5-time UFC competitor, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, though there had been talks, is now officially signed with budding promotion Bellator Fighting Championships. ...

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). ...

“Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) def. “Sandman” James Irvin (14-5) via KO (punches), 1:01 of round one. “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) def. Reese Andy (7-3) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 29-28). “The Answer” Frank Edgar (9-1) def. Hermes Franca (18-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27). Cain Velasquez (4-0) def.  Jake O’Brien (10-2) via TKO, 2:02 of round one. “The Fire” Kevin Burns (7-2) def. “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-2) via TKO, 3:35 of round three. “Doberman” CB Dollaway (7-1) def. Jesse Taylor (6-3) via submission (Peruvian necktie), 3:58 of round one. Timothy Credeur (10-2) def. Cale Yarbrough (0-1) via TKO (punches), 1:54 of round one. Rory Markham (16-4) def. Brodie Farber (13-4) via KO (head kick), 1:37 of round one. Nate Loughran (9-0) def. Johnny Rees (10-1) via submission (triangle), 4:21 of round one. “Bad” Brad Blackburn (15-9-1) def. James Giboo (11-3) via TKO (strikes), 2:29 of round two. Shannon Gugerty (11-2) def. Dale Hartt (5-1) via submission (rear naked choke), 3:33 of round one. ...

Wednesday the UFC officially announced that six newcomers will face each other in their Octagon debuts at Fight Night 14 on 19 July, airing on SpikeTV: Rory Markham (14-4) v Brodie Farber (13-3) James Giboo (11-2) v “Bad” Brad Blackburn (12-9-1) Dale Hartt (5-0) v Shannon Gugerty (9-2). IFL veteran Markham, of Chicago, submitted Jay Ellis (6-19) with a first-round triangle choke at Adrenaline MMA’s debut event this month. Farber last lost in May 2006; since then he has finished off all six opponents he faced in the first round, most recently knocking out Eduardo Gonzales (1-4) in January. Giboo, a schoolteacher from Des Moines, will look to extend his six-fight win streak. He has never fought past the second round and submits most opponents, including Zeke Schilling (0-2) in March. Blackburn, another IFL veteran, (T)KO’d both “Pe de Chumbo” Delson Heleno (13-5) in April and Jay Hieron (15-4) last June, and has a “No Contest” against Travis Cox (5-5; 1 NC) between the two wins. Hartt last fought in March, when he submitted Keith Ferreira (1-1) via strikes in the first round. He has never been to a decision. Gugerty is a Total Combat veteran and is coming off a six-fight win streak, most recently putting a guillotine choke on Johnny Torres (5-1) in March. ...

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. ...