The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced today that all upcoming non-title main events will now be contested over five, five-minute rounds. The change will not apply to fights that have already been signed, but the ruling will be utilised for newly-signed main event bouts moving forward.
In addition, UFC President Dana White stated that his promotion intends to create a flyweight division in the near future; possibly by the end of 2011. Meanwhile, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz has vacated his title in order to challenge UFC champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre.
Gina “Conviction” Carano will no longer make her return to MMA action on June 18th in Dallas, Texas. The “Face of Women’s MMA” has been forced out of her televised Strikeforce bout with Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio due to what has been deemed to be a “revoked medical clearance.”
A pivotal women’s bout between former Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Champion Sarah Kaufman and Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche is targeted for Strikeforce Challengers 17 on July 22nd in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight could serve as a number one contender’s bout for Kaufman’s former title.
A Strikeforce Middleweight Championship bout between champion Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza and rising star Luke Rockhold is currently planned for an as-yet-unannounced Strikeforce event on September 10th. The fight was thought to be set for July 30th, but will no longer take place on that card.
Leading all-female promotion Jewels has announced a trio of big fights for its upcoming “15th Ring” event on July 9th in Tokyo, Japan. Final Valkyrie Featherweight Champion “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi will make her Jewels debut when she faces kickboxing standout and Jewels mainstay Seo Hee Ham.
Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Champion Marloes “Rumina” Coenen will defend her title against 2010 tournament winner Miesha “Takedown” Tate at Strikeforce: “Fedor vs Henderson” on July 30th in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The matchup, first planned for March 5th, was made official on Saturday.
The Ultimate Fighter 13 concluded tonight at The Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. The TUF 13 Finale was headlined by the welterweight final between Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson and Ramsey Nijem. The winner of the bout earned a six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The North American Allied Fight Series showcased one of its biggest events tonight at NAAFS: “Fight Night In The Flats 7” in Cleveland, Ohio. The card was headlined by an NAAFS 125-pound women’s title bout between NAAFS star Jessica “Evil” Eye and Bellator veteran Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly.