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WEC 44 Predictions: WEC 44 Preview & 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 44 is fast approaching and you can find the WEC 44 fight card and preview below.

The next event for WEC will be WEC 44 on November 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the event will feature the WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown defending his belt against top contender Jose Aldo. You can also view our review of the WEC 43 results which featured the Interim WEC Lightweight Championship bout. Fans can now buy WEC tickets online through Pro Fighting Fans to all of these exciting WEC events.

Preliminary WEC 43 Fights:

Ricardo Lamas vs. James Krause

“The Bully,” Ricardo Lamas (6-1), returns to the cage three months removed from his first career defeat to meet WEC sophomore James Krause (10-1) in a 155 pound clash on the preliminary card of WEC 44.

Lamas took his WEC debut against Bart Palaszewski on three weeks’ notice although that didn’t stop him from using his wrestling background to grind out a unanimous decision victory. He returned at WEC 42 in August, losing to Danny Castillo by 2nd round TKO.

Krause, a 23 year-old Missouri-based fighter, strung 10 wins together prior to signing his multi-fight WEC deal. In June he made his first appearance in the WEC cage, losing to Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone via rear naked choke late in the 1st round.

Prediction – Lamas over Krause via submission

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Seth Dikun vs. Frank Gomez

Either Seth “2 Quik” Dikun (7-3) or Frank Gomez (7-1) will build off of their most recent victory inside of the WEC cage when the two meet on the undercard of WEC 44 event. Both fighters were winners five months ago as participants on the preliminary card of WEC 41 “Brown vs. Faber II” card.

“2 Quik,” a Team Wildman Vale Tudo fighter, was flashy when submitting Rolando Perez, choosing to use a flying triangle choke mid-way through the 1st round. The win was crucial as Dikun fell to Charlie Valencia by decision in January when he made his debut at WEC 38. He had won four straight prior to that WEC debut, stopping three of the four opponents early.

Gomez rebounded from a 1st round submission loss by Scott Jorgensen at WEC 38 in his promotional debut to convert an arm triangle choke on journeyman Noah Thomas at WEC 41. He worked his way into the WEC lineup after winning all six of his minor-league bouts. He has six stoppages in seven career victories.

Prediction – Gomez over Dikun via TKO

Antonio Banuelos vs. Kenji Osawa

Fireworks are sure to be generated when Antonio Banuelos (16-5) and Kenji Osawa (15-8-2), a pair of similar veterans, meet inside the WEC cage at WEC 44.

Banuelos, a teammate of former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell at The Pit, has registered seven WEC wins over the course of his seven years with the organization. His contract was one of the few that were transferred in 2007 when the new ownership group took over. When he lost 2 of 3 early in 2008, he was forced to leave the WEC for one fight, which he won, before returning at WEC 41 in June. He pulled off a “Fight of the Year” candidate performance in defeating Scott Jorgensen by split decision to reclaim his position inside the organization.

Osawa, 33, was a regular in Japan for five plus years before deciding to venture overseas for his US debut at WEC 33 in March 2008. He fought Chris Manuel for three tough rounds and when the decision came it was ruled a draw. He returned five months later at WEC 35, losing to Scott Jorgensen by unanimous decision. He was forced to leave and fight in Japan (GCM – Cage Force), where he won another decision before returning at WEC 39 in March. He earned his first win in three tries when getting the better of a split decision against Rafeal Rebello.

Prediction – Banuelos over Osawa via decision

Cub Swanson vs. John Franchi

Both Cub Swanson (13-3) and John Franchi (5-1) come into their WEC 44 preliminary bout after losing big bouts on the WEC 41 card in June. The winner of this bout will reassert themselves as a front runner in the featherweight division.

