Faber-Mizugaki Official for WEC 52 Headliner

Former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Urijah Faber will make his long-awaited move to 135 pounds when he locks horns with Takeya Mizugaki in the WEC 52 “Faber vs. Mizugaki” headliner on Nov. 11 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Three fights are now official for the event, which will air live on the Versus network.

The straw that stirs the Team Alpha Male drink in Sacramento, Calif., Faber has not competed since he lost a unanimous decision to current featherweight king Jose Aldo at WEC 48 in April. The 31-year-old promotional frontman has never dropped back-to-back bouts. Victories against reigning WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, current Dream featherweight titleholder Bibiano Fernandes and former UFC lightweight titlist Jens Pulver (twice) anchor Faber’s resume. He has secured 19 of his 23 career wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Mizugaki has posted seven wins in his past nine fights, losing only to former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and the world-ranked Scott Jorgensen. The 26-year-old Japanese standout last fought in April, when he outpointed 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships winner Rani Yahya en route to a unanimous decision at WEC 48. Mizugaki has picked up two “Fight of the Night” performance bonuses in four WEC appearances. The 2008 Cage Force bantamweight tournament winner has been finished only once in his 19-fight professional career.

Meanwhile, former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles will return to the cage for the first time in eight months, when he squares off with former International Fight League featherweight titleholder Wagnney Fabiano at 135 pounds.

Bowles has not set foot inside the cage since a broken hand resulted in a technical knockout loss to Cruz at WEC 47 in March; it was his first professional defeat. Spawned by the Hardcore Gym in Athens, Ga., the 30-year-old has yet to go the distance in nine career appearances. He counts victories over Torres, the world-ranked Damacio Page and Brazilian standout Marcos Galvao among his eight career conquests. Bowles has five first-round finishes on his resume.

Fabiano will carry a two-fight winning streak into the match. The 35-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has secured half (seven) of his 14 wins by submission and owns notable victories over Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Bao Quach, former Shooto lightweight titleholder Akitoshi Tamura and four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Fredson Paixao. Fabiano has been finished only once in his 16-fight career.

Finally, the world-ranked Josh Grispi will answer the bell against the once-beaten Erik Koch in a pivotal showdown at 145 pounds.

Closing in on a potential crack at Aldo’s gold, Grispi will enter the match on a 10-fight winning streak that dates back nearly four years. The 21-year-old Massachusetts native returned from an ankle injury in June, as he choked L.C. Davis unconscious with a first-round guillotine choke at WEC 49. One of the sport’s most potent finishers, Grispi has posted 13 of his 14 wins inside the first round. His list of victims includes Pulver (33 seconds), American Top Team standout Micah Miller (50 seconds), “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 qualifier Spencer Paige (11 seconds) and Bellator veteran Dan Bonnell (27 seconds).

Koch last fought in June, when he submitted former Shooto titleholder Bendy Casimir with a first-round triangle choke at WEC 49. Trained by former world kickboxing champion Duke Roufus, the 21-year-old has secured seven of his 10 wins by submission. Koch suffered his only career defeat in a unanimous decision loss to Team Alpha Male’s Chad Mendes in March.

WEC 52 “Faber vs. Mizugaki”
Thursday, Nov. 11
Palms Casino Resort
Las Vegas

Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Brian Bowles vs. Wagnney Fabiano
Josh Grispi vs. Erik Koch
* Chad Mendes vs. Javier Vazquez
* Damacio Page vs. Eddie Wineland
* Michael McDonald vs. Clint Godfrey
* Zachary Micklewright vs. Dustin Poirier

* Not Official