WEC 48 marks the organization’s debut on pay-per-view and the event takes place at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The main card airs live on pay-per-view, and Spike TV precedes it with a one-hour special featuring two preliminary-card bouts. Two titles are on the line tonight as WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo meets Urijah Faber and lightweight champion Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone lock up in a rematch of 2009’s fight of the year.
Follow along with our updates and official results (which begin at 9 p.m. ET for the Spike TV card) and check back at 10 p.m. ET for the main card’s live round by round updates.
Tonight’s event marks the WEC’s PPV debut and features championship co-headliners:
WEC Featherweight Championship Jose Aldo (c) vs. Urijah Faber
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen
Referee: Herb Dean
Round 1
Jorgensen and Banuelos come out testing one another with several early strikes. After each test by Jorgensen, Banuelos counters with a big left hook. Banuelos continues to land the hook and he drops Scott. Jorgensen pulls Antonio into guard to recover. A strong armbar attempt by Jorgensen and Banuelos and Antonio avoids the submission and bails out of guard. Back on their feet and the two men probe with leg kicks. A clinch in the center of the cage leads to a knee to the body by Scott. Spinning back kick by Banuelos. Body kick by Banuelos. Head kick and spinning back kick are deflected as round one ends.
10-9 Banuelos
Round 2
Scott presses Banuelos to start round two. He’s stalking Banuelos. Body kick by Scott is half caught by Antonio. He’s really pressing Antonio – head kick by Scott deflected. Good right hook by Jorgensen that was set up with the jab. Banuelos misses a big right. Good body kick from Banuelos. Scott catches Banuelos and drops him, Banuelos is dripping blood from his nose. Back on their feet, Scott, unleashes a big knee as they clinch.
10-9 Jorgensen
Round 3
Banuelos gets split again by a big shot from Jorgensen. Several missed shots from Banuelos and a big knee. Left hook from Scott. Banuelos with a jab. Outside leg kick from Jorgensen. Good shots from both fighter, Banuelos is looking to land the big shot. Big right cross from Scott. Jorgensen drops him with a huge right. Goes to pounce into guard and almost gets a guillotine. Jumping back elbow missed by Banuelos, but Jorgensen takes the back. Gets the rear naked choke with both hooks, but Banuelos flips around and gets mounted. Big hammer fists as they roll to their knees. Banuelos is eating punches. Jorgensen gets the rear naked again, but Banuelos is throwing hammerfists to Scott on his back.
10-9 Scott Jorgensen
Winner: Scott Jorgensen by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
Referee: Josh Rosenthal
Round 1
Roller presses for the takedown and gets Njokuani to his back. He transitions to back, slipping his hooks around Anthony and get the Severn rear naked. After Njokuani tries to rolls away, but Anthony continues to be pushed back into the rear naked. He finally gets the full rear naked choke, flattens Njokuani out and gets the tap.
Winner: Shane Roller by submission (3:07, rear naked choke, R1)
Next up, we see a Joe Rogan interview with Kimbo Slice, who is fighting Matt Mitrione May 8th. He loves being at American Top Team. Funny to think that he’s really super humble. If you had told me that 5 years ago, I would have laughed.
Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
Referee: Jon Schorle
Round 1
Partial right hook by Brown. Front kick by Brown misses. Both men are active on their feet and connect on jabs. Glancing inside leg kick from Manny. Brown misses with two big right hooks. Uppercut missed by Manny. Manny presses with three strikes that are taken on the gloves. Manny connects with a huge right hand, dropping Mike Brown, who takes 5-6 shots from Gamburyan. Referee Jon Schorle steps in to stop the fight and protect Brown.
Winner: Manny Gamburyan by knockout (2:22, R1)
From earlier this evening:
Brad Pickett vs. Demetrious Johnson
Round 1
Johnson catches Pickett with a inside leg kick. Pickett dazes Johnson with a big punch. Left hook from Pickett moves Johnson across the cage. Another cross from Pickett stumbles Johnson, who spins and recovers. Body kick from Johnson caught by Pickett – two right hands from Pickett. Pickett with a takedown into side control. Big elbow from Pickett and Johnson gets Brad into half and then full guard. Johnson onto his feet and tries to body kick, it’s caught and Johnson is dropped to the mat. Brad in guard, pressing Johnson into the cage. Johnson pops to his feet. Three quick punches followed by a head kick that’s blocked. Pickett with a big slam. Johnson goes for a flying knee and Pickett catches him and slams him to the mat.
10-9 Pickett
Round 2
Both fighters are testing their gameplans again from round 1. Johnson bounces around like those slams didn’t effect him and Pickett counters and tries to catch the kicks. Jab to the body from Johnson. Pickett launches for a flying knee but it misses. Outside leg kick from Johnson. Body kick from Johnson. Pickett ducks under and gets a counter takedown. Pickett in side control. Demetrious pops back to his feet. 3-4 body kicks from Johnson before Pickett takes Johnson to his back. Pickett in half guard. Right elbow from Pickett. Pickett is working to keeping Johnson on the mat and Johnson gets back to his feet. Big back suplex from Pickett and Johnson fights through and back to his feet. Jab, cross, outside leg kick from Johnson. Big, big slam from Pickett, who takes full mount and pounds away for the last few seconds of round 2.
