Jon Fitch

• Gray Maynard says he’d like to fight Diego Sanchez, Clay Guida, or Sean Sherk next. [MMA Junkie]
• Takanori Gomi will return to Shooto for the first time in almost six years to fight 154-pound champion Takashi Nakakura on May 10th at JCB Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
• Tito Ortiz says he’ll pass on Affliction, instead attempting to sign with Strikeforce. [Youtube]
• Former EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons suffered a unanimous decision loss over the weekend in his return to boxing. [MMA Junkie]
• Former EliteXC middleweight title-holder Murilo “Ninja” Rua has signed with DREAM and will make his debut for the promotion at DREAM 8 on April 5th in Japan. [Gracie Mag]
• Former NFL player and heavyweight prospect Rex Richards (8-1) will tryout for the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. [MMA Junkie]
• Andrei Arlovski’s boxing debut has been postponed until May. [Sherdog]
• Gina Carano says her anticipated bout against Cris “Cyborg” Santos is likely to take place before the end of 2009. [MMA Weekly]
• Former WEC fighters Johny Hendricks and Danillo Villefort will be transferred to the UFC’s welterweight division. [Five Ounces of Pain and MMA Junkie]
• Bellator has announced the complete lineup for its April 3rd debut. [MMA Junkie]
• Kendall Grove is likely to fight at UFC 101 on August 8th in Philadelphia. [Five Ounces of Pain]
• Bellator’s third event will take place on April 17th in Norman, Oklahoma and will feature the first round of the promotion’s middleweight tournament, which includes notable Hector Lombard, with Brandon Vera’s wife Kerry Vera also slated to be in action in a non-tournament bout. [MMA Junkie]
• Jon Fitch has signed a five-fight contract extension with the UFC. [MMA Mania]
• Wilson Reis vs. Henry Martinez will headline Bellator’s second event on April 10th at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. [MMA Junkie]
• Ultimate Fighter cast members Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver and Joe Scarola will fight for the welterweight and lightweight titles respectively at MMA Big Show’s June 10th “Conviction” event at the Belterra Casino in Belterra, Indiana.
• Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro vs. Keiichiro Yamamiya and Makoto Takimoto vs. Michael Costa have been added to the official lineup for Sengoku Eighth Battle on May 2nd in Tokyo.
• New Jersey has refused to sanction a planned boxing bout between former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and former boxing champion Ray Mercer, which was to headline Adrenaline MMA’s third show on May 30th in Atlantic City. This bout is now tentatively scheduled to take place in June at a location to-be-announced. [MMA Weekly]
• The Ultimate Fighter 7 teammates Matt Riddle and Dan Cramer are likely to square off at UFC 101. [Five Ounces of Pain]
• Welterweight bouts featuring Josh Koscheck against Chris Wilson at UFC 98 and Paul Taylor versus Peter Sobotta at UFC 99 have been officially announced.

Last Thursday, Matt Sera posted on his TUF blog that Joe Scarola was evaluated by sports psychiatrist Dr. Sherry Wulcan prior to going on the show. In the professional opinion of Dr. Wulcan, she did not feel that Scarola was capable of living in the secluded house for six week. Contrastingly, on today’s TAAG Radio show, Scarola claims that he was never evaluated by any sports psychiatrist.

For inquiring minds, Scarola is currently working as an MMA instructor at another gym. He’s also still together with the same girlfriend. He and Serra have not spoken since he left the show.

Continue reading for a complete recap of the debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes  vs. Team Serra…The debut episode of the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter started as most expected with Matt Serra and Matt Hughes already locking horns with one another. Shortly afterwards the fighters arrive and after a brief, profanity-laced welcome the fighters get to work showing the coaches their skills. White returns several hours later and the fighters assemble for a coin flip to determine who will pick first. Matt Serra wins and opts to choose the first fighter, his student Joe Scarola. The pick was not without controversy as Hughes had convinced his opposition that he would pick Scarola even though he had no intentions of doing so. The picks continued until every fighter was selected. The teams are:

Team Serra

• Joe Scarola
• George Sotiropoulos
• Matt Arroyo
• John Kolosci
• Ben Saunders
• Roman Mitichyan (Injury)
• Troy Mandaloniz
• Richie Hightower
• Jon Koppenhaver

Team Hughes

• Dan Barrera
• Mac Danzig
• Tommy Speer
• Billy Miles
• Jared Rollins
• Paul Georgieff
• Dorian Price
• Blake Bowman

After the picks are completed it is reveled that Roman Mitichyan had suffered an elbow injury during the early workouts. A trip to the doctor revealed the fighter had suffered a fracture in his arm and would not be able to compete on the series. Dana White informed his coach, Matt Serra, that he would be sent home and a replacement would be brought in. Jon Koppenhaver was called to fill the spot and immediately joined the team.

Team Hughes had the opportunity to pick the first fight and picked Joe Scarola to face Mac Danzig. As soon as the fight was announced Scarola’s demeanor changed, seemingly conceding the loss before stepping into the octagon.

Danzig controlled the first round early on first from the feet then on the ground. Scarola was able to reverse and gain top position later in the round but did little from there.  Danzig eventually saw his opening as the final seconds of the round ticked down and locked in a triangle choke. The submission force Scarola to tap with just 6-seconds remains in round number one. The win moves Danzig into the quarterfinals.

Next week it will be Team Serra getting the fight selection as another fighter will be eliminated and another will move on to The Ultimate Fighter 6 quarterfinals.