MMA Universe

Kenny Florian is on the march back to the top of the heap at 155 pounds.

After losing his title fight against current champion BJ Penn at UFC 101, he followed it up with arguably his most impressive performance to date with a complete and utter dominance of Clay Guida at UFC 107.

A shot at the former PRIDE FC lightweight champion Takanori Gomi now waits in the wings in what would be a huge resume builder for Florian as he tries to convince UFC management to one day grant him his third career title shot.

Ultimate Fight Night: ‘Florian vs. Gomi' is set to take place on Wednesday, March 31 from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Ken Flo" took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss why he lost to Penn, Gomi's struggles in recent years, and his quest to find a retail store that still sells quality turtlenecks.

Check it out:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Let's go back to your fight with BJ Penn at UFC 101 real quick. Can you tell me what the basic game plan for the fight was and why you were not able to execute the way you would have liked?

Kenny Florian: It was to strike with BJ on my terms, but I could not get my range going. Nothing was going right and that's why I had to switch it up in the moment and try to take him down, which wasn't working. I knew heading into that fight it was going to be a tough night. I did a lot of things wrong. Against BJ you better be on your game and he was the better man that night.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Penn gets Frankie Edgar next at UFC 112. What does Edgar need to do to win the fight and do you think he ultimately pulls it off?

Kenny Florian: In the fight game anything can happen. I definitely think BJ is human and he can be beaten. Is BJ the favorite? Definitely, but Frankie Edgar is one of those guys that works very hard. He's well-rounded, quick, and he's a tough kid. He's an underdog that has been proving people wrong for a long time, so he could pull it off.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're coming off an impressive victory over Clay Guida at UFC 107. The first thing I said after the fight ended was, "Wow, that was probably the best version of Kenny Florian we have ever seen." Do you feel like you're the best you've ever been right now?

Kenny Florian: I definitely feel I've grown a tremendous amount since the BJ Penn fight. I learned a lot. Heading into the Guida fight I was able to demonstrate some of my new "stuff" and I've continued off of that momentum. I've improved my skills a lot. I think I'm slowly molding myself into a much more dangerous fighter. I'm way more precise and definitely adding more weapons to the arsenal. I'm just enjoying myself. That is the key. I'm having a lot of fun training right now.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): How much of that do you attribute to your continued work with Firas Zahabi?

Kenny Florian: He's definitely been a great impotence for change. He is a mastermind when it comes to strategy and really studying the technical aspects of the mixed martial arts game. I think he's doing things that very few people are doing. All of my coaches really deserve a lot of credit. I think they've really upped the ante. They've dedicated themselves to me as well, as far as improving their skills as coaches, and getting me to come on board with their philosophies and training. I've been spending a lot of time with my brother Keith, my boxing coach Peter Welch, and everyone seems to be on the same page as far as continuing to learn and improve. It's been awesome.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're now fighting Takanori Gomi on 3/31. Is that a fight you asked for, his camp asked for, or Joe Silva put together out of the blue?

Kenny Florian: I think it was something Joe Silva put together. Gomi specifically requested a tough fighter, one that was well-rounded and not just good at one aspect. He was quoted as saying that he, "Didn't just want a wrestler," or something like that. He wanted a tough opponent and they chose me. I've always been interested in fighting Gomi, but I can't take credit for the fight being put together. It's exciting. He's a big name fighter with a tremendous amount of credentials. It's a fighter I'm going to love testing myself against.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Gomi has already stated publically that he is planning on knocking you out in the first round. Your thoughts on his ambitious prediction?

Kenny Florian: I think it's going to be very difficult for him to do that. Obviously, anything is possible, but I think he's going to find that my striking ability is going to be better than his. I think he's going to be in for a surprise. Probably in the first five seconds he's out there.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Would you concede that his overall skills have tailored off a bit over the past year or two since his heyday in PRIDE?

