Quick Hits for Stories Over the Past Week

 

Sorry everyone for the lack of updates over the past week….. My dog got tangled up in my laptop cord pulling it off my desk, breaking the hard drive. Alas, I have bought a new one and am back in business. Sorry again!

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UFC News

• Kenny Florian  (14-5-0 MMA/ 11-4 UFC Record) vs Diego Nunes (16-1-0 MMA/ 1-0 UFC Record) Set for UFC 131 on June 11th in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Tito Ortiz Out; Phil Davis (8-0-0 MMA/ 4-0 UFC) in versus Antonio Rogerio Nogueira ( 19-4-0 MMA/ 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 24 on March 26th in Seattle, Washington
• Dustin Poirier (9-1-0 MMA/ 1-0 UFC) vs Rani Yahya (16-6-0 MMA/ 1-0 UFC) Added to UFC 131
• Tim Credeur (12-3-0 MMA/ 3-1 UFC) vs Ed Herman (19-7-0 MMA/ 4-5 UFC) Targeted for TUF 13 Finale on June 4th in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Jason Brilz (18-3-1 MMA/ 3-2 UFC) vs Vladimir Matyushenko (25-5-0 MMA/ 6-3 UFC Record) Set to meet at UFC 129 on April 29th in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Darren Elkins (12-2-0 MMA/ 1-1 UFC) vs Michihiro Omigawa (12-9-1 MMA/ 0-3 UFC) Targeted for UFC 131
• Brandon Vera (11-6-0 MMA/ 7-6) returns to UFC roster with last loss against Thiago Silva likely being overturned to a “no contest”
• Karlos Vemola Out; Eliot Marhall (9-2-0 MMA/ 3-1 UFC) Retruns to Meet Luiz Cane (10-3-0 MMA/ 3-3 UFC Record) at UFC 128 on March 19th in Newark, New Jersey
• Renan Barao (25-1-0 MMA/ UFC Debut) vs Demetrious Johnson (9-1-0 MMA/ 1-0 UFC) Likely for TUF 13 Finale
• Cub Swanson Injured; Fight with Erik Koch Scratched from UFC on Versus 3

Strikforce

• Meisha Tate Out; Liz Carmouche (5-0-0 MMA/ 2-0 Strikeforce) now meets champion Marloes Coenen (18-4-0 MMA/ 2-1 Strikeforce) for women’s 135-pound title at Strikeforce: Columbus on March 5th in Columbus, Ohio

 

Bellator

• DJ Linderman (8-1-0 MMA/ Bellator Debut) joins season 4’s light heavyweight tournament
• Middleweight Champ Hector Lombard (27-2-1 MMA/ 6-0 Bellator) meets Falaniko Vitale ( 28-9-0 MMA/ Bellator Debut) in Non-Title Fight at Bellator 44 on May 14th
• Tim Carpenter (6-0-0 MMA/ 1-0 Bellator) joins season 4’s light heavyweight tournament
• Bellator signs Marlon Sandro (17-2-0 MMA/ Bellator Debut) to Multi-Fight Deal
• Patricio Freire (14-1 MMA/ 2-1 Bellator) vs Georgi Karakhanyan (14-2-1 MMA/ 2-1 Bellator) Set for Bellator 37 on March 19th in Concho, Oklahoma
• Zac George (20-3-0 MMA/ Bellator Debut) vs Wilson Reis (11-2-0 MMA/ 3-2 Bellator) Set for Bellator 37
• Kenny Foster  (8-2-0 MMA/ 1-0 Bellator) vs Eric Larkin (3-0-0 MMA/ 1-0 Bellat0r) Set for Bellator 37
• Nazareno Malegarie (19-0-0 MMA/ Bellator Debut) vs Daniel Straus (14-3-0 MMA/ 1-0 Bellator) Set for Bellator 37
• Richard Hale (15-3-1 MMA/ Bellator Debut) Added to season 4’s light heavyweight tournament
• Christian M’Pumbu (15-3-1 MMA/ Bellator Debut) Joins season 4’s light heavyweight tournament

 

Local Shows

• Bobby Lashley (5-1-0) vs James Jack (5-4-1) to headline Titan Fighting Championshps 17 in Kansas City, Kansas on March 25th.
• Efrain Escudero (15-2-0 MMA) vs Fabricio Camoes (11-5-1) Set for Tachi Palace Fights 9 on May 5th in Lemoore, California
• Abe Wagner (8-3-0 MMA) vs Aaron Rosa ( 15-3-0 MMA) Added to Titan Fighting Championships 17
• Houston Alexander (11-6-0 MMA) vs James Irvin (15-8-0) II Added to Shark Fights 14 on March 11th in Lubbock, Texas
• Vinny Magalhaes (6-5-0 MMA) vs Jake Doerr (6-0-0 MMA) Added to M-1 Challenge on March 25th in Virginia
• Alan Jouban (1-0-0 MMA) vs Jamie Yager (3-2-0 MMA) Set for Tachi Palace Fights 9



 

Top 10 Fighters Updated

I have updated my top 10 lists in each division, as well as the upcoming cards list.

Changes

Pound 4 Pound

• Anderson Silva has regained his position atop the pound-for-pound list with his stunning front kick KO of Vitor Belfort.

Light Heavyweight

• Jon Jones has moved up to the #3 spot with his win over Ryan Bader. (Bader drops out of the top 10)
• Forrest Griffin returns to the top 10 following his victory over Rich Franklin

Middleweight

• Vitor Belfort drops to #9 following loss to Anderson Silva
• Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza jumps to #3 with win over Robbie Lawler

Welterweight

• Mike Pierce enters “Honorable Mention” list following win over Kenny Robertson

Lightweight

• Melvin Guillard enters top 10 with TKO victory over Evan Dunham. (Dunham drops out of top 10)

Featherweight

• Mark Hominick moves into top 5 following TKO victory over George Roop (#5)
• Chad Mendes moves to #6 with victory over Michihiro Omigawa.

Bantamweight

• Demetrious Johnson enters the top 10 following victory over Norifumi ‘Kid’ Yamamoto (#6 spot)

 

My MMA Rankings have finally been updated… As well as the Upcoming Fight Cards.

….

 

Top 10 Lists Updated

Pictured: Dominick Cruz

MF: Big changes to the Bantamweight list due to WEC 47’s events. Dominick Cruz becomes the new #1 after his dismantiling of Brian Bowles to earn him the WEC title. Joesph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen are also big movers, getting in to the top 5 after their victories. Miguel Torres is still in the top 10, but in the lower half. Jorge Santiago gets back into my middleweight top 10 list after avenging his loss to Mamed Khalidov over the weekend. Khalidov fell out of of the top 10.

 

Top 10 Lists Updated

Pictured: Chael Sonnen

MF: No major changes were made this month. Chael Sonnen moved in to the top 5 on the middleweights list after his dismantling of Nate Marquardt. Also, Paulo Thiago goes from unmentioned into the 8 spot in the welterweight list after putting Mike Swick to sleep. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira falls some on the heavyweight list, but still maintains a spot in the top 10.