WEC 52: "Faber vs Mizugaki" Live Play-By-Play & ResultsWorld Extreme Cagefighting came to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for WEC 52: “Faber vs Mizugaki.” The promotion’s second-to-last event was headlined by a bantamweight bout between former 145-pound champ “The California Kid” Urijah Faber and Takeya Mizugaki.

Also on the main card, Chad “Money” Mendes put his undefeated record on the line against featherweight veteran Javier “Showtime” Vazquez, while Joseph Benavidez took on Wagnney Fabiano in bantamweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for all fights on the televised card.

 

“The California Kid” Urijah Faber vs Takeya Mizugaki

Round 1:
Faber threw single punches early on and pushed Mizugaki backwards. The fighters traded punches and Mizugaki scored with a solid left cross. Mizugaki clinched and backed Faber up to the cage. Both landed knees to the body and Faber followed with two grazing elbows over the top. Both fighters threw hard elbows at the same time and Mizugaki reversed the clinch.

The fighters traded punches and broke away from the clinch. Mizugaki narrowly missed with an uppercut and Faber connected to the body. Faber clinched and looked for a takedown, but Mizugaki stayed on his feet and threw a knee. Faber tried for a guillotine choke and latched onto a standing rear-naked choke in a scramble. He secured it in the final 30 seconds, but Mizugaki refused to tap out and was choked unconscious. Impressive win for Faber in his bantamweight debut.

Winner: Urijah Faber by Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:50 of round one. He improves to 24-4-0.

 

Chad “Money” Mendes vs Javier “Showtime” Vazquez

Round 1:
Mendes threw a kick and a flurry of punches early on, but Vazquez ducked under and tried to pull guard. Mendes stood over him and kicked until Vazquez returned to his feet. He landed a body kick and pulled guard again. Vazquez threw elbows from his back as Mendes stayed in his guard. Vazquez used rubber guard to keep Mendes in place and threw a barrage of elbows with his free arm, but Mendes picked him up and slammed him down.

Vazquez landed more elbows and Mendes escaped back to Vazquez’s butterfly guard. Mendes landed two short punches and Vazquez countered with elbows and a triangle choke attempt. More elbows scored for Vazquez and he tried for an armbar. Mendes fought out and landed a right hand, but found himself back in rubber guard. Mendes escaped and threw short punches and elbows as Vazquez fired back with elbows from the bottom. Good round. 10-9 Vazquez, despite being on the bottom throughout.

Round 2:
Mendes scored with a flying knee and a right hook to open round two and Vazquez pulled guard. He once again used rubber guard to prevent Mendes from moving, but Mendes landed punches to the body and broke free with a flurry of strikes from the top. Vazquez’s right eye began to swell as Mendes threw more short strikes.

Mendes stood over Vazquez and kicked at his legs as Vazquez upkicked from the bottom. Mendes attempted to dive in past Vazquez’s guard, which set off a tactical scramble. Mendes wound up on top and landed punches and an elbow. Vazquez peppered Mendes with hammerfists from his back and the fighters were stood up. Mendes circled away until the bell. 10-9 Mendes.

Round 3:
Punches and a leg kick scored for Vazquez in the early stages of the final round and Mendes took him down. Vazquez threw hammerfists from his back and Mendes stood. Vazquez upkicked and got to his feet. Mendes drilled Vazquez with a head kick and took him down. Mendes secured a headlock from the top.

Two short elbows landed for Mendes, but referee Herb Dean stood the fighters up. Mendes connected with a nice right hand and a flurry that prompted Vazquez to try to pull guard. Mendes threw punches to the body as Vazquez bled from a cut below his swollen right eye. Vazquez used rubber guard to hold Mendes in place briefly, but Mendes powered out and landed more punches to the ribs. 10-9 Mendes.

Winner: Chad Mendes by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 9-0-0.

 

Erik “New Breed” Koch vs Francisco “Cisco” Rivera

Round 1:
Koch threw a head kick to open the fight and followed with more kicks to the leg and body. Rivera missed with a lead right hook and Koch drilled him with two more kicks. Rivera threw a kick of his own, but Koch floored him with a devastating head kick. Rivera crumpled to the mat and referee Steve Mazzagatti dove in as Koch finished with hammerfists. Very impressive win for Koch.

Winner: Erik Koch by TKO (Head Kick & Punches) at 1:36 of round one. He improves to 11-1-0.

 

Joseph Benavidez vs Wagnney Fabiano

Round 1:
The fighters circled for the first 40 seconds, then traded quick punches in a flurry. Benavidez flashed out kicks and a one-two, but Fabiano countered with a hook and a head kick. Fabiano landed a leg kick and Benavidez continued to score with quick punching flurries. He fell while throwing a head kick of his own, but stood and ate a hard body kick from Fabiano. More punches landed for Benavidez, who stuffed a takedown, but a cut opened below his left eye.

Benavidez remained the aggressor with punches including looping hooks, then mixed in kicks to the head and body. Another vicious body kick scored for Fabiano, but he seemed content to counter. Benavidez flurried near the cage and Fabiano threw another kick to the body. The fighters clinched and Benavidez broke free with a quick head kick that was partially blocked. Fabiano landed a jumping kick and Benavidez responded with a three-punch combination. Close round. 10-9 Benavidez by a small margin.

Round 2:
Benavidez opened round two with a lunging left hook and Fabiano fell while throwing a kick. Benavidez stood over him and kicked at his legs, then landed a big right hand. Benavidez locked on a tight guillotine choke and pulled half-guard, but Fabiano narrowly managed to escape. Benavidez stood and battered Fabiano with punches, then tried for a Peruvian Necktie.

Benavidez switched to a guillotine choke and Fabiano once again managed to work free. He wound up on top, but Benavidez scrambled. Benavidez landed a big uppercut and secured a third guillotine choke. This time, Fabiano could not escape and tapped out.

Winner: Joseph Benavidez by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:45 of round two. He improves to 13-2-0.

 

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson vs “The Angel of Death” Damacio Page

Round 1:
Page opened the fight aggressively with right hands and a head kick, then clinched and scored with two knees. He attempted a throw, but Johnson reversed and looked for a guillotine choke as the fighters stood. Punches were exchanged in close and Johnson landed a leg kick. He followed with a knee to the body, but Page countered with looping punches and threw Johnson to the mat. Page landed in side-control, but Johnson battled back to half-guard against the cage. He threw elbows from the bottom, but Page passed to mount.

Page landed two elbows from the top, but Johnson scrambled out and got to his feet. He fought off a loose guillotine choke and was promptly thrown back down. Page tried to move to mount again and briefly looked for a guillotine, but Johnson escaped and slammed him to the mat. Page stood and answered with another slam of his own. Johnson regained full guard and Page struck with elbows from the top. Short punches landed for both. Close round. 10-9 Page.

Round 2:
Johnson opened round two with head kicks and punches, but Page was unfazed and answered with a combination. He tried for a takedown and managed to drag Johnson to the ground. Johnson scrambled to his feet as Page took back control and landed a knee. Time was called after a hard kick from Johnson strayed low. The fight eventually continued and Johnson landed a one-two and a leg kick. He ate a knee from Page and took him down.

The fighters exchanged elbows on the ground and Johnson tried to take Page’s back. The fight returned to the feet and Johnson took Page down again. He threw short strikes from Page’s butterfly guard and tried to move all the way to mount, but Page defended. Johnson resumed his assault from the top with punches and elbows, then postured up and landed two solid right hands. Johnson briefly moved to mount and landed a knee to Page’s forearm before the bell. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 3:
Page landed kicks to open the final round, but Johnson dropped him with punches and a kick. Page recovered on the ground as Johnson landed short punches and elbows from the top. Johnson stayed active with more strikes and tried to pass to side-control. Page got to his knees and Johnson threw knees to the shoulder. He locked on a guillotine and used it to push Page to his back. Johnson retained his grip on the guillotine and moved to mount. Page had nowhere to go and was forced to submit.

Winner: Demetrious Johnson by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:27 of round three. He improves to 7-1-0.

 

Cub Swanson vs Mackens “Mack da Menace” Semerzier

Round 1:
Swanson landed a kick early on, but Semerzier took him down. The fight returned to the feet and both fighters landed hard punches in an exchange. A clinch followed and a battle for position ensued against the cage. Swanson threw Semerzier to the mat, but Semerzier quickly returned to his feet and landed punches. The fighters traded leg kicks and Semerzier countered a head kick with a right hook. Semerzier backed Swanson up with a jumping switch knee and tried for a standing guillotine choke.

Swanson caught a kick and missed with an uppercut. Semerzier took him down and struck from the top, then looked to pass to mount. He postured up and punched, but Swanson used upkicks to get back to his feet. Semerzier targeted the body and Swanson fired right back with punches of his own. Semerzier landed a knee and a left hook. Punches scored for both before the bell. Excellent opening round. 10-9 Semerzier, just barely.

Round 2:
Semerzier landed a combination early in round two and clinched. Swanson countered with a glancing knee to the face and Semerzier broke free of the clinch with a knee to the body. Two looping hooks scored for Semerzier, which set off an exchange of power punches. Swanson threw a right to the body as Semerzier countered with a kick. Swanson tried for a takedown and Semerzier defended. He clinched and pressed Swanson against the cage.

Swanson escaped the clinch and threw a right hook, but was stuuned by a knee. He recovered and threw a one-two, then attempted a takedown. Semerzier stayed on his feet and Swanson landed a body kick and a spinning backfist. Big punches landed for both in close and Semerzier targeted the body with kicks. More kicks were exchanged and Swanson scored with a combination of two head kicks and a right uppercut. Semerzier resumed punching in combinations until Swanson took him down. Another close round. 10-9 Swanson.

Round 3:
Swanson ducked under a head kick and fell while throwing a kick of his own. He stood and ate a knee on the way. Swanson clinched and threw a head kick, then took Semerzier down. The fight returned to the feet and Semerzier landed a knee to the body. Back in the centre of the ring, Semerzier caught a kick and took Swanson down. Swanson used a guillotine to get back to his feet and landed a hook, but Semerzier was unfazed. Punches were exchanged and Semerzier narrowly missed with a knee. Both fighters landed punches and Swanson countered a body kick by taking Semerzier down.

Semerzier sprung back to his feet and defended a pair of takedown attempts. Swanson landed punches and ate a knee. Semerzier tried for a takedown of his own and dragged Swanson to the mat. He took Swanson’s back, then worked for an arm-triangle choke. Swanson rolled and turtled as Semerzier punched from the top. Semerzier landed more strikes and worked for a choke. Swanson regained guard, but Semerzier stacked him and landed punches. Swanson stood and the fighters teed off until the bell. Excellent fight. 10-9 Semerzier.

Winner: Cub Swanson by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 15-4-0.

 

Undercard Fights:

Raphael Assuncao defeated LC Davis by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 16-3-0 with the win.

Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani defeated Edward “Falo” Faaloloto by TKO (Elbow) at 4:54 of round two. He improves to 13-4-0, 1 NC with the win.

Dustin Poirier defeated Zack Micklewright by TKO (Punches) at 0:53 of round one. He improves to 8-1-0 with the win.

Michael “Mayday” McDonald defeated Clint Godfrey by Submission (Armbar) at 2:42 of round one. He improves to 11-1-0 with the win.

Yves “Tiger” Jabouin defeated Brandon “The Viper” Visher by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 15-6-0 with the win.

 

Capped off by an impressive victory for former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber in the main event, WEC 52 was another solid card for the soon-to-be-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. The WEC will hold one more event, WEC 53 in December, before merging with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

 

 

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)