WEC featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown loves fighting. He loves it so much he would do it for free.

“I would fight for no money. I can’t be saying that too loud,” Brown said.

One year and 13 days after taking the title from MMA sensation Urijah Faber, Brown now defends his championship against one of the sport’s young phenoms, Jose Aldo of Brazil, Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

The 34-year old Brown has had one heck of a year: defeating Faber last November, defending his title in spectacular fashion by submitting top contender Leonard Garcia and then winning a five-round unanimous decision versus Faber in June in their highly anticipated rematch.

“This has been one wild dream,” Brown said. “Leonard (who also fights Wednesday) was a big win. He’s almost ready for another title shot. It’s been great.”

Now he squares off against Aldo who is 15-1 as a pro, with eight straight victories - the last five by knockout. He is an electrifying fighter, but Brown is more than ready for the challenge, especially by training at the American Top Team headquarters in Coconut Creek.

“Aldo reminds me a lot of Thiago Alves,” Brown said comparing Aldo to his training partner. “He doesn’t hit quite as hard as 'Pitbull', but he moves the same way, throws the same straight punches, the same straight kicks. The difference is that one fights at 145 and the other at 170, but it’s the same game.”

Brown believes Aldo, like Faber, is a great fighter, but both have different styles. The Portland native is ready for whatever style comes his way.

“Aldo is a very good striker who throws very fast, straight punches,” Brown said. “Faber is a college wrestler, and probably a better overall fighter. I just need to work hard and expose Aldo in this fight.”

Helping him in his mission to expose Aldo is Alves and the rest of his ATT teammates. Brown credits the trainers there for his success as well as the camaraderie he shares with the rest of the fighters, most of them who are successful MMA fighters.

“We’re always on the right page,” Brown said. “If you get beat up in practice you just got beat up by one of the best in the world. We are a very tight team. We laugh, cry and bleed together. I know it’s a saying, but in our sport it’s literal.”

Brown expects to turn that laughter, those tears and that blood into a big victory over the 23-year old Aldo. He doesn’t know exactly how the fight will end, but he does know it will be a great fight.

“The fans are fortunate that it’s being shown for free on Versus,” Brown said. “I kind of wish I could sit in my couch to watch this one.”