Sobral Officially Added to Affliction Card

Affliction Veep Tom Atencio told SI.com Thursday that light heavyweight “Babalu” Renato Sobral (29-7) has been matched versus Xtreme Couture fighter Mike Whitehead (20-5) for the apparel-company-turned-promoter’s debut 19 July in Anaheim, outside of Los Angeles.

Whitehead was dismissed from the UFC after losing a unanimous decision to Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked 205-pounder “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-3-1) in February 2006, his only official appearance in the big show.

Since that loss, Whitehead has wracked up 11 straight wins, nine by stoppage, in several promotions, including a four-fight stint in the IFL.

Sobral is 2-1 since challenging then-champ and sixth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) for the UFC title in August 2006.

He was dismissed from the big show after holding an anaconda choke several seconds after David Heath (7-3) obviously tapped out, then bragging about it.

Atencio also added the following fights to the official card:

Savant Young (9-7) v “The Machine” Mark Hominick (15-8)
Ray Lazama (5-5) v Justin Levens (9-8)
JJ Ambrose (9-1) v Patrick Speight (6-0)
“Quicksand” Mike Pyle (15-5-1) v Brett Cooper (7-4)