MMA Universe

The official weigh-in event for WEC 44: “Brown vs. Aldo” is set to take place from “The Pearl” at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009.

The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. PT. Doors to the event will open at 2 p.m. PT for a special autograph session featuring top WEC stars Jamie Varner, Brian Bowles and Ed Ratcliff.

As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the WEC 44 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

WEC 44 will feature a main event featherweight title bout between champion Mike Thomas Brown and perhaps his most difficult challenger to date in feared Brazilian striker, Jose “Junior” Aldo.

Former UFC lightweights Manny “The Pitbull” Gamburyan and Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia are also scheduled to hook ‘em up in a battle of 145-pound contenders in the co-featured fight of the evening.

Check out the complete lineup for WEC 44 below:

Main event:

145 lbs.: WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown (22-4) vs. Jose
“Junior” Aldo (15-1)

Main card (Televised):

145 lbs.: Manny “Pitbull” Gamburyan (9-4) vs. Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia (13-4)
155 lbs.: “Razor” Rob McCullough (17-5) vs. Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (7-0)
155 lbs.: Shane Roller (6-2) vs. Danny Castillo (8-1)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

145 lbs.: L.C. Davis (14-2) vs. Diego “The Gun” Nunes (13-0)
145 lbs.: John Franchi (5-1) vs. Cub Swanson (13-3)
155 lbs.: James Krause (10-1) vs. Ricardo Lamas (6-1)
135 lbs.: Frank Gomez (7-1) vs. Seth Dikun (7-3)
155 lbs.: Alex Karalexis (10-4) vs. Kamal Shalorus (4-0-1)
135 lbs.: Antonio Banuelos (16-5) vs. Kenji Osawa (15-8-2)

For those fortunate enough to be in “Sin City” remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 2 p.m. PT for the general public.

And be sure to stick around immediately following the weigh-ins for a Q&A session with WEC headliners Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson with special guest emcee Frank Mir.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Wednesday, Nov. 18), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on the Versus network from “The Pearl” at the Palms Casino Resort.

The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 7 p.m. ET.

It’s going to be an awesome night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight WEC 44 coverage you can handle.

Props: MMA Fanhouse

Quoteworthy:

“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. 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. 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. 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.”

WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown sounds off on his upcoming title defense against the electric Jose Aldo at WEC 44 from “The Pearl” at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18. It certainly won’t be an easy task because the 15-1 “Junior” has been sensational in his tenure with the WEC, stopping all five of his fights by way of (T)KO. But if anyone can do it it’s Brown — he’s been an absolute juggernaut since usurping the crown from Urijah Faber at WEC 36. Will Aldo be able to keep it upright or will Brown neutralize his stand-up with takedowns and punishing ground and pound? Predictions please, Maniacs.

Props: Heavy.com

Quoteworthy:

“When we decided to focus on the lighter weights we knew we had our work cut out for us. But if you look at boxing for example, it took many yeas, but now the lightweight guys are the guys everybody is interested in. If you look at the time frame, I only started really focusing on the light weights about eight months ago. Now look where we are at. Everyone in the MMA industry says the best lightweights in the world fight for WEC. I get calls from across the world, from Japan, from Korea, from Brazil, with coaches saying ‘I’ve got lightweight fighters we want to bring into the WEC, because these guys want to fight the best.’ It used to be the other way around. We used to have to chase after them. Obviously we’ve got guys like Miguel (Torres), Brian Bowles, Urijah Faber, Mike Brown, and Jose Aldo. We’re starting to build this huge list of guys that people are interested in. I know if we do a pay-per-view I am going to have to have a completely stacked card. Deeper than anything I’ve ever done. And it’s going to have to be fights people want. I watched the Countdown show the other day. Once the fans understand the fighters and what the fight is about, then you just gotta watch.”

–WEC President Reed Harris promises to deliver a stacked card when the UFC sister promotion eventually enters the world of pay-per-views in 2010. The WEC has long been (and will continue to be) on the Versus network but Harris is confident that he has not only the business model, but also the talent pool in which to successfully create a future for the WEC in the world of pay-per-view. Any Maniacs out there willing to part with a few extra bucks to catch their favorite WEC stars mix it up inside the cage? Or is this strictly a “free — or not for me” type of promotion? Thoughts?

A broken hand has forced former Ultimate Fighter Alex Karalexis (10-4) to withdraw from his bout against Kamal Shalorus at WEC 44 in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18.

Fighters.com reported the injury Thursday morning and Karalexis was quoted as saying “ I just broke my hand, so I’m out for a bit.”

“T-Rex” ended his two fight losing streak with a victory over Greg McIntyre at WEC 39. He has had six total fights in the WEC (4-2) after a disappointing career in the UFC (1-2).

Shalorus (4-0-1) began his professional career in 2008 with a debut victory over Jeff Davis at King of Kombat 3. He has three victories in 2009 with his most recent victory coming over Justin Miller at Supreme Warrior Championship 7: “Discountenance”.

There has been no word yet on a replacement for the undefeated lightweight.

WEC 44 is set for the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18. The card is headlined with a featherweight championship bout between Mike Thomas Brown and top contender Jose Aldo.

For the current WEC 44 fight card click here.

Tickets for WEC 46: “Varner vs. Henderson,” which is slated for Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2010, will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. PT.

WEC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption two days earlier on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. PT.

WEC 46 will feature the return of Jamie “C-4″ Varner, defending his lightweight belt against 155-pound interim champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson in the main event of the evening.

The Arco Arena is a venue with which the promotion is extremely familiar with thanks in larger part to former featherweight champion and local fan favorite, Urijah Faber. “The California Kid,” who is also coming back from a hand injury like Varner, will collide with top-ranked contender Raphael Assuncao in the co-featured fight of the night.

WEC 46 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is “sold out”). It will also be available to watch on Versus at 9 p.m. ET on fight night.

For more on WEC 46 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com and remember to check out the latest WEC news and rumors right here.

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) today announced its first show of the New Year, which will feature the return of Jamie Varner, defending his lightweight belt against 155-pound interim champion, Benson “Smooth” Henderson, in the main event of the evening.

WEC 46: “Varner vs. Henderson” is scheduled for the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2010.

It’s a venue with which the promotion is extremely familiar thanks in larger part to former featherweight champion and local fan favorite, Urijah Faber. “The California Kid,” who is also coming back from a hand injury like Varner, will collide with top-ranked contender, Raphael Assuncao, in the co-featured fight of the night.

The line up thus far is one that WEC General Manager, Reed Harris, is thrilled to promote.

Here’s a snip:

“ARCO Arena is one of our favorite venues to bring fights, the fans in Sacramento are some of the best. The world title bout between Varner and Henderson is a perfect way to start off the New Year. The title fight, plus the return of Urijah, makes this an instant winter classic.”

Henderson (10-1) defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at WEC 43 via razor-thin unanimous decision to successfully capture the interim gold. “Smooth” avoided countless submission attempts from Cerrone, while inflicting good damage in the early rounds. The victory was a large upset, introducing the relatively unknown Henderson to the fans of the sport.

A product of Arizona’s MMA Lab, Henderson has managed to string together nine straight victories since his only loss, which was to Chad Klingensmith at Ring of Fire 27: “Collision Course” in Dec. 2006. He is perfect (3-0) in the WEC with victories over Shane Roller, Anthony Njokuani and Cerrone.

Varner (16-2) gained the lightweight belt back in 2006 when he defeated “Razor” Rob McCullough via technical knockout. “C-4” has gone on to defend his belt twice with victories over Marcus Hicks and Donald Cerrone.

Varner has been sidelined for some time now because of injuries he sustained during the battle at WEC 38 in earlier this year January against Cerrone. One year later, Varner will finally be able to put his belt on the line again, hoping to defend it for a third time.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for breaking news and updates on WEC 46.

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.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for breaking news and updates from the WEC.

The WEC featherweight division will soon welcome yet another promising 145-pounder as Chad Mendes has come to terms with the promotion on a six-fight deal, according to Sherdog.com.

Mendes (5-0) has garnered a perfect record over his young professional career, which began in Sept. 2008 with a debut victory over Giovanni Encarnacion via submission at Palace Fighting Championship: “Explosive.”

Mendes has since gone on to win each of his four fights in 2009, rounding out his perfect record with two knockouts and two decisions.

At the age of 24, Mendes has spent his short professional career training with Urijah Faber and Team Alpha Male. He has a solid wrestling background as a two-time All-American California Polytechnic State University and the NCAA Division I runner-up in the 141-pound division in 2008.

Mendes is expected to debut in World Extreme Cagefighting in the first quarter of 2010. An opponent has yet to be named.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for updates and breaking news from the WEC.

