MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Sanchez Could Face Stevenson at UFC 95

Diego Sanchez could get a stern test in his first fight at 155 pounds.

The middleweight winner of the first season of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” has verbally agreed to face Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 at the O2 Arena in London, according to a source close to the New Mexico native. Bout agreements have yet to be signed, however, said the source.

Sanchez, 26, announced his intentions to drop down to the lightweight division in December and will enter his first fight of 2009 on a two-fight win streak. Sanchez (19-2) submitted David Bielkheden at UFC 82 last March and stopped gritty American Top Team standout Luigi Fioravanti with strikes at “The Ultimate Fighter 7” Finale in June.

Sanchez’s only two career losses have come in the welterweight ranks to Josh Koscheck at UFC 69 in April 2007 and Jon Fitch via split decision at UFC 76 in September 2007, shortly after he left lifelong trainer Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, N. M. Sanchez now trains under Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Saulo Ribeiro and Rob Garcia in San Diego.

Stevenson (29-9), who won TUF’s second season at welterweight, has dropped two of his last three bouts. The former King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge champion succumbed to a second-round rear-naked choke at the hands of lightweight champion B.J. Penn at UFC 80 last January in Newcastle, England, and was submitted with the same maneuver by Kenny Florian at UFC 91 in November. The 26-year-old ground fighter has gone 6-3 in the Octagon.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pancrase aims for change in '09

With the 2008 Shining Tour now over and done with, Pancrase has christened its upcoming 2009 effort.

Pancrase is one of the few organizations that has always maintained the tradition of naming its annual tours. As each year winds down, the promotion opens up a contest to fans to name the tour series for the following year. The guidelines are simple: the tour names must be a single word, supplemented by a one-sentence explanation of the name.

For the third straight year, following the 2007 Rising and 2008 Shining tours, the Pancrase brass has gone with a gerund, announcing the 2009 Changing Tour.

The title was suggested by Tokyo's Eiichi Matsuda, who was inspired by Pancrase light heavyweight champion Ryo Kawamura's in-ring speech about the progress of the promotion following his Oct. 1 title capture over Keiichiro Yamamiya. Matsuda explained the Changing moniker, stating "A Pancrase which continues toward a new age."

The 2009 Changing Tour will begin Feb. 1 at Differ Ariake in Tokyo. Thus far, three bouts have been announced, pitting free-swinging featherweight Kenji Arai against ZST rep Masanori Kanehara, veteran Kosei Kubota against Asaki Honda, and Sakuraba understudy Takenori Sato against Ryuji Ohori.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Belfort, Sokoudjou indicate pro boxing bouts possible

The oft-discussed partnership between Affliction Entertainment and Golden Boy Promotions may not be such a bad thing after all.

"Affliction: Day of Reckoning" fighters Vitor Belfort (17-8) and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-3) recently said they hope to utilize the partnership between the two companies to fulfill their professional boxing aspirations.

"I would like to fight boxing professionally," Belfort said. "That's going to be an opportunity for me. Hopefully Golden Boy can put me to start boxing. It would be a dream for me."

Belfort told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that his increased speed since dropping to be 185 pounds would be an asset in a potential boxing bout.

"I'm faster," Belfort said. "Now I'm catching flies. I'm training at home with my son, and we're catching flies."

Sokoudjou also expressed his interest in the Sweet Science after hearing Belfort's pitch to Atencio.

"I heard Vitor say something about boxing, so I'm going to talk to Tom and try to get me into a boxing match," Sokoudjou said. "It's a fight, and I'm a pro fighter. So why not crossover and fight some guys out there?"

Sokoudjou, who was recently released from the UFC after a three-fight stint in the organization, said he would like to try his hand at boxing in order to keep a steady pace of competition.

"I want to be there if I can fight every weekend," Sokoudjou said. "I come from a judo background. Every weekend for the season I'll be out on the road competing, which my body is not used to sitting at home for too long and not doing anything. So I'm looking forward to competing MMA or whatever -- mud wrestling or something."

