The August 4th UFC on Fox 4 card is Los Angeles now joins several upcoming UFC events that are suffering from fighters pulling out of scheduled bouts due to injury. The latest casualty is Chad Griggs, who was set to make his first cut to light heavyweight in a bout against Phil Davis. With Griggs injured, undefeated Brazilian newcomer, Wagner Prado, will now take his place and face Davis, according to Prado's management who confirmed the change with MMAWeekly:

An injury has forced Chad Griggs out of his UFC on Fox 4 bout against Phil Davis so undefeated prospect Wagner Prado has been tapped as his replacement.
Prado’s management team at AMR Group confirmed the new fight to MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday with bout agreements in place for the August card.

A member of Team Nogueira and muay thai specialist, Prado has finished all but one of his seven career fights, with all of those finishes coming via knockout. "Caldeirao" was also the #1 light heavyweight prospect on Bloody Elbow's 2012 World Scouting Report. In the report, Leland Roling gave this description of Prado's style:

Physically, Wagner appears to be a cross between Mark Kerr, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. and a gorilla. If championships were determined by the size of a fighter's limbs, chest and cranium, Prado would already be wearing gold. With a dozen muay thai fights to his credit, he is unsurprisingly strong in the stand-up department, and is capable of ending any fight abruptly with his savage roundhouse kicks and knees. Prado has done just that in most of his bouts thus far, scoring either clean KO wins or chopping victims down to the canvas to be finished off with heavy ground and pound.

Although it appears he'll definitely hold the striking advantage over Davis, Prado better be working on his takedown defense, as his blue belt in BJJ and noted lack of strong wrestling skills are the weak poinst in his game that Davis will look to exploit.

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An undisclosed injury suffered in training by Matt Riddle has paved the way for Matt Brown to step in as a replacement and fight Luis Ramos in a welterweight bout at next month's UFC on FX 4 event in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Brown announced the booking on Twitter:

Just signed and sent bout agreement to fight Luis Ramos June 22nd in Atlantic City.

Brown is riding his first winning streak in nearly three years, with back-to-back wins against Chris Cope and Stephen Thompson. Although rarely in a boring fight, Brown is often criticized for his inability to find success against anyone but the weakest fighters in the UFC, but he has seemed to refocus his game lately, particularly after snuffing out the hype surrounding Thompson.

Ramos, a veteran of the Brazilian regional circuit and a Shooto Brazil welterweight champion, suffered a quick KO loss to uber-prospect, Erick Silva, in his UFC debut last summer, and hasn't fought since. He has now been scheduled to face Riddle twice, only to have it called off due to injury, and he'll have less than a month to change up his training camp to prepare for Brown.

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An injury to surging featherweight prospect, Jimy Hettes, has paved the way for another talented young featherweight to make his UFC debut as a replacement. New York native, Joey Gambino, has agreed to step in for Hettes and face Steven Siler at UFC on FX 4 in Atlantic City on June 22nd, according to a report from StudioMMA.com, which was also confirmed by Siler on his Facebook page:

Undefeated featherweight prospect Jim Hettes’ has been forced to pull out of his scheduled bout against TUF 14 alum Steven Siler at UFC on FX 4, due to an undisclosed injury. Siler will now face octagon new-comer, Tri Star product, Joey Gambino – who is also undefeated. StudioMMA.com confirmed the news today from a source close to Siler’s AMR Management Group.

Gambino's name might be familiar to BloodyElbow.com readers, since he was the #2 featherweight prospect on our 2012 World Scouting Report. The talented wrestler (and former teammate of fellow UFC featherweight, Dennis Bermudez) and ground-and-pound specialist now trains at the famed Tristar Gym in Montreal alongside such notable fighters as Rory MacDonald and Georges St. Pierre. Undefeated at 9-0, Gambino has finished all but one of his fights, that being the most recent one, a decision over Bellator vet, Kenny Foster.

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It looks like the UFC's Calgary debut in July is now fully booked with the addition of a welterweight bout between grapplers, Claude Patrick and James Head at UFC 149. The UFC's Canadian office tweeted news of the fight booking today:

Calgary update, fight fans -- add a welterweight bout between @claudetheprince vs James Head for #UFC149 July 21 in Calgary.

As with most of the fights on this card, this one features a native Canadian: Patrick, who hails from the Toronto area. The BJJ black belt saw a 13-fight winning streak (including three under the UFC banner) snapped in December by Brian Ebersole, who won a split decision against Patrick in a close fight that saw the American use his wrestling to nullify Patrick's crafty chokes. Although Patrick was never in danger of being finished by Ebersole, he was still clearly frustrated by the American's top control and submission defense.

Like Patrick, Head brings a strong BJJ game to the Octagon, but he's not as highly credentialed, with a purple belt under renowned grappler, Rafael Lovato. Head also has some solid muay thai and boxing skills, as he showed in April against the heavily favored Papy Abedi, in Sweden. Head used his striking to stun Abedi on the feet, before quickly latching onto a rear naked choke for the submission win, bringing his UFC record to an even 1-1.

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A trio of new bouts was reported today for the UFC's July 11th event in San Jose, California, which will serve at UFC on Fuel TV 4. In light heavyweight action, New Jersey-based grappling standout, Tom DeBlass, will face Canada's Nick Penner as reported by TheScore.com, while Renzo Gracie protege, Rafael Natal, tweeted that he will face Andrew Craig in a middleweight bout, and talented Brazilian, Marcelo Guimaraes will make his UFC debut against Dan Stittgen in the welterweight division, according to Globo's SporTV.com.

DeBlass, despite posessing an outstanding BJJ pedigree under Ricardo Almeida, made the decision to take his first UFC fight on extremely short notice against Cyrille Diabate in Sweden. Although he was never in danger of being finished, DeBlass's lack of a full training camp was evident as he quickly tired and was unable to impose his ground game against Diabate, who wound up winning the decision. Penner, who made his bones on the Canadian regional scene, also lost his UFC debut when he got TKOd by Anthony Perosh at UFC on FX 2.

Natal, a BJJ black belt better known as "Sapo", is surpisingly under a three-fight unbeaten streak under the UFC banner, having gone to a draw with Jesse Bongfeldt in late 2010, and then following that with two consecutive decision wins against Paul Bradley and Michael Kuiper. Craig surprised many at UFC on FX 2, when, filling in for Jared Hamman on short notice, he upset hometown favorite, Kyle Noke, in a decision win that saw Craig drop the first round only to come back and control the final two frames, unleashing some serious ground and pound on Noke.

The undefeated Guimaraes make his UFC debut after a successful run in Brazil's Jungle Fight promotion, where he held the welterweight title. A former training partner of fellow UFC fighters, Erick Silva and Paulo Thiago, Guimaraes is now training with Wanderlei Silva in Las Vegas. Guimaraes is notable for having tried out for TUF: Brazil, only to be signed to a UFC contract without having to go through the competition. Much like another Brazilian prospect, Ronny Markes, Guimaraes uses a strong wrestling game and a smothering top control style to wear down his opponent. Unfortunately for Stittgen, an Ohio native and Jorge Gurgel student, he seemed to be cannon fodder for young karateka, Stephen Thompson, when they both made their UFC debuts in February, and ended with Thompson KOing Stittgen via head kick in the first round.

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A light heavyweight bout has been added to the card for the UFC's Calgary debut on July 21st, featuring a promotional newcomer and an aging veteran who's put together an impressive and surprising winning streak as of late. Sportsnet's Joe Ferraro first reported the UFC 149 bout between Anthony Perosh and Ryan Jimmo, that was later confirmed by the UFC's Canada office on Twitter:

You heard it here first RT: "@ShowdownJoe: Edmonton's Ryan Jimmo to take on Anthony Perosh at UFC 149 in Calgary http://bit.ly/IWBc2S"

Jimmo, a Canadian native and karate practitioner, made a name for himself on the Canadian regional scene, particularly for the MFC promotion and hasn't loss since his first MMA fight back in 2007. Sometimes criticized for a conservative fighting style as well as for a few controversial decision wins, Jimmo nonetheless couldn't be ignored by the UFC anymore given his winning streak and victories over former UFC fighters. He was originally scheduled to make his debut back in January, but an injury forced him out of a scheduled bout with Karlos Vemola.

At 39 years of age, Australia's Anthony Perosh is one of the oldest fighters in the UFC, and he was seen by many as a sacrificial lamb when he stepped in on short notice to face Mirko Cro Cop in February of 2010, having last fought for the UFC three years prior. Although Perosh was brutalized by Cro Cop, he never quit and many admired his courage for taking the amount of punishment he did. That spirit earned "The Hippo" another shot in the Octagon and he's made the most of it. Although his level of opposition hasn't been very high, Perosh has now strung together three wins in a row, all by stoppage, in one of the more surprising developments in the last year.

Ryan "Big Deal" Jimmo (16-1)
W Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (unam. decision) - MFC 31
W Zak Cummings (unam. decision) - MFC 29
W Dwayne Lewis (TKO) - MFC 28

Anthony "The Hippo" Perosh (13-6)
W Nick Penner (TKO) - UFC on FX 2
W Cyrille Diabate (submission) - UFC 138
W Tom Blackledge (submission) - UFC 127

SBNation coverage of UFC 149

The all-heavyweight main card for UFC 146 in Las Vegas on May 26th is once again complete after the removal of Alistair Overeem from the night's main event forced the shuffling of several other fights. In summary: Frank Mir will replace Overeem, while Mir's original opponent, Cain Velasquez, will now face Antonio Silva, while Silva's original opponent, Roy Nelson, will face Gabriel Gonzaga. Still following? Gonzaga's original opponent was Shane del Rosario who was the odd man out until UFC president, Dana White, announced via twitter that fellow undefeated prospect, Stipe Miocic, had gotten the call to fill in on short notice and fight del Rosario:

8-0 Stipe Miocic vs 11-0 Shane Del Rosario is on!!!!

Miocic entered the UFC as a highly-touted heavyweight prospect and a product of the Strong Style Fight Team in Cleveland. With solid wrestling and boxing credentials, Miocic debuted against the durable Joey Beltran and got the win, despite going to a decision for the first time in his career. His sophomore effort was a little more decisive as he knocked out Philip De Fries in under a minute at UFC on Fuel TV 1 back in February.

Del Rosario made a name for himself in Strikeforce and EliteXC before both promotions were swallowed up by the UFC. Fans began to take notice as the Team Oyama product plowed through the competition, finishing all his opponents with a combination of strong muay thai skills and a dynamic submission game. As a reserve for the Strikeforce heavyweight GP, Del Rosario was scheduled to face Daniel Cormier, but a minor car accident left him with a herniated disc and forced him out of action. Now having been on the shelf for over year, Del Rosario will finally get the chance to introduce himself to UFC fans, but Miocic certainly won't make it easy.

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Two UFC newcomers who both won their debut fights at UFC on Fuel TV 1 back in February, are now set to collide in Florida on June 8th, as Tim Means will face Justin Salas in a lightweight bout at UFC on FX 3, according to UFC.com.

Means, better known as "The Dirty Bird", is a New Mexico native and trains out of the Fit NHB team that was once home to Carlos Condit. A veteran of King of the Cage where he held the promotion's lightweight title until his UFC debut, Means employs an aggressive striking game which has earned him 12 knockouts in 17 career wins. Riding a nine-fight unbeaten streak, Means was signed by the UFC as a short-notice replacement and most didn't give him much of a chance against BJJ black belt, Bernardo Magalhaes, but Means proved the doubters wrong by absolutely dominating Magalhaes, busting him up on the feet and dropping heavy ground-and-pound on the mat en-route to lopsided decision win.

Salas was a highly-touted prospect and product of the Grudge Training Center in Colorado, also home to Nate Marquart, Shane Carwin, and Duane Ludwig among other notable fighters. After ranking as the #4 lightweight on Bloody Elbow's 2012 World MMA Scouting Report, Salas was signed by the UFC to face a fellow prospect and UFC debutante, Finland's Anton Kuivanen on the same Fuel TV card that saw Means make his debut in February. Salas successfully employed his strong wrestling skills to mitigate the striking and submissions of Kuivanen, and won a unanimous decision, but it wasn't much of an entertaining fight, and he'll have to show more of a killer instinct if he wants to make the most of his UFC contract.

Tim "The Dirty Bird" Means (17-3-1)
W Bernardo Magalhaes (unam. decision) - UFC on Fuel TV 1
W Tye Brown (TKO) - KOTC: Total Destruction
W Mario Ramos (TKO) - KOTC: High Performance

Justin "J-Bomb" Salas (10-3)
W Anton Kuivanen (unam. decision) - UFC on Fuel TV 1
W Joe Ellenberger (unam. decision) - Victory Fighting Championship 36
W Rob Emerson (unam. decision) - Full Force Fighting: Volume 1

UFC on FX 3 coverage

Two of the UFC's most promising young featherweights have agreed to face off at the June 1st finale event for the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter, with UFC.com announcing the addition of Charles Oliveira vs. Jonathan Brookins to the card, earlier this evening

TUF 12 champ Jonathan Brookins will take on submission specialist Charles Oliveira. Brookins looked as good as ever in his last outing, as he knocked out his opponent in the first round. And in Olivera's recent featherweight debut, he took only a few seconds longer to dispatch his opponent to earn a stunning submission win via the rarely-seen calf-crusher.

It's no surprise that Brookins will get a spot on the finale card as he was the winner of the 12th season of TUF. Although he has mainly employed his relentless wrestling to gain victory in the past, Brookins shocked many when he knocked out Vagner Rocha in under two minutes back in February. Although the KO came from ground-and-pound, rather than improved striking, it was nonetheless impressive to see Brookins add another threat to his finishing arsenal.

With a dynamic striking game, and a propensity for hunting for submissions aggressively on the ground, Oliveira has gained a large fan-following at just 22 years of age. "Do Bronx's" last fight was no different, as he pulled off the first calf slicer in UFC history to get the tap from Eric Wisely in his featherweight debut. The win also snapped a three-fight winless streak for the Brazilian.

Jonathan Brookins (13-4)
W Vagner Rocha (KO) - UFC on Fuel 1
L Erik Koch (unam. decision) - UFN 25
W Michael Johnson (unam. decision) - TUF 12 Finale

Charles "Do Bronx" Oliveira (15-2)
W Eric Wisely (submission) - UFC on Fox 2
L Donald Cerrone (TKO) - UFC on Versus 5
NC Nik Lentz - UFC on Versus 4

The card for the The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale now includes:

-Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Ellenberger
-Charles Oliveira vs. Jonathan Brookins
-Max Holloway vs. Pat Schilling
-John Albert vs. Byron Bloodworth
-Lightweight finalist 1 vs. finalist 2
-Welterweight finalist 1 vs. finalist 2

As the UFC has been rapidly filling the cards for its summer events in recent weeks, many fans were quick to note that the promotion had still not announced a location for their June 8th UFC on FX 3 event. Well it turns out that it was the MMA fan community that actually helped determine the location of the event through the UFC's "Hometown Throwdown" promotion with Harley Davidson, and it was announced via press release today that the BankAtlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida will host the FX-televised event:

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship^® and Harley-Davidson^® ride in to the BankAtlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Friday, June 8 with an outstanding UFC^® event headlined by flyweight rivals Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson and Ian McCall. The winner of the fight will go on to fight Joseph Benavidez for the first-ever UFC 125-pound title later in the year.

UFC’s Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown event will air live on FX at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Southern Florida was selected for this event as a part of the UFC, Harley-Davidson "Hometown Throwdown" program. The program allowed fans to visit the UFC, Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown website and submit a city for consideration for a future event.

This will mark the UFC's sixth trip to Florida, with the most recent event being UFC Fight Night 17, which took place in Tampa back in February of 2009. Another unique feature of this upcoming card is that fans will get a chance to pick one of three fights to appear on the televised main card and kick off the show:

In addition to helping choose the city, fans will also play a key role in determining a main card bout on the card. UFC fans can go to ufc.com/hometownthrowdown to vote for which bout will make it onto the main card and be the first fight shown on the FX telecast. Fans can choose between the following three bouts: Scott Jorgensen vs. Eddie Wineland in bantamweight action; Carlos Eduardo Rocha vs. Mike Pierce in a welterweight bout; Lance Benoist vs. Seth Baczynski at 170-pounds.

The current card for UFC on FX 3 includes:

-Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall - (UFC flyweight tournament semifinal)
-Mike Pyle vs. Josh Neer
-Erick Silva vs. Charlie Brenneman
-Mike Pierce vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
-Scott Jorgensen vs. Eddie Wineland
-Seth Baczynski vs. Lance Benoist
-Dustin Pague vs. Jared Papazian
-Henry Martinez vs. Bernardo Magalhaes
-Buddy Roberts vs. Caio Magalhaes
-Leonard Garcia vs. Matt Grice

UFC on FX 3 coverage

With Swedish kickboxing legend Jorgen Kruth bowing out of his UFC debut due to an injury, the UFC has once again been forced to find a replacement opponent for Cyrille Diabate on just over a week's notice, and now they have one in talented, New Jersey-based grappler, Tom DeBlass, who will fight Diabate in just over a week at UFC on Fuel TV 2 in Stockholm. MMANytt.se first reported the change and DeBlass later confirmed it on his Twitter account:

A last minute change has occurred on the card for UFC: Sweden. The Swedish kickboxing legend Jorgen Kruth that would make his UFC debut at the event has withdrawn from the match because of a broken rib, said a source at the UFC to MMAnytt. Replacing Kruth will be Tom DeBlass who now will be entering on short notice to meet Cyrille Diabate in a match on the card.

DeBlass is well known in the grappling world and on the New Jersey regional MMA circuit, holding a black belt in BJJ under Ricardo Almeida, and captaining Almeida's competitive grappling team. BloodyElbow.com readers may be familiar with DeBlass after he was ranked as the #3 light heavyweight on our 2012 World MMA Scouting Report. DeBlass's excellent grappling credentials include a gold medal at the 2009 East Coast ADCC North American Trials, and a bronze at the 2009 no-gi BJJ Worlds. In the MMA world, DeBlass has gone undefeated in seven fights, all for the Ring of Combat promotion in New Jersey, and he has added a solid striking game to his top-notch BJJ and wrestling, and even on very short notice, he should present a tough challenge for Diabate, who had been training for a fellow kickboxer, not a grappling specialist.

Tom DeBlass (7-0)
W Randy Smith (submission - heel hook) - ROC 39
W David Tkeshelashvili (unam. decision) - ROC 38
W Mike Stewart (TKO) - ROC 37

UFC on FUEL TV 2 coverage

Two tested veterans of the UFC's lightweight division will lock horns for a third time as Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher have agreed to face off on the UFC on FX 4 card in Atlantic City on June 22nd, according to Sportsnet.ca:

Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher will renew their rivalry as a trilogy bout between the two lightweights is slated for UFC on FX 4, a source told Sportsnet's (Showdown) Joe Ferraro.

The two strikers first squared off back in 2006 when Stout, who was making his UFC debut, took the victory via split decision in a instant classic that ranks in at #88 on the UFC's 100 Greatest Fights DVD set. Fisher got his revenge when he got the nod via unanimous decision when they rematched the following year. Both men have faltered in recent bouts, with Thiago Tavares coincidentally besting the both of them in his last two fights, and Fisher in particular has looked underwhelming in two consecutive losses. Not only are both men desperate to get back in the win column, but they'll both be looking to put a stamp on their trilogy in decisive fashion come June.

Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout (17-7-1)
L Thiago Tavares (unam. decision) - UFC 142
W Yves Edwards (KO) - UFC 131
W Paul Taylor (split decision) - UFC 121

Spencer "The King" Fisher (24-8)
L Thiago Tavares (TKO) - UFC 134
L Ross Pearson (unam. decision) - UFC 127
W Curt Warburton (unam. decision) - UFC 120

UFC on FX 4 coverage

After an injury suffered in training forced Matt Wiman out of his upcoming fight with Mark Bocek at UFC 145, a scramble to find Bocek a new opponent on short notice has led to a former UFC fighter getting the call, as Bocek tweeted today that John Alessio would be his opponen on the April 21st card:

Hey guys, my new opponent @ #ufc145 is John Allesio, Wiman is out with a knee injury. #mma

Alessio has never tasted victory in the Octagon, getting tapped out by hall-of-famer Pat Miletich when he made his UFC debut at the age of 21 back in 2000, and then suffering two more defeats to Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves in 2006. Now fighting at 155 lbs., Alessio has since made the rounds of virtually every major MMA promotion, taking fights in the WEC, Pride, King of the Cage, MFC, and Dream to name a few. The Xtreme Couture product is currently riding a three-fight winning streak and has won 10 of his last 11 fights, and in recent months Alessio has campaigned aggressively for another UFC shot; now he'll get it on just three weeks' notice against a very talented ground fighter in Bocek.

John "The Natural" Alessio (34-14)
W Ryan Healy (unam. decision) - Score Fighting Series 4
W Luiz Firmino (unam. decision) - Superior Cage Combat 3
W Shawn Fitzsimmons (technical submission - RNC) - Superior Cage Combat 2

UFC 145 coverage

One of Brazil's hottest young prospects will return to UFC action this June, as Erick Silva has agreed to face Charlie Brenneman in a welterweight bout at UFC on FX 3 according to a report from Globo SporTV:

The UFC has not yet announced it officially, but the next opponent for Erick Silva is already defined. SPORTV.COM has been informed by sources close to the organization that he will face the American Charlie Brenneman, on a June 8th event in the United States - the city has not yet been chosen. The expectation of Erick was to fight again in Brazil at UFC 147, but he himself has announced via Twitter that he will fight on the American event.

The Team Nogueira prodigy dominated the regional competition in Brazil for the JungleFight promotion and then quickly found success after getting signed by the UFC, knocking out Luis Ramos in 40 seconds in his debut. Silva appeared to dispatch Carlo Prater in similar fashion last January, although this time just 30 seconds, but things took a turn for the controversial when referee Mario Yamasaki DQd Silva for illegal blows to the back of the head. Nonetheless, despite the "L" on his record, it's hard to find holes in the young Brazilian's game as in addition to the ferocious striking he's displayed, he also scored several slick submissions earlier in his career. Nonetheless, he's never had to deal with the tough, grinding wrestling style that Brennenman will bring to the table, so it should be an intriguing match-up.

Erick Silva (13-2, 1 NC)
L Carlo Prater (DQ) - UFC 142
W Luis Ramos (TKO) - UFC 134
W Francisco Ayon (submission) - Jungle Fight 23

Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman (15-3)
W Daniel Roberts (unam. decision) - UFC on FX 1
L Anthony Johnson (TKO) - UFC on Versus 6
W Rick Story (unam. decision) - UFC on Versus 4

As the report mentions, no location has been confirmed for UFC on FX 3 yet, but with the event just over two months away, the UFC is expected to announced those details in the coming days. Here's how the rumored card is stacking up:

-Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall (UFC flyweight tournament semifinal)
-Mike Pyle vs. Josh Neer
-Mike Pierce vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
-Scott Jorgensen vs. Eddie Wineland
-Erick Silva vs. Charlie Brenneman
-Jared Papazian vs. Dustin Pague
-Leonard Garcia vs. Matt Grice
-Seth Baczynski vs. Lance Benoist
-Henry Martinez vs. Bernardo Magalhaes
-Buddy Roberts vs. Caio Magalhaes

UFC on FX 3 coverage

The revolving door of opponents for Tony Ferguson just keeps spinning, as he's now agreed to face a third potential opponent for a lightweight bout in New Jersey at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5th. This time, it will be a fellow Ultimate Fighter alum squaring off with "El Cucuy" as Michael Johnson has agreed to fill in for an injured Thiago Tavares, who was a replacement himself for Dennis Hallman. UFC.com sheds some light on the situation:

TUF 13 winner Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson has received a new opponent -- his third in two months -- for the May 5 event at UFC on FOX. He will now face TUF 12 finalist Michael Johnson, who is replacing the injured Thiago Tavares. Tavares himself was tapped to replace Ferguson's original opponent, Dennis Hallman.

Ferguson is fortunate that Joe Silva hasn't booked him against wildly different fighting styles, as Hallman presented the threat of a catch wrestling-style submission grappler, while Tavares would have brought his smothering BJJ, and now he'll get Johnson, a wrestler who also tends to throw bombs on the feet, so he won't have to alter his training camp too drastically.

Since losing the season crown to Jonathan Brookins in a competitive bout at the Season 12 Finae, Johnson has sandwiched wins around a submission loss to the always-crafty Paul Sass. Most recently, the "Menace" scored an impressive upset victory over highly-credentialed wrestler, Shane Roller, as he showed improved takedown defense in thwarting Roller's takedowns and punishing him on the feet for two rounds, and then holding his own and reversing position when the fight went to the ground in the third frame.

Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson (13-3)
W Yves Edwards (unam. decision) - TUF 14 Finale
W Aaron Riley (TKO) - UFC 135
W Ramsey Nijem (KO) - TUF 13 Finale

Michael "The Menace" Johnson (10-6)
W Shane Roller (unam. decision) - UFC on Fox 2
L Paul Sass (submission) - UFC on Versus 6
W Edward Faaloloto (TKO) - UFC on Versus 4

UFC on Fox 3 coverage

The UFC's Calgary debut in July, which will serve as UFC 149, now has its first official bout, as the UFC's Canada office tweeted today that Canada's own, Mitch Gagnon, will make his UFC debut against TUF 14 semifinalist, Bryan Caraway, who will be moving down from 145 lbs.:

Sudbury's own Mitch Gagnon is confirmed for #UFC149 in Calgary card as he faces bantamweight Bryan 'Kid Lightning' Caraway

Gagnon appeared on BloodyElbow.com's 2011 World Scouting Report as the #10-ranked featherweight, but he has since been competing at 135 lbs. Now riding a six-fight winning streak, the submission specialist who trains with Team Shredder was supposed to make his UFC debut as a short-notice replacement against Johnny Bedford in November, but visa issues prevented Gagnon from getting into the U.S. in time for the fight, and he'll now make his debut in his homeland instead.

Caraway, a member of Team Alpha Male along with his current significant other and former Strikeforce women's champion, Miesha Tate, hasn't seen action since he submitted Dustin Neace on the TUF 14 Finale card. "Kid Lightning" will have a significant experience advantage over Gagnon as he's faced much stiffer competition during his previous stints in Strikeforce, EliteXC, and the WEC, but we'll see if his top-notch wrestling abilities are enough to fend off the submissions of the Canadian newcomer.

Mitch Gagnon (8-1)
W David Harris (submission - guillotine) - Ringside MMA 12
W Rejean Groulx (submission - slam) - Ringside MMA 10
W Guillaume Lamarche (submission - guillotine) - Ringside MMA 6

Bryan "Kid Lightning" Caraway (16-5)
W Dustin Neace (submission - RNC) - TUF 14 Finale
W Marlin Weikel (submission - RNC) - CageSport 13
L Fredson Paixao (split decision) - WEC 50

UFC 149 coverage

The spate of welterweight bookings in the UFC continued this morning, with the announcement of yet another 170-lb match-up for the June 22nd UFC on FX 4 card in Atlantic City. According to UFC.com, quirky veteran Brian Ebersole will meet slick submission artist, T.J. Waldburger:

One more welterweight bout was added at the end of Wednesday: submission specialist TJ Waldburger will face relentless wrestler Brian "Bad Boy" Ebersole.

Ebersole, a long-time veteran of the sport who has trained in Australia in recent years, finally made his UFC debut last year in an entertaining, upset win over Chris Lytle, and then followed that up with a quick drubbing of fellow journeyman, Dennis Hallman. Ebersole remained undefeated in the UFC with his most recent win over Claude Patrick in December, but it was a much closer fight than the first two, and the crowd wasn't exactly enthralled with Ebersole's decision to use his wrestling to wear down Patrick and fend off his submission attempts. Nonetheless, it will likely be the same strategy he'll employ against Waldburger, although the Texan's submission game is more aggressive and diverse than Patrick's, especially in scrambles. Additionally, Waldburger has been successful against tough, grinding wrestlers in the past, most notably in a five-round title fight win against Pat Healy in the Shark Fights promotion in 2009.

Brian "Bad Boy" Ebersole (49-14-1, 1 NC)
W Claude Patrick (split decision) - UFC 140
W Dennis Hallman (TKO - elbows) - UFC 133
W Chris Lytle (unam. decision) - UFC 127

T.J. Waldburger (15-6)
W Jake Hecht (submission - armbar) - UFC on FX 2
W Mike Stumpf (submission - triangle choke) - UFN 25
L Johny Hendricks (TKO) - UFN 24

UFC on FX 4 coverage

The UFC is rapidly filling their stacked summer lineup and just this afternoon, announced two additional fights for their July 7th UFC 148 card in Las Vegas. Demian Maia will make his welterweight debut against the always-tough, Dong Hyun Kim, while power punching middleweight Constantinos Philippou will face rugged Japanese fighter, Riki Fukuda. UFC.com confirmed the bookings:

Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Demian Maia will drop to welterweight and be welcomed by the super-tough 15-1 Korean judo expert Dong Hyun Kim.

Plus, heavy-hitting middleweights Riki Fukuda and Costa Philippou will clash. The Japanese Fukuda scored a decision win last month at UFC 144; Cyprus-born, Long-Island based Philippou accomplished the same a week later at UFC on FX.

Maia had long been mulling a drop down to 170 lbs. after some uninspiring performance in recent bouts. He'll certainly have his hands full with the judoka, Kim, who's shown excellent submission defense in previous fights against the likes of Nate Diaz, and will be happy to put his judo to the test against the BJJ of Maia, although given Maia's preference to strike recently, it'll be interesting to see who looks to take it to the ground first.

The Cyprus-born, Ray Longo and Matt Serra-trained Philippou has started to attract a lot of attention recently while showing off his heavy hands and technical boxing in the midst of a three-fight winning streak, including a recent unanimous decision win over Court McGee, which handed the TUF Season 11 champion his first loss inside the Octagon. Fukuda rebounded from a controversial loss to Nick Ring in his UFC debut by outpointing Steve Cantwell at UFC 144 in Japan last month. The Japanese brawler will be taking a sizable step up in competition now and will have find a way to avoid the knockout power of Philippou.

UFC 148 coverage

UFC welterweight stalwart, Mike Pierce, issued a challenge via Twitter last week to any Brazilian 170-pounder, claiming that it would be an easy fight for him. Blue-chip prospect, Erick Silva, was the first to respond and ask for a bout with Pierce in Brazil, but it appears now that submission specialist, Carlos Eduardo Rocha, will heed the call instead and face Pierce in June. Rocha confirmed the booking on his Facebook page:

Guys, I'm back June 8th against loudmouth Mike Pierce (considered the new Chael Sonnen). I count on your energy and voices to help me bring victory to Brazil.

There hasn't been any event officially announced for June 8th, but it's been widely reported to be UFC on FX 3, and the location of the card will be announced shortly. In any event, "Ta Danado" returns after an extended absence due to injury, with his last fight taking place all the way back in February of 2011, when he lost a close split decision to Jake Ellenberger. Many fans have been clamoring for news about the return of Ta Danado as his aggressive BJJ game has proven to be highly exciting, even against stiff competition.

Pierce will look to continue to build off a razor-thin split decision loss to Josh Koscheck last month, a bout that many fans and journalists scored for Pierce. Although it's a "L" on his record, Pierce nonetheless gained momentum and proved that he can hang with the UFC's elite welterweights. Now he's faced with the always challenging task of cashing a check written by his mouth, and dealing with what seems to be an angry Rocha. Although Pierce is fortunate not to be competing on this summer's Brazil card after the statements he made about Brazilian fighters, his opponent will nonetheless be very motivated.

Mike Pierce (13-5)
L Josh Koscheck (split decision) - UFC 143
W Paul Bradley (split decision) - UFC on Fox 1
L Johny Hendricks (split decision) - UFC 133

Carlos Eduardo "Ta Danado" Rocha (9-1)
L Jake Ellenberger (split decision) - UFC 126
W Kris McCray (submission - kneebar) - UFC 122
W Fatih Balchi (submission - arm triangle choke) - GMC 1

UFC on FX 3 coverage

A lightweight match-up scheduled for the UFC on Fox 3 card in New Jersey on May 5th has undergone a bit of a change as Dennis Hallman is pulling out of his scheduled bout with Anthony Ferguson, due to an injury suffered in training. According to Tatame, Brazil's own Thiago Tavares will step in for Hallman and face Ferguson:

I wasn’t planning to fight in May because I wanted to fight in June, on UFC’s show in Sao Paulo, but I accepted because that’s what I do. I never said ‘no’ to a fight. UFC called me asking if I wanted to replace Dennis Hallman and I accepted it. That’s now what I wanted, I was expecting to fight someone else in Brazil, someone with a bigger name, but I never said ‘no’ to a fight.

After a KO at the hands of Shane Roller last March left Tavares with his first loss since 2008, he righted the ship and has now won two in a row, competing on both of the UFC's recent Brazil cards, TKOing Spencer Fisher last August, and winning a close decision over Sam Stout in January. Tavares brings the same dangerous ground skills that Hallman would have, but he also is a larger fighter and has a better standup game than "Superman", which might serve him well if he can't get Ferguson down.

Ferguson won the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter at welterweight, and has remained undefeated since, including his drop down to 155 lbs after capturing the season crown. His most recent fight was perhaps his most competitive, a unanimous decision win over Yves Edwards that many thought would be a split decision, if not a win for Edwards, but El Cucuy nonetheless proved he could hang with a seasoned veteran.

Thiago Tavares (17-4)
W Sam Stout (unam. decision) - UFC 142
W Spencer Fisher (TKO) - UFC 134
L Shane Roller (KO) - UFC on Versus 3

Anthony "El Cucuy" Ferguson (12-3)
W Yves Edwards (unam. decision) - TUF 14 Finale
W Aaron Riley (TKO) - UFC 135
W Ramsey Nijem (KO) - TUF 13 Finale

UFC on Fox 3 coverage

A Russian bantamweight prospect has been booked to make his UFC debut in May at UFC on Fuel 3 in Virginia, as Alex Soto has agreed to welcome Azamat Gashimov to the Octagon, according to valetudo.ru:

Promising Russian bantamweight fighter, Azamat Gashimov , will hold his first fight in the U.S. on May 15 in Fairfax, Virginia. Gashimov will meet Mexican-American Alex Soto on the undercard of UFC on Fuel TV 3. This news was given to valetudo.ru by Sam Kardan, the manager of the Russian.

The UFC's signing of Gashimov was reported several months ago, as he's part of a slew of Russian talent from the K-Dojo gym who are co-managed by the AMA Fight Club's Mike Constantino, who has scouted several Russian fighters to train alongside the Miller brothers and Charlie Brenneman in New Jersey, and compete for major US organizations, including Strikeforce's Adlan Amagov, and UFC lightweight, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The Mexican-born Soto, who now resides and trains in San Diego, is a veteran of the U.S. Army and made his UFC debut on very short notice against the ultra-talented Michael McDonald at UFC 139 back in November. Unfortunately for Soto, his first UFC fight lasted only 56 seconds as he found himself unconscious courtesy of an uppercut from McDonald. Fortunately for Soto, as is typically the case with fighters the UFC signs to fill in as replacements, he's been given another chance and this time with adequate time to prepare for Gashimov.

Azamat "Tough Guy" Gashimov (7-1)
W Azay Mamedov (submission - armbar) - TFC 5
W Alexandr Ionov (KO - head kick) - Shivrli Mixfight
L Alexander Keshtov (KO - head kick) - FA Championship Cup 2009

Alex Soto (6-1-1)
L Michael McDonald (KO - punches) - UFC 139
Draw Seiji Akao - Deep 54
W Brady Harrison (submission - triangle choke) - UWCM 9

UFC on Fuel TV 3 coverage

A lightweight bout is the latest addition to the UFC on Fuel 3 card planned for May 15th in Fairfax, Virginia. MM-Eh.ca has confirmed with T.J. Grant's camp that the Canadian grappler will face Carlo Prater on that card:

TJ Grant (17-5) will make his return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon on May 15 at UFC on FUEL 3 against Carlo Prater (30-10-1), sources close to Grant’s camp have told MM-eh.

After finding mixed results in the UFC's welterweight division, Nova Scotia's T.J. Grant made his first cut down to lightweight back in the fall, and it was a successful move as he tapped Shane Roller, a talented grappler in his own right, with an armbar at UFC on Versus 6. Although injuries have kept Grant on the shelf since, his durability and high-level grappling should get him right back into the mix at 155 lbs.

Prater, a longtime veteran of the sport, finally made his UFC debut in his native Brazil last month at UFC 142, but in a somewhat controversial bout with hot prospect Erick Silva, Prater ended up getting his hand raised despite getting blitzed by a series of strikes from Silva in the first round, as referee Mario Yamasaki declared that many of Silva's blow landed on the back of the head, and thus disqualified him. Nonetheless, Prater probably wasn't any happier with the "victory" than the fans were, and now he'll get another chance to prove himself and at his more natural weight of 155 lbs.

T.J. Grant (17-5)
W Shane Roller (submission) - UFC on Versus 6
L Ricardo Almeida (unam. decision) - UFC 124
W Julio Paulino (unam. decision) - UFC 119

Carlo Prater (30-10-1)
W Erick Silva (DQ) - UFC 142
W Gleristone Santos (submission) - Capital Fight 4
W Cameron Dollar (submission) - Legacy FC 7

UFC on Fuel 3 coverage

In a match-up that's probably not going to showcase any displays of grappling wizardry, welterweight sluggers, Dan Hardy and Duane Ludwig, have agreed to face off in Las Vegas on May 26th at UFC 146, according to MMA Weekly, who confirmed the booking with UFC officials:

Dan Hardy will return to action at UFC 146 in May where he will face fellow striker Duane "Bang" Ludwig.
UFC officials confirmed verbal agreements are in place for the welterweight showdown.

This might be Hardy's last chance to keep his spot on the UFC roster, although it has appeared that he's been in that position in the past, only to keep his job after putting on exciting fights, even during his current four-fight losing streak, which is usually more than enough to get a fighter booted from the promotion. Hardy has revamped his training though, electing to leave his native England to prepare full-time in Las Vegas and taking an extended layoff after his loss to Chris Lytle last August to get fully focused before this next fight. Ludwig, a longtime veteran of the sport, seemed to be enjoying a career resurgence with back-to-back wins over young prospects, Nick Osipczak and Amir Sadollah, but like Hardy against Lytle, his weakness on the ground caught up to him against fellow journeyman, Josh Neer, and Ludwig ended up getting choked out back in January.

Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy (23-10)
L Chris Lytle (submission) - UFC on Versus 5
L Anthony Johnson (unam. decision) - UFN 23
L Carlos Condit (KO) - UFC 120

Duane "Bang" Ludwig (21-12)
L Josh Neer (technical submission) - UFC on FX 1
W Amir Sadollah (unam. decision) - UFC on Versus 5
W Nick Osipczak (split decision) - UFC 122

The UFC 146 card now includes:

-Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem - UFC heavyweight championship
-Evan Dunham vs. Edson Barboza
-Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway
-Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass
-Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig

UFC 146 coverage

An intriguing match-up of lightweight ground specialists appears to be taking shape for the UFC 146 card in Las Vegas on May 26th. According to ESPN UK, british submission wizard, Paul Sass, will take on Minnesota's own Jacob Volkmann:

Verbal agreements are in place for a lightweight match between England's undefeated submission specialist Paul Sass and Jacob Volkmann at UFC 146 in Las Vegas.

Both men are riding extensive winning streaks and although they can both be considered "ground specialists", their styles are quite different with Sass employing a relentless submission attack, and pulling guard repeatedly to ensnare opponents in his signature submissions: the triangle choke and the heel hook. Volkmann, on the other hand, is a methodical, grinding wrestler who dominates and smothers via position before attacking, usually with d'arce or rear naked chokes. Volkmann's style has been roundly criticized as boring, but his awkward post-fight interviews and public statements about President Obama have gotten him some attention, although not always the kind he wants, as he's now been suspended twice by the high school that employs him as a wrestling coach.

Paul Sass (12-0)
W Michael Johnson (submission - heel hook) - UFC on Versus 6
W Mark Holst (submission - triangle choke) - UFC 120
W Jason Young (submission - heel hook) - OMMAC 4

Jacob "Christmas" Volkmann (14-2)
W Efrain Escudero (unam. decision) - UFC 141
W Danny Castillo (unam. decision) - UFC on Versus 5
W Antonio McKee (split decision) - UFC 125

UFC 146 coverage

Two bouts featuring competitors from the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter have been added to the May 5th UFC on Fox 3 card at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Featherweight runner-up Dennis Bermudez will square off against another TUF alum, Pablo Garza, while bantamweight semfinalist Johnny Bedford will face Canadian, Nick Denis, according to UFC.com:

Nick Denis put the rest of the bantamweight division on notice with a devastating 22-second KO of The Night debut in his first UFC outing, while TUF 14's Johnny Bedford won a landslide victory in his last fight at the series finale. Now, these two have verbally agreed to clash at the UFC on FOX event May 5.
In the featherweight division, TUF 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez has agreed to take on Pablo Garza, known for his dynamic fighting style that's seen Octagon finishes via flying knee and flying guillotine.

The proud owner one of MMA's most unique nicknames ("The Ninja of Love") and more unusual fighting styles ("cuddle-jitsu"), Ontario's Nick Denis is nonetheless a very talented bantamweight fighter, and proved it in his UFC debut by knocking out Joseph Sandoval with vicious standing elbows, and that victory coming on the heels of a KO-by-suplex against Bellator vet, Nick Mamalis. Bedford was an early favorite to win his season of TUF, but his inability to deal with the speed of John Dodson led to a KO loss in the semifinal round. Bedford rebounded at the season finale with a one-sided beatdown of Louis Gaudinot, and now takes a big step up in competition against a fellow veteran.

Bermudez, who will be fighting close to home as a resident of Long Island, made it all the way to the finale on TUF, before tapping to an armbar from Diego Brandao in a wild scrap that earned both men Fight of the Night honors. Now getting a chance to prove he deserves a roster spot in the rapidly growing UFC featherweight division, Bermudez will have to shore up his submission defense to avoid the lanky limbs and spidery guard of Garza. Garza competed on the 12th season of TUF, but a decision loss to eventual runner-up Michael Johnson in the opening round denied him entrance to the house. Instead, Garza worked his way up through the regional ranks and before finally getting a Zuffa contract (first in the WEC, and then in the UFC). Although his Zuffa record stands at 2-2 and he's wilted against stronger opponents,, "The Scarecrow" is rarely in a boring fight, and owns one of the most impressive highlight reels around, with a flying knee KO followed up by a flying triangle submission in his first two UFC fights.

UFC on Fox 3 coverage

UFC president Dana White revealed on Twitter this morning that a very interesting middleweight bout has been added to the May 5th UFC on Fox 3 card in New Jersey, as Brazilian leg-mangler Rousimar Palhares will meet Louisiana's own Alan Belcher:

Alan Belcher vs Rousimar Palhares fight added to FOX card!!!!!!

Many fans had called for this match-up given the recent successes of both men and their positioning in the upper echelon of the UFC's 185 lb. ranks. Belcher returned in September after over a year spent battling a potentially career-ending eye injury, and he quickly dispatched of the always-game Jason MacDonald. Although he's shown a solid ground game in addition to his dynamic muay thai, Belcher will want to avoid the ground at all costs against Palhares, who is one of the most feared submission artists in modern MMA, given his brute strength and penchant for crushing leg locks, along with his ability to snatch them from seemingly any position.

Alan "The Talent" Belcher (17-6)
W Jason Macdonald (submission - punches) - UFN 25
W Patrick Cote (submission - RNC) - UFC 113
W Wilson Gouveia (TKO) - UFC 107

Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares (14-3)
W Mike Massenzio (submission - heel hook) - UFC 142
W Dan Miller (unam. decision) - UFC 134
W Dave Branch (submission - heel hook) - UFC on Versus 3

Here's how the UFC on Fox 3 card is shaping up:

-Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller (5-round main event)
-Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
-Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
-Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
-John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama
-Anthony Ferguson vs. Dennis Hallman
-John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
-Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish
-Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
-Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola

UFC on Fox 3 coverage

Two of the UFC's most entertaining featherweights have engaged in a bit of mild trash talking on Twitter in the last few days and it appears that they'll now get to settle their dispute in the Octagon, as UFC.com announced that Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung will serve as the main event for UFC on Fuel 3 in Virginia on May 15th:

"The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung takes on Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier in a three-round main event, set for May 15th in Fairfax, VA.

Jung, "The Korean Zombie" has quickly become a fan-favorite with an impressive highlight reel, including his legendary brawl with Leonard Garcia, the first ever Twister submission in the UFC, and his shocking 7-second knockout of heavy favorite, Mark Hominick, back in December. Although he's 3-3 in his last six fights, the Zombie's popularity and propensity for ending fights in exciting fashion could propel him to a title shot with a win over the equally fast-rising Poirier.

It wasn't too long ago that Louisiana's Dustin Poirier was a heavy underdog to Josh Grispi, who had first been penciled in for a title shot against Jose Aldo, before an injury paved the way for Poirier to step in as a replacement. Poirier, who had previous flown under the radar in the WEC, sure didn't look like an underdog as he thrashed Grispi for three rounds, marking the start of a undefeated run in his first four UFC fights. Now hot on the heels of two impressive submission wins over Pablo Garza and Max Holloway, Poirier could see himself leap-frog the injured Erik Koch, who he was expected to fight for #1 contender status, and instead turn the fight with Jung into a bout that will determine Jose Aldo's next challenger.

Chan Sung Jung "The Korean Zombie" (12-3)
W Mark Hominick (TKO) - UFC 140
W Leonard Garcia (submission) - UFN 24
L George Roop (KO) - WEC 51

Dustin "Diamond" Poirier (12-1)
W Max Holloway (submission) - UFC 143
W Pablo Garza (submission) - UFC on Fox 1
W Jason Young (unam. decision) - UFC 131

UPDATE: The UFC has apparently decided to switch the broadcast plans for this event from FX to Fuel, so it will now be the third UFC on Fuel show.

The card for UFC on Fuel 3 now includes:

-Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung
-Thiago Silva vs. Igor Pokrajac
-Donald Cerrone vs. Yves Edwards
-Jason MacDonald vs. Tom Lawlor

UFC on Fuel 3 coverage

It appears that Brandon Vera jumped the gun when he informed the UFC that he was ready to fight and wanted a rematch with the recently-reinstated Thiago Silva for his next bout. Although matchmaker Joe Silva granted Vera's request and booked the rematch for UFC on FX 3 in Virginia on May 15th, Vera went to the doctor after the fight was agreed-to only to find out that he could not be cleared to fight yet. Vera later apologized to the fans and the UFC for getting ahead of himself, but Joe Silva was already busy finding a replacement for Vera and now it appears he has one in Igor Pokrajac, according to a report from MMA Weekly:

With Brandon Vera sidelined due to injury, Thiago Silva will now face Croatian Igor Pokrajac at UFC on FX 3 in May. Sources close to the fight confirmed the new bout to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday with bout agreements issued for the May 15 light heavyweight tilt.

Pokrajac has quietly put together the first back-to-back wins of his UFC careers, most recently knocking out Krzysztof Soszynski in a mild upset in December (a loss that convinced Soszynski to retire as well), which followed a TKO win over Todd Brown last March. The Croatian kickboxing specialist is a longtime training partner of Mirko Cro Cop, but he also incorporates a solid BJJ game into his skill-set, which is not something Cro Cop was known for.

Silva, one of the most fearsome fighters in the UFC, was struggling to get his career back on track at the time of the Vera fight, having gone 1-2 after starting his career at 13-0, but an altered urine sample only derailed those hopes and earned him a No Contest in the Vera fight, which he otherwise dominated, and a one-year suspension. Now having fully served his suspension, the American Top Team fighter who combines excellent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills with vicious Muay Thai will have to push that Vera rematch out of his mind and instead focus on Pokrajac.

Igor "The Duke" Pokrajac (24-8)
W Krzysztof Soszynski (KO) - UFC 140
W Todd Brown (TKO) - UFC on Versus 3
L Stephan Bonnar (unam. decision) - TUF 12 Finale

Thiago Silva (14-2, 1 NC)
NC Brandon Vera - UFC 125
L Rashad Evans (unam. decision) - UFC 108
W Keith Jardine (KO) - UFC 102

As usual, there's been a flurry of changes to upcoming UFC cards and we'll fill you in on several of those here. A new welterweight bout has been added to the UFC on Fox 3 card in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 5th, and it will feature two European fighters: England's John Hathaway and Germany's Pascal Krauss. UFC.com reported the booking:

Verbal agreements are in for a match featuring two of Europe’s top welterweights as Germany’s undefeated 10-0 Pascal "Panzer" Krauss will take on England’s 15-1 John "The Hitman" Hathaway May 5 in New Jersey.

Hathaway and Krauss were initially set to fight at last November's UFC 138 in Hathaway's native England, but injuries forced both men out of that bout. Both men have been on extensive layoffs due to injuries, with Hathaway last seeing Octagon action last March in a close decision win over Kris McCray, while Krauss has been inactive since November of 2010 when he defeated Mark Scanlon in his UFC debut at UFC 122.

Speaking of injuries, Robert Peralta has suffered one and is now dropping out of his planned rematch with Mackens Semerzier at the UFC on FX 2 card in Sydney, Australia on March 3rd. Both men were hoping for a more decisive ending this time around, after their first bout ended when Semerzier went down from an accidental headbutt and then got finished off by Peralta, although the result was later change to a No Contest. Instead, Semerzier will now face Houston-based featherweight, Daniel Pineda, who scored a quick submission victory over Pat Schilling in his UFC debut in Nashville a few weeks back.

Finally, highly-touted Cuban lightweight prospect Yoislandy Izquierdo has been forced out of his UFC debut at UFC on Fuel 1 next weekend in Omaha as a result of a contract dispute with the CFA, the South Florida promotion for whom Izquierdo formerly competed. Izquierdo's scheduled opponent, Australia-based BJJ black belt Bernardo Magalhaes, will still get the chance to make his UFC debut against a fellow newcomer in Tim Means, a New Mexico native who has held both the lighweight and welterweight titles in King of the Cage, and brings an aggressive striking game and a nine-fight unbeaten streak to the Octagon. The bout was made official by the UFC late last week.

UFC on Fuel 1 coverage

UFC on FX 2 coverage

UFC on Fox 3 coverage

Highly-touted Brazilian prospect, John Lineker, signed with the UFC several months ago, but he now has a debut date and opponent, as the UFC tweeted today that he'll face off with TUF 14 contestant, Louis Gaudinot, in a flyweight bout at UFC on Fox 3 in New Jersey on May 5th:

Fight card news: Verbals are in for a 125-pound showdown May 5 at @UFConFOX 3 between @LouGaudinotUFC and @johnlineker

Lineker, who's riding a 13-fight winning streak, might be familiar to Bloody Elbow readers since he was the #5 ranked bantamweight fighter on our 2011 World Scouting Report. Although he's competed at bantamweight for his entire career on the Brazilian regional scene, Lineker made it clear when he signed with the UFC that he wanted to cut down to 125 lbs. and compete in the newly created flyweight division. Known for his relentless and aggressive striking game, and although his constant offensive barrage should please fans unfamiliar with the young Brazilian, our own Leland Roling noted in the scouting report that he may need to shore up his defense a bit:

Lineker's defense is, how should I put this delicately, reliant on his chin. He constantly pushes forward, guns ablaze and firing, and that leaves his chin wide open for counter punches.

Fortunately for Lineker, his opponent isn't exactly known to pack dynamite in his hands. Gaudinot is a native of Yonkers, and as such, should have some decent local fan support in Jersey, especially as a member of Team Tiger Schulman, which has produced several quality prospects in the New York City-metro area, including former Bellator champ, Lyman Good. Although Gaudinot couldn't make it past the quarterfinal round on TUF, after a submission loss to Dustin Pague, that fight still earned both him and Pague a $25,000 bonus for "Fight of the Season". Perhaps for that reason, Gaudinot got a shot on the season finale card against Johnny Bedford, but it was clear that even though both men weighed in at 135 lbs., Bedford dwarved Gaudinot come fight time and thrashed him through three rounds before finishing via TKO in the third. Clearly hoping to avoid that size disadvantage again, Gaudinot will get another shot in the UFC's newest division.

John Lineker (19-5)
W Iliarde dos Santos (split decision) - Jungle Fight 32
W Francisco Figueredo (TKO) - Jungle Fight 30
W Luis Carlos Neves (KO) - Jungle Fight 28

Louis Gaudinot (5-2)
L Johnny Bedford (TKO) - TUF 14 Finale
W Jessie Riggleman (submission) - ROC 31
W Tuan Pham (KO) - ROC 28

Check out the current UFC on Fox 3 card after the jump...

UFC on Fox 3 coverage

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