Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bellator’s season five bantamweight tournament heats up as the promotion adds Cuban Olympic wrestler and undefeated mixed martial artist Alexis “The Exorcist” Vila to an already impressive bracket. Making his Bellator debut, Villa joins a field of top-level tournament participants already confirmed including Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas, Chase “The Rage” Beebe, Marcos “Loro” Galvao, Luis "Betao" Nogueira, Ed “Wild” West, and Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Warren.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Two of New England’s rising lightweights battle for the World Championship Fighting title belt, as UFC veteran Dan "The Upgrade" Lauzon meets Noah Weisman in the main event at WCF 11. Scheduled for June 18 from the Aleppo Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass., the co-main event features a contest between former Sityodtong training partners Greg Rebello and Scott Rehm.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Bellator Fighting Championships announced another solid matchup in their heavyweight division with the Brazilian Thiago “Big Monster” Santos set to take on Derrick "The Black Beast" Lewis. The two meet in a tournament qualifying tilt on May 21 at Bellator 45, live from L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort Event Center in Lake Charles, La.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Saturday evening’s Bellator 44 card, from Atlantic City, N.J., crowned a new lightweight tournament champion in a three-round war that nearly went to an overtime period. Additionally, Hector Lombard, Bellator’s current middleweight champion, extended his unbeaten streak to an astonishing 23 fights with yet another highlight reel finish. The seven-bout card had all but one fight go into the third round, but the four televised bouts were exciting and action packed.

Friday, May 13, 2011

The sport’s fastest-rising stars continue their budding careers when Strikeforce returns to ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., on Friday, June 24. In the main event of Strikeforce Challengers, lightweight Caros “The Future” Fodor (8-2) of nearby Kirkland, Wash. defends his home turf when he meets the hard-hitting James Terry (10-2), a protégé of middleweight star Cung Le. The night’s co-feature is equally explosive, as Woodinville’s Ryan Couture (2-0), the son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, looks for his third straight victory when he battles undefeated Matt Ricehouse (4-0).

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Both the featherweight and light heavyweight tournaments come to a close at Bellator 45, as the promotion returns to Lake Charles, La. and the L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort on May 21, Bellator’s sixth visit to the state. The event is set to broadcast live on MTV2. In the featherweight finale, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire faces Daniel Straus, and in the light heavyweight tournament finals Rich “Rare Breed” Hale and Christian “Tonton” M’Pumbu vie for the belt.

Missouri fighter Brian “Mr. D” Davidson has agreed to take on mixed martial arts legend Jens “Little Evil” Pulver at Titan Fighting Championship 18, scheduled for May 27 at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. and set to air live on HDNet. Pulver is dropping to a 140-pound catchweight for the headlining bout against Davidson. Also on the card are UFC veterans Drew “The Massacre” McFedries and Rory Markham.

Bolstering their already impressive welterweight roster, Bellator announced yesterday the addition of original Chute Boxe Academy member and current Wand Fight Team Muay Thai head instructor Michael “The Big Boss” Costa. He joins fellow Wand teammate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Vitor Vianna amid the promotion’s recent signings. An accomplished fighter on the feet as well as on the ground, Costa holds a black belt in BJJ under Royler Gracie and a black belt in Muay Thai from Cordeiro.

Monday, May 09, 2011

After one of the most memorable title bouts in recent memory went to a draw, UFC President Dana White called for an immediate rematch between Champion Frankie Edgar and undefeated challenger Gray Maynard. That rematch, scheduled for May 28, will now have to wait. According to UFC officials, both fighters have sustained injuries that have forced each off of the card. Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill will now move into the marquee slot at UFC 130, set for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

In another acquisition of top-flight competition, Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of reigning Maximum Fighting Championship welterweight champion, Douglas “The Phenom” Lima. The Brazilian born Atlanta-based 23-year-old is set to enter the upcoming welterweight tournament and has his gaze already focused on avenging a previous loss.

Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand, announced today that nearly 350 UFC and Strikeforce independent contractor athletes will now be eligible for customized accident insurance coverage. This unprecedented policy will cover accidental injuries suffered by athletes while training, as well as non-training incidents such as automobile accidents.

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Saturday evening's Elite Championship Cage Fighting event from Charlotte, NC showcased a wealth of young mixed martial arts talent. Twenty-six fighters from all over the southeast put themselves to the test in some intriguing match ups. The main event of the evening saw blue-chip 19-year-old prospect J.J. Brantley survive a stern test from Carlos Vivas to win by second round submission, retaining his ECCF featherweight title. In the co-main event Kevin Forant stopped Ryne Ford in the first round to claim the vacant ECCF lightweight championship.