King of the Cage will begin 2010 in a big way on January 30th when the promotion travels to the island of Okinawa, Japan for KOTC: “Toryumon.” The impressive event is headlined by a KOTC Junior Flyweight (125-Pound) Championship clash between former two-division Shooto champ Mamoru Yamaguchi and undefeated challenger Frank Baca.
In a featured women’s bout, Roxanne Modafferi will represent her adopted home of Japan when she battles Molly “The Maulinator” Helsel of the United States. MMARising.com previews the Japan vs USA “Toryumon” card.
With just eight days to go, Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley finally has a confirmed opponent for his Strikeforce debut at Strikeforce: Miami on January 30th. The undefeated Lashley will battle three-time UFC veteran Wes “A Whole Show” Sims in a featured heavyweight bout. The promotion confirmed the news today.
Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago will return to action at Sengoku Raiden Championships 12 on March 7th in Tokyo, Japan. The Brazilian standout will defend his title in a rematch with Poland’s Mamed “The Cannibal” Khalidov. KSW first reported on the bout earlier today.
Former PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori “Fireball Kid” Gomi will not have an easy fight in his Octagon debut. The former #1-ranked lightweight is expected to battle two-time title challenger Kenny “KenFlo” Florian in the main event of UFC Fight Night 21 on March 31st.
After a series of postponements, undefeated Canadian standout Sarah Kaufman has confirmed that she will face Japanese contender Takayo Hashi to determine the first Strikeforce 135-Pound Women’s Champion. The fight will take place at Strikeforce Challengers 6 on February 26th.
In the wake of the upcoming Freestyle Cage Fighting Women’s Grand Prix on January 30th, Strikeforce has opted to revisit the idea of holding their own women’s tournaments in 2010. The promotion is targeting an April start for eight-woman 135- and 145-pound tournaments to determine new contenders and title challengers.
Freestyle Cage Fighting will showcase eight of the top bantamweights in the world in the opening round of the FCF Women’s Bantamweight Grand Prix on January 30th. The promotion has confirmed with MMARising.com that the event will stream live on FreestyleCageFighting.com in high-definition.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to add to its debut card on the Versus network. The promotion confirmed today that a heavyweight bout between former contender Cheick Kongo and one-time title challenger Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello will be part of the March 21st event.