WEC 2008 Championship Forecast

Loyal Kodiak MMA readers (I think we’re up to three now) know that I love me some WEC. Here are some title fights I'd love to watch (and that I think are likely to happen) in '08:

Paulo Filho vs. Bryan Baker: Filho didn’t look like one of the world’s best middleweights when he met Chael Sonnen at WEC 31 last month, but that didn't stop him from catching Sonnen in a fight-ending armbar. Many people believe that Filho edges out Anderson Silva as the best middleweight in the game, and with good reason. He's as good a jiu-jitsu player as there is in MMA, and he's got heavy hands. Against Filho, even the smallest mistake will cost you; just ask Sonnen.

At 6'3" Bryan "The Beast" Baker is a big middleweight who brings solid wrestling and excellent judo to the cage. And he loves to strike. He's picked up two wins in as many fights with the WEC and is poised to make a run in the WEC's wide open middleweight class. Against Jesse Forbes at WEC 30, Baker shook off some big shots, slammed Forbes, avoided damage on the ground, and ground-and-pounded his way to a TKO win. Great fight. One more win should put Baker in a position to challenge Filho for the belt.

Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver: Pulver has found a new home in the WEC's exciting featherweight class, and it seems that 145 is where the former UFC lightweight champ belongs. Lil’ Evil is 8-0 at (or below) 145 lbs., with 6 KO and 2 submission wins. At WEC 31, Pulver took on the younger, red hot Cub Swanson, and after a veritable war of words, it was Pulver who emerged victorious via Rd. 1 choke. Featherweights now have to worry about Jens’ knockout power as well as his submission skills.

Urijah Faber is one of the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighters and is coming off an absolutely dominant 2007 campaign. His athleticism, skill, and aggression are overwhelming, and he only seems to be getting better. He’s an active, dominant champion who knows that Pulver is waiting for his shot. I’d be shocked if this match doesn’t happen within the next few months.

Brian Stann vs. Doug Marshall: The undefeated Brian Stann, a U.S. Marine Infantry Officer, is clearly the top contender at 205 lbs. He fought three times last year, picking up three brutal first-round TKOs. He has tremendous power and has been honing his MMA skills with the Xtreme Couture camp. WEC fans can expect big things from him this year.

Doug “Rhino” Marshall might not have the size or brute strength of the younger Stann, but he’s as ferocious and aggressive as any WEC 205-pounder. Known as a brutal, free-swinging power puncher, Rhino returned in May after being sidelined for nine months and recorded a stunning first-round KO over Justin McElfresh. At last month’s WEC 31, Rhino took on the previously undefeated Ariel Gandulla and showed that he's more than just a big puncher. Rhino stopped the American Top Team fighter in the first round, this time with a slick arm bar. A title defense against the popular Stann seems inevitable.

Rob McCullough vs. Ed Ratcliff: “Razor” Rob has been on a tear. He’s been undefeated since ’04, and most recently, he smoked Rich Crunkilton in the first round with devastating kicks and punches at WEC 30. Before that, he punched Kit Cope into submission (smashed up Cope’s ribs), knocked out Ryan Healy and Randy Hauer, and nearly sent Olaf Alfonso’s jaw into the men’s room. Razor Rob strikes with an efficiency and a power that is unmatched by any other lightweight.

Ed “8mm” Ratcliff is a dangerous young lightweight who picked up two impressive TKO victories last year over the heavy-handed Alex Karalexis and the previously undefeated Johnny Sampaio. Ratcliff is a decorated martial artist who cut his teeth in MMA as part of Ken Shamrock's Lion's Den. The explosive young Ratcliff is undefeated (6-0) and has shown that he loves to strike. Ratcliff vs. Razor Rob would be striker vs. striker. No complaints here.

Chase Beebe vs. Miguel Torres/Charlie Valencia: Beebe, the reigning bantamweight champion, is a tough, nasty little bastard with great wrestling and grappling skills. In March, he dominated Eddie Wineland en route to the 135-lb. title. Six months later, Beebe took on challenger Rani Yahya (who dropped down from 145 lbs.) in what turned out to be an exciting grappling match. Yahya worked furiously in the first round to submit the resilient Beebe, who weathered the storm, outworked Yahya, and punished him for the remainder of the fight to retain his championship.

I know that Torres (18-1) only has one win in the WEC, but damn did he look good. The 26-year-old Chicago native had a huge fan base at WEC 30, where he choked out Jeff Bedard midway through the first round. He made a seamless transition from an armbar attempt to a triangle choke that finished Bedard. Very slick. Torres seems to be the total package and is expected by many to make a run at the belt in '08.

Charlie Valencia is a great wrestler with a crushing right hand. Remember, it was that right hand that caught a very game Antonio Banuelos and dropped him, and it was also the right hand that rocked Ian McCall at WEC 31. Valencia lost to Brian Bowles in June but rebounded with the dominant win over McCall. Valencia pulled out all the stops against McCall: precision and power punching, punishing slams, and a lightning fast guillotine choke. Valencia has the skills, athleticism, and experience, and one more quality win should make him a top bantamweight contender.

Carlos Condit vs. Brock Larson: Again? Yup. Condit is far and away the best welterweight in the WEC and can beat you on his feet or on the ground. I'm impressed with his skills every time I see him fight. Guys like Blas Avena and John Alessio have fought well recently, but I still think that Larson is better than them. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old Condit has the striking, wrestling, and submission skills that should keep him at the top of the WEC's 170-lb. division for a long time.

WEC 31 Card is No Joke

World Extreme Cagefighting issued a press release today, announcing the addition of WEC middleweight champ Paulo Filho to an already exciting December 12 card that features a light heavyweight title fight, a featherweight title fight, and the WEC debut of former UFC lightweight champion Jens “Li’l Evil” Pulver.

Urijah Faber vs. Jeff Curran (Featherweight Title Fight)

Featherweight champ Urijah “California Kid” Faber will fight for 145-pound supremacy against a very tough, very skilled Jeff “Big Frog” Curran, who’s already handed four undefeated fighters their first loss this year. Curran has a wealth of international fighting experience that dates back nearly ten years, and he holds wins over some very tough guys (Rafael Assuncao, Krazy Horse Bennett, Wagney Fabiano). As for Faber, he’s been absolutely dominant. He’s riding an 11-fight win streak during which no opponent has made it past the second round. I’m excited to see how Curran’s fast hands and dangerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu game match up against Faber’s explosive speed and power. Should be a great fight.

Doug Marshall vs. Ariel Gandulla (Light Heavyweight Title Fight)

Hard-hitting, free-swinging light heavyweight champion Doug “Rhino” Marshall will make his first title defense since knocking out Justin McElfresh back in May to capture the belt. I don’t know too much about the 4-0 Gandulla, but Marshall has been inactive for a while, and I expect this fight to showcase Marshall’s tenacious punching power. Don’t be surprised by a Marshall-Brian Stann fight in the near future if Rhino gets past Gandulla.

Paulo Filho vs. TBA (Middleweight Title Fight)

Newly-crowned middleweight champ Paulo Filho captured the vacant title on September 5 at WEC 30 after viciously knocking out veteran Joe Doerksen. With an improved striking arsenal and as lethal a submission game as you’ll find, Filho is regarded by many as one of best – if not the best – in the world at 185 lbs.

Jens Pulver vs. Cub Swanson

Jens Pulver, the UFC’s first ever lightweight champion, is making his highly-anticipated WEC debut against Cub Swanson in what many expect to produce the next challenger for WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. These two were originally scheduled to fight on September 5 at WEC 30, but a knee injury forced Pulver out of the match.

