WEC 50 Breakdown
2010 has produced its share of intriguing rematches in the MMA world, including Mauricio Rua vs. Lyoto Machida, Cung Le vs. Scott Smith and B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar.
Falling under the radar, however, is the first title defense of WEC bantamweight king Dominick Cruz as he once again locks horns with Joseph Benavidez this Wednesday night at WEC 50 in Las Vegas. Despite lacking the same significant hype as other big rematches this year, these two 135-pound warriors are guaranteed to produce fireworks when they collide in the WEC cage on Versus.
Here’s a breakdown of the WEC 50 main card:
-Dominick Cruz (15-1) vs. Joseph Benavidez (12-1)
These two youngsters have been delivering sensational performances in recent WEC appearances, which makes their five-round title fight particularly compelling.
Cruz, 24, is coming off a second-round stoppage of Brian Bowles at WEC 47 this past March, in which he captured the WEC 135-pound championship.
To earn that title shot, Cruz defeated Benavidez in the “Fight of the Night” at WEC 42 last August, turning in a dominant performance to earn a three-round unanimous decision. The San Diego native of Mexican origin also holds a notable win over durable bantamweight Charlie Valencia in June 2008.
In his lone career setback, Cruz was submitted by then-WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber in March 2007. Since dropping to 135 pounds, a more fitting weight, the Alliance MMA product has amassed five straight wins.
Benavidez, 26, submitted former beltholder Miguel Torres and stopped former title challenger Rani Yahya in the first round to position himself as a top contender for the gold. Before his first fight with Cruz, Benavidez had amassed back-to-back decision wins over Danny Martinez and Jeff Curran.
A well-rounded Team Alpha Male member under Urijah Faber, Benavidez has shown improvements every time he comes to fight. However, he will always suffer from an uncontrollable weakness — a significantly smaller frame than most bantamweights. That being said, nobody is rushing to fight Benavidez after witnessing how he crushed Torres back in March.
In their first meeting at WEC 45, Cruz utilized his reach advantage to outstrike Benavidez, while landing several significant takedowns to cement the rounds. In the third stanza, Cruz was on the verge of stopping Benavidez before the round ended. This time, however, both men will have five rounds to finish the fight.
Although Benavidez has been on a tear since their WEC 42 fight over a year ago, Cruz has proven to be a more dangerous fighter. With an ability to mix accurate striking and effective wrestling, Cruz is a handful for anyone at 135 pounds.
Ultimately, the most intriguing test for Cruz comes in the form of Benavidez’s teammate Faber, who has dropped to bantamweight since he first fought Cruz in a 145-pound bout over three years ago. If Cruz remains focused on the task at hand, a rematch with Faber could come to fruition in 2011.
Meanwhile, Benavidez should be eagerly awaiting the introduction of a 125-pound flyweight class in the WEC because he will likely dominate all opponents his size. But this Wednesday, “The Dominator” should have the durable Benavidez all figured out.
Verdict: Cruz via Unanimous Decision
-Anthony Pettis (11-1) vs. Shane Roller (8-2)
The winner of this lightweight eliminator has the unenviable task of challenging WEC 155-pound champion Benson Henderson.
The 23-year-old Pettis, a pupil of kickboxing legend Duke Roufus, has a bright future ahead of him in the sport. The versatile Milwaukee native has proven himself equally capable of finishing foes by either knockout or submission.
Following his first career loss – a split decision versus IFL veteran Bart Palaszewski — Pettis has rebounded with back-to-back wins over Alex Karalexis and Danny Castillo.
Eight years Pettis’ elder, Roller is one of the WEC’s most impressive wrestlers. A three-time NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State University, Pettis transitioned to MMA in September 2007.
After losing his pro debut against Jake Pruitt, Roller has gone 8-1 with his only other setback being a first-round loss to Henderson, who now rules the division. Among his notable victims, Roller has vanquished Castillo, Marcus Hicks and Anthony Njokuani.
A member of Team TakeDown, Roller’s training partners include fellow standout wrestlers Johny Hendricks and Jake Rosholt.
While Pettis possesses a superior standup game, he will not have an opportunity to exhibit that skillset off his back as Roller will take him down at will and punish him from top position over three grueling rounds.
Verdict: Roller via Unanimous Decision
-Chad Mendes (7-0) vs. Cub Swanson (14-3)
Mendes looks to make Swanson his eighth consecutive victim when they meet in featherweight action.
A former All-American wrestler, Mendes has yet to taste defeat in his MMA career. The 25-year-old trains with Faber’s Team Alpha Male, which means his training camp has coincided with Benavidez’s camp. Both fighters should now be expected to peak simultaneously on Wednesday night.
Since making his WEC debut this past March, Mendes has won successive fights against Erik Koch and Anthony Morrison.
The 26-year-old Swanson will have a significant edge in experience as he has more than double as many fights under his belt than Mendes.
Swanson’s losses have come against former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver and current pound-for-pound wrecking machine Jose Aldo, while he has recorded victories over the likes of John Franchi, recent Joachim Hansen conqueror Hiroyuki Takaya and notable contender Charlie Valencia.
A member of Greg Jackson’s team in New Mexico, the well-rounded Swanson will surely be well prepared to deal with Mendes’ relentless offensive output. Thus far in Mendes’ career, no one has had an answer for his aggressive wrestling, but Swanson should be able to test the rookie by taking him into deep water and forcing him to stand and trade.
Verdict: Swanson via Split Decision
-Scott Jorgensen (10-3) vs. Brad Pickett (19-4)
In what is being billed as a possible bantamweight title eliminator, Jorgensen is eyeing his fifth straight victory in the WEC.
The 27-year-old Idaho native has rapidly earned a reputation for putting on some of the promotion’s most entertaining wars. Fresh off victories over the likes of Noah Thomas, Takeya Mizugaki and Antonio Banuelos, Jorgensen is grinding out opponents with a furious style comparable to the UFC’s Clay Guida.
The former NCAA wrestler is now mixing strikes into his evolving game, although he will need to revert to the basics against Pickett by pursuing takedown after takedown, while remaining weary of Pickett’s underrated submissions.
A former Cage Rage featherweight champion, Pickett is 2-0 since dropping to bantamweight and joining the WEC stable. The 31-year-old Brit has not been defeated since a submission setback against Hideo Tokoro at a K-1 Dynamite!! USA event in June 2007.
After emerging victorious against Kyle Dietz and Demetrious Johnson in the WEC, Pickett is building the confidence to challenge for the title as he targets his tenth straight victory.
While Pickett has proven to possess a viable BJJ game, British fighters have historically struggled against dominant wrestlers. WEC 50 should be no exception as Jorgensen gets in Pickett’s face and outworks him to take home a decision win.
Verdict: Jorgensen via Unanimous Decision
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