The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California tonight for UFC 139: “Shogun vs Hendo.” The card was headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former UFC champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan “Hendo” Henderson.

In one of two co-features tonight, former WEC titleholders collided when “The California Kid” Urijah Faber took on Brian Bowles in a bantamweight bout, and Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva squared off with Cung Le at middleweight. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s card.

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Bushido Women’s Champion Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya made short work of her opponent this evening at Bushido Hero’s: World Grand Prix Lithuania. Competing for the first time in 11 months, Kunitskaya stopped challenger Arune Lauzeckaite in less than two minutes in a dominant performance.

Kunitskaya had been absent from MMA competition since a win over Cindy “Battlecat” Dandois last December, but kept busy in kickboxing bouts this year. Ring rust did not appear to play a factor tonight, as Kunitskaya took Lauzeckaite down and punched from mount until the fight was stopped.

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Following an 8-0 amateur career, top prospect Ashley “Smashley” Cummins made the most of her professional debut tonight at XFL: “Xtreme Fight Night 5” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cummins defeated Texas native Chelsea “The Italian Princess” Colarelli to capture the XFL 115-pound women’s championship.

The fighters engaged in a back-and-forth battle through five rounds and both threatened with submissions on the ground, where much of the fight was contested. In the fifth and final round, Cummins worked from side control and took Colarelli’s back, then secured a rear-naked choke for the victory.

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Olympic bronze medallist in judo “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey wasted little time in picking up her second Strikeforce victory tonight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rousey submitted Julia “The Jewel” Budd at Strikeforce Challengers 20 with a 39-second armbar that left Budd’s right elbow visibly dislocated.

Tonight’s fight could be the last time that Rousey competes at 145 pounds for the foreseeable future, however. Following her win, Rousey campaigned for a title fight with Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha “Takedown” Tate, and challenged number one contender Sarah Kaufman.

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Strikeforce returned to familiar territory at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for Strikeforce Challengers 20. The card was capped off by a middleweight matchup between Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt and Lumumba Sayers, as both fighters looked to rebound from tough losses.

In the much-discussed co-feature, 2008 Olympic bronze medallist in judo “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey looked to keep her unblemished mixed martial arts record intact when she battled Julia “The Jewel” Budd, and Adlan Amagov faced Anthony Smith. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

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Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson will return to action for the first time in close to two years when she faces Diana “Dynamite” Rael at Jackson’s MMA Series 7. The bout, which Rael initially announced on Thursday, is currently targeted for January 21, 2012 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Waterson has not competed since an April 2010 TKO victory. She gave birth to a daughter in March of this year and recently returned to regular training. Waterson’s opponent, Rael, has tasted defeat just once as a professional and picked up a big win over New Mexico’s Angelica Chavez in August.

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Fresh off of a successful debut on FOX, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to pay-per-view tomorrow night for UFC 139: “Shogun vs Hendo” at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua faces off against Dan “Hendo” Henderson in the light heavyweight main event.

Former long-time PRIDE champ Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva looks for a much-needed win when he takes on Cung Le in the co-feature, and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber faces Brian Bowles in a bantamweight contender’s bout. MMAGirls’ Joanne Spracklen previews tomorrow’s card.

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Japanese veterans Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Ryo “The Piranha” Chonan will face off for the second time in one of four bouts announced today for DREAM: “Genki Desu Ka” on December 31st in Saitama, Japan. Chonan defeated Sakurai by doctor stoppage at a September 2003 DEEP event.

Also announced were the semi-finals and final of the DREAM Bantamweight Grand Prix. Masakazu “Ashikan Judan” Imanari takes on Antonio Banuelos and Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes faces off with Rodolfo Marques Diniz. The winners will then clash in the tournament final later in the same night.

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