WKR Staff Picks WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber

Champ Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber 

David St. Martin: I have to go with Aldo here. The guy is a human highlight reel and I have reason to expect anything different with this fight.  I'm not usually a supporter of the transitive property of fighting, but with such a convincing performance against Mike Brown back in November, a man who dominated Faber twice, Aldo should come out on top.  After all, he only has to wait long enough for Faber to re-break his hand.  Aldo by TKO Round 2.

Zach Krantz: I always try and not fall for the hype and claim a fighter is "the next big thing" too quickly, but I am completely sold on Aldo.  We knew about his striking, but after seeing his ground work and takedown defense against Brown I am sold.  I really do not see where Faber wins this as Aldo is too quick and too precise with his strikes.  Aldo picks apart Faber before turning it up and we will get an Aldo TKO in Round 3.

Nick Becker: Faber has tons of heart but he has his work cut out for him against Aldo. As tough as Faber is, I expect Aldo to use his dynamic striking and blazing speed to blitz him early in the fight. If Faber can withstand the initial assault and use his superior wrestling to control Aldo, it’s possible that we could have an upset on our hands. However, Aldo has looked too fast, too powerful and too dominant lately and I don’t see him losing the biggest fight of his career. Aldo via TKO Round 2. 

Zak Woods: I always pick the fighter who has the more bad ass scar, which puts me firmly in the Jose Aldo camp. That being said, I think Faber is going to employ a St. Pierre gameplan and use his strikes to set up single leg takedowns and attempt to win a position battle on the judges scorecards. But, I'll stick with Aldo. After all, I told the KSK crew he was awesome. Don't prove me wrong Aldo. Jose Aldo TKO Round 4.

Nick Becker: Based on their first fight, I have to believe that Cowboy will find a way to win. He has more ways to finish the fight and he’s stated that his days of being a slow-starter are over. Henderson has some amazing grappling skills but I don’t think Cowboy will get sloppy and get caught. This is probably Cowboy’s last chance at a WEC title and he knows it. The third time will be the charm for Cerrone. Cowboy by TKO Round 4.

Zach Krantz: Henderson's grit got him through those submissions in the first fight and Cerrone started slow (as usual).  I do not see either of those happening Saturday.  The Cowboy has recently stated that he is aware of his slow starts and plans on rectifying that this Saturday.  Henderson's striking is just not there yet, so we will see a second round TKO from The Cowboy.

David St. Martin: I'm actually looking foreward to this fight much more than the other title fight.  This rematch could be fight of the year again, and is as close a call as you'll ever see.  Did winning the lightweight title give Henderson the confidence he needs to hold it? or does getting a chance to settle a score light a big enough fire under Cerrone?  I'm a huge Henderson fan, but I'm going to have to pick the Cowboy. Cerrone by decision.

Zak Woods: Cerrone should have won the last fight and wins this one. Cerrone via split decision.

Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan 

David St. Martin: Will this be another instance of two extremly talented wrestlers having a stand-up war?  I think so.  If that ends up being the case, I have to go with Brown.  His stand up is far and above better than his opponent, but with Manny swinging heavy hands for the fences, anything could happen.  Brown by TKO Round 3.

Nick Becker: Manvel’s biggest strength has always been his bullish wrestling ability, but against a physically larger and more skilled wrestler in Brown, he’s going to have a long night. Look for MTB to continue on track towards another title shot with a dominant, but dull decision victory. Brown via Unanimous Decision.

Zach Krantz: The moneyline is -600 for a reason.  Brown is better in every aspect and a much better striker.  Brown wins via TKO in Round 1.

Zak Woods: Mike Brown wins and then goes on to show that he is better basketball coach then that other Mike Brown. Brown via TKO Round 2.

Shane Roller vs. Anthony Njokuani  

Zach Krantz: The question is will Roller take a smart approach?  If he goes for takedowns and uses his wrestling base then we will have a strong fight.  However, I'll believe it when I see it.  Roller will try and land the big punch, but end up getting rocked.  The trend continues with another KO/TKO in favor of Njokuani.

David St. Martin: While Anthony Njokuani has had three straight 'knock out of the night' honors, Shane Roller doesnt seem too concerned.  This is a bit of the classic striker vs. grappler matchup, and if Roller stands in front of Njokuani he will get knocked out, spectacularly.  Conversely, I think Roller will utilize his all-american wrestling and be able to set up the takedown, eventually securing the submission.  Roller by submission Round 2.

Nick Becker: If Roller can find his way past the long arms of Njokuani he has a decent shot at securing a submission. The problem for Roller is that Njokuani utilizes his reach advantage as well as anyone in the game and has been knocking people out left and right. In a fight that could go either way, I’ll pick Njokuani to make a strong bid for his fourth straight KO of the Night. Njokuani by KO Round 1.  

Zak Woods: Has Njokuani improved his takedown defense enough to stop an inevitable takedown attempt? Maybe. Honestly, I think that the WEC would prefer an Anthony win to fight Cerrone (who I think they would prefer to win the title) but Roller's wrestling will prove too much. Roller via Unanimous decision. 

Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos

David St. Martin: The rematch from a great fight last June, I expect Jurgensen to avenge his loss and take another step towards title contention.  Jorgenson by decision.

Zach Krantz: Scotty continues to improve and might be next in line for a title shot.  I expect him to avenge his previous loss here with a submission win in Round 2 (Jorgensen).

Nick Becker: There’s a strong argument to be made that Jorgensen should have been given the nod in their first fight, but he’ll have a second bite at the apple here. Jorgensen has been on fire lately, with his last fight in particular really turning heads (pun intended). While I think Banuelos has a better shot than most people are giving him, there’s little question that Jorgensen has shown more improvement since their initial encounter. Jorgensen via Unanimous Decision.   

Zak Woods: Banuelos is the same fighter he was back when these two met the first time but Scott has improved enough to win and fight Joseph Benavidez in an interim title bout. Jorgensen via Unanimous Decision.   

SBN coverage of WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber