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WEC 48 Predictions: WEC 48 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 48 is fast approaching and you can find the WEC 48 fight card and preview below.

The next event for WEC will be WEC 48 on April 24, 2010 in Sacramento, California and will be the WEC's first ever Pay Per View event. The card features a featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and fan favorite and hometown hero, challenger Urijah Faber. Also on the PPV-televised WEC 48 fight card is a lightweight title fight between . You can also view our review of the WEC 47 results which featured a Ben Henderson taking the WEC Lightweight Championship belt from Jamie Varner. Fans can now buy WEC tickets online through Pro Fighting Fans to all of these exciting WEC events.



WEC 48 is scheduled for April 24 in Sacramento, and it should be a night full of action-packed fights. This card is a prime example of the reason that the TV commercials that hype fights always include “Fight Card Subject to Change” in the fine print. This card has been plagued with injuries to scheduled fighters, but the replacements are by no means unknowns.

Preliminary WEC 48 Fights:

 

Brandon Visher against Tyler Toner

Kicking off the card is Hawaiian striker Brandon Visher against Tyler Toner in a featherweight bout. Toner has a solid record and has finished a majority of his fights in the first round, both by submission and knockout. Visher is fighting in the WEC for the second time and puts his undefeated record (13-0) on the line. I will take Visher in this one based on his one fight of experience in the WEC. Toner has a fair number of fights, but they have all been in smaller organizations. Visher has been in the bright lights before so I’ll pick him in this one.

Prediction - Visher by Knockout

 

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Takeya Mizugaki vs Rani Yahya

Takeya Mizugaki battles Brazillian Rani Yahya next on the card in a bantamweight matchup. Both fighters bring quality experience to the cage and it is a bit shocking to me that this fight is on the un-aired segment of the broadcast since both fighters challenged (unsuccessfully) for a WEC belt. Mizugaki has a great deal of decision victories so the advantage swings in his favor the longer the fight lasts.

Prediction - Mizugaki by decision

 

 

Mackens Semerzier vs Anthony Morrison

Mackens Semerzier was slated to take on Anthony Morrison, but Semerzier was one of the many bitten by the injury bug. Californa native Chad Mendes will be filling in on short notice. Mendes was an NCAA runner up (to 2x champ J Jaggers from the Ohio State University) on the wrestling mat so we know that he has a solid background on the mat. He also spends his time as a training partner of Urijah Faber so he is getting a good foundation to his mixed martial arts training. Morrison is an absolute journeyman, putting 6 fights under his belt in 2009. Morrison’s only fight in the WEC was a loss to Mike Brown, so the guy knows how to compete at a high level. I’m taking Morrison in this one based solely on Mendes being relatively green in the world of MMA.

Prediction - Morrison by submission

 

 

Brad Pickett vs Demetrious Johnson

British fighter Brad Pickett looks to add to his impressive string of submissions in his fight against Demetrious Johnson. Johnson is going to have to put his ground game on high alert when he faces Pickett as Pickett is doing his best to put on a submission clinic for the bantamweight division of the WEC. Easiest fight to pick thus far.

Predictions - Pickett by submission



WEC 48 Spike TV Televised Bouts:

 

Alex Karalexis vs Anthony Pettis

The next fight on the card has Alex Karalexis, familiar to some as a contestant on the Ultimate Fighter Season 1, taking on Anthony Pettis. Karalexis has fought only a few times in the past few years and so ring rust may come into play here. Pettis is a well-rounded fighter with several WEC fights to his name. I think Pettis takes this one.

Prediction - Pettis by Knockout

 

 

Leonard Garcia taking on Chan Sung Jung

The final fight of the prelims at WEC 48 has Leonard Garcia taking on Chan Sung Jung. Garcia is a fighter out of Greg Jackson’s camp in Albuquerque so he is trained with the best by the best. Of late, his career has been a bit of a roller coaster. At the high point Garcia fought for the WEC title against Mike Brown after winning his first two bouts in the WEC. Since that loss, Garcia is 1-1-1 with a win and a loss by split decision as well as a draw. Chan Sung Jung is a professional kickboxer with fights for Pancrase as well as Sengoku overseas. In addition to his background in kickboxing, he has a majority of his professional MMA wins by way of submission, so the man is a force to be reckoned with. In a battle of two evenly matched fighters, the intangibles play a huge role. Garcia has been hot and cold of late. I like Jung in this one.