10-9 Pickett
Round 3
Johnson with a quick shoot and takedown. Pickett works back to his feet, but Johnson has an arm in. Possibly a d’arce choke, but Johnson goes to Muay Thai clinch and delivers a knee to the head. Johnson gets a takedown and into half guard. Johnson gets back to his feet and gets his hands going as he wants to finish. Takedown from Johnson, who is pulled into full guard by Pickett. Both men make it back to their feet. Takedown by Johnson that is rolled through. Pickett gets another takedown slam from his knees and takes mount. Johnson is pulling him in and preventing Pickett from posturing up. Johnson pulls half guard and Pickett lets Johnson out by giving him just a bit too much space. Maybe an inch, but this dude is lightning quick. The last 15 seconds are a blur of takedowns and reversals.
10-9 Pickett
Winner: Brad Pickett by decision (30-27 , 30-27 , 29-28)
WEC Lightweight Championship
Ben “Smooth” Henderson (c) vs. “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone
Referee: Herb Dean
Round 1
Outside leg kick glances for Henderson. Henderson shoots for a single, but Cerrone rolls out. Back to their feet. Ben presses him to the cage. Knees to the back of Cerrone’s legs. Knee to Cerrone’s head is deflected. More loaded knees to the hamstrings by Henderson. Henderson with a big takedown on Cerrone who tries to scramble. Henderson locks in a tight guillotine. Cowboy tries to fight out but has to tap almost immediately.
Winner and still WEC Lightweight champion: Ben Henderson by submission (1:57, guillotine, R1)
Another prelim from earlier in the evening
Brandon Visher vs. Tyler Toner
Referee: Herb Dean
Round 1
Visher with a kick. Swing and a miss on a leg kick by Toner. Another kick by Visher. Outside leg kick, followed by an inside leg kick by Toner. Visher misses with a right hand, counter by Toner with a right. Jab from Visher connects. Combination from Toner, followed by a blocked head kick. Visher rushes in and gets clipped. Toner comes with two rights and an outside leg kick. Right high kick big left hand levels Visher. Visher ends up on all fours, Toner pushes the head of Visher down to the rain right elbows to the side of the head of Visher. Visher isn’t intelligently defending and referee Herb Dean is forced to stop the fight.
Winner: Tyler Toner by TKO (2:36, R1)
Another big prelim with the undefeated and heavily hyped, Chad Mendes.
Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
Referee: Jon Schorle
Round 1
Mendes presses in for an opening and attempts a takedown that is smothered by Morrison. Left hook by Morrison lands. Left jab from Morrison connects. Mendes shoots and gets the takedown and is pulled into half guard. Mendes rolls it over into a big guillotine. Good shot from the cameraman of Anthony Morrison who is about to go out and has to tap.
Winner: Chad Mendes by submission (2:13, guillotine, R1)
WEC Featherweight Championship
Jose Aldo (c) vs. Urijah Faber
Referee: Josh Rosenthal
Round 1
Front kick from Urijah misses. Faber comes with a two punch and kick combo. Aldo is stalking Faber in the interim. Big leg kick misses by Aldo. Leg sweep attempt by Aldo dodged by Faber. Aldo goes for a front kick and Aldo sweeps the back leg and steps away quickly. Faber testing the range of Aldo, shoots for a flying knee. Two punch combo and leg kick landed by Aldo. Faber shoots, but Aldo circles away. Front kick from Faber lands. Aldo stalks Faber, who explodes with two punches. Right hook by Faber missed. Outside leg kick missed by Aldo and Faber charges and misses a right hook. Big knee to the body of Faber as he charges in. Faber with a front kick as Aldo goes to sweep the leg. Faber with a shot to the body. Both men go for a flying knee, but Aldo does as well, landing to the body of Urijah. Body Kick from Aldo.
10-9 Aldo
Round 2
Faber comes out and presses for a strike, first a takedown, then a body kick, then a right hook. All three miss. Body kick from Aldo. Aldo with a leg kick and misses a hook. Good head movement from Aldo, Faber comes with a right that misses. Right uppercut from Jose just glances. Jab and cross from Aldo, followed by a leg kick. Two punches from Faber miss as Aldo is moving into striking range. Outside leg kick from Aldo makes Faber wince and switch stances. Another leg kick from Aldo lands. Left hook from Faber misses, Aldo lands another outside leg kick. Big welt starts to form on the back of Faber’s left knee. Left outside leg kick causes Faber to limp. Outside leg kick is tearing Faber apart. The round ends and he limps back to his corner.
