Strikeforce came to the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California tonight for Strikeforce Challengers 15. The event was headlined by a lightweight bout between promotional prospect Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox and veteran Rodrigo Damm, as both fighters looked to step closer to title contention.

Also on the Stockton card, military veteran Caros “The Future” Fodor took on David “Tarzan” Douglas in another battle of lightweight prospects, while Scott Lighty faced Strikeforce newcomer Lorenz Larkin in light heavyweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the Strikeforce event.

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At UFC 128 on March 19th, 23-year-old Jon “Bones” Jones became the youngest undisputed champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship history when he defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones takes over the top spot in the 205-pound division.

Elsewhere, Tara LaRosa retained her place atop the 125-pound women’s ranks with a submission win over Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm at Shark Fights 14, and Olympic medallist “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey enters the 145-pound division after submitting Ediane “India” Gomes in 25 seconds.

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An undisclosed injury suffered in training has forced welterweight contender Jon Fitch out of his upcoming rematch with “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn at UFC 132. MMAWeekly.com was first to report on Fitch’s injury, though the nature and severity remain unknown. Penn is expected to remain on the card.

Fitch and Penn first clashed at UFC 127 last month in Sydney, Australia and fought to a Majority Draw after three rounds. Penn hinted at retirement after the fight, but opted to continue on and a rematch was booked for UFC 132 on July 2nd. A search for a replacement opponent for Penn is underway.

A bout between rising female stars Jessica “Jag” Aguilar and Carla Esparza is currently targeted for a Bellator event this summer. The matchup will most likely take place at the tentatively-titled Bellator 46 on June 25th, which will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Verbal agreements are in place for the matchup, but bout agreements have not been distributed. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney informed MMARising.com earlier this month that the planned fight would not be part of a tournament. A second women’s tournament is still possible for an upcoming season.

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Multi-time boxing champion Holly “Hottie” Holm is expected to return to the cage for her second mixed martial arts bout on September 2nd for Fresquez Productions in Albuquerque, New Mexico. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the September fight with promoter Lenny Fresquez earlier today.

An opponent has not yet been determined form Holm, who impressed in her MMA debut earlier this month. Facing a formidable opponent in Wisconsin’s Christina “Machine Gun” Domke, Holm showed crisp boxing and impressive takedown defence before stopping Domke with leg kicks in round two.

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One of MMA’s top female prospects, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, needed just 25 seconds to win her pro debut Sunday night at King of the Cage: “Turning Point” in Tarzana, California. The Olympic judo bronze medallist submitted highly-touted Brazilian Ediane “India” Gomes with a first-round armbar.

Rousey’s victory, her first as a pro and fourth overall, marked the third time that she has submitted an opponent in less than 30 seconds. Her longest bout to date, a 57-second matchup with Autumn Richardson in November, also ended with an armbar. Rousey’s combined fight time is just 2:09.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington tonight for UFC Fight Night 24. The card was headlined by a light heavyweight matchup between former PRIDE star Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira and unbeaten prospect Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis.

In the evening’s co-main event, hard-hitting strikers Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson squared off in a welterweight battle, while “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung took on Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia in a 145-pound rematch. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

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Titan Fighting Championship made its return to HDNet tonight with TFC 17 from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between Strikeforce veteran and one-time pro wrestler Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley and late replacement opponent John Ott.

Also on the card, TUF veteran Abe “Hurricane” Wagner tried for his second straight TFC win when he took on Aaron Rosa, while “The New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni clashed with Nick Nolte in a pivotal bout for Baroni’s career. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the HDNet-televised card.

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