World Extreme Cagefighting began 2010 in a big way tonight with an excellent card at WEC 46: “Varner vs Henderson.” The event was headlined by a WEC Lightweight Championship bout between reigning champion Jamie “The Worm” Varner and interim champ Ben “Smooth” Henderson.
In the co-main event, former WEC Featherweight Champion “The California Kid” Urijah Faber returned with an impressive submission win over Raphael Assuncao in a number one contender’s bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play of all of the night’s action from the stacked card.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Ben “Smooth” Henderson vs Jamie “The Worm” Varner
Round 1:
Varner connected with a one-two early on and Henderson answered with a body kick. Varner scored a takedown, but Henderson immediately rolled for a kneebar. Henderson looked to get back to his feet, but Varner secured a front head lock. Varner wrenched on a standing guillotine choke, but Henderson refused to submit. Varner drilled him with a knee and maintained the head lock.
He kneed Henderson’s legs and punched with his free hand, then returned to the choke. Referee Herb Dean stood the fighters up in a questionable move and Henderson landed a body kick. Varner backed away blinking his eye and Henderson rushed in with punches. Varner recovered and dragged Henderson to the ground briefly. Henderson stood and the fighters clinched against the cage. Henderson landed an elbow at the bell. 10-9 Varner.
Round 2:
Varner missed with a wild flying knee and Henderson drilled him with a knee to the body. A head kick grazed Henderson’s face and Varner tripped him momentarily with a leg kick. Varner backed Henderson up with a trio of punches and Henderson answered with a body kick. Another kick to the midsection scored for Henderson and Varner looked to counter with a combination.
Henderson continued to target the body of Varner and he connected with a jumping kick to the side of Varner’s head. Henderson tried for a takedown and was stuffed easily. Varner answered with a trio of punches to the body and muscled Henderson up against the cage. Varner landed standing hammerfist strikes and Henderson fought off a takedown. Very close round. 10-9 Henderson, barely.
Round 3:
Varner used a running combination to back Henderson up to the cage, then clinched. Little transpired and the fighters separated, with Henderson scoring with kicks to the body. The fans grew restless as the action slowed and Varner followed a pair of leg kicks with two kicks to the head. Henderson landed a liver kick and Varner replied with a combination. Mere seconds later, Henderson flew into a flying guillotine choke. Varner immediately tapped out, giving Henderson a huge victory and the undisputed WEC Lightweight Championship.
Winner: Ben Henderson by Submission (Flying Guillotine Choke) at 2:41 of round three. He improves to 11-1-0 and becomes the Undisputed WEC Lightweight Champion.
“The California Kid” Urijah Faber vs Raphael Assuncao
Round 1:
After a body kick from Faber, Assuncao clinched and pressed him against the cage. The fighters battled for position and both landed punches as Assuncao backed away. Faber threw a lunging right hand that partially landed and Assuncao clinched again. Faber fought out of the clinch and landed a right hook. Another clinch followed and a stalemate ensued.
The fighters traded punches and Faber fell while throwing a sloppy kick to the body. He stood up and Assuncao backed him to the cage. Faber landed an elbow over the top and Assuncao answered with a one-two. Jabs landed for both and Faber scored with a front kick to the body. He flew in with a knee, but Assuncao countered with two quick punches. Assuncao landed a leg kick at the bell. Extremely even round. 10-9 Assuncao.
Round 2:
A quick exchange ended when Assuncao tried to pull Faber to the ground with a heel hook. Faber avoided danger and struck from the top. He secured a tight guillotine choke as Assuncao looked to get to his feet, but Assuncao spun completely around on the ground to escape. Assuncao battled back to a standing position and scored with a head kick.
Assuncao landed a one-two and a knee, but Faber dropped him with a counter hook. Assuncao immediately recovered and tried for a triangle choke and an armbar from his back. Faber escaped and landed elbows from Assuncao’s guard. More short punches and elbows scored for Faber and he avoided an omoplata attempt. Assuncao landed elbows of his own and used the cage to try to work back to his feet. He did so right at the bell. 10-9 Faber.
Round 3:
The final round began with kicks from Assuncao, but Faber scored a takedown. Assuncao quickly worked back to his feet and shot in for a takedown of his own. Faber fought it off and the fighters traded knees in a clinch. Assuncao landed an overhand right and backed away. He followed with a one-two and tripped Faber, but Faber stood up and dropped Assuncao with a powerful hook.
Faber worked from Assuncao’s guard and landed short punches and elbows. Assuncao rolled and tried to stand, but Faber took his back and secured a rear naked choke. Assuncao tried to fight off the choke, but could not and was forced to submit. Solid win for Faber.
Winner: Urijah Faber by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:49 of round three. He improves to 23-3-0.
Kamal “Prince of Persia” Shalorus vs Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen
Round 1:
Jansen landed an overhand right and a leg kick to begin the fight, then shrugged off a takedown attempt. Shalorus connected with a right hook counter and the fighters traded power punches. More looping punches landed for both and Shalorus connected with a pair of one-twos. Jansen tried for a takedown and met with no success. Leg kicks were exchanged and Shalorus landed a nice left hook. Jansen tried again for a takedown and was stuffed.
The fighters continued to throw bombs, but neither landed cleanly. Jansen threw a head kick and Shalorus answered with a takedown against the cage. Jansen scrambled to his feet and was backed up by a trio of hard punches. More overhand rights were exchanged and a cut beside Jansen’s eye began to bleed more freely. Another three-punch flurry landed for Shalorus and he stunned Jansen twice with counter hooks. Jansen recovered and both landed overhands at the bell. 10-9 Shalorus.
Round 2:
An exchange of power punches opened the second round and both fighters landed. A one-two from Shalorus opened the cut beside Jansen’s eye again and Shalorus continued to back Jansen up with winging counterpunches. Shalorus swung wild with looping hooks, then took Jansen down. Jansen rolled backwards and stood up, but ate an uppercut in the process.
Two punches landed for Shalorus, but Jansen answered with a knee. Jansen tried for a takedown, but Shalorus stuffed it. Jansen, now bleeding from the forehead, dropped Shalorus briefly, but Shalorus stood up and both landed hooks. Jansen backed Shalorus up with a liver kick, but Shalorus stopped him in his tracks with a left hook. Shalorus stuffed a takedown and Jansen landed a right hand. Close round. 10-9 Shalorus by a small margin.
Round 3:
Jansen began the final round aggressively and both fighters scored with hard punches. Both continued to look for haymaker knockout strikes and Shalorus opened the cut on Jansen’s forehead again. Shalorus knocked Jansen to the ground with a counterpunch, but Jansen quickly stood up. A pair of one-twos and a succession of lead left hooks landed for Shalorus. He kept Jansen at bay with punches and stepped out of a takedown attempt.
More wild punches were thrown by both fighters and Shalorus scored a takedown. He allowed a bloodied Jansen to stand and easily stuffed a takedown attempt. Jansen landed a knee and Shalorus answered with a one-two and another takedown. He pushed Jansen up to the cage and moved to side-control. Jansen got to his feet shortly before the bell. 10-9 Shalorus.
Winner: Kamal Shalorus by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 6-0-1.