hit my opponent hard and get him to the ground. That night I was missing him a little bit with my hands. I wasn't hitting him like I wanted to. My corner informed me after the third round that it looked like he had broken his hand. I got a little bit confused because my corner said it was his left hand, but it turned out to be his right. I knew he was hitting me with more elbows, but he was still throwing punches in there even though it was broken. I definitely knew he was hurt, but I couldn't tell exactly what his problem was. I guess it was later revealed that both hands were busted. I just couldn't connect with the finishing power that I was looking for. I was getting the takedowns, but he was doing a good job with his escapes. His wrestling escapes are obviously very good. I didn't want to burn too much energy being that it was a five round fight so I wasn't trying to hold him down too much. When he started to get away, I had to cut him loose. The pace for a five round fight is a little different than a three rounder. I was definitely prepared though. I fought the full five rounds so that speaks for itself, but there's no question that twenty-five minutes is certainly a long time to be fighting. FiveKnuckles.com: Only one other fighter has been able to beat Urijah Faber and you've done it twice. Does this give you more confidence as your career progresses? Mike Brown: I'm very content with the way my career has been going. In that second fight with Faber, I think I landed ten or so takedowns. I was definitely controlling the pace of that fight. I'm usually on top in most of my fights and I don't get put on the bottom very often. If I do, I'm right out with a reversal or escape. I figure if a fight goes the distance, the guy on the bottom is going to lose because he's the one getting hit more. It's definitely important to control the pace of the fight. That's what I've been doing and it's been working. FiveKnuckles.com: Is there anything you will change in preparation for Jose Aldo at WEC 44? Mike Brown: Aldo is a very accomplished striker. For this fight I've been working my knee and leg kick defense because he's very good at those things. Other than that, I'm just fine tuning my game. I'm trying to enforce my game against him and let him deal with the things I'm good at opposed to the other way around. FiveKnuckles.com: Jose Aldo is also undefeated with the WEC and has racked up numerous quick finishes. What are you expecting to see out of the explosive Brazilian? Mike Brown: Well he's definitely going to come after me and he's going to be fast. He does some crazy stuff like flying knees as we witnessed in his last fight with Cub Swanson. Maybe this time around he'll be more conservative. It's tough to tell what to expect from him. It's hard to predict. Even when I think I have a handle on what to expect from fighters, I still get caught off guard. I bet on fights sometimes thinking I know which way the fight is going to go and I still lose a lot of money. It's hard to predict fighters because there are so many variables to deal with in MMA. There's only one way to find out at that's to go in there and fight which is what I'm going to do on November 18. FiveKnuckles.com: Where do you feel Jose Aldo ranks among a stacked WEC featherweight division? Mike Brown: He's certainly up there. I'm the champion so naturally I'm considered the number one guy. I think most people consider Faber number two. After that the door seems to be wide open with all of the other guys out there. It's definitely a tossup. I think [Jeff] Curran's been struggling. [Leonard] Garcia only has one loss in the division which was against me. Wagnney Fabiano is a very good fighter who just got knocked off, but I'm sure he'll come back strong. There's a bunch of tough guys, it's just hard to pinpoint where they fall into the rankings. Who's really to say because the rankings are just opinions and half the time they are wrong anyway. The division is very strong and exciting and I'm sure the WEC won't have any problem finding opponents for me. FiveKnuckles.com: Do you think the featherweight division is shaping up to be the most exciting weight class in all of MMA? Mike Brown: Of course. It really comes down to promoting the fighters the right way. If fans know who the fighters are, then they become interested. If the fans don't know the fighters and a little bit about their backgrounds, then it's just two guys beating the crap out of each other in a cage. Of course most of the fighters are equally skilled so it pretty much boils down to the fans buying into the whole thing and the featherweight fighters are among the most exciting in the world. Now, we don't get paid as much as the other divisions do because we don't have pay-per-views like the UFC does, but we work just as hard. Everybody I train with fights in the UFC. I train with the 155 pounders at American Top Team and about ten of them are in the UFC. FiveKnuckles.com: Do you see a problem with the WEC being on cable television versus going the pay-per-view route like the UFC? Mike Brown: That's actually why the money isn't the same because there are no pay-per-views yet. I mean the real fans know exactly what's going on, but the casual fan who maybe watches the UFC once every couple months doesn't know anything about the WEC and misses out entirely on one of the best divisions in the world. FiveKnuckles.com: What can fans expect to see when they tune in on November 18? Mike Brown: Pure excitement. The action is non-stop. As a fan of MMA, featherweight and bantamweight are my two favorite divisions. I personally have always thought the smaller guys are the most exciting fighters. Fans like the bigger guys because one solid connection can end it, but it's the same way with the little guys too. Anything can happen with the four ounce gloves. Smaller fighters get knocked silly too. It's very exciting and I look forward to representing the division as the WEC moves forward -- and it's free on a Wednesday night. You can't beat that. FiveKnuckles.com: What can we expect to see out of you in the future? Mike Brown: Well, the attributes that have brought me success up to this point will be on display every time I fight. Hopefully in the future I'll still have this belt around my waist. I'm just taking it one fight at a time. It's always important to focus on the task at hand and not look too far ahead. If I can get through this fight, then I'll be sure to concentrate on the next. So on and so forth from there. Being the champ, I'm going to have to fight the best of the best so I have to always be prepared. There will be no easy fights. Every fighter in the featherweight division is hungry and gunning for this belt. They're chasing their dreams and having this belt means it's my job to end the dream. Mike Brown would like to thank American Top Team, Tapout, Champion Nutrition, and Bushmaster Firearms. You can also check him out at mikethomasbrown.com.

January 10, 2009

Arco Arena,
Sacramento, Calif.

WEC Lightweight Championship
Jamie Varner vs. Benson Henderson

Urijah Faber (No. 2 FW) vs. Raphael Assuncao (No. 7 FW)

December 19, 2009

Palms Casino Resort,
Las Vegas

Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff
Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki
Joseph Benavidez (No. 6 BW) vs. Rani Yahya (No. 9 BW)
Takeya Mizugaki (No. 4 BW) vs. Scott Jorgensen
Anthony Pettis vs. Bart Palaszewski
Brad Pickett vs. Kyle Dietz
Muhsin Corbbrey vs. Zachary Micklewright
Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher
Jameel Massouh vs. Erik Koch

It's official. The WEC announced on their twitter page today that the Lightweight unification bout between current champ Jamie Varner and interim champ Ben Henderson will be the main event on January 10th at WEC 46 in Sacramento, California. This announcement shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone since rumors of this bout happening at WEC 46 starting swirling around the MMA community once Ben Henderson said he would not be healthy enough to fight in December at WEC 45. This fight should be very fasted paced and exciting considering both fighters are a mirror image of each other in terms of style. While both fighters are very capable on their feet, they prefer to take the fight to the mat where they can use their wrestling background to lay down some ground and pound on their opponents. Varner and Henderson both illustrated their desire to take the fight to the ground in their respective fights with Donald Cerrone, where they dominated Cerrone in the early rounds of their fights by keeping him on his back and laying down punishment from above. Speaking of Cerrone, don't be surprised to see him get the winner of this fight if he gets by Ed Ratcliff at WEC 45. Cerrone lost a close decision to both Cerrone and Henderson and a rematch with either fighter would be highly anticipated. As we announced the other day, WEC 46 is also going to be the first time we see Urijah Faber back in action since his broke both his hands last June in his title fight against Mike Brown. He will be fighting Raphael Assuncao, who is coming off a win a WEC 43 against Yves Jabouin and is looking for a title shot if he gets by Faber. So far, WEC 46 is looking like a can't miss event and don't be surprised if you see a Jens Pulver fight added to this card. - mmaposers.com

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) has delved back into the fighter catalog with yet another signing to bolster its already extremely competitive bantamweight division. The WEC and British 135-pounder Brad Pickett have come to terms on a multi-fight deal, according to Fighters Only magazine. Pickett (17-4) enters the WEC on a seven-fight win streak, having not lost since June of 2007. He has spent the majority of his career at the 145-pound featherweight limit with much success, including being the featherweight champion when he fought in Cage Rage. Nicknamed “One Punch,” Pickett has made a career out of finishing fights. He has gone to a decision only four times out of his 21 total professional fights. Eight of his victories have come via submission, while six have been earned via knockout. The WEC bantamweight division is currently ruled by the young champion Brian Bowles (8-0). Pickett enters a division that is more competitive than it has been in a long time, as the WEC continues to bolster its fighter roster as of late. Pickett is expected to debut in early 2010. The fighter who will stand opposite “One Punch” next year has yet to be named.

Ask and you shall receive. A couple weeks ago, Faber said during an interview that he hoped to make his anticipated return in January and now his wish is coming true. The former WEC Featherweight champ is going to be making return at WEC 46 on January 11th in Sacramento according to MMAweekly.com. This will be Faber’s first fight back since breaking both his hands during his rematch with current WEC Featherweight champ Mike Brown last June. Faber will start his comeback against Raphael Assuncao, who was last seen in action at WEC 43 against newcomer Yves Jabouin who Raphael beat by split decision. Faber got an up close look at Assuncao when he was the guest commentator during that fight and hinted he might be fighting the winner. Assuncao is currently riding a six fight winning streak and has a solid background in both BJJ and Muay Thai. A win over Faber could make Assuncao the next number one contender in the Featherweight division. Faber vs. Assuncao is the headlining bout for the card so far, but could become the co-main event, if Interim Lightweight champ Ben Henderson is healthy enough to fight again. Then you might be seeing Henderson versus Jamie Varner in a Lightweight title unification bout as the main event of WEC 46. Either way, I assure you it is going to be a great night of fights. - mmaposers.com