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Posts Tagged ‘Shane Roller’
May 30th, 2010 | Author: MMAJunkie.com
This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com. Copyright: MMAJunkie.com.
LAS VEGAS - While UFC 114 was Saturday's featured event in Las Vegas,
the MGM Grand Garden Arena wasn't the only place Zuffa, LLC athletes
were competing in Sin City.
On Saturday afternoon at the nearby Mandalay Bay Convention Center, five current or former UFC
and WEC fighters were competing in a trio of Grapplers Quest grappling
superfights.
WEC contender Shane Roller defeated recent UFC signee Takanori Gomi
while three-time WEC veteran Fredson Paixao edged out Japanese legend
and former UFC fighter Caol Uno. Meanwhile, 23-time Grapplers Quest
champion Jeff Glover egded out WEC fighter Javer Vazquez at the buzzer.



Tags: jeff glover, Las Vegas, mgm grand garden, MGM Grand Garden Arena, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, Saturday, Shane Roller, Sin City, takanori gomi, UFC, WEC, zuffa llc Posted in Contributors, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, MMA Junkie, Syndication | No Comments »
May 19th, 2010 | Author: MMAJunkie.com
This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com. Copyright: MMAJunkie.com.
The UFC Fan Expo just added another bit of star power, as former PRIDE
and Shooto champion Takanori Gomi and current WEC lightweight title
contender Shane Roller will face off in a superfight at the Grapplers
Quest tournament being conducted at next week's UFC Fan Expo in Las
Vegas.
Grapplers Quest officials announced the matchup today.
Held in conjunction with this month's "UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans"
event, the UFC Fan Expo takes place May 28 and 29 at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las Vegas.



Tags: Fan Expo, Grapplers, Las
Vegas, Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, Quest, Shane Roller, takanori gomi, title contender, UFC Posted in Contributors, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, MMA Junkie, Syndication | No Comments »
April 28th, 2010 | Author: TheMMANews.com
This article was originally published at TheMMANews.com. Copyright: TheMMANews.com.
Wednesday was a busy day as much of the post event news became available from this past weekends “WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber” event. The show took place this past Saturday night at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. with two preliminary bouts being aired on Spike TV and the showcasing of the first ever WEC pay-per-view.
The California State Athletic Commission released the notes on the attendance totals for the event. There was a total of 12,555 paid attendees to watch the featherweight title bout between still champ Jose Aldo and challenger Urijah Faber. That many fans brought in a total of $954,635 in gate revenue.
The CSAC also released the fighter salaries which totaled $336,500 for the event, setting a WEC Record. The top earner for the evening was defending featherweight champ Jose Aldo who earned $40,000 for his victory ($20,000 to show and $20,000 for the win). Read the rest of the fighter payouts after the jump.
The CSAC also suspended 11 fighters from the event. Eight fighters were handed down six month suspensions which included main event fighter Urijah Faber, who can be cleared by a physician for his left thigh and knee. Regardless of whether or not he is cleared, Faber is suspended for a minimum of 45 days for precautionary reasons. You can view the rest of the WEC 48 fighter suspensions after the jump.
Early estimates for the ppv buys has WEC 48 looking at a between 150,000-200,000 buys for the event. Something of a success considering fans had who normally watched it for free had to be convinced to pay to see this one.
Don’t expect another PPV for the next WEC event in Edmonton, UFC/WEC president Dana White told the press it will be business as usual.
“Every time we do a pay-per-view, you’ll see my monkey ass out here. But it’s business as usual when these guys are on Versus: same announcers, same everything.”
“We’ve got to take time and really look at it and hand-pick,” White said. “We’re doing so many pay-per-views, an boxing is going to do a few a year. You’ve got Vince (McMahon of the WWE) doing a bunch of pay-per-views a year. You have to pick and choose.
“We’ve got great partners with Versus and Comcast for the WEC. We know what we’re doing. We’ll do the right thing.”
Check out the full list of payouts and fighter suspensions after the jump.
