From Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA, WEC 46 was highlighted by the long-awaited return of the injured lightweight champion Jamie Varner, set to unify the belts with the interim lightweight champ Benson Henderson in the main events. In other featured bouts, two former featherweight champions Urijah Faber and Mike Brown set their sights on the comeback trail, with Faber taking on Rafael Assuncao and Brown facing an unheralded WEC newcomer Anthony Morrison.
Mackens Semerzier vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (145 lbs)
Round 1: After a brief exchange, Taurosevicius closes distance and takes Semerzier down. Semerzier locks in a guillotine but Taurosevicius slams his way out of it. Taurosevicius stands over Semerzier and eats a slapping up-kick. Taurosevicius passes into side control and throws elbows. Semerzier regains guard and gets back to his feet but is quickly taken down again. Semerzier with another guillotine attempt and Taurosevicius responds with a big slam. The action slows down on the ground and referee stands them up. Taurosevicius shoots another takedown as the round ends. Round 10-9 Taurosevicius
Round 2: Semerzier leads off with a series of kicks. He stops Taurosevicius’ first takedown attempt but gets dragged down from clinch. Semerzier escapes but is quickly taken down again, then slammed on his next attempt to get up. Semerzier looks for a triangle but Taurosevicius defends well. Taurosevicius works from Semerzier’s guard; Mackens looks for submissions from the bottom and nothing comes close. Semerzier attempts a leg lock near the end of the round; Taurosevicius powers out of it. Round 10-9 Taurosevicius
Round 3: An uneventful exchange starts the final round. Taurosevicius catches a kick but Semerzier stays on his feet. Taurosevicius shoots for a takedown and Semerzier attempts a d’arce choke, then switches to a kimura. Taurosevicius is in danger but rolls out of the hold, giving up the top position. Semerzier stands over Taurosevicius, landing body and head strikes. Taurosevicius is bleeding. Semerzier passes guard and works from side control. Taurosevicius scrambles out and gets caught in a guillotine, but escapes as the round ends. Round 10-9 Semerzier
Deividas Taurosevicius wins by unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three scorecards
Fight Grade: 3/5
Mike Brown vs. Anthony Morrison (145 lbs)
Round 1: Morrison leads with a high kick, then a series of body and leg kicks. Brown blocks the kicks and keeps moving forward. Brown charges in with a punch combination, clinches and drags Morrison to the ground. Brown lands in side control and secures a crucifix, attacking Morrison with short punches. Morrison works his way out of the crucifix but Brown establishes mount. Morrison rolls over, giving up his back. Brown locks in a rear naked choke and Morrison soon taps. Nice ‘rebound’ win for the former featherweight champion.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Mark Hominick vs. Bryan Caraway (145 lbs)
Round 1: The fighters clinch and Caraway takes Hominick down. Caraway postures up and stands over Hominick, evading upkicks and diving down with punches to Hominick’s body. Hominick closes guard and attempts a sweep. Caraway blocks but gets caught in a triangle during the scramble. Hominick adjusts the hold then switches to an armbar, and Caraway taps out.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Dave Jansen vs. Kamal Shalorus (155 lbs)
Round 1: Jansen is quick on his feet, moving in and out with combinations while Shalorus mostly remains stationary, but throws heavy hooks and overhand punches. Jensen lands several insignificant strikes then attempts a takedown, but Shalorus shrugs him off. They go back to trading; Jensen goes for another takedown but is caught in a front headlock and backs away. Shalorus scores with a takedown of his own; Jensen gets up quickly. Shalorus rocks Jensen with a big one-two combo. Jensen is dazed but survives the round. Round 10-9 Shalorus
Round 2: Much like the first round, the fighters are trading heavy. Jensen is slowing down and absorbing a lot of punishment from Kamal’s brutal hooks and overhands. Shalorus earns a takedown but Jensen gets up immediately. Jensen lands a big knee then rocks Shalorus with a combination. Kamal recovers and fires back; they slug it out with Jensen getting the worst of the exchange. Jensen is bloody and tired by the end of the round. Round 10-9 Shalorus
Round 3: Shalorus continues to swing for the fences. Jensen’s repeated takedown attempts are thwarted. Jensen lands a big knee but Shalorus is unfazed. Shalorus drops Jensen with a punch. Jensen recovers and is bleeding again. Shalorus takes him down, lets him back up, takes him down again. Shalorus is in total control of the fight. Round 10-9 Shalorus
Kamal Shalorus wins by unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28
Fight Grade: 4/5
Urijah Faber vs. Raphael Assuncao (145 lbs)
Round 1: The fighters exchange low kicks and Assuncao pushes Faber into the cage. Faber spins around and reverses. Assuncao does the same. They break and Faber snaps off a couple of front kicks, misses with a right and Assuncao clinches with him against the fence again. Another separation and Faber lands a punch, causing Assuncao to clinch and look for a takedown. Faber defends. They trade hands as the round ends, with both fighters landing combinations. Round 10-10 draw
Round 2: Faber leads off with a kick then shoots for a takedown. Assuncao pulls guard. Faber catches him in a guillotine; Assuncao rolls out of it. They trade and Faber drops Assuncao with a short right hand. Assuncao quickly recovers and looks for a submission from the bottom guard but Faber controls him well and lands elbows and short punches. Assuncao eventually escapes back to his feet as the round ends. Round 10-9 Faber
Round 3: Faber gets a quick takedown. Assuncao gets right back up and looks for one of his own but Faber sprawls. Assuncao forces another clinch. Neither man has an advantage in the clinch and they break. Faber knocks Assuncao down with a big right hand and jumps on top of him. Assuncao recovers and closes guard, but Faber takes his back in a scramble. Faber locks in a rear naked choke and forces Assuncao to tap out.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Urijah Faber is slated to be the next challenger for the featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who comes into the cage for an interview post-fight.
Champion Jamie Varner vs. Interim Champion Ben Henderson (155 lbs title unification bout)
Round 1: Varner takes Henderson down quickly. Henderson looks for a leg lock but Varner defends and locks in a standing guillotine. Varner knees Henderson in the face, and Ben drops to a knee. Varner doesn’t have the guillotine locked but is holding Henderson in a front headlock against the cage, while kneeing him in the leg. No action and the referee Herb Dean breaks them up. Henderson lands a kick and Varner turns his back and walks away, holding his eye. Henderson gives chase; Varner clinches and pushes him into the fence. Round 10-9 Varner
Round 2: They exchange kicks; Varner forces a clinch. They break free and Henderson lands a knee. Varner knocks Henderson off-balance with a leg kick. Henderson is hesitant in his attack but keeps throwing kicks. Varner catches a kick and throws Ben down. Back to clinch, and Varner blocks a takedown attempt from Henderson, throwing him down to the canvas again. Round 10-9 Varner
Round 3: Varner punches his way into clinch, where they stall out. They break and Henderson throws mid and high kicks. Varner responds with a kick of his own then shoots a takedown and gets caught in a standing guillotine. Varner taps out almost instantly, and Ben Henderson is now the undisputed WEC lightweight champion. His first defense is likely to be a rematch with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.
Fight Grade: 4/5
The lightweight title was successfully unified with no controversies, Mike Brown and Urijah Faber won their ‘comeback’ bouts, and every fight delivered solid action, altogether making for another fun WEC event.