WEC 46 results: Deividas Taurosevicius deals Mackens Semerzier minor setback

Relative unknown prospect Mackens Semerzier burst onto the scene with a first round submission victory over jiu-jitsu wizard Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 43. 

Three months removed from the incredible upset, however, the Miguel Torres protege found himself on the losing end for the first time in his professional career, dropping a unanimous decision to Deividas Taurosevicius tonight (Jan. 10) at WEC 46: "Varner vs. Cerrone."

The experienced Lithuanian dominated Semerzier for the first 10 minutes of the evening's main card opener. Down two rounds, Semerzier headed into the third with the mindset of a finisher.

However, it was not meant to be as Taurosevicius was able to avoid several submission attempts and survived the late surge of "Mack da Menace" to impress all three judges sitting ringside.

The loss is a step back for Semerzier, who had been carrying a lot of momentum since tapping out Fabiano at WEC 43. The American was considered one of the featherweight division's top prospects, and while he is still certainly one of the most promising young 145-pounders in the WEC, this loss robs him of a lot of the momentum to start 2010. 

While tonight is anything but the end of the world for Semerzier, his inability to defeat Taurosevicius and continue his rampage at featherweight sets "Mack da Menace" back in a stacked division full of contenders. His win over Fabiano displayed his ability to roll with the big boys, but his loss tonight shows he need to improve on his game and develop consistency at the highest level. 

The good news is that the 29-year-old has time, as well as the right work ethic and training partners, in his corner.