The one and only Sherdog brings us word of this bout becoming official. The event is currently scheduled for September 17, and is being marketed as the “Battle on the Bayou” by Bud Light, one of the UFC’s biggest sponsors. In addition to Shields/Ellenberger, the following fights are rumored to be taking place: Alan Belcher vs. Jason MacDonald, Court McGee vs. Dongi Yang, Jonathan Brookins vs. Erik Koch, and Ken Stone vs. Donny Walker.

A former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and Elite XC Welterweight Champion, Jake Shields recently had his over five-year win-streak ended by Georges St. Pierre at UFC 129. The event was one of the largest in UFC history, with a staggering 55,000 fans in attendance. During his undefeated run, Shields fought and beat the likes of Martin Kampmann, Jason Miller, Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Carlos Condit, and Yushin Okami.

Jake Ellenberger has been fighting for over five years and holds a highly respectable record of 25-5. Ellenberger is currently 4-1 in the UFC, with his only loss coming in a close bout against Carlos Condit, who is right now one of the chief contenders to the UFC Welterweight Championship. Since losing to Condit, Ellenberger has racked up four wins with three (T)KO’s.

I think Ellenberger will be an interesting test for Shields, and Shields will probably be the toughest test of Ellenberger’s career. There are two distinct ways I see this fight going.

The first and very unlikely scenario sees Ellenberger being able to deal with the takedown defense of Shields and keeping this fight standing, for the most part. If that were to happen, Ellenberger can win this fight. He probably won’t knock out Shields, though, simply because Jake Shields has been stopped only once in his entire professional career. Shields has always had decent striking, but going up against someone that’s been (T)KO’ing his opponents a whole lot lately, I just don’t like Jake’s chances.

The second and far-more-likely scenario sees Shields take Ellenberger down at will. Only Georges St. Pierre seemed able to deal with the wrestling of Jake Shields, and that’s only because he himself is one of the greatest wrestling-oriented MMA fighters in MMA history. I think Shields will take this fight to the ground however many times he likes and keep it there for as long as he likes, until eventually Ellenberger tires out and leaves himself open to a submission.

There are several other fights that interest me on this card, so I do hope that it lives up to its potential. With a name like Shields anchoring the event, this Fight Night could be one of the year’s best.

Sean Pierson has had a rather interesting journey since debuting as a professional Mixed Martial Artist all the way back in 1999. From 1999 to 2003, Patrick competed only once or twice a year, and struggled to keep his record positive. After a loss in September 2003 put him at 4-3 professionally, Pierson took an extended hiatus of over three years and returned to the sport in March 2007.

Pierson would end 2007 going 1-1, but it was what he did in 2008 and onwards that earned him a shot in the UFC. Since 2008, Pierson managed to string together five straight wins, all of which were dramatic stoppages: three TKO’s due to strikes, one legitimate KO due to strikes, and even a submission due to strikes. This afforded him a shot in the UFC, and Pierson kept his win-streak alive with a Unanimous Decision victory over Matt Riddle back at UFC 124.

His opponent, Jake Ellenberger, recently celebrated his fifth year competing as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Ellenberger started his career with a great 12-0 undefeated streak, but by the time he made it into the UFC in September 2009, he had been beaten four times. However, Ellenberger still had an overwhelmingly positive record of 21-4, which is likely why Ellenberger was given a very tough test in his UFC debut: former WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit, the most-dominant and longest-reigning Welterweight Champion in the WEC’s history.

Ellenberger would end up going three full rounds with the former champion, losing via Split Decision. Ellenberger promptly rebounded from that loss with back-to-back TKO wins over Mike Pyle and John Howard. Most recently, Ellenberger extended his current win-streak to three straight fights with a Split Decision win over Carlos Eduardo Rocha.

I think this is going to be an excellent fight to kick off the Spike TV “UFC Prelims LIVE” broadcast. Both men have a very large majority of their professional MMA wins by stoppage: ten of eleven for Sean Pierson, twenty of twenty-four for Jake Ellenberger. Even better, both men have a mix of (T)KO’s and submissions, although it’s very obvious that both men like to knock their opponent’s out: Pierson has seven wins by (T)KO, Ellenberger has fifteen.

With that kind of record, it’s tough to side against Jake Ellenberger in this fight. When you think about it, Ellenberger did a better job of fighting Carlos Condit than Dan Hardy did, and Hardy fought for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Pierson may have more experience and does currently has a better win-streak going, but I think Ellenberger has fought in more meaningful fights and won against a better quality of competition. Even Ellenberger’s losses were to big names: the aforementioned Condit as well as fighters like Jay Hieron and Ricky Story.

This fight could very well end up being one of the big sleeper hits of the night, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.

And that wraps up the first half of the twelve-part “UFC 129 Complete Collection” series, fans and friends. Be sure to stay tuned as we begin the second part of the series, which includes the remaining Spike TV preliminary fight as well as the five-fight Pay-Per-View card. But for now: any thoughts on this fight?

The card will take place on April 30 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. The main-event of the evening pits current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre defending his title for a fifth time against number one contender Jake Shields.

However, another pivotal 170-pound bout has now taken shape on short notice. Sean Pierson, who will be making his second appearance under the Zuffa banner come UFC 129, will now meet against budding contender Jake Ellenberger, who will be stepping up on a little over two-weeks notice for Brian Foster, who was recently pulled from the bout due to injury.

As previously reported, Foster had been denied the ability to fight when a pre-fight MRI scan showed that the H.I.T Squad product had a brain hemorrhage that may or may not require surgery.

In his place is Ellenberger, who is on the heels of a three-fight win streak inside the octagon. In his last outing at UFC 126 last February, Jake took a spirited split-decision victory from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Carlos Eduardo Rocha. The fight was back and forth, and it was Jake’s takedowns and striking that made the difference in the bout. Had it not been for Donald Cerrone and Paul Kelly, the bout would have been a shoe in for “Fight of the Night”.

Pierson, meanwhile, is looking to go 2-0 inside the octagon with a potential win over Ellenberger. In his debut, Pierson had the tall task of taking on seven time UFC veteran Matt Riddle, who was just coming off of a TKO win over “The Ultimate Fighter” season 9 finalist DaMarquez Johnson. In the end, Pierson, a native of Toronto, was able to take home a decision win over the welterweight prospect last December.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new match-up? Who do you favor heading in–and do you think a win for Ellenberger puts him in top contenders status? Sound off in the comment section below.

Champion Anderson Silva deftly defended his title with a rousing first-round knockout of former friend and teammate Vitor Belfort with a surprising front kick which floored the Brazilian. Following up with a few additional blows was all that “The Spider” needed to end the night of the former light heavyweight titleholder.

Forrest Griffin made a successful return to the cage, following a year-plus spent away from the cage, when he defeated former middleweight champ Rich Franklin, defeating the legend in a clean sweep decision victory.

The night produced several more exciting fights over, however some of those bouts came with their price.

UFC 126 took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas this past Saturday, and while some men listed below were victorious, they didn’t leave without their fare share of some bumps and bruises. Griffin especially has the potential to face some serious time away from the cage once again. The Xtreme Couture product returned to the octagon following a slew of personal problems and nursed injuries following a decision victory over Tito Ortiz, which took place in November of 2009. Griffin didn’t miss a beat in his return, but he may have re-aggravated a fracture in his foot that could have him out of action for large put of 2011.

Jake Ellenberger who was also victorious in a rousing welterweight affair against the previously undefeated Eduardo Rocha, could potentially be sitting alongside Forrest as he is required to have both of his hands x-rayed before he returns to action.

Below is a featured list of suspensions, courtesy of MMAJunkie.com by way of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The full list of suspensions included:

* Vitor Belfort: Suspended until March 23 with no contact until March 8 for precautionary reasons

* Forrest Griffin: Suspended until Aug. 5 unless right foot is X-rayed and cleared by an orthopedic doctor

* Carlos Eduardo Rocha: Suspended until March 23 with no contact until March 8 due to a scalp laceration

* Jake Ellenberger: Suspended until Aug. 5 unless both hands are X-rayed and cleared by an orthopedic
doctor

* Paul Kelly: Suspended until March 23 with no contact until March 8 due to a right-eyebrow laceration

* Michihiro Omigawa: Suspended until April 7 with no contact until April 7 due to a right-eyebrow right brow
laceration and head blows

* Chad Mendes: Suspended until March 23 with no contact until March 8 for precautionary reasons

* Gabe Ruediger: Suspended until April 7 with no contact until April 7 due to a right-eyebrow laceration and
head blows

* Ricardo Romero: Suspended until March 23 with no contact until March 8 for precautionary reasons

* Kenny Robertson: Suspended until March 23 with no contact until March 8 for precautionary reasons

So, MMA peeps, any surprises you see here? Sound off in the comment section below.

Forrest Griffin deftly defeated former champ Rich Franklin in a pivotal light heavyweight match-up, moving him closer to the title, however Jon Jones beat him to it when he submitted then-undefeated prospect Ryan Bader with a second-round submission.

However nothing surprised me more then some of these fighter pay-outs with some seeming valid, while others have me scratching my head in humble confusion.

It looks like the fruit of Jones’ labor is finally paying off, as the 205-spitfire has since earned his first six-figure payday inside the worlds largest mixed martial arts promotion, which is justified by his exciting fight-finishing performances in the octagon.

On the same token, Anderson Silva, who is currently on a record breaking 13-fight win streak in the cage, as well as an equally impressive eighth-straight title defense, was a top earner on the pay-per-view card, however earned a reported $175k less than fellow countryman Vitor Belfort, whom Anderson knocked out inside of the first-round.

MMAJunkie also claims that should “The Phenom” had taken home the “W” last Saturday, he would have came home with an additional $100k for his efforts (win bonus). Most likely, Silva earned a large portion of his purse due to the PPV revenue that the super bowl card has picked up.

MMAJunkie.com has reported the following figures, which they had originally requested from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Champ Anderson Silva: $200,000 (includes no win bonus)
def. Vitor Belfort: $275,000

Forrest Griffin: $275,000 ($150,000 win bonus)
def. Rich Franklin: $75,000

Jon Jones: $140,000 ($70,000 win bonus)
def. Ryan Bader: $20,000

Jake Ellenberger: $32,000 ($16,000 win bonus)
def. Carlos Eduardo Rocha: $8,000

Miguel Torres: $56,000 ($28,000 win bonus)
def. Antonio Banuelos: $9,000

Donald Cerrone: $36,000 ($18,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Kelly: $19,000

Chad Mendes: $19,000 ($9,000 win bonus)
def. Michihiro Omigawa: $8,000

Demetrious Johnson: $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus)
def. Norifumi Yamamoto: $15,000

Paul Taylor: $36,000 ($18,000 win bonus)
def. Gabe Ruediger: $8,000

Kyle Kingsbury: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
def. Ricardo Romero: $10,000

Mike Pierce: $28,000 ($14,000 win bonus)
def. Kenny Robertson: $6,000

So, MMA peeps, are you surprised by any of the payouts you see here? The figures above however do not include any “Fight Night” awards that several fighters earned over the course of the evening. Sound off in the comment section below.

Jake, a budding contender in the welterweight division, was expected to face perennial contender Jon Fitch on the main card of the Feb. 5 event, which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Center in Las Vegas, with a middleweight title fight pitting champ Anderson Silva against Vitor Belfort serving as the main-event of the evening.

However, Fitch has since been pulled from the event in order to headline the UFC’s second venture in Australia opposite of former champion BJ Penn, at UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 27.

Ellenberger has worked his way through the crowded 170-pound division, rising above the rest in his class with his most recent accolades. After opening up his career within the organization with a close split-decision loss to former WEC champ Carlos Condit in September of last year, Jake has has since gone on to win his next two-bouts inside the octagon.

A TKO victories over veterans Mike Pyle and John Howard anchor his recent success, and have since put him on the top of the heap of the welterweight class.

Now, the 25-year-old powerhouse wrestler will take on Carlos Eduardo Rocha on the main card of the pay-per-view event for UFC 126.

Rocha debuted within the organization with a swift submission victory over season eleven finalist of “The Ultimate Fighter” in Kris McCray, finishing him with a kneebar in a little over two minutes of the opening round.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is undefeated as a professional with 9 wins, all victories coming by way of stoppage, 8 inside of the first round.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Will Ellenberger’s experience hold true against the talented Brazilian, or with Rocha upset another upstart 170-pounder yet again? Sound off in the comment section below.

MMAJunkie.com broke the news of the addition to the UFC 126 event.

The two are very familiar with one another. Not only have they trained together over the years out of the American Kickboxing Academy where Fitch is coveted as the team’s “Captain” and Shield’s is known to split his time there and of course the Cesar Gracie Academy, but they have also competed against one another in the past, albeit a grappling tournament where Jake was victorious.

After his win over former title challenger Thiago Alves last August at ufc 117, Fitch was considered by many to be the number one contender to the welterweight title, but UFC President Dana White has been known to make some quick and hasty decisions. And after an impressive 15-fight win streak coupled with a not so impressive debut in the organization by Shields against veteran Martin Kampmann at UFC 121, winning by split-decision, he was granted his title shot and now Fitch will have to get through a dangerous welterweight standout in Jake Ellenberger to reclaim his number one spot.

Ellenberger was last seen in action against former top contender John Howard. After three hard fought rounds against “Doomsday” at “UFC Live: Jones vs Matyushenko” last August, Jake was declared the winner by unanimous decision. Prior to the bout with Howard, Jake was able to display the infamous punching power he possesses in his hands when he was able to knockout veteran Mike Pyle, 22-seconds in the second round and even in a split-decision loss in his octagon debut against Carlos Condit, where he was able to drop the former WEC champion several times inside of the first-round. Jake is currently riding a 2-fight win streak heading into his bout with Fitch.

With his win against Thiago last August, Fitch improved his win streak to five in-a-row. He’s 13-1 since debuting in the UFC in 2005, with his lone loss coming to the hands of Georges St. Pierre.

The bout against Jake and Jon will likely determine a new number one contender, which can be especially true in Fitch’s case who has more than earned his way to the shot at the gold once again, even though most may not be as impressed with his most recent performances. His last 8 fights have gone to a decision.

MMAJunkie.com first reported the match up, will take place at UFC 126 on February 5, in Las Vegas, Nev. The headliner of the evening is expected to be a middleweight title fight pitting champion Anderson Silva against former training partner Vitor Belfort.

So, MMA peeps, who do you think takes this bout? Will the hard punching wrestler be able to take out the AKA product, or will Fitch prevail once again? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here are just a few of the verbal jabs Ellenberger took at Shields on his official Twitter account (none of the following quotes have been edited in any way): “Jake Shields, you’re as exciting as watching a bowl of mash potatoes get cold… I would rather fight jake shields handcuffed than wrestle GSP… Hey Ms Piggy (aka Jake Shields) if u swing ur purse at me like that, I’ll rub ur face in the mat like a puppy that missed the newspaper… Jake Shields’ cardio won’t be a factor if he fights me next. I won’t keep him around long enough to get tired—… He’ll be breathin’ free & easy, snoring away for the ride to the Hospital.”

It may be too early to definitively say so, but I think it’s a safe bet that we’ve got the next Chael Sonnen on our hands, fans and friends. And Jake Ellenberger is no joke: he’s 2-1 in the UFC, with his only loss coming by way of a very controversial Split Decision that didn’t go his way in his debut against Carlos Condit. Jake quickly rebounded and now has two back-to-back (T)KO’s.

It remains to be seen whether or not Ellenberger really has a problem with Shields or if he’s just trying to make a name for himself. But in all honesty, does it really matter if Ellenberger believes what he says? What he’s trying is obviously working, otherwise I wouldn’t have written this article and you, dear reader, wouldn’t have your attention focused on it right now.

I’ll say this plainly: I love a little smack talk, and I like how Ellenberger is willing to put his money where his mouth is and how he repeatedly says in all these Twitter attacks that he would relish the opportunity to get inside the Octagon with Jake Shields. And the best thing about this match-up is that it’s a solid fight on paper. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be happening anytime soon, now that it’s been confirmed that Shields is next in line for a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship. But if Ellenberger keeps prodding the bull, sooner or later he’ll get the horns.

Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing how Ellenberger progresses in this verbal war and what reaction, if any, we’ll get out of Jake Shields. Jake Ellenberger isn’t the first man to try and make a name for himself by spouting off every few seconds, and he also wouldn’t be the first man to either have this backfire on him in a huge way or not get him nearly enough attention as he thought such an attack might. But at the end of the day, Jake Ellenberger is a talented fighter and I’d love to see him fight Jake Shields.