Manvel “The Anvil” Gamburyan defeated Mike Brown on Saturday, April 24, at WEC 48 with an astonishing first round knockout. Gamburyan came out swinging and was unrelenting compared to the more tentative Brown. Many people expected Brown to utilize his wrestling skills to take the fight down to the canvas, and instead he chose to stand with Gamburyan—a decision that ultimately proved to be a big mistake. At about the two minute mark of the first round Brown was caught with a punishing uppercut and subsequent right hook, dropping him to the ground, where Gamburyan immediately pounced on him and delivered a barrage of hammerfists, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
Being the accomplished wrestler that he is, it’s very surprising that Brown didn’t go for a takedown immediately, especially considering the size and strength advantage he holds over Gamburyan. It’s possible that he wanted to showcase his striking skills or that he wanted to wait and see where Gamburyan would take the fight. It was evident that Gamburyan was comfortable standing, and his devastating standup hammered this point home to all of the viewers watching this fight. It’s this kind of tenacity and combativeness that sets Gamburyan apart from a number of other fighters his size, and it’s also what has helped him make a lasting impression on fans and the MMA world in general.
Depending upon what WEC matchmakers have in store, he may only need to win one or two more fights before he gains a shot at the featherweight title. For Mike Brown, the future is less clear. Having lost two out of his last three fights, he will have to reassess some of his strategy and put in some time working on his weaknesses. He is an excellent, talented fighter but unfortunately he’s got a long way to go before he’ll see another title shot.
No matter what happens next, we know that the WEC’s featherweight division is a deeply competitive weight class where we are sure to see a number of interesting match-ups. With names like Aldo, Faber, Garcia, and Gamburyan there’s no shortage of talented fighters who are capable of putting on an exciting and entertaining show.
Tags: Featherweight, WEC
