Mike Thomas Brown (21-4) vs. Urijah “The California Kid” Faber (22-2)

At WEC’s upcoming show, Featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown will look to defend his title against the man he defeated to win it, former WEC posterboy “The California Kid” Urijah Faber.  Faber, once considered the top 145 pound fighter in the world, was blown out of the water in his first meeting with Brown after attempting a ridiculous elbow early in the first round.  Brown easily dodged the elbow and sent Faber down with a huge counterpunch before jumping on him and pounding him out with vicious, unanswered strikes on the ground.

Faber is one of the sport’s more popular fighters, both because of his exciting fight style and his laid-back personality.  For a while, he looked unbeatable at 145, mixing his quality striking with his excellent wrestling and deadly guillotine chokes to confound his foes, including former UFC Lightweight champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver.  In his first meeting with Brown, though, Faber paid the price for overconfidence and was completely destroyed within half a round.  I think it’s safe to say you won’t see Faber throwing any rolling elbows or other gimmick strikes in the rematch, as he will be all business in trying to recapture his featherweight crown.

Even with a businesslike approach, though, Faber might have his hands full with the dynamic Brown.  After capturing the title, many fans and pundits felt that Brown was on the lucky end of a fluke punch despite the quality wins he had already garnered.  In his first defense against Leonard Garcia, though, Brown put all the doubts about his legitimacy to rest, completely destroying Garcia in the standup before thwarting his ground game, passing his guard, and submitting him with a beautiful arm triangle from mount.  Brown showed not only that the win against Faber wasn’t a fluke, but that he has a stellar ground game to go with his bruising punching.

This is about as even a matchup as you are ever likely to see.  Both men have precise and powerful standup, quality ground games, and top-level fight experience.  I think it’s safe to say that we won’t see a repeat of Brown’s previous two and a half minute knockout, but that doesn’t mean Faber is in the clear by any means.  Faber has the edge in wrestling, but Brown is good enough on the ground that I don’t see him getting submitted or even landing in a really disadvantageous position.  Standing, the edge goes to Brown, who has vastly superior punching power and probably superior technique to go with it.  

Ultimately, I think Brown will prove that, while the way the first fight ended was a fluke, the result itself was not.  I see him putting Faber down midway through the third after a hard-fought, back and forth battle.

1.  Anonymous on June 3rd, 2009 2:02 pm

   faber is the better guy

2.  Anonymous on June 3rd, 2009 2:03 pm

   faber def

3.  Anonymous on June 3rd, 2009 2:03 pm

   you suck faber by far has better skills

4.  MMAfan on June 6th, 2009 4:35 pm

   I believe Faber will win and here is why. Faber is a close contact fighter, he likes to stay close to his oponent and throw those elbows when they don’t expect it. Brown gets his knockout blows from a distance which is how Faber got caught in the first fight. Did these people not watch the same fight I did on Nov. 5th? Brown walked out of the octagon with broken ribs in just 2:23 in the first round. Would Brown have been able to make it in the 3rd, 4th or even the fifth round after suffering broken ribs in the 1st? Highly unlikely. Another thing that is not being talked about is the speed of Faber’s hands. His hands are considerably faster than Brown’s are. Brown throws slow powerful shots which Faber throws faster shots that can have an even greater effect in the later rounds. I don’t think by any means that it will be a fast fight (and hope it is not) but the later rounds it goes I believe that the fight swings more and more towards Faber.

5.  chris zahares on June 6th, 2009 11:47 pm

   brown will proov once and for all that faber does not belong in the same waight class as brown! his wrestleing is just as good if not better, and his jujisu is far better! faber is simply too small to be in the cage withh brown ,and he hits too hard. faber is going to fear the punching power brown brings to the fight. and if they go to the ground the strength and skill of brown will prove brown the dommanat fighter! Brown has been coached by the best of the best coaches since his freshman year in high school including having to defend himself agaist a top 5 wrestler in the country for 4 years, before he ever got into mma. now he again trains with the absolute best every day . Faber on the other hand owns his own gyms where he is suppost to be the best and claims he is he is cocky and brown is hummble faber will fall again and this time none of the haters will have anything to say except MIKE THOMAS BROWN IS THE TRUE MAN OF WEC!!!!! SORRY SAC TOWN!!! GO BROWN THE REAL MAN!!!

6.  Anonymous on June 7th, 2009 12:17 am

   dear MMafan Browns ribs were not broken he had cartalage damage that was due to prior injury and not the knees of faber. I did see the same fight and Brown pushed Faber around the whole fight . Did you se how when Faber tried to lock up with Brown what happend? He got shoved to the ground. Then Frank Mir said we forgot about the speed of Faber and at the same time as he said that Brown slamed Faber then stepped back and hit Faber harder than he has ever been hit on the chin then finished the fight ! Did you see the way Faber ’s head was being bounced around before the ref had to stop Brown from doing real damage and end Fabers caraear for good?

7.  MMAfan on June 7th, 2009 5:32 am

   Mr. Anonymous….if Brown had a previous rib injury how long does it take for him to heal? Why did they not mention that Brown was nursing a previous injury? And if you really think that this is going to end Faber carreer you need to put the pipe down because I think I hear the cops knocking on your door…(KNOCK…KNOCK). We will see…..

8.  deleted on June 7th, 2009 5:59 pm

   mmafan it was cartliage damage. why would anyone annouce an injury and give his opponant a target. mike knew me had to finish him quick and he did.

9.  chris zahares on June 7th, 2009 8:57 pm

   mmafan or anyone out there than still wants to talk shit I am the one who was right . he was my first roomate and my JV in high school wrestling now i would run and I think he has proved to the world now he is THE MAN!! Aldo looked very good but he cant use that move right away again good luck to faber he his a tough kat and I’m looking foward to FABER -TORRES