As one of the top female mixed martial artists in Brazil, 135-pound standout Vanessa Porto is well-respected among the MMA community in her home country. The six-year veteran of the sport has battled the best in Brazil and is eager to make a name for herself once again in North America.

While the future of women’s fights in major North American promotions is uncertain, Porto is hopeful that she will receive an opportunity to compete in the United States again. She speaks with MMARising.com about her plans for the coming year and obstacles that she and others must overcome.

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Top welterweight prospect Rory “The Waterboy” MacDonald has agreed to face veteran submission ace Mike “Quicksand” Pyle at UFC 133 on August 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The UFC officially announced plans for the matchup today and bout agreements are expected to be signed soon.

MacDonald recently rebounded from his lone career loss with a one-sided dismantling of former contender Nate Diaz, while Pyle has won four of six fights inside the Octagon and brings a three-fight winning streak into the bout. A victory in August will move one fighter closer to title contention.

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BAMMA Middleweight Champion Tom “Kong” Watson successfully retained his title tonight with a third-round knockout of former PRIDE star Murilo “Ninja” Rua at BAMMA 6 in London, England. Watson wore Rua down with leg kicks and eventually finished him off with a head kick and punches.

In the co-main event, UFC veteran Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg destroyed John “The White Mike Tyson” Phillips with brutal elbow strikes that opened a pair of deep cuts and forced a first-round doctor stoppage. With the victory, Trigg may be next in line to challenge for Watson’s 185-pound belt.

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A second women’s bout has been added to the upcoming Strikeforce card on June 18th in Dallas, Texas. Veteran Julie “Fireball” Kedzie will make her promotional debut against rising star Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes in a 135-pound matchup. The fight was made official today.

Previously confirmed for the event was a 145-pound women’s fight between the returning Gina “Conviction” Carano and Strikeforce newcomer Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio. Kedzie is coming off of wins over D’Alelio and Kaitlin Young, while Nunes last stopped Julia “The Jewel” Budd in 14 seconds.

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After a series of opponent changes, DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki will now square off with UFC veteran Rich “No Love” Clementi at DREAM: “Fight For Japan” on May 29th. The non-title bout was confirmed by DREAM representative Mike Kogan on Tuesday.

Clementi is the fifth targeted opponent for Aoki, and he steps in after Aoki declined a fight against TUF 8 alum “Sugar” Shane Nelson. Former MFC champion Antonio “Mandingo” McKee also previously withdrew from the fight. Clementi is coming off of a controversial decision loss last month.

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A lightweight bout between former EliteXC champ “King” K.J. Noons and Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal is now official for Strikeforce: “Overeem vs Werdum” on June 18th in Dallas, Texas. The fight was first reported by MMAjunkie.com earlier this month and confirmed by Strikeforce today.

Also announced for the card this week was a heavyweight bout between standout wrestler Daniel Cormier and MMA veteran Jeff “The Snowman” Monson. Cormier was originally set to face unbeaten prospect Shane del Rosario, but del Rosario withdrew due to injuries from a car accident.

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Many of MMA’s top flyweight fighters will be in action in featured bouts at Tachi Palace Fights 10 on August 5th in Lemoore, California. Reigning KOTC and former two-division Shooto champ Mamoru Yamaguchi will face the former number one flyweight in the world, Jussier “Formiga” da Silva.

The TPF Flyweight Championship will also be on the line in August when Darrell “The Mongoose” Montague defends against Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall, while former champ “Useless” Ulysses Gomez takes on Drew “Lil Bitt” Bittner. Sherdog.com first reported on the matchups today.

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One day after the bout was officially announced, former MFC Lightweight Champion Antonio “Mandingo” McKee has reportedly withdrawn from his fight against Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki at DREAM: “Fight For Japan” on May 29th. The change was first noted by HDNet executives today.

McKee cited visa problems as the reason for his withdrawal from the card when speaking with MMAjunkie.com, but this claim was refuted by DREAM representative Mike Kogan. It is currently unknown whether Aoki will remain on the card, but McKee no longer appears to be in line to compete.