5. Page is a brawler, but Bowles is a finisher.

Brian Bowles may have only nine fights on his professional MMA record, but he’s won eight of them and he’s stopped his opponents in each and every one of those victories. Meanwhile, Page is a brawler with stopping power: he can finish opponents, but it usually takes him at least a few strikes to fully put an opponent down. Bowles, meanwhile, has proven that he has one-hit knockout power. Page loves to utilize a “take two to give one” style, but when you’re Brian Bowles, sometimes one good punch is all you need.

4. Damacio Page struggles against top-division competition.

Damacio Page has had several opportunities to fight the best competition a promotion has to offer him, and he’s lost several high-profile fights. In the WEC, Page compiled a record of 3-2, and lost high-profile bouts to Demetrious Johnson and Brian Bowles (more on that later). Page is great hovering near the mid-card, but when it’s time for a step up in competition, a majority of the time he’s found himself in situations he just can’t overcome.

3. Bowles is pretty good with submissions, and Page has been submitted four times.

Bowles has won eight times in the nine times he’s competed as a professional MMA fighter, and five of those wins have been by submission. Page, meanwhile, seems to be good at submissions and yet paradoxically susceptible to them at the same time. In particular, Page has a weakness for choke submissions, losing to them four times. And Brian Bowles has at least four wins by chokes.

2. He’s a former WEC champion.

Brian Bowles already knows what it’s like to be a champion: he ended the legendary reign of former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres and was the first man to ever stop Torres. Immediately following that massive win, many WEC fans and insiders were calling Bowles the future of the division. That ended up not working out, but that shouldn’t diminish the fact that Bowles is a former WEC champion. That’s a very sizable achievement, and that familiarity with winning big in big-time fights is one of Brian Bowles’ deadliest weapons against Damacio Page.

And the number one reasons why I think Brian Bowles could beat Damacio Page is…

1. He’s already done it before.

Damacio Page is the one that’s going to face a tough trek up the mountain at “UFC on Versus 3”, not Bowles. Bowles has already beaten Damacio Page, submitting him in the first round back in 2008. In fact, the win over Page would be one of the last hurdles Bowles overcame before winning the WEC Bantamweight Championship: Bowles fought only one more time after defeating Page before getting his shot at Miguel Torres. Bowles has all the tools and experience necessary to make this rivalry 2-0 in his favor, and that’s the biggest reason why I think Brian Bowles could beat Damacio Page.

And there you have it, fans and friends. But what about you? One last time: it’s Brian Bowles vs. Damacio Page. Who do you think wins it, and why?

5. Page doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him.

This is one thing even the harshest Damacio Page cynic can’t take away from him. It’s also something that Bowles cynics can hold against him. Bowles lost his first fight due to a broken hand… and while that’s  a serious injury, I can’t help but recall Urijah Faber, who basically once fought with two broken hands simply because the word “quit” did not exist in his vocabulary. Page comes to be a fighter that wants to either finish or get finished, and that killer instinct is a big help against Bowles.

4. Page definitely has a ground game.

Although Page has been submitted four times, he’s won five times by submission. Page finds himself in a weird position when fights go to the ground: he’s susceptible to submissions but also has a surprisingly good submission game himself. It’s all about control: if Page can dictate what happens on the ground, he’s got a good shot at winning the ground game in particular and beating Brian Bowles in general.

3. Page has plenty of power in his hands.

Page is mostly known as a brawler, but he definitely has stopping power. Of Page’s twelve career wins, half of them have come by way of (T)KO. Page has also never been knocked out, so he can afford to swing leather and maybe take two to land one. If Page closes the distance and forces short, fast encounters where Bowles isn’t given the chance to load up his punches, we may see Page win the stand-up battle.

2. It’ll be almost a year since Bowles last fought.

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, and I’ll keep saying until the trend is finally and fully broken: “ring rust” is very real. When Bowles steps into the cage for his Octagon debut, it’ll be three day shy of a year since he last fought. And that fight one year ago just so happened to be the first loss of his career, a deflating stoppage victory that cost Bowles his WEC Bantamweight Championship. Page is active and hungry, while Bowles has sat on the sidelines and faces a very uncertain future after Cruz thoroughly outworked and outmatched him. That difference will be a key aspect in helping Page find a way to win this fight.

And the number one reason why I think Damacio Page could beat Brian Bowles is…

1. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.

Without a doubt, this is the single most high-profile match Damacio Page has ever received. It’s his shot at revenge and his shot at defeating a former champion all rolled into one. The UFC’s Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions are both wide open since they were only just instated, and if Page makes a dominating UFC debut, he’ll find himself on the shortlist of can’t-miss lighter-weight fighters in the UFC. This very well could be a defining moment in Page’s career, and if he realizes that and takes hold of this opportunity, then that’s the chief reason why I think Damacio Page could beat Brian Bowles.

And that’s what I think on that subject, fans and friends. Stay tuned for the second part of this new “5 Reasons Why”, it’ll be up shortly. But for now: do you see Damacio Page beating Brian Bowles? Why or why not?

First up we head to MMA Weekly, which reports that former WEC Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles is set to make his MMA return and his UFC debut at “UFC on Versus 3” against Damacio Page. Bowles was expected to face Wagnney Fabiano back at WEC 52, but had to pull out due to an injury. Bowles has yet to compete since losing his WEC Bantamweight Championship in March 2010. Meanwhile, Damacio Page most recently lost out to Demetrious Johnson by way of guillotine choke at WEC 52. The loss snapped a two-fight win-streak. It should also be noted that these two have faced each other before, with Bowles beating Page by submission at WEC 35, which took place over two years ago.

We then head to MMA Junkie for a report that states that Rousimar Palhares will more than likely fight Alexandre Ferreira at “UFC on Versus 3”. Palhares most recently suffered a very deflating loss when Nate Marquardt TKO’d him, snapping Palhares’ three-fight win-streak in a key Middleweight showdown. Palhares is best known as a submission expert, with his heel hook in particular leading to the downfall of many of his opponents. Palhares will face a fellow veteran and submission expert when he locks horns with Ferreira, who holds a record of 18-7 with seventeen submissions. Ferreira most recently lost via TKO to Vladimir Matyushenko back in November.

I think Bowles/Page 2 should be an excellent addition to the “UFC on Versus” card. Bowles is a former champion with good reason: he’s a very gifted athlete that knows how to put it all together and has only one defeat on his pro MMA record. Damacio Page may be up-and-down on a per-event basis, but he’s got a lot of heart and that’s carried him through some very tough fights while giving us fans some pretty entertaining moments. No doubt this fight will be a brawl, but I also have no doubt that it’ll be a good one.

Likewise, I think Palhares/Ferreira will be a mostly one-dimensional (though entertaining) fight. I can’t wait to see what happens when this one goes to the ground, since I know for certain that Palhares has the striking advantage. Hopefully we’ll see a back-and-forth ground war rather than two high-level grapplers nullifying each other on the ground and not doing a whole lot. In the end, I think that this fight has a lot more potential to entertain than it does to disappoint, so I’ll definitely be tuning in to see what happens.

And what about you, fans and friends? Do you think the UFC’s efforts to make their “UFC on Versus” events more memorable fully makes up for the lack of events we’ll be seeing on Versus in 2011? And what are your early thoughts on Bowles/Page and Palhares/Ferreira?

MMAWeekly recently verified the following fighter salaries with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. As was expected, headlining attraction “The California Kid” Urijah Faber topped the list as the highest-paid athlete. Here’s how everything broke down…

Urijah Faber: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) defeats Takeya Mizugaki: $10,000.

Chad Mendes: $17,000 (includes $8,500 win bonus) defeats Javier Vazquez: $11,000

Erik Koch: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) defeats Francisco Rivera: $4,000

Joseph Benavidez: $35,000 (includes $17,500 win bonus) defeats Wagnney Fabiano: $19,000

Demetrious Johnson: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) defeats Damacio Page: $9,000

Raphael Assuncao: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus) defeats L.C. Davis: $11,000

Anthony Njokuani: $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus) defeats Edward Faaloloto: $3,500

Dustin Poirier: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus) defeats Zachary Micklewright: $3,000

Michael McDonald: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus) defeats Clint Godfrey: $3,000

Cub Swanson: $21,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) defeats Mackens Semerzier: $4,000

Yves Jabouin: $5,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus) defeats Brandon Visher: $4,000

MMAWeekly also got the list of fighter medical suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, here’s those numbers as well…

Urijah Faber is suspended until 5/11/11 unless his left shoulder is cleared by a medical professional.

Takeya Mizugaki is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10.

Javier Vazquez must have his nasal and facial bones x-rayed, if the results are positive he must be cleared by a doctor with no contact until 5/11/11. Otherwise, Vazquez is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10.

Francisco Rivera is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10 following a knockout.

Raphael Assuncao must have his right foot x-rayed and cleared by a medical professional or else he is suspended until 5/11/11.

Edward Faaloloto is suspended until 12/12/10 with no contact until 12/3/10 due to a left eyebrow laceration.

Zack Micklewright is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10.

Clint Godfrey is suspended until 5/11/11 unless cleared by a medical professional due to a left elbow injury.

Yves Jabouin must have his left thumb x-rayed and cleared by a medical professional or he is suspended until 5/11/11.

All in all, it seems like a par-for-the-course WEC event. Unless the fighter’s injuries turn out to be more severe than previously thought, I think we may see a quick return for many of the fighters listed. In regards to the official payouts, it doesn’t surprise me in the least bit that Faber took top billing. Joseph Benavidez also earned every bit of his salary with his fantastic submission win. And to be perfectly honest, I am a bit surprised that Takeya Mizugaki made so, so much less money when compared to some of the other stars of the night. Perhaps he really was just a sacrificial lamb to save Faber’s career.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Any unexpected surprises when it comes to who got paid and who’s on the injured list?

Next for Damacio Page: Slugging it out with the other heavy-handed strikers in the new UFC Bantamweight division. It’s going to take time and a lot of work if Page ever wants to get close to a title shot, but he probably won’t have any problems consistently finding work in the UFC. Page is the kind of fighter UFC President Dana White loves: he’ll take two to give one, he’s got a pretty good chin, and he comes to knock out or get knocked out. He’ll be a consistent mid-level threat.

Next for Demetrious Johnson/Joseph Benavidez: Each other, which is why I grouped them together. I think Benavidez/Johnson would be a fantastic match. Johnson displayed some great technical wizardry off of his back when Page slammed him and threw him to the ground in their fight, but he also displayed the kind of sneaky striking power that nearly KO’d Page. Benavidez’s striking power is no secret, and neither is his vastly under-rated ground game. This fight would go a long way towards establishing the next Bantamweight contender, and it’d also probably be highly entertaining, so I’m all for seeing it happen.

Next for Wagnney Fabiano: Fabiano is 2-1 in the WEC’s Bantamweight division, so while he may never have truly lived up to his hype, there’s still a future for Fabiano in the UFC. I honestly think this loss to Benavidez was nothing more and nothing less than a stupid mistake: Fabiano took his ground expertise for granted and opened himself up to submissions, both to score a better position and because he thought he’d be able to wriggle out of anything Benavidez could throw at him. That was obviously not the case. Fabiano doesn’t have to go back to the drawing board, but in the future, if he wants to succeed he should bear in mind that anything is possible and that your strongest weapon can still fail you.

Next for Eric Koch/Next for Chad Mendes: Again, these two are grouped together because I think they should fight each other. Both men have displayed a ton of heart and skill in their time with the WEC, and their victories at WEC 52 put them both within shouting distance of a championship opportunity. Plus it’s a rematch, and most people love rematches.

Next for Urijah Faber: No matter what the future holds for Urijah Faber, I think he’ll be a co-main event or main event star for most of his run in the UFC. Faber was one of the WEC’s best and could end up being a big draw for the UFC. In regards to his future as a fighter rather than as a PPV draw, I think Faber has a long, hard road ahead of him as he faces several worthy challengers before being given a shot at the championship. But it’s a road Faber can and will walk on, if given the opportunity. By the end of 2011, we’ll probably see Faber challenging for the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Now it’s your turn. Get your crystal globe out and start predicting: what does the future hold for the winners and losers of WEC 52?

Courtesy of MMA Mania: Urijah Faber defeats Takeya Mizugaki via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:50 of round one. Joseph Benavidez defeats Wagnney Fabiano via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:45 of round two. Erik Koch defeats Francisco Rivera via technical knockout (strikes) at 1:36 of round one. Chad Mendes defeats Javier Vazquez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Demetrius Johnson defeats Damacio Page via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:27 of round three. Dustin Poirier defeats Zack Micklewright via technical knockout (strikes) at 0:53 of round one. Michael McDonald defeats Clint Godfrey via submission (armbar) at 2:42 of round one. Cub Swanson defeats Mackens Semerzier via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Raphael Assuncao defeats L.C. Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Anthony Njokuani defeats Edward Faaloloto via technical knockout (strikes) at 4:54 of round two. Yves Jabouin defeats Brandon Visher via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I’d just once again like to state how 2010 was a banner year for the WEC. This event didn’t disappoint, and it was another fine entry in the story of the “little-promotion-that-could” and the performers that will soon make their rightly-justified debut in the world’s biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion. There was honestly not a whole lot to dislike in this event, we saw some incredible finishes and some amazing wars. Page vs. Johnson was the archetypal show opening, and I mean that with only the positive in mind: it was fast, it had a bit of everything, it featured two skilled opponents, and it saw a finish.

River/Koch and Benavidez/Fabiano were two great matches as well. Erik Koch proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s the real deal, and he’s certainly put himself firmly into the mix and should be a major player when the UFC/WEC merger comes through. Likewise, Benavidez proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that you absolutely, positively should not sleep on his ground game, or else you’ll suffer the consequences. The way he was able to submit such a highly-lauded grappler just astounds me. He may never beat Dominick Cruz, but you should never, ever count out Joseph Benavidez.

When it comes to Urijah Faber, I think I’ve gone out of my way to say how hopeful I was that the man had a comeback inside of him. Part of me knew I was right, but to be perfectly honest, part of me did hold some doubts as to whether or not Faber’s drop down in weight would hinder his performance. Instead, what we got was vintage “California Kid”, and I couldn’t be happier that Faber took the first big step on the long road back to a championship. No matter what the future holds for Urijah Faber, I’ll certainly be pulling for him.

The same goes for the WEC as a whole: no matter how the UFC/WEC merger ends up playing out, I’ll always think positive. As the final chapter draws to a close, WEC 52 was one to remember. And I’ll always remember the WEC as a promotion so good that I literally adopted the role of town crier because it astounded me that so many MMA fans were potentially missing out on all this great action.

And what about you, fans and friends? How did you feel about the event?

Damacio Page vs. Demetrious Johnson: Even though Johnson shows a lot of promise for an up-and-comer, I think this fight boils down to the simple fact that Page has more experience inside the WEC and in general. He’s fought tougher opponents and has been involved in more wars. Unless he catches lightning in a bottle and scores a first-round KO, look for Damacio Page to take a lopsided Unanimous Decision win.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Wagnney Fabiano: Both men have won seven fights by submission, but many are giving the ground game to Fabiano based on the fact that his Brazilian Jui Jitsu pedigree is a step above the former WEC Bantamweight Championship challenger. Me, I think Fabiano’s ground game is technically better, but that Benavidez is by far more well-rounded. It’s going to be very close if it hits the ground, but if Benavidez fights smart, I think he’ll take a somewhat close (but not razor-thin) Unanimous Decision.

Francisco Rivera vs. Erik Koch: It’ll be the classic battle between the striker and the grappler, with both men being relatively new to the sport of MMA. Like Page, I think experience is a key factor here. Koch has more fights, won more decisively, and has three fights in the famed blue cage to Rivera’s none. Look for Koch to win via submission by the second round at the very latest.

Chad Mendes vs. Javier Vazquez: Vasquez is 2-2 in the WEC while Mendes is 3-0. Mendes would seem to have the clear advantage, but something tells me that this is going to be a very close fight. Mendes has never lost, but Vazquez has never been finished, and his two losses in the WEC were Split Decisions. Unfortunately for Javier, I think Chad Mendes is riding a rocket to the top that can’t be stopped. It’ll be one of the toughest fights on the card and a real test for Mendes, but ultimately I’m picking Chad Mendes to win by Split Decision.

Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki: I know it’s wishful thinking, and I’m sure it’ll be called blatant fanboyism if someone chose to go down that road and get that debate going. But I just have to believe that Urijah Faber has one big, great comeback left in him. The alternative is that the man that put the WEC on the map is going to become an after-thought now that all the hard work has paid off and the lighter stars are about to get their justly-deserved bumps in pay and exposure. I’m sincerely hoping that Faber brings back the beast against Mizugaki, and I have faith that he’ll do just that. I know I’m going out on a limb here, but here it is: Faber wins by first-round TKO.

So those are my picks, fans and friends. What about you? What do you see happening when “Faber vs. Mizugaki” goes live?

The once undefeated fighter tore his way to a title shot after dispatching some of the best in his weight class, in Will Ribeiro, Damacio Page and Marcos Galvao, en route to a title shot against then champion, Miguel Torres.

Seemingly unbeatable, the Georgia boy made quick work of the mullet-wonder with a swift first round knockout, cementing his spot as the best bantamweight in the world–though his glory and accolades didn’t hold up for all that long.

MMAJunkie.com has reported that an undisclosed injury has prevented the return of Bowles, who hails out of the famed Hardcore Gym, which is run by former UFC fighter Rory Singer, and has produced some of the best fighters in the world, including former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin.

In his loss to Cruz, the then undefeated Brian was unable to counter the speed and precision that Cruz’ operated on, which advanced striking skills that elude people still in the 135-pound weight class. At the end of the second round, Bowles was unable to answer the bell to reengage in combat when he suffered a broken hand in the fight. The loss to Dominick snapped an undefeated 8 fight win streak.

Brian was to make his much anticipated return to the cage on November 11 at Pearl at the Palms Casino, in Las Vegas, Nev., for WEC 52 against top bantamweight fighter, Wagnney Fabiano.

The search is currently underway for a new fighter to replace Bowles, and it is rumored that former title challenger Joseph Benavidez is tapped as Brian’s replacement, however, no formal announcement has been made yet.

So, MMA peeps, are you disappointed with the removal? Would Benavidez provide a good replacement? Sound off in the comment section below.

The promotion, which is coupled with the UFC under the Zuffa banner, is taking out all the stops to make their 52nd show one to remember.

With former champion Urijah Faber set to headline in his bantamweight debut against standout and former title challenger Takeya Mizugaki at said event, a top contenders bout pitting former champion Eddie Wineland and Damaicio Page will also be gracing the card.

Damacio, a featured fighter on the popular Tapout television series on the Versus network, has worked his way through the promotion and has looked impressive ever since his inception. After defeating now top contender Scott Jorgensen in his WEC debut in February of 2008, Page stumbled in a submission loss to former champion Brian Bowles. He came storming back after the loss and made 2009 his year to shine.

An 18 second knockout over former top-10 ranked Marcos Galvao and a 62 second rear naked choke affair of then newbie Will Campuzano put Page on the short list of immediate contenders for the 135-pound title and amongst one of the best in his weight class.

However, after multiple injuries and failed match up attempts, Damacio appears to be on the mend and ready to return to action this Novemeber after a year long layoff when he meets Wineland.

Eddie, the aforementioned former WEC champion, is riding an impressive three-fight win streak within the WEC. After decision victories over Manny Tapia (a former title challenger) and UFC veteran George Roop, Wineland displayed his dangerous stand up arsenal once again, when he was able to defeat the young bantamweight spitfire, Will Campuzano (who is 1-2 inside the promotion, the losses to Page and Wineland are nothing to be ashamed of) on second strikes which gained him his third win in a row inside the promotion, and also allowed him to pick the “Knock of the Night” bonus.

Wineland and Page will be squaring off at the Pearl at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on November 11th in what will be a match to remember.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the 135 pound match up? Who do you think will come out on top? And do you think the winner of said match up should be next to challenge for the title? Let your opinions be heard below.

Courtesy of MMAWeekly, the first newly-announced fight sees Damacio Page take on Eddie Wineland. Page is 3-1 in the WEC and holds impressive victories over Will Campuzano as well as Scott Jorgensen. Eddie Wineland is a former (and the first-ever) WEC Bantamweight Champion that is 4-2 against the world’s best lighter-weight fighters, with key victories over Manny Tapia, Antonio Banuelos, and George Roop.

