Fight facts

Mike Brown, Coconut Creek, Fla., (21-4) vs. Urijah Faber, Sacramento (22-2)

Where: Arco Arena

When: 3 p.m. Sunday, doors open at 2 p.m.

What: World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight championship.

Tickets: Still available at $40, $75, $135 and $200.

TV: 6 p.m. (live) on Versus, with four fights televised.

Parking: $12.

Skinny: Rematch of the Nov. 5, 2008, bout held in Hollywood, Fla., in which Brown took away Faber's featherweight title by TKO.

What is WEC?

WEC is a mixed martial arts organization that was formed in 2001. Ultimate Fighting Championship bought WEC in 2006, setting the stage for the league to expand and develop under the wing of the premier mixed martial arts organization. However, WEC operates as a separate promotion from UFC.

What makes WEC different from UFC?

The rules are the same, but the WEC uses a slightly smaller octagon cage.

WEC specializes in smaller fighters, and does not carry the heavyweight division. Many fighters have used WEC as a farm system in hopes of reaching the UFC.

Attendance

More than 12,000 fans are expected at Arco Arena on Sunday. On June 1, 2008, an announced crowd of 12,682 saw Faber retain his WEC featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over veteran Jens Pulver.

Preliminary bouts

• Jose Aldo (14-1) vs. Cub Swanson (13-2).

• Donald Cerrone (9-1, 1 no contest) vs. James Krause (10-0).

• Josh Grispi (12-1) vs. Jens Pulver (22-11-1).

• Manny Gamburyan (10-5) vs. John Franchi (5-0).

• Rafael Rebello (5-3) vs. Kyle Dietz (13-0).

• Mike Campbell (6-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (6-0).

• Scott Jorgensen (6-2) vs. Antonio Banuelos (16-5).

• Frank Gomez (6-1) vs. Noah Thomas (13-4).

• Rolando Perez (4-2-1) vs. Seth Dikun (6-3).

Fighter facts

Faber starred in wrestling at Lincoln High School before excelling at UC Davis, where he ranked in the top 12 in the nation at 133 pounds.

The 30-year-old owns Ultimate Fitness, a mixed martial arts gym on 17th and I streets, and the Sacramento Sportsplex in Rancho Cordova.

After losing to the 33-year-old Brown, Faber had a rematch with Pulver in San Diego, where Faber won by submission in the first round.

Faber said it feels good to return to his hometown arena.

"I think the fans are the ones who made this happen again, because they did such a good job of showing up and showing support," Faber said. "I'm stoked to have it back in my hometown."

• With Brown's featherweight crown on the line, he will try to quiet the critics who say his 2008 first-round knockout against Faber was a lucky right-handed shot.

"This is going to be a huge fight, probably the biggest fight the WEC has ever had," Brown said. "There are going to be a lot of fans and a lot of people excited. It's going to be a big deal."

• Pulver's life story is worth a read. The veteran mixed martial arts fighter penned his autobiography in 2003, disclosing horrific abuse as a child by his alcoholic father.

Included in "Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top" was one particularly disturbing memory of the father putting a shotgun barrel in Pulver's mouth before deciding the child, then 7, wasn't worth the shell.

What are the rules?

• Championship fights are five rounds, each lasting five minutes.

• Non-championship bouts are three rounds of five minutes each.

• There is a one-minute rest between each round.

• Fighters are not permitted to butt heads, gouge eyes, bite, pull hair, fish hook or attack the groin or throat.

• A fighter wins by knockout or judges' scorecard or when the opponent "taps out" (concedes) verbally or physically.

See for free

Fans are invited to attend today's 3 p.m. weigh-ins of Faber and Brown at Memorial Auditorium on 15th and J streets in Sacramento.

A Q&A and autograph session will follow. Admission is free.