After running through the competition in Glory Fighting Championships and Midwest King of the Ring, Zack Micklewright (6-0) has landed a five-fight deal with the WEC and an opponent on the promotion’s year-end card.

Muhsin Corbbrey (7-4) is set to welcome the undefeated youngster to the promotion’s lightweight landscape at WEC 45: “Cerrone vs. Ratcliff” from “The Pearl” at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 19.

Corbbrey debuted in the WEC on Oct. 10 at WEC 43, losing via technical knockout to Anthony Njokuani. It marked Corbbrey’s second loss in a row, as he lost to Nick Diaz this past June in the now defunct Elite XC.

Corbbrey’s record isn’t astounding, but the way he fights makes him a solid asset for the WEC. He has only gone to the judges scorecards twice and is always looking for a slick submission finish.

Micklewright earned his spot on the WEC lightweight roster with an impressive 6-0 record, with his most recent win a submission (strikes) victory over Jaxon Mayson at Glory Fighting Championships 6 back in April.

Like Corbbrey, Micklewright is an exciting fighter who would rather leave it out of the judges hands. His debut was the only time he went the distance in a fight. However, Micklewright’s time in smaller promotions has come to an end, as he has been given a shot with one of the top promotions in mixed martial arts.

The WEC will be a true test for this 155-pound wrecking ball.

WEC 45 will be headlined by a lightweight brawl between Donald Cerrone and Ed Ratcliff. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for breaking news on the WEC’s last card of the 2009 fight season.

Props: Terra Magazine

“First of all, I hope to make a good fight. I want to impose my game and what I’m training. For sure I expect to knockout. Brown has a very strong wrestling. All my opponents were dangerous up to now but he is champion and I think he is the most dangerous fighter WEC put in front of me. I think Brown is going to try the ground and pound and trade some punches too. He will start striking to feel the fight and after he will take me down. I’m well trained everywhere to fight five rounds but I want to knockout. If I become the WEC champion, who knows I will go to UFC some day?”

Undefeated Brazilian smashing machine, Jose Aldo, will look to make it six straight (technical) knockout victories when he goes toe-to-toe with WEC Featherweight Champion, Mike Brown, at WEC 44 from “The Pearl” at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18. It certainly won’t be easy because Brown is as tough as they come. But if anyone can do it is Aldo — he is absolutely ferocious on his feet. Will he be able to keep it upright or will Brown be able to neutralize his stand up with takedowns and punishing ground and pound. Predictions please, Maniacs.

Despite previous reports that bantamweight contenders Takeya Mizugaki and Damacio “The Angel of Death” Page would collide at WEC 45: “Cerrone vs. Ratcliff” from “The Pearl” at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 19, the promotion recently announced that Japanese import Mizugaki (12-3-2) would instead face five-fight WEC veteran, Scott Jorgensen (7-3).

Jorgensen is coming off perhaps the best performance of his career earlier this month at WEC 43, stopping The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum Noah Thomas with strikes in the first round.

This will mark the Boise, Idaho, resident’s fourth fight in 2009. He defeated Frank Gomez back in January at WEC 38 via first round submission and he dropped a hard fought split decision to Antonio Banuelos five months later at WEC 41.

Mizugaki is widely considered to be one of the top five bantamweight fighters in all of mixed martial arts. He’s probably best known for his gritty five round decision loss to the one-time king of the 135 pounders, Miguel Torres, back in April at WEC 40.

The Japanese fighter was filling in on short notice for an injured Brian Bowles that night, and not many people really expected him to put up much of a fight against “Angel.” However, he not only put up a good fight, but he was right there with Torres blow for blow for most of the contest.

It was an eye opening performance for most of the WEC fans who were getting their first glimpse of him live.

Mizugaki has had one fight since then — a split decision win over grizzled veteran Jeff Curran at WEC 42 in August.

On paper this looks like one Mizugaki should win, but Jorgensen is coming off a stellar performance and he appears primed and ready to give the former number one contender all he can handle.

It all goes down live on the Versus network on Dec. 19. For more on WEC 45 click here.

Tickets for the upcoming World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) show at the “The Pearl” from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 19, are scheduled to go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. ET.

WEC Newsletter subscribers can pick up their pre-sale tickets a day early, starting today, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. To take advantage of pre-sale tickets, users must register for the WEC newsletter through WEC.tv.

The featured bout on the card will be a match-up between lightweight contenders Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Ed “9mm” Ratcliff. For Cerrone this will be his third main event fight of 2009. For Ratcliff, he’ll be making his second start since sitting out almost a year and a half after suffering the first loss of his career to Marcus Hicks at WEC 33.

Co-headlining the event will be two of the most exciting fighters in the promotion’s 135 pound division clashing in a battle of wrestler vs. Jiu-Jitsu player when Joseph Benavidez and Rani Yahya lock horns.

Former International Fight League standout Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki is also in line to make his WEC debut on this card opposite knockout artist Anthony Njokuani.

WEC 45 tickets can also be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is “sold out”). The WEC 45 main card will air live on Versus at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT on fight night.

To check out the current line up at rumors for WEC 45 click here.

Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber’s (22-3) will likely return to action against one-loss submission expert, Raphael Assuncao, at WEC 46 from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2010, according to MMAWeekly.com.

“The California Kid” is on the mend from a broken hand suffered during the first round of his rematch with Mike Brown in the WEC 41 main event back in June. Of course, Brown is the man who originally defeated Faber to snatch his 145-pound championship title last year.

Faber manned up and lasted the full five rounds in the rematch, but he fell short on the scorecards. MMAmania.com talked to the Sacramento resident the day after the rematch with Brown. Here’s what he said his plans were following the injury and loss:

“I plan on healing and I would like to come back, fight one fight, and get back in there for another title fight. I don’t make the rules, but I think I proved that I was ready to compete last night and am one of the top fighters in the world. Brown is number one, and I am number two, for now.”

He’ll get his wish with at least one fight before a potential third installment of the Brown/Faber saga, but he’s no lock to win.

Assuncao has won both of his fights in the WEC since joining the promotion earlier this year. In fact, the Brazilian ha only been defeated once in his career — a majority decision loss to Jeff Curran three years ago. At WEC 40 he outpointed Jameel Massouh for a unanimous decision win and sic months later at WEC 43 he held off a game Yves Jabouin for the split decision nod.

While the Brazilian didn’t get the finish in either of his first two fights under the WEC banner, he’s still displayed some impressive skills and toughness in gutting out the two wins.

This is certainly a worthy opponent for Faber’s return from injury. A good showing in this fight would likely mean Brown vs. Faber III. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card.

A fantastic bantamweight match up between, Joseph Benavidez (10-1), and decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist, Rani Yahya (15-4), has been announced as the co-headliner for WEC 45: “Cerrone vs. Ratcliff” at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 19.

Benavidez — the protege and training partner of Urijah Faber — last fought Dominick Cruz in a number one contender eliminator match in the co-main event of WEC 42: “Torres vs. Bowles.” The 25-year-old lost the first fight of his career that night, missing out on his chance to face the 135-pound division champion, Brian Bowles.

Like most bantamweights, Benavidez uses his speed and quickness to win fights. He’s also a fantastic wrestler, which complements his athleticism nicely. Before the loss to Cruz, the Team Alpha Male product had won both of his appearances in the WEC cage by decision over Danny Martinez and Jeff Curran.

He’s clearly near the top of the food chain in the fast growing WEC bantamweight division.

Yahya, too, is near the top of that food chain. However, he’s a different style fighter than Benavidez, relying on his grappling and submission skills to win fights, as evidenced by his 94 percent rate of finish by submission. His jiu-jitsu is so good that he won the ADCC featherweight championship — the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world — in 2007.

He’s also amassed a record of (4-1) in the WEC cage, and he’s currently on a three-fight win streak with victories over Yoshiro Maeda, Eddie Wineland and John Hosman. The only losses of his career thus far have been to JZ Cavalcante, Fredson Paixao, Chase Beebe and Kid Yamamoto.

That’s some very good competition.

This should be a very competitive fight and it’s going to be interesting to see how Benavidez chooses to deal with Yahya’s jiu-jitsu.

Lightweights Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Ed “9mm” Ratcliff will square off in the main event for WEC 45, marking the third main event appearance for Cerrone in 2009. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card.

Former International Fight League (IFL) star Chris Horodecki is slated to make his debut for the promotion against Anthony Njokuani at WEC 45, which is scheduled to take place at The Pearl at the Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 19.

Nicknamed “The Polish Hammer,” Horodecki has stormed through most of the competition throughout his professional career. His lone loss came to Ryan Schultz at IFL: “World Grand Prix” in 2007, an upset that cost him the lightweight belt. The 22-year-old won his first 11 fights prior to crushing loss.

Horodecki’s IFL career ended with a win over Nate Lamotte via unanimous decision in April of 2008. He then fought in Ultimate Chaos: “Lashley vs. Sapp” in June, defeating William Sriyapai. Horodecki was scheduled to fight Dan Lauzon in Affliction: “Trilogy,” but the promotion’s demise prevented that fight from ever happening.

Horodecki now finds himself in a secure organization after years of fighting in upstarts. However, his winning future in the lightweight division he enters is anything but secure with the likes of Ben Henderson, Donald Cerrone and Jamie Varner at the top of the heap.

Njokuani last fought at WEC 43, defeating Muhsin Corbbrey via technical knockout. His other win in the WEC is over Bart Palaszewski at WEC 40.

His debut with the promotion at WEC 38 was a submission loss to current WEC interim lightweight champion Ben Henderson. Njokuani’s only other loss was to Donald Cerrone at ROF 29: “Aftershock,” meaning the Nigerian-American has had little success against the current divisional leaders of the WEC lightweight division.

Stay glued to MMAmania.com for additional information on WEC 45, which will serve as the last event for the Zuffa-owned promotion in 2009.

Veteran lightweight Karen Darabedyan (8-1) will make his promotion debut against former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough (17-5) at WEC 44 after an undisclosed injury has forced Anthony Pettis (7-0) off the Nov. 18 fight card, according to MMAweekly.com.

After coughing up the 155-pound title to Jamie Varner at WEC 32, “Razor” Rob is 2-1, most recently squeaking out a split-decision victory over Marcus Hicks at WEC 39, which proved a successful comeback after going the distance in a losing effort against Donald Cerrone.

McCullough was “Cowboy’s” first victory that went all three rounds.

Karen Darabedyan’s last bout was a victory at Shark Fights 6 back in September. His only loss was two years ago when he came up short on the judges’ scorecards to Koji Oishi at PFP: “Ring of Fire” in 2007.

This will mark Darabedyan’s WEC debut, and McCullough is quite the welcome into the promotion.

WEC 44 from “The Pearl” at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, features a featherweight championship bout between heavy-handed Mike Thomas Brown and the dynamic challenger Jose Aldo.

For more on WEC 44 click here.

Gritty bantamweights Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2) and Damacio Page (12-4) have reportedly agreed to hook ‘em up at WEC 45 on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas, according to Sherdog.com.

Mizugaki fought for the 135-pound title back in April, losing via unanimous decision to Miguel Torres in a “Fight of the Year” nominee. He rebounded with a victory over Jeff Curran, who left for Strikeforce earlier this week.

The Japanese import is one of the top contenders in the division and is considered by many a top five bantamweight in the world.

Damacio Page is coming off a first round submission victory at WEC 43 over Will Campuzano, marking his second victory in a row. His last loss came at WEC 35 to current divisional champion Brian Bowles.

Like Mizugaki, “The Angel of Death” is considered at the top of the bantamweight food chain.

After Miguel Torres’ upset loss to Brian Bowles at WEC 42, the WEC bantamweight division had been turned on it’s head. The winner of this fight could conceivably get a title shot considering the division’s current landscape.

WEC 45 is set for Dec. 19, but the card is still in the works. A match up between Donald Cerrone and Ed Ratcliff was recently announced rumored as a possible main event for the WEC’s year end show.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for news on this still-developing fight card.

“I’m not one to dwell on the past too much, but I really don’t care for the guy (Cruz) too much and I’d love to go down there (to bantamweight) and fight him at some point. The whole thing was, basically, we signed these posters for charity, and give them to a lot of people as gifts. The fighters take some and all the fighters sign them. The day of the fight, he was just being basically an immature punk and signing all over my face with his signature. So you know, for me, who’s a good sport and not a little punk, it would kind of piss me off. I don’t really like the guy very much. I don’t know him too well. We’ve spoken here and there and I’m not like trying to fight him when I see him or anything, but it kind of says a little something about his character.”

Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber explains his negative history with No. 1 WEC Bantamweight contender Dominick Cruz on MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio. Faber made Cruz pay for his poorly placed signature at WEC 26, winning via rear naked choke in the first round, and now says he is open to a fight with Cruz at 135 pounds in the future. Faber recently signed a seven fight contract with the WEC and says he is ready to get back into the cage. While his eyes are still fixed on the featherweight belt he was the longtime holder of, he won’t rule out bantamweight as a future option for “The California Kid.”