The full fighter payouts include:
Jose Aldo: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Urijah Faber: $28,000
Ben Henderson: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus) def. Donald Cerrone: $14,000
Manvel Gamburyan: $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus) def. Mike Brown: $21,000
Scott Jorgensen: $21,000 (includes $10,500 win bonus) def. Antonio Banuelos: $7,000
Shane Roller: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) def. Anthony Njokuani: $7,000
Leonard Garcia: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) def. Chan Sung Jung: $5,000
Anthony Pettis: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) def. Alex Karalexis: $10,000
Brad Pickett: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) def. Demetrious Johnson: $3,000
Chad Mendes: $8,500 (includes $4,000 win bonus) vs. Anthony Morrison: $4,000
Takeya Mizugaki: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Rani Yahya: $9,000
Tyler Toner: $5,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus) def. Brandon Visher: $4,000
As always these numbers don’t include fight bonuses (such as fight of the night, ko of the night or submission of the night), sponsorships, or any other unofficial payments nor do they deduce such expenses as insurance and taxes.
Fighter Suspensions:
Urijah Faber suspended for 6 months (minimum 45 days for precautionary reasons) unless cleared by a physician for his left thigh and knee.
Mike Brown is suspended for 45 days for precautionary reasons.
Leonard Garcia is suspended for 6 months, or until medically cleared for a possible right hand fracture.
Chan Sung Jung is suspended for 6 months, or until medically cleared for a right distal ulna shaft fracture, as well as a two month suspension for facial lacerations.
Antonio Banuelos is suspended for 6 months, or until medically cleared for a possible nasal fracture.
Scott Jorgensen is suspended for 6 months, or until medically cleared for a possible left metacarpal fracture.
Anthony Pettis is suspended for 6 months, or until medically cleared for a fracture in his right foot.
Bradd Picket is suspended for 6 months, or until medically cleared fora left clavicle fracture.
Rani Yahya is suspended for 60 days unless cleared by a physician for a left eye laceration.
Demetrious Johnson is suspended for 6 months, or until medically cleared for a dislocation and fracture of his right thumb.
Brandon Visher is suspended for 45 days for precautionary reasons.
HT: MMAjunkie.com
Tags: aldo, Alex Karalexis, Anthony Morrison, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, Ben Henderson, bonus, Brad Pickett, Brandon Visher, Calif., California, California State Athletic Commission, Chad, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, Comcast, dana white, def, Don, Donald Cerrone, Edmonton, event, Faber, featherweight champ, Johnson, Jose, Jose Aldo, Leonard Garcia, Mike Brown, MMA Gear, physician, president, Pro MMA Gear, Rani Yahya, Read, Sacramento, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, Sung Jung, Tyler, Tyler Toner, urijah faber, USD, Versus, Vince, WEC Posted in Contributors, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication, TheMMANews | No Comments »
April 24th, 2010 | Author: Five Ounces of Pain
This article was originally published at Five Ounces of Pain. Copyright: Five Ounces of Pain.
Manny Gamburyan made a strong case for the coveted $65,000 Knockout of the Night honors at WEC 48 with a hook from hell that left former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown in an unconscious heap in the very first round.
The pair exchanged heavy right hands midway through the opening round, and when it was all said and done it was Brown who came out on the short end of the stick as he sagged to the canvas where a few well placed punches from “Manvil the Anvil” spread the icing on the cake and forced the referee to call a halt to the contest via knockout.
The pummeling took place during WEC 48 this evening from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.
Also on the main portion of the card was Shane Roller, who turned in an impressive showing while submitting an overwhelmed Anthony Njokuani via guillotine choke in the first round, and Scott Jorgensen, who out-gritted Antonio Banuelos in a three round, knock down, drag out brawl via unanimous decison (29-28 on all three scorecards).
Tags: Anthony Njokuani, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, Brown, California, featherweight champion, Knockout, Manny Gamburyan, Mike Brown, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, round, Sacramento, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, USD, WEC Posted in Contributors, Five Ounces of Pain, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication | No Comments »
April 24th, 2010 | Author: TheMMANews.com
This article was originally published at TheMMANews.com. Copyright: TheMMANews.com.
Tonight’s World Extreme Cagefighting event, ‘Aldo vs. Faber’ takes place at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. Preliminary bouts for the event begin at approx. 7 p.m. EST (4 p.m. PST) with the first ever WEC PPV beginning at 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST) for the main card.
Two of tonight’s preliminary bouts will be shown live during a one hour special on Spike TV beginning at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST).
Two WEC title fights headline the show with fan favorite Urijah Faber fighting in his own back yard against featherweight champ Jose Aldo in the main event. The co-main event has lightweight champ Ben Henderson defending his title in a rematch with Donald Cerrone.
As always The MMA News will keep the spoilers off-of the main page. To view the full Quick Results for “UFC 112: Invincible” just click
The full ‘Aldo vs. Faber’ matchups and results are as follows:
Main Card (Pay-per-view)
- Jose Aldo def. Urijah Faber vis unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 50-45)
- Benson Henderson def. Donald Cerrone via submission (guillotine) – R1 1:57
- Manny Gamburyan def. Mike Brown via knockout (punches) – R1, 2:22
- Shane Roller def. Anthony Njokuani via submission (rear naked choke) – R1, 3:07
- Scott Jorgensen def. Antonio Banuelos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card (Spike TV)
- Leonard Garcia def. Chan Sung Jung via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 28-29)
- Anthony Pettis def. Alex Karalzexis via submission (triangle choke) R2, 1:35
Preliminary Card (un-aired)
- Brad Pickett def. Demetrious Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Chad Mendes def. Anthony Morrison via submission (guillotine choke) – R1, 2:13
- Takeya Mizugaki def. Rani Yahya via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
- Tyler Toner def. Brandon Visher via TKO (elbows) – R1, 2:36
Tags: aldo, Alex Karalzexis, Anthony Morrison, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, Ben Henderson, Brad Pickett, Brandon Visher, Calif., California, Chad, Chan Sung Jung, decision, def, Donald Cerrone, event, Faber, featherweight champ, Henderson, Johnson, Jose, Jose Aldo, knockout punches, Leonard Garcia, Manny Gamburyan, Mike Brown, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, Rani Yahya, Sacramento, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, The MMA News, Tyler Posted in Contributors, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication, TheMMANews | No Comments »
April 24th, 2010 | Author: Five Ounces of Pain
This article was originally published at Five Ounces of Pain. Copyright: Five Ounces of Pain.
This evening WEC 48 will see two title fights take place during the WEC’s stacked PPV debut as Jose Aldo looks to defend his featherweight crown against former title holder Urijah Faber, and WEC lightweight champ Benson Henderson hopes to go 2-0 against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the pair’s highly anticipated rematch.
FiveOuncesofPain.com will be here all evening to insure you are kept up to date on all of the latest live results from the event, along with post-fight analysis.
The card is all set to take place from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, with the first fight to kick off at 7 pm ET (4 pm PT).
A one hour preliminary card will begin on Spike TV at 9 pm ET, while the main card will begin at 10 pm ET on pay-per-view.
Live results are below. Enjoy the fights!!
Tyler Toner def. Brandon Visher via TKO – Round 1
Takeya Mizugaki def. Rani Yahya via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Chad Mendes def. Anthony Morrison via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1
Brad Pickett def. Demitrious Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Anthony Pettis def. Alex Karalexis via submission (triangle choke) 1:35 – Round 2
Leonard Garcia def. Chan Sung Jung via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Scott Jorgensen def. Antonio Banuelos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Shane Roller def. Anthony Njokuani via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1
Manny Gamburyan def. Mike Brown via knockout – Round 1
Benson Henderson def. Donald Cerrone via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1
Jose Aldo def. Urijah Faber via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 50-45)
Tags: Alex Karalexis, Anthony Morrison, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, Benson Henderson, Brad Pickett, Brandon Visher, California, Chad, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, decision, def, Donald, Donald Cerrone, Faber, Henderson, Johnson, Jose, Jose Aldo, Leonard Garcia, lightweight champ, Manny Gamburyan, Mike Brown, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, Rani Yahya, round, Sacramento, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, Sung Jung, Tyler, Tyler Toner Posted in Contributors, Five Ounces of Pain, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2010 | Author: TheMMANews.com
This article was originally published at TheMMANews.com. Copyright: TheMMANews.com.

All 22 competitors for Saturday “Aldo vs. Faber” have made weight for their respective bouts. Today’s weigh-ins took place at the same venue for Saturday’s PPV event, the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. headlined by a titleweight tilt between featherweight champ Jose Aldo and fan favorite Urijah Faber.
Aldo weighed in at 145 pounds while challenger Faber weighed in at 144.5 pounds. While co-headliners lightweight champ Ben Henderson (155) and challenger Donald Cerrone (154.5) both hit their respective weights.
Don’t forget that two preliminary matches will air live on a Spike TV one hour special before the live PPV telecast, the first ever for a World Extreme Cagefighting event.
Spike TV will show matches featuring Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung and Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis.
Click here to view the embedded video.
(HT: Heavy.com)
Full weigh-in results included:
Main Card (Pay-per-view)
- Jose Aldo (145) vs. Urijah Faber (144.5)
- Benson Henderson (155) vs. Donald Cerrone (154.5)
- Mike Brown (146) vs. Manny Gamburyan (146)
- Anthony Njokuani (156) vs. Shane Roller (155.5)
- Antonio Banuelos (136) vs. Scott Jorgensen (136)
Preliminary Card (Spike TV)
- Leonard Garcia (145) vs. Chan Sung Jung (145.5)
- Alex Karalexis (156) vs. Anthony Pettis (155.5)
Preliminary Card (un-aired)
- Demetrious Johnson (135) vs. Brad Pickett (135.5)
- Chad Mendes (145.5) vs. Anthony Morrison (145)
- Takeya Mizugaki (134.5) vs. Rani Yahya (136)
- Tyler Toner (145.5) vs. Brandon Visher (144.5)
Photo courtesy of WEC.
Tags: aldo, Alex Karalexis, Anthony Morrison, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, Ben Henderson, Brad Pickett, Brandon Visher, Calif., California, card, Chad, Chan Sung Jung, Don, Donald Cerrone, Faber, featherweight champ, Henderson, Johnson, Jose, Jose Aldo, Leonard Garcia, Manny Gamburyan, Mike Brown, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, Rani Yahya, Sacramento, Saturday, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, Spike, Tyler Posted in Contributors, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication, TheMMANews | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2010 | Author: Five Ounces of Pain
This article was originally published at Five Ounces of Pain. Copyright: Five Ounces of Pain.
Saturday night marks the first of what Zuffa expects to be multiple PPV events from World Extreme Cagefighting and they couldn’t have picked a better place than Sacramento, California to start the process out! ARCO Arena will undoubtedly be full of energy for the event and the crowd should be especially pumped based on seeing their favorite local son, Urijah Faber, do his best to reclaim the WEC Featherweight Championship by beating Brazilian phenom Jose Aldo. Additionally, WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone will again face off and possibly create another classic as was the case when the two first faced off last October. Beyond that, the card also features former 145-pound title holder Mike Brown working towards his own title rematch with Manny Gamburyan standing in the way, and an undercard peppered with clashes for top contendership and a number of talented, notable young fighters.
Before I get into the “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. In fact, you’re much safer spending $44.95 for the WEC PPV because it’s nearly a sure bet in terms of entertainment value. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…
PRELIMINARY CARD
Brandon Visher vs. Tyler Toner
This bout is a nice way to start out the night in that it features one of MMA’s rising featherweight stars – Brandon Visher. The young Hawaiian is 13-0 and, as indicated by his win/loss record, possesses the somewhat rare ability to finish opponents with both striking and jiujitsu. However, Toner is talented as well and shouldn’t experience any butterflies during his WEC debut based on a successful 2008 outing in Strikeforce. This match-up should be full of action and relatively even throughout, though in the end I think Visher will emerge victorious based on his well-rounded attack and mental toughness. He’s overcome a number of obstacles in his life, so I don’t believe anything that occurs in a cage will cause him to lose focus or give up unless absolutely forced to.
Winner – Brandon Visher via Submission Round 3
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
Both bantamweights are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous fights and shouldn’t be afraid to engage in what will likely turn out to be a high-paced ground war. Ten of Mizugaki’s eighteen professional bouts have gone to decision, while Yahya has avoided the judges’ scorecards in his career for the most part but has 14 of 15 wins by submission. Stand-up is clearly neither man’s strong point while both are obviously comfortable on the canvas. When the dust settles I think Mizugaki will walk away victor because he’s yet to be submitted in his career, has shown knockout power, and should be able to control things from top based on Yaha’s past difficulties with solid grapplers.
Winner – Takeya Mizugaki via Decision
Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
Morrison will be looking to produce the first loss of his opponent’s career on Saturday night and was submitted in under two minutes the last time he stepped foot in a WEC cage. Granted, the loss came to former champ Mike Brown, but it certainly couldn’t have helped his confidence. However, as challenging as the task may sound, I suspect “Cheesesteak” isn’t phased by the mountain he has to climb in Mendes’ home-base of Sacramento. I think Mendes will be able to use his wrestling to take Morrison down and limit his chances of inducing a TKO. It may not be pretty, but as long as he works from the top and makes sure to avoid any rookie mistakes when it comes to avoiding an armbar or triangle-choke I think Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male will pick up their first – maybe only – win of the evening.
Winner – Chad Mendes via Decision
Brad Pickett vs. Demetrious Johnson
I am a “One Punch” Pickett fan and feel he’s in line for a shot at title contendership if his hand is raised on Saturday night. The American Top Teamer has walked away with a “W” the last eight times he’s fought and is a well-rounded competitor with fifteen finishes in eighteen professional wins. However, as little as I know about Johnson, he’s apparently wiped the mat with all five opponents he’s faced in his career and can’t be dismissed based on his collection of first-round victories as well as the mixture of submissions/knockouts involved. I’m expecting Pickett to move around a lot in the striking department while mixing in jabs in hopes of avoiding Johnson’s power, while also eventually setting up a takedown to work his noteworthy jiujitsu or possibly even catching Johnson in a Guillotine Choke if he himself takes a stab at bringing the action down onto the mat.
Winner – Brad Pickett via Submission Round 2
Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Karalexis
It seems that Karalexis has become a promotional staple as the event will mark his seventh consecutive bout in the company. He always comes to fight and isn’t afraid to slug it out so as far as I’m concerned I hope there’s an eighth appearance regardless of how he fares against Pettis. Speaking of which, “Showtime” is a little more slippery than the Ultimate Fighter alumnus and a greater submission threat as well, but Karalexis is a scrapper who isn’t afraid of taking a little damage to dish out a lot of it. Pettis will have to take the same approach if he hopes to win. His kicks are known to be game-changers, but they also risk exposure to being taken down, so it will be interesting to see if he’s willing to throw a few and feel out Karalexis’ defense. If he fights on his heels or gets sucked into a takedown I think his veteran opponent will be able to use his strength and wrestling to find an advantageous position on the ground, then rain down a few bombs until Pettis covers up and the referee stops things.
Winner – Alex Karalexis via TKO Round 1
Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
I’ve felt lately as though Garcia is at a very interesting point in his career. He hasn’t been quite the force at featherweight many hoped he would be when dipping down to the division from 155-pounds, and part of me thinks it may be due to the amount of damage he’s absorbed in his 10+ years of combat sports. He’s had some wars in the ring, and, at least if the WEC 48 Countdown special was any indication, some battles in the gym as well. Fortunately for “Bad Boy”, Jung is primarily a grappler and shouldn’t be able to hang with the one-time boxer as long as Garcia can keep things standing. It’s a victory the Texan absolutely has to have after losing/drawing in his last two fights. As such, I think Jung will have to literally rip off Garcia’s arms if he hopes to win, let alone survive, because he won’t find the words “quit” or “tired” in the Jackson Submission trained competitor’s vocabulary once the cage door closes. However, as chance would have it, Jung’s nickname is “The Korean Zombie” so it sounds like dismemberment may actually be a possibility.
Winner – Leonard Garcia via TKO Round 2
MAIN CARD
Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos
I think it’s safe to say Jorgenson and Banuelos are fighting for a crack at Dominick Cruz’s championship so there’s an added layer of drama involved in this pairing as opposed to most of the others on the card. Banuelos beat Jorgensen a little more than a year ago at WEC 41 but has only fought once since then while his opponent on Saturday night has racked up a trio of wins (including two first-round finishes). Their previous contest resulted in a split decision, and I think Jorgensen has improved enough since their original clash to reverse his fortunes this time around. Banuelos is definitely a tough draw, and I don’t see either man being knocked out or submitted at any point, but I believe Jorgensen’s wrestling, top control, and non-stop motor are enough to make the difference.
Winner – Scott Jorgensen via Decision
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
Njokuani has easily been one of WEC’s most impressive 155-pounders over the past year due to his trio of TKOs over Bart Palaszewski, Chris Horodecki, and Muhsin Corbbrey. The only two losses of his career are to the co-headlining duo of Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone. As long as he stuffs Roller’s takedowns and avoids the occasional submission attempt he should have no problem rolling on to a shot at either Jamie Varner or the WEC Lightweight Championship.
Winner – Anthony Njokuani via TKO Round 2
Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
Gamburyan has been impressive since dropping to 145-pounds and dominated a game opponent in Leonard Garcia the last time he set foot in a ring. However, as strong as he may be, I don’t think his power or grappling skills will translate well when he locks up with the former WEC Featherweight Champion. Brown’s wrestling is on par or surpasses any of his peers’ in the division, and he trains with a number of top jiujitsu practitioners in Florida at American Top Team so he’s well-versed on the mat. Beyond that the MMA memorabilia collector also packs dynamite in his gloves and can flatten a foe with one punch if necessary. I think Gamburyan’s takedowns are going to be ineffective for the most part and he’ll eventually eat a shot that leads to either a TKO stoppage or ground-based transition into a rear-naked choke.
Winner – Mike Brown via Submission Round 3
Ben Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone
Watching the WEC 48 Countdown special I couldn’t help but find myself a little more excited for this rematch than I initially was when the bout was first announced. No, it wasn’t because of their differing personalities or because Henderson’s favorite Charlton Heston work is probably “The Ten Commandments” while Cerrone’s is Heston’s affiliation with the National Rife Association. Rather, I found myself remembering how incredibly entertaining their original scrap was and how much potential is seemingly involved for them to repeat or surpass the feat this weekend. Cerrone has more ways to finish things in his bag of tricks, but Henderson is fast, athletic, and seems to be improving on a per-fight basis while Cerrone has leveled off to an extent. Ben’s strikes are crisp and precise, while his wrestling is solid and his conditioning seems to be top notch. Simply because I think “Cowboy” will rope “Smooth” into some rough patches I’m going to pick him by decision but I will not be surprised, nor disappointed, if Henderson retains his title and flashes perhaps the most infectious smile in MMA shortly thereafter.
Winner – Donald Cerrone via Decision
Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber
Urijah Faber lives a charmed life, does he not? “The California Kid” is a local hero, an exceptional athlete, a successful businessman, and the face of a popular Mixed Martial Arts promotion. He’s also receiving a second title shot a single win removed from a loss as well as a consecutive crack at the belt in his hometown of Sacramento. However, as easy as it might appear to be to dislike Faber, the reality is he’s worked extremely hard for everything he has and is considered to be one of the most genuine individuals in the sport. Of course, none of those things matter to Jose Aldo, and hopefully the same can be said about Urijah as well due to the inherent danger involved in facing someone with Aldo’s abilities. The WEC Featherweight Champion has looked other-worldly in all six of his fights for the promotion with the only loss of his career coming shortly after his 19th birthday against submission specialist Luciano Azevedo. I like Faber’s speed in terms of helping to avoid some of the devastating strikes the young Brazilian is known for, but outside of taking him down at will and holding him down I don’t see many ways Faber can dethrone Aldo. On the other hand, the former champ’s chin has been successfully tested by Tyson Griffin and Mike Brown, and if Aldo’s jiujitsu is as good as rumored he could be a major threat on the ground as well. Even a striker of Jens’ Pulver’s caliber circa 2008 was able to go five rounds with Faber. My apologies to those of you reading this on the West Coast, but I think fans in Sac-Town will be going home disappointed on Saturday night.
