Tuesday, June 9 12:55 pm PT: Mike Thomas Brown’s victory over Urijah Faber very well may have set up a showdown with the lethal Jose Aldo, but don’t go making any travel plans just yet.
Not only is there no date or venue set, sources close to the WEC told me that while the bout is likely to go down in September, it is not a lock.
WEC has guaranteed Versus Network eight events this year. Two still need main events. One headliner should be a 135-pound title fight between the winner of Miguel Torres vs. Brian Bowles and the winner of Joseph Benavidez vs. Dominick Cruz. Brown’s next defense and lightweight champion Jamie Varner’s return should round out the schedule, but it’s a matter of fitting the pieces of the puzzle together.
A Jamie Varner-Donald Cerrone rematch for the lightweight strap is one roadblock to Brown-Aldo happening in September. Varner’s availability is still not known for the late summer date, but if he is ready to go, it would be very unfair to everyone involved -- Varner, Cerrone and the fans -- if the lightweight fight wasn’t made.
Another potential barrier to a Brown-Aldo title fight could come from within Aldo’s camp. Wagnney Fabiano is higher ranked than Aldo, his younger teammate, in most polls and could find himself blocked if Aldo were to snatch the title away from Brown.
The quick fix would be to have Aldo drop to 135 pounds, where he could square off with Miguel Torres should he keep winning. This is a fight Aldo has made clear that he wants, and it would clear the way for Fabiano to compete for the WEC featherweight title in the near future.
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