One man's loss is another man's gain as budding middleweight prospect Dave Branch will return to the octagon, replacing an injured Alexandre Ferreira. The Renzo Gracie black belt will be taking on former contender Rousimar Palhares at "UFC on Versus 3", which takes place on March 3 at the KFC Yum! Center in Lousiville, Ky. Branch is on a roll in the UFC, coming on the heels of back-to-back wins inside the octagon defeating tough talent in the likes of Tomasz Drwal and Rich Anttonito, both by dominant decision victories. ...

Now that the “ufc on Versus” specials are all that the UFC has to offer up to MMA-starved fans on the Versus network, a lot of time, effort, and planning is going into the first “UFC on Versus” event of 2011. “UFC on Versus 3” is set to feature match-ups like Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann and Takeya Mizugaki vs. Francisco Rivera. Most recently, two additional bouts have been all-but-confirmed for the event, featuring both major UFC stars and former WEC champions. Here’s the latest on the “UFC on Versus 3” card. ...

Rousimar Palhares is still tasting the sting of defeat. The inconsistent middleweight has been on the cusp of top contender status but has fell at each big step up in competition. At UFC 88 in September of 2008, Palhares, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, faced former PRIDE champion Dan Henderson. Rousimar had his moments, however Henderson defeated the grappling ace by unanimous decision, setting him back in the crowded middleweight division. Most recently, "Toquinho" suffered his second loss in the octagon recently against former title challenger Nate Marquardt, and since the defeat looks to tangle with the Greg Jackson product once again to vindicate the defeat. ...

2010 wasn’t exactly the best year for surging Middleweight star Rousimar Palhares. Palhares recorded a big win over Tomasz Drwal in March, but was suspended for 90 days after refusing to let go of the fight-ending submission (Rousimar’s patented heel hook) after securing the victory. Palhares was then the focus of a “Fight Night Live” card, only to ultimately end up on the wrong side of a KO loss thanks to former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Nate Marquardt. Heading into 2011, the future for Palhares will likely be determined in the four fights he’s recently secured with the UFC. Here are all the details. ...

The ratings are in for both “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12’s premiere episode and UFC Fight Night 22: “Marquardt vs. Palhares”. TUF 12 episode 1 featured an all-new cast of Lightweight hopefuls fighting their way into the house with Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck playing the role of mentors/coaches. Fight Night 22 featured Nate Marquardt dramatically finishing Rousimar Palhares in a key Middleweight showdown. So were the shows a success? It depends on who you ask. It depends on what your definition of “success” is. It…depends. Here’s the full ratings rundown, courtesy of Sherdog. ...

The dust has barely settled from the UFC’s latest Fight Night outing, but people are already beginning to call the main event showdown between Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares the second coming of “GreaseGate”. For those not abreast of the situation, Marquardt escaped Palhares’ patented heel hook rather easily when Palhares finally got Nate “The Great” to the ground, so easily in fact that Palhares tried to stop the fight due to his allegation that Marquardt had used a greasing agent on his legs. In that split-second of lost focus, Marquardt pounced and secured a dominating win that may go down as the most controversial fight of his career. But both his trainer and Marquardt himself strongly deny  the allegations of greasing, and I have to tell you, they make a very solid argument. ...

Thoughts, reflections, speculation, deductions, and criticism from the UFC fights last night in Austin, Texas. 1. Yes, Rousimar Palhares should know better.  Don’t stop fighting mid-round without referee assistance.  However, I still feel odd about Marquardt’s victory.  He did exactly what he should do and capitalize on his opponent’s mistake, but it just doesn’t feel right that Palhares felt genuinely “wronged,” albeit incorrectly, and consciously stopped fighting.  Marquardt was cleared of greasing and I am not saying he did anything wrong, but, in no way was Marquardt dominating and the fight was up for grabs.  Horrible mistake for Palhares and I don’t feel Marqaurdt is clearly the better fighter since this ended in such a clumsy, odd, bizarre, uncomfortable way.  Hopefully, Palhares gets back to winning ways and we see this fight again some day. ...

As a lead in to the popular UFC reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter”, UFC Fight Night 22: “Marquardt vs. Palhares” certainly served its purpose of giving the fans a great night of live action to compliment the inaugural debut of a new TUF season. In a key Middleweight match-up pitting Nate Marquardt against Rousimar Palhares, Nate “The Great” would win in dominating fashion in a moment of controversy that was quickly cleared up. Here are the official results of Fight Night 22 as well as my thoughts on the card. ...

Weigh-ins were held today for the upcoming UFC Fight Night 22 event, which is scheduled to take place August 15 in the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Featuring a key middleweight showdown in the main event that sees former title contender Nate Marquardt taking on feared submission specialist Rousimar Palhares, Fight Night 22 will serve as the lead-in to the landmark twelfth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, featuring coaches Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck. The weigh-ins were not without their drama, as "Ultimate Fighter" Season 8 winner Efrain Escudero missed weight by four pounds. ...

A five-fight veteran of the world’s toughest MMA promotion, UFC fighter Rousimar Palhares will get his second shot at Middleweight greatness on September 15, when he faces Nate Marquardt in the main event of UFC Fight Night 22. Palhares lost a Unanimous Decision to PRIDE FC legend Dan Henderson in 2008 in his first attempt at breaking through to the top of the division, but since then has been on an absolute tear: he’s won three straight fights, two of which coming by way of the heel hook submission that has become his specialty (of his nine submission wins, six have been by heel hook). Palhares most recently caused a not-insignificant amount of controversy when it looked like he held onto the fight-ending heel hook against his last opponent, Tomasz Drwal, for far too long. Yet in a recent interview, Palhares claims that it was all a simple misunderstanding. ...

I’m usually a fan of free MMA regardless of rhyme or reason, but I have to admit, the UFC’s next Fight Night Live special has me more interested than usual. Scheduled for September 15 and emanating from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, Fight Night 22 will be a great lead-in for the upcoming twelfth season of the popular UFC reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter”, which sees UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre coaching a cast of hopefuls opposite his bitter rival and current #1 contender to the belt, Josh Koscheck. Below is the full, officially-announced fight card as well as some of my early predictions. ...

Former UFC light heavyweight champion and current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort will be returning to action in November, but against who--who knows. The news, which was highlighted previously on Fighters.com , where according to Vitor himself on Twitter, “this year I am not going to fight for the title because the champion (UFC Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva) is hurt but November we will be in action for sure that is what I can say.” ...

UFC Fight Night 22, which will air live in SpikeTV on September 25th, and the Pay-Per-View event UFC 118, held on August 28, will experience a bit of a shake up. Middleweight contender Alan Belcher reported via Twitter, that a detached retina will prevent him from competing opposite of Demian Maia, a match that "The Talent" had been campaigning for since his victory over former title challenger Patrick Cote. ...

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board has suspended UFC middleweight “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (11-2) of Brazil for 90 days following his first-round heel hook submission of “Gorilla” Tomas Drwal (17-3-1) at UFC 111 in Newark last night. But, as Drwal tapped feverishly and Palhares cranked the technique, Palhares only awaited referee Kevin Mulhall's official stoppage of the fight before releasing the heel hook. ...

Regardless who wins the middlweight matchup at UFC 102 in Portland Saturday, Demian Maia (10-0) and "Great" Nate Marquardt (28-8-2) might get a second shot at each other 25-27 September at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships 2009 in Barcelona.

Both UFC title contenders will compete in the -87.9kg division, along with "Toquinho" Rousimar Palhares (11-3). Sengoku judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) and DREAM welterweight Andre Galvao (3-0).

UFC welterweight champ "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (19-2) will compete in the -76.9kg division, along with the UFC's "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3), Japanese free agent "K-Taro" Keita Nakamura (15-4-2), and Brazilian free agent "Uirapuru" Marcelo Azevedo (3-5).
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Middleweight “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (9-3) will face longtime UFC veteran “Gumby” Jeremy Horn (80-18-5) at UFC 93 in Dublin 17 January, British UFC officials confirmed to Fighters Only Thursday. Palhares lost his last fight via unanimous decision to Fighters.com's fifth-ranked light heavyweight “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (23-7) at UFC 88 in September. Horn is also coming off a loss, most recently to “Boogeyman” Dean Lister (11-5) via first-round guillotine choke at the TUF 7 Finale in June. ...

"Sugar" Rashad Evans (12-0-1) knocked out Fighters.com's fourth-ranked light heavyweight "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-6) with a right hook in the second round Saturday night in Atlanta. Liddell lay unconcious on the canvas for several minutes after the punch. Evans jitter-bugged around a stalking Liddell the entire fight.  Liddell never really got a beat on him, but landed a straight right in the first round.  Evans back-pedalled and taunted Liddell with a dance. In the second round, Liddell lunged for an uppercut and took Evans's counter right hook square on the jaw to end the fight at 1:51. Franklin Finishes Friend "Ace" Rich Franklin (24-3) TKO'd his friend and former training partner "Hammer" Matt Hamill (4-2) at 39 seconds of round three with a left kick to Hamill's floating rib in Franklin's return to 205. Franklin had landed the same kick consistently through the first two rounds.  In the third, the kick dropped Hamill and Franklin landed two punches before referee Mario Yamasaki waved the fight off. ...

The UFC officially announced three fights Wednesday for its 6 September card in Atlanta: • a previously reported light heavyweight bout between Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) and “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1); • a rumoured welterweight bout between tenth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) and “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5); • a middleweight bout between “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) and “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (8-1). Yoshida, who won his last nine fights, made his UFC debut in May with a 56-second submission over “War Machine” Jon Koppenhaver (5-2). Parisyan will look to come back from a second-round TKO loss to third-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) at Fight Night 13 in April. Henderson, a former PRIDE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion, was submitted via second-round rear naked choke by UFC and Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) in March. Palhares is looking for his seventh consecutive win. In May he submitted Ivan Salaverry (13-7) via armbar in round one. ...

“Satisfying!  Very satisfying,” described Fighters.com's fourth-ranked lightweight and UFC Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (13-4-1) after defeating fifth-ranked "Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk (32-2-1) by TKO after the third round at UFC 84 in Las Vegas Saturday. Veteran referee Mario Yamasaki determined that Sherk was unable to continue after a Penn flurry at the cage that left Sherk on the mat at the end of the third round. The three five-minute rounds were fought entirely standing up, resembling a boxing match. Penn worked a slicker boxing style set-up with a long, snapping jab.  Sherk threw left and right hooks in a stiff, technical style. Penn established his jab in the first round as Sherk pressured. Sherk clinched to muffle “The Prodigy’s” reach advantage; but, Penn landed an uppercut to break the clinch. Sherk attempted to counter with his own jab, but threw it short as Penn followed down the pipe with his left.  Sherk clinched again; but, Penn threw him off. Sherk began round two with a cut under his right eye from Penn’s relentless jabbing.  He shrugged his shoulders before the bell, disappointed with his first-round performance. But, the Minnesotan took the fight to Penn in the second round.  Penn clinched inside Sherk’s left/right hook combo and hammered knees to “The Muscle Shark’s” body. Again, Penn clinched; but, Sherk overwhelmed him with a flurry.  Penn pushed out of the clinch. Unable to solve Penn’s boxing riddle, Sherk began to test his leg kick; but, Penn answered with a left hook. Penn had all the answers Saturday night. ...

Fighters.com was live Friday at the UFC 84 weigh-ins at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Fighters.com's seventh-ranked lightweight "KenFlo" Kenny Florian (9-3), former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner (32-7), and "Hammer" Mark Coleman (15-8) signed autographs and third-ranked lightweight "JZ" Gesias Calvancanti (14-2-1) was in the crowd with his smokin' hot girlfriend. ...

Tuesday the UFC officially scheduled a home and an away game slotted for 24 May in Vegas and 7 June in London. Loose lips had already divulged details for both events. At the MGM Grand Garden Arena 24 May, "The Prodigy" BJ Penn will defend his UFC Lightweight Championship against the improper advances of former 155-pound champ Sean Sherk, returning from a banned substances suspension. My Portuguese is a little rusty, but Wanderlei Silva has also confirmed via his blog that he's signed to fight Keith Jardine on the Vegas strip. Other rumored bouts include: Ryoto Machida v Tito Ortiz Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou v Kazuhiro Nakamura Rashad Evans v Thiago Silva Wilson Gouveia v Goran Reljic Rousimar Palhares v Ivan Salaverry Dong-hyun Kim v Jason Tan Terry Etim v Jeremy Stephens Shane Carwin v Christian Wellisch At 02 Arena in London 7 June, light heavyweights Chuck Liddell and  Mauricio Rua will headline in a fight that not too long ago would've been considered the king-maker at 205. Brandon Vera has also confirmed he'll return versus Fabricio Werdum in London. Brock Lesnar is also rumored to return on this fight card. ...