While both fighters have expressed their interest in fighting for Golden Boy, neither has yet secured a boxing contract.

"Let's wait for Golden Boy," Belfort said. "I just announced myself as ready to go. Let's see if they're going to invite me to come."

Belfort and Sokoudjou join a growing list of big-name fighters interested in crossing over to boxing that includes UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal returns at Sengoku no Ran 2009

Undefeated light-heavyweight prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (2-0) will return to action for the third time in less than four months at Sengoku no Ran 2009 on Jan. 4.

World Victory Road recently announced Lawal's participation, along with two additional bouts, on their official website.

The former collegiate wrestling champion will meet K-1, DEEP and Pancrase veteran Yukiya Naito (15-4-2).

Lawal has competed exclusively for the Japanese-based Sengoku organization in his young career. The 27-year-old earned TKO wins over Fabio Silva and Travis Wiuff in his first two bouts.

Naito, a Japanese native, is currently riding a six-fight win streak that includes five TKO's and one submission. Naita has lost just one bout in his previous 11 appearances.

The organization also announced additional bouts of Maximo Blanco vs. Seigo Inoue and Hidetada Irie vs. Minoru Kato.

The updated fight card now includes:

* Takanori Gomi vs. Satoru Kitaoka (for vacant lightweight title)
* Kazuo Misaki vs. Jorge Santiago (for vacant middleweight title)
* Yoshihiro Nakao vs. Antonio Silva
* Sanae Kikuta vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
* Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal vs. Yukiya Naito
* Sergey Golyaev vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
* Mu Bae Choi vs. Dave Herman
* Maximo Blanco vs. Seigo Inoue
* Hidetada Irie vs. Minoru Kato
* James Thompson vs. TBA
* Roger Gracie vs. TBA

 

[Shogun Locc]

CUNG LE REFLECTS ON 2008, LOOKS TO 2009

From an infant escaping war-torn Vietnam shortly before the fall of its capital, Saigon, to San Shou star to MMA champion, Cung Le has seen his share of good times and bad.

Still, throughout it all, he has persisted to become the best at what he does, leading him to find success both in and out of the arena and become one of combat sports' most popular athletes.

Recently Le had a chance to look back over his year and discuss the injury that has kept him sidelined much of the year, while also pursuing a blossoming film career.

“A lot of people have been asking where I’m at, but a lot of people don’t realize that my injury was as serious as it was,” said Le. “I just went in there (against Frank Shamrock in March) and fought anyway. I didn’t care what happened to the elbow because I knew I had a really good surgeon in Dr. Warren King, and if I had to get surgery again, so be it, but I was going to take the fight and give my all.

“Now after the fight, I’ve been out of the cage for a while. I’m just letting my elbow heal up. I want to make sure when I come back I’m healthy because I don’t want to do these fights with my elbow not 100 percent. It’s not going to get any better if I treat it poorly.”

As Le explains, being sidelined by injury was the culmination of the wear and tear from both his own career and those of his teammates, as well as the fact that he might not have gotten another opportunity to face Shamrock for the Strikeforce middleweight title.

“I think over the years the wear and tear of my training and holding pads for six to ten guys straight one after another started catching up,” stated Le. “Basically I didn’t think Frank was going to take the fight because he was announcing he was going to fight Renzo Gracie, but I guess Renzo backed out and Frank decided he was going to fight me.

“I had already decided to get surgery – which was supposed to be a minor surgery, but turned into a major one where they had to move the ulnar nerve – but Javier Mendez, my trainer, said that it was a once in a lifetime chance, that Frank may not give me another chance. It’s now or never, so I decided to do it.”

According to Le, the fight against Shamrock in March remains the crowning moment of his total fighting career.

“I think that this year is the best year I ever had. Even though it’s only one fight this year, it was the biggest fight and best fight I could dream of,” he exclaimed.

