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WEC 53 Predictions: WEC 53 Fight Previews & Predictions

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Pro Fighting Fans is the home of WEC fans across the world and we now bring you the best place to find the latest WEC preview. WEC 53 is fast approaching and you can find the WEC 53 fight card and preview below.

The next event for WEC will be WEC 53 on December 16, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona with a card that features a bantamweight and a lightweight title fight. You can also view our review of the WEC 52 results which featured a fan-favorite Urijah Faber defeating Takeya Mizugaki. Fans can now buy MMA tickets online through Pro Fighting Fans to all of these exciting Mixed Martial Arts events.



WEC 53: Henderson Vs. Pettis – Main Card Preview

This December 16, 2010 is the last WEC card set in Glendale Arizona, but you could get away with calling it round one of the UFC's first lightweight grand prix. There are seven lightweight fights on the line, including the contention of the lightweight belt, as what appears to be the bulk of the WEC's lightweight division do battle to make or break it into the UFC's seemingly bottomless lightweight division.

The bantamweight division is well-represented too, with the belt on the line as the peppy striker Dominick Cruz is set to do battle against perennial battler Scott Jorgensen. The remaining three bantamweight fights are on the preliminary card.

Nowhere to be seen on the card is a featherweight – but never fear: there were three featherweight bouts in the UFC already at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale (including the controversial outcome between Nam Phan and Leonard Garcia), and two more at UFC 125 this New Year's Day, including an exciting matchup between Diego Nunes and Mike Brown.

Speaking of the UFC 125 fight card, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard headline the card in a rematch for the UFC lightweight belt. Not surprisingly, the winner of that fight faces the winner of Henderson/Pettis in a belt unification scrap. Sound more like a tournament with every sentence? I agree.

Let's take a closer look at the fights. Here is the main card:

 

WEC 53 MAIN CARD

  • Benson Henderson versus Anthony Pettis (lightweight title fight)
  • Dominick Cruz versus Scott Jorgensen (bantamweight title fight)
  • Donald Cerrone versus Chris Horodecki (lightweight)
  • Bart Palaszewski versus Kamal Shalorus (lightweight)
  • Danny Downes versus Tiequan Zhang (lightweight)

 

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WEC 53 Fight Previews

 

Danny Downes (6-1) versus Tiequan Zhang (12-0)

This bout, likely the card opener, features the first Chinese citizen (and native Mongolian) to do battle in North American MMA. You might think of him as the Jackie Chan of MMA (does that make Chuck Liddell the Chuck Norris of MMA?). Zhang made a strong statement in his WEC debut, tapping out Pablo Garza in less than three minutes via guillotine choke. Those who doubted him pointed the finger at the lesser Asian promotions where Zhang built up an undefeated record. Zhang responded by easily submitting an undefeated American fighter. Zhang is still something of an enigma, but there is no doubting his submission savvy, with nine of eleven finishes via some form of lock, hold, crank or choke. He's never had a fight go the distance. Downes is not down and out, though. A training partner of Anthony Pettis and coached by Duke Roufus, Downes has solid striking and heavy hands, with five KOs to his credit. His single loss was nothing to be ashamed of, as it was at the hands of vaunted Canadian Chris Horodecki who is also on the card.

Zhang is the hot prospect, and certainly Zuffa has their eye on the young grappler as they set their sights on the Asian MMA-watching demographic. But Zhang has yet to face an experienced western striker (or wrestler). Granted, Downes' singular flaw, as demonstrated by Horodecki, is that he can be submitted by a more experienced opponent. Overall, Zhang may have more fights, but Downes is taller, has faced better opponents, and he is under the tutelage of the best in the business.

Prediction: Downes by TKO

 

Bart Palaszewski (35-13) versus Kamal Shalorus (6-0-2)

Palaszewski is one of the few Polish MMA fighters in the higher echelons of the sport, but he is definitively the most experienced. His fighting record is a veritable ebb and flow through two elite organizations (the IFL and the WEC), while the first four years are a veritable Boggle-esque mish-mash of acronyms, as Palaszewksi racked up wins all over the USA, including a KO of Kyle Watson and four straight losses to begin his MMA career. He is 4-2 in the WEC and went 8-4 in the IFL, including losses to Chris Horodecki and Jim Miller, as well as wins over Alex Karalexis and – in the WEC – a win over this Thursday's title contender Anthony Pettis. Palaszewski is that quintessential mixed martial artist – although his strength is clearly in his stand-up, with sixteen finishes by KO or TKO, he also has eleven submission victories including a recent armbar of Armenian judo expert Karen Darebdyan.

Somewhat even less rare than Polish fighters in professional MMA are Iranians. An Olympic calibre wrestler, Kamal Shalorus has only been fighting since 2006, yet he has somehow managed to rack up two draws in his brief career (albeit the most recent one versus Jamie Varner was due to a point deduction at WEC 49 – Shalorus would have won a decision otherwise). Shalorus has trained at Xtreme Couture and with one of the legions of Gracies, Relson Gracie. Not surprisingly, in Shalorus' WEC run he has beat a solid grappler in Dave Jansen – and there is no overlooking his going the distance with Varner.

Palaszewski is the veteran in this bout, but he lacks finishing power against fighters who aren't necessarily looking past him, but are looking through him. Expect Shalorus to go through Palaszewski in a grinding, wrestling-heavy decision to put him somewhere near the top fifteen fighters in the UFC's very, very deep lightweight division.

