Versus really wants you to pay attention to arguably one of the most slept on fights in WEC history: Rob McCullough vs. Donald Cerrone at WEC 36. The promoter for UWC was on location when the fight happened and was texting me the entire time asking if this fight was being aired on television. By all accounts the fight was tremendous and main event worthy if the action within the cage is the qualifying feature. Details on when the fight will be aired on Versus:

These clips are available to insiders only for a short time; Versus will air the fight in its entirety as part of WEC® Best of 2008, a two-hour special presentation on December 28 at 9 p.m. ET.

And while there's been some shake-ups at the WEC from a management perspective, it's difficult to blame old staff for not featuring this fight. There's no way to predict which fight will be barn burners and the two hour broadcast of the WEC shows leaves very little time after main events. At least now this fantastic scrap is being brought to light.

Parts 2 and 3 after the jump.

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Last week's WEC saw not one but two fights decided when one fighter went for a spinning back strike and missed.

First, to the right we have former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber attempting a spinning back elbow against current champ Mike Brown. Bad idea.

Its debatable whether or not Faber was already going going gone from a punch only seconds before and may not have been in full command of his faculties when he went for this ill-fated technique.

There's no debate about what happened once he fired this elbow. KTFO'd. The spinning back elbow is a straight up Muay Thai technique. Brown's perfectly timed counter right hook is classic boxing.

MuayThai-Fighting.com has this to say about the spinning back elbow:

The spinning elbow technique is quite different from other elbow technique. As you have to turn the body around to generate the elbow strike. To do the spinning elbow, we generally use the rear elbow to attack and make sure that you will always look at you opponent while turning the body around and making the elbow strike.

Spinning Elbow is considered to be a deadly trick in Muay Thai Boxing. It could knock down the opponent with so sudden a force and venom. It could easily draw blood from the opponent, it has not been recorded in the history of Thai boxing when Spinning Elbow was invented but one could say with certainty that is a result of continuous evolution. Man has learned to imitate various movements of animals to use in self-defence.

To use Spinning Elbow, Muay Thai boxers should sway your body slightly sideway. If you do not twist your body, you could not swing Spinning Elbow smoothly against the target. Any awkward movement could be exploited by the opponent who could launch an all powerful punch to the body or prompt your action with other weapons.

Considering that Urijah has hired Master Thong, the man who trained Muay Thai legend and K-1 champ Buakaw Por Pramuk to work full-time at his Ultimate Fitness gym I'd wager that Faber actually trained that move many times just picked a bad time to roll it out.

We'll talk spinning back fists in the full entry.

About the name of this feature: I chose Judo Chop because it’s an utter misnomer that is sometimes used by poorly informed MMA commentators during fights. It’s also from the Austin Powers movie. I chose it because it reflects my own lack of expertise and what this column is, my stumbling along in the dark trying to get a handle on the technical aspects of the fights. The techniques featured here will sometimes involve judo but not always. Sorry if that's confusing.

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Josh Gross talks to Paulo's people:

True to his word, Paulo Filho has agreed to vacate the WEC middleweight belt after losing unanimously on points to Chael Sonnen on Wednesday. Flying back to Los Angeles from Florida the day after what was supposed to be a five-round championship fight, Filho's manager, Ed Soares, said he planned on shipping the belt to Sonnen as soon as he could.

...

Having returned to his locker room after refusing to engage for 15 minutes, Filho (16-1), told several times he'd lost, reacted as if he was unaware the fight had even reached its conclusion, Soares said.

Soon, Filho drew attention from doctors when the dilation of his pupils didn't match. Later that evening, however, the 30-year-old grappler was released from a local hospital, his eyes functioning as close to normal as they'd done all night.

And GonzoDamon in the Fightlinker forums has some commentary on the kind of issues Paulo's been dealing with:

I’m trying to find the article where it specifically mentioned that Filho went through a pretty hardcore withdrawal from painkillers at rehab clinic in Brazil. I assume that his money paid for a good clinic, but you never know.

Regardless, recovering from years of opiate abuse is VERY TOUGH. The generally accepted knowledge is that is takes your nervous system/body/mental equilibrium as long to recover from opiate abuse as you have used. With this in mind, I don’t that we will see the buzzsaw Paulo for quite some time.

This was a man who’s pride, love of fighting, and dedication to his team/organization/self led him to step into the cage WAY BEFORE he should have. I saw a man on Wednesday night in that cage that is still in the beginning stages of recovery. It only factors in slightly that Paulo is physically fit. Withdrawal and recovery is mostly mental. No amount of training is going to be able to trick your body and mind that you aren’t adjusting to producing your own dopamine again, which is at a greatly reduced rate than usual.

The imbalance of dopamine in the body can have some seriously overwhelming effects. Also, who knows what he is being prescribed to help recover? There are tons of different medicines prescribed during opiate withdrawal and recovery - most very serious medication.

Having spent a lot of time around recovering addicts and studied the whole system myself, I can do nothing but hope the best for Paulo. It is unfortunate that he is receiving all of this negativity from people that couldn’t even begin to understand his struggle. The fact that he managed to convince himself to take this fight at all is remarkable. It was an embarrassing performance indeed, but it pales in comparison to what he is already going through personally.

I wish you the best Paulo. May your recovery be swift. May you find your happiness again in a world without opiates. I hope that you make it through these rough times and remember the dominant fighter that you can be again.

I have to echo those sentiments. Pain killer addiction is no laughing matter. I feel bad for both Filho and Sonnen in this debacle. Its too bad the fight wasn't cancelled sooner. I hope Paulo has some good friends around him right now.

"For those of you who have not jumped on the MMA bandwagon yet, this is exactly what they're selling and what you're missing...Any fighter can win at any given moment. It's not any given Sunday, it's any given shot. Faber was and probably still is a top 5 fighter, pound-for-pound. He's definitely the best thing the WEC has going, and while Brown had won his last seven fights coming in, nobody expected to see the ref pulling him off Faber last night, let alone the first round. ...

"That's what makes MMA so electric. There's no margin for error, the stakes are that high every second of every fight. ... This was not a case of Faber underestimating the opponent, or not being ready for that fight. He was a world champion at the top of his game, and he got caught, and it was over before it even started. That's MMA. Get on board because you can't get that sort of thing anywhere else."

-- Jim Rome on ESPN's "Rome is Burning"

HT: reader Steve U.

"Anyone who knows him knows that’s not Paulo Filho. He didn’t show up.

He’s had a rough year. He felt he wasn’t prepared. Actually, he wasn’t prepared at all. We have to take baby steps to get him focused, to get him back on track."

-- Ed Soares, manager of Paulo Filho, discussing Filho's WEC match against Chael Sonnen.

A few months ago I interviewed Mike Brown in anticipation of his fight with then WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Admittedly, I casted doubt on Brown's chances, but it's interesting to hear his perspective in those early days. Click here for the whole interview.

To some extent what happened tonight is out of the WEC's hands. Filho looked to be experiencing psychosis and one wonders how he passed an evaluation by the athletic commission, but he was coherent enough and the rematch between he and Sonnen was all but required. Pulver's lost was unexpected, but understandable in the context of Jens' willingness to exchange and the perils that come with such a choice.

But blue chip prospect Jake Rosholt proved that while his ground work is tremendous, he is borderline amateur on the feet. He had extremely poor clinch break work and allowed himself to be continually punched by staying in perfect range for his opposition. With him ostensibly being thrust into the UFC, Zuffa is going to have to be extremely cautious about how they match him up with meaningful competition.

And more importantly, while I would still call Faber to beat Brown in a rematch, his wild, reckless style cost him dearly tonight. It also cost the WEC. The WEC needs a Faber to be champion of their unique weight class more than a Brown. Faber will earn another title shot and his popularity is as high as ever, but it does hurt their efforts not being able to parade him as the champion to garner attention and intrigue. Even then, Faber and all his popularity aren't enough to sell the organization itself. Chuck Liddell was selling the UFC and ultimate fighting. Faber is selling the WEC and ostensibly lighter weight MMA. Once people accept MMA, asking them to accept various versions of it can be a more laborious task than the original task of achieving the sport's acceptance.

The problems that were true yesterday are eve more so true today: Miguel Torres, Jamie Varner and Carlos Condit are worthy champions, but not the sort of talent or name to corral PPV buys. In short, the organization - in a down economy and with far too few stars - is not ready to convince MMA fans to pay for PPV. While the diehards would likely plop down whatever money was being asked, it is hard to conceive of a scenario where they'd meet or exceed 100,000 buys.

Memo to Zuffa: go get Gina Carano. There are women who can build your organization, deepen its talent pool and prepare it for the perilous waters of PPV. As it stands, a strong case can be made that it is far too premature for the WEC to make the leap.

As with every major event, BloodyElbow.com will be here to provide live results, updates and commentary on tonight's WEC 36 card which airs live on Versus.

If you all get a chance to go ahead and "Buzz up!" the live results thread by signing into your yahoo account, that would be great.

Please contribute your thoughts during the broadcast in our comments section. We'll see you back here at 8:00pm ET / 5pm PT.

And we're live. Frank Mir and Todd Harris in the booth as usual. Wasn't sure if Mir would be there - he's already been off MMA Live.

Nissen Osterneck vs. Jake Rosholt

Round 1: Osterneck charges forward with a flurry, a 5- or 6-shot combo, some of which connect to the face of Rosholt but don't appear to do much damage. Rosholt immediately clinches and goes for the takedown... and gets it. The wrestler momentarily takes Osterneck's back, but Osterneck rolls out of it and then they're back to the feet. Osterneck with more heavy shots, more combinations, connecting hard now. Now knees from the clinch, but Rosholt ties up and uses a hip toss which I'm sure Nate will have a gif of soon. Rosholt pummeling from the top. Osterneck turtling up with Rosholt in side mount, and just as Troy Waugh warns not to knee to the head on the ground, Rosholt... knees Osterneck in the head, on the ground. It may have been accidental, Waugh restarts them on the ground with no penalty as Osterneck appears no worse for wear. Rosholt in side control, Osterneck turns and gives up his back where Jake gets hooks in and begins raining down hard shots with :30 remaining. Osterneck manages to flip and survive the frame. Close round as Osterneck did damage on the feet, but Rosholt dominated on the floor. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Rosholt.

Round 2: Rosholt takes it back to the floor immediately but Osterneck looks to lock up a triangle! Rosholt escapes and moves to side control - both guys looking winded already. Some sharp elbows and hammerfists from side control, but Rosholt is clearly gassing and Osterneck stands right up now. Now Osterneck brutalizing the winded Jake Rosholt (hands at his side) with winging strikes, knees and kicks. Looking for a KO left head kick, Osterneck slips and is mounted by Rosholt. Osterneck either injured himself, has totally shot his wad, or both - he's conscious but merely laying and barely covering up as Rosholt pummels his head from back mount. Troy Waugh is screaming "Improve your position!" for 15-20 seconds before he's forced to end it. Wild, wild fight.

Jake Rosholt def. Nissen Osterneck via TKO (Strikes) at 3:48 of Round 2

Leonard Garcia vs. Jens Pulver

Round 1: Tentative standup in the first minute, Garcia hitting harder but Jens landing more. Garcia moving forward, stuns Pulver with a nasty left hook, then a right - at least that's what it looked like, dude has fast hands. Lil Evil stumbles back, tries to shake the cobwebs loose and gives a stunned look worthy of Glass Joe in Punch Out. Garacia charges with a crisp right leg kick and left hand and Jens crumples. Pulver is disheveld, one knee on the mat, Garcia standing over him teeing off until the ref steps in. "Impressive" isn't even the word.

Leonard Garcia def. Jens Pulver via TKO (Strikes) at 1:12 of Round 1

Prelim time - two undefeated 185'ers in a fight which doesn't mean much of anything as the WEC has abolished the division.

Aaron Simpson vs. David Avellan

Round 1: After :30 of uneventful standup, Simpson ducks in with a left to the body and an overhand right which sends Avellan to the canvas like a ragdoll. Simpson pounds away, waking the unconscious Avellan who has to be told the fight's over as Simpson celebrates. Crispy flash KO. Maybe Simpson won't have to try out for TUF now?

Aaron Simpson def. David Avellan via KO (Punch) at 0:45 of Round 1

Chael Sonnen vs. Paulo Filho

Round 1: The Brazilian fighter shoots and latches on to his opponent's left leg, but Sonnen is sprawling flawlessly and sending down shots as Filho crawls forward. Filho looks sluggish, misses with a wild right hook and catches a jab to the face as he slips and falls. Sonnen standing over Filho, who's inviting Sonnen down. Chael trying to lunge in with hard shots but Filho's keeping the distance - why won't Sonnen just let him up? Now Sonnen ties up the legs and briefly moves to side control... but Filho starts to intertwine and Sonnen stands right back up. Filho still butt-scooting, looking bored with 1:00 remaining as Sonnen stomps his ankles to no effect. Filho snatches a leg momentarily but Sonnen spins out. He still won't let Filho up! The round runs out with Sonnen landing some leg kicks and Filho relaxing on his side. The crowd is not surprisingly displeased. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Sonnen.

Round 2: Two lazy leg kicks from Filho to start the round, and Sonnen paid him back for both with sharp left hands straight to the face. Paulo pulls closed guard but Sonnen slips out and this time backs right up to allow the Brazilian to his feet. And again. He must've been hearing it from his corner. Filho tries to pull guard once more and Sonnen plows him into the mat, then stands right back up. Filho is exhausted and looking lost with 2:00 left, lunging in and telegraphing his wild left hands. Sonnen by comparison looking indefatigable. Filho lazily shoots and Sonnen sprawls out perfectly, leaving Filho to get up off the ground one more time. I'm close to making this 10-8, but... BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Sonnen.

Round 3: "It's not exciting, it's not sexy." You can say that again, Todd. Filho shoots from a mile away, just an excuse to slide into the butt-scoot. Lots of boos as Sonnen decides to stand over him again. The ref finally takes control and restarts it with 3:00 to go in the round. Sonnen's been beating Filho up on the feet for two but he's looking tentative now, not trying to get caught in another late submission. Filho is doing absolutely nothing except covering up when Sonnen moves forward with his one-two combinations. Crowd chanting "bullshit." 0:45 left, they tie up for a brief moment and Sonnen hits a great standing elbow. Frank Mir is freaking out because Filho keeps looking off into the crowd and apparently mumbling to himself; Mir says he's seeing Jesus. Filho does seem out of it - as time expires at last and Sonnen tries to get his attention to slap hands, the Brazilian looks completely disoriented. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-8 Sonnen.

BloodyElbow.com scores the bout 30-26 for Chael Sonnen.

Chael Sonnen def. Paulo Filho via Decision (Unanimous; 30-27 x3)

Mike Thomas Brown vs. Urijah Faber

Round 1: Brown trying to find his range early, Faber just eyeing him and sizing him up. Faber ducks in with some quick punches but Brown clinches up and sends some knees up the middle. Faber with a crisp straight left, but Brown charges forward and Urijah is backed into the cage. The champ bounces off and Brown switches levels, scores a takedown and stuns Faber with a left as he pops back up. Faber bounces off the cage, stumbles and throws a wild standing right elbow in desperation but eats a vicious right uppercut from Brown and falls to the ground turtling up. Brown is pounding away, Faber barely defending and Waugh giving the California Kid every chance to recover. Finally the ref has no choice and we've got a new WEC Featherweight Champ. Mike Thomas Brown really did just shock the world.

Mike Thomas Brown def. Urijah Faber via TKO (Punches) at 2:23 of Round 1

BloodyElbow.com Staff Predictions for WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown

MAIN CARD:

Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown



Luke Thomas: Mike Brown is very well-rounded with good punching power, very good BJJ and underrated wrestling. In many ways, his skillset is similar to Faber's. But everything Brown is good at, Faber is much better. Most importantly, Faber is the better athlete of the two. Faber will force scrambles where his quick, adaptive thinking allows him to force his opponents into a defensive position to sort out the confusion. From here is where Faber will begin to pour it on. Faber's pace, physical assult and speed chess game is simply too much for Brown to match. Faber by TKO, round 3.

Kid Nate: Before his impressive triumph over Jens Pulver, I thought the way to beat Faber was via a sprawlNbrawl attack. After seeing his chin and tremendous handspeed against Pulver, I'm not so sure about that. Brown brings a BJJ based game into this fight. After seeing Jeff Curran spend a round on Faber's back and not get the choke, I think Brown has a small chance at nailing an early submission on the California Kid. A very small chance. Faber by TKO in 2.

Brent Brookhouse: When this fight was first announced I had that moment of "oh yeah, this is the prefect fight for Brown" and then I spent some time thinking about things and said "wait...no it isn't."  Unless Urijah gets sloppy and falls into a sub I can't see anything happening other than another dominant Faber win.  Faber by TKO in 3.

Nick Thomas: Brown is bigger and probably stronger but Faber is unstoppable. The WEC needs to sign Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto stat. Faber by TKO.

Mike Fagan: Faber's proven he's on the same level of dominance as Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, Georges St. Pierre, etc.  The improved striking he showed in the Jens Pulver fight is an absolutely huge step in his advancement as a fighter.  Brown's size might come into play here, but I still don't think he'll have any sort of strength advantage in this fight.  I'm going to go Faber by decision.

Chris Nelson: I have no doubt this will be one of Faber's most stern (if not his sternest) challenge thus far, but picking anyone against the California Kid right now is like picking against Anderson Silva. He shows too much improvement in every fight for me to have any reason to believe he'll be outpointed, even by a very tough Brown. Faber via Decision.

Cannon Jacques:  Faber has proven that he's the man in his division.  I don't see Brown being the guy that can derail him.  Faber by late round TKO.


Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen



Luke Thomas: This is a difficult one to call only because of the shortcomings of both fighters. Sonnen should've won easily last time, but implemented the worst gameplan imaginable. Filho has fantastic BJJ, but is physically unprepared to be fighting tonight. Sonnen is known for making all the same mistakes over and over again as evidenced by his trio of losses to Jeremy Horn. He's also particularly susceptible to the arm bar. I am unbelievably tempted to call this for Sonnen, but something tells me going back to the well for him is going to be costly...again. Filho by submission, round 2.

Kid Nate: Sonnen was whipping Filho in their first fight until he got stupid and decided to follow Filho to the ground. If he'd stuck with a sprawlNbrawl game plan, Chael would be champion today. I still like Sonnen's chances here. Filho is very short for middleweight and his standup is sloppy and leaves him vulnerable. He'll also have a hard time forcing Sonnen to the ground if Sonnen doesn't want to go. Having said all that, I'm still going to pick Filho because of Sonnen's habit of making dumb decisions in the middle of fights. Filho by submission in 1.

Brent Brookhouse:  I'd be taking Filho here if it weren't for all the distractions he has dealt with over the past few years.  Sonnen's goal here has to be "just work my game" and at no point play around with Filho on the ground.  This is a case like what we saw in boxing where Mayorga was not a better boxer than Vernon Forrest but he dominated him in two straight fights.  Filho is the better fighter, but Sonnen has the game to offset his skills.  Sonnen by decision.

Nick Thomas: I’m hoping Sonnen doesn't play around with Filho on the ground again. If he does, Filho has this. But I believe Sonnen can take this on points. Sonnen by decision.

Mike Fagan: If Sonnen fights in a way that made this rematch necessary - namely outboxing Filho on the feet - I'd feel comfortable picking him to win.  Unfortunately, I saw an interview that said he wanted to take Filho down and pound him there.  Team Quest has been notorious for not conjuring up efficient gameplans, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's the case.  Paulo should also be in a better mental state for this fight, so I'll take Filho by submission, round 3.

