UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva will receive a chance to avenge his last loss when he faces Yushin “Thunder” Okami at UFC: Rio on August 27th. The long-rumoured matchup was confirmed by UFC President Dana White in an interview with USA Today this evening.
Silva and Okami first squared off at Rumble On The Rock 8 on January 20, 2006. Okami was awarded a disqualification victory after he was struck by an illegal upkick. Since that time, Silva has won 14 straight fights and he is seen by many as the top pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts.
Four fights are now official for the upcoming all-female Jewels 13th and 14th Ring doubleheader on May 14th in Tokyo, Japan. The promotion announced a pair of kickboxing matches for 13th Ring and two mixed martial arts bouts, dubbed “Jewels vs Valkyrie,” for the 14th Ring card earlier today.
Decorated jiu-jitsu specialist Roger Gracie will put his undefeated mixed martial arts record on the line against former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in a bout targeted for July 9th. A location and venue for the July event have not yet been announced.
Strikeforce 145-pound competitor Julia “The Jewel” Budd will be part of the first professional women’s mixed martial arts bout in the province of Ontario. The Muay Thai standout faces Ottawa’s Anna Barone in a featured matchup at JEG: “MMA Live 1” on May 19th in London, Ontario, Canada.
Former pro boxer and veteran mixed martial artist Erin “Steel” Toughill made her long-awaited return to MMA on Saturday night in Oklahoma, but things did not go according to plan. Toughill was upset by one-time bantamweight Ashley “Loca” Sanchez in the main event of Freestyle Cage Fighting 46.
Ireland’s top female mixed martial artist, Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly, will ply her trade outside of Bellator Fighting Championships for the foreseeable future. Daly was notified of her release from the promotion on Thursday, but will still compete in a pair of non-Bellator bouts in the coming months.
Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts standout Julie “Fireball” Kedzie captured her first major title in more than five years on Saturday night in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Displaying improved striking skills, Kedzie defeated knockout artist Kaitlin Young in the main event of Jackson’s MMA Series 4.
Strikeforce came to the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California tonight for Strikeforce: “Diaz vs Daley.” The stacked card was headlined by a Strikeforce Welterweight Championship bout between reigning champion Nick Diaz and hard-hitting British challenger Paul “Semtex” Daley.