"The Half-Guarded Truth"

By: Mike Coughlin

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"WEC 44: The Traditions of Brazil and America"

There is an MMA tradition from Brazil that doesn't involve jiu-jitsu. It is a generational mantle, passed from one man to another, without any ceremony nor any title fight. This "belt" is not recognized in any magazines, nor on any websites, yet it is as real as any in the sport. Rather than being anything tangible, it is a state of mind amongst the MMA community: the unstoppable Brazilian Muay Thai striker. This legend isn't simply a recognition of technical superiority, but more an understanding that this Champion doesn't just knock out his opponent, he does it with style, grace, and a level of violence that both maims and embarrasses. Jose Aldo is the latest of these champions.

The first was Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons. For years, Pele would scare his opponents with the power and accuracy of his strikes while angering them with the bravado and cockiness with which he carried himself. It wasn't enough to defeat someone, Pele would make sure he humped the back of their head in the process. He would knock out Matt Hughes with a knee and almost yawn at the same time, as if to say, Of course I did this, don't you know how great I am?

The second was Anderson Silva. The reigning UFC Middleweight Champion needs little introduction nor exposition. For over three years now, he has stepped into the Octagon time and again, never losing, always leaving no doubt that he was the superior fighter. Even in his lackluster performances, the complaint was always that Silva didn't easily pick off the weak prey when he could have. He does this all while smiling, dancing afterwards, and as he showed in his August victory over Forrest Griffin, making it look like he's fighting on land and his opponents are under water.

And now comes Jose Aldo. He arrived in the WEC with a great deal of hype behind his name. Thus far, he's done nothing to make fools of his supporters. Five opponents. Five wins. Five knock outs. His last fight was his most impressive: an 8 second knock out of Cub Swanson via flying knee. Like Pele and Silva before him, it isn't just that Aldo wins, it's that he does it in style. He looks effortless inside the cage and celebrates his wins with a joy rivaling a child on Christmas. He runs into the crowd, jumps off the top of the cage, and playfully looks at the camera after each victory.

However (because in MMA there is always a "However..."), there is also a tradition in America, that of the big, strong, no frills, dominating wrestler. From Mark Coleman to Matt Hughes to Randy Couture, The United States has a history of producing wrestlers that grind away and find victory through toughness as much as technique. They're not necessarily flashy in doing so, but in keeping with an old sport cliche, they "just win." Grab a man, throw him to the ground, and elbow him until victory arrives. Mike Brown is the latest to carry this mantle.

Few men start their WEC careers walking a path as dangerous as Brown's. A debut win against Jeff Curran was all he needed to earn himself a featherweight title shot against one of the sport's most charismatic fighters, Urijah Faber. At the time, what was a shocking upset of Faber lead Brown to his first title defense, against Leonard Garcia. The hard hitting Texan was no match for the rock-like Brown, who dropped Garcia with a thunderous punch and then choked out the Greg Jackson student. A rematch against Faber saw the fight take longer to conclude while ultimately reaching the same destination. Four fights, all against the sport's best, all wins.

Tonight, on Versus, Mike Brown will defend his featherweight title for the third time this year. A win would make him a strong contender for fighter of the year. It would also make him the undisputed king of the WEC. Meanwhile, Jose Aldo, at just 24 years of age, looks to usher in another era of scary Brazilian strikers. He can rightfully be compared to Anderson Silva - a daunting analogy for almost anyone. Yet one gets the impression that Aldo not only doesn't mind, he welcomes the comparison.

The winner will have no equal in the world at 145 lbs. The loser will have no excuse, for each man knows what to expect, as this is a story that has been played out before. True, there may have been different rocks used to make the pieces, but the game is always the same and the chess board never different. Tonight, the Great Brazilian Tradition takes on the Great American Tradition. We get to watch. We should be grateful. This could be special.

Mike Coughlin is the host of Five Star Radio/TV. He follows in the long tradition of American writers who don't get any sleep.