“I’ve done a lot in my amateur career. I represented the United States three different times (at the World Martial Arts Championships), also I won many big San Shou fights; but definitely MMA has given me the most exposure and Frank Shamrock gave me one hell of a fight.”

Outside the cage, he continues to flourish with the opening of a new gym of which many claim is one of best in sports; as well, he’s focused on a movie career that will see him on the silver screen multiple times in the coming year.

“Actually, after a tough divorce, I closed two gyms down and opened another gym with an investing partner, and my fiancé got involved, and this is the best gym I’ve ever had,” he admitted. “To top it off, my entertainment career is taking off.

“I just wrapped a movie (in Berlin, Germany) called 'Pandorum' with producers Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer, who produced all the Resident Evil movies and 'Alien vs. Predator.' They produced this movie starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, and they gave me a shot at this.”

While Le’s status in the martial arts world is enough to carry him into many film projects, it was his audition that impressed Pandorum director Christian Alvert enough to cast him in the movie, as well as provide him with possible future projects from the company producing the film, Crystal Sky Pictures.

That adds to a release schedule for next year that will see Le featured in no less than three movies, including 'Fighting' starring Iron Man’s Terrence Howard; and 'Tekken,' the highly anticipated film adaptation of the popular fighting video game where he stars as fan favorite character Marshall Law.

If that wasn’t enough, Le closes out 2008 by traveling to China to work with the legendary fight choreographer of such films as the Matrix trilogy and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' who will be directing his first film in over a decade.

“Woo-ping (Yuen) requested for me for the first movie he’s directing both the film and action since Iron Monkey 2,” said Le. “Most movies he just directs the action (as choreographer), but this movie he has complete control. He requested me for a cameo part; it’s a pretty good and exciting part.

“Bill Kong, who’s an Academy Award winner for 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' put the bill together. He was the go-to guy between Woo-ping, my agent and my manager to put this bill together. I’m very excited to be working with Bill Kong and Woo-Ping.”

With a successful gym, a fight team that continues to make waves in the fight game, and an exploding film career to go along with his success in MMA, it’s been a big year for Cung Le, and as he says, it’s not going to stop any time soon.

“What I’m very excited about is that if I’m able to do well in entertainment and film, I’ll be able to draw a lot of people who don’t really fallow MMA and bring them into the MMA world,” concluded Le. “That’s something I’m going to look for in 2009 with all the opportunities I’ve got. If my promoter, Scott Coker, wants me to fight, we’ll sit down and talk about it, but right now I’m just enjoying myself and definitely train hard and see what happens.

“I want to say thank you for the interview and thanks to all the MMA fans out there. Thank you for your support. I’ll be working hard to keep you entertained in 2009.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

GILBERT YVEL'S UNLIKELY ADVOCATE... JOSH BARNETT

News that Dutch striker Gilbert Yvel was scheduled to face Josh Barnett at Affliction’s upcoming “Day of Reckoning” raised many eyebrows.

Few fighters in the game are as controversial as Yvel. Despite one of the most exciting and explosive skill sets in the heavyweight division, his career has been marred by several in-ring incidents that made him unemployable to most big promotions. Among the most notorious: biting a referee in a 1998 bout in Russia, eye gouging Don Frye at PRIDE 16, and most alarmingly, knocking out a referee in 2004 at a show in Finland.

In February of 2007, the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied Yvel a license to fight for his past misbehaviors.

To ensure he will licensed for “Reckoning,” Yvel and his representatives will meet with Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas in early January for a closed-door session.

But Yvel has another advocate in his quest to fight on American soil—Barnett.

“As much trouble as he’s encountered in MMA circles, at least he’s not like football,” Barnett told MMAWeekly.com. “Gilbert has his troubles, but I can actually see allowing that guy to fight under circumstances. But a guy like ‘Pacman’ Jones can go into a strip club and have him and his friends assault dancers and shoot up the place, and the NFL will bring him back; coaches will vouch for him and people will give him a second chance, when he’s just a dirtbag.”

Barnett says the amount of controversy Yvel generates is mostly undeserved.

“The funny thing is reading about how vehemently people feel about Gilbert Yvel, a guy who’s broke some rules in the ring, but to date, nobody’s ever been seriously injured by him,” he said. “Then you’ve got a guy like that, who shoots places up and acts like a total buffoon, and people will go out there and vouch for him just so he can intercept a few passes.

Barnett and Yvel share history. The two fought for PRIDE in its formative years, although never against each other. Yvel never found his stride in the now-defunct Japanese promotion, losing all but two of his appearances there. Barnett, on the other hand, cemented his reputation as a top-ten heavyweight. Barnett says the two hung out several times and got along well.

“I say the majority of his fights are less controversial than the few we think about,” Barnett continued. “According to his last two fights, he hasn’t had a single incident. So he seems to be doing his thing without causing so many issues, and I’ve always had a decent relationship with him.”

And ultimately, Barnett needed a fight, whoever it might be. After Affliction scratched the Oct. 11 date for “Reckoning” and re-booked the show with Andre Arlovski vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Barnett was out in the cold. The waiting was getting to him.

“I need to be active,” he said. “I’m not here to sit around and watch TV and play video games and listen to heavy metal. I need to be out there punching somebody in the face. It’s gotta be somebody.”

To be fair, it’s been almost five years since Yvel’s last major incident. Barnett feels Yvel is not the same man who knocked out a referee and kicked him while he was down.

“I’d like to hear his side of the story on that one,” Barnett said. “Because sometimes, there have been a few referees I could have knocked out, although it’s not anything I’m ever going to do. We’re human beings.”

But when it comes to fighting dirty, if Yvel tries anything, Barnett won’t tolerate it.

“When it comes to going crazy, like fouls or infractions or anything like that, I don’t worry about that, because nobody will take it as far as I will…that much I know,” he said. “If somebody wants to poke my eyes or bite me, that’s my career, and if it’s not an eye for an eye, it will be an eye for both your eyes, some of your teeth, your limbs, whatever I can get before somebody pulls me off of you.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Frank Mir on the difference between beating Brock and possibly Minotauro

“Beating Nogueira would be so significant to me, because of who he is. He’s a legend in our sport. Whether he wins or loses his next fight, he’s the Minotauro. Brock hasn’t earned that yet. Brock’s not a legend in our sport. He’s not even an icon in our sport yet. He’s an entertainer who is famous and who’s had a slight amount of success in our sport with two wins. Nogueira, I don’t have to say anything else about him. Just say his name and you get a reaction, you see the respect. Anyone who knows even a little bit about this sport knows what he’s about.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nathan Marquardt slated to return at UFC 95

UFC middleweight title contender Nathan Marquardt is now set to return to action at UFC 95 on Saturday, February 21 at the O2 Arena in London, England.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the news with a source close to Marquardt earlier this afternoon. An opponent is still in the process of being finalized.

The fight will mark Marquardt’s since bout since recording a first round TKO over Martin Kampmann at UFC 88 this past September.

Prior to beating Kampmann, the former King of Pancrase had lost a controversial split decision in London against Thales Leites.

A veteran of eight UFC fights, Marquardt is 6-2 lifetime when competing inside the Octagon and is 27-8-2 overall with notable victories in his career over Yuji Hoshino, Kazuo Misaki, Shonie Carter, Yves Edwards, Jeremy Horn, Ivan Salaverry, and Joe Doerksen.

 

[Shogun Locc]

5 Oz. Video: Phil Baroni expresses desire to return to the UFC

During a recent trip to Las Vegas for the live finale for the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter, FiveOuncesOfPain.com began to produce video for the first time. Earlier this week we presented interviews with Ryan Bader and Anthony Johnson and our newest interview is with Phil Baroni.

While interviewing Baroni, we asked him about where his career could be headed next, whether a rematch with Frank Shamrock is possible in 2009, what it was like fighting for EliteXC, and more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Paul Taylor unable to compete at UFC 95 due to injury

A rumored welterweight bout to take place at UFC 95 in London, England at the O2 Arena on February 21 between Matt Brown and Paul Taylor won’t have a chance to become official.

According to a report by the UK-based magazine Fighters Only, Taylor is taking longer to recover than expected from broken ribs sustained in a bout vs. Chris Lytle at UFC 89.

The magazine was also the first to report that Taylor had recently signed a new four-fight contract with the promotion. The 9-4-1 British fighter received the new contract in spite of a 2-3 lifetime record inside the Octagon.

In addition to his unanimous decision loss against Lytle, Taylor has has also suffered defeats at the hands of Paul Kelly at UFC 80 and Marcus Davis at UFC 75. His fight with Kelly earned him a share of the coveted “Fight of the Night” award.

Taylor’s wins have come against Jess Liaudin via split decision at UFC 85 and Edilberto de Oliveira by way of a third round TKO.

A new opponent for Brown has yet to be determined. Thus far the only other reported fight for UFC 95 is a lightweight encounter between Justin Buchholz and Terry Etim.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wagnney: no hurry for the belt

After a perfect work at IFL, Wagnney Fabiano started in WEC with the right foot, dominating the fight against Akitoshi Tamura from the beginning to the end and, when the public thought that the result would be on judge’s decision, the Brazilian got a hand triangle choke and submitted the Japanese. With the beautiful victory, Wagnney already saw his name being set for a possible titleshot, now with the ATT Mike Brown.

"I think I should do one more fight, but I don’t know with whom. The fight for the belt has already been announced. It’ll be Mike Brown against Leonard Garcia. Both are very good, I wanted to see this fight happen as well. Unfortunately they didn’t give it to me, but I'm not hurry", guarantees the Brazilian, who was among the best on the category in the world. "I have no preference for an opponent, and I think now I must be the third of the ranking. Above me is Faber and Mike Brown", said the Brazilian, discarding a possible fight against Jose Aldo, a team mate at Nova União and who fights in the same category at WEC. "(I’ll) Never (fight Aldo), for any money or any offer. I have a pact with my team. You can offer me all kind of money that I won’t fight against him", guarantees.

 

[Shogun Locc]

RYAN BADER: "IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content4029.html?PHPSESSID=7ad290f7ad8dc4e6d827645dfb7bb021
"I was going to stand with him regardless. It just gave me some more motivation to really go after him. In my training camp for this fight, we didn't even think about taking Vinny down. I would stay on my feet with fresh guys coming in. No matter how bad they were beating me down, I switched off the part of my brain that told me to go for the takedown. I felt I had the advantage for sure. He is no slouch, but I felt I was a little more technical and had a lot more power," stated UFC light heavyweight and Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Ryan Bader as he talked about his impressive win over Vinny Magalhaes, his future plans and more. Check it out!

 

[Shogun Locc]

EFRAIN ESCUDERO: "HE IS ASKING FOR A REMATCH WITH ME ALREADY"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content4028.html
"He is asking for a rematch with me already. I think he needs to win a few fights and earn his way to me. I not only mentally beat him before the fight, I submitted him. He keeps calling me a wrestler, but most of my wins are by submission, which takes Jiu Jitsu. He is not smart enough to know that submissions are not allowed in wrestling, but he probably thinks Brock Lesner made a lateral move and is still a Pro Wrestler," stated UFC lightweight and Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Efrain Escudero as he talked about Junie Browning, his big win over Phillipe Nover, his future plans and much more. Check it out!

 

[Shogun Locc]

New “Shogun” Rua Training Video
videolink: http://dreamfighters.com/?p=885
Shoguns back and his striking is crisp!

 

[Shogun Locc]

On the Road to Reckoning Episode 1

Arlovski 360: On the Road to Reckoning Episode 1

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sokoudjou: Getting to Know 'Babalu'
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Sokoudjou-Getting-to-Know-Babalu-1858
Sherdog.com news editor Loretta Hunt caught up with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou to discuss his showdown with Renato Sobral at Affliction II on Jan. 24.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lindland: "I'm sure Belfort will be prepared" for January bout

Despite being out of the UFC for over three years, top-ranked middleweight Matt Lindland (21-5) has continued to face an impressive roster of big-name opponents.

That won't change at January's "Affliction: Day of Reckoning," as the 38-year-old will be taking on the heavy handed Vitor Belfort (17-8).

And while Belfort has gone through his share of struggles through the years, Lindland recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he believes "The Phenom" will be in peak form on Jan. 24 in Anaheim, Calif.

"That's the question: Which Vitor is going to show up?" Lindland said. "Sometimes he doesn't show up mentally. But when he does, he's hard to stop."

Belfort has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his 12-year career. But occasional lapses in performance have led many MMA observers to echo Lindland's sentiments whenever Belfort fights: Are we going to see "the old Vitor?"

Lindland believes the Brazilian's training at the famed Xtreme Couture facility will ensure his fitness.

"He's really hard to beat when he shows up, and he's there and he's on his game," Lindland said. "It sounds like he's got himself a new camp to train with. I'm sure he'll be prepared training out of the Xtreme Couture gym."

Belfort is currently on a three-fight win streak that includes a devastating knockout of Terry Martin at Affliction's debut event. Lindland knows he'll have to be aware of Belfort's potent striking.

"Vitor has always had good hands," Lindland said. "And he's constantly improving."

But with 11 years of his own in MMA, Lindland believes he's got the skills to earn the win.

Lindland's only two losses in the past four years have to come to light-heavyweight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. With this bout in his natural weight class of 185 pounds, Lindland is excited to add another big name to his list of victims that already includes Carlos Newton, Jeremy Horn, Mike Van Arsdale, Joe Doerksen, Travis Lutter, Falaniko Vitale, Phil Baroni, Ivan Salaverry, Pat Miletich and Ricardo Almeida.

"I think it's an exciting matchup," Lindland said. "Vitor is one of the best fighters out there. He has been in this game as long as anybody.

"Everybody knows who Vitor Belfort is, and the reason why is because he is such a good fighter. He's a very talented, athletic fighter. I'm looking forward to getting in there and beating him."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt likely for UFC 95

As the card for the UFC's return to London is quickly filling out, a middleweight showdown between Wilson Gouveia (12-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Nate Marquardt (27-8-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) appears likely as the latest addition to the event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the fight that both parties have accepted the fight, though bout agreements have yet to be signed.

UFC 95 takes place on Feb. 21 at the O2 Arena in London.

Gouveia is coming off of an impressive, though slightly controversial performance at The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale earlier this month. After failing to make weight weight for the bout, the Brazilian turned in a dominating performance over the always-game Jason MacDonald. A barrage of elbows forced the first-round TKO stoppage.

It was the American Top Team product's second-straight win, and his sixth win in his past seven bouts.

While Gouveia has struggled with his cardio fitness and physical conditioning first at 205 pounds and now at middleweight, the 30-year-old does hold career wins over MacDonald, Jason Lambert, Carmelo Marrero, Seth Petruzelli and a young Jon Fitch. A victory over Marquardt would lend Gouveia immediate legitimacy in the UFC's middleweight division.

Former King of Pancrase and nine-year-veteran Marquardt will be looking for his second-straight win after defeating Martin Kampmann at UFC 88 in September.

Marquardt won his first four bouts in the UFC after debuting in 2005. Wins over Ivan Salavery, Joe Doerksen, Crafton Wallace and Dean Lister earned him a shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva in 2007, but Marquardt suffered a first-round TKO loss to "The Spider."

Marquardt followed that performance with a submission win over Jeremy Horn before dropping a controversial split decision to Thales Leites.

Marquardt is considered among the best 185-pounders in the world, and a win over Gouveia could propel him once again to the forefront of the UFC's middleweight division.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jake Rosholt vs. Alessio Sakara set for UFC Fight Night 17

Former collegiate wrestling champion and WEC veteran Jake Rosholt (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is set to make his debut against American Top Team's Alessio Sakara (13-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) at February's "UFC Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs. Franca."

Our friends at Fiveouncesofpain were the first to report the possibility of the bout, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has confirmed with multiple sources close to the bout that both camps have agreed to the fight and bout agreements are forthcoming.

"UFC Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs. Franca" takes place Feb. 7 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.

Rosholt was a four-time all-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University from 2003-2006. The middleweight made his professional MMA debut in July 2007, and he won his first three bouts in a span of less than four months. A fourth win in 2008 earned him a multi-fight contract with the Zuffz, LLC-owned WEC.

Rosholt earned a TKO win over Nissen Osterneck in his lone WEC appearance at "WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown." The performance earned the 26-year-old a trip to the UFC when the WEC's middleweight division was ultimately scrapped.

Italian national and former professional boxer Sakara has been fighting in the UFC since 2005. After an unfortunate debut against Ron Faircloth resulted in a no contest after Sakara suffered a heavy shot to the groin, the 27-year-old dropped two-straight contests to Dean Lister and Drew McFedries.

Sakara has gone 3-2 since that stretch and dropped from 205 pounds to middleweight. Sakara's wins have come against three one-and-done UFC fighters in Joe Vedepo, James Lee and Victor Valimaki.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mike Brown agrees to face Leonard Garcia in first WEC title defense

New WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown (20-4 MMA, 2-0 WEC) and top contender Leonard Garcia (12-3 MMA, 2-0 WEC) have verbally agreed to meet on as-yet-unannounced card in March.

Fellow 145-pound contender Wagnney Fabiano first mentioned an announcement of the rumored bout in an interview with the Brazilian website Tatame.com, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since been able to confirm the agreement with multiple sources close to the bout.

An exact date and location has yet to be determined, but the sources indicated that Brown's earlier claims to MMAjunkie.com of a likely Florida locale in March still appeared accurate. Bout agreements are expected to be signed by both fighters in the near future.

Brown will carry an eight-fight win streak into the bout, including a shocking, first-round TKO win over former champion Urijah Faber in November. The seven-year veteran entered the bout with Faber a heavy underdog, but executed a perfect gameplan in taking out the former WAMMA No. 1-ranked featherweight.

While recovering from torn cartilage in his rubs suffered during the fight with Faber, Brown recently told MMAjunkie.com we was open to a rematch or a challenge from Garcia.

"I'm fine with [a rematch]," Brown said. "I don't mind fighting [Faber] again. I've also heard Leonard (Garcia) might be next. So either, or. I'm willing to fight either guy. They're both great. They both deserve a shot."

Garcia first made a splash onto the national MMA landscape with a spirited three-round loss to Roger Heurta in April 2007. "Bad Boy" followed that performance with a win over Allen Berubie and another decision loss, this time to Cole Miller.

In 2008, Garcia dropped down to a more natural weight of 145 pounds and transitioned to the WEC. The 31-year-old needed just 2:43 total to dispatch of both Jens Pulver and Hiroyuki Takaya.

Following the win over Pulver, Garcia told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com, that he wanted a shot with the winner of the Brown vs. Faber bout.

"Regardless if it was Brown or Faber, right now they're just names that are holding on to something that I want," Garcia said. "It wouldn't matter if it was any name out there. I wouldn't care who won. As long as they have the title, that's who I want to come for."