UFC officials have confirmed Brown’s removal from the card.

Five Ounces of Pain was able to catch up with Brown who explained his condition and offered up a prognosis on when fans might see him back inside the Octagon.

“I had arthroscopic surgery on my knee Thursday,” Brown revealed. “They removed some damaged cartilage on the inside and the outside of the knee. I also had a few bone chip floating around that the took out.”

“The knee has been bothering me for a while then two weeks ago I tore the medial meniscus pretty bad,” the 36-year old continued. “It wasn’t going to heal on its on. I needed it to be fixed so when they went in they kind of cleaned up the entire knee. I should have a full recovery three to four weeks and I’ll be ready to fight again by April.”

Brown got off to a rough start in 2011, losing back-to-back fights in January to Diego Nunes and Rani Yahya, both by decision. After taking a couple of months off to re-group, Brown returned to his winning ways at UFC 133, picking up a unanimous decision victory over Nam Phan.

No replacement has been found for Rocha, who will make his featherweight debut on the card.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/WEC

Both fighters find themselves in an interesting position career-wise with losses in four of their last six outings on the heels of unquestionable success in the cage and may very well be fighting for their jobs at the event, adding an extra layer of intrigue in Philadelphia to what should already been an exciting match-up given their well-rounded skill-sets and willingness to engage opponents.

Phan was last seen losing a highly controversial decision to Leonard Garcia at the Ultimate Fighter Season 12 Finale in December and has yet to see the Octagon since after an injury forced him out of a scheduled rematch with Garcia. The 28-year old Californian is 16-8 in his career with seven TKOs and five submissions to his credit.

Comparably, Brown has finished eighteen of the twenty-four opponents he’s beaten including thirteen by way of tap-out. Among the numerous notable names the American Top Team trained competitor has had his hands raised against are Yves Edwards, Jeff Curran, Mark Hominick, Leonard Garcia, and of course Urijah Faber who he beat twice in title-fights.

Brown and Phan will join an already-stacked line-up of talent at the August 14 event including 145-pound champ Jose Aldo, who is defending his belt against undefeated contender Chad Mendes, as well as match-ups including Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, Rich Franklin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshishiro Akiyama.

PHOTO CREDIT – WEC/UFC

Five Ounces of Pain recently caught up with the powerful grappler who explained he was making sure not to rush his recovery but was feeling healthy and hoping for a fight in August or September. The UFC currently has a trio of shows rumored for the months mentioned including UFC 133 (8/6), UFC Rio (8/27), and UFN 25 (9/17).

Brown tore a ligament in his finger during a January 22 defeat to submission savvy Brazilian Rani Yahya at UFN 23. The match-up marked the second decision defeat for the American Top Team competitor in less than a month, as he served as a late replacement at the event and had fought three weeks earlier at UFC 125 against Diego Nunes.

In addition to the damaged digit Brown also dealt with an undisclosed illness while training for Nunes where he was getting uncharacteristically winded in practice due to an abnormal lactic acid build up.

When Brown makes his way back into the infamous eight-sided cage he will likely be fighting for more than a win after going 2-2 before his back-to-back stumbles in 2011. However, prior to the stretch he was considered to be among the elite 145ers in MMA with dual wins over Urijah Faber, as well as victories over Mark Hominick, Jeff Curran, Leonard Garcia, and Yves Edwards. He holds an overall record of 24-8 with thirteen submissions and five TKOs to his credit.

PHOTO CREDIT – WEC/ZUFFA

Brown’s previous performance in the infamous eight-sided structure came more than six years ago when he was submitted by emperor-of-the-entrance Genki Sudo at UFC 47, an event headlined by Chuck Liddell’s epic first encounter with Tito Ortiz to offer a little perspective on the interim between appearances.

He will face 15-1 Diego Nunes in his return to the UFC, a 27-year old Brazilian with a well-rounded attack who is coming off back-to-back wins over Tyler Toner and Raphael Assuncao.

The American Top Team staple is also coming off a victorious performance, as he TKO’d Cole Province in less than ninety seconds this past September at WEC 51. In addition to Province, Brown has beaten Yves Edwards, is the only individual to have finished Leonard Garcia, and holds a pair of wins against pound-for-pound great Urijah Faber.

UFC 125 is headlined by Frank Edgar defending his UFC lightweight title against Gray Maynard and also features featherweight phenom Jose Aldo putting his 145-pound belt up for grabs against Josh “The Fluke” Grispi, Clay Guida testing his chin against Takanori Gomi, and a number of other pairings worthy of the notable date.

PHOTO CREDIT – WEC

Tim Kennedy Talks About Life as a Former Green Beret (MMAFighting.com)

UFC Lightweight Champ Frank Edgar Opens Up About his UFC 118 Rematch Against BJ PEnn (FIGHT! Magazine)

Ricardo Almeida Participates in Autism Benefit (MiddleEasy.com)

Mac Danzig Out of Fight Night 22 with Injury (CagePotato.com)

Bibiano Fernandes Still Waiting for DREAM Paycheck (MMAConvert.com)

Ten Jaw-Dropping Taekwondo Knockouts (MMAScraps.com)

“King Mo” Lawal Speaks About his Start in MMA (Heavy.com)

An In-Depth Look at the Shane Carwin Steroids Scandal (WatchKalibRun.com)

Mike Brown Back in Action at WEC 51 (Versus.com)

WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown is set to face off with the explosive Jose Aldo at WEC 45.

The news of the bout was first reported by Aldo to InTheGuard.tv.

When Mike Brown was contacted by FiveOuncesOfPain.com‘s Brendhan Conlan the champion was quoted as saying,”Yup, let’s do this.”

No location has been announced for WEC 45 but it has been set for November 11.

The bout against Aldo will mark Brown’s third title defense since obtaining the the championship from Urijah Faber in November of 2008. Since then he has defended the strap against Leonard Garcia, and most recently in a rematch with Faber.

Brown has won his last ten consecutive bouts.

You wouldn’t know that the 15-1 Aldo is a Brazilian Jiu-JItsu black belt by glancing at the ten knockouts on his record but don’t let the twenty two year old Brazilian’s striking prowess fool you. He is dynamic on the feet and a legit threat on the ground.

His last trip to the cage saw him knock out Cub Swanson with a gravity defying flying double knee that would make Ong-Bak proud.

We use that to transcend weight classes and compare fighters, so we can decide which ones are the best in the world. And let’s not kid ourselves we all have our pound for pound favorites.

One of mine is Urijah Faber. The California Kid meets all my criteria for being one of the premier fighters in the world. And to be frank, he’s one of my favorite fighters to root for personally.

He can beat his opponent in a variety of different ways.

He rarely loses.

He does unique things in the ring that we’ve never seen before.

He finishes off his opponents when the opportunity presents itself.

He takes on all comers.

He is a very entertaining and talented fighter.

He respects MMA and is a great ambassador for the sport.

Put that all together and those are the main reasons I always have Faber ranked at the top of my pound for pound rankings. Having said that, I believe that after Sunday night, Faber will be 1-2 in his last three fights.

As we all know, fighting is often based on match-ups. First let me say that I am not in the “Mike Brown got lucky camp.” Those people who think Brown won with a lucky punch the first time out couldn’t be more misguided.

Brown is a darn good fighter. He’s won nine straight fights and hasn’t lost in nearly four years.

And even before the big right hand that dropped Faber, he was tossing the former featherweight champion around the cage like a rag doll. So, luck had nothing to do with Brown’s victory. He was the much better man that night.

But I think if we were talking about overall skills, a lot of us would give the edge to Faber. Not many fighters have the diverse arsenal of striking, wrestling, Muay Thai, submissions and defense that the California Kid possesses.

However, I believe Brown is just a flat-out bad match-up for Faber. This happens in MMA sometimes. I think the most famous case was in one of the biggest moneymaking fights of all-time between Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

I was always a big Ortiz fan but after watching these two fighters go at it the first time, the rematch didn’t hold much drama for me. I thought if Ortiz and Liddell squared off 100 times, “The Iceman” would have won around 97 times.

Liddell just presented a terrible match-up for the ground and pounding Ortiz. Liddell, who had arguably the best takedown defense in MMA history, just wouldn’t allow Ortiz to shoot in and bring him to the mat.

This made Ortiz one-dimensional and forced him to stand and slug it out with Liddell. It was only a matter of time before one of the sport’s greatest strikers would emerge victorious.

I see this being the same kind of bad match-up for Faber. The two fighters may technically weigh the same but anyone with eyes can see that Brown is the bigger man.

I have lifted weights for many years and I’m a pretty solid guy. But I weigh the same as Cheick Kongo. Trust me – and you can ask my wife if you don’t believe me – Kongo is a much bigger dude than I am, despite us weighing exactly the same and both having muscular builds.

Physically, Brown is thicker and stronger than Faber and we saw that in the first fight, well before the knockout. Is there any reason to believe that’s going to change on Sunday night? I don’t think so.

Now Faber can fight a lot of different ways but he’s most effective when he either clinches and strikes from close range or takes his opponent to the ground with his excellent wrestling skills. I just can’t see him doing either to the bigger, stronger Brown.

This means Faber will most likely be forced to stand and exchange and while he is comfortable in fighting that style, that’s advantage Brown.

Faber is a fighter who is going to knock you out with a couple of precision shots, not one huge blow. With Brown’s power, it’s one and done, as Faber found out in the first fight.

And just like in the Ortiz-Liddell match-up, I think it’s only a matter of time before Brown takes advantage, lands a big shot and comes away with the win.

As I scanned the Internet this past week, I saw a lot of people chalking this fight up to Faber and basically calling it a mere formality. I couldn’t disagree more. Faber may win because he’s one of the best fighters in the world but even if he does regain the title, it’s going to be a war.

Like I said, Urijah Faber is one of my favorite fighters and I will be rooting for him on a personal level Sunday night. However, if I’m being objective, it will be Brown who answers his critics at WEC 41 and scores another resounding win, putting his name in the pound for pound discussion as well.

I wanted to do more, I am a firm believer in karma and I truly believe that God forbid something happened to one of my children others would be there to help me. That is not the only reason I wanted to help, I truly hate to see children suffer. I myself spent the first three years of my life in and out of hospitals having surgery after surgery to battle a heart condition I was born with. To this day I do not know how my parents dealt with all the stress of having to raise four other children while spending the majority of their time in the hospital with me. Anyway, being a journalist has given me the ability to reach so many people that I normally would never have the opportunity to reach. Writing for FiveOuncesOfPain.com allows me so much exposure to a great community of MMA fans, fighters, trainers and other writers.

Richie Guerriero is the general manager at the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. He has been very generous to me setting up interviews with such fighters as WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown and UFC middleweight Denis Kang. Richie has been awesome and all I did was send an email asking for an interview. I decided to contact him and tell him about Christian’s plight. Without a moment’s hesitation he asked what he could do to help and sometime this week I will be receiving signed gloves from Mike Brown and Thiago Alves that I will be able to auction off and then donate the money to the Koehler family. Another man I have to give credit to is Eddie “Primo” Miranda who has gotten everything together and offered up some kind words for the family.

Both Richie Guerriero and Eddie Miranda have both expressed a sincere desire to help and have made it known that it was their pleasure and that if there was anything else they could do to please let them know. When I asked Richie to make a brief statement here is what he had to say: “We were all saddened to hear about this boys story. I hope in some small way we were able to help out. Our prayers and thoughts are with the young boy and his family during this trying time.” Eddie Miranda said “Please let the family know that we are hoping for the best and that if there is anything else we can do please let us know.” While it may not seem like a lot to some people I find it amazing that these fighters and trainers have gone out of their way to help someone they have never met. The two fighters that signed the gloves to be auctioned off are training for the biggest fights of their careers as Alves will be fighting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100 in July for the UFC welterweight title and Brown will be defending his title from the man he took it from, Urijah Faber on June 7th.

I reached out to people locally and that I used to work with and most people never responded to my request for help, but these guys did, they did it without hesitation, without asking questions and they did it for unselfish reasons. They didn’t know I would be writing this story, all they wanted to do was help this family. I hope this story reaches other people who may have sick child or maybe it will reach someone looking to help out. One thing I am hoping is that it finds its way into the hands of some NY politicians who have repeatedly shot down legislation calling for MMA to be sanctioned in NY. Maybe they are still of the belief that these fighters are animals and that the sport is to gruesome. Take another look please and you will realize that these athletes are some of the most respectful, caring human beings that are alive today. They have hearts and souls and most of all humility. It seems to me that they are willing to do more for a family they have never met than most other people would even dream of doing.

To bid on the autographed gloves from two of mixed martial arts biggest stars for an extremely worthy cause you can visit the following links:

Thiago Alves Signed Glove:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=270379296786

Mike Brown Signed Glove:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270379302964

While the WEC has yet to officially announced the fight, FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the finalized matchup from a source close to one of the fighters late Monday night.

Brown vs. Faber II will take place in Faber’s hometown of Sacramento, Calif. at the Arco Arena. Despite previous comments made by UFC President Dana White, the fight card will not take place on pay-per-view and is instead slated to air on the VERSUS Network.

Faber won the then-vacant WEC featherweight title against Joe Pearson at WEC 25, the first-ever WEC event promoted under Zuffa ownership. The former University of California-Davis amateur wrestling standout went on to successfully defend the title four times with wins over Domink Cruz, Chance Farrar, Jeff Curran, and Jens Pulver.

However, Faber’s attempt to add a fifth consecutive defense to his resume ended in failure after he missed a spinning back fist against Brown at WEC 36 this past November and was TKO’d due to strikes at 2:23 of round 1.

Despite the disappointing loss, Faber rebounded with a guillotine choke submission just one minute and 34 seconds into a rematch against Pulver during WEC 38 this past January.

Against Brown, Faber will have display better tactical prowess against a significantly larger opponent who formerly competed at lightweight. One of the most underrated fighters in all of MMA, Brown is currently on a nine fight win streak.

The American Top Team fighter has not lost since second round submission against Masakazu Imanari during a DEEP event in Japan in December of 2005. A former veteran of the defunct BodogFIGHT promotion, Brown holds notable wins in his career over Yves Edwards, Renato Tavars, Jeff Curran, and his most recent victory against Leonard Garcia at WEC 39 earlier this month.

Brown’s win over Garcia was his first-ever defense of the WEC featherweight title and came at 1:57 of round 1 following a arm triangle submission. The win boosted Maine native’s lifetime record in the WEC to a perfect 3-0.

WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown is such an individual…and he just happens to have a pretty nice strap with his name on it to boot!

Brown will be a approximately a month shy of being a professional mixed martial artist for eight years come March 1st, 2009, when he defends his WEC title for the first time after taking it from Urijah Faber in brutal TKO fashion last November. Along the path to knocking the sunshine out of “The California Kid,” the current WEC champ has seen action all over the world against notable opponents like Hermes Franca, Joe Lauzon, Mark Hominick, Yves Edwards, Jeff Curran, and the ever-entertaining Genki Sudo, many times being forced to fight in his career at 155-pounds as did many American featherweights prior to the relatively recent explosion in MMA’s popularity.

However, from size disadvantages to having to defend his title in Leonard Garcia’s home-state to injury rehab to the high caliber of opponents he’s faced or less than ideal situations he’s dealt with, you’ll never find Mike Brown complain. In fact, it’s rare to ever hear a negative word from him even when discussing his peers or future match-ups, something that again adds to the high level respect he deserves.

He is 20-4, has never been beaten via decision, and even more impressively has never been knocked out in his career. He is riding an eight-fight win streak including two straight in the WEC. He collects MMA-related memorabilia and was following Mixed Martial Arts long before he ever entered a cage himself. He is Mike Brown and he is the subject of this interview where, among other things, he’ll discuss a few of his fellow WEC featherweights, the prospect of Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto signing with the Zuffa-owned organization, and even offers message for Leonard Garcia that’s likely to induce more smiles from the top 145-pound contender than bulletin board material for use as motivation…

Brendhan Conlan: Most media outlets consider you to be the top 145-pound fighter in the world. Does that sort of subjective accolade mean much to you? Do you feel any additional pressure to perform based on the perception you are the top Mixed Martial Artist in your weight class?

Mike Brown: It feels good to get the recognition. I’m a fan and follow the ranking, but at the end of the day those rankings are just somebody’s opinion. You’re only as good as your last fight…so when you lose, you’re gone!

Brendhan Conlan: When fans last saw you inside the cage you were busy knocking Urijah Faber out in the process of winning the WEC Featherweight Championship. How has your life changed in the nearly three months since that night? Likewise, how has your approach to training or the sport/business changed (if at all) now that you’re sporting a golden target around your waist?

Brown: I train hard for every fight. I’m always nervous and hate to lose so I’m always training like a madman. Not much has changed. I get recognized more and I do more interviews..that’s about it.

Brendhan Conlan: It was reported that you tore some rib cartilage in the Faber fight. How long have you been back to going at full speed in the gym? Have you experienced any nagging effects from the injury?

Brown: The ribs were healed in like three weeks. I’m feeling great and feel no more pain.

Brendhan Conlan: On March 1 at WEC 39, you will be defending your featherweight title for the first time in bout against Leonard Garcia. How excited are you to get back into the cage and test your skills against an opponent of his caliber?

Brown: I’m so excited! I want to cement myself down as the champion. You have to defend that belt to be a true champion, (so) that’s what I have to do.

Brendhan Conlan: With the event still being about a month away, can you tell fans what your training routine currently looks like and how you anticipate it will change over the next few weeks as you prepare for the Garcia fight?

Brown: I’m just training hard, following the schedule at ATT. It’s easy – I just show up and let my coaches handle it. They will have me ready. I’m actually already in great shape and could fight tomorrow.

Brendhan Conlan: Leonard’s nickname is “Bad Boy”. At WEC 39, should he be prepared to meet a “bad man”?

Brown: Well I dont know if I’m a bad guy or not, but I do know that I can fight. He will be ready…I’m certain of that.

Brendhan Conlan: Garcia is known for his stand-up but actually has nearly three times as many submissions on his record as he does knockouts. How dangerous an opponent is he? Without giving away too much of your gameplan, how are you approaching what he brings to the table from a strategic standpoint? Are you focused on any one aspect of his skill set?

Brown: He started out as a BJJ kind of fighter and has now refined his striking. I think he has discovered he has some punching power. In a lot of ways we are the same. I see us both swinging for the fences and looking for the homerun.

Brendhan Conlan: WEC 39 is taking place in Corpus Christi, Texas and Leonard Garcia happens to be a native Texan. What are your thoughts on having to defend the championship in essentially your opponent’s backyard? Is any extra motivation created by the thought of potentially beating him in front of a crowd that will no doubt be heavily biased in his favor?

Brown: No extra motivation. I want to win every fight badly. Any loss will depress me. I’m always motivated to win no matter where we fight; Texas, Florida, or on the moon!

Brendhan Conlan: Why should fans expect something other than a decision come March 1st? Will you be looking for a knockout, submission, or simply waiting to take advantage of what becomes available as the fight progresses?

Brown: I think we both have a high percentage of finishing our opponents and this is a five-rounder. That’s plenty of time to set something up and to finish.

Brendhan Conlan: There is no question that the WEC’s featherweight division is stacked with talent. One of the many names attracting attention from media/fans these days is Jose Aldo. What is your opinion of Aldo as a fighter? How much potential do you see in the young Brazilian based on any observations or interactions you’ve had with him?

Brown: He looks tough. Strong powerful kicks, solid all around stand up. We haven’t seen the other parts of his game yet, but wow he is a tough kid and only 22.

Brendhan Conlan: Speaking of top 145-pounders, there have been long-time rumors about the possibility of “Kid” Yamamoto testing his skills inside the WEC and further cementing the organization’s status as having the best featherweights in the world. Dana White recently added fuel to the fire by mentioning his name in a video blog as someone Zuffa was pursuing. What is your take on “Kid” as a fighter? Is he someone you’re especially interested in stepping into the cage against?

Brown: “Kid” is a tough fighter – good wrestling, good kickboxing, and a great athlete. I think WEC has the best fighters in the world at 145. (Yamamoto) would be a great addition to the mix of talent. I want to fight the best and I welcome him to come to the WEC.

Brendhan Conlan: The winner of your WEC 39 bout will likely be facing Urijah Faber for the right to continue calling himself WEC Featherweight Champion. You were in attendance at WEC 38 when Faber was able to submit Jens Pulver in the first round to earn the opportunity to contend for the belt. What did you think of the rematch between the two featherweight greats? Though the fight was only 94 seconds long, did you see anything new from Urijah that surprised/impressed you?

Brown: Urijah looked sharp. He subbed Jens under two minutes. What can you really say about that? I have to worry about Garcia, nothing else, right now.

Brendhan Conlan: Being not only an actual Mixed Martial Artist but also a huge fan of MMA, what was going through your mind during Jens Pulver’s emotional post-fight speech? Did you have a chance to talk to him after the event? If so, what was said? What are your thoughts on “Little Evil” in general?

Brown: No, I didnt talk to Jens. I dont really know him on personal level, but I am a big fan of his. Anytime he speaks or gives an interview it’s moving. He always speaks from the heart and is filled with emotion. I was getting a little choked up after his fight. I think “relevant” was kind of a bad word to choose talking about Jens’ career.

Brendhan Conlan: Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to answer these questions and offer a little insight into your world. Any final messages for fans, Leonard Garcia, or any other fighters who might be reading these lines?

Brown: Hey Leonard, relax and have a beer, no rush. I’m having a little vacation, eating cheese burgers and french fries. No need to train.. You got this one no problem… I wish he would believe all that.

Fans can find out more about WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown by visiting his website or checking out American Top Team on the internet.

Morgan indicates that the proposed bout is expected to take place sometime in March at a venue yet to be determined, However, because of Brown’s affiliation with American Top Team, there are strong signs that the bout could anchor a show to be possibly be held in Florida.

Thus far, Brown has only made a verbal agreement but signed bout agreements from both fighters are expected to be signed in the very near future.

Brown won the title from former champion Urijah Faber at WEC 36 in November following a TKO courtesy of repeated punches at just 2:23 into the bout. The victory improved Brown’s WEC record to 2-0, which includes a unanimous decision victory over former WEC featherweight title contender Jeff Curran during Brown’s WEC debut at WEC 34 in June.

His opponent, Garcia, is a former UFC lightweight competitor who is 2-0 since dropping to the WEC’s 145-pound weight class. Showing fast and powerful hands in wins over Hiroyuki Takaya at WEC 32 in February and Jens Pulver at WEC 36 in November, the Greg Jackson-trained fighter will pose a dangerous threat to Brown’s current eight fight winning streak.

Five Ounces of Pain spoke to a third source close to Brown who indicated that while the matchup is considered likely, it has yet to be finalized. However, bout agreements from both fighters could be secured within the next 1-2 two weeks.

It is believed that sources originally wanted Brown to defend his title on the January show to be held in San Diego but that a torn rib cartilage injury sustained by the American Top Team product during his title victory against Faber earlier this month will prevent him from being ready in time. Instead, it is believed that Brown’s next bout could take place at a tentatively scheduled WEC event in March.

Brown TKO’d Faber at WEC 36 to win the title on Nov. 5 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. at 2:23 of round 1. The TKO allowed Brown to improve his streak to eight consecutive victories and gave him his second win while competing under the WEC banner. He was victorious in his debut for the promotion at WEC 34 in June when he defeated Jeff Curran via unanimous decision.

Garcia, 12-3, was also victorious at WEC 36 by way of first round TKO. Facing former UFC lightweight champion and WEC featherweight title challenger Jens Pulver, Garcia finished the lighter weight pioneer with punches at 1:12 of round 1.

WEC 36 Fallout

Big ups to Mike Brown for taking care of business with Urijah Faber but I’ll still take Faber in a rematch any day of the week. Everything Brown is good at, Faber is just that much better. I don’t want to say Brown got lucky because we know he has power and we know that he is very good, but had Faber not thrown that silly elbow would we even be talking about Mike Brown today? My guess is no. Faber got way too overconfident with that elbow and jumped directly into a solid right hand. My guess is that next time Faber will be more cautious, as well he should be. An immediate rematch seems very likely and I’ll bet on Faber again for sure.

Paulo Filho lost himself a spot in the world’s top MMA organization last night. The performance that he put on was one of the most horrendous performances in the history of MMA. The fact that Filho weighed in seven pounds over showed that he clearly did not care about making weight for the fight. I mean, coming in two pounds or one pound overweight is understandable. But seven pounds? It doesn’t get much more unprofessional. And the unprofessionalism carried over into the fight as well. Whether it be personal demons, drugs, whatever, Filho needs to get himself together and do it quick or he’s not going to be relevant much longer in MMA. For someone with as much talent as he possesses it is a crying shame that he clearly doesn’t give a rat’s ass.

Leonard Garcia is very legit at 145 lbs. At 155 he was overpowered and outsized but 145 lbs. looks to be perfect for him. He has fast hands, good boxing, knockout power, a decent ground game, and most important of all: gameness. He’s made a strong case for a shot at the title at 145 lbs. with wins over Hiroyuki Takaya and Pulver.

Jake Rosholt, as good as he is, needs big time work on his standup. I fear for him in the UFC’s middleweight division. Even though it’s not their strongest division, it is a division which will give someone as one dimensional as Rosholt some major problems. Rosholt looked great in his wrestling and ground game last night, don’t get me wrong. But his standup, specifically his standup defense, was atrocious. The UFC, who is likely banking on Rosholt to become a future star, will have to be very careful with who they match him up with. Beating Osterneck was a very solid win for him, but the damage he took during the fight must be minimized in the future.

In other news this week…

TUF 8 is awful

I’ve been harping on how terrible this show is for the past few seasons for a long, long time now as have many other people. But peeing in fruit and letting the other team eat it and then retaliating by masturbating onto sushi? That’s just downright ridiculous. The show has officially jumped the shark if it hadn’t already done so. The show has been terrible and stale for a long time now but it officially reached a new low with last night’s episode. Poor showing on Dana White’s part to even be involved in putting that product on television and putting his seal of approval on it. When there’s piss, sperm, and the threat of feces involved it’s time to take a step back and ask how this show stooped so low.

ProElite is auctioning itself off

And using banner ads on MMA websites to do so. Does it get much more tacky? It’s like an infomercial. “You too can own your very own KIMBO SLICE! Or Frank Shamrock! Highest bidder wins, wins, wins!” Not to mention the fact that it’s a total dick move to all the fighters that their contracts will be held up in some ridiculous auction. Guys like Dave Herman, Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Eddie Alvarez, etc. are being held in limbo when they could be out actively searching for employment, getting paid, and looking for better opportunities. The company is a complete and total joke and this stunt is just one more incident in a long line of stupid, stupd incidents. Here’s to hoping these fighters somehow find a way to get out of the contracts or that someone with some sense buys the company and its assets.

Denis Kang signs a four-fight deal with the UFC

This is a very strong addition to the UFC’s middleweight division even if Kang has lost some fights recently. He’s still young, he’s still a very explosive fighter, and has a lot of fights left in him. His first fight, however, will most likely be a tough one as the UFC’s middleweight division, while not their best, is still very competitive. Even a fight againt someone like Jason MacDonald could be a dangerous fight for Kang. Nice addition to the weight class, though, for sure. Kang is skilled, has the look, and is a commodity for foreign expansion. Solid move by the UFC to nab him.

Pat Miletich returns at Adrenaline MMA 2

Okay, first of all, who thought Adrenaline MMA 2 would be a good idea? Anyone? I can’t think of a single person who has been all “Man, I really wish Adrenaline would run another show.” You know why? Because the first Adrenaline show was terrible. Now, that being said, can anyone imagine a good reason for Pat Miletich to get back into the sport right now? I certainly can’t, especially not against Thomas Denny who can be a dangerous opponent if given an opening. I’m not one to tell a legend when he should hang up the gloves but this is dicey. Let’s just say that I’d much rather see Miletich coaching up and coming athletes rather than getting back into fighting himself.

WEC 36

Urijah Faber was unable to defend his title against Mike Brown and was defeated in the first round via TKO. Brown stood with Faber for the opening moments of the fight and Faber ate some good shots that sent him reeling into the cage. Upon rebounding from the cage, Faber tried to throw a back elbow and ended up running directly into a right hand that hit on the button. From there Brown took Faber’s back and rained down blows upon the champion, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

After the fight Faber said that he just made a small mistake and that Brown was able to capitalize on it. It would appear that Faber, due to his stature within the company and his long title reign, will most likely receive an immediate rematch.

In other action, Chael Sonnen was able to grind out a unanimous decision victory over an extremely sluggish and ill prepared Paulo Filho. Filho was unable to mount any kind of offense as Sonnen tried to keep the fight standing for the most part. The first round mostly played out with Filho on his back and Sonnen standing, kicking Filho’s legs and landing a punch from time to time while the other two rounds were spent mostly on the feet with Sonnen picking apart Filho with jabs and straight left hands. While not the most exciting of fights, Sonnen was able to execute his strategy and grind out the victory over an opponent that many consider one of the best middleweights in the world.

In a clash of two former UFC fighters, Jens Pulver took an unexpected loss to Leonard Garcia via TKO in the first round. Both fighters came out willing to trade punches and Garcia got the better of the exchange by landing a mean left hook and then a right hand that rocked Pulver back against the cage. Garcia smelled blood and pounced in for the finish, loading up bombs and dropping them on Pulver against the cage, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

Garcia told the crowd afterwards that he wanted a shot at the featherweight title whether it be Mike Brown or Urijah Faber. Garcia has made a strong case for a title shot after knocking out Hiroyuki Takaya and taking it to Jens Pulver on the feet.

In a fight between two middleweight prospects, Jake Rosholt was able to control his fight with Nissen Osterneck with his top level wrestling. It’s clear that Rosholt has some work to do in the standup as Osterneck routinely dominated him whenever the fight was standing. Rosholt’s chin proved strong and his ground control was excellent as he weathered the storm in the striking game and was able to take the fight to the ground when he wanted. Every time the fight hit the ground it was all Rosholt and he was able to mount Osterneck in the secound round and pound out a TKO victory.

Full results from the card are below:

MAIN CARD

Mike Brown def. Urijah Faber by TKO (Strikes) at 2:23, Round 1
Chael Sonnen def. Paulo Filho by Unanimous Decision
Leonard Garcia def. Jens Pulver by TKO (Strikes) at 1:12, Round 1
Jake Rosholt def. Nissen Osterneck by TKO (Strikes) at 3:48, Round 2
Donald Cerrone def. Rob McCullough by Unanimous Decision

PRELIMINARY CARD

Rani Yahya def. Yoshiro Maeda by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:30, Round 1
Danny Castillo def. Rafael Dias by TKO (Strikes) at 2:54, Round 2
Carmelo Marrero def. Steve Steinbeiss by Split Decision
Jose Aldo def. Jonathan Brookins by TKO (Strikes) at 0:45, Round 3
Aaron Simpson def. David Avellan via KO (Punch) 00:18, Round 1

Fickett will remain on the card against an unnamed opponent. His bout has been removed from the televised portion of the show, but could still air, time permitting. It is believed that Fickett needs to win the fight in order to guarantee a future title fight against Shields.

ProElite.com’s homepage initially listed the replacement bout as Cole vs. Mike Pyle, but this blog has since learned that the homepage report is not correct.

Kyle’s inclusion on the card will no doubt be met with controversy. He was just recently reinstated by the California State Athletic Commission after having been suspended following his WEC 20 bout against Brian Olsen in May of 2006.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

Fighting in the main event will be light heavyweights Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Vernon “Tiger” White. Since his ugly UFC 74 submission win over David Heath, Sobral has picked up a submission victory over Rodney Faverus at the inaugural Platinum Fighting Promotions event last month in the Philippines. White, on the other hand, is coming off of consecutive TKO losses to Mike Whitehead and Marcelo Tigre.

Also on the main card, former UFC heavyweight champ Ricco Rodriguez will take on Mike Kyle, who will make his return after being suspended for illegally kneeing (and then continuing an assault on) Brian Olsen at WEC 20. Ricco, who also won in December at the PFP’s Philippines event, might have his hands full with the powerful, knockout-loving Kyle.

Mark Kerr looks to pick up his second win in as many fights under the WCO banner, this time against against Rick Roufus, a legendary kickboxer who will be making his MMA debut. If you haven’t seen Roufus fight Michael McDonald (both of their fights were cool), you’re missing out.

Tickets are still available for those in – or traveling to – the San Diego and run from $23.50 to $153.50. According to MMAJunkie, WCO executives have stated that a portion of the event’s ticket sales will benefit those families devastated by the recent wildfires in the area.

Here’s the January 12th WCO “The Return” card in its entirety:

• Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Vernon White
• Ricco Rodriguez vs. Mike Kyle
• Mark Kerr vs. Rick Roufus
• Jimmy Ambriz vs. Wesley “Cabbage” Correira
• Joe Riggs vs. Gustavo Machado
• David Loiseau vs. Leopoldo Serao
• Tiki Ghosn vs. J.J. Ambrose
• Virgil Zwicker vs. David Mejia
• Fabio Costa vs. Carlos Fuentes
• Georgi Karakahyan vs. Armando Sanchez
• Tony Sylvester vs. Cain Velasquez