Issue 041
September 2008
They fight with an energy that is hard to find elsewhere. Fast, furious and full of action, featherweight fights are almost always highly entertaining. Check out the top names in the 145lb / 65.8kg weight class.
THE FIGHTERS
Urijah Faber
21-1-0
Sacramento, California
Hideo Tokoro
21-11-1
Tokyo, Japan
Jens Pulver
21-9-1
Bettendorf, Iowa
Masakazu Imanari
14-5-1
Tokyo, Japan
Alexandre Franca ‘Pequeno’ Nogueira
13-5-2
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Robbie Olivier
15-8-1
Cambridge, England
Mike Thomas
Brown 17-4-0
Coconut Creek, Florida
IN BRIEF
Urijah Faber
WEC 145lb champ, and one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world.
Hideo Tokoro
Energetic Japanese poster boy and submission specialist, heavily pushed in his home country as the next big thing at 145lb.
Jens Pulver
Fan favourite, grizzled veteran and one of the true pioneers of the sport.
Masakazu Imanari
Crazy submission specialist known for his devastating leg locks and unorthodox fighting style.
Alexandre Franca ‘Pequeno’ Nogueira
Stocky submissions expert with mixed fortunes of late (a loss via TKO and subsequent positive drug test)
Robbie Olivier
Tough as nails British veteran and full-time fire fighter.
Mike Thomas
Strong wrestler who fights out of the famed American Top Team camp.
THE GOOD
Urijah Faber
Fantastic wrestling, explosive striking, cardio for days and a style that challenges the boundaries of what is possible.
Hideo Tokoro
A never-say-die attitude and ‘shit or bust’ approach to fighting makes him very watchable. Good in every range.
Jens Pulver
A left hand like a cannon, strong wrestling and a heart as big as a lion.
Masakazu Imanari
Unreal ability in applying leg locks. Highly flexible and quick.
Alexandre Franca ‘Pequeno’ Nogueira
The meanest guillotine in all of MMA: seven of his 13 career wins are thanks to the choke.
Robbie Olivier
Good wrestling and ground ‘n pound, always enters a fight fully focussed.
Mike Thomas
Near unstoppable takedowns. Some of the best training partners in the world.
THE BAD
Urijah Faber
At this point in his career, very little.
Hideo Tokoro
Has suffered to good strikers both standing and on the ground – his ‘open’ style leaves him vulnerable at times.
Jens Pulver
Can be his own worst enemy. Carries demons from his traumatic childhood that compromise his mindset before fights.
Masakazu Imanari
Very underdeveloped striking. Suffers against those with good takedown defence.
Alexandre Franca ‘Pequeno’ Nogueira
As with many good grapplers, lacks a comprehensive striking game. A recent test for Boldenone will see him sidelined for 12 months.
Robbie Olivier
His only major weakness is he has lost his ability to stop top-level submission specialists.
Mike Thomas
His four career losses have all been by submission.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
Urijah Faber
Holds the WEC featherweight crown in a division that is stacked with talent. Undefeated since 2005 in 13 fights.
Hideo Tokoro
Going the distance with the far bigger Royce Gracie as part of one of Japan’s occasional ‘freak’ matches was testament to his fighting ability.
Jens Pulver
Was the first UFC champion at 155lb and ruled the roost until leaving the promotion.
Masakazu Imanari
Held titles in DEEP and Cage Rage simultaneously.
Alexandre Franca ‘Pequeno’ Nogueira
Was reigning Shooto champion for a record six years, eight months, and two days.
Robbie Olivier
Fighting for titles at both featherweight and lightweight, currently holds Cage Rage British featherweight title.
Mike Thomas
Currently on a winning streak of seven fights. Has earned the next shot at Urijah Faber’s title.
MUST-SEE FIGHT
Urijah Faber
His five-round war with Jens Pulver is one of the best fights of the year so far.
Hideo Tokoro
His recent battle with Darren Uyenoyama on DREAM is a contender for fight of the year.
Jens Pulver
His three-round war with ‘Bozo’ Palling, or his tussle with Kenji Arai.
Masakazu Imanari
Any of his fights on Japanese promotion ZST, or his quick submission win over Jean Silva.
Alexandre Franca ‘Pequeno’ Nogueira
Many of his super-quick Shooto fights for evidence on how to properly apply a guillotine in MMA.
Robbie Olivier
His second fight with Brad Pickett in 2006 was one of his best performances.
Mike Thomas
His recent fight with Jeff Curran demonstrates what Brown is capable of.
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