Prediction - Chan Sung Jung by Knockout

 

 

WEC 48 PPV Televised Bouts:

 

Antonio Banuelos vs Scott Jorgensen

In a bantamweight bout, Antonio Banuelos takes on Scott Jorgensen in a rematch of a razor-thin split decision. Banuelos won the previous match-up, but it is difficult to beat a fighter twice, especially since the fighters were so evenly matched. Since their fight last summer, Banuelos has won a decision while Jorgensen has won three fights, one submission, one decision that garnered Fight of the Night honors, and one technical knockout. Motivated by his previous defeat, I’ll take Jorgensen.

Prediction - Jorgensen by decision



Anthony Njokuani vs Shane Roller

Powerful puncher Anthony Njokuani has won three straight Knockout Of The Night honors in his last three fights. All of the aforementioned fights ended thanks to Njokuani’s heavy hands, but he has demonstrated skill with his knees in the past. Shane Roller is a well-rounded fighter with wins by submission as well as knockout. It’s hard to pick against the power puncher against Roller, who was knocked out by punches at WEC 40 by Benson Henderson. Roller’s best chance will be to take the fight to the mat to minimize Njokuani’s advantage.

Prediction - Njokuani by Knockout

 

 

Manny Gamburyan vs Mike Brown

Ultimate Fighter veteran Manny Gamburyan takes a step up in competition in his battle with former champ Mike Brown. Gamburyan has a background in judo, which puts many fighters on edge due to their lack of familiarity with the style. Manny is a stocky fighter which provides leverage in the judo aspect, but poses a problem when striking. If a fighter has a weakness at striking, that fighter most likely will not be pleased to look across the cage and see Mike Brown. Brown, the former WEC Featherweight champ, has excellent standup to complement his wrestling and improving jiu-jitsu. Brown is one tough dude and is dangerous from any position. This fight should be a stepping stone for Brown to get back to the top of the heap in the Featherweight division. Prediction - Brown by knockout

 

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Benson Henderson and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone

In a co-headlining bout, the Lightweight championship will be on the line in a rematch between Benson Henderson and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Henderson is a high-energy fighter with an amazing cardio aspect to his game. Henderson was able to ward off several slick submission attempts by Cerrone in the first match between the pair en route to a unanimous decision. Since defeating Cerrone, Henderson has defeated the tough Jamie Varner to unify the championship. Cerrone is another fighter that trains with Greg Jackson in New Mexico, so he is likely to be improving everyday by working with the elite fighters in Jackson’s camp. Cerrone has a muay thai and kickboxing background to fall back on, but inside the cage, he most often lets his jiu-jitsu do the talking. Greg Jackson has a reputation for preparing a solid game plan for his fighters that focuses on the fighter’s strengths as well as taking advantage of the opponent’s weaknesses. It’s tough for me to pull for a guy that is rarely seen outside of the cage without a cowboy hat, but Cerrone is one tough customer with adequate standup and top-notch submissions and a solid training camp. I’ll take the Cowboy in this one for the belt.

Prediction - Cerrone by submission



WEC 48 Main Event:

Jose Aldo vs Urijah Faber

In the last fight of the night, Sacramento’s own Urijah Faber takes on Brazilian Jose Aldo in his attempt to regain the WEC Featherweight title. If Faber’s career were to be summed up in a highlight reel, it may have to be put on a double disc DVD because the California Kid has had many a war inside the cage, and always seems to come out smiling. Faber is a guy that just seems likeable when he fights because he fights with tenacity and skill, but brings a laid-back attitude to the cage as well. Faber may look like any of the countless surf bums that you may find on a beach in California, but his toughness sets him apart. In a rematch with Mike Brown last June, Faber broke his right hand and injured his left wrist but refused to quit, only changing his plan of attack to include elbow strikes and modified punches. Jose Aldo is a young fighter that has a black belt in jiu-jitsu, but seems determined to show off his other talents in the cage. All 6 of his WEC fights have ended by TKO with Aldo as the victor. Take a look at the 8 second knockout of Cub Swanson for further proof that Aldo’s striking is a legitimate threat. The fight on April 24th will take place in Faber’s stomping ground, and it seems likely that he will put on a show for his hometown fans. Despite the location and Faber’s never-say-die attitude, Aldo is above and beyond in both striking and jiu-jitsu. Faber will probably not want to use his wrestling to take this fight to the ground in order to stay away from an Aldo submission. Urijah’s best bet is to stand and trade with Aldo and hope to catch him out of position for a knockout or to grind out a decision victory. While heart and determination may have been the deciding factors in Rocky II, I don’t see Faber winning this one in front of his hometown crowd.

Prediction - Aldo by knockout

 

 

By Curt Heinrichs
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer

 

Past WEC Previews, Predictions & Recaps: