The Sports Informant

Several of the top mixed martial arts sports writers from around the country weighed in with their predictions for the upcoming World Extreme Cagefighting Featherweight championship fighting featuring Sacramento’s Urijah Faber (22-2) and current champ Mike Brown (21-4) at Arco Arena on June 7.

While the responses were close to split down the middle, it was the first time in Faber’s illustrious WEC career that several followers of the sport picked against the former champ.

Once labeled the “best fighter pound-for-pound in the world,” Faber’s dominance was shattered in many writers’ eyes by the first round knockout loss to Brown in November 2008.

Following Faber’s career myself, since he’s Sacramento’s highest ranking professional athlete (the River Cats, despite being champs, are Triple-A and not the majors), I’ve watched his record pile up wins and his stardom skyrocket throughout the nation. Counting him out of a fight won’t be an opinion I share for a long, long time.

Sacramento's Urijah Faber will fight Mike Brown for the WEC Featherweight title at Arco Arena on June 7. (Photo courtesy Greg Ashman)

With that said, read some of what others are thinking before reading my prediction at the end of this piece.

(Quotes courtesy of the WEC)

Sergio Non, USA Today

Prediction: Brown

It will be a much tougher, longer fight this time, but Brown has the tactical acumen to get past Faber’s whirling dervish style and the strength to keep him grounded.

Mark LaMonica, Newsday

Prediction: Brown

I’m going with Mike Brown and I’ll tell you why. He’s the champ and he still has more to prove than Faber, in some people’s eyes. So I’m thinking vindication prevails over redemption this time around.

Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports

Prediction: Faber by unanimous decision

Before the first fight, I said I felt people were underestimating Brown and weren’t giving him enough of a shake against Faber. This time, I believe many are underestimating Urijah. It’s a very close fight that could go either way. I expect a fast-paced fight with a lot of up-and-down action, but look for Faber to sneak out a decision and perhaps set up a decisive third bout between them.

Ariel Helwani, VERSUS.com

Prediction: Brown by TKO 2

Brown matches up very well with Faber, and I simply believe he has his number. We’ve seen this before in the fight game: Certain fighters just can’t figure out a specific opponent. I believe that will prove to be the case again come June 7.

Ryan Hockensmith, ESPN.com

Prediction: Faber by TKO 2

Mike Brown is very good—the guy hasn’t lost since 2005. But there are only a few fighters on the planet as gifted as Faber. On occasion, guys this good get sloppy. That’s what happened in the first fight. And that’s what won’t happen again. Faber avenges the loss… And sets up a third fight.

Dave Doyle, Yahoo! Sports

Prediction: Faber by decision

These guys are so evenly matched that I’m going to take the easy way out and say that Faber rides the support of his hometown fans to gut out a victory. Brown took the first fight in American Top Team territory, so we’ll have to settle this with a third fight in neutral territory.

Carlos Arias, O.C. Register

Prediction: Faber

Brown is extremely strong and powerful at 145 pounds, but Faber is one of the most creative fighters I’ve seen. I believe Faber will make the changes and adjustments necessary to win the rematch.

Dann Stupp, Dayton Daily News

Prediction: Brown by decision

It’s a tough call, but I think Mike Brown defends his title at WEC 41. However, I don’t think Urijah Faber makes it easy on him. I expect the rematch to last a lot longer than the first fight with the judges ultimately deciding the winner.

Todd Martin, CBS Sports

Prediction: Brown by TKO

In their first fight, Faber was having trouble with Brown’s size and power before he got reckless with the spinning back elbow. He won’t make that sort of mistake again, but I see Brown wearing Faber down with strikes and scoring a TKO victory later in the bout.

Tristen Critchfield, Albuquerque Journal

Prediction: Faber by unanimous decision

Faber will be extremely motivated to regain his spot as the top 145-pounder in the world. Fighting in his backyard, “The California Kid” should be able to do just that, but it won’t be easy.

Michael David Smith, Fanhouse

Prediction: Brown by TKO 3

Mike Brown by third-round TKO. Brown is bigger and stronger than Faber, and he’s a smart fighter who knows how to exploit that advantage. Faber will move around the cage and avoid a quick knockout like their first fight, but Brown will be too much for him to handle for 25 minutes.

Odeen Domingo, Arizona Republic

Prediction: Brown by TKO 2

Brown is the defending champ yet likely will come in as the underdog. A role he cherishes. His discipline and his stand-up game is the perfect counter to Faber’s all-out, pocket-full-of-craziness style that has confounded others. But if the fast-twitch muscle that is Faber fights with more control and intelligence, it will give him the greater chance at winning his belt back.

Patrick Ibarra, TheSportsInformant.com

Prediction: Faber by unanimous decision

If Urijah Faber, right, can keep Mike Brown's knockout punch at bay, like he did here against Jens Pulver last year at Arco Arena, Faber can win a decision. (Photo courtesy Greg Ashman)

Faber went the distance in a five-round championship fight for the first time last June at Arco Arena against legend Jens Pulver. In what was labeled a “war” and “one of the greatest fights of all time,” Faber punished Pulver the whole fight, finishing without a scratch while a battered Pulver admitted he’d been beaten up. Faber told me later the thing that hurt the most were his knuckles, from punching Pulver for five rounds. The same should happen with this fight, especially since it’s in Sacramento.

Brown hasn’t been tested really in later rounds. His wild-swinging, one-punch repertoire won’t work against a heavily-trained and ready Faber this time, and while Faber won’t be able to knock Brown out, his endurance will outlast Brown, and Faber will take over in later rounds to gain the edge. The key will be Faber putting Brown on his back, which I think the former UC Davis wrestler can do eventually. The result will set up a great rubber match between the two later.

Come back soon for more on the Faber-Brown II fight, including TheSportsInformant.com’s one-on-one interview with Faber before the event.