Chris Nelson: Filho's had a long layoff with myriad distractions since his first bout with Sonnen. Ring rust has never been an issue in the Brazilian's career, and one has to believe he'll enter this rematch re-focused and with a solid gameplan after the scare Sonnen gave him. [UPDATE: I'll still take an overweight Filho. But damn, Paulao, seven pounds!] Filho via Submission, Round 2.

Cannon Jacques:  I have a feeling that Filho is going to look much sharper this time around.  Sonnen is a great wrestler, but Filho's BJJ will be the difference.  Filho by second round submission.


Jens Pulver vs. Leonard Garcia



Luke Thomas: Pulver is going to pick Garcia apart from the outside and make him miss. Garcia is tougher than he's being given credit, but he doesn't have an answer for Jens' combination of head/trunk movement, power, south paw stance, and superior boxing technique. Pulver by decision.

Kid Nate: This is one I really wish both fighters could win. They're both rebounding from some bad luck and I hate to see either guy lose. I think Pulver has too much power and ring savvy for Garcia. Pulver by TKO in 3.

Brent Brookhouse:  Pulver's striking is tighter and that will be enough for him to take a hard fought decision here.  Pulver by decision.

Nick Thomas: This should be a great fight. Could go either way, but I'm going to give the slight edge to Garcia. Garcia by decision.

Mike Fagan: Garcia surprised me in the Takaya fight, but I don't think he'll be able to get away with the wild brawling style here.  Pulver's training up with Matt Hume for this fight, and it sounds like the new regimen is doing a lot of good.  I think Pulver's crisper striking takes this.  Pulver by TKO, round 2.

Chris Nelson: Very tough one to call. Pulver says he's overhauled his training regiment, and that makes me less inclined to pick him (old dog, etc.). I can see Garcia taking a late submission, but more likely this goes to the cards. Garcia via decision.

Cannon Jacques:  Garcia should keep up a frantic pace in this one.  I think it will be an awesome and close fight, but I see Garcia outworking Pulver.  Garcia by decision.


Jake Rosholt vs. Nissen Osterneck



Luke Thomas: Osterneck is very good, but this is not a good fight for him. Osterneck is sloppy on the feet. He chases opposition, doesn't use range well and over commits in his attacks. His jiu-jitsu is good, but it's nowhere nearly as good as Rosholt's. For all of Rosholt's green skills, what he does have is so much better than Osterneck's. Rosholt is going to take Osterneck down at will, pass his guard and earn the TKO victory. No armbars from Rosholt this time. Rosholt by TKO, round 1.

Kid Nate: Tough fight to call. Both fighters are fairly green and both are undefeated in MMA. Osterneck is highly touted for his BJJ and muy thai skills where Rosholt is a decorated wrestler who's just learning stand-up and submssions. This is a classic MMA style match-up. I think Rosholt might have more gaps in his game. I'm going to go out on a limb and pick Osterneck to win by submission.

Brent Brookhouse:  Rosholt is an absolute stud.  Osterneck is right there with him.  I still like Rosholt's explosiveness and just dominant wrestling to take this one by smothering Nissen with takedowns and GnP.  Jake Rosholt by TKO round 3.

Nick Thomas: As long as Rosholt can stay away from the submission attempts. Rosholt will use his wrestling to control the fight. Rosholt by decision.

Mike Fagan: From what I've heard about him and seen from his fights, Rosholt is a blue-chip type of prospect.  I'm going to ride that wave.  Rosholt by TKO, round 2.

Chris Nelson: Not a bad fight here, but Osterneck presents much less of a challenge to the rising Rosholt than Danillo Villefort would have. Expect much grounding and pounding. Rosholt via decision.

Cannon Jacques:  Rosholt should use his wrestling to outpoint Osterneck.  Rosholt by decision.

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"Filho's cornerman told us that they would walk across the cage and hand Chael the belt if he wins. When Chael whoops his ass, I expect them to live up to their word.

"I just feel bad for Chael..."