The Ultimate Fighting Championship will make its long-awaited debut in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada at UFC 131 on April 30, 2011. The date for the historic event, which will take place at the 69,000-seat Rogers Centre, was officially announced by the promotion earlier today.

Live attendance records for MMA events in North America are expected to be broken when the UFC makes its first trip to the “MMA mecca” of Toronto. In addition, a UFC Fan Expo is also planned for the event and will take place on April 29th and 30th at the Direct Energy Centre in the city.

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Jewels postergirl Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka has a busy month ahead. Already tentatively set to compete on the first DEEP card in Macau, China on January 8th, Ishioka will face once-beaten prospect Yuko “Amiba” Oya in a 52kg reserve match at Jewels: “Eleventh Ring” on December 17th.

MMARising.com first learned of Ishioka’s participation on the Jewels card last month and confirmed plans for the bout with Oya with sources earlier this evening. A previously announced fight between Hiroko Yamanaka and Randi Miller is officially off, but Yamanaka will likely remain on the card.

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Two more bouts are planned for K-1 Dynamite!! “Power of Courage 2010” on December 31st in Saitama, Japan. Former Strikeforce champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson will face one-time Shooto ace Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri, while Kazushi Sakuraba challenges Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis.

MMAjunkie.com first reported on the Sakuraba-Zaromskis bout, which will be contested for Zaromskis’s DREAM Welterweight Championship, while MMAFighting.com was first to report the Thomson-Kawajiri matchup. Both fights have yet to be announced by Fighting and Entertainment Group.

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UFC lightweight contender Kenny “KenFlo” Florian has been forced out of his upcoming UFC Fight Night 23 bout with rising star Evan Dunham after suffering a knee injury in training. Hard-hitting striker Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard will now reportedly face Dunham on January 22nd.

MMAjunkie.com first reported on Florian’s withdrawal from the fight, while Heavy.com reported that Guillard will step in to face Dunham. Guillard was previously scheduled to battle Yves Edwards on the undercard of UFC Fight Night 23 and Edwards will now face TUF 12 alum Cody McKenzie.

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Despite a three-week campaign to secure an opponent, Japanese superstar Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii is unlikely to take part in the upcoming Jewels: “Eleventh Ring” event on December 17th. Fujii may still compete at Sengoku Raiden Championship: “Soul of Fight,” but no decision has been made.

With many 115-pound female fighters currently battling illness and injuries, or coming off of recent fights, an opponent for the pound-for-pound standout could not be lined up in time. In addition, a planned Jewels bout between Hiroko Yamanaka and Randi Miller is also reportedly in jeopardy.

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A 145-pound women’s bout has been added to the upcoming Strikeforce Challengers 13 event in Nashville, Tennessee on January 7, 2011. Recent Strikeforce victor Julia “The Jewel” Budd will face Brazilian standout Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes in a fight with major title implications.

MMARising.com first learned of plans for the featured bout last month and the promotion confirmed the addition late Saturday night. Budd enters the fight after a dominant upset win over the previously unbeaten Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen, while Nunes has won five straight fights by knockout.

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The Ultimate Fighter 12 concluded tonight with the TUF 12 Finale from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was headlined by the season’s lightweight final between Jonathan Brookins and Michael “The Menace” Johnson. The winner received a six-figure contract with the UFC.

Also on the card, TUF 1 veteran “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar clashed with Igor “The Duke” Pokrajac, while submission ace Demian Maia battled TUF 3 winner Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove in a middleweight bout. MMARising.com has play-by-play for tonight’s TUF 12 Finale event.

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Strikeforce returned to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri tonight for Strikeforce: “Henderson vs Babalu.” The solid card was headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between former PRIDE champ Dan “Hendo” Henderson and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral.

Also on the card, Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith faced Paul “Semtex” Daley in a battle of welterweight strikers, while “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler took on Matt “The Law” Lindland in middleweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for all of the televised fights on the Showtime card.

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