WEC 52 ‘Faber vs. Mizugaki’ Preview

WEC 52 “Faber vs. Mizugaki” on Thursday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas brings with it a few compelling plotlines as the organization’s second-to-last event before its formal merger with the UFC.

First, Urijah Faber’s drop to 135 pounds means the bantamweight division should be stacked with intriguing matches for the next couple years. Given champion Dominick Cruz’s impressive work of late, a rematch between he and Faber seems like a natural progression if “The California Kid” emerges victorious from WEC 52 and Cruz successfully defends against Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53 on Dec. 16. Throw in ex-titleholders Miguel Torres and Brian Bowles, along with Faber’s stablemate, Joseph Benavidez, and one has a great case for how the UFC can market the 135-pound division.

Let’s get to the fights.

Bantamweights
Urijah Faber (No. 4 FW) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (No. 6 BW)

Like many of MMA’s mainstream names, Faber has dropped in weight after hitting a roadblock -- in his case, the supremely talented Jose Aldo and American Top Team’s Mike Thomas Brown. Now competing at 135 pounds, Faber faces the durable Mizugaki, whose WEC debut came in a hard-nosed decision loss to then champion Miguel Torres.

While many fighters who move down in weight need a couple matches to get acclimated, Faber figures to be pretty solid here, as he was never a huge featherweight. The drop, if executed without too much strain on his frame, should translate into even more relative strength against the smaller competition.

Mizugaki does not do any one thing great, but he keeps battling and sticking his nose in the fight. In short, he has proven one tough cuss to get rid of. Expect Faber to be able to take it to the ground at will after a brief feeling-out process and deliver his trademark high-volume ground work, with elbows, positional improvements and efficient work rate. He was overwhelming against most 145-pound foes with this game plan, and Mizugaki has his work cut out for him here. Faber will probably be able to outpoint him on the feet, further maximizing his wrestling advantage when he decides to shoot.

Mizugaki looks to be a good showcase opponent for Faber as he tries to make waves in his new division -- he submitted WEC 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz in one round in a 2007 title bout at featherweight -- and jumpstart his campaign for another belt. It should be exciting while it lasts, but Faber has too much in too many ways to encounter much trouble here. He will win inside of two rounds and look impressive doing it.