Sorry Mr. Fitch, but it looks like UFC President Dana White has some big plans for Jake Shields -- assuming the former Strikeforce middleweight champion can get past Martin Kampmann at UFC 121 on Oct. 23 in Anaheim.

Those plans include a welterweight title fight against the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck, who are set to do battle on Dec. 11 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

White brought word of the tentative plans during today's UFC 124 press conference in Montreal:

"If Jake Shields wins against Martin Kampmann, it'll probably be him next."

And if "The Hitman" wins? Well, that remains to be seen.

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Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson tells Danny Acosta of Fight! Magazine that he feels Strikeforce's lightweights are on the same level as UFC lightweights and fighers such as himself are getting the short end of the stick in the rankings. "The Punk" also feels a third bout with Gilbert Melendez warrants a spot on pay-per-view.

What do you think maniacs? Do you agree with Thomson's assessment on the lightweight rankings? Would you pay to see Melendez-Thomson III?

It looks like UFC 126 will be the Super Saturday event and 127 will be held at a later date.

5th Round has UFC 126 pegged for Feb. 5, 2011 with matchups originally planned for 127.

The only UFC event planned for January is 125, which takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan 1.

Now that UFC 126 will likely take place on Super Bowl weekend, reports say that bouts such as Vitor Belfort vs Anderson Silva, Kenny Florian vs Evan Dunham, Forrest Griffin vs Rich Franklin and Jon Jones vs Ryan Bader will take place at this event and not 127.

UFC 126 will take place at Las Vegas, Nevada, and the venue is expected to be the MGM Grand.

For more news on UFC 126, stick with MMAmania.

Fan favorite Clay Guida and Pride FC superstar Takanori Gomi will do battle in Las Vegas, Nevada, at UFC 125 on Jan 1, 2011, according to "The Carpenter" during a recent interview with ESPN Chicago 1000 (via Sherdog.com).

Following his submission loss to top lightweight contender Kenny Florian back at UFC 107, Guida was able to pick up back-to-back submission victories to get him back in the middle of the lightweight mix.

He submitted Shannon Gugerty by arm triangle in the UFC's debut on Versus back in March and kept the momentum rolling by defeating Rafael dos Anjos back at UFC 117 when the Brazilian was forced to tap because of pressure applied on his injured jaw.

Guida will look to make it three straight, as well as catapult himself toward the front of the division, when he trades hands with the "Fireball Kid."

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Up-and-coming welterweight prospects Matt Riddle and Anthony Waldburger will meet inside the Octagon at the UFC 124 pay-per-view event slated for the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Dec 11.

MMA Fighting brought word of the pending match-up yesterday afternoon.

Riddle comes into this bout with back-to-back victories and a 5-1 record. Back on Aug. 1, the 24 year old welterweight stopped The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 9 cast member Damarques Johnson.

His only loss came at the hands of another TUF 9 cast member, Nick Osipczak, in Manchester, England.

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In what could be a fight of the year candidate, Kenny Florian expects to face Evan Dunham on an already stacked UFC 127 card, which is scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 5, 2011. 

"Kenflo" announced on ESPN's MMA Live that he has verbally agreed to face "3-D" on Super Saturday.

After losing his title bout with BJ Penn back in August of last year, Florian bounced back with two submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Clay Guida. Florian was in a race for UFC gold once again before being stopped in his tracks by Gray Maynard back in August, which earned "The Bully" a unanimous decision victory and a shot at Frankie Edgar's lightweight title.

He's got to climb back to the top of the ladder once again. And a win over the very talented and surging Dunham would go along way toward achieving that goal for a third and possible final time.

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The search for Brian Bowles' replacement has ended less than 24 hours after it started as Joseph Benavidez has agreed to step up and face Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 52 on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas.

MMA Weekly brought word of the change earlier today.

Benavidez will look to come back strong after losing his bid to become WEC bantamweight champion in a rematch with Dominick Cruz back at WEC 50 in August.

"Joe B-Wan Kenobi" Benavidez has only two losses on his record, both of them to Cruz. Benavidez was coming off the biggest win of his career, submitting former bantamweight title holder Miguel Angel Torres going into the championship bout.

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Grappling guru Roger Gracie is back to face the rough-and-tumble Mike Kyle on the upcoming Strikeforce :"Henderson vs Babalu" fight card scheduled for Dec. 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

GracieMag.com brought word of the pending match-up yesterday evening.

Gracie made his Strikeforce debut back in May, submitting former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman. The bout was also the submission specialist's debut at light heavyweight.

The win improved Gracie's record to 3-0. Roger is of course known for carrying the Gracie name, but he's also recognized for the numerous submission tournaments with nearly 70 official submission grappling matches to his credit.

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Return of "The Athlete," take two.

Former division middleweight standout Jason MacDonald will get a chance to prove he still belongs inside the Octagon (again) when he makes his return against Rafael Natal at UFC 124 on dec. 11 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Dominance MMA tweeted the big news on Oct. 6.

McDonald's return to the UFC went from dream to nightmare after breaking his leg while defending a takedown against opponent John Salter at UFC 113 back in May. The grisly injury required surgery and has kept "The Athlete" away from action for several months.

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And blasts the Strikeforce matchmaking via Twitter:

"Im so pissed. I asked for Robbie Lawler or Matt Lindland (in addition to a bunch of other guys) if I didn't get Jacare, and now they are fighting eachother?!?!?"

Top Strikeforce middleweight contender Tim Kennedy isn't too thrilled with the bout between Matt Lindland and Robbie Lawler that will take place on Dec. 4. Kennedy's issue with the bout is that despite asking to compete against both guys, he doesn't get either of them -- probably because they're instead fighting against one another. Kennedy was on a four fight winning streak before dropping a unanimous decision to "Jacare" Souza for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title. Is anyone else unhappy about the match-up between "The Law" and "Ruthless?" Or is this just sour grapes from the combat veteran?

"Vai Cavalo's" manager, Richard Wilner, tells MMAweekly his fighter's wishes for 2011:

"He's still undergoing physical therapy, and physical therapy is more intense than one might imagine, and it includes a number of plyometric exercises and weightlifting. He started light training about 10 days ago, so he's progressing remarkably.... Be it against Alistair (Overeem) for the belt, although Fabricio's already beaten Alistair, so some may see that as a step back, although Alistair is a completely different fighter now. By step back, we absolutely mean no disrespect to Alistair, we just mean that they fought before and while it was a long time ago, I don't even know if it would be considered a rematch, but if it was considered a rematch there's one guy out there that’s arguably deserving of a rematch more than Alistair, and that's Fedor (Emelianenko)."

It's been almost four months since Fabricio Werdum turned the MMA world upside down when he submitted the man who many believed was the best fighter in the sport today, Fedor Emelianenko. Since then, Werdum has been sidelined after undergoing elbow surgery and will continue to be out of action until 2011. The bout with "The Last Emperor" was thought of to be a number one contender bout, but "Vai Cavalo's" surgery and Emelianenko's contract status has left Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem's next contender up in the air. Would you rather see a rematch between Werdum and Fedor or a rematch with Werdum and the "Demolition Man?"

Walking tall.

Super-sized UFC heavyweights Stefan Struve and Sean McCorkle are in agreement to hook 'em up at UFC 124 on Dec. 11 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

MMA Weekly brought word of the pending match-up earlier today.

"Skyscraper" has been on a roller coaster ride since his UFC debut, when the towering Dutchman was beaten senseless by top heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos.

Struve answered the third loss of his career by stringing together three victories in a row, submitting both Dennis Stojnic and Chase Gormley, then besting Paul Buentello in a majority decision. The lanky striker was on a roll before running into Roy Nelson, who knocked him silly him in 39 seconds.

Struve bounced back from the loss by defeating previously unbeaten Christian Morecraft in a come from behind knockout.

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"Ruthless" meets "The Law" for Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu."

Strikeforce officials have confirmed that Robbie Lawler will face Matt Lindland in St. Louis on December 4 earlier today. The bout will be part of the televised broadcast.

Former Elite XC champion Robbie Lawler has struggled to hit his stride in Strikeforce going 1-2 with the organization. Lawler's debut with Strikeforce was a disappointing one, tapping out to Jake Shields in just over two minutes.

"Ruthless" would bounce back in January of this year with a highlight reel knockout of Melvin Manhoef. Lawler dropped his last bout to Renato "Babalu" Sobral back in June by unanimous decision.

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Props: Sherdog

Quoteworthy:

“Everything is going very well ... The doctor wanted to see how my surgery went, and I was told that it’s OK. The surgery was actually a success. I’m very happy ... I will continue my rehabilitation, which has changed a bit now. I already do most of the leg, swimming, running. After a month, I think I’ll be back to train. I’m very motivated to get back to doing what I like best, which is fighting ... I must return at the beginning of next year, but I still don’t know who it’s going to be against ... Let’s see how my rehab goes. Hopefully, I’ll be back early next year. First, I want to take care of my knee and get back to 100 percent.”

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio Rua is confident that he'll be ready for a 2011 return once he fully recovers from surgery on his left knee. Though yet to be officially announced, "Shogun" is expected to defend his title against Rashad Evans upon his return; however, that could change depending on the Brazilian's rehab schedule. Anyone think this latest surgery will affect his reign as champion?

Props: FightLine

Quoteworthy:

"I'm actually really sick of fighting this type of style. Matt Hamill, (Vladimir) Matyushenko, Jake O'Brien... they all have that similar kind of style. Their main focus is that double leg dive and sub-par boxing. I'm trying to secure a respect level with my wrestling. I'm sure Ryan Bader, the advantage he'll have going in is to be the better wrestler and I'm going to try and prove the UFC wrong again."

Top light heavyweight prospect Jon Jones tells "Inside MMA" that he's not impressed with wrestlers who rely on diving takedowns and mediocre stand-up as he prepares for an unofficial date with Ryan Bader at UFC 127 on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas. "Darth" defeated his toughest test yet in Antonio Rogerio Nogueira just last month yet in spite of the victory, some fans and critics weren't impressed with his performance. Will he make them a believer with a huge win over "Bones" in Sin City during Superbowl weekend?

(FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com)

Sensational light heavyweight prospects Jon Jones and Ryan Bader have already been offered bout agreements to hook 'em up in early 2011, according to MMAweekly.

The showdown will most likely take place at the yet-to-be-announced UFC 127, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ever since coming to the UFC, Jones has made a name for himself in short time, defeating the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko all in impressive fashion. His only "loss" was from a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamil. 

Since winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8, Bader has transformed from a one dimensional wrestler to a well rounded mixed martial artist. "Darth" took a step up in competition when he faced Keith Jardine and an even bigger step when he met Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. He passed both tests, knocking out Jardine and defeating Nogueira by unanimous decision to push his record to a perfect 12-0.

If the fight is finalized, it would be a rare instance where two up-and-coming prospects square off against one another with a potential title shot on the line.

Stay glued to MMAmania.com for more on this fight and all others in the works for UFC 127.

The UFC will be making its return to theaters.

Zuffa recently announced that UFC 121: "Lesnar vs Velasquez" will be shown in over 300 select theaters nationwide. The promotion made its debut on the big screen with NCM Fathom back on March 27 with UFC 111.

Since then, the UFC has partnered with NCM Fathom to deliver the UFC 115 and UFC 118 events to theaters. 

From NCM Fathom vice president Dan Diamond:

“There are some moments in sports that are just too big to miss and UFC 121 on the big screen is one of those. UFC fans will experience the thrill of sitting Octagon-side in local movie theaters around the country for this ultimate UFC event.”

UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" takes place on Oct. 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

A detached retina may force the former Bellator featherweight champion to retire.

According to mmajunkie.com, Soto underwent surgery yesterday for a severely detached retina which leaves his future in doubt. He was experiencing trouble with his vision after his recent bout with Joe Warren at Bellator 27. Soto's manager Tom Call says that he may require a second surgery a year from now.

"The kind of surgery he's having could cause some other problems like cataracts and things of that nature that have to be corrected," he said. "They can't all be done at the same time. 

"There's a good possibility that this is career impacting."

"The Hammer" had a perfect record of 9-0 and held Bellator gold before suffering his first defeat at the hands of Warren, relinquishing his title. 

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney is saddened by the situation.

"On a human level, it's heartbreaking," Rebney said. "Joe Soto is a really good guy, and he lost his mom less than a year ago, who he had a very, very strong bond with. He lost his title in shocking upset fashion. Now he's got a seriously torn retina, which could conceivably interfere with his fight career, which is a central focus of his life. It's very sad. He's a good kid and he deserves better. 

Soto faces the same hardships that UFC middleweight Alan Belcher faces. Belcher was preparing for a bout with Demian Maia when he experienced sudden vision problems. It was then discovered that Belcher suffered a detached retina. "The Talent" says he hopes to be back in the octagon in 2011.

It's boxing vs mixed martial arts all over again.

Dream Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki will meet former WBA Super Flyweight Champion Yokthai Sithoar at DEEP 50 on Oct. 24. The organization confirmed the bout at a recent press conference (via Chris Nelson).

The event will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of DEEP.

After suffering defeat in his U.S. debut to Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez back in April, "The Tobikan Judan" went back to Japan and claimed back-to-back victories. Aoki submitted Tatsuya Kawajiri at Dream 15 in July and defeated Marcus Aurelio by decision at Dream 16 in September. 

Sithoar, a former WBA boxing champion, will be making his mixed martial arts debut in this bout.

The former Thailand boxer racked up a 29-6-3 record with 18 KOs as a pro. Sithoar retired from boxing in 2004 after going 0-3-2 in his last five fights, leaving the sport without a win since early 2003.

DEEP 50 takes place from the JCB Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 24.

Ross Pearson will have surgery in two weeks.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 9 winner not only suffered defeat in his last bout with fellow reality show graduate Cole Miller, he also tore the cartilage in his knee during the 155-pound scrap.

"The Real Deal" is expected to be out of action until at least Spring 2011. While the Brit tore his knee during the fight, Pearson tells Fighter's Only it's no excuse for losing to "Magrinho."

"I think it tore when he pulled guard on me. After that I was really heavy-footed and I lost my movement. I am not using that as an excuse though, Cole Miller beat me fair and square. I didn’t want to mention it at all but now I am having an operation I suppose it would come out sooner or later."

Before being defeated for the first time in his UFC career back on Sept. 15, Pearson was a perfect 3-0 inside the Octagon, defeating Aaron Riley at UFC 105 and Denis Siver at UFC Fight Night 21 after his debut win over Andre Winner at TUF 9 finale in June 2009.

James McSweeney has a new opponent for UFC 120.

According to sherdog.com, Tom Blackledge has pulled out of his UFC 120 bout with McSweeney for reasons unknown at this time. Fabio Maldonado will replace Blackledge.

Maldonado, a member of Team Nogueira is riding a 10 fight win streak defeating the likes of brazilian kickboxer Vitor Miranda and Dutch fighter Jessie Gibbs. This will be just the second time Maldonado has competed outside of Brazil. This will also be Maldonado's UFC debut. The brazilian has a record of 17-3 with 11 wins coming by knockout and three by submission.

McSweeney is coming off a TKO lost to undefeated heavyweight Travis Browne in somewhat controversial fashion. The TUF alumni was going to protest the lost, complaining of receiving blows to the back of the head. McSweeney decided to hold off on that protest to focus on his light heavyweight debut. A member of Greg Jackson's camp, McSweeney has gone 1-1 in the UFC, winning his first bout in the octagon by TKO over fellow TUF cast member Darrill Schoonover.

UFC 120 takes place at the O2 arena in London, England on Oct. 16. 

Matt Mitrione's former agent explains his side of the story.

"I'm not upset with it," Kawa said. "I'm just mad at the fact that he didn't give me to the opportunity to explain to him some of the process that has happened and what's gone down and why his numbers weren't 10-15,000 but only $5,000."

Mitrione's former agent Malki Kawa responds to being fired by his client on national television on "The MMA Hour" at mmafighting.com. It was reported that Mitrione was unhappy with the sponsorship money Kawa got him, saying $5,000 was "highly unacceptable." Mitrione was also displeased with Kawa because he felt the former agent was disrespectful to his wife. 

Rodney Wallace is out of work.

According to fiveouncesofpain, the UFC has released Wallace after the South Carolina born fighter went 0-3 with the organization. His last bout was a unanimous decision loss to top light heavyweight prospect Phil Davis at UFC 117. 

"Sho Nuff" entered the UFC with a promising 9-0 record, most noticeably competing under the M-1 banner. Despite defeating recognizable names such as Antwain Britt and Ovince St. Preux, he's dropped three straight bouts inside the Octagon, all by unanimous decision.

Wallace's last fight was the ninth in his 12 fight career that he has gone the distance.

Dave Herman has an opponent for Bellator 31 on Sept., 30, 2010.

After Ricco Rodriguez was forced off his scheduled bout with Herman, Bellator found a replacement in Michal Kita from Poland, according to MMAweekly.com. 

Kita has fought in four bouts for M-1 Global, winning three of those fights. "Masakra" has never gone to a decision in his mixed martial arts career. In all 14 bouts, Kita has either stopped his opponents or his opponents have stopped him.

This will be Herman's first bout since he was disqualified against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou back in May of this year. This will also be Herman's first bout under Bellator since May of last year.  

Herman and Bellator were locked in a legal issue in which Herman sued the organization due to his contract, which prevented him from competing at certain promotions. Bellator counter-sued Herman, forcing him off the recent Shark Fights 13 card.

Now after nearly two years since signing the contract, Herman returns to compete at Bellator 31, which will take place at L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

MMAjunkie.com has confirmed that Ricco Rodriguez has been forced out of his bout with Dave Herman for Bellator 31 on Sept. 30. Rodriguez was planning to go through with the contest despite his knee injury before being told he may need to have multiple surgeries. This would have been Herman's first bout with Bellator in over a year due to being in a contract dispute with the organization.In that one bout with Bellator, Herman TKO'd Josh Barnes in the first round. Rodriguez was on a nine fight winning streak on the regional circuit and looked to climb back up the heavyweight rankings in his bout with Herman. At this moment a replacement for the former UFC heavyweight champion Rodriguez has not been announced.

Dustin Hazelett will finally make his return to the lightweight division when he takes on Mark Bocek at the upcoming UFC 124 pay-per-view from the Bell Centre on Dec. 11 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

MMA Weekly brought word of the pending match-up earlier today.

After painful armbar submission wins over Josh Burkman at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale and Tamdan McCrory at UFC 91, "McLovin'" suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Paul Daley at UFC 108 and Ricky Story at UFC 117.

The lanky and likable jiu-jitsu wizard now stands at 12-6 and 5-4 inside the Octagon. A return to 155-pounds could be a fresh start -- or the final nail in the coffin considering how unfavorably the promotion looks on fighters who drop three straight.

This will be Hazelett's first lightweight bout since UFC 67 back in 2007.

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The dispute between Dave Herman and Bellator Fighting Championships appears to be over.

"Pee-wee," who was a previously undefeated blue chip heavyweight prospect not too long ago, will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez at Bellator 31, which is scheduled to take place at L'Auberge du Lac Casino and Resort in Lake Charles, La., on Sept. 30.

The promotion made the announcement during the broadcast of its most recent event in New Orleans.

Herman had one fight with Bellator back in May of last year and has since been in a dispute with the organization. In fact, he sued the company citing contract issues. Bellator countersued Herman, which prevented him from competing on the Shark Fights 13 card.

Rodriguez is on a nine fight winning streak on the regional circuit. This will be the first time Rodriguez will be fighting for a major promotion since UFC 45 back in 2003 when he dropped a decision to Pedro Rizzo.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on Bellator 31 as the fight card continues to evolve.

Sources close to the situation have informed mmajunkie.com that Johny Hendricks and Rick Story are in the process of finalizing their bout for the TUF 12 finale. Story will enter the bout on a four fight winning streak. Story had arguably the biggest win of his career when he defeated Dustin Hazelett at UFC 117. Hendricks comes into the contest with a perfect 9-0 record defeating the likes of Amir Sadollah, TJ Grant and most recently Charlie Brenneman.

Let's get ready to WRESTLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!

Lightweight grappling machines Tyson Griffin and Nik Lentz will likely lock up at UFC 123, which is scheduled for  The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich., on Nov. 20.

MMAWeekly.com brought word of the pending 155-pound match up earlier this evening.

Griffin is coming off a devastating knockout loss to Takanori Gomi back in August. It marked the first time ever that the Xtreme Couture prospect was stopped in his professional career.

It was also his second straight defeat, which was also a first, meaning that he'll need to knock off "The Carney" if he wants to get back in the mix or possibly risk his immediate future with the promotion.

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"We pulled it off the schedule given the possibility that the event may be canceled based on the last-minute venue change and we do not want to put our customers in the position having to get refunds."

DirecTV reached out to mmafighting.com to confirm they will not be carrying this Saturday's Shine Fights event as originally planned. It was reported this past Tuesday that DirecTV won't be airing Shark Fights 13 because the event was brought to the PPV schedule too late.