Benson Henderson is now the undisputed WEC lightweight champion.

Benson Henderson unified the WEC lightweight title with a slick guillotine choke of Jamie Varner in the third round of their title fight. Urijah Faber secured his shot at Jose Aldo defeating Raphael Assuncao with a rear-naked choke. Former featherweight champion Mike Brown also won by choke.

Full results below:

• Benson Henderson def. Jamie Varner via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 2:41
• Urijah Faber def. Raphael Assuncao via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:49
• Kamal Shalorus def. Dave Jansen via unanimous decision.
• Mike Brown def. Anthony Morrison via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:54
• Deividas Taurosevicius def. Mackens Semerzier via unanimous decision.
• Charlie Valencia def. Akitoshi Tamura via split decision.
• Wagnney Fabiano def. Clint Godfrey via unanimous decision.
• Mark Hominick def. Bryan Caraway via submission (arm-bar) – Round 1, 3:48
• Eddie Wineland def. George Roop via unanimous decision.
• Will Campuzano def. Coty Wheeler via unanimous decision.

Blue Chip prospect Ben Askren signs with Bellator Fighting Championship.

Askren is a U.S. Olympian who competed in the 2008 Beijing Games in freestyle wrestling. While wrestling at the collegiate level at the University of Missouri, Askren won two NCAA Division I titles. Since announcing his plans to cross over into professional mixed martial arts after the conclusion of the Beijing Games, Askren has been one of the most sought-after free agents in the sport.

Known for his unorthodox fighting style and world class credentials, Askren, 25, is slated to compete in Bellator’s welterweight (170 lbs.) division tournament. The promotion will kick off its second season on April 8, 2010 and will conduct eight-man tournaments in the featherweight (145 lbs.), lightweight (155 lbs.), welterweight (170 lbs.), and middleweight (185 lbs.) divisions to determine the No. 1 ranked challengers to face Bellator’s current champions.

In February 2009, Askren, who is known as “Funky,” made his professional MMA debut and has since compiled an undefeated record of 3-0. MMAJunkie.com has labeled him as “one of the top prospects in all of mixed martial arts,” while BloodyElbow.com called his abilities “mesmerizing.”

“I am very happy to welcome Ben to Bellator,” said Bjorn Rebney, founder and CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships. “Ben’s an exciting fighter with unlimited potential and an unparalleled list of Olympic and collegiate accomplishments. We believe he can become a true force in this sport. As an MMA fan, I can’t wait for Ben’s first fight in our tournament on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo this April.”

As the nation’s top MMA prospect, Askren joins a Bellator roster that includes elite fighters such as Eddie Alvarez (155 lbs. champion), Hector Lombard (185 lbs. champion), Lyman Good (170 lbs. champion), Joe Soto (145 lbs. champion) and many others.

Askren’s signing is the latest in a series of major offseason Bellator announcements that include the promotion’s historic new TV distribution alliance with FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo. Bellator Season 2 begins April 8, 2010 and will run for 12 weeks. It will be followed by Bellator Season 3, which is slated to begin on Aug. 12, 2010 and will also run for 12 successive weeks.

Askren said the national TV alliances were a key factor in his decision to sign with Bellator.

“I like that my fights are going to broadcast nationally, I like the tournament-style format and I love the opportunity to be a part of something exciting and new,” he said. “I plan on winning Bellator. My goal, as it always has been, is to be the best in the world.”

Askren, who was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and grew up outside of Milwaukee, Wis., now lives in Phoenix and trains at the renowned Arizona Combat Sports gym.  In addition to the wrestling techniques he honed at the collegiate and Olympic levels, he holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Askren is also engaged to be married on April 9th, one day after Bellator’s Season 2 premiere.

“My fiancé doesn’t really like the whole getting punched in the face thing, but she accepts it and is excited for me to continue to compete in MMA for Bellator.”

Each of Bellator’s 24 fights during Seasons 2 and 3 will be distributed live in primetime on Thursday nights on FOX Sports Net and its regional sports network affiliates. The top moments from each week’s live events will then be condensed into an action-packed 30-minute highlight show, broadcast every Saturday night, late night, on NBC. A one-hour highlight show will air in Spanish on Telemundo every Saturday night from midnight to 1 a.m. Each of the three broadcasts will be aired in high definition.

Donald Cerrone plans on fighting at 145 after his fight with Ratcliff.

Donald Cerrone doesn’t like being on the sidelines too long.

In fact, after he faces Ed Ratcliff at WEC 45, he already has a plan in mind.

“I’m going to call out Jose Aldo and drop down to 145,” Cerrone told MMAMadness.com’s Hector Castro on Tuesday’s episode of The Ground & Pound. “I’m really looking forward to that. I’m not running away from the 155 lb. weight class. I’m going to stay at 155 but just also going to fight at 145.”

Cerrone (10-2-1) said the move wouldn’t be permanent, rather he wants to take interesting fights in the featherweight class.

“I’m not going to go down to 145 forever,” he said. “I’m just going to go down and dabble in there. I’d like to go Jose Aldo, Mike Brown would be a fun fight, Urijah would be a fun fight.

“Anyone at 145, I will fight. The only person I won’t fight is Leonard Garcia, who is my best friend and roommate. So I can’t take that fight but besides that… Fair game”

Cerrone admitted he has been walking around at 149-150 pounds, meaning he could make the limit without any issue. He credits the constant scheduling of fights has helped him maintain his weight a level that he could make it into the featherweight division.

“I’ve been fighting so frequently my weight is way down,” Cerrone said. “As long as I can keep my weight down. (Fighting at 145) shouldn’t be a problem at all.”

Listen to the show, which also featured The Ultimate Fighter’s Matt Mitrione and a UFC roundtable discussion by clicking here.

The Brazilian Scored His Sixth Consecutive KO Over Mike Brown.

There is no question about it.

Jose Aldo is for real.

The 23-year-old Brazilian finished WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown in the second round to claim the WEC featherweight championship. Aldo broke down into tears as the title was placed around his waist.

Manny Gamburyan  stayed away from Leonard Garcia’s explosive striking en route to a unanimous decision victory over the 30-year-old Texan.

For full results, see below.

• Jose Aldo def. Mike Brown via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:20 to become new WEC featherweight champion.
• Manny Gamburyan def. Leonard Garcia by unanimous decision.
• Karen Darabedyan def. Rob McCullough via split decision.
• Shane Roller def. Danny Castillo via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:32
• Kamal Shalorus def. Will Kerr via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:26
• L.C. Davis def. Diego Nunes via unanimous decision.
• Cub Swanson def. John Franchi via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 4:50.
• Antonio Banuelos def. Kenji Osawa via unanimous decision.
• Ricardo Lamas def. James Krause via unanimous decision.
• Frank Gomez def. Seth Dikun via unanimous decision.

Mike Brown is ready to bang with Jose Aldo in a possible candidate of 'Fight of the Year'.

Mike Brown enters a new era of his featherweight title reign in the WEC.

He’s actually entering the bout as a favorite.

Brown is considered a favorite in his upcoming bout with 23-year-old knockout artist Jose Aldo Wednesday at WEC 44 at The Pearl in the Palms in Las Vegas. Brown, whose last three bouts included Urijah Faber (twice) and Leonard Garcia in Texas, hasn’t lost a fight in nearly four years, and he doesn’t expect this fight to be the one that ends his winning streak.

“Some people like to think I’m a favorite,” Brown (22-4) said. “[Jose’s] fans think he’s going to crush me. I have momentum on my side this time. It feels a little different.”

Brown is considered by many to be the top featherweight in the world, and his status is highly regarded even by WEC general manager Reed Harris who stated that if Brown beats Aldo, Brown may go down as “the greatest featherweight of all time.”

Brown is fully aware of Aldo’s striking prowess, as 10 of Aldo’s 15 fights have ended with a  knockout including an eight second destruction of Cub Swanson at WEC 41.

But it’s the ground game that Brown has focused on as well.

Aldo is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, and fans wouldn’t have known given his desire to stand and trade. Aldo’s last submission victory not due to strikes: March 19, 2005.

Brown, however is thankful that he has his teammates at American Top Team, who have single handedly transformed his ground game.

All of Brown’s defeats have come via submission with his most recent being in December of 2005 against Masakazu Imanari on a DEEP card in Japan. It has been the only fight during Brown’s stint with American Top Team in which he has tasted defeat, and Brown was quick to point out that he tore his ACL in the fight.

“I thought I was controlling the fight when [the injury] happened,” Brown said. “I’m with so many world class jiu-jitsu guys, with ATT and it helps. ATT has been improved that my part of game.”

Brown, like many fans, haven’t seen any of Aldo’s jiu-jitsu game, meaning that he’ll get to test it live if the fight goes to the ground.

It’s no concern to Brown, because he views his submission game as one of his strengths.

“It’s hard [to prepare for his ground] because he doesn’t have a lot [of footage],” Brown said. “All the fights I’ve seen he’s stayed on his feet, but a few older fights when he does go to the ground. He doesn’t go to the ground often.

“My submission game is my strength now. It used to be a weakness.”

As for Aldo’s esteemed striking. That should be an issue, considering some of Brown’s training partners include Gleison Tibau, welterweight contender Thiago Alves and most recently Kimbo Slice.

“We have a really well-rounded camp,” Brown said.

There is only one way the fight can finish in Brown’s mind — one man going out.

“Someone is going down for sure,” Brown said. “If I fight I like can, I can beat anyone in the world. There is only one way to find out and throw down on the 18th, and someone is going down.”

Franchi is ready to rebound from his first loss in what could be an upset special!

John Franchi is a calm, laid back individual.

When asked about how he took the first loss of his career against Manny Gamburyan at WEC 41, Franchi answered the question nonchalantly.

“I wasn’t devastated,” Franchi (6-1) said. “It happens. I went back to the drawing board and changed a few things in my training camp. I feel ready to go.”

Franchi is set to take on Cub Swanson Wednesday at WEC 44. Swanson, like Franchi, is coming off of an eight-second knockout loss to WEC 44 headliner Jose Aldo.

Franchi said he feels honored to be on a card with such high-profile names, and it marks the third time that Franchi is fighting on a card headlined by Mike Brown.

So each time Franchi steps into the cage, he wants to put on a show for the fans and he expects no different entering his bout with Swanson.

“I’ve been fortunate with all my fights. I’ve been on a lot of great cards,” Franchi said. “This is another one and it’s going to be huge. … I want to put on a show for the fans. That’s what everyone looks forward to. Fans dig that kind of thing.”

In his last bout, Franchi lost to an experienced fighter in Gamburyan in a fight that saw Franchi get outwrestled by the stronger fighter.

“I got wrestled to death,” Franchi said. “I tried to do what i could. Manny is pretty strong. He imposed his will and it happens.”

Franchi admits that he’s relatively new to the MMA game. His first professional fight was in 2007 and has only fought seven times.

In contrast, Swanson has been a professional since 2004 and has 16 career fights under his belt.

“It’s going to be tough,” Franchi said. “I’m young in the sport. As far as the fight goes. I don’t have much to lose. He’s coming off two hard fights. I’m ready to prove my way up. He might his way out.”

Franchi didn’t make wholesale changes in his training camp with Team BombSquad, and the training camp has left him in high spirits.

“I feel great right now,” Franchi said. “Cardio is great. I can’t complain. I feel good. … It makes me feel good and watching his fights. I tried to pick techniques that might help me.”

Franchi expects an exciting fight with two guys whose styles match up with each other.

Win or lose, Franchi wants to have fun in the cage and prove he’s capable of competing with the best of the best in the WEC.

“I’m going to have fun,” Franchi siad. “I’ve had all the hard work. I think it’s going to be a high-paced fight. … Everyone in the (featherweight) class is crazy. It’s awesome and inspiring.”

Can the Brazilian Score His Sixth Consecutive KO Over Mike Brown?

While the combat sports community is focused on the likes of Randy Couture, Brandon Vera, Dan Hardy, and Mike Swick this weekend, there is a fiery Brazilian who believes that he’ll soon captivate the world’s attention.  

Jose Aldo, a 23-year-old explosive striker in the World Extreme Cagefighting^® featherweight division, is riding a five-fight win streak in the organization, including an eight-second TKO over Cub Swanson in his last fight in June. Just days away from his first world title shot against champion Mike Brown at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 18, the native of Rio de Janeiro feels that his time to rule the featherweight division has come.

“Everything in my life happens so fast for me,” Aldo said. “So I don’t feel any pressure for this fight. I might feel nervous before the fight, but that’s it. I want to bring the featherweight title back to Brazil. Mike Brown is an excellent fighter and a world champion. But I’m hungry to win the belt. It’s something I’ve wanted since I started this sport and I’m excited that the opportunity has arrived.” 

On the heels of one of the most highly-anticipated fights in company history, WEC General Manager Reed Harris is anxious to see whether Aldo can derail the reigning champion. Given Brown’s 10-fight winning streak and Aldo’s knack for finishing fights, Harris believes the main event on Nov. 18 will be one for the ages.

“This is a fight that the entire sports world is excited to see,” Harris said. “For Mike, the fight with Aldo is a chance to cement his legacy as the best 145-pounder ever. For Aldo, this is an opportunity to continue his domination of the weight class. 

“I’ve had some of the world’s best fighters tell me how fired up they are for Brown-Aldo,” Harris continued. “Guys like Shane Carwin and Chuck Liddell can’t wait for this fight. They know that Mike Brown and Jose Aldo are going to bring it on Nov. 18. This is what MMA is all about.”

With anticipation for the fight building, Aldo understands that Nov. 18 could be a launching pad to superstardom in the sport. When he fights Mike Brown at The Palms in less than a week, Aldo hopes to become just the third Brazilian to win a WEC world title. 

“The dream is coming true,” Aldo said. “I’ve wanted this shot for a long time, so I’m very focused on this fight. Mike Brown is a very good fighter and I respect him. But I’m going to be even better than I was last time.”

Given the damage inflicted in his last fight, the thought of an even better Aldo could be a scary fact for many in the WEC featherweight division.

On Nov. 18, could we be seeing the beginning of the Jose Aldo era?

DREAM 11 aired earlier this morning on HDNet.

Shinya Aoki’s slick submission game caught Joachim Hansen in the waning seconds of their lightweight title fight. With 30 seconds to go, Aoki trapped one of Hansen’s arms and in an attempt to escape, Hansen allowed Aoki to finish the hold with less than 10 seconds remaining.

Aoki became the first Japanese-born DREAM champion.

Bibiano Fernandeswon the featherweight championship after defeating Hiroyuki Takayaby split decision (2-1).

Kazushi Sakuraba returned to the ring with an expected submission victory over Rubin Williams. Sakuraba started the match early throwing leg kicks, before shooting in and taking down Williams, worked into side control and worked his kimura hold to earn the tap.

Featherweight tournament favorite Joe Warren was eliminated in controversial fashion against Fernandes in the semifinals. Fernandes caught Warren in an armbar, and had the hold in deep.

Warren appeared to lightly tap on Fernandes’ shorts, maybe in a sign of tapping out or an attempt to position.

Either way, Fernandes started to release the hold, and the referee stopped the bout, much to Warren’s dismay.

Fernandes was visibly upset about something following the bout, flipped Warren the bird and stormed out of the ring, before sticking his middle finger back at Warren one last time before going back up the ramp.

Takaya defeated Hideo Tokoro by TKO in the second round in the other semifinal.

In the Super Hulk tournament, Ikushia Minowa overcame a large challenge in Hong Man Choi, baiting the big man to the mat and locked on a heel hook to advance to the Super Hulk finals at Dynamite, where he will take on Sokoudjou who made quick work of Bob Sapp.

DREAM lightweight contender Tatsuya Kawajiri was victorious against Melchor Manibusan, and Kazuyuki Miyata defeated Daiki Hata in the DREAM featherweight reserve bout.

FULL RESULTS:

• DREAM featherweight grand prix reserve bout: Kazuyuki Miyata defeated Daiki “DJ.taiki” Hata by unanimous decision. (3-0).
• DREAM featherweight grand prix semifinal: Hiroyuki Takaya defeated Hideo Tokoro by TKO (R2 0:32).
• DREAM featherweight grand prix semifinal: Bibiano Fernandes defeated Joe Warren by armbar (R1 0:43).
• DREAM Super Hulk  semifinal: Ikuhisa Minowa defeated Hong Man Choi by heel hook (R2 1:27)
• DREAM Super Hulk semifinal: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou defeated Bob Sapp TKO (R1 1:30)
• Tatsuya Kawajiri defeated Melchor Manibusan by TKO (R1 3:48).
• Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Rubin Williams by kimura (R1 2:43)
• DREAM lightweight championship: Shinya Aoki defeated Joachim Hansen by armbar (R2 4:56)
• DREAM featherweight grand prix final: Bibiano Fernandes defeated Hiroyuki Takaya by split decision (2-1).

Faber signed a multi-fight deal with the WEC.

WEC general manager Reed Harris confirmed with MMA Junkie on their radio program that Urijah Faber has signed a multi-fight deal extension with the company.

Harris told Junkie that there the rumors floating about Faber possibly leaving the WEC were not true and that the deal is mutually beneficial to both sides.

Faber has been on the sidelines nursing a broken hand, and is expected to return in 2010.