Prediction: Shalorus by decision

 

 

Donald Cerrone (16-3-1) versus Chris Horodecki (18-2)

It's really anybody's guess why Canadian MMA pros like Horodecki and Krzysztof Soszynski invoke their heritage before their citizenship. In Horodecki's case we have a Canadian-born Ontarioan of Polish heritage who trains in Toronto with fellow-Canadian and fellow-striker, Sam Stout. I guess it's cooler to be Polish than it is to be Canadian.

Horodecki is an exciting fighter who was earmarked by MMA pundits to be the next to vy for the WEC lightweight throne – that is, until the merger. With a win, at best, either fighter is in a fine kettle of sharks. For these two lucky contestants, a win might put them in the top five...at best. They will be waiting in line with Jim Miller, George Sotiropolous, the loser of Henderson/Pettis, or even Clay Guida if he should defeat Takanori Gomi at UFC 125. That's after the winner of Edgar/Maynard versus Henderson/Pettis is crowned. That puts an immense amount of pressure on these two fighters to win, and to win decisively. To make an impression, in other words. The UFC brass do not take warmly to fighters who climb the ladder fighting only to win (cf. Jon Fitch). This should not be an issue for two seasoned strikers.

Horodecki does not have the depth that Cerrone has on the highest rungs of the sport. He is 2-1 in the WEC, while Cerrone has rematched Henderson (falling 0-2) and Cerrone (1-1). Cerrone has fought for the belt three times, and lost every challenge. Overall, though, they are remarkable similar. Cerrone has the deeper pro kickboxing record, while Horodecki is two fights up on Cerrone in MMA.

This one comes down to who has the moxie to do what it takes under the lens of the new promotion. That's Cerrone's strength – he's had one bad fight against the highest calibre opponents the WEC has to offer (his loss to Henderson via guillotine in less than two minutes at WEC 48). Other than that, he's held his own. This fight comes too soon for Horodecki, who ironically would probably have been groomed a little more if he'd started in the UFC to begin with.

Prediction: Cerrone by decision

 



 

WEC 53 Bantamweight Title Fight: Dominick Cruz (17-1) versus Scott Jorgensen (14-3)

Jorgensen has clambered his way into belt contention with five straight wins, including an incredible "Fight of the Night" victory over Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 45. All five of his five recent consecutive victories occurred in less than the span of a year, all in the WEC. That is a huge stat, in case you weren't reading closely. Most MMA practicioners would be lucky to rack up five wins in two years; more often, three. Most UFC belt-holders manage one title defense a year. Jorgensen is lucky – lucky he doesn't get injured, that is. He might just be one of those genetic freaks we see in football who play year after year without seeing their physiotherapist. He does train with "Team Genetiks," after all.

This fight is all about nature versus nurture. Jorgensen is very gifted naturally, with a solid base in wrestling, but Cruz has been crafted into a very refined MMA champion, in much the same fashion that Frankie Edgar was (and wouldn't it be fun to see those two fight, if Edgar could drop a pair of weight classes?). Cruz has demonstrated exceptional mastery of the MMA game, implementing impeccable cardio, excellent wrestling and above all pinpoint accuracy and elusiveness on the feet.

This fight will be a masterpiece of striking as Jorgensen and Cruz will effectively neutralize each other grappling-wise. However, Cruz is a blitz in the stand-up and shouldn't have too much trouble out-pointing the slower Jorgensen on the feet, which will frustrate Jorgensen to rush for risky takedowns.

Prediction: Cruz by submission

 

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WEC 53 Lightweight Title Fight: Benson Henderson (13-1) versus Anthony Pettis (12-1)

Both Henderson and Pettis own wins against fighters facing one another somewhat undeservingly on the undercard: Pettis very recently defeated Shane Roller by triangle at WEC 50, and Henderson defeated Varner earlier this year at WEC 46, via guillotine (he also defeated Roller in 2009 via TKO). Note the means of victory: Henderson owns two straight (and four total) wins via guillotine, while Pettis boasts two straight by triangle choke. Henderson arguably has the better grappling pedigree, with a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but Pettis trains with Duke Roufus, a reknowned kickboxing coach, and earlier this year defeated top WEC lightweight Danny Castillo by knockout. Castillo is an Alpha Male team member alongside Urijah Faber. Henderson has faced the cream of the crop in the WEC lightweight division, dispatching Donald Cerrone twice, Jamie Varner and the aforementioned Shane Roller.

Despite Henderson's record, he has yet to face a good striker who has patience as well as deep grappling credentials. Pettis doesn't have a jiu jitsu belt to boast of, but he does have a tendency to finish by submission. He also has the stand-up acumen to make Henderson second-guess himself. Don't be floored if Pettis walks away with an underdog win.

Prediction: Pettis by TKO

 

 

WEC 53 PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Shane Roller versus Jamie Varner (lightweight)
  • Danny Castillo versus Will Kerr (lightweight)
  • Yuri Alcantara versus Ricardo Lamas (lightweight)
  • Renan Barao versus Chris Cariaso (bantamweight)
  • Ivan Menjivar versus Brad Pickett (bantamweight)
  • Ken Stone versus Eddie Wineland (bantamweight)

 

 

By Roy Kok
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer

 

Past WEC Previews, Predictions & Recaps: