WEC 41 ‘Brown vs. Faber 2’ Preview

Donald Cerrone vs. James Krause

The Breakdown: A battle of impossibly tall lightweight strikers adds intrigue to the 155-pound division, as Cerrone (9-1, 1 NC) attempts to rebuild his credentials after a failed title run. Krause (10-0) may be one of the few lightweights around taller than Cerrone, but he’s not the same caliber striker and lacks the ground game to add a different dimension to this fight. This feels like a concerted WEC attempt at rebuilding a popular fighter at the expense of a newcomer. Don’t be surprised if it plays out that way.

The X Factor: Cerrone is willing to scrap, even at the expense of his seemingly suicidal brain cells. That mentality often draws him into unnecessary firefights, especially when one considers Cerrone’s surprising mat savvy. If Krause can draw him into a shootout, the difference in skill may not matter as much as Cerrone’s own inability to control his kamikaze instincts.

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The Bottom Line: Expect the early going to be reminiscent of Custer’s Last Stand, as both fighters go for broke on the feet before Cerrone settles into his usual game plan of switching gears and hunting the submission. Krause may have the game to survive on the feet with Cerrone, but he will not have an answer for Cerrone’s rapid-fire submission onslaught. Sooner or later, Krause will find himself in a spot from which he cannot escape; that’s when the would-be contender will play the three-tap symphony.