Also courtesy of MMAWeekly is the following: WEC 52 will see the promotional debut of Michael McDonald when he takes on Clint Godfrey. “Mayday” McDonald is 10-1 with seven (T)KO’s, including a win over WEC veterans Manny Tapia and Cole Escovedo. His opponent, Clint Godfrey, is 11-2 with no wins inside the WEC but with six submission wins in lower-level promotions.

Both fights should be solid additions to both the undercard and the televised card. I’m a moderate fan of Damacio Page and have been following him ever since I saw him on the first episode of the short-lived (far too short in my opinion, but that’s a piece for another day) “TapouT” reality TV show. Page has heart, grit, determination, and could go far in the WEC. Wineland should be a very good test for him, and if either man pulls off a big victory, I think they’ll open themselves up to big-name fights in the future.

I think it will be interesting to see how Clint Godfrey fights knowing that he’s being put into the role of “sacrificial lamb” against the hot prospect Michael McDonald. McDonald seems to be making waves in all the right circles, and MMA as a whole has seen a large influx of freshly-minted athletes skyrocket to the top without ever slowing down. McDonald could be the next super-talented rookie to take a promotion by storm, but he could also be another failed prospect that flops when he gets to the main stage. I think this fight will mark a career turning point for both men, for better or for worse, so it should be a highly interesting undercard attraction.

All in all, I really like how this card is beginning to come into focus and take shape. You’ve got big-name talent like Faber and Bowles, and the added bonus of Faber making his debut at 135. Then you’ve got a fight like Page/Wineland that will likely put the winner on the fast-track to big-money fights with top-division fighters. Add to that the possible debut of a highly-touted Bantamweight prospect, and you’ve got a solid-looking card on paper. I look forward to seeing what other match-ups are announced, and I personally have a great feeling regarding WEC 52. The WEC hasn’t let me down in a long time, and I don’t think WEC 52 will be the show that breaks this impressive streak of great events.

And what about you, fans and friends? Even though all eyes are rightfully on the upcoming “Aldo vs. Gamburyan” event, how do you feel about WEC 52 so far?

After his losses to former champion BJ Penn at lightweight, and then budding welterweight star John Hathaway, Diego will try his hand once again at the 170-pound division at UFC 121 against Paulo Thiago. Sanchez largely made his name after winnings “The Ultimate Fighter” season one as a middleweight, before dropping down to the welterweight division in dominating fashion.

After defeating fellow finalist Kenny Florian at the TUF finale, Diego would make a name for himself in victories over Karo Parisyan, Nick Diaz, and Joe Riggs. While Diego can attribute a large amount of his success to his hard work and dedication, but in some respects a little of that success also needs to be addressed to the man, the myth, the legend–Greg Jackson.

In the beginning, Sanchez was one Greg Jackson’s first success stories. Soon more would follow, and flock towards Albequerque, New Mexico, to be trained under his tutelage. Now, Jackson hosts some of the worlds top fighters in all different weight classes, including UFC phenom Jon Jones, welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre, former champions Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and additionally WEC contenders Damacio Page, Leonard Garcia and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

Early rumors dubbed Sanchez’ initial reasons for leaving the camp was due to none other than one GSP who joined the crew before meeting with adversary BJ Penn at UFC 94, where at the time Diego was dubbed at the top of the heap in that division, before meeting his first set of back-to-back losses against division standouts and American Kickboxing Academy teammates Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch (respectively).

After a move with Saulo Ribeiro‘s school was short lived, spanning just the last couple of fights, Diego is hoping that a change to New Mexico might be the difference maker–and he’s going to need it, should he expect to fair well against welterweight standout Paulo Thiago.

So, is the change back to Jackson’s camp too little-too late for Sanchez, or will he have a shot against Thiago? You decide.

WEC 48 will take place April 24 and is the very first WEC pay-per-view. This fight between Scott and Antonio will be the first fight of the televised portion of the fight card.

Many may remember that these two have already gone to war once before at WEC 41 where Antonio came out on the better end of a split-decision. This fight was in the running for fight of the year as it was an absolute war.

Since then Jorgenson has pulled the hat trick with three consecutive wins including a fight at WEC 45 that earned him “Fight of the Night” honors.

Scott joined myself and Gary Friedman on MMA Gospel Radio Episode 28 back in January and told us he thought he had won that fight. He stated that during the first exchange he got hit right on the eye and it effected his vision and he believes he lost the first round but after that he took control of the fight. He also said “I learned a lot from that fight” I learned to stick to my strategy and to not get drawn in and fighting with emotions”

If Jorgenson comes back to avenge his previous loss he very well could be in line for the next shot at the title.

This is a fight all fans should be excited see after watching the first one and seeing the improvement from Scott in his fights since then. If Scott can stick to his game plan of mixing up the striking with his wresting we should be in for a real treat to start off the pay-per-view.

Henderson consistently put Cerrone on his back while swinging power shots from top position and avoiding an arm triangle in round four and a Kimura in the final round.

Henderson and WEC lightweight champion “Worm” Jamie Varner (16-3) will now fight to consolidate the titles.

Lightweight Dave Jansen (14-0) won a three-round UD over “Cleat” Richard Crunkilton, Jr. (16-3) by judges’ scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice.  Jansen was debuting in the WEC.

Featherweight “Tiger” Yves Jabouin (12-5) fought ferociously in his WEC debut, but Rafael Assuncao (13-1) eeked out a split decision victory by judges’ scores of 30-27 and 29-28 for Assuncao and 30-27 for Jabouin.

Bantamweight “Angel of Death” Damacio Page (10-5) tapped out WEC newcomer William Campuzano (6-1) in a rear naked choke at 1:02 of round one.

Lightweight Anthony Njokuani (10-2) TKO’d Muhsin Corbbrey (6-4) when the referee stopped the fight at 1:42 of round two.

Bantamweight “Young Guns” Scott Jorgensen (6-2) TKO’d The Ultimate Fighter 5 contestant Noah Thomas (14-7) at 3:13 of round one.

In a featherweight upset, Mackens Semerzier (5-0) tapped out BJJ ace and 145-pound contender Wagnney Fabiano (12-2) in a triangle choke at 2:14 of round one.

Bantamweight Eddie Windeland (14-6-1) won a three-round UD over “Mangler” Manny Tapia (10-3-1) by judges’ scores of 30-27 three times.  Tapia has lost both fights since his WEC bantamweight title challenge versus Miguel Torres (36-2) at WEC 37 in Las Vegas last December.

Bantamweight Charlie Valencia (11-5) won a three-round unanimous decision over “Ox” Coty Wheeler (9-1) by judges’ scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice.

Lightweight Deividas Taurosevicius (11-3) won a controversial three-round split decision over “Showtime” Javier Vazquez (13-4) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice for Taurosevicius and 29-28 one for Vazquez.

At 4:43 of round four, Condit touched – and, maybe that’s all too literal of a description – Miura with a knee to the noggin.

Miura’s body and heart gave in to a brutal back-and-forth battle.  He dove for Condit’s ankle, and that was it.  He had nothing left.

Several times, Condit could’ve similarly surrendered on the receiving end of clean punches from the one-time middleweight, but didn’t.

That’s why Condit is a champion and Miura isn’t, both tonight and in general.

However, before the fight Condit made clear that he didn’t feel like Miura should be on the other side of the cage from him.

Isn’t that always the preface to a brutal back-and-forth battle?

Condit sits on the precipice of the welterweight top ten; and, now, Miura sits on a 9-5 record.

Condit was dumped on the mat thrice in the first round alone, swept from the mount consistently, and tagged with clean power shots from Miura.

Should Miura have been such a challenge?  Untested at the top of the division, Condit’s “W” only exposed how far the rising star has to go.

“All American” Brian Stann (6-1) has still farther.

Stann didn’t so much collapse at the end of any particular strike from Steve Cantwell (6-1) as collapse at the end of all of them.

Cantwell won the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship by TKO at 4:01 of round two when Stann fell face first into the mat.

Both fighters were gassed at the second round’s opening bell after a first session fought in scintillating spurts and won by Stann on all three judges’ scored cards.

Cantwell sustained the pressure with a mixed bag of fists, knees, and feet while Stann withered.

Cantwell’s win was revenge for a 2007 TKO loss to Stann, but may be for naught as the WEC will knockout its 205-pound division before the end of this year.

Fighters.com speculates that the next time Stann fights it’ll be in the UFC’s middleweight division.

WEC Lightweight Champion “Worm” Jamie Varner (15-2) looked like he got hit by…well, a “Wrecking Ball” after a minute in the cage with Marcus Hicks (8-1).

Varner was slammed twice, nearly tapped in Hicks’s bread-and-butter guillotine, and couldn’t get a beat on the 5’7″ brawler standing-up.

“He kept taking me down.  I’ve never been taken down like that in MMA before,” Varner admitted after the fight.

But, one minute was about how long it took Varner to find his range.

Once Varner rattled Hicks with a knee as Hicks shot to dump Varner, it was all “Worm” digging holes in Hicks’s skull.

Varner unloaded a barrage that Hicks seemed to walk through until the final onslaught beginning with two knees square on Hicks’s jaw and three straight rights that finally left Hicks limp on the mat at 2:08 of round one.

“I’m sure I’ll see [Hicks] again,” Varner said after the TKO title defense.

Bantamweight Brian Bowles (6-0) fell “Angel of Death” Damacio Page (10-4) at 3:30 of round one in a guillotine choke cinched as Page hoisted Bowles for a slam.

Page stumbled with Bowles monkeyed around him holding the submission before rocking backwards and collapsing as he tapped out.

The fighters had exchanged evenly to begin the fight, Page taking his advantage standing while Bowles had nearly locked a guillotine on the mat early in the round.

“Fluke” Josh Grispi (9-1) tagged Micah Miller (9-2) with an overhand right to Miller’s temple that spiraled Miller to the mat.  Grispi closed the show with a pair of rights before referee Herb Dean stepped in to end the fight at :50 of round one.

Brock Larson (23-2-1) slobberknocked Carlo Prater (23-6-1) with a straight left and finished him off on the mat at :37 of round one.

Las Vegas favorite Blas Avena (3-2) wheeled lefts and rights at the cage, dropping opponent Dave Terrel (5-2), then leaving him slumped and eating clean shots until the referee stoppage 1:07 of the first round.

Lightweight Shane Roller (4-1) finally locked in a guillotine choke on his third attempt at 3:00 of the first round to tap “Maniac” Todd Moore (9-2).

Lightweight Mike Budnik (7-0) tapped Greg McIntyre (5-3) by triangle choke at 3:21 of round three.

Bantamweight Scott Jorgensen (5-2) won a unanimous decision over Kenji Osawa (13-8-2).

Everyone made weight, except for WEC lightweight title challenger “Wrecking Ball” Marcus Hicks (8-0), who needed an hour to drop one pound before stepping into the cage across from Champ “Worm” Jamie Varner (14-2).

Curiously, WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Stann (6-0) weighed 201 1/2 pounds, causing “Version 2.5″ Rory Singer (11-8) to shout from the crowd, “201!  What!?”

Stann’s opponent, Steve Cantwell (5-1), weighed-in at the 205-pound limit.

Refresh Fighters.com tonight for live coverage from The Joint in Las Vegas.

Bantamweight Brian Bowles (5-0) will fight “Angel of Death” Damacio Page (10-3), and Micah Miller (9-1) will meet “The Fluke” Josh Grispi (8-1) in a featherweight match-up.

Bowles, from Athens, GA, last fought in WEC 31 in December, where he KO’d “Louro” Marcos Galvao (6-2) in the second round. He made his professional debut two years ago.

Albuquerque’s “Angel of Death” made his WEC debut in February when he replaced an injured Jesse Moreng (8-1) on short notice to win a unanimous decision over Scott Jorgensen (4-2).

American Top Team fighter Miller will look to win his third fight in a row after his first career loss last June at WEC 28, a unanimous decision that went to Cub Swanson (12-2).

Nineteen-year-old Grispi also made his WEC debut in February, submitting “The Machine” Mark Hominick (15-8) with a rear-naked choke in the first round.