The Miletich-trained Pulver has suffered two recent stoppages losses at 155 lbs. in the UFC (KO’d by Joe Lauzon; choked out by BJ Penn), and is looking to continue the success he’s had at (or below) 145 lbs.: 6 KOs and 1 submission win. Cub Swanson is young, athletic, and looking for a KO over the heavy-handed Pulver. Swanson is a jiu-jitsu brown belt with Muay Thai training who lost his first pro fight in 2004 and has since rattled off 11 consecutive wins. Most recently, Cub exhibited excellent submission defense, as well as fast, strong hands that fly in dangerous combinations against Micah Miller. Are Jens’ best days in the rear view mirror, or can the legend’s trademark sprawl-and-brawl stop the younger, faster Cub Swanson?

WEC has been on a roll recently, especially when it comes to delivering the title fights. And when you consider that they have no heavyweight division, a brand new middleweight champion, and a light heavyweight champ that’s been inactive for 5 months, you’ve got to tip your hat to the promotion for coming up with exciting match-ups. At September 5th’s WEC 30 Chase Beebe defended his bantamweight belt against Rani Yahya vs. Beebe, and “Razor” Rob McCullough fought Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton for the lightweight championship. August 5th’s WEC 29 featured Filho vs. Doerksen for the middleweight belt and a welterweight title fight between champion Carlos Condit and Brock Larson. These were both great cards, but WEC 31, at least on paper, looks to be the best card WEC has ever delivered.

Jens vs. Cub on November 3

Ever since news of Jens Pulver's knee injury broke a few weeks back, I've been looking for word on where the cancelled fight would leave Cub Swanson, whom Jens was scheduled to fight on September 5 at WEC 30. Well, it seems like I finally found something.

The following has been posted on WEC featherweight Cub Swanson's offical MySpace profile:

"Fighting Jens Pulver in WEC November 3rd at the Hard Rock in Vegas. Pulver had a knee injury so we had to push the fight back."

The official WEC web site still had Cub on the WEC 30 September 5th card (against the always dangerous TBA), but removed it a little while ago.

For more on the Pulver/Swanson match-up, as well as WEC 30 championship fights, under card matches, and news, click here.

Jens Pulver Talks Knee Injury

"I had staph, so I didn’t get to roll or do anything real physical. Then I started rolling and got my foot caught underneath [my training partner] while doing a guard pass. My leg bent out at the knee and I could feel it pop. The only thing now is an MRI to find out if it’s my ligament or my meniscus."

So he did have a staph infection!

Jens Out of WEC 30

DAMN IT!!!

Sources close to the famed Miletich camp have reportedly told Sherdog.com that a knee injury - and apparently not a staph infection - will keep Jens Pulver from making his WEC debut against Cub Swanson on September 5.

The injury was suffered last Friday, and Jens is scheduled to have an MRI later this week and will undergo either surgery or rehab, depending on the MRI results. There has been no official word just yet from WEC management (I'll keep checking), and a new opponent for Cub Swanson has not yet been confirmed.

According to WECDaily.com, John Alessio vs. Marcelo Brito, Ian McCall vs. Coty Wheeler, and Bryan Baker vs. Jesse Forbes are rumored to be a part of the WEC 30 card.

For analysis on the lightweight and bantamweight championship matches that will be offered as part of WEC 30, click here.

A Look at WEC 30

“Razor” Rob McCullough vs. Rich “Cleat” Crinkilton
(WEC Lightweight Championship match)

“Razor” Rob McCullough and Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton are two top lightweights who have stopped all of their WEC opponents and boast unblemished records in the WEC. Both will ride into this match on multi-year win streaks, one of which will unfortunately come to an end.

Look for this fight to be an exciting one. By his own admission, WEC lightweight champ “Razor” Rob McCullough gets “pissed off” when fans boo a lack of action, and says that when he fights, he gets “in there to have fun and entertain people, as well as kick the shit out of someone.” That’s what I like to hear.

In Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton, McCullough faces a very tough guy. In his only loss (to Hermes Franca back in 2003), Crunkilton was in an arm bar late in the final round that actually dislocated his elbow. Crunkilton let out a scream that reached the rafters, but he refused to tap.

