The Ultimate Fighting Championship made its way to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California tonight for UFC 121: “Lesnar vs Velasquez.” The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between Brock Lesnar and unbeaten challenger Cain Velasquez.
Also on the card, former EliteXC and Strikeforce champion Jake Shields made his UFC debut when he took on Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann in a welterweight bout, while Tito Ortiz faced Matt Hamill. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for all of the fights on tonight’s main card.
A pair of quality 125-pound women’s bouts are planned for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 39 on November 27th. Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton will face “Slick” Sally Krumdiack, while Ireland’s own Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly takes on battle-tested veteran Molly “The Maulinator” Helsel.
Strikeforce returned to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California tonight for Strikeforce Challengers 11. The main event featured a welterweight rematch between “Relentless” Roger Bowling and “Vicious” Bobby Voelker. The two first squared off in May in a bout that ended early due to an eye poke.
Former two-division King of Pancrase Kiuma Kunioku has stepped in on a week’s notice to face knockout artist Maximo “Maxi” Blanco at Sengoku Raiden Championship 15 on October 30th in Tokyo, Japan. Kunioku will replace Leonardo Santos, who withdrew from the fight earlier this week.
Reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez picked up another victory tonight when he stopped former UFC contender Roger “El Matador” Huerta in a non-title bout at Bellator 33. The entertaining fight was stopped on the advice of the cageside doctor following the second round.
Damien Roche, the former promoter of the Fury MMA promotion in Macau, has professed his innocence and claims that he is not to blame for a failed show earlier this month that left fighters stranded in the country. Roche blames the situation on an elaborate setup by former associates Kevin Don and Olivier Doleuze, who accused him of embezzling millions.
Recent Bellator tournament participant Jessica Pene will drop down to 105 pounds to face talented striker Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis at The Cage Inc.’s “Battle At The Border 7” on November 19th. The fight marks Pene’s debut in the strawweight division as she looks to rebound from her first defeat.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship made its return to the O2 Arena in London, England today for UFC 120: “Bisping vs Akiyama.” The event was headlined by a middleweight matchup between British standout Michael “The Count” Bisping and former DREAM star Yoshihiro Akiyama.