Palm Springs based Cub Swanson won nine consecutive fights prior to signing with the WEC in early 2007. Once he joined the organization, he quickly went two for two, defeating Tommy Lee and Micah Miller within his first three months. A loss to Jens Pulver at WEC 31 sent him outside of the WEC for one quick fight before rejoining the organization at WEC 37 against Japanese striker, Hiroyuki Takaya. He earned a decision win over Takaya but then suffered his first TKO loss against number one contender Jose Aldo at WEC 41. A defeat at WEC 44 will almost certainly spell doom for any future WEC fights.

Franchi won his first four bouts of his career, including a win in one of the last IFL shows to earn his debut at WEC 39. Franchi escaped a near loss with a split decision win over Mike Budnik in March. Returning three months later at WEC 41, Franchi lost in decisive fashion to Manny Gamburyan. A win over Swanson is crucial to his future in the organization.

Prediction – Swanson over Franchi via submission

Diego Nunes vs. LC Davis

Featherweights Diego Nunes (13-0) and LC Davis (14-2) look to climb up the 145 pound ladder with a win in a very attractive preliminary bout at WEC 44.

LC Davis, 29, was a casualty of the Affliction debacle but quickly found a welcoming home in the WEC. After piling up four wins in his last five fights in organizations such as Affliction, Adrenaline, and the IFL, Davis was the victor in a very tight WEC 42 debut bout with Javier Vasquez. Davis controlled the bout with aggressive wrestling and competent striking.

Diego Nunes, 26, won eleven bouts prior to fighting inside of the WEC cage. He cut his teeth in small and mid-level Brazilian organizations before earning a notable victory for the Shooto promotion. The win in Japan brought Nunes to America and the WEC. Making his debut at WEC 37, Nunes battered Cole Province for three rounds earning the unanimous decision victory. He took about eight months off before getting back to work at WEC 42 in August, where he bullied Rafael Dias for most of three rounds until earning another unanimous decision win. With a 3-0 mark inside the WEC, Nunes will gain credibility in terms of contender status.

Prediction – Davis over Nunes via decision

Will Kerr vs. Kamal Shalorus

Two WEC newcomers Will Kerr (7-1) and Kamal Shalorus (4-0-1) will go head-to-head in a featherweight bout trying to establish a spot on the organizations’ permanent roster.

Kerr is a five time Full Force Productions veteran (Massachusetts), an organization where he has earned his last four victories. He was in action last two months ago where he earned a unanimous decision over Marc Stevens at FFP – Untamed 23. Out of seven career victories, Kerr has stopped four opponents early while only being stopped once.

Kamal Shalorus began his professional career in 2008, earning two victories as a first year fighter. In his second year of fighting, Shalorus registered a 2-0-1 record with an impressive TKO victory over Justin Miller at SWC 7 in June, a win that helped launch his WEC career. He has recorded stoppages in all four of his victorious bouts.

Prediction – Shalorus over Kerr via TKO

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WEC 43 Main Bouts:

Danny Castillo vs. Shane Roller

A match-up between two top-tier lightweights will commence at WEC 44 when Danny Castillo (8-1) meets Team Takedown fighter, Shane Roller (6-2) with a possible title shot on the line.

Castillo jumped from organizations like Cage Combat FC, Gladiators Challenge, and Palace FC, into the WEC octagon with a 5-0 record. He was easily submitted in his promotional debut at WEC 34 when Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone finished him with a submission 1:30 into the 1st round. He rebounded in incredible fashion by winning three straight. First at WEC 36, he finished Rafael Dias by way of TKO, stole a split decision at WEC 39 over Phil Cardella, and then tacked on a convincing TKO of Ricardo Lamas at WEC 42 in August.

Oklahoma native Shane Roller began his professional MMA career with a great deal of expectations after a successful collegiate wrestling career. He was surprised in his pro debut but bounced back by winning his next three to earn a bid into the WEC. Roller continued his momentum by winning his first two WEC bouts over Todd Moore (WEC 35) and Mike Budnik (WEC 37). Current 155 pound interim champion, Benson Henderson stopped Roller for the second time in his career at WEC 40 with a clean TKO in the 1st round. In his most recent action, Roller got the better of a solid Marcus Hicks at WEC 42 for his third promotional win.

