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.

Urijah Faber: Kodiak MMA 2007 Fighter of the Year

I had been leaning towards Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as Fighter of the Year, and I now see that I wouldn’t have been alone in choosing the 205-lb. king for this distinction. He beat down Marvin Eastman (as expected) before knocking out Chuck Liddell in the first round of their May 26 light heavyweight championship fight. A few months later, Rampage outfought Pride 185 and 205-lb. champion Dan Henderson and picked up the decision win in his first title defense. Not a bad looking 3-0.

Of all the UFC’s big-name acquisitions in ‘07, it was Rampage – not Cro Cop, Shogun, or Nogueira – who wound up wearing championship gold. Furthermore, he climbed his way to the top of the sport's deepest, most talented division and is without question the UFC’s most entertaining, magnetic champion.

But Fighter of the Year? Let's look at a few things...

WEC Is Ready for Its Close-up

2007 was the year that many fans finally realized that there is, in fact, some great MMA outside the UFC. The IFL team championships and inaugural Grand Prix Finals delivered some great fights, and EliteXC has proven to be no joke. Trumping them both, however, was the rejuvenated WEC.

In 2007, WEC put together 7 shows, all of which featured at least one championship fight. What I loved most about WEC over the past year was how it consistently delivered exciting championship action, thanks in large part to its belt holders: the tough-as-nails bantamweight Chase Beebe, lightweight knockout artist “Razor” Rob McCullough, the exceptionally well-rounded welterweight Carlos Condit, world-renowned middleweight Paulo Filho, and the heavy-handed light heavyweight Doug “Rhino” Marshall.

But the WEC's crowned jewel is their fair-haired poster boy and a star of the MSNBC Warrior Nation series, featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

Innovation and Domination

Without a heavyweight class, the WEC has managed to make a real name for itself in ’07 with its bantamweight and featherweight divisions, and Faber is without a doubt the “little guy” who’s been drawing the big attention.

Faber, who’s actually small for a featherweight, defended his belt four times last year and submitted all four opponents; three of his four wins didn’t didn't take him past the first round. Most impressive (for me, at least) was how Faber managed to completely overwhelm and outclass the opposition with skill, athleticism, and aggression. He outwrestled the wrestlers, outstruck the strikers, and seemed at times to have barely broken a sweat.

In January, Faber faced Miletich Fighting Systems product Joe Pearson and battered him into submission. Two months later, Faber crushed the previously undefeated power puncher Dominick Cruz with a vicious guillotine from the mount. It was business as usual for the "California Kid."

In June, Faber took on the also previously undefeated Chance Farrar, an NAIA National Wrestling Champion and a fighter whom many thought had the striking and wrestling tools to dethrone the seemingly invincible Faber. Wrong. Early on, Faber landed a big right, worked his way out of a subsequent Farrar takedown, slammed Farrar, took his back, and sunk in the rear naked choke. Their match was a treat for fans of technical grappling, but in the end, Urijah was just too much.

Last month at WEC 31, Faber took on his toughest WEC opponent to date: Jeff “The Big Frog” Curran. Curran worked furiously for an early submission, but to no avail. Instead, Faber passed Curran’s guard with ease and punished him with devastating elbows. In the second round, Faber landed a jumping knee (the likes of which I’ve never seen) to a bloodied and battered Curran and choked out the Gracie blackbelt. Curran, a UFC and Pride veteran, never really had a chance.

To recap Faber’s 2007: four title fights, four dominant submission wins. He attacked with knees and slams from positions and angles never before seen, and he obeyed the number one rule of showmanship: he left us wanting more.

Au Naturale

The dark cloud over MMA in 2007 was the issue of banned substances. In reality, it's been a problem for years, but 2007 was a banner year for positive drug tests. Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Phil Baroni, and the legendary Royce Gracie are some of the high-profile stars who submitted soiled samples. It was ugly. I remember reading a Sherdog forum thread after Gracie's steroid disaster in which fight fans were weighing in on how to know if any fighters were actually clean.

Well I know of one guy who's definitely clean: Urijah Faber. Like just about all fighters, Faber follows a healthy diet and is devoted to keeping his body in peak physical condition. What sets him apart, however, is that he embraces holistic living and natural cures. That means no immunization shots, no conventional medicines, and no work-out supplements of any form. Faber told Fight! magazine that instead of protein pills or dietary supplements, he prefers "wheat grass, juice, bee pollen, (and) raw apple cider with vinegar."

In 2007, Urijah Faber's work in side the cage upheld everything good about MMA, and his efforts outside of the cage defied the sport's ugliest reality.

The Total Package

Yeah, guys like Rampage and Anderson Silva may have beaten tougher (or at least better-known) competition than Faber did in '07, but neither single-handedly thrust his division into the spotlight, and neither was as valuable to the UFC as Faber has been to the WEC.

Plus, the Fighter of the Year honor (which is slowly becoming MMA's MVP Award) takes into consideration more than just what goes down in the cage. After all, what else could possibly explain Chuck Liddell being named Fighter of the Year in 2006 over Cro Cop?

Looking back on 2007, no champion had been as active and as dominant as Faber, and no fighter consistently brought to the cage the combination of skill, conditioning, and furious aggression that Urijah Faber did. The pressure was on Faber to deliver as the face of WEC, and he delivered every time. It was due in large part to Faber's mesmerising fighting style and immediate likability that the WEC has become one of MMA's most promising, electrifying promotions.

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.