At Bellator 43, Jay Hieron did what many expected him to do when it was first announced that he had signed with Bellator: he won Bellator’s Season Four Welterweight Tournament. But Hieron’s much-hyped debut fizzled after only one fight: after looking greet in the quarterfinals, Hieron edged out both his semi-finals and finals opponents via very, very close decision wins. Now all that’s left for Hieron to do is challenge Ben Askren for the Bellator Welterweight Championship. Here are some early thoughts on how I think this fight will go down. ...

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to a special one-day-only, four-part mini-series entitled “Road to the Finals”. Today, Bellator will hold its “Bellator 43” event, with the main event set to be Jay Hieron vs. Rick Hawn. Not only will Hieron vs. Hawn be the final fight of Bellator’s Season Four Welterweight Tournament, it will be the first finale fight of Bellator’s Season Four tournaments. So in case you missed anything or simply want to relive the glory again, “Road to the Finals” will take all four finals and document what each fighter had to do in order to reach the pinnacle of a Bellator tournament. Let’s get started with a fight that’s only hours away from going down: Jay Hieron vs. Rick Hawn. ...

The welterweight final is now set. Former IFL champion and UFC veteran Jay Hieron will be returning to the cage on May 7 to take on fellow finalist Rick Hawn to determine the winner of the season four welterweight tournament. The two men battled their way through an ultra competitive welterweight field that featured many big names in the sport, making this tourny arguably the toughest and most talent rich of any season that Bellator has produced thus far. Now, both Jay and Rick will meet to determine who receives not only the six-figure payday, but who will vie for the promotions 170-pound title, currently held by wrestling powerhouse Ben Askren. ...

On April 9, the same day as Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Daley” event, upstart promotion Bellator FC celebrates forty events with another live, weekly night of fights on their new TV home, the MTV2 network. In the main event, Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren faces 38-13-1 longtime veteran Nick Thompson. Also, former EliteXC, UFC, Strikeforce, and Affliction star Jay Hieron fights for the second time under the Bellator banner. Here are 5 great reasons to watch Bellator 40. ...

We’re now also only a few days away from Bellator 40. On the same day that Strikeforce holds its “Diaz vs. Daley” event, Bellator will be celebrating forty events with three big fights. In the main event, Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren takes on grizzled veteran Nick Thompson in a non-title bout. The co-main event will also feature a big Bellator star, as Jay Hieron battles Brent Weedman. Once again, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring Bellator 40. ...

On April 9, 2011, Strikeforce won’t be the only game in town. The upstart Bellator FC promotion will also see a live, televised event this Saturday, with their next event on their new television home (the MTV2 network) also being the fortieth event in the promotion’s history. To celebrate the big four-zero, Bellator is bringing in champions, former champions, and more. Here’s the latest edition of “Crash Course” now covering Bellator 40. ...

It’s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it’s time for my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award. It was tough to single out the best performance of Bellator 35 for two main reasons: first and foremost, none of the fights were boring and all of them kept me consistently entertained. But I also had very little knowledge of Bellator, so I was unsure of how to properly gauge the talent level of the promotion’s fighters. But here’s one thing I do know: I know who Jay Hieron is, and he reminded me why I know him at Bellator 35. Here’s why Jay Hieron’s triumphant, dramatic, and utterly dominating Bellator debut took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring Bellator 35. ...

Although fans are still divided on Bellator’s future ever since it was announced that the upstart MMA promotion would be moving to the MTV2 network, the promotion itself has continued to move forward and is currently in the process of setting up several interesting tournaments for their upcoming fourth season. Recently, two more names were added to the planned Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, rounding out the brackets. Here are all the details. ...

Former strikeforce welterweight contender Jay Hieron has now officially been released from his contract with the San Jose based promotion and since then has signed an exclusive contract with Bellator Fighting Championships. Promised two title shots in his time with Strikeforce, Hieron was relegated to the preliminary slot in his two fights in the organization, after initially coming in as an immediate contender to the title. Decision victories over Jesse Taylor and Joe Riggs anchor his résumé with Strikeforce, and after an extended period of time spent mostly waiting, Jay shopped around the free agency market once his contract with the aforementioned promotion ran up. Bellator seemed to be the perfect fit for the 34-year-old. ...

Jay Hieron is many things. He’s a talented MMA veteran, having lost only four times in his seven-year career while winning nineteen times. He’s a former champion of the short-lived but nationally-broadcast (on MyNetworkTV) International Fight League. He’s well-versed in all areas of the MMA game, having won seven fights by (T)KO, five by submission, and another seven by decision. But there is one thing Jay Hieron is not- employed. ...

A few days ago I reported that, after a lengthy contract negotiation, strikeforce had pulled the trigger and signed heavy-handed UFC-exile Paul Daley to a multi-fight contract. My overall outlook for Paul Daley in Strikeforce was positive and remains positive. If he’s utilized correctly, Daley could give us some very entertaining fights. And in that regard, here’s what I think would be the best fights Paul Daley could have in Strikeforce. ...

After Strikeforce welterweight champion “Diablo” Nick Diaz (21-8) TKO'd DREAM welterweight champion “Whitemare” Marius Zaromskis (11-3) at Strikeforce in Miami last Saturday, he called out Fighters.com and UFC welterweight champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2). ...

For years I've listened to MMA fans spout hateful, irrational conspiracy theories about UFC President Dana White.  White is certainly not above criticism, and you'll read some of the most biting criticism of White here at Fighters.com.  (Other MMA media outlets wouldn't dare risking their credentials with Zuffa by criticizing White.  That's a little something you might not have known...)  But, a lot of the criticism has been just ridiculous, including accusations of thrown fights and paid-off referees. Scott Coker and his promotion, Strikeforce, have been regarded as a fairer organization for fighters, perhaps justifiably so. ...

Strikeforce put on the first show of this year last night and there were highs and lows plus some shocking revelations post-fight. I will start with the high points of the night first which leads me to the showdown between "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (17-5) and Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1). ...

The welterweight matchup between “Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (15-4) and “Diesel” Joe Riggs (31-11) at Strikeforce in Miami January 30 will be streamed live at EASportsMMA.com. ...

"Thoroughbred" Jay Hieron (15-4) picked up the Strikeforce welterweight strap in a five-round UD over The Ultimate Fighter alum "JT Money" Jesse Taylor (8-3) on the undercard at Strikeforce in San Jose Friday.

The Pit 205-pound prospect, former kickboxer Scott Lighty (5-0) TKO'd Mike Cook (7-7) on the undercard at Strikeforce in San Jose Friday. The referee stepped in to end the beating at 2:05 of the first round.

The fight night opened with lightweight Alexander Trevino (5-0) remaining undefeated by tapping out Isaiah Hill (3-6-1) in a keylock at 3:56 of round one.

Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “Babalu” Renato Sobral (31-8) and challenger “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) made the 205-pound weight limit for their title fight in San Jose Saturday with pounds to spare. Defending champion "Babalu" weighed 201 pounds while challenging prospect Mousasi weighed 204 pounds. Heavyweight UFC cast-off "Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) weighed 228 pounds. His late replacement opponent, American Kickboxing Academy's "MAK" Mike Kyle (11-6-1), weighed 219 pounds. ...

Strikeforce welterweight contender "Diablo" Nick Diaz (20-8) skipped a mandatory California State Athletic Commission pre-fight drug screening Friday for his title fight versus "Thoroughbred" Jay Hieron (14-4) at Strikeforce in San Jose 15 August.

Maybe it was scheduled at 4:20 PM?

A card-carrying medical marijuana toker, Diaz was popped for marijuana use by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after tapping "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (28-6) in a gogoplata at PRIDE 33 in Las Vegas in February 2007.
...

Xtreme Couture welterweight "Thoroughbred" Jay Hieron (14-4) has signed with San Jose-based MMA promoter Strikeforce following the disintegration of Affliction and will fight Nick Diaz (20-8) for the promotion's first welterweight title, according to multiple sources.

Former IFL titlist Hieron knocked out recent DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix finalist Jason High (6-1) in 1:04 at Affliction in Anaheim last January. He was scheduled to fight former EliteXC title challenger "Semtex" Paul Daley (18-9-2) at Affliction in Anaheim 1 August.

Diaz tapped former EliteXC middleweight title challenger "Hands of Steel" Scott Smith (15-7) in a rear naked choke at Strikeforce in St. Louis last June. He was originally scheduled to rematch "Diesel" Joe Riggs (30-11) for the Strikeforce title until Riggs pulled out with an injury.

Six more bouts were made official Monday for Affliction Day of Reckoning 24 January in Anaheim. “Babalu” Renato Sobral (29-8) will fight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5). “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) will fight “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3). “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (26-9) will face “Baby Fedor” Kiril Sidelnikov (3-1). “Machine” Mark Hominick (14-7) will face LC Davis (9-1). “Thorobred” Jay Hieron (13-4) will fight Jason High (6-0). Albert Rios (6-2) will face “Tigre” Antonio Duarte (7-1). Brett Cooper will also fight, although no opponent was named. ...

Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion and WAMMA Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) and third-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-5) will headline Affliction: Day of Reckoning, which will take place 24 January at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, the organization confirmed on their official website. Emelianenko versus Arlovski had been reported previously, as well as the date of the event, but Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio last week would confirm neither the main event, the date, nor the venue for their second show. Other fighters on the card are sixth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (23-5), “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3), “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), “Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-7), “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8), “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5), and the IFL’s Jay Hieron (16-4) and Chris Horodecki (12-1). The match-ups have not yet been announced. ...

It was a clean sweep for the home team - Xtreme Couture - in Las Vegas Saturday night with all five of their entries in A Night of Combat II picking up wins. "The Natural" John Alessio (24-11) knocked welterweight Gideon Ray (15-10-1) cold on the mat in 45 seconds. Xtreme Couture's Alessio whipped a left hook over a Ray right hand and dropped Ray.  Alessio finished the job with hammer strikes, leaving the fellow former UFC fighter unconscious. "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (18-5-1) of Xtreme Couture transitioned slickly into an armbar from full mount to tap welterweight Brian Gassaway (28-19-2) as he attempted roll free at 4:21 of round one in another battle of former Octagon fighters. Xtreme Couture welterweight "Thorobread" Jay Hieron (16-4) won a one-sided unanimous decision over late replacement Chris Kennedy (6-6) by judges' scores of 30-27 three times. Hieron's original opponent, Bryson Kamaka (6-13), failed his pre-fight urinalysis. ...

Xtreme Couture welterweights "Thorobred" Jay Hieron (15-4) and "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (17-5-1) will headline A Night of Combat II in Las Vegas 11 October. Former IFL titlist Hieron has been matched, if not undermatched, versus Bryson Kamaka (6-13) while Pyle will fight vet Brian Gassaway (28-18-2). Also on the card, welterweight "The Natural" John Alessio (23-11) will return after a "W" over "Secret Weapon" Pete Spratt (18-14) in A Night of Combat's debut to battle Gideon Ray (15-9-1). Light heavyweights "Sick Dog" Hector Ramirez (7-3-1) and kickboxing vet "The Jet" Rick Roufus (4-3) will face-off. And, TUF 3 finalist "Bring the Pain" Josh Haynes (10-10) will fight "Seargent" Steve Byrnes (6-1). The card features eight men's MMA bouts at the Thomas & Mack Center. ...

Affliction finalized IFL Welterweight Champion Jay Hieron (15-4)’s one-year, three-fight contract on Friday, reported Sherdog Monday. The Xtreme Couture fighter told MMA Weekly last week that he was entertaining offers from EliteXC and the UFC as well, but Affliction offered what he believed he was worth. Hieron fought five times in 2007 in the IFL, and once this year when he defended his crown with a first-round TKO win over Mark Miller (8-3) in April. He is expected to compete at Affliction’s 11 October event in Las Vegas, although no opponent has been named. ...

Fighters.com's second-ranked heavyweight,current UFC co-Heavyweight Champion, and UFC Hall of Famer "The Natural" Randy Couture(16-8) spoke exclusively with Fighters.com from his Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas Monday afternoon. Couture graciously confronted and answered questions about his beef with the Zuffa, LLC and UFC President Dana White and third-ranked "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia's (24-4) and his own prospective fight with sixth-ranked "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (27-1), shared opinions about fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7), "Kimbo Slice" Kevin Ferguson (3-0), and Brock Lesnar (1-1), and made picks on future fights. Fighters.com: You've said you've accepted that you might get a bad court ruling and not fight again. Have you lost some competitiveness from being inactive for so long? The Natural: I still want to compete. I'm still in training as much as I can be with all this other stuff going on. I still seem to be able to hold my own, even with the lack of serious, hardcore training, with all the top guys that I have in the gym. I'm having fun being in the gym learning new tools, new skills and being there with a lot of the other guys that have been there for me, so I'm not too worried about that. The courts are going to do what the courts are going to do. We'll deal with it when it comes in. Fighters.com: Not many fighters have wives who also train. Does that give you both a different perspective and more understanding? ...

Three IFL title-holders tightened the straps on their belts in the Izod Center just through the Lincoln Tunnel from New York City Saturday night. "The Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), Wagnney Fabiano (10-1), and Jay Hieron (15-4) all defended their respective titles with knockouts. Lightweight standout Chris Horodecki (12-1) picked up a unanimous decision, while one-time top 155-pounder "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (28-11) continued his slide with a loss by unanimous decision. Featherweight Fabiano set-up a right slobber-knocker to Shad Lierley (2-2) with just his reputation as a submission specialist. "People think I'm just a jiu-jitsu fighter," Fabiano explained after the fight.  "Today I knew he would expect me shooting, so I changed my game plan." The KO came after just 37 seconds. Hieron, an Xtreme Couture 170-pounder, dispatched Mark Miller (8-3) in just 2:10. "It went quicker than I thought, but man it was not easy," said Hieron after his right hook set-up a single-leg takedown leading to a G'n'P finish. "The Janitor" had the toughest time of the IFL's three defending champions. Hometown Jamal Patterson (4-2), who's won exclusively by submission, cranked up striking flurries in the first round causing Matyushenko to duck-and-cover. But, Matyushenko handed Patterson his ass in the second with a ground'n'pound barrage the required the ref to wave the fight finished at 3:35. IFL newcomer Jim Miller (11-1) ran "Bartimus" ragged for three rounds, dumping the winless-in-three lightweight at will and filing through submission attempts like he had an extra limb.  Palaszewski fought back valiantly with several crafty escapes, but Miller took all of the cards in his IFL debut. Horodecki had a handfull named Nate Lamotte (6-3) to contend with in Horodecki's return from his first loss to "The Lion" Ryan Schultz (19-9-1) in IFL's Lightweight Grand Prix final. Lamotte delivered some vicious G'n'P when he was able to catch Horodecki, but the IFL vet kept Lamotte at bay with a snapping jab and pin-pointed punches to take a UD by 29-28 times three. And the rest of the story saw light heavyweight "Shark" Emyr Bussade (11-5) win his IFL debut with a kneebar of Jesse Lennox (6-1) at 1:25 of round two. "Bad" Brad Blackburn (12-9-1) TKO'd "Pe de Chumbo" Delson Heleno (13-5) at 1:50 of the third round of a welterweight matchup. Featherweight LC Davis (10-1) kicked Rafael Dias (10-4-1) in the head for the KO "W" at 3:56 of round three. Xtreme Couture middleweight Alex Schoenauer (13-9) eeked out a split decision over Brendan Barrett (3-3). Finally, heavyweight Miletich fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz (13-3) cut Kongo-conqueror "The Fury" Carmelo Marrero (7-2) with an unintentional headbutt in a fight declared a No Contest after 1:37. The IFL returns 16 May in at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. ...

