WEC 41 ‘Brown vs. Faber 2’ Preview

Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson

The Breakdown: The current featherweight prospect du jour takes on his predecessor, as Brazilian bomber Aldo (14-1) takes on California’s own Swanson. Like any fighter taking on Aldo, Swanson (13-2) has to keep clear of the striking game at all costs. Simply put, Aldo is too dangerous on the feet, so Swanson’s only hope is getting the lanky knockout artist down and out of his comfort zone. It seems like a simple enough plan, but Aldo’s long reach and strong grappling pedigree makes doing just about anything against him easier said than done.

The X Factor: Assuming Swanson can get Aldo down before losing his grip on consciousness, one has to wonder exactly what he will do to a guy who comes from the grappling-centric Nova Uniao camp. Black belts do not come for free from that team, and Swanson is hardly an irresistible force on the mat. It will take a lot more than a takedown and some luck for Swanson to keep himself from becoming the next in a long line of scalps for Aldo.

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The Bottom Line: There’s a reason why Aldo’s career has taken off and Swanson has been left to toil in the mid-level of the WEC lightweight division. Simply put, Aldo is a far superior fighter. That truth will shine through, as Swanson ends up in the worst spot of all -- on the end of Aldo’s piston-like punches. Sooner or later, one of those blows will put Swanson out like a bottle of Ambien and a DVD of “Meet the Spartans.”