Five of the season’s eleven episodes have now failed to draw 1 million viewers, despite the ratings of the original incarnation averaging 1.7 million.

Friday’s episode saw Team Cruz’s Vinc Pichel take a contentious decision victory over Team Faber’s Chris Saunders, as well as Faber’s Al Iaquinta scoring a brutal first-round TKO over his teammate Andy Ogle.

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After watching his opponent, Daniel Cormier, have his hand raised in victory at Saturday night’s Strikeforce: Cormier vs. Barnett, “The War Master” Josh Barnett  revealed during his post-fight interview that he broke his left hand early in the bout.

Barnett, who was immediately rushed to the hospital after the event, was unavailable for further comments that night. He has however confirmed via twitter that his hand was indeed broken. “Here’s what happened in the first :30…still threw it though. Of course that might not have so wise,” he tweeted along with the above photo of the X-Ray.

While Barnett was soundly dominated by the former Olympian, the Seattle native continued to fight for over 24 minutes, surviving to see the final bell. It would seem his past unfavorable standing with Zuffa brass is no longer an issue. It was confirmed by USA Today that when his recovery is complete, Barnett will have another fight under the Strikeforce banner .

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Diaz came off as honest in the hearing but often too honest at times. At one point in the hearing Commissioner Pat Lundvall reminded Diaz that he promised to quit smoking following his failed PRIDE 33 drug test and asked Diaz when he started smoking again, Diaz candidly responded “I would imagine when I got home.” Diaz further went on to state that he started using marijuana recreationally well before he was given a recommendation for marijuana.

While Diaz’s legal team did their best to use the WADA code as the basis of the argument, the commission reminded them that while NSAC uses WADA as a base, WADA rules have no bearing on Nevada rulings. One commissioner even stated that the use of metabolites is necessary in all drug testing, including steroids, since metabolites are what is measured in an urinalysis.

Diaz’s team also brought in a former Quest Labs doctor to attempt to dispel the basis of the test being “in competition.”  The doctor stated that Diaz’s levels were consistent for a regular user who had stopped using eight days prior and that furthermore, he was surprised the levels were not higher than that.

It should be noted, however, that the prefight medical questionnaire defines a two week period prior to the fight night and Nick Diaz did not admit to using marijuana on the form, despite his usage falling within the two week time period.

Nevada Deputy Attorney Chris Eccles also called into question Diaz’s understanding of the medical questionnaire and whether he intentionally deceived the commission. Eccles asserted that Diaz should have understood and disclosed his ADHD and medical marijuana usage because his own doctor’s recommendation stated that Diaz had a “serious medical condition.” Commissioner Lundvall also called into question Diaz’s truthfulness in understanding the form after he stated he understood the form in the hearing but quickly backtracked after glancing at his attorney.

Another assertion was made by NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer, who testified that Diaz’s November UFC 137 test showed signs of tampering because the urine sample was diluted. Kizer also testified that Diaz refused to take his UFC 143 drug test until Kizer threatened to withhold his purse from the fight. Kizer then stated that Diaz’s 143 test also showed signs of possible dilution.

In the end, the commission stated they respected Diaz as a fighter but that his contradictory statements hurt his credibility with the commission. Commissioner Lundvall also stated that she wished Diaz had applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption, since it would have gone a long way in establishing his credibility during the proceedings.

Diaz’s suspension was dated retroactively to February 4 and he was fined 30% of his total fight purse and any bonus money he received from the bout.

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The Tristar Gym member, who currently boasts a three-fight win streak, didn’t have to wait long for a new opponent to step forward.UFC officials have announced that Mike Easton (12-1) will now step in to face “ The Pride of El Salvador.”

Easton, currently riding a seven-fight win streak, last stepped into the octagon at UFC on FX 1. In a wildly entertaining bout, the Alliance MMA product took home a majority decision victory against Jared Papazian.

While it’s unclear where on the card the bout will fall, both veterans of the sport will attempt to climb their way up the ladder in hopes of getting closer a title shot in the UFC’s deep 135 lbs. division.

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The condition ruled that Sonnen will have to have additional testing the night after the fight. Sonnen will also be required to stop taking injections within a to be determined time period prior to the fight.

Chael Sonnen will face off against Anderson Silva in a rematch of their UFC 117 bout. Sonnen lost the first bout via triangle after dominating the entire fight. UFC 148 takes place July 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Press Release - 

After reeling off four straight wins, the stars were lining up for Clark to become the top dog in the XFC Women’s flyweight division in February. The only thing standing in her way was one of the rising stars in Women’s MMA, XFC vet Marianna Kheyfets. After a back and forth first round Clark dug deep into her arsenal and used a judo throw to wind up on top of Kheyfets as the round ended. But somehow, during the final moments of the round, Clark’s right eye began to bruise. In between rounds the ringside physician determined that Clark was unable to continue due to the eye that was beginning to swell completely shut. ‘Hurricane’ pleaded with the doctor, but ultimately the swelling was too severe and the fight was called in favor or Kheyfets.

Now with the bitter taste of a loss in her mouth, the Greg Jackson student will take on veteran Sofia Bagherdai who is coming off a tough loss of her own last month. Before the close decision loss to undefeated Ashley Cummins, Bagherdai had won four of her last five and was widely considered the top flyweight in the East Coast. At XFC 18, she will have a chance to fight live on HDNet to show the world what she can do and just how explosive she really is.

XFC President John Prisco is passionate about women’s MMA and has been adamant about giving the top prospects an opportunity to fight on his shows live on HDNet. “Heather Clark is one of the top fighters in the world,” proclaimed Prisco. “She went toe to toe with Marianna in Knoxville and unfortunately they had to stop the fight due to the swelling under her eye. I was excited and ready for the second round. Marianna was pushing the pace but in the last minute or so of the round Heather threw her and got on top and finished in a dominant position. It was really getting good. I hate that it had to end like that. Since that fight, Heather has been asking me for another fight. She would’ve fought the next weekend if I would’ve had a fight for her. But, that’s just the type of warrior she is. Heather wants to compete and she wants to fight the best. In Nashville we have Sofia Bagherdai coming in to face her. Let me tell you, Sofia is no joke. She has been knocking opponents out since 2007. Sofia is a pioneer and has been helping build Women’s MMA before it became popular. I’m really excited about this fight and I think people who are on the fence about Women’s MMA will sit up and pay attention when these two ladies get in the cage on June 22nd.”

XFC 18: Music City Mayhem is sponsored by ICRealtime Security Solutions and will air live on HDnet from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN June 22nd, 2012. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com. To learn more about the XFC, please visit www.officialxfc.com, Follow us daily on Facebook & Twitter (@officialxfc).

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The landmark fight card is to be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior dos Santos and former champ Frank Mir. However, this wasn’t always the plan. Dos Santos was originally scheduled to take on Alistair Overeem in the main event, but Overeem registered an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio and was unable to compete in the bout. Mir was pulled up from his planned co-main event fight against Cain Velasquez to challenge for the belt for a third time.

To promote the new main event, the UFC set up a Primetime special chronicling the two fighters’ lead-up to the fight. You can check out episodes one and two of UFC Primetime: Dos Santos vs. Mir below.

Episode One:

Episode Two:

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Coker told media gathered at the post-fight press conference that it’s probable Rousey will be meeting her next opponent, Sarah Kaufman, at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy this summer.

“I believe she’ll be fighting on that card, but it’s not official yet,” said Coker.

If added to the card, Rousey-Kaufman would be the third title fight on the lineup. Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will be defending his title against Tim Kennedy in the night’s main event, while Nate Marquardt and Tyron Woodley will do battle for the promotion’s vacant welterweight title.

Rousey captured the Strikeforce belt in just her fifth professional fight, finishing Miesha Tate this past March as she has all of her previous opponents: by first-round armbar. The former judo Olympian will be attempting her first title defense against Kaufman.

Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine is scheduled to take place on July 14 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon.

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This Sunday night the show welcomes two talented competitors who call the UFC home in the form of lightweight Shane Roller and featherweight Dennis Bermudez. Also set to offer up some insight, BloodyElbow/Wrestling Observer writer Josh Nason will call in to reflect on the sport’s current landscape.

The 8-3 Bermudez, a former All-American wrestler, was a finalist on TUF 14 and recently picked up a dominating decision win over Pablo Garza earlier this month at UFC on FOX 3.

Roller (10-6) is also more-than familiar with work on the mat after being named an All-American three times during his storied career at Oklahoma State. The longtime Zuffa veteran holds wins over Jamie Varner, Thiago Tavares, Anthony Njokuani, and Danny Castillo under the company’s banner between his time in WEC/UFC. His next fight is scheduled for July 7 at UFC 148 where he’ll face John Alessio.

Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).

Catch Rebellion MMA Radio live on Sunday at 6:30 PM EST where the guys offer their own unique takes on all-things MMA.

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Elsewhere on the Showtime card, Rafael “Feijao” Calvacante destroyed opponent Mike Kyle in just thirty-three seconds and Chris Spang knocked out Nah-Shon Burrell.

Cormier Rolls Over Barnett

In the main event of the evening, Daniel Cormier  proved that his alternate status meant very little as he showed impressive striking and wrestling to defeat Josh Barnett and win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Barnett had a few moments as he managed to catch Cormier a few times on their feet and he nearly secured a heel hook in the fourth but Cormier was just too much for the former UFC champion and PRIDE veteran.

Cormier used excellent head movement to avoid Barnett’s strikes through out the fight and constantly changed angles in the striking game to batter Barnett with kicks and punches. The former Oklahoma State wrestling standout also used his impressive striking to set up beautiful single leg and high-crotch takedowns through out the fight.

Melendez Edges Thomson in Extremely Close Fight

Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson laid it all on the line in their third fight as Melendez barely edged Thomson to retain the title.

The fight essentially boiled down to a very narrow first round. In that round Thomson got the better of the striking exchanges but was not able to gain a definitive advantage in the round. Melendez did secure two takedowns but was unable to do much with them. The last takedown for Melendez is likely what sealed the round in the judges eyes, since it was the last thing they saw.

The rest of the fight played out with Gilbert Melendez looking strong in rounds two and three before Thomson landed a massive right in the fourth that seemed to change the momentum of the fight. Thomson was much more aggressive for the final two rounds and even came close to finishing with a rear naked choke in the fourth. Thomson also came out strong in the fifth continuing to score with his footsweep/legsweep series that helped him finish out the round on top.

It was not enough to persuade the judges however as Melendez won a split decision that left many clamoring for a fourth fight between the two rivals.

“Feijao” Annihilates Kyle in Redemption Fight

Mike Kyle had long been one of only three men to defeat Rafael “Feijao” Calvacante and it was clearly on Feijao’s mind as he launched into a full assault on Kyle.

While Kyle managed to duck an overhand right, he ducked right into a knee and was sent reeling against the fence. Feijao quickly pounced and nearly finished Kyle by strikes before Kyle got back to his feet only to end up in a devastating standing guillotine choke. Kyle attempted to slam his way out but Calvacante quickly swept him to his back where he was forced to tap.

Spang Batters Burrell

At least one of the Spang brothers came away with a victory this weekend as Chris Spang battered Nah-Shon Burrell cold. Showing a similar aggressive style as his brother Andreas (who lost to Maiquel Falcao at Bellator 69 Friday), Chris was much more effective as was able to knockout Burrell with a constant barrage of punches and knees. While the stoppage looked fast at first, replays showed Burrell to be out before he hit the mat.

Main Card (Showtime)

• Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Daniel Cormier def. Josh Barnett via unanimous decision (49-46,50-45,50-45)
• Lightweight Title Fight: Gilbert Melendez (c) def. Josh Thomson via Split Decision (48-47,47-48,48-47)
• Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. Mike Kyle via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:33 of Round 1
• Chris Spang def. Nah-Shon Burrell via KO (punches and knees) – Round 1, 1:35

Preliminary Card (Showtime Extreme)

• Isaac Vallie-Flagg def. Gesias Cavalcante via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Guto Inocente def. Virgil Zwicker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gian Villante def. Derrick Mehmen via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Quinn Mulhern def. Yuri Villefort via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Bobby Green def. James Terry via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

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For quick results, click here.

Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier

Round 1 – Josh Rosenthal is our referee for tonight’s bout. Touch of gloves and we’re off. Kick to the body on Barnett and he slips but Cormier stays standing. Cormier closing distance with overhand power shots. Leg kick by Cormier. Nice headkick by Cormier, big thai knee by Cormier. Cormier with a power shot and Barnett clinches. Cormier defends it expertly. Knee to the body by Barnett. Left by Barnett is countered hard by Cormier. Clinch by Barnett but nothing there for him. Barnett with an elbow over the top in the collar tie. Combo by Cormier. Midkick by Barnett. Barnett clinches but again Cormier defends. Bodyshots by Cormier followed by hooks to the bead. Front kick missed by Barnett. Frontkick by Cormier misses. Barnett clinches and Cormier with thai clinch and lands a nice knee. Push kick by Cormier. 1-2 by Cormier lands flush. Barnett storms forward and lands a big knee but Cormier clinches him hard against the cage. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Cormier.

Round 2 – Left by Barnett. Nice combo by Cormier. Another 1-2 by Cormier. Right by Barnett. Midkick by Barnett checked. Big hooks by Cormier land on Barnett. Barnett throws a big knee but Cormier evades. Solid combo by Cormier. Outside legkick by Barnett. Nice knee by Barnett in the clinch but Cormier with a big uppercut. Nice body shot by Cormier. Cormier with an single and he runs the pipe to get Barnett down. Cormier working inside Barnett’s guard now. Big elbow by Cormier. Barnett throws his legs up for an armbar but Cormier defends perfectly. More elbows by Cormier. Barnett is bleeding bad now. Round ends with Cormier landing more elbows. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Cormier (20-18).

Round 3 – Barnett moving forward again and Cormier evades the strikes. Nice 1-2 by Cormier. Barnett working for a takedown along the cage but Cormier pulls him into clinch and circles out. Nice lefts by Cormier. Barnett moves forward and Cormier with a nice counter combo. Front kick by Barnett. Cormier with a single leg and Cormier runs the signature OK State crotchlift to slam Barnett into side control. Barnett takes a few shots but escapes. Headkick by Barnett misses. Superman punch by Cormier glances off. Jabs by Cormier. Barnett throws a knee and Cormier catches it. Right headkick by Cormier and he’s teeing off on Barnett along the cage. Big knee by Cormier in the clinch. Cormier takes Barnett’s back while standing and he’s wary of the knee bar. Barnett’s face is pouring blood now as the round ends. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Cormier (30-27).

Round 4 – Barnett coming forward again and he lands a nice knee but Cormier circles away. Barnett moves forward and Cormier counters beautifully to the body. Nice left hook by Cormier.Barnett works the jab but misses. Fast left headkick by Cormier is check and he fires a powerful right headkick that glances off. Barnett forces Cormier to the clinch but Cormier easily rotates off. Ugly spinning backfist by Barnett misses. Cormier looks for a single but backs off and lands a power shot. Cormier with another single and Barnett counters by rolling for a kneebar and Cormier rotates away but Barnett lands a heelhook but Cormier works free. Cormier in Barnett’s guard now. Cormier working the body and head now as Barnett tries for elbows and works for wrist control. Rather quick standup by Rosenthal. Barnett with a knee now. Barnett working against the cage but cannot get anything. Barnett’s face is battered as the round ends. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Cormier (40-36).

Round 5 – Shake of hands and we’re off. Cormier checking kicks by Barnett, Barnett  storms forward but Cormier evades. Brief stoppage to wipe up some water. Barnett with big swings that miss and he clinches. Knee by Barnett. Barnett with another knee as Cormier rotates out. Knee by Barnett barely misses. Left by Barnett. Headkick by Cormier misses. Barnett storms forward but Cormier escapes. Cormier is fighting like he’s up here as he is being very evasive. Cormier with a nice right. 1-2 by Cormier lands. Another bad spinning backfist attempt by Barnett and Cormier lands a double. Barnett gets up and Cormier looks for a big slam but Barnett bases out to stop it. Cormier now controlling Barnett along the cage with the clinch with :40 left. Barnett with double unders briefly but Cormier pummels in. Cormier lets him free with :10 left and he just avoids a clearly exhausted Barnett as the round ends. MMAFrenzy scores the round and the fight for Daniel Cormier (50-45).

Daniel Cormier def. Josh Barnett via unanimous decision (49-46,50-45,50-45)

Lightweight Title Fight: Gilbert Melendez (c) vs. Josh Thomson

Round 1 – Dan Stell is our referee and we are under way. Fighters circling early with Thomson playing the edge. Melendez slaps away a front kick. Nice combo by Melendez. Thomson stops it with a leg sweep but cannot keep Melendez down. Big exchange with Thomson getting the better of it. Melendez pumps a jab and takes Thomson to the canvas. Thomson looking to wall walk, but Melendez has the leg trapped and both fighters are exchanging shots. Thomson breaks free and we’re back on our feet. Melendez with a nice combo and brief knee from the thai clinch. Front kick is checked by Melendez. Thomson tries a body lock but Melendez evades. Hook by Melendez grazes Thomson. :20 left and the fighters are just feeling each other out. Nice combo fired by Thomson but it’s mostly blocked. Melendez catches a kick and takes Thomson down as the round ends. MMAFrenzy scores a close round 10-9 Melendez.

Round 2 – Big uppercuts by Melendez narrowly miss. Takedown attempt by Melendez is shucked away by Thomson. Headkick by Thomson misses. Big shots by Melendez but Thomson with great head movement avoids most of them. Melendez grabs a body lock but Thomson works out along the cage. We’re centered now. Thomson with a solid combo, Melendez stops it with a jab. Melendez catches Thomson in the eye and we have a brief break. Nice countering by Thomson. Melendez drags him into a big exchange and Melendez gets the better of them. Melendez shoots with a minute left and slams Thomson to the mat. Thomson trying to wall walk but Melendez holds him down. Thomson gets free but Melendez unloads with nice combo. Thomson tries a takedown but Melendez defends with a solid sprawl and a barrage of elbows. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Melendez (20-18).

Round 3 – Nice jab by Thomson. Headkick by Thomson. Melendez with a legkick. Nice uppercut to the body by Melendez. Melendez with a takedown attempt but Thomson stuffs and Melendez nails Thomson with some hard shots but Thomson staggers Melendez with a straight left. Thomson with some hard shots but Melendez has recovered. Nice counter uppercut by Melendez. Thomson with a footsweep but he doesn’t follow Melendez to the ground and Melendez rolls up. Nice right to the body by Melendez. Thomson throws a combo but Melendez avoids all of the strikes and lands a solid uppercut with some solid elbows. Thomson counters though and Melendez backs off. Thomson acts like he’s been hit in the eye again but the referee makes him continue. Thomson with a takedown attempt but Melendez sprawls beautifully and works out. Thomson with a better round but he loses the round late. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Melendez (30-27).

Round 4 – Bad swelling showing on Melendez’s right eye as we get started. Melendez doubles up on a jab and throws an overhand right that glances off. Thomson with a massive right but doesn’t follow up and Melendez recovers. Melendez with a nice scoop double and slam. Thomson works up. Melendez’s left eye is now damaged as well. Melendez with a double along the cage. Thomson using elbows and pulls Melendez to a clinch. Melendez with a hard elbow on the way out. Thomson rushes forward with a combo. Thomson finally lands the foot sweep takedown he’s been looking for now. Melendes tries to scramble but Thomson takes his back with a minute left. Thomson working a choke with a body triangle but he doesn’t have the chin. Melendez trying to buck him off. Thomson switches grips but loses the choke and the round ends. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Thomson (39-37).

Round 5 – Crowd is amped up for the final round. Big exchange that Thomson gets the better of. Melendez with a takedown but Thomson scrambles up before Melendez can do anything with it. Jab by Melendez. Headkick by Thomson. Fake foot sweep to right hook by Thomson. Another right hook by Thomson. His handspeed looks much faster but his accuracy is lacking. Big combo by Thomson punctuated by a headkick. Thomson goes for a takedown but is stuffed and Melendez’s reshot is stuffed. Thomson gets poked in the eye again and we have a brief stoppage. Melendez with a strike but Thomson counters and swarms. Melendez is on his heels now with a minute left. The momentum has clearly shifted. Thomson stuffs another takedown and lands a hard shot on the way out. Thomson with a beautiful outside leg sweep takedown into Melendez’s guard. Thomson isn’t able to do much as Melendez peppers with shots from his back as the round ends. Amazing fight. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Thomson but the fight for Melendez (48-47). Scores could go either way though.

Gilbert Melendez def. Josh Thomson via Split Decision (48-47,47-48,48-47)

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle

Round 1 – Kyle ducks an overhand right and eats a massive knee by Feijao drops Kyle and he pounces with some bombs. Feijao with a few strikes to the back of the head but Kyle is back up and Feijao jumps into a guillotine choke. Kyle stands for a minute and then tries to slam his way out of the choke (bad decision) and it just allows Feijao to sweep into mount and Kyle immediately taps. Impressive performance by Feijao.

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. Mike Kyle via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:33 of Round 1

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Be sure to check out our pre-fight coverage of tonight’s card including an interviews with Daniel Cormier and Josh Thomson, videos, and more.

Main Card (Showtime)

• Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Daniel Cormier def. Josh Barnett via unanimous decision (49-46,50-45,50-45)
• Lightweight Title Fight: Gilbert Melendez (c) def. Josh Thomson via Split Decision (48-47,47-48,48-47)
• Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. Mike Kyle via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:33 of Round 1
• Chris Spang def. Nah-Shon Burrell via KO (punches and knees) – Round 1, 1:35

Preliminary Card (Showtime Extreme)

• Isaac Vallie-Flagg def. Gesias Cavalcante via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Guto Inocente def. Virgil Zwicker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gian Villante def. Derrick Mehmen via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Quinn Mulhern def. Yuri Villefort via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Bobby Green def. James Terry via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

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Thomson has endured a litany of injuries since losing the Strikeforce lightweight title to Melendez in that December 2009 match. While he has continued his successful career in that time, going 3-1 in those four matches, there still were not many fans campaigning for Thomson to take on Melendez for a third time.

Expectations have come to be that Thomson did not deserve a third matchup with Melendez, despite winning the first match in June 2008. Melendez has won six consecutive matches since then, winning both the lightweight and interim lightweight titles. Expectations have become that he will storm through his opponents, and that he deserves a chance in the UFC. But come Saturday night, Thomson will look to show that not all things happen as we expect them to.

“I feel blessed I was able to roll my last camp into this camp,” Thomson said to MMAFrenzy.com, alluding to having fought just two months ago in a win over KJ Noons. “I had something to build off of in my last fight. There is still so much I can improve on. Yeah, everyone knows I was upset with my performance, but to be able to get the win on a crappy performance still makes me feel good about myself.”

Another performance that Thomson is disappointed in is the loss to Melendez in their rematch. Melendez lost the first match, but earned a rematch the following year with two consecutive wins. Thomson expected it to go the same way as the first, and he was on his way to fulfilling those expectations.

“I won the first match convincingly,” said Thomson. “I fought a smart fight the first time around, but I didn’t in the second one. I really need to use my advantage, which is my speed. Another key is that I have to keep my hands high and tight, and make sure to continually throw straight punches.

That has been the focus of my training. Before my match with [KJ] Noons, I was very cautious in training. We cut back a lot of my training for that fight, because I used to over-train so much, which is where injuries were easy to cause. But this camp we found a happy medium with my training.”

Another happy medium in training that Thomson has found is his persona inside the American Kickboxing Academy gym. Nicknamed “The Punk” for his attitude throughout training camps, Thomson admits that he is longer the man or the nickname of his younger days.

“The name ‘The Punk’ has faded away,” Thomson admitted. “That name came from the gym when I was 19 or 20 years old, and I am not really that same guy anymore. I really feel we are going to have to end up changing the nickname. If I could have given myself a nickname, I would have given myself something cooler. Something like “The Prodigy” or “The Prototype”. In fact, I really like Frankie Edgar’s nickname, “The Answer”. I wish I could steal that. I guess we will just have to fight for it.”

For now, Thomson will just have to focus on “El Nino”. He will not be the only one fighting for a championship in San Jose, as AKA teammate Daniel “Kung Fu Panda” Cormier takes on Josh Barnett in the Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship in the main event.

“As if I didn’t have enough pressure going into this fight, having Daniel fight after me only adds more to it,” said Thomson. “I will be pretty pissed off if I go out there and lose and he wins after me. But I think it is great that all of us at AKA are in the same situation as me, and I hope that continues. We all expect it to.”

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In a statement to MMAFrenzy, Jones’s management had this to say:

“I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI. While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time.”

Jones is currently scheduled to face Dan Henderson on September 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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In his first appearance since being stabbed, Ivanov stated that he is determined to return to MMA after he leaves the hospital.

Ivanov has only been able to speak for about a week but doctors believe he will reach a full recovery in six months to a year.

Ivanov and two of his friends were attacked by a group of 8 armed men after a disagreement at a bar in downtown Sofia. When police arrived Ivanov had a critical stab wound under his armpit.

The main suspect in the stabbing, a 23 year old known as Dampela, is being held under permanent detention.

Ivanov is perhaps best known as the man who dethroned Fedor Emelianenko in Combat SAMBO. Ivanov had been a semifinalist in the Bellator heavyweight tournament before having to exit due to injury. Ivanov last fought in December, where he beat Ricco Rodriguez via TKO.

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In an interview translated by Ukranian MMA journalist Artem Yalansky, Fedor states:

“My previous fight was in Moscow and my last fight will be in St. Petersburg on June 21st,” Emelianenko says. “It will be the last fight in my career.”

“Is this your final decision?” the interviewer asks.

“Yes,” Emelianenko says, “I think it’s time to end my career.”

Fedor has officially stated he is retiring to spend more time with his family but the 35-year-old fighter has also alluded to lingering injury issues after his last several fights.

Fedor has wrestled with the choice to retire for several years now, mentioning that he began thinking of retirement prior to his first loss in ten years to Fabricio Werdum.

The humble Ukrainian-born fighter was one of the most controversial fighters in MMA history due to his rabid fanbase and detractors. What cannot be argued is that Emelianenko is one of the most decorated heavyweights in MMA history and that his ten year unbeaten streak is one of the longest in MMA history. A fact made even more impressive since he fought at heavyweight.

While his detractors harp on matchmaking and his confrontational management team, and many of his fans lived in the past, it cannot be denied that Fedor was one of the best heavyweight fighters in history. Fedor was a PRIDE and RINGS tournament champion, in addition to being a three-time SAMBO World Champion, and two third place finishes in Judo.

Fedor’s career began nearly 12 years ago on May 21, 2000 in Yekaterinburg, Russia and it will end June 21 in St. Petersburg.

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While the UFC clearly wanted to go for a surprise by having multiple bantamweights tweet reminders to watch TUF tonight on FX, the surprise apparently did not work according to White.

Faber had been set to fight fellow TUF coach Dominick Cruz in the rubber match of their rivalry until an injury forced Cruz to withdraw.

UFC 148 is headlined by a UFC middleweight title rematch between rivals Chael Sonnen and champion Anderson Silva. Faber vs. Barao will be the co-headlining fight that evening. The card will take place July 7 in Las Vegas.

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The main event pitted Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang in the middleweight tournament final. The two fighters showed their bad blood for each other in an ugly final, as Falcao battered the Swede for the majority of the fight. In the end, Falcao came out on top, despite a point deduction, and the two fighter’s appeared to put their bad blood to rest. Falcao will now face Alexander Shlemenko for the vacant middleweight title.

In the co-main event, Karl Amoussou edged David Rickels to reach the finals. Amoussou managed this despite the bout having to be repeatedly stopped due to Rickels’s fouls, the first of which even required a stoppage until a new cup could be found for Amoussou.

In a battle of top women’s division fighters, Megumi “Mega Mu” Fujii and Jessica Aguilar fought a spectacular bout that showcased how impressive the women’s division can be. While Fugii threatened early and often on the ground, Aguilar showed a lot of heart and kept attacking no matter where the bout ended up. In the end, Aguilar’s striking (both standing and off her back) proved enough to give her the victory.

Main Card (MTV2)

• Maiquel Falcão def. Andreas Spang via unanimous decision (29-27,29-27,29-27)
• Karl Amoussou def. David Rickels via split decision (29-28,28-29,29-28)
• Jessica Aguilar def. Megumi Fujii via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)
• Ron Sparks vs. Kevin Asplund – Cancelled
• Mark Holata def. Abe Wagner via verbal submission (ankle lock) at 2:24 of Round 1

Preliminary Card (Spike.com)

• Josh Quayhagen vs. Cliff Wright, Jr.*
• E.J. Brooks def. Kalvin Hackney via unanimous decision
• Shanon Slack def. Booker Arthur via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27)
• Andrey Koreshkov def. Derrick Krantz via KO (strikes) at 0:51 of Round 3
• Richard Hale def. Josh Burns via TKO at 0:38 of Round 1

*- aired after the card

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According to MMAJunkie, Sparks had been battling a sinus infection and the medication he was on raised his blood pressure to unacceptable levels.

No word on whether Sparks and his scheduled opponent, Kevin Asplund, will be compensated.

The bout was replaced by a heavyweight scrap between Mark Holata and TUF-veteran Abe Wagner. A bout Holata won via verbal submission.

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All of the fighters made weight without issue.

Tomorrow night’s fight card will also take place from the HP Pavilion and will see Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier do battle to conclude the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Also on the card, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will attempt to defend his belt against Josh Thomson in a rubber match.

You can check out the full weigh-in results below:

Main Card (Showtime)

• Josh Barnett (248) vs. Daniel Cormier (238)
• Champ Gilbert Melendez (153) vs. Josh Thomson (153)
• Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (206) vs. Mike Kyle (203)
• Nah-Shon Burrell (170) vs. Chris Spang (169)

Preliminary Card (Showtime Extreme)

• Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (156) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (156)
• Virgil Zwicker (204) vs. Guto Inocente (205)
• Derrick Mehmen (205) vs. Gian Villante (205)
• Quinn Mulhern (170) vs. Yuri Villefort (170)
• Bobby Green (155) vs. James Terry (156.25)*

*It appears as though a scale calibration issue was the reason for Terry weigh over.

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Taking home the lightest suspensions were Igor Pokrajac, Fabio Maldonado, Jason MacDonald and Kamal Shalorus. All of those fighters by Pokrajac suffered losses on the card; Pokrajac took home a controversial unanimous decision over Maldonado.

Sixty-day suspensions were handed out to main event competitor Dustin Poirier, as well as to his fellow main card participants Jorge Lopez and Jeff Hougland. Poirier lost to Chan Sung Jung by D’Arce choke in the fourth round, but took home a Fight of the Night bonus to soften the blow.

Jeremy Stephens and Johnny Eduardo, who fought on the main and preliminary card, respectively, were both suspended indefinitely for possible eye injuries. Both fighters can be cleared by a physician.

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The two will do battle at the UFC 148 event, which is scheduled to take place on July 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

McKenzie (13-2) drops to featherweight after submitting Marcus LeVesseur in his most recent appearance, which came at UFC on Fuel TV 3: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier earlier this week. In his four UFC appearances at lightweight, McKenzie has sandwiched two submission losses between two submission victories. The 24-year-old was a quarter-finalist on the twelfth installment of The Ultimate Fighter.

Mendes (11-1) will be looking to rebound from his first professional loss when he takes on McKenzie. The 27-year-old Team Alpha Male product is coming off of a knockout loss to featherweight champ Jose Aldo that he suffered at UFC 142 earlier this year.

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This Sunday night the show welcomes two talented competitors who call the UFC home in the form of lightweight Shane Roller and featherweight Dennis Bermudez. Also set to offer up some insight, BloodyElbow/Wrestling Observer writer Josh Nason will call in to reflect on the sport’s current landscape.

The 8-3 Bermudez, a former All-American wrestler, was a finalist on TUF 14 and recently picked up a dominating decision win over Pablo Garza earlier this month at UFC on FOX 3.

Roller (10-6) is also more-than familiar with work on the mat after being named an All-American three times during his storied career at Oklahoma State. The longtime Zuffa veteran holds wins over Jamie Varner, Thiago Tavares, Anthony Njokuani, and Danny Castillo under the company’s banner between his time in WEC/UFC. His next fight is scheduled for July 7 at UFC 148 where he’ll face John Alessio.

Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).

Catch Rebellion MMA Radio live on Sunday at 6:30 PM EST where the guys offer their own unique takes on all-things MMA.

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Lavar Johnson is 2-0 since joining the UFC after being brought over from Strikeforce. The heavy handed heavyweight has finished both Pat Barry and Joey Beltran, and will be looking to do the same to Stefan Struve.

The all heavyweight UFC 146 maincard takes place May 26 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The main event will feature a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior Dos Santos and former champion Frank Mir.

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