Brown Could Face Garcia in March

Still basking in his victory over former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber last Wednesday at WEC 36, the promotion’s new featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown hasn’t paid much attention to who’s next in line for a title shot. But he’s heard rumblings.

“They [the WEC] haven’t really said much,” Brown told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Savage Dog Show” on Wednesday. “I’ve heard some rumors that it’s maybe Leonard [Garcia] in March. That’s what I’ve heard, nothing official. I haven’t seen the Jens [Pulver] fight yet -- I should probably check that out.”

The Greg Jackson-trained Leonard Garcia clobbered Pulver along the fence in a crisp 1:12 for the TKO victory moments before Brown and Faber took the stage.

Brown, who was considered an underdog in his bout, knows it’s all in the timing. In the midst of a first-round scramble, Faber (21-2) came up looking to hit Brown (20-4) with a back elbow, but failed to land. Brown countered with a right that struck Faber square on the chin, dropping the former champ en route to finishing the bout with strikes. Brown was seen being helped from the cage shortly after, clutching his side.

“I’ve done it before. I was swinging real hard and I was twisting my body real hard, and somehow I tore the cartilage in my ribs,” said the American Top Team member. “I could feel the ribs actually shifting and moving over each other and I knew I popped something. When I started cooling off they felt like they were sticking into me. I’ve had rib injuries before and I know what it entails, just four to six weeks of resting up.”