All main-card fighters competing in Friday’s Showtime-televised Strikeforce
Challengers 9 event successfully made weight for the show.
Thursday’s weigh-ins took place at Comcast Arena of Everett in Everett,
Wash, which also hosts Friday’s fight card.
Heavyweight headliners Shane Del Rosario and Lolohea Mahe had no problem
making weight, and female champion Sarah Kaufman and Roxanne Modafferi
also made their bout official by each weighing comfortably less than 135 pounds.
A recent change in mixed martial arts regulation in the state of
Massachusetts has eliminated the need for double weigh-ins.
MMAjunkie.com recently received notice of the
change, which retracts a policy that had been in place since the
Massachusetts State Athletic Commission’s inception in March 2010.
The change is the latest adjustment to regulation of MMA in
Massachusetts, which also recently implemented the regulation of amateur
MMA in the state.
Despite recent reports, former UFC fighter Yoshiyuki Yoshida and season-two welterweight-tournament runner-up Dan Hornbuckle are not fighting next month at Bellator 25.
A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com the reported fight isn’t happening due to visa issues.
Yoshida, though, could fight for the organization in late September if the issues are resolved.
No sooner was Chas Skelly announced for Bellator 28 than he was forced off the upcoming card.
Bellator officials today announced the Texas-based ground specialist was set to fight Georgi Karakhanyan; the winner was slated to earn entry into next year’s season-four 145-pound tourney.
However, a source close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com a foot injury
has forced the undefeated Skelly off the card.
Yet another heavyweight contest has been added to the rapidly filling
UFC 121 card.
MMAjunkie.com has confirmed with sources close to
the event that Todd Duffee and Jon Madsen have verbally agreed to meet at the event, and bout agreements
are expected to be finalized shortly.
Featuring a heavyweight title clash between champion Brock Lesnar and
challenger Cain Velasquez, UFC 121 is scheduled for Oct. 23 at the Honda
Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The UFC 121 announcements are coming fast and furious, and a heavyweight
matchup is the latest addition to the card.
Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga and “The Ultimate Fighter 10″ finalist Brendan Schaub have agreed to meet at the Oct. 23 event.
MMAjunkie.com has confirmed that bout agreements are
expected to be finalized shortly. Sportsnet.ca first reported the contest.
At UFC 121, teacher will meet student.
A light heavyweight matchup featuring former UFC light heavyweight
champion Tito Ortiz and the man he coached on
“The Ultimate Fighter 3,” Matt Hamill, has been added
to the pay-per-view event.
MMAjunkie.com confirmed with sources close to the
event that bout agreements were recently distributed for the contest.
MMAFighting.com first reported the matchup.
Highly touted Phil Davis has agreed to replace injured Stanislav Nedkov and now meets Rodney Wallace at next month’s UFC 117 event.
A source close to one of the competitors today confirmed the change with MMAjunkie.com.
Nedkov’s representatives could not immediately be reached for comment to determine the nature of the UFC newcomer’s injury.
The first-ever female tournament in Strikeforce history is now complete.
As was previously reported, Strikeforce officials today announced that Hitomi Akano, Carina Damm, Maiju Kujala and
Miesha Tate will compete in a single-night tournament
at Strikeforce Challengers 10 on Aug. 13. All four participants had been previously reported by MMAjunkie.com.
The winner of the bracket will receive a future shot at the 135-pound
title, but they’ll have to wait on Marloes Coenen
first.
As expected the Japanese-based DREAM organization returns Sept. 25 for DREAM.16.
The event takes place at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet.
No fighters have been announced for the card, but as MMAjunkie.com previously reported, both lightweight champ Shinya Aoki and UFC vet Caol Uno are expected to fight in separate bouts. Additionally, mini-grand-prix finalists Tatsuya Mizuno and Gegard Mousasi are expected to fight for the first-ever DREAM light-heavyweight belt.