Former PRIDE and Sengoku star Hidehiko Yoshida will retire on April 25th. J-Rock entertainment announced today that the Japanese legend will compete in mixed martial arts for the final time in the headlining bout at an event known as “Astra.” Yoshida’s opponent has not yet been named.
The 40-year-old Yoshida cited a deterioration in his physical capabilities and apologised to the fans for no longer being able to compete at his best. The seven-year veteran planned to retire on New Year’s Eve, but will compete one more time at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.
Former EliteXC Featherweight Champion Wilson Reis will return to Bellator Fighting Championships for its upcoming second season. The highly-touted prospect came up just short in the inaugural Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix last year and he will look for revenge in season two.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Las Vegas tonight for UFC 109: “Relentless.” The event was headlined by a light heavyweight bout between UFC Hall of Famers Randy “The Natural” Couture and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman that was first set for UFC 17 in 1998.
Capped off by a main event just shy of 12 years in the making, UFC 109: “Relentless” takes place live later tonight. UFC Hall of Famers Randy “The Natural” Couture and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman will square off in a light heavyweight battle of legends.
After her shocking upset victory over Marloes Coenen one year ago, Belgium’s Cindy “Battlecat” Dandois picked up right where she left off at M-1 Selection 2010 today. Dandois defeated Denmark’s Maria Hougaard Nielsen in just over one minute in the event’s headlining bout.
A light heavyweight bout between former PRIDE ace Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira and ex-UFC champ Forrest Griffin is now planned for UFC 114 on May 29th. MMAjunkie.com first reported on the date change for the fight, which was originally targeted for UFC 113 on May 8th in Montreal.