10 Most Memorable Championship Shockers: Part 1

WEC Featherweight Championship
Jose Aldo def. Mike Thomas Brown -- TKO (Punches) 1:20 R2
WEC 44 “Brown vs. Aldo,” Nov. 18, 2009

The Setting: With two wins over the talented Urijah Faber, Brown seemed to be settling into the kind of blue-collar champion mode that helped Chuck Liddell win over fans in the post-Tito Ortiz era. Take people out, issue a few no-nonsense quotes and they will come around in droves. After an impressive one-round submission over heavy-handed challenger Leonard Garcia, Brown was making some nice headway as one of the sport’s emerging stars.

Aldo, meanwhile, had posted an impressive 15-1 record, including five stoppage wins, in climbing the WEC ranks. At just 23, he seemed an intriguing proposition against Brown, who had outwrestled and outstruck Faber and showed world-glass grappling, along with a good chin and stellar conditioning.

The Swing Moment: Plenty to choose from here. From the opening moments, Aldo uncorked a series of weird angles and skilled strikes. Ranging from quick knees to the body to fast counter shots, they kept Brown out of his rhythm and unable to find a groove. The conventional wisdom was that Brown would be best served avoiding Aldo’s dangerous strikes and forcing a ground battle. However, in a series of takedown attempts against the cage, Brown failed to move Aldo, who expertly defended and shrugged off Brown’s efforts. The challenger came out strong in the second, flooring Brown before passing his guard with disdainful ease and pounding out a stunningly one-sided victory.

The Aftermath: Aldo emerged as the best young fighter the sport has produced since Georges St. Pierre. Chances are there will be plenty of chapters to come, and a rematch with Brown seems inevitable. The winner of the Faber-Raphael Assuncao bout on Jan. 10 should provide a top contender for the crown.