IFL titleholders “The Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko, “The Thorobred” Jay Hieron, and Wagnney Fabiano will defend their belts when the International Fight League returns to the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., with a nine-bout card on Friday, April 4.  In addition to the three Championship bouts, competition between camps will feature athletes from Renzo Gracie Academy, Midwest Combat, Miletich Fighting Systems, and American Top Team. Tickets went on sale on Monday, Feb. 25, and are available at the IZOD Center Box Office (located at the Meadowlands), www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (201) 507-8900. Of particular interest is the addition of Florida-based American Top Team, which is “outside” of the core IFL camps to compete under the new IFL format which encourages challenges from the top MMA camps across the world. Matyushenko, who defected to the U.S. while a member of the Belarus national wrestling team in the early 1990’s, was the IFL’s first individual champion, capping an unbeaten 2007 by winning the light heavyweight title by defeating Alex Schoenauer last November in Chicago.  On April 4, Matyushenko will battle “The Suit” Jamal Patterson, a Colgate University graduate who now serves as regional sales manager for an orthodontics company in addition to his MMA career. Hieron, a Long Island native who will be fighting in front of a decidedly hometown crowd, knocked out “Pe de Chumbo” Delson Heleno in Connecticut in December to claim the welterweight crown.  His opponent in New Jersey will be Mark Miller, a former machine gunner in the U.S. Marines who was one of the big surprises at 170-lbs. last year in the IFL. Fabiano is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who used that skill to record five submissions, four of them in the first round, in a perfect 2007, culminating in a win over LC Davis in the featherweight championship in December.  He takes on Shad Lierley, a former collegiate conference wrestling champion at New York University who moves to 145-lbs. after impressing with two victories and a well-documented thrilling battle with “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki last year. “I like the local feel of this card,” said Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President, Fighter Operations.  “In addition to three outstanding championship matchups, featuring fighters from New York and New Jersey, you have Renzo Gracie’s camp, which was the champion last year, Midwest Combat, which features our top fighters from the Chicago area, and great battles with the Miletich camp and American Top Team, which we are very excited to have on board.”  Among the intriguing matchups in the Miletich-ATT pairing are those between welterweights Rory Markham and Emyr Bussade and light heavyweights Mike Ciesnolevicz and Lew Polley.  LC Davis will also compete against a yet-to-be-determined featherweight opponent. The Gracie-Midwest bouts include a rematch of last year’s exciting Deividas Taurosevicius vs. “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski matchup.  Delson Heleno will also fight at 170 lbs; his opponent is TBD.  Outside of the camp matchups, Chris Horodecki will battle a yet unnamed lightweight for a planned minimum nine-bout card. IFL East Rutherford, N.J. Friday, April 4, 2008 (order TBD) Additional Bouts 155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) (7-1 IFL, 11-1 overall MMA) vs. TBD American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems 145 lbs.: TBD vs. LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) (2-0, 9-1) 170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 10-5) vs. Rory Markham (Chicago) (6-2, 12-3) 205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-3, 13-3) Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy 155 lbs.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) (8-3, 29-10) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (3-0, 9-2) 170 lbs.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (6-3, 13-4) *205 lbs.: **Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) (5-0, 20-3) vs. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) (4-1, 4-1) Additional Championship Bouts *170 lbs.: **Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) (6-2, 14-4) vs. Mark Miller (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2) *145 lbs.: **Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (5-0, 9-1) vs. Shad Lierley (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1) *Championship Bout **Current Titleholder ...