With just over three weeks until the event, Strikeforce has finalised two bouts for its January 30th Strikeforce: Miami card. Middleweight knockout artists “Marvellous” Melvin Manhoef and “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler will square off in what is certain to be an explosive matchup, while UFC veterans Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron and Joe “Diesel” Riggs do battle at 170 pounds.

Hieron, who was originally set to face Nick Diaz for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Championship in August, now finds himself out of the title picture and relegated to competing on the undercard.

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Despite a myriad of injuries, the Ultimate Fighting Championship put on an exciting night of fights this past Saturday at UFC 108: “Evans vs Silva.” With only three fights going the distance, the injury plagued card proved to be a success and a number of future stars and contenders emerged.

MMARising.com’s Mike Miller takes a look back at the action from Saturday’s event. From Sam Stout’s breakout performance to yet another quick and dominant victory for heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos, Mike gives his take on UFC 108 with five key thoughts.

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After plans for a January fight in Strikeforce did not materialise, Freestyle Cage Fighting Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha “Takedown” Tate will return to action at FCF 38 on January 16th when she defends her title against tough challenger “Vicious” Valerie Coolbaugh.

The fight will be one of three title bouts on the card and will be featured prominently in advance of the promotion’s Women’s Bantamweight Grand Prix on January 30th. The roster for the women’s tournament is complete and first-round brackets will be announced shortly.

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Fresh off of a victory at K-1 Dynamite!! on New Year’s Eve in Japan, middleweight knockout king “Marvellous” Melvin Manhoef will make his Strikeforce debut on January 30th at Strikeforce: Miami in Sunrise, Florida. An opponent for the hard-hitting striker has not yet been announced.

With all but one of his victories coming by knockout, Manhoef is one of the most explosive fighters in the entire division, but his disdain for the ground game has hindered his progress in recent years. Manhoef will look to make a big statement when he competes for Strikeforce for the first time.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship limped into the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 108: “Evans vs Silva,” which had been hampered by injuries but turned into an exciting card. The event was headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former champion “Sugar” Rashad Evans and aggressive knockout artist Thiago Silva.

In the co-main event, British striker Paul “Semtex” Daley knocked out jiu-jitsu ace Dustin “McLovin” Hazelett in a welterweight contender’s bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play from the night’s fights.

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With injuries creating havoc for the promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship showcases UFC 108: “Evans vs Silva” tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The shell-shocked event has undergone countless changes due to injuries and illness in recent weeks, but the UFC will try to begin the new year on a positive note.

UFC 108 is headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former champion “Sugar” Rashad Evans and top contender Thiago Silva. MMARising.com previews the card, which will hopefully remain intact overnight.

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In a move that adds intrigue and excitement to an already impressive division, former PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori “Fireball Kid” Gomi has signed with the UFC and will debut for the promotion in 2010. The former long-time king of the lightweight division opted to sign with the UFC over Strikeforce after weeks of discussions with both.

The signing potentially paves the way for a rematch between Gomi and UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn, who submitted Gomi in 2003, but the Japanese ace will first have to fight through a talent-rich UFC roster.

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