Brown defends, defeats Faber again

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Photos courtesy of Josh Hodges, UFC

In front of a nearly sold out Arco Arena in Sacramento, WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown successfully defended his title in a highly anticipated rematch with “The California Kid” Urijah Faber via unanimous decision. 

In a sport where nothing is guaranteed and anything can happen, Sunday night’s WEC featherweight title bout was fraught with pre-fight comparisons.

Exactly one year ago, World Extreme Cagefighting hosted its largest event ever when the then reigning 145 lb. champion Urijah Faber defended his crown against MMA pioneer Jens “Lil’ Evil” Pulver.

It was billed as the “biggest fight in featherweight history.”

They weren’t kidding.

A year later, as Faber prepared to regain his coveted crown from the no-nonsense titleholder Mike Brown, the WEC offered the “biggest fight in featherweight history” once again.

They were more serious than ever. As the men faced off in the cage, the crowd exuded a tangible energy.

After some missed kicks, Brown closed the distance and muscled Faber into the cage. Following a separation Faber came alive with quick and unorthodox strikes. The champion quickly clinched with his opponent and took him to the mat where he began to land heavy punches from the top position. After a slick escape back to the feet, Faber rocked Brown with a snapping right hand. With the title holder still feeling the effects, Faber initiated a wrestling match that finished off the round.

After trading high kicks Brown pushed the challenger into the cage and landed a hard uppercut combination. The champion quickly assumed side control continued his ground n’ pound attack. Round two saw Faber begin to tire under the high pressure attack of Brown. In a flash, “The California Kid” reversed the position and escaped to his feet.

Brown began the third period by taking Faber to the mat with a powerful front headlock. After some punches, the very fast Faber once again escaped to his feet. Moving well Faber began to find his range with jumping knees and liver punches. Brown showed good awareness by countering a slow kick from the challenger with a heavy right hand that connected cleanly.

Faber appeared tentative throughout the fourth round, due partly to what would later be attributed to a broken right hand. Brown used a thumping jab to establish a much slower pace than the previous rounds. After a short combination by the champion, the exasperated Faber winced in a very public display of pain.

The final round saw the men exchanging blows on the feet until Brown once again wrestled Faber to the mat. A scramble allowed the fighters to stand up and Faber nearly secured a guillotine. Despite the effort, the botched choke attempt allowed Brown to slam “The California Kid” onto his head. With just over a minute left in the fight, Faber nearly caught Brown in a tight choke.

The fight ended with Brown once again bullying Faber around the cage. Judges’ scorecards read 49-46 twice and 48-47.

Brown, a man of few words, was gracious in victory.

“The guy is tough, man,” Brown said. “I just couldn’t get my gloves on his head. It looked like he damaged his hands a little bit.What else do you want me to say?”

Despite the great adversity that he faced, Faber was in good spirits following the grueling war.

“My weapons were gone,” Faber said. “I was all elbows at that point. I can’t wait to get another shot at this title. I’ll be back.”