WEC 47 Poyznus PREDICTIONS

MAIN EVENT: BANTAMWEIGHT: BRAIN BOWLES vs DOMINICK CRUZ

In Brian Bowles’ first title defense after his unexpected thrashing of WEC star and object of Frank Mir’s lusting, Miguel Torres, he takes on former featherweight fighter Dominick Cruz. Cruz is big for 135, has good reach, and has established himself as a top contender through his crisp striking. His sole loss came at the hands of Uriah Faber, and he has gone undefeated since against increasingly difficult competition. The problem Cruz faces here is that he has yet to have finished an opponent in the WEC, and his tactic of winning enough standup exchanges to get the judge’s nod simply will not work here against a fighter like Bowles. The only obstacle facing Bowles in this fight is getting inside on Cruz and past his reach advantage, and once that is done, look for this fight to go south for Cruz very quickly. Cruz’s takedown defense and ground game may hold up at the beginning of the fight, but as Bowles continually pushes the pace and starts racking up the takedowns, it will only be a matter of time before they put that belt back around his waist. Note that Cruz’s loss to Faber came by way of guillotine choke, and Bowles has one in his arsenal that is one of the most dangerous in the game today. And this is ignoring the fact that Bowles’ striking may very well get the job done alone if Cruz gets careless in an exchange. Any way you see this, this is Brian Bowles’ coming out party, where he casts off the fluke moniker some have labeled him with and displays that he is the best bantamweight in the WEC for a reason.

Bowles by Submission, Round 2

BANTAMWEIGHT: MIGUEL TORRES vs JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ

This card’s co-main event features former WEC champ Torres looking to get back in the title hunt against another contender in Benavidez. In a fight that pitches one of the weight class’ tallest fighters against one of its shortest, look for Benavidez to be eating a lot of Torres’ patented jabs in this one. Size will be an issue for Benavidez despite his tremendous speed, and Torres is simply too crafty to be goaded into any of the scrambles that Benavidez is so skilled at employing. It is highly unlikely Benavidez will have either the ability or the desire to take the fight to the ground, where he is simply outclassed by the former champ, so this fight will most likely stay on the feet, where he is simply outclassed by the former champ. Don’t expect Torres to get careless here, and instead rely on a frustrating striking clinic to earn the decision win.

Torres by Unanimous Decision

FEATHERWEIGHT: JENS PULVER vs HAVIER VASQUEZ

Jens Pulver looks to earn his first win in two years against BJJ star Vasquez. If the WEC was looking for a good fight for Pulver to win in order to retire on a win, they made a mistake here. Vasquez is tailor made to beat Pulver in this fight. His takedowns and ground game are his strengths whereas they are Pulver’s weaknesses, and even more so in his recent fights. Don’t expect Vasquez to stay on the feet too long, as this is Pulver’s only hope for success, as he utilizes aggressive takedowns and his submission skill set to send Pulver tapping or sleeping into retirement.

Vasquez by Submission, Round 1

FEATHERWEIGHT: DEIVIDAS TAUROSEVICIUS vs LC DAVIS

In a fantastic matchup of former IFL competitors, Davis and Taurosevicius clash with each looking to establish contender status at 145. Both are accomplished wrestlers, but Taurosevicius will have the advantage here, and if his last fights are any indication, will do just a little bit more than Davis to win a close decision. Don’t expect a barnburner here, as this will most likely break down into Taurosevicius grinding out yet another razor-thin win from the judges.

Taurosevicius by Split Decision

LIGHTWEIGHT: BART PALASZEWSKI vs KAREN DARABEDYAN

Get ready to meet the scariest man ever named Karen. Fresh off of a dominating upset win over former WEC champ Rob McCullough, Darabedyan takes this fight against a former IFL standout in Palaszewski. While falling on a rough debut in the promotion, a short time in the minor leagues has seemingly rejuvenated Palaszewski, who is coming off a win against the highly-touted Antony Pettis at WEC 45. This fight will be competitive initially, but Darabedyan’s superior striking will begin to dominate sooner rather than later, placing him in title contention with another clear-cut decision win.

Darabedyan by Unanimous Decision