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!