Overall, Crunkilton is a sound wrestler who has demonstrated very sound takedowns, solid submission defense, and a punishing ground-and pound game, especially from the guard. In his most recent match, Crunkilton faced Mike Joy, whose three victories up to that point had all come via submission. Nonetheless, Crunkilton seemed to have no trouble taking his opponent down and punishing him from just about every position on the ground.

Crunkilton did not, however, look very strong or confident exchanging with Joy on their feet, and instead opted for the takedown. Ironically enough, Crunkilton finished off a very game, very aggressive Mike Joy after landing a Round 3 kick to Joy’s solar plexus – his only kick of the fight - gaining side control, and securing a d’arce choke for the submission win.

After watching Joy-Crunkilton, two things about Crunkilton’s game are of concern as he heads into a fight with “Razor” Rob: 1) On several occasions (especially at the start of each round), Joy tagged Crunkilton, whose hands were noticeably low, with some solid punches. Keep your hands low against “Razor” Rob, and you’ll be scraping your jaw off the canvas. 2) Though Crunkilton maintained dominant position throughout against Joy, the action was stood up four times, as Crunkilton seemed content to pound away at a tiring Joy and did not seem too eager to pass Joy’s guard.

If Crunkilton can put his ground-and-pound to work against “Razor” Rob, he’s in a good place. If the action is repeatedly being stood up, then he’s only going back to “Razor” Rob’s world, which could be a problem.

Nonetheless, Crunkilton seems very confident heading into the lightweight championship at WEC 30: “McCullough is a good striker, but that is all he brings to the cage. I’ve waited a long time to get recognized as one of the top lightweights in the world, and September 5 is finally my opportunity to show the world that I’m the best there is in the 155-pound division.”

To “Razor” Rob, though, this fight is business as usual. I asked him in an interview a few weeks back how preparation for the very dangerous, very undefeated Rick Crunkilton was going. His answer? “I’ve been doing a lot of ninja training, blind folded. I hear it really works wonders.”

The WEC lightweight champ and five-time World Muay Thai champ has made a name for himself by dismantling the opposition with vicious punches, kicks, knees, elbows, whatever else is lying around. In fact, not only has “Razor” Rob stopped all of his opponents since joining the WEC, but he’s finished them all with strikes. And for this match, the champ is looking to make no exception: “I come to knock every challenger out, and Rich is going to come right after me. That’s why this fight is something fans don’t want to miss, because I’m going to keep my belt with a big knockout.”

“Razor” Rob captured the WEC lightweight belt after punishing fellow kickboxing champ Kit Cope back at WEC 25 in January. The fight didn’t last long (Round 1 TKO), but “Razor” Rob, like Crunkilton, demonstrated good submission defense, pounding his way past attempts by Cope at a gogoplata and an ankle lock. “Razor” Rob is a supremely conditioned athlete whose relentless attack – both on the ground and on the feet – are a tall order for just about any lightweight.

Of the two athletes, “Razor” Rob is the stronger, more explosive, but if Crunkilton can weather the storm of “Razor” Rob’s strikes – which not many have been able to do – and control the champ on the ground, he’s got a good shot at becoming the next WEC lightweight title holder. If, however, he drops his hands like he did against Mike Joy and gives “Razor” Rob room to launch his arsenal of Muay Thai attacks, it’ll be a rough night for him.

Jens “Lil Evil” Pulver vs. Cub Swanson

Jens Pulver, the UFC’s first ever lightweight champion, is making his highly-anticipated WEC debut against Cub Swanson in what many expect to produce the next challenger for WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

Dropping down to 145 lbs for this match – and most likely for good – is the Miletich-trained Pulver, who suffered two stoppages losses at 155 lbs. in the UFC (KO’d by Joe Lauzon; choked out by BJ Penn). Jens has fought seven times at or below 145, scoring 6 KOs and 1 submission, so I expect a much better showing from featherweight Jens.

Those who are picking Jens in this fight are most likely doing so with expectations of a KO or TKO, which I can understand. For a guy his size, he packs a monster of a punch and has recorded wins as a professional boxer. Keep in mind, though, that Jens lives and dies by the KO; 13 of his 21 wins have come by knockout, but so have 5 of his 8 losses.

“I can’t wait to put my skills on display in the WEC. Cub Swanson is a tough opponent, and I plan on showing why my nickname is ‘Lil Evil’ by delivering a performance fans will remember,” an always smiling Jens promised.

Across the cage from Jens will be a very tough, very athletic Cub Swanson, who acknowledges Jens’ place in MMA history but remains focused on reaching the top of the WEC featherweight heap: “Jens was a great MMA star and one of the game’s legends, but my time is now. Everybody knows both of us come to fight, but ‘Lil Evil’ is gonna run into a bigger evil in Cub Swanson. I’m going to show the world why I’m the best featherweight in the WEC with a knockout over Jens.”

A knockout over Jens? That’s right, folks. I’m surprised any time I hear that someone actually wants to trade punches with Jens, so I asked Cub about it in a recent interview. His answer was pretty simple: “I feel that the people want to see me knock him out, so that's the plan.” Cub says that he’ll look to take the fight with Jens to the ground “just to mix it up” but feels that the only way he’ll get respect is to stand and bang with Jens. I can’t wait for this fight!

Jens may be the more powerful puncher of the two, but momentum is certainly on the side of Cub Swanson, a jiu-jitsu brown belt with Muay Thai training who lost his first pro fight in 2004 and has since rattled off 11 consecutive wins. Most recently, Cub faced the very tough Micah Miller, against whom Cub exhibited excellent submission defense, as well as fast, strong hands that fly in dangerous combinations.

Cub Swanson is young and hungry and realizes that a win over Jens will make him “a household name.” Cub’s eyes are firmly set on the WEC featherweight championship, but standing in his way is the sprawl-and-brawl master himself, Jens Pulver. Are Jens’ best days in the rear view mirror, or can the legend’s trademark sprawl-and-brawl stop the younger, faster Cub Swanson?

Chase Beebe vs. Rani Yahya
(WEC Bantamweight Championship match)

In addition to the WEC lightweight belt being up for grabs at WEC 30, so too will the bantamweight belt, as champion Chase Beebe and Rani Yahya are scheduled to get it on for 135-pound supremacy.

Chase Beebe is a four-time Illinois high-school state champion wrestler, who – despite earning 9 submission wins in 11 of his pro wins – lists “knockout” as his favorite technique. I haven’t seen too many of Beebe’s fights (only 2 to be exact), but as you might expect, he’s very aggressive on the ground and has a knack for finishing off his opponent with the rear naked choke.

“Rani is an impressive fighter with great grappling skills. I don’t care if I beat him by knockout or with a submission, no one is taking the title away from me,” Chase guaranteed.

“Great” may very well be the apex of understatement when describing Yahya’s fight game. The 22-year-old Rickson Gracie Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is a three-time World Brazilian jiu-jitsu champ and the 2007 Abu Dhabi world champion. Making matters worse for Chase is the fact that Yahya is dropping down from bantamweight for this fight and should be very strong at 135 lbs.

Against a tough, well-rounded Mark Hominick at WEC 28, Yahya needed just over a minute to choke out the Team Tompkins product in the very first round. Not surprising at all, considering his jiu-jitsu skills. What worried me a bit was how Yahya shot in on Hominick almost desperately. He practically dove in and his shots came with virtually zero set-up. As a result, Hominick was able to sting Yahya with some crisp punches. Yahya forged ahead and eventually got the takedown and the submission win, but I’ll be looking to see if Yahya how Yahya sets up his takedowns in this fight.

“Beebe is an impressive wrestler, but my submissions will be too much for him to handle. I’m not leaving the cage without the belt wrapped around my waist,” said Yahya, and I tend to agree.

If, however, Yahya dives in on Beebe like he did against Hominick, Beebe needs to capitalize on this and punish Yahya with punches. As I said earlier, Beebe loves going for the KO, so that will probably be his best bet in defeating Yahya. Then again, Yahya has never been TKO’d or KO’d, so this could be a tough night for the champ.

When more fights for the WEC 30 card are confirmed, I'll get back to you. Until then, make a note to tune in for all the WEC 30 action on September 5 at 9 PM ET on the Versus Channel.

UFC LW Division Loses Pulver, Gains Aurelio

Jens Pulver, the first ever UFC lightweight champion, has reportedly - and not surprisingly - left the UFC 155-lb. division for greener, leaner pastures. "Little Evil" will instead fight in the WEC's 145-lb. featherweight division. His first opponent under the WEC banner will certainly be a tough one: Cub Swanson. Pulver and Swanson are set to fight on the September 5 WEC card, which will also feature "Razor" Rob vs. Rich Crunkilton and Urijah Faber vs. the well-rounded TBA.

Making his UFC debut at UFC 74 on August 25 will be former Pride Bushido lightweight star Marcus "Maximus"Aurelio, who will take on the always exciting Clay "The Carpenter" Guida. Aurelio is an American Top Team fighter who carries an impressive 14-4 record and has never been stopped. Aurelio says that, after 8 months of inactivity, the opportunity to fight in the UFC octagon "is a dream come true."

Kodiak MMA wishes Jens and Marcus all the best as they begin the next chapters of their MMA careers.

Morning Droppings

- Despite rumors about a possible Michael Bisping-Ken Shamrock fight at UFC 75, Bisping is still scheduled to face Matt Hamill, his original rumored opponent.

- In a CBS Sportsline interview, UFC lightweight Jens Pulver has confirmed reports that he’s interested in dropping back down to 145 pounds and fighting for the WEC.

- It looks like the Joey Villasenor-Ninja Rua June 22 Strikeforce/EliteXC fight is back on. The CSAC said last night that the medical issues surrounding Rua were "likely" resolved.

- The International Fight League World Team Championship, scheduled for September 20, has be moved from The Forum in L.A. to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.

- On Tagg Radio yesterday, Frank Trigg said that, according to Hayato Sakurai's trainer, Sakurai hasn't been contacted about this reported - and highly anticipated - fight with Diego Sanchez. Does this mean the fight is off? Was it ever really on? We'll see.

- I refuse to talk about Kimbo Slice until he wins an MMA fight (legitimately).

- Nikkan Sports is reporting that the "newborn" PRIDE will hold its first new event on August 18 at Saitama Super Arena. The theme of the show will be a “Japanese all-star” presentation, centered around Hidehiko Yoshida. No one reports baseless rumor like the Japanese media, so I'll believe this when I see it.

- Pride middleweight and light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson said that the UFC's $20,000 offer to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou "was an insult."

For What It's Worth...

UFC heavyweight champ Randy "The Natural" Couture picks BJ Penn to defeat Jens Pulver in the main event of Saturday's TUF 5 Finale card.

In April, Couture predicted that Gabriel Gonzaga would beat the heavily-favored Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. And he did.

In May, Couture predicted that Rampage Jackson would beat Chuck Liddell for the LHW championship. And he did.

Something to consider before placing your bets...

It Makes You Wonder...

Manny's win over Loe Lauzon last night got me thinking...

As you may know, Joe burst onto the scene by knocking out former lightweight champion Jens Pulver in what proved to be the first of many recent UFC upsets. After Joe won his first TUF bout against Brian Geraghty, Jens, who coached Geraghty this season, seemed almost satisfied that Joe had beaten one of his own fighters.

"I'm glad he won," a grinning Jens said during episode six, almost as if to say, "See, guys, he really is tough."

That said, is it altogether ridiculous to think that Jens -- at least a little part of him -- wouldn't have minded seeing Lauzon win the TUF 5 contract? Might that have vindicated his earlier KO loss to Lauzon? After all, it was Manny, the smallest fighter on the show, who was able to do what his legendary coach could not: beat Joe Lauzon.

I know that it's fruitless to think, "Well, if Manny beat Joe, and Joe beat Jens, then Manny could beat Jens," and I know that the transitive property of ass-kicking may not apply here. But I'm not Jens Pulver.