Lots o' bits today:
Coker: Overeem to defend title in May; Herschel on CBS?
On The Fight Show with Mauro Ranallo: (audio)
- Alistair Overeem will defend the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title in May. Opponent is yet to be determined.
(It's about freaking time.)
- Erin Toughill will be the next opponent for Cris Cyborg, targeting a late summer title fight.
- The 145 pound women's tournament will have a Summertime launch.
- Nick Diaz will go up and down in weight, fight out of his weight class but also defend the welterweight title.
- Herschel Walker will want to fight again and Strikeforce will support him. The $600 purse took care of licensing fees, as he as not fighting for a purse and donated his purse to charity.
- Despite WEC and UFC pay per views, Strikeforce is still targeting April CBS show.
- Jake Shields offered fight contract but not yet signed.
- Mousasi vs King Mo: will happen but not yet confirmed.
"UPDATE" - Herschel game for another fight in April according to Sherdog.com:
A CBS representative told Sherdog.com Wednesday that the network would be open to hosting Walker’s next fight on the April card.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said he planned to call Walker and his trainers on Thursday to a gage their interest in another bout. Coker didn’t rule out an April return.
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Griffin vs. Nogueira likely for UFC 114 in Las Vegas, not UFC 113 in Montreal
An intriguing light heavyweight matchup between perennial fan favorite Forrest Griffin (17-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and recent Brazilian import Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is still happening in May, but both fighters have a few extra weeks to get ready.
MMAjunkie.com (
http://www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to Griffin that the contest, which was originally believed to be taking place at UFC 113 in Montreal on May 8, is actually targeted for UFC 114 in Las Vegas on May 29.
Bout agreements for the matchup, which is likely for a co-main event slot, are expected to be finalized shortly.
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Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves II completes UFC 111 pay-per-view main card
A welterweight bout and long-awaited rematch between Jon Fitch (21-3 MMA, 11-1 UFC) and Thiago Alves (16-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC) officially has been added to next month's UFC 111 event and completes the March 27 fight card.
MMAjunkie.com (
http://www.mmajunkie.com) first reported the UFC 111 bout, which was initially expected to take place at UFC 107, back in December.
UFC 111 takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and Fitch vs. Alves is one of five fights slated to air on pay-per-view.
(A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com that a one-hour "UFC Prelim" special will likely air in conjunction with UFC 111 on Spike TV.)
The official UFC 111 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD
Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy (for welterweight title)
Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir (for interim heavyweight title)
Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch
Martin Kampmann vs. Ben Saunders
Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller
PRELIMINARY CARD
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace
Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares
Ricardo Funch vs. Matthew Riddle
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Wisconsin Signs MMA Regulation Bill Into Law
Wisconsin became the 43rd state to sanction mixed martial arts when Gov. Jim Doyle signed into law a bill to regulate the sport.
The state's Department of Regulation and Licensing will govern the fights, adding MMA to its duties overseeing pro boxing contests.
Unlike other states, Wisconsin's law passed through the legislative process in just a few months. The bill was first introduced in September 2009.
MMA fighters and notables that have links to the state include Eric Schafer, Pat Barry, Duke Roufus, Anthony Pettis and Jameel Massouh. Organizations have run unsanctioned events in the state for years but will now fall under state jurisdiction.
New York is the most prominent state that does not sanction MMA, but Gov. David Paterson recently unveiled a bill to regulate it in the Empire State.
The other states that have yet to sanction the sport are Alabama, Connecticut, Vermont, West Virginia, Alaska and Wyoming. The last two states, however, have no athletic commissions in place.