The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada tonight for UFC 113: “Machida vs Shogun 2.” The event was headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Also on the card, welterweight standouts Paul “Semtex” Daley and Josh Koscheck clashed in a number one contender’s bout, while former street fighter Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson made his UFC pay-per-view debut. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

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One of the most highly anticipated rematches in recent MMA history headlines tonight’s UFC 113: “Machida vs Shogun 2” event at the Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will once again square off for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Also on the card, top welterweight contenders Paul “Semtex” Daley and Josh Koscheck will battle to determine the next title challenger at 170 pounds. MMARising.com previews UFC 113 with full fight predictions.

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Bellator Fighting Championships officially announced tonight that the world’s top-ranked female fighter, Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii, will compete at Bellator 22 on June 10th. The announcement was made during the telecast of Bellator 17. No opponent has been named as of yet.

Fujii was initially scheduled to compete for Bellator during the promotion’s first season last year, but remained in Japan and fought for Jewels and Shooto. Her participation at Bellator 22 could serve as the first step towards her inclusion in the planned Bellator women’s tournament this year.

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As his company prepares for their next event on May 15th, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker spoke exclusively with MMARising.com today in an in-depth interview. The long-time fight promoter addressed comments and concerns about the Strikeforce women’s division and his partnership with Showtime.

Discussing topics ranging from planned tournaments in Strikeforce to upcoming matchups involving his champions, Coker remains focused on developing women’s MMA and the Strikeforce brand as a whole, but clarifies misinformation that has become a common theme in MMA reporting.

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With former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin sidelined due to injury, Jason Brilz has verbally agreed to step in to face Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira at UFC 114. MMAjunkie.com was first to report on the story and bout agreements are expected to be made final soon.

Brilz has won three of his four fights inside the Octagon, but he will face his toughest test to date when he steps in on four weeks’ notice to challenge Nogueira, who has battled a who’s who of the division. The light heavyweight bout will serve as the co-main event at UFC 114.

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Following weeks of speculation and contract renegotiations, the number one heavyweight in the world, “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko, will return to action on June 26th against Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum. Strikeforce and M-1 Global confirmed the bout today, as well as the co-promoted June 26th event in San Jose, California.

Speculation had surrounded Emelianenko’s future after M-1 executives engaged in a round of contract tweaks with Strikeforce management, but the two sides reached an agreement to bring Emelianenko back to action.

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As a result of a shoulder injury, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming bout with Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira at UFC 114. TMZ.com was first to report on Griffin’s injury, but a formal announcement has not been made.

Griffin last competed at UFC 106 in November and picked up a hard-fought Split Decision victory in his rematch with fellow ex-champ Tito Ortiz. Prior to the fight, Griffin had lost back-to-back fights by knockout to “Sugar” Rashad Evans and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

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In a month of MMA that won’t soon be forgotten, April featured the crowning of new titleholders while other champions retained their spots at the top of the division. Strikeforce champs Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Jake Shields and Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez all surge ahead in the rankings.

The women’s division also sees a number of significant changes as new faces join the ranks while others fall due to inactivity. With former top star Miku “Supernova” Matsumoto’s retirement, her spot is vacated and a busy month of May could determine a new contender in the flyweight division.

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