Prediction – Roller over Castillo via TKO

> After the fights are complete, find the WEC 44 results & recap online at ProFighting-fans.com and look forward to the WEC 45 fight card & rumors for the next big World Extreme Cagefighting event!

Rob McCullough vs. Karen Darabedyan

“Razor” Rob McCullough (17-5) is back after recovering from injuries suffered in his most recent bout, a split decision at WEC 39 in March. After his original opponent, Anthony Pettis was pulled due to injury; McCullough will instead step in the cage against WEC newcomer, Karen Darabedyan (8-1).

“Razor” has been a WEC mainstay since WEC 2 in October of 2001. Over the next eight plus years he has produced a solid 8-3 record within the organization, including a two-fight stint as the lightweight champion. “Razor” has gone 2-2 over his last four fights, losing to both number one contender Donald Cerrone and current lightweight champ, Jaime Varner.

Darabedyan is a WEC rookie who comes into his debut off the strength of six straight wins. After winning fights in Shark Fights, Call to Arms, and All Star Boxing organizations, Darabedyan was invited to fill in as a replacement at WEC 44. He is currently a training partner of Manny Gamburyan and Karo Parisyan and is known as a well-rounded fighter with an amateur boxing resume and accomplished grappling credentials.

Prediction – Darabedyan over McCullough via KO

Leonard Garcia vs. Manny Gamburyan

Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia (13-4) meets former UFC lightweight Manny Gamburyan (9-4) in a bout that holds future title implications.

Gamburyan won six out of his first seven career bouts, losing only to former UFC lightweight champ Sean Sherk in 2001. He arrived on the Zuffa scene after battling to a runner-up finish on The Ultimate Fighter 5 season of lightweights. He was signed to a UFC contract afterwards and disappointed by registering a 2-3 record. His wins in the organization came to lightly regarded 155 pounders Nate Mohr and Jeff Cox. After losing his final two UFC bouts, “Pit-bull” decided to step down a weight class to the 145 pound division in the WEC. He won his only bout to date in the WEC at WEC 41 with a convincing unanimous decision over John Franchi.

“Bad Boy” has a similar fighting background to Gamburyan in that he also fought in the UFC and now calls the WEC home. The Texas native fought to a 1-2 record in the UFC as a lightweight before turning to the WEC 145 pound division. He won both WEC 32 and WEC 36 bouts against Hiroyuki Takaya and Jens Pulver to earn a title shot against Mike Thomas Brown at WEC 39. Brown overpowered Garcia only to submit him less than 2:00 into their championship bout. Most recently, Garcia solidified his position in the division with a split decision win against Jameel Massouh at WEC 42.

Prediction – Gamburyan over Garcia via decision

WEC 44 Main Event - WEC Featherweight Championship Bout:

Mike Thomas Brown vs. Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo (15-1) is the third contender to challenge champion Mike Thomas Brown (22-4) for the featherweight title, which will be the main event at WEC 44.

Brown, a 34 year old former UFC lightweight, has won all four of his WEC bouts, including capturing the featherweight title in just his second bout in the organization. He defeated Urijah Faber at WEC 36 for the title, defended against Leonard Garcia at WEC 39, and then defended against Faber once again at WEC 41 in June. Prior to coming over to the WEC, Brown had fought in DEEP, GCM Cage Force, and Bodog Fight organizations to name three.

Jose “Junior” Aldo has worked his way up to this, his first championship fight in the WEC. He knocked out five straight opponents including Cub Swanson in his most recent bout at WEC 41. Aldo, 23, won ten of eleven bouts before claiming his position as number one contender in the WEC. He won fights in several minor league promotions as well as fights in the Shooto and Pancrase organizations.

Prediction – Aldo over Brown via TKO

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer