Light heavyweight “Red” Eric Schafer (11-4) will face “Samuray” Antonio Mendes (2-2) UFC 93 in Dublin 17 January, Schafer announced on the weekend at the Gladiator Cage Fighting event.

Mendes was originally scheduled to face Andre Gusmao (5-1), who withdrew from the card for unknown reasons.

Schafer is coming off three first-round victories, most recently against “Assassin” Houston Alexander (8-4) via arm triangle choke in August.

Mendes suffered a submission loss due to strikes to Thiago Silva (14-0) in round one at UFC 84 in May.

A light heavyweight bout between Andre Gusmao (5-1) and “Samuray” Antonio Mendes (15-3) has been added to UFC 93 in Dublin 17 January, according to the current print edition of Wrestling Observer. IFL veteran Gusmao suffered his first career defeat at his UFC debut, losing a unanimous decision to fellow newcomer “Bones” Jon Jones (6-0) who took the fight on short notice. Mendes also lost his Octagon debut, via submission to Thiago Silva (13-0) in May, breaking his eleven-fight win streak. ...

Fighters.com was live in Las Vegas 24 May to witness the fights that shook-up June's Welterweight Rankings.  What a night! Of course, "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (29-6) remains Fighters.com's Light Heavyweight Champion and will defend his UFC title versus eighth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4) 5 July in Las Vegas. But, Jackson's nemesis from the past, "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1), closed in on a rematch with the champion he's conquered twice before. Silva demolished "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine (13-4-1) in 36 seconds, jumping five spots to the fifth ranking and sending Jardine down two rungs to number six. If he takes out Griffin, Jackson may first have to unravel the riddle that is his new top contender, "The Dragon" Lyoto Machida (13-0), before a rematch with Silva. Machida retired previously ninth-ranked "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) from the top ten and the UFC in a unanimous decision "W".  Can we all say "elusive"? Machida's win welcomed a fellow undefeated Brazilian, another Silva in fact, to replace "The Axe Murderer" at number ten. ...

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. ...

Rising UFC light heavyweight Thiago Silva (12-0) of American Top Team has reportedly drawn "Samuray" Antonio Mendes (14-2) of European Top Team for a UFC 84 all-Brazil bout in Vegas. Silva was rumored to be paired with Rashad Evans (11-0-1) for a top contender eliminator until Evans was tagged for bigger game at UFC 85 in London after "Shogun" Mauricio Rua (16-3) re-injured his knee and dropped his main event match with "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5). Mendes of Fortaleza, where fighters are born, rides into the fight capital of the world atop an 11-fight "W" trend. In his last fight in M-1 last July, the ring-side doc waved mercy over his Russian opposite Kiril Sidelnikov (2-1) of Red Devil Sport Club at the end of round two for a TKO. Silva of Sao Paulo is fresh from exposing hulking Nebraskan Houston Alexander (8-2) to what we in the biz refer to as "the ground game", TKOing the hyped disc jockey at 3:25 of round one last November. ...