WEC 41
Encyclopedia
WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2 was a mixed martial arts
event held by World Extreme Cagefighting
on June 7, 2009 at the Arco Arena
in Sacramento, California
. It was the most successful show in the WEC's history.
Featherweight champion Mike Brown
defended his title in a rematch against former champion and no. 1 contender Urijah Faber
in the main event. UFC lightweight Kenny Florian
acted as a special guest color commentator.
Eddie Wineland
was expected to face Frank Gomez
at the event, but was forced off the card with an injury and replaced by Noah Thomas.
Rich Crunkilton was expected to face Donald Cerrone
at the event, but was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by James Krause
.
The event drew an estimated 1,300,000 viewers on Versus
.
. It does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the WEC and also do not include the WEC's traditional "fight night" bonuses.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event held by World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
on June 7, 2009 at the Arco Arena
ARCO Arena
Power Balance Pavilion is an indoor arena, located in the Natomas area of Sacramento, California. It is the home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.-Background:...
in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. It was the most successful show in the WEC's history.
Featherweight champion Mike Brown
Mike Brown (fighter)
Mike Thomas Brown is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization and is a former WEC Featherweight Champion...
defended his title in a rematch against former champion and no. 1 contender Urijah Faber
Urijah Faber
Urijah Christopher Faber is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. Faber won the WEC featherweight championship at WEC 19 on March 17, 2006 and held the title for over two years until his loss to Mike Brown at WEC...
in the main event. UFC lightweight Kenny Florian
Kenny Florian
Kenneth Alan Florian is a Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and...
acted as a special guest color commentator.
Eddie Wineland
Eddie Wineland
Eddie Wineland is an American professional mixed martial artist from Highland, Indiana who fights in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Wineland is a former World Extreme Cagefighting Bantamweight Champion...
was expected to face Frank Gomez
Frank Gomez
Frank Gomez is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights in WEC's bantamweight division. Gomez is from Albuquerque, New Mexico where trains full time with Jackson's Submission Fighting...
at the event, but was forced off the card with an injury and replaced by Noah Thomas.
Rich Crunkilton was expected to face Donald Cerrone
Donald Cerrone
Donald Anthony Cerrone is an American mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently competes as a lightweight in the UFC...
at the event, but was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by James Krause
James Krause
James Krause is a professional footballer who currently plays for Cambridge City.Krause, a defender, began his career with Ipswich Town and has represented England at under-17 level....
.
The event drew an estimated 1,300,000 viewers on Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
.
Preliminary card
- Bantamweight bout:
Rolando Perez vs. Seth DikunSeth DikunSeth Dikun is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights in WEC's featherweight division. His debut for WEC was a unanimous-decision-loss to Charlie Valencia at WEC 38...
- Dikun defeated Perez via submission (flying triangle choke) at 2:30 of round 1. This bout was featured on the main broadcast.
- Bantamweight bout: Frank GomezFrank GomezFrank Gomez is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights in WEC's bantamweight division. Gomez is from Albuquerque, New Mexico where trains full time with Jackson's Submission Fighting...
vs. Noah Thomas
- Bantamweight bout:
- Gomez defeated Thomas via submission (arm triangle choke) at 3:12 of round 2.
- Bantamweight bout: Scott JorgensenScott JorgensenScott Roger Jorgensen is an American mixed martial artist competing in the UFC Bantamweight division and is a member of the Twisted Genetiks Fight Team based out of Boise, Idaho. He is considered a perennial top 5 ranked bantamweight fighter...
vs. Antonio BanuelosAntonio BanuelosJuan Antonio Banuelos is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...
- Bantamweight bout:
- Banuelos defeated Jorgensen via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28). This bout was featured on the main broadcast.
- Lightweight bout: Mike CampbellMike Campbell (fighter)Michael "The Beast" Campbell is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is most known for his success at New England local shows such as WCF as well as appearing on an episode of the Tapout Show....
vs. Anthony PettisAnthony PettisAnthony Pettis is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Pettis has made a name for himself mainly fighting in his home state of Wisconsin. He is a former fighter for the World Extreme Cagefighting , where he was the...
- Lightweight bout:
- Pettis defeated Campbell via submission (triangle choke) at 1:49 of round 1. This bout was featured on the main broadcast.
- Bantamweight bout:
Rafael RebelloRafael RebelloRafael Rebello is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the bantamweight division for the World Extreme Cagefighting...
vs. Kyle DietzKyle DietzKyle Emerson Dietz is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights in WEC's bantamweight division. In his last fight, Dietz fought Brad Pickett on December 19, 2009 at WEC 45...
- Bantamweight bout:
- Rebello defeated Dietz via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:55 of round 1.
- Featherweight bout:
Manvel GamburyanManvel GamburyanManvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...
vs. John FranchiJohn FranchiJohn Franchi is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights in WEC's featherweight division. His debut for WEC was a split-decision-win over Mike Budnik at WEC 39...
- Featherweight bout:
- Gamburyan defeated Franchi via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
Main card
- Featherweight bout: Jens PulverJens PulverJens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...
vs. Josh GrispiJosh GrispiJosh Richard Grispi is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC featherweight division.-Background:Grispi started mixed martial arts training when he was 13. It was suggested to him by his dad as an outlet when he got kicked out of a paintball facility after repeated scuffles with...
- Grispi defeated Pulver via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:33 of round 1.
- Lightweight bout: Donald CerroneDonald CerroneDonald Anthony Cerrone is an American mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer who fights out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently competes as a lightweight in the UFC...
vs. James KrauseJames Krause (fighter)James Krause is an American mixed martial artist. A veteran of WEC's lightweight division, he suffered his first loss in his WEC debut against Donald Cerrone at WEC 41...
- Lightweight bout:
- Cerrone defeated Krause via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:38 of round 1.
- Featherweight bout: José AldoJose AldoJosé Aldo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is the first and current UFC Featherweight Champion...
vs. Cub SwansonCub SwansonKevin Luke Swanson is an American mixed martial artist . He is currently signed as a featherweight with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-World Extreme Cagefighting:...
- Featherweight bout:
- Aldo defeated Swanson via TKO (flying knee and punches) at 0:08 of round 1.
- Featherweight Championship bout: Mike BrownMike Brown (fighter)Mike Thomas Brown is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization and is a former WEC Featherweight Champion...
(c) vs. Urijah FaberUrijah FaberUrijah Christopher Faber is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. Faber won the WEC featherweight championship at WEC 19 on March 17, 2006 and held the title for over two years until his loss to Mike Brown at WEC...
- Featherweight Championship bout:
- Brown defeated Faber via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 48–47) to retain the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Bonus Awards
Fighters were awarded $10,000 bonuses.- Fight of the Night: Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber
- Knockout of the Night: José Aldo
- Submission of the Night: Seth Dikun
Payouts
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Nevada State Athletic CommissionNevada Athletic Commission
The Nevada Athletic Commission regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers...
. It does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the WEC and also do not include the WEC's traditional "fight night" bonuses.
- Mike Brown: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus) def. Urijah Faber: $26,000
- Jose Aldo: $22,000 ($11,000 win bonus) def. Cub Swanson: $9,000
- Donald Cerrone: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus) def. James Krause: $2,000
- Josh Grispi: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus) def. Jens Pulver: $33,000
- Manny Gamburyan: $28,000 ($14,000 win bonus) def. John Franchi: $4,000
- Rafael Rebello: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus) def. Kyle Dietz: $2,000
- Anthony Pettis: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus) def. Mike Campbell: $4,000
- Antonio Banuelos: $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus) def. Scott Jorgensen: $6,000
- Frank Gomez: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus) def. Noah Thomas: $3,000
- Seth Dikun: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus) def. Rolando Perez: $3,000