10-9 Aldo
Round 3
Faber switches stances as Aldo comes forward. Aldo is trying to chop him down. Left hook to the body from Aldo. Faber goes for a takedown, but Aldo spins away. Outside leg kick from Aldo is chopping Faber, who is spinning away and visibly limping. Faber eats a body kick from Aldo and another inside leg kick (Faber moved to southpaw), but Urijah is still moving forward. Right hand from Aldo sets up another body kick at Faber who catches it. Aldo slips away. On their feet, a head kick from Aldo is blocked but Faber is backed up to the cage wall. Shots to the head from Aldo are defended by Urijah, who counters with hooks of his own. Outside leg kick from Aldo and Faber switches to the southpaw. He swings the big right hand and misses. Left shot to the body from Aldo followed by a big leg kick that drops Urijah. Urijah pulls Aldo in to prevent damage as the round ends.
10-9 Aldo
Round 4
Aldo lands three leg kicks in the first minute of the fourth round. Urijah goes down and takes Aldo in to guard but gets mounted. Urijah is rolled to his back and Aldo is working for a submission. Faber ends up rolling through and gets back to his feet. Southpaw stance from Faber and Aldo gets him with a huge outside leg kick and Faber ends on his back. Urijah is in a mounted crucifix and Aldo is landing short fists, but Faber continues to work and try to roll through. Short elbows from Aldo as Jose tries to finish this fight. Faber is being beaten up. With 20 seconds to go, Urijah holds out, defending the shots and trying to get to the next round. He makes it, despite the weak, scraping elbows from Aldo.
10-9 Aldo
Round 5
Urijah starts the round as the aggressor. Aldo swings for a low kick and misses. Faber switches to southpaw again to protect his damaged left leg. Right jab from Faber. Right hook from Faber misses. Faber dives for the takedown and hangs onto the ankle. Aldo, drags him across the apron and refuses to engage him on the mat. Aldo standing over Faber and the ref stands Urijah up. Straight from Aldo lands clean. Faber dives for a takedown and misses, but we get a cool monkey roll out of it. Head kick from Aldo is blocked. Aldo stuffs another takedown attempt from Faber, who cannot seem to finish the explosion there. Big left hook to the body from Aldo. Faber ends up on the mat after missing the takedown. Punches to the body from Aldo who remains over Faber. Urijah ends the fight on his feet as Jose Aldo lets him back up as the bell rings to end the bout.
10-9 Aldo
Winner and still WEC Featherweight champion: Jose Aldo by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 50-45)
From the Spike TV broadcast
Leonard Garcia vs Chan Sung Jung
Round 1
Outside leg kick from Jung. Garcia misses a big right hand, but connects with an outside leg kick. Inside leg kick from Garcia. The fight gets insane for a moment as both men go for flying knees and huge right hands. Garcia and Jung both stand in the pocket and swing for the fences. Jung took two big ones on the gloves. Both end against the cage. Jung begins pouring it on as Garcia is slowing a bit. Head kick from Jung is blocked. Jung is stalking and gets a big shot that takes Garcia down. Jung pounds for a finish, but Garcia weathers the storm and gets an early armbar or omaplata. The Korean Zombie gets back to his feet and Jung and Garcia are back to their feet and spent but swinging for the fences. Three big shots from Jung and the round ends. Insane first round.
10-9 Sung Jung
Round 2
Head kick by Jung. Big right hook from Garcia staggers Jung. Garcia is loading up his right first and landing them. Both fighters exchange spinning backfists (first Garcia, then Jung). Garcia presses Jung to the cage and gets a big knee as he exits. Big right to the body from Garcia. Head kick from Garcia slaps the gloves. Outside leg kick from Jung. Both fighters miss hooks. Left body kick from Garcia. Left hook, right hook from Jung. Garcia spins and Jung takes his back, jumps over and takes his back. Garcia spins out of the body triangle and they’re back on their feet. Outside leg kick from Jung is countered by a jumping jab (not a Superman punch) from Garcia. Front kick from Jung. Jab from Jung as Garcia knees to his body. Jung knocks Garcia’s mouthpiece out and Garcia smiles and takes 6-7 punches from Jung before countering with a huge knee. Garcia swings for the fences a few more times before the round ends.
10-9 Jung
Round 3
Jabs and hooks from both fighters. Right head kick from Garcia. Inside leg kick from Garcia. Jab from Garcia, Jung misses a hook. Two missed hooks from Jung followed by three big shots from Garcia. Body kick from Garcia. Jung loads up a huge right that misses and Garcia lands an inside leg kick. Left hook from Garcia. Jung with a right-left combo. Spinning back fist from Jung followed by a right-left then a hook from Garcia. Feint for the punch from Garcia and big outside leg kick. Jung with three big hooks, Garcia counters with two hooks of his own. Knee from Garcia connects and a back kick misses from Garcia. Jung screams at Garcia. Outside leg kick from Garcia and several missed hooks from both fighters ends the evening.
10-9 Garcia
Winner: Leonard Garcia by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