Kenny Florian: I wouldn't say he's necessarily dropped off. I think it's a matter of everyone else getting better. Lots of people have improved and evolved and the game is changing so quickly now. If you're not getting better you're getting worse.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): In Gomi's past few fights he's struggled with his cardio. Is this something you are conscious of and plan on testing?

Kenny Florian: It's possible. I think another thing is that we have to attribute that to him being unmotivated a little bit. It's hard to get up for fights with people who aren't that well-known when there is not a lot on the line. I think there is a lot on the line now. He's fighting in a different organization against an opponent that I hope he respects in me. I think he's going to be motivated and I'm expecting to see an in shape, great Gomi. I'm expecting to see the best Gomi we've ever seen. I don't want to fight a guy who's not looking to get in there. I'm glad he said he wants to knock me out and wants to get the belt. That means he'll train hard and fight hard.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you feel like a win over Gomi earns you the right to face the Penn/Edgar winner?

Kenny Florian: I don't know. I've kind of stopped thinking too far ahead. I'm just thinking about Gomi and that's it. I'm not looking past him. I'm open for whatever. I'm training hard, but right now it's all Gomi.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Let's move on to the more burning questions. Chuck Norris turned 70 years old recently. You're the MMA analyst. In your opinion, how much has age affected his combat skills?

Kenny Florian: The answer is simple - it hasn't at all. The man only gets better. He gets more dangerous with age.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Since I know you won't tell me what your entrance song will be on 3/31 tell me a song that there is no way in hell that you would ever use.

Kenny Florian: Let me see ... "It's Raining Men." Let's go with that. I don't think I'd ever come out to that one.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Why are you so infatuated with turtlenecks and how close are we to a full blown t-neck revolution?

Kenny Florian: (laughs) You know, it happened one time. I was walking around a store at the mall. I was kind of doing some shopping by myself and I had some time to reflect. I got angry! I thought back to when I was little and I used to put on turtlenecks and I didn't see any turtlenecks. You cannot buy a turtleneck for men! Then I thought about all the scarves, the scarf revolution. There is definitely some type of conspiracy by scarf companies that are trying to replace this wonderful piece of clothing that did it all, which was the turtleneck. It's a personal piece of clothing.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): When can fans expect to see the ‘Don't Pull Half Guard' trilogy fulfilled?

Kenny Florian: (laughs) I don't know. I'm thinking myself, Dave Camarillo, maybe Kurt Pellegrino and a couple other fighters. I've been scripting a mockumentary in my head of an MMA movie, but I'll have real fighters in it. I'd really like to put that together and follow guys around. It's going to be an explosion of tattoos, skulls, and MMA testosterone. It's going to be great.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): In other words, Camarillo is holding out for more money. Is that what you're telling me?

Kenny Florian: (laughs) Exactly. You can't work with the guy! He's a prima donna. It's unbelievable! He wants to direct, produce. I mean, the guy is unbelievable.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I feel like we've tied up a lot of loose ends. Was that cathartic for you?

Kenny Florian: I feel great.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Any sponsors you want to thank before we go?

Kenny Florian: I would like to thank Tapout, Muscle Pharm, the new KennyFlorian.com website, Florian Martial Arts Center, my training partners in Boston, Montreal and New York City, and I'd like to thank all the fans for the support.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I appreciate your time. You always come through for us. Best of luck against Gomi.

Kenny Florian: Thanks Derek.

Derek Bolender is a frequent MMAmania.com contributor. He is also a syndicated writer to FoxSports.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter.

During Brock Lesnar's prolonged absence from competition, several contenders have entered the heady race for the shot at UFC heavyweight title.

On Saturday night, Shane Carwin's first-round TKO victory over former title holder, Frank Mir, sorted out the title picture for the time being.

Having won the interim championship, Carwin emerged as the next challenger for Lesnar's belt. Just below him in the title contention hierarchy is another fighter who recently earned a significant victory over a top-ranked heavyweight: Cain Velasquez.

UFC president Dana White announced that Velasquez's victory over former Pride heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, positions him as the challenger to the Lesnar-Carwin winner later this year.

"Cain's waiting in the wings now," White said. "Cain's probably going to wait for the next shot. (Junior) Dos Santos will not. Dos Santos will fight again."

Velasquez has had a meteoric rise since entering UFC with 2-0 professional record. In UFC, he has reeled off six straight victories, including five stoppages. Junior Dos Santos, who stopped Gabriel Gonzaga on UFC on Versus event last week, has also emerged as a top contender with a 5-0 UFC record. Mir is a potential opponent for Dos Santos, though White stated that no decision has been made yet on whom either will face in their next bouts.

Former welterweight number one contender Thiago Alves will be required to undergo minor surgery to correct the brain "irregularity" that prompted his withdrawal from the UFC 111 fight card last Thursday.

TMZ Sports -- who broke the initial story regarding "Pitbull's" condition, first reported the update earlier today.

The Brazilian was pulled from his March 27 fight against Jon Fitch after failing a pre-fight CAT Scan and promptly sought out additional tests from brain specialists to help determine what action needed to be taken -- if any.

Now it appears that Alves will have the outpatient procedure in New York next Wednesday (March 31) to correct the problem and he is expected to be cleared to resume training in as little as two weeks.

Great news.

After the NJ Athletic Commission denied Alves a license to compete, UFC officials were forced to scramble to replace a very large hole on the UFC 111 fight card. Opponent Jon Fitch offered to move up to middleweight to help widen the chances of the promotion finding a suitable replacement, but in the end it wasn't necessary.

Enter Ben Saunders.

"Killa B" jumped on the opportunity to leave Jake Ellenberger high and dry to throw hands with the former collegiate wrestling standout -- and raise his stock considerably with a possible win over the former top contender.

Ellenberger was compensated for his efforts despite seeing no action this Saturday night.

In addition, the lightweight scrap between Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino and Fabricio "Morango" Camoes has been promoted to the main card, leaving the Newark event at total of ten bouts.

Alves is expected to hold a press conference later this evening to discuss his upcoming procedure and we'll be sure to bring you updates as they come in.

Stay tuned.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Matt Brown's pro MMA record, which currently sits at 13-7, will never strike fear in any opponent. Then he puts his hands on them, and the outlook changes considerably.

UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and heavyweight contender Frank Mir will be appearing live on SportsCenter this Thursday (March 25) on ESPN. "Rush" is expected at 10:15 a.m. ET while Mir will be stopping by a little later at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Later in the week, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar will return to SportsCenter on Friday (March 26) at 10:15 a.m. to discuss his pending return to MMA.

St. Pierre and Mir are just days away from their respective fights at UFC 111 from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The Canadian will defend his 170-pound title against Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy while Mir tries to edge out Shane Carwin for the next shot at Lesnar on July 3 in Las Vegas.

To get up to speed on all things UFC 111 click here.

Props: TSN.ca

Quoteworthy:

"He's in trouble, I'm telling you right now. I don't know what he's doing and I don't focus on that, because these are the things that I don't control. But I know that I've never been so sharp in my life and I'm going there with my gun loaded. If I was to fight right now the Georges St-Pierre that fought Thiago Alves last time, I would beat him before the end of the fifth round. I would submit him or I would knock him out. I'm a lot better than I was back then."

-- UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre continues to establish himself as one of the most dominant champions in the history of the sport -- and doesn't plan on letting latest challenger Dan Hardy off the hook when they meet at UFC 111 on March 27. The Canadian fighting sensation has promised to put on his best performance to date when he takes on "The Outlaw," but will the British banger be able to derail St. Pierre's "Rush" into the history books?

Props: CombatLifestyle.com

For complete UFC on Versus 1: "Vera vs. Jones" weigh in results click here.

At 22, Jon 'Bones' Jones may be talked about as the Next Big Thing in the UFC, but the phenom's eye-popping abilities aren't an accident. The 6-foot-3, light heavyweight phenom and former All-American Greco-Roman wrestler has a training regimen as unorthodox as the kicks and strikes for which he's known. Each exercise is designed to push his muscles to the limit while training them to respond explosively.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - For years before they even made it to the big shows, my buddy and colleague Jason Probst always told me about James Irvin, Scott Smith, and Urijah Faber - a trio of friends and training partners from Northern California that he insisted had the right stuff to make it big in the still growing sport of mixed martial arts. Irvin, now a UFC mainstay, remembers those days.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - It may have been the greatest compliment a fighter could receive. When talking about his loss to Eliot Marshall last September, Jason Brilz admitted to being totally surprised at how Marshall went from ground wizard to stick and move artist, leaving the veteran out of sorts as he dropped a three round unanimous decision at UFC 103.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - When Jason Brilz dropped a three round unanimous decision to Eliot Marshall last September in Dallas, it wasn't losing for the first time since 2001 that baffled the light heavyweight up and comer, it was the way things played out at American Airlines Center, as Marshall, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, kept matters standing throughout the bout.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - The walk into the Octagon. For some, the trek up those final four steps presents ample time to panic; for others, it's a signal that it's time to perform. For Daniel 'Ninja' Roberts, it's when he flips the switch from nice guy to fighter, and by the time he steps through the doorway, he's not walking into competition - he's jumping in.

• Liddell-Franklin Rumored for UFC 115; Dana White Issues Denial
• Strikeforce Standing Ground on April 17, Sees DREAM co-promotion as key component in future
• Bellator calls Monday press conference, expected to announce signing of Roger Huerta
• One-On-One With Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney
• 5K Interview: Fedor Emelianenko manager and M-1 CEO Vadim Finklestein

Liddell-Franklin Rumored for UFC 115; Dana White Issues Denial

Light heavyweights Rich Franklin and Chuck Liddell are penciled in for a June showdown.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that the two have verbally agreed to face each other in June at UFC 115, though contracts have yet to be finalized.

The new matchup replaces a planned third meeting between Liddell and Tito Ortiz that had been expected for the promotion’s first trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and may have been arranged as a result of Franklin’s unexpected involvement in “TUF 11.”  (MMAJunkie)

***

Former UFC champions Chuck Liddell  and Rich Franklin have verbally agreed to meet in a light heavyweight tilt in June, Sherdog.com has learned from multiple sources. UFC 115, though not officially announced, has been tentatively scheduled for June 12 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

…

A message posted late Saturday on UFC President Dana White’s Twitter account denied that the bout was slated. “We are doing couture vs franklin not chuck,” read the post.

Sherdog.com re-affirmed with its sources that the Liddell-Franklin bout is still in play.  (Sherdog)

Strikeforce Standing Ground on April 17, Sees DREAM co-promotion as key component in future

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on Friday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that “Strikeforce: Nashville” will not be moved from its April 17 date to sidestep a potential head-to-head clash with a rumored UFC event on the same night.

“It’s the 17th and it’s full steam ahead,” Coker said. “The 17th was always a good day when we chose it. We still feel the same way, and so does CBS.”  (MMAJunkie)

***

“I worked for K-1 for about eight years, and the ownership group of K-1 and DREAM is still the same,” Coker said. “I’ve maintained good relationships over there, and it’s always been my dream – that’s kind of a pun, right? – to have our guys fight their guys and to see who would end up on top. If our guys win, that’s fantastic. If [their guy] wins, then that’s just great. It’s just good competition.

“I think it’s the true nature of sports to compete. Now we have the DREAM champion against our champion, and especially for the hardcore fans, I don’t think it gets any better than that.”  (MMAJunkie)

Bellator calls Monday press conference, expected to announce signing of Roger Huerta

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Roger Huerta (20-3-1 MMA, 0-0 Bellator) is set to test his mettle in Bellator Fighting Championships’ season two eight-man lightweight tournament.

Sources close to the situation confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the popular lightweight received his formal release from the UFC this week, which opened the door to finalize a deal with the upstart promotion.

Bellator has called a video press conference for Monday at 3 p.m. ET that will stream live at Bellator.com.   (MMAJunkie)

One-On-One With Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney

So at Bellator, we front end load our agreements, so when he or she is in the tournament they have the opportunity to make a great deal of money, very quickly.

While the typical model which is 3 and 3, or 6 and 6, or 8 and 8, you slowly but surely work your way up, and if you lose you get potentially cut.

Ours is different, it’s an upside down model which means fighters can make a lot of money very quickly with us. It’s very attractive, we’ve been able to get a lot of great fighters on board based on their belief in themselves to compete, and earn that money. …

In another organization if you lose, you can get cut, or get another shot against a tough opponent. In our organization it’s not a different scenario, but it is a scenario where you can make a great deal of money, very quickly. (Bleacher Report)

5K Interview: Fedor Emelianenko manager and M-1 CEO Vadim Finklestein

FiveKnuckles.com: It has been said that Fedor has signed a 3-fight deal with Strikeforce and has two fights remaining with the next one coming against Fabricio Werdum this summer. After this deal has elapsed, would it be possible to see Fedor in the UFC?

Vadim Finkelstein: It depends on UFC. We would like to cooperate with them. Everything depends on them, their diplomacy. It would be possible if they are flexible.

FiveKnuckles.com: You tried cooperating with them this summer, but after negotiating with Dana White extensively to no avail, he said many bad things about you and M-1. What are your thoughts on Dana White personally?

Vadim Finkelstein: That’s his character, he just loves to call names. He didn’t say bad things about M-1 only, there were a lot of situations where he was harsh. It makes me glad when Dana White talks about us. I respect the UFC, they’ve done a lot for the development of MMA, so I can pardon them such attacks. We respect him and let him grumble.   (Five Knuckles)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

• UFC 112 “Invincible” Promo: Two titles. One night. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® travels to Abu Dhabi for the first time and fans there will witness one of the organization’s greatest events ever, as middleweight titleholder Anderson “The Spider” Silva faces the extraordinary BJJ of Demian Maia. Lightweight champion BJ Penn looks to continue his dominant reign when he takes on Frankie Edgar in the double main event of UFC® 112.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Was it done to create some confusion in the marketplace in Nashville? Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not sure,” said Coker. “Is it good for mixed martial arts? I’m not sure. I don’t think so. I don’t think that when a company’s trying to counter-program you just to impact your ratings, it’s– and this could go back and forth. One day, when CBS says, ‘Alright, we’re going to go head-to-head against your pay-per-view date and you can watch Fedor (Emelianenko) or Dan Henderson for free on TV or buy a pay-per-view,’ people are going to have choices at that point. But that’s something they’d never do. CBS went out of its way to make sure there was nothing else on April 17.”  (Scott Coker Addressing UFC Rumors, Sherdog)

QUICK HITS

• 10 Bouts Booked for UFC 113 (Sherdog)
• NSAC confirms May 29 event at MGM Grand, expected to serve as UFC 114 (MMAJunkie)
• The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale targeted for June 19 at the Palms Casino Resort (MMAJunkie)
• Ray Mercer vs. Ron Sparks set for April 16 King of the Cage event in Michigan (MMAJunkie)
• Brandon Visher vs. Tyler Toner, Chan Sung Jung vs. Cub Swanson set for WEC 48 (MMAJunkie)
• Is UFC ‘Messing With’ Strikeforce? (MMAFighting)
• Roger Huerta Signs With Bellator (MMAFighting)
• Ryo Chonan Ready for DREAM Debut (MMAFighting)
• Cormier-Devine Added to March 26 Strikeforce Challengers (Sherdog)
• NOONS OPEN TO 170, REKINDLING FIRE WITH DIAZ  (MMAWeekly)
• MIGHTY MO SIGNS TO FIGHT BARNETT AT DREAM 13 (MMAWeekly)
• Liddell fooled us and Faber! Comes clean on Kimmel show (Cage Writer)
• White says Couture next for Franklin, not Liddell (FiveOuncesOfPain)
• All UFC 110 Drug Tests Are Clean (Heavy.com)

TV LISTINGS

• UFC Primetime  St-Pierre vs. Hardy at 10 PM ET/PT on Spike (03/17/10)
• UFC 111 Countdown: Mir vs. Carwin at 10:30 PM ET/PT on Spike (03/17/10)
• HDNet Fights Presents K-1 Classics (Masato, Drago, & Andre Dida) at 8 PM ET on HDNet (03/19/10)
• InsideMMA (Dan Henderson, Mike Straka & Donovan Craig) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (03/19/10)
• HDNet Fights: XFC X-Night of Champions at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/19/10)
• UFC on Versus: Vera vs Jones at 10 PM ET on Versus (3/21/10)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• HDNet Fights: XFC X-Night of Champions at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/19/10)
• UFC on Versus: Vera vs Jones at 10 PM ET on Versus (3/21/10)
• HDNet Fights: King of the Cage – Legacy at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/26/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs Mahe at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (03/26/10)
• UFC 111: GSP vs Hardy at 10 PM ET on PPV (03/27/10)
• UFN 21 : Florian vs Gomi at 10 PM ET on Spike (03/31/10)
• The Ultimate Fighter 11 Debut after UFN 21 on Spike (03/31/10)

Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports talks about the possibility of Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey exceeding initial buyrate expectations of 500,000 to 700,000 for the fight held at Cowboys Stadium.

The closed-circuit locations and presales in the East are at record levels, surpassing where they were in 2007 for the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. Indications are that the pay-per-view is tracking better than expected, and Arum said he won’t be shocked if it touches 900,000 buyers.

That’s an astonishing number for just about any fight but even more so for a bout against a largely unknown opponent like Clottey, who doesn’t bring with him a large fan base.

Had Pacquiao-Clottey fought two years ago, Arum would have been lucky to have sold a quarter of the tickets he has sold for Saturday’s card.

Payout Perspective:

There were two possibilities coming out of the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiation debacle:

1.) The fans would throw up their hands and say “we’re done!”

2.) All that arguing back and forth would generate so much press over a two month period to raise the profile and interest levels of both fighters.

It would seem the latter has taken place. The fans won’t be happy until they see Mayweather-Pacquiao, but in the mean time the interest level in these two fighters has never been higher. I, too, would be surprised if this fight didn’t hit 700,000 buys; and Mayweather-Mosley will like exceed 1 million buys.

Pretty good numbers for the sport. These two fighters could do a lot to revive interest in the sport across the globe.

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) is close to finalizing their first-ever pay-per-view (PPV) fight card for the promotion's return trip to the Arco Arena scheduled for April 24 in Sacramento, CA.

WEC 48 features a featherweight championship title fight between the promotion's greatest marketing asset, "The California Kid" Urijah Faber, and the seemingly invincible 145-pound champion, Jose "Junior" Aldo.

Also booked for the star-studded event is newly-crowned lightweight champion Ben "Smooth" Henderson as he answers the call of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Mike Brown will also take part in the action when he collides with Manny "Pitbull" Gamburyan.

Here is the current "Aldo vs. Faber" line up:

Main Event:

145 lbs.: Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber

Main Card (Televised):

155 lbs.: Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone
145 lbs.: Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
155 lbs.: Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
135 lbs.: Antonio Banuelos vs. Damacio Page

Preliminary Card (May not be televised):

155 lbs.: Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis*
145 lbs.: Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher
135 lbs.: Brad Pickett vs. Demetrious Johnson
135 lbs.: Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
145 lbs.: Cub Swanson vs. Chan Sung Jung

*Fight not officially confirmed by the WEC

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of WEC 48, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

We’re still a few weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "Aldo vs. Faber" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event.

For more on the April 24 event click here.