Welterweight

Strikeforce Signs Marius Zaromskis

Strikeforce has officially announced the signing of DREAM welterweight grand prix champion Marius “Whitemare” Zaromskis to a multi-fight contract. No date was announced for Zaromskis’ Strikeforce debut.

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Quick Hits: Almeida Injured, Sylvia to Japan for NYE & More

- Ricardo Almeida has pulled out of his November 21 bout with welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 106 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout was expected to be Almeida’s first at 170 lbs after a career at middleweight. Fitch told MMA Junkie he’ll now get a “bigger fight instead.” [MMAJunkie.com]

- Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will be appearing on the upcoming K-1 Dynamite! show on New Year’s Eve. Sylvia has been offered bouts with Alistair Overeem and Hong Man Choi and Fighters Only is reporting that Sylvia’s camp is currently favoring a bout with Choi. [Fighters Only Magazine]

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DREAM.12 to Feature Six-Sided Cage

Fighting and Entertainment Group today announced details regarding DREAM.12, which will take place on October 25 at the Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. For the first time in the organization’s short history, it will use a six-sided cage.

DREAM also released a promotional video for the event, which features eight of the nine announced participants for the fight card. The video can be seen above.

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Nansen Spoils Izumi’s Debut at Sengoku 10

New Zealand kickboxer Antz Nansen used superior striking skills to spoil the anticipated professional debut of 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi, knocking Izumi down three times en route to a first-round TKO win at World Victory Road’s “Sengoku Tenth Battle” event on Wednesday.

Izumi (0-1) did surprisingly well in the loss. Willing to stand with a dangerous Nansen (1-0) on the feet, Izumi caught his opponent on multiple occasions with a few straight left hands. The tide turned when Nansen hurt Izumi with a right hand midway through the round. Izumi stumbling backwards prompting Nansen to stalk his foe, dropping him twice before finishing him off with a final combination that left Izumi bloodied and seated in a corner.

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Sengoku “Tenth Battle” Live Results

We will be going live at 3:00 PM ET with live results of this morning’s “Sengoku Tenth Battle” event, which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The show will air live on HDNet for those in North America.

2004 Olympic judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi will meet New Zealand kickboxer Antz Nansen in the professional debut for both fighters in the fight card’s main event. Additional bouts slated to take place include a heavyweight matchup pitting former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva against Jim York and a welterweight bout involving Nick Thompson and Dan Hornbuckle.

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Quick Hits: Huerta Considering UFC Return, Vasquez to Replace Hominick & More

— Despite announcing his intention to focus on his acting career full-time, UFC lightweight contender Roger Huerta is now considering a full-time return to the organization following a split decision loss to Gray Maynard at last week’s UFC Fight Night 19 that fulfilled his latest UFC contract. “I can’t go out with two losses in a row,” Huerts said. “I don’t think I’m going to call it quits anytime soon. I’m still open to acting. Hopefully we get something going with that, but I’m not going to prioritize acting now. I’ll still prioritize fighting. If the UFC wants me back, I’d be willing to go back.” [Sherdog.com]

— Seasoned veteran Javier Vasquez has been tapped to replace an injured Mark Hominick against Deividas Taurosevicius in a featherweight bout at WEC 43 on October 10 in San Antonio, Texas. Hominick will reportedly be sidelined for about a month due to a reoccurring back injury. Vasquez fell in his WEC debut last month, dropping a split decision to L.C. Davis at WEC 42. [MMA Junkie]

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Quote of the Day: UFC Release Will Prompt Early Retirement for Trigg

“I made a stupid mistake. I stood on his foot in the corner, and I got caught with a punch. If they say I’m done, I’m done. If the UFC cuts me, I’m done fighting. I don’t have the strength or determination to go fight in the minor leagues anymore. I’ve done it before. I didn’t come back here for one fight ... so I could say I retired as a UFC fighter. I came back to make a run at a title fight. I want to fight. But if they’re done with me, that’s it.”

— Two-time UFC welterweight title challenger Frank Trigg tells MMA Junkie that he will decide to retire if the UFC opts to release him following his first-round TKO loss to fellow wrestler Josh Koscheck at UFC 103 this past weekend. Trigg signed a multi-fight deal with the organization in May. The longtime veteran went 2-3 in a two-year stint with the UFC from 2003-2005, which saw Trigg fall to Matt Hughes in consecutive championship opportunities.

UFC 103 Notes: Belfort Moves to Forefront of Middleweight Title Picture

A win over Rich Franklin was expected to make Vitor Belfort an instant contender for Anderson Silva’s UFC middleweight title. But according to UFC President Dana White, Belfort may have positioned himself as the leading candidate for Silva’s next title defense, even before Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt.

“You know, I think he might be ready now,” White said at last night’s UFC 103 post-fight press conference.

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Belfort Beats Franklin in Return at UFC 103

Vitor Belfort’s return to the UFC was a successful one as the former UFC light heavyweight champion decked former UFC middleweight king Rich Franklin with a series of punches that resulted in a first-round TKO win for the heavy-handed Brazilian in the main event of UFC 103 on Saturday night in Dallas, Texas.

Up until the ending sequence, the bout didn’t feature much action. Belfort (19-8) and Franklin (25-5) exchanged leg kicks and short jabs, but neither put together any offense of note that landed. Things completely changed however after Belfort clipped Franklin with an overhand left during an exchange.

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UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort” Live Results

We will be going live at 6:00 PM ET with live results of UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort”, which will take place at a sold out American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event’s televised main card will be broadcast live on pay-per-view starting at 10:00 PM ET. An additional hour of preliminary bouts will also be shown on Spike TV starting at 9:00 PM ET prior to that.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort headlines the event, returning to the UFC in a 195 lb catchweight bout against former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin. A heavyweight contenders clash between formidable strikers Mirko Cro Cop and Junior Dos Santos serves as the co-main event.

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