Winner – Jose Aldo via Submission Round 2
Tags: Alex Karalexis, alpha, Alpha Male, Anthony Morrison, Anthony Morrison Morrison, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, athlete, Bart Palaszewski, Ben Henderson, boxer, Brad Pickett, Brandon Visher, Brown, businessman, California, Chad, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, Charlton Heston, Chris Horodecki, Dominick Cruz, Donald Cerrone, energy, Faber, Florida, Jackson Submission, jamie varner, Johnson, Jose Aldo, Leonard Garcia, Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson, Luciano Azevedo, Manny Gamburyan, Mike Brown, MMA Gear, MMA memorabilia collector, Morrison, Muhsin Corbbrey, National Rife Association, opponent, Pro MMA Gear, Rani Yahya, Sac-Town, Sacramento, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, submission specialist, Sung Jung, The California Kid, Tyler Toner, Tyson Griffin, urijah faber, USD, WEC, West Coast, winner, world extreme cagefighting Posted in Contributors, Five Ounces of Pain, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2010 | Author: TheMMANews.com
This article was originally published at TheMMANews.com. Copyright: TheMMANews.com.
Click here to view the embedded video.
“WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber” will air this Saturday May 24th on PPV from the ARCO Arena in Sacremento, Cali.
Main Card (Pay-per-view)
- Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber (for featherweight title)
- Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone (for lightweight title)
- Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
- Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
- Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen
Preliminary Card (Spike TV)
- Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
- Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis
Preliminary Card (un-aired)
- Demetrious Johnson vs. Brad Pickett
- Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
- Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
- Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher
Tags: aldo, Alex Karalexis, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, Brad Pickett, Brandon Visher, Cali, card, Chad, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, Donald Cerrone, Faber, Leonard Garcia, Main, Manny Gamburyan, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, Rani Yahya, Rani Yahya Tyler Toner, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, urijah faber Posted in Contributors, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication, TheMMANews | No Comments »
April 21st, 2010 | Author: Five Ounces of Pain
This article was originally published at Five Ounces of Pain. Copyright: Five Ounces of Pain.
UFC president Dana White is expecting a successful pay-per-view debut for the UFC’s sister organisation, the WEC, this Saturday April 24 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.
The outspoken promoter threw his weight behind the event while hosting a media conference call on Tuesday.
“The place is going to be sold out, packed, great energy, believe me, thank God this card is happening,” White said. “What I’m happy about, I know for a fact these guys are going to go up and perform on Saturday night. They always do, they always have… these guys deserve to be on pay-per-view.”
WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber will be headlined by WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo as he defends his belt for the first time against former champion and fan favourite Urijah ‘The California Kid” Faber. Aldo (16-1-0), a Brazilian jiu jitsu black-belt and former professional nak muay, rocketed to MMA prominence last year after racking up six consecutive TKO victories on his way to capturing the featherweight crown. Faber (23-3-0) comes into the bout fresh off a big win over Raphael Assuncao at WEC 46.
The UFC boss has also added a touch of familiarity to the broadcast by slotting in UFC commentators Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan along with the veteran voice of the Octagon, Bruce Buffer.
“We’re the pay-per-view team,” added White.
The full WEC 48 fight card includes:
Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber (WEC Featherweight Title)
Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone (WEC Lightweight Title)
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen
Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis
Demetrious Johnson vs. Brad Pickett
Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher
Tags: aldo, Alex Karalexis, Anthony Morrison, Anthony Morrison - Takeya, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Antonio Banuelos, arco arena, Benson Henderson, Brad Pickett, Brandon Visher, Bruce Buffer, California, Chad, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, dana white, Donald Cerrone, energy, Faber, featherweight champion, God, Henderson, Joe Rogan, Johnson, Jose, Jose Aldo, Leonard Garcia, Manny Gamburyan, media conference call, Mike Goldberg, Mike Thomas Brown, MMA Gear, Pro MMA Gear, Rani Yahya, Rani Yahya Tyler Toner, Raphael Assuncao, Sacramento, Scott Jorgensen, Shane Roller, Sung Jung, The California Kid, Tyler Toner, UFC, UFC president, urijah faber, WEC, White Posted in Contributors, Five Ounces of Pain, MMA Blog, MMA Blog News, Syndication | No Comments »
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