Former WEC Featherweight champion "California Kid" Urijah Faber (21-2) got shocked by American Top Team's Mike Thomas Brown (15-4) via TKO stoppage at 2:23 of the first round Wednesday night at WEC 36 in Hollywood, north of Miami. Brown took the title decisively following a right hand that laid the former champ out.  Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) won a surprisingly boring unanimous decision over Fighters.com's third-ranked middleweight and WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (15-1) in a non-title fight that was heckled by fans throughout.  Official scores were 10-9 twice for Sonnen, 10-8 for Sonnen.  "Bad Boy" Leonard Garcia (11-3) dismantled "Little Evil" Jens Pulver (22-9-1) in a 1:12 TKO shocker to move up the ranks in the WEC's stacked 145-pound division. ...

The WEC has pulled “9mm” Ed Ratcliff (6-1) and Alex Schoenauer (12-9) from the WEC 36 card, scheduled for 5 November in Hollywood, FL. The reason for Ratcliff’s withdrawal is unknown at this time; Schoenauer is injured with a torn hamstring. Although the WEC has made no official announcement, American Top Team representatives confirmed that Rafael Dias (12-4) has agreed to replace Ratcliff versus Danny Castillo (3-1), according to Five Ounces of Pain. UFC veteran “The Fury” Carmelo Marrero (8-2) has agreed to replace Schoenauer versus “The Hooligan” Steve Steinbeiss (4-1), according to MMA Weekly. Dias last fought in September, earning a submission win over Rocky Long (17-23). Castillo suffered his first career loss in June when Donald Cerrone (7-1) tapped him with an armbar at 0:30 of the first round. Marrero won his last fight in September versus Chuck Huus (0-2) via ankle lock. Steinbeiss, who will be making his WEC debut, last fought in June, defeating Francisco Alcantara (0-3) with a first-round TKO. ...

Three IFL title-holders tightened the straps on their belts in the Izod Center just through the Lincoln Tunnel from New York City Saturday night. "The Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), Wagnney Fabiano (10-1), and Jay Hieron (15-4) all defended their respective titles with knockouts. Lightweight standout Chris Horodecki (12-1) picked up a unanimous decision, while one-time top 155-pounder "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (28-11) continued his slide with a loss by unanimous decision. Featherweight Fabiano set-up a right slobber-knocker to Shad Lierley (2-2) with just his reputation as a submission specialist. "People think I'm just a jiu-jitsu fighter," Fabiano explained after the fight.  "Today I knew he would expect me shooting, so I changed my game plan." The KO came after just 37 seconds. Hieron, an Xtreme Couture 170-pounder, dispatched Mark Miller (8-3) in just 2:10. "It went quicker than I thought, but man it was not easy," said Hieron after his right hook set-up a single-leg takedown leading to a G'n'P finish. "The Janitor" had the toughest time of the IFL's three defending champions. Hometown Jamal Patterson (4-2), who's won exclusively by submission, cranked up striking flurries in the first round causing Matyushenko to duck-and-cover. But, Matyushenko handed Patterson his ass in the second with a ground'n'pound barrage the required the ref to wave the fight finished at 3:35. IFL newcomer Jim Miller (11-1) ran "Bartimus" ragged for three rounds, dumping the winless-in-three lightweight at will and filing through submission attempts like he had an extra limb.  Palaszewski fought back valiantly with several crafty escapes, but Miller took all of the cards in his IFL debut. Horodecki had a handfull named Nate Lamotte (6-3) to contend with in Horodecki's return from his first loss to "The Lion" Ryan Schultz (19-9-1) in IFL's Lightweight Grand Prix final. Lamotte delivered some vicious G'n'P when he was able to catch Horodecki, but the IFL vet kept Lamotte at bay with a snapping jab and pin-pointed punches to take a UD by 29-28 times three. And the rest of the story saw light heavyweight "Shark" Emyr Bussade (11-5) win his IFL debut with a kneebar of Jesse Lennox (6-1) at 1:25 of round two. "Bad" Brad Blackburn (12-9-1) TKO'd "Pe de Chumbo" Delson Heleno (13-5) at 1:50 of the third round of a welterweight matchup. Featherweight LC Davis (10-1) kicked Rafael Dias (10-4-1) in the head for the KO "W" at 3:56 of round three. Xtreme Couture middleweight Alex Schoenauer (13-9) eeked out a split decision over Brendan Barrett (3-3). Finally, heavyweight Miletich fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz (13-3) cut Kongo-conqueror "The Fury" Carmelo Marrero (7-2) with an unintentional headbutt in a fight declared a No Contest after 1:37. The IFL returns 16 May in at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. ...

IFL Lightweight Champion "The Lion" Ryan Schultz ran his streak to five wins at Orleans Arena in Vegas Friday night. Team Quest's Schultz, 19-9-1, escaped a choke hold applied by 15-6 John Gunderson to grind out a unanimous decision. Miletich middleweight Ryan McGivern added the IFL 185-pound strap to his belt drawer with a unanimous decision over defending champion "Suave" Matt Horwich of Team Quest. The back-and-forth rematch was fight of the night ending with the same result as their 2006 fight. IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson made quick work of debuting "Pega-Leve" Fabiano Scherner with TKO at 3:20 of round one. On the undercard, 17-3 middleweight Jake Ellenberger won a unanimous decision over "Bam Bam" Pat Healy. BTT light heavy "Cacareco" Alexandre Ferreira submitted ATT's Lew Polley in 20 seconds for 16th "W" against five losses. Late substitution "Bring the Pain" Josh Haynes of Team Quest won a unanimous decision over Brazilian Leopoldo Serao to pull even at 9-9. ATT lightweight Rafael Dias submitted 11-4 Santino Defranco at 2:03 of round one to raise his record to 10-3-1. Finally, featherweight "The Barn Owl" Ian Loveland of Team Quest guillotine choked Xtreme Couture's "Piranha" Dennis Davis 58-seconds into round two for his ninth win against seven losses. ...