» Fighter: Ryo Chonan

After dropping a two-round decision to “Flash” Bibiano Fernandes (5-1) in the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix last March, Takafumi Otsuka (5-3) didn’t let another 145-pound title slip through his fingers Sunday at DEEP 43 Impact in Tokyo. Otsuka won a three-round decision over former UFC lightweight Dokonjonosuke Mishima (18-7-2) to snag Mishima’s DEEP featherweight belt.

In a battle between former UFC welterweights and all-time DEEP legends, “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (16-10) won a three-round decision over Jutaro Nakao (22-13-4). Chonan broke the two-fight losing streak ending his 1-3 run in the Octagon last April

DEEP bantamweight champ “Ashikan Judan” Masakazu Imanari (16-7-1) defended his title from Tomohiko Hori (6-5-2) in another three-round decision.

Read More About Otsuka Upsets Mishima for DEEP Title, “Piranha” Chonan Bites Back After UFC Run…

The UFC officially announced Thursday the rest of the line-up for UFC 92, which takes place 27 December in Las Vegas.

French heavyweight Cheick Kongo (12-4-1) will meet UFC newcomer Mustapha al Turk (1-0), “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) will meet Reese Andy (7-2) in a light heavyweight bout.

Other bouts announced were “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (15-8) versus “Bad” Brad Blackburn (12-9-1), Antoni Hardonk (7-4) versus Mark Burch (10-2), and Dan Evensen (10-5) versus Pat Barry (1-0).

Read More About UFC 92 Card Official; Kongo, Hamill, and Chonan to Fight…

Fighters.com attended the UFC 88 open workout in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon.

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) bounced in place as reporters lined-up to interview the former UFC champion before his fight versus “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) Saturday night.

Playful and boisterous, Liddell told Fighters.com he was ready to fight Evans today in a video interview that will be posted shortly.

Evans was a bit more low-key, focusing on the biggest fight of his career and rolling with middleweight training partner Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2), who fights “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-1) Saturday night.

Co-main event second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), moving to 205 Saturday versus former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1), skipped his scheduled session.

Sources in Franklin’s camp alternately told Fighters.com that Franklin wasn’t feeling well and that he was eating to maintain the weight of his new division.

Neither excuse gives much solace to Fighters.com after Franklin’s comments about his uncertainty about fighting his former training partner and moving to 205 pounds.

Read More About Liddell Ready To Fight Today, Franklin Skips Open Workout…

The UFC announced Thursday that Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) and Thiago Tavares (13-2) will meet in a lightweight preliminary bout at UFC 88 in Atlanta 6 September.

Pellegrino lost his most recent fight to Nathan Diaz (9-2) when Diaz caught him in a triangle choke in the second round at Fight Night 13 in April.

Tavares also lost his last fight, to “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-3) via second-round TKO at UFC 85 in June.

The UFC also confirmed three other preliminary match-ups, a welterweight match between “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (10-0-1) and Matt Brown (7-6), a light heavyweight match between “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (7-2) and James Lee (13-3), and the previously reported match between welterweights “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) and “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (14-8).

Kim made his Octagon debut at UFC 84 in May with a third-round TKO over Jason Tan (5-3).

Brown, a TUF 7 competitor, won his fight in the June finale with a TKO in round two over “No Regard” Matt Arroyo (3-2).

Boetsch fell to “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1)’s punches in round two in April.

Lee lost his UFC debut in January to “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (12-7) via first-round TKO, ending a ten-fight win streak.

Brazilian welterweight “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) will meet “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (14-8) at the UFC’s September event in Atlanta, his manager, Alex Davis, told Tatame this week.

Carneiro was scheduled to face Chonan at UFC 85 in June, but Chonan withdrew due to injury.

“Jucao” was upset by Chonan’s replacement, UFC rookie Kevin Burns (6-1), who submitted him with a second-round triangle choke.

Chonan also lost his last match, a unanimous decision that went to “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) in November.

Chonan previously defeated Carneiro at a 2005 DEEP event.

Newcomer “The Fire” Kevin Burns (4-1) will make his Octagon debut at UFC 85 in London against “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-6), the UFC announced Wednesday. 

Burns is a late replacement for “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (14-8), whose injured rib forced him off next weekend’s card.

Burns, from Des Moines, has never fought to a decision.  He won his last two fights, at the Glory Fighting Championships, via submission.

The upcoming bout will be Carneiro’s fourth in the Octagon.  The American Top Team member dispatched his last opponent Tony DeSouza (10-4) with a second-round TKO at UFC 79.  His most recent loss was to Fighters.com’s second-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (17-2).