Last weekend the WEC made their first pay per view appearance. Faber vs Aldo was a stacked card full of tough fights, and many WEC fighters truly went to war. The medical suspensions from the card has been released, and it may come as a shock to see how many fighters will be sidelined in the coming months.

From MMAWeekly:

The full list of WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber medical suspensions:

-Urijah Faber was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician for a left thigh and knee injury. He was also suspended 45 days for a hard bout.

-Mike Brown was suspended 45 days and needs a new physical.

-Scott Jorgensen was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician for a possible left metacarpal fracture.

-Antonio Banuelos was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician for a possible nasal fracture.

-Leonard Garcia was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician for a possible right hand fracture.

-Chan Sung Jung was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician for a right distal ulna shaft fracture. He was also suspended 60 days unless cleared by a physician for a facial laceration.

-Anthony Pettis was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician x-rays for a right foot fracture.

-Brad Pickett was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician for a left clavicle fracture.

-Demetrious Johnson was suspended 180 days unless cleared by a physician for a right thumb dislocation/fracture.

-Rani Yahya was suspended for 60 days unless cleared by a physician for a left eye laceration.

-Brandon Visher was suspended 45 days and needs a new physical.

After a big event it is commonplace to see medical suspensions. Often times a high percentage of fighters will need to miss time to recoup after injuries sustained at an event. With 8 athletes medically suspended for 180 days following WEC 48, it provides proof of how hard everybody worked to put on a great performance.

Leading up to Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs Matt Mitrione at UFC 113, Slice has some words for his fellow TUF 10 housemate. Kimbo has been constantly criticized for being one dimensional and plans to show the world that he’s picked up some new tricks.

From MMAFighting.com:

“I’m sure he’s probably going to try some takedowns, he’s going to come with some stupid kicks and try to do something stupid. I hope he doesn’t poke me in my eye and try to win the fight that way (Mitrione won a TUF 10 fight against Scott Junk that included an eye poke). Other than that, I’m going to try to take this fool to the ground and knock him out. It’s mixed martial arts now, so if I stick to being one-dimensional and just focusing on stand-up, I’m selling myself short.”

“I don’t like him, I don’t hate him, he’s like whatever. He’s not a guy I would be friends with, or a guy I’d call a common enemy. But I do want to punch him in his face and knock some blood out of his mouth.”

Former UFC Middleweight Champion, Rich Franklin, is at a crossroads. Still a fan favorite, Franklin has found himself with four loses in nine fights. Intending on moving permanently to the light heavyweight division, Franklin instead fought in catchweight bouts at 195 pounds against Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. Part of the change was personal choice, but a major factor for the move came from the UFC itself.

“The UFC has repeatedly told me that they aren’t interested in seeing me fight at 185 any more. Because of that, I moved up to 205. It all comes down to the fact that they didn’t want to do a Franklin-Silva III. I’m a ‘never say never’ type of guy, but the problem is that if the UFC doesn’t want to see me do a title match at 185, ultimately I would be stuck fighting in that weight class without ever being able to fight for a title again, which would make no sense since that is the whole reason we do this and the goal we work towards as fighters.”

At UFC 115 on June 12 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Frankin will go back to 205 pounds and square off against former light heavyweight champion, Chuck Liddell. If it’s up to Franklin, this fight will mark the end of his weight class purgatory.

Competing at a catchweight wasn’t a problem for Franklin as he slowly made the transition. However, now that his physique has become accustomed to the increased muscle mass, Franklin doesn’t believe he could ever move back down to the middleweight division. At this stage in his career, Franklin wants to focus on working his way up the ladder to another title shot, only this time at light heavyweight. If successful, Franklin would find a familiar face: Lyoto Machida. Franklin lost to Machida by TKO back in 2003.

“Fighting at 195 isn’t that bad for me physically because I can cut down to that weight without cutting into the muscle that I have. If I cut back down to 185, it’s a completely different cut to make it and I will have completely undone everything I’ve done to put on the size I have. I want to make a run for the title and I don’t want to keep doing things that are counterproductive to that, like fights at 195.”

Standing across the cage on June 12 will be Liddell, another fan favorite who has seen better days. Both men have something to prove to the fans and themselves. As such, Franklin does not take his opponent lightly. Doing so could lead to a violent ending.

“You can’t count Chuck out of any fight. Yeah, he hasn’t fought in a year, and yeah, he’s lost four of his past five fights, but look at what he’s done over the span of his career. He’s a legend and he has beaten such an incredible list of opponents, it would be a huge mistake to look past a guy like him.”

Does Franklin have enough juice left to make a run in the light heavyweight division? With the likes of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Rashad Evans, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Ryan Bader standing in his way, Franklin will have to push himself harder than ever before to close out his career with a championship belt around his waist.

(Source: Cage Potato)

A proposed middleweight fight between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Robbie Lawler on June 16 in Los Angeles, California has hit a speed bump. Expected to be the main event for the upcoming Strikeforce card, Miller has been replaced by Renato “Babalu” Sobral. The bout will now take place at a catchweight of 195 pounds.

Strikeforce President, Scott Coker, said the change had to be made after he was notified that a hearing will take place by the Tennessee Athletic Commission in mid-May. The purpose of the hearing is to determine which fighters, if any, will be handed suspensions or fines for their participation in the post fight brawl at the end of the Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson bout earlier this month.

Coker said that Miller is expected to receive a lengthy suspension. No word on who else may have to sit on the bench. While Coker doesn’t plan on enforcing his own penalties, he said that he will uphold any punishments the athletic commission doles out.

The Lawler vs. Sobral fight card will be broadcast on Showtime.

(Source: MMA Weekly)

It looks like the UFC Middleweight Championship fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen is half way closer to completion. Sonnen revealed that he has already signed his bout agreement, but he’s waiting on Silva to uphold his part of the negotiations. The match up is scheduled to headline UFC 117 on August 7th in Oakland, California.

“I signed my contract and sent it in six minutes after it hit my fax machine. He’s been hanging on to (his contract) for 10 days and hasn’t signed it yet. I’ll be fighting August 7 against somebody. I’m presuming it’s him, but again, he’s had it for 10 days. I don’t know if fax machines aren’t working in Brazil or what the holdup is.”

Before any controversy can start brewing, Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, confirmed that he has the contract in hand for the champ to sign when he returns from a family vacation.

“It’s on,” Soares said. “There’s no doubt about it.”

Many people in the MMA community have balked at the idea of Sonnen getting the next title shot, primarily due to his propensity for wrestling; however, Sonnen believes that he has an “in” when it comes to standing with Silva.

“He never comes out and just strikes. He always has a few ‘tells’ that he does before he goes, but it also makes him so effective. … So far, I’ve been able to recognize what his set-ups are. I don’t know how to stop them yet. Strategically, that’s what I need to focus on for the next few months.”

Part of that strategy, according to Sonnen, will not include watching tape of Silva’s less than stellar recent performances.

“That’s probably one of those things I won’t study too much because it was just so bizarre, but he has some pretty traditional fights where he comes out in the traditional stance and is, frankly, a better and even more dangerous fighter. That’s the (Silva) I’m preparing for.”

Other bouts on the fight card have yet to be released by the UFC. Although unconfirmed, the event will most likely be shown on pay-per-view.

(Source: Sherdog)

After a successful debut on pay-per-view for the WEC, fans have wondered if the organization will stick to the same plan for future fight cards or return to the Versus network. With last weekend’s event bringing in 150,000-200,000 buys, there is potential for the pay-per-view model to work. Although those numbers aren’t close to what the UFC brings in, it is a good start for a promotion that casual fans may not even be aware of yet.

Despite their success, Dana White announced that the WEC will return to their broadcast home for the foreseeable future.

“It’s business as usual when these guys are on Versus: same announcers, same everything.”

Longtime viewers of the WEC immediately saw a difference during last weekend’s Aldo vs. Faber card. Replacing the usual play-by-play team were Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. Bruce Buffer also took over announcing duties inside the cage.

Don’t feel bad for the WEC crew though, White says they were taken care of.

“What we did, too, is the announcers that normally do the WEC were all paid. We took care of everybody. We just felt (bringing in the UFC team) was the right thing to do.”

For now, it looks like White is happy with the WEC remaining where it is.

“We’ve got great partners with Versus and Comcast for the WEC. We know what we’re doing. We’ll do the right thing.”

Additional WEC cards on pay-per-view are not guaranteed. Part of the issue is balancing MMA events with other sports. However, given the number of buys last weekend generated, White thinks future bouts could make the transition.

“We’ve got to take time and really look at it and hand-pick. We’re doing so many pay-per-views, an boxing is going to do a few a year. You’ve got Vince (McMahon of the WWE) doing a bunch of pay-per-views a year. You have to pick and choose.”

Whether or not the WEC moves to the pay-per-view model down the line, White can guarantee one thing:

“Every time we do a pay-per-view, you’ll see my monkey ass out here.”

(Source: MMA Junkie)

New UFC signee, James Toney, isn’t wasting time promoting a potential fight with former multi-divisional champion, Randy Couture. Rumors spread last week that the two will square off at UFC 118 on August 28th in Boston, Massachusetts. At this point, contracts haven’t been signed nor has the weight class been determined.

That doesn’t seem to matter to Toney. While he was once considered a top level boxer during his heyday, MMA fans aren’t expecting much from Toney, especially when it comes to the ground game. Although his all around skills are questionable at best, Toney has no problem with the gift of gab:

“If Randy Couture want it, he can get it! It ain’t no thang to me. It ain’t no thing but a chicken wing. All Randy gotta do is sign the contract and he getting knocked out too! I ain’t playing with him … Everybody thinks this is a goddamn game, but this ain’t no game for me! I’m going to be ready! Whatever he wants to do, we can do. If he stands up with me, he’s getting knocked out and if he takes me to the ground, he’s still getting knocked out. I’m busting ass every day doing my thing. Trust me, if you don’t hear from me, know that I’m keeping busy. Whenever the fight happens, I’m going to be ready guns loaded”

Toney didn’t elaborate on just how he planned to knock Couture out while on the ground. To his credit, Toney has hired Juanito Ibarra to sharpen his striking skills before making his MMA debut; however, he has failed to mention who his Brazilian jiu jitsu or wrestling coaches are, if any.

MMA fans can only hope that Toney is truly taking the sport seriously. A knack for memorable quotes will only go so far in this game. Learning the technical skills and respecting the art will be the only way that Toney can ever be considered a legitimate threat.

If the fight does come together, it would be poetic if Couture won by “chicken wing” (a.k.a. kimura).

(Source: Fight Hype)

The winner of TUF Season 10, Roy “Big Country” Nelson has been on a roll since the reality tv show. Fighting his way through the house and onto the finale, Nelson made quick work of his first two official UFC opponents. Winning his first two fights by way of knockout, Nelson appears to be on his way to accomplishing big things.

Saturday MMAWeekly confirmed that Nelson’s next challenge in the octagon would be none other than heavyweight star Cheick Kongo.

From MMAWeekly:

Never one to back down from a challenge, Roy Nelson will once again take on a tall order in his next fight as the “Ultimate Fighter” winner will square off against French striker Cheick Kongo at UFC 116 in July.

The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Saturday, and Nelson also confirmed the fight on his personal Facebook and Twitter pages as well

Nelson (15-4) has been increasingly impressive with his striking game in recent performances but claims to be favor his grappling abilities. Kongo is an impressive striker who has been known to be less than stellar on the ground. It will be interesting to see how the two measure up.

Quinton Jackson has been out of action for over a year now. “Rampage” last appeared in action on March 7 of last year at UFC 96 with a win over Keith Jardine. Since then, tension has been building between Jackson and Jardine’s training partner Rashad Evans.

Jackson had to pull out of the original scheduled fight with Evans due to scheduling conflicts with filming for his Hollywood role in”The A-Team”. The former Light Heavyweight champion assures us however, that he has no lack of motivation coming into this fight.

From MMABay:

“He’s trying to say I’ve got no heart or that I’m scared of him. I don’t understand it. He’s trying to make it sound like the reason I didn’t fight him, the reason I did the movie, was because I was scared of him. How could somebody be scared of him? That was right after he had that fight with Machida. ”

“How could anybody be scared of him after the display he put on with Machida? I know Machida’s tough and everything, but he ain’t known for no big, heavy hands. I’ll tell ya, Rashad didn’t look impressive at all.”

A year in the making, Rampage vs Rashad will finally go down at UFC 114.

UFC President, Dana White, has big plans for the sport of MMA.

Within the last month, White has organized an outdoor event in Abu Dhabi, moved the WEC to pay-per-view, announced plans for international versions of The Ultimate Fighter television show and now has his sights set on hosting an MMA card in Afghanistan for American troops.

“We’re trying to do something in Afghanistan. We actually want to go right into Afghanistan and put on an event right in the middle of all the (expletive).”

It’s not the first time that the UFC has done something special for the armed forces. Back in 2006, Fight Night 7 was held on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Actually moving the production to Afghanistan; however, will pose a more difficult challenge. Filming the event and potentially broadcasting it worldwide from such a remote and dangerous location is one of the major hurdles that the organization is trying to figure out.

“We’re going to do an event from Afghanistan for the troops. The question that we’re wondering is can we shoot (record) this thing? How do we do it because we’re going to like copter in there at night. It’s going to be (expletive) crazy. A lot of people are scared to go and do it. We’re working on it right now and it’s so crazy and so freaky that they can’t tell us exactly when and where it’s going to be. The military is going to let us know when we can do it, and it’s going to be crazy man. We’re going to go right in the middle of this thing and put on an event.”

The logistics of bringing in the necessary equipment to put on a full show is daunting, but it has been done. Vince McMahon and the WWE have been putting on annual shows for troops stationed overseas for years.

“What we were going to do was fly in, set this thing up as fast as we can, put on an event, and get the (expletive) out. The question is can we get the equipment in and make it happen.”

While the plan is certainly ambitious, the stark reality facing anyone stationed in a war torn country is not lost on White.

“You’d think, if they do it on the base… these guys are getting attacked over there all the time. They’re getting attacked. There’s a lot of casualties coming out of Afghanistan right now. Hopefully we’re not one of them.”

Although nothing has been made official, White is determined to make this event a reality.

“I’m very confident. It’s going to happen. We’ll make it happen. Anything can happen if you want it to happen bad enough, so we’re on it.”

There have been rumors that if this event is successfully pulled off, future events for other branches of the military will come down the pipeline. At one point, White event postulated that he’d like to host a UFC fight card on a working aircraft carrier.

(source: MMA Weekly)

TMZ is reporting today that UFC light heavyweight, Tito Ortiz, has been arrested on charges of domestic violence. According to sources, an unidentified person called 911 about a disturbance at the Huntington Beach, California home that Ortiz shares with the mother of his twin boys, Jenna Jameson.

Reports also state that Jameson was seen with “visible injuries.”

Ortiz is currently being held at the Huntington Beach jail.

As in any legal case in America, Ortiz is innocent until proven guilty.

More details as the story unfolds.

UPDATE: The 911 caller has been identified as Jameson’s father. Jameson also confirmed that she will be pressing charges against Ortiz and a restraining order has been filed.

UPDATE: UFC President, Dana White, has told TMZ that he would consider cutting Ortiz from the organization if the charges end up being true.

UPDATE: Tito Ortiz and his attorney claim Jenna Jameson is addicted to Oxycontin — and they say that’s what led to the alleged incident that got Tito busted for felony domestic violence.

UPDATE: Ortiz posted bail and was released late Monday night.

The war of words has begun between UFC welterweight contenders, Paul “Semtex” Daley and Josh Kosheck. Both are set to square off at UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on May 8th. While unofficial, it is assumed by many that the winner of this fight will get a title shot against reigning champion, Georges St. Pierre. That’s assuming Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, Jake Shields, doesn’t sign with the UFC in the interim.

In an interview with UFC.com, Kosheck described Daley as simply a trash talker with a one-dimensional skill set. He doesn’t believe that Daley is capable of hitting him with anything he hasn’t been through before.

Apparently, that’s all Daley needed to let the floodgates open.

“Okay, if we are doing this, let’s talk about his style. He’s not that great a wrestler. His takedowns have been stuffed by almost every opponent he’s faced. He can’t kick-box for crap, not if his life depended on it. If he tries to stand with me for even a second, I fear for his well-being. His ground and pound is crap. If he grounded and pounded me in my sleep he’d barely have enough power in his punches to wake me up. His subs are based on his strength; the technique is almost non-existent. He’s a good athlete and is strong, but I am so much stronger. I’m a different species than him. His subs just won’t work on me. Forget it, Fraggle. Knock me out? Too funny. People with glass chins shouldn’t throw stones. I don’t have a BJJ black belt, but I am sure I hit a little harder than Paulo Thiago, who almost decapitated Kos like a geek in a horror film. Thiago is a tough dude and a top contender I would love to fight, but the black and white of it is he’d never scored a knockout before he sparked Kos out and he’s not scored one since. It’s a trivia question: ‘For 10 points: Name that clown with the stupid hair who is the only guy to ever get KTFO by Paulo Thiago?’”

Daley is known for his ability to put people to sleep with one punch and Kosheck isn’t afraid to stand and trade, despite being an exceptional wrestler. In all likelihood, someone is getting knocked out.

Regardless of the outcome, does either fighter have what it takes to overthrow St. Pierre in a future title fight? That remains to be seen.

UFC 113 will be available on pay-per-view at 10pm EST. Unlike previous events, Spike TV does not plan to show any undercard fights beforehand.

(Source: UFC.com)

Former WEC 145 pound champion Mike Brown was upset in major fashion Saturday night. The ATT fighter came into his first pay per view appearance at WEC 48 against Manny Gamburyan as the heavy favorite. Early into round one however, Brown was stunned by a shot and fell victim to a vicious knockout.

A consummate professional, Brown makes no excuses for his loss and would like to get back on track immediately.

From MMAJunkie:

“I was training good. I just got hit with a shot. It’s never happened before, man. I’ve never been hurt. I bang every day in the gym, and I go hard when I spar every time. I’m bummed, man,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been knocked out.”

“I don’t want to take time off. I know I have to a little bit. But I’d like to fight on the next show. It just sucks, man. I got hit with one or two punches and got dropped, and they stopped the fight. Five seconds when you get your wits back, you’re fine.”

“I feel like it wasn’t even a fight, which sucks. I could fight today. But unfortunately, that’s not how it works.”

Since entering into the WEC, Mike Brown appeared to be almost unbeatable. With two victories over the most dominant featherweight ever, Urijah Faber, Brown was atop the WEC world. Brown has since lost his title as well as 2 out of his last 3. Anxious to get back to his winning ways however, Brown is sure to be back with a vengeance.

WEC Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo, is set to make his first title defense on Saturday in Sacramento, California. His opponent, Urijah Faber, the unofficial poster boy of the organization, will have the home field advantage as well as the edge in overall experience.

Throw in the fact that his fight will headline the WEC’s pay-per-view debut and Aldo has more than enough reason to start feeling the pressure.

Nevertheless, when it comes to his game plan, Aldo takes the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. The same approach that had him steadily climb the rankings of the featherweight division, culminating in being crowned the champion.

“I don’t think it’s any surprise what I’m going to do. Everybody sees my style of fighting, I come in aggressive, I come in explosive, and I’m going to come in and always look for the knockout.”

Not having lost since 2005, Aldo couldn’t be blamed if he were to enter this fight with an inflated sense of self confidence. But, that wouldn’t be Aldo’s style. He always maintains a level of respect for his opponents and refuses to let past performances dictate his training.

“I’m not going into this fight overconfident. Yes, I’ve watched the fights of Mike Brown against Urijah Faber, but like Urijah said ‘a fight’s a fight’ and anything can happen in there. Every time I go into a fight, I don’t think about anything else than the opponent that’s in front of me. Mike Brown was a great champion, a big champion, and same with Urijah. I think Urijah was a great champion, and I’m going in very focused and not overconfident because I know anything can happen in there and I’m just going in prepared for anything.”

In the past, MMA fans have seen new champions not look as sharp during their first title defenses. Sometimes the pressure gets to them, other times the fighter may unconsciously hold back during training. Aldo insists that this will not be his fate. To him, each fight from here on out brings new challenges and new achievements.

“Basically now every time I have a match, I don’t look at it like I’m defending the belt, I’m going out there like this is a brand new fight, like I’m going to win a brand new belt, and it’s like a whole new dream. It’s to get another belt.”

Despite the potential distraction coming from the added media coverage, Aldo has managed to maintain a simple perspective.

“I’m here to defend my belt. I’m an employee of Zuffa and the WEC, and this is the fight that they put in front of me, so my goal is to go in there and give it my all and give everyone the show that I’m sure everyone wants to see.”

The main card of the WEC: Aldo vs. Faber is available on pay-per-view at 10pm EST. Spike TV will broadcast two undercard fights at 9pm EST.

(source: MMA Weekly)

UFC 112

From MMAWeekly:

Florian made the announcement on MMA Live on Thursday, which he co-hosts, and said that bout agreements have been signed for the fight.

“I can say right now I did sign to fight Gray Maynard the other day,” said Florian.

This puts all speculation to bed about the lightweight title rematch as well, as Frankie Edgar will indeed face B.J. Penn with the 155lb belt on the line, rumored at this time to be on the same August card in Boston.

Florian has looked nothing short of impressive as of late. Ken-flo has seemed to improve with every single fight and looks to make another run at the Lightweight title after losing to BJ Penn back in August at UFC 101. Maynard however is undefeated (9-0) with seven victories in the UFC. I would look for the winner of this fight to be named number one contender to the championship.

UFC President, Dana White, is at it again.

While doing press to promote this Saturday’s WEC: Aldo vs. Faber event, White spread the word that he essentially guarantees that Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, Jake Shields, will leave his current organization and sign with the UFC.

Although Shields is still technically signed with Strikeforce, White is confident that he will secure the fighter soon. Citing a general lack of respect, White believes that Shields is simply biding time before he makes the transition.

“Jake Shields is definitely going to leave Strikeforce, and he’s definitely coming to the UFC. First of all, they put all of their eggs in the Dan Henderson basket. They went out and acquired him and thought he was worth a lot more money than we were willing to pay him. They went out and paid him more money than they can afford to. They never respected Jake Shields, who is their champion. They didn’t even have him in their commercials for the fight. Then the fight happens and Jake Shields wins. They were like, ‘Oh my God. He won. What do we do?’ I think they sent (Jason “Mayhem” Miller) in there to challenge him, so that if Jake leaves, it looks like he doesn’t want to fight Miller. That‘s not the way you do it. You let the winner speak, then you ask him at the end about whether he‘s willing to fight Miller. But that’s them. They’re a Podunk, unknown, small-time organization. There shouldn‘t have been that many guys in the cage in the first place!”

MMA fans have heard this kind of talk from White before. In the past, he has made assurances that he would sign the likes of Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi, only to see both fighters go to Strikeforce.

Will it come to fruition this time? Assuming it does, Shields will have a plethora of challenges ahead of him. Depending on which division, welterweight or middleweight, he wants to focus on, Shields will have fighters such as Jon Fitch, Georges St. Pierre, Nate Marquardt and Anderson Silva amongst others to challenge him.

Should the UFC put Shields in an instant title fight or a warm up match first? With rumors that St. Pierre will be a coach on an upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, why not have Shields be on the opposing team? Casual fans will get to know him better and the UFC will have a future title fight with a strong backstory already established.

(source: All Headline News)

For some fighters, being in the main event is stressful.

For some fighters, being the main event during your organization’s pay-per-view debut is downright traumatic.

For former WEC Featherweight Champion, Urijah Faber, it’s just another day at the office.

“It’s been pretty steady for me the last couple years. There’s been a lot of PR, and a lot of different stuff that didn’t always pertain to the fight 100 percent, so I’m kind of used to it by now, and it’s in my hometown so that cuts down the stress a little bit. I don’t have to travel anywhere,”

Slated to square off against current champion, Jose Aldo, Faber feels none of the pressure that typically comes with fighting someone who has dominated his previous opponents. On a winning streak that dates back to 2005, Aldo has simply destroyed the majority of his foes with a combination of devastating strikes and hyper aggression. Even so, Faber believes that he is still the man to beat and it’s Aldo’s job to prove otherwise.

“Had I not lost those two fights to Mike Brown, I’d be the guy that’s invincible, and so on and so forth. So it’s just a couple small mistakes that made that difference. In my head I’m still invincible, he’s going to have to get in there and prove me wrong,”

Watching tape of Aldo, Faber didn’t see anything particularly impressive, especially during his title fight with Brown.

“In my head I’m going to beat him up. It wasn’t that intimidating watching him fight Brown. Brown didn’t look very tough. It was a close first round, and Brown did some horrible stuff on the ground. He kind of got shoved down, off like half of a double, and then turned over to his belly. Those punches didn’t even look that deadly on top of him, he just had the legs in, so that’s not that intimidating to me.”

No matter what Aldo brings to the table, Faber insists he will do whatever it takes to regain the Featherweight belt.

“I’m going to need to be unconscious for this fight to end. I think everyone at home knows that. You could cut off a leg or do whatever you’re going to do, and I’m going to keep hobbling after the guy, and try to take him out. And I’ve got a lot of ways to win.”

WEC: Aldo vs. Faber will be available on pay-per-view at 10pm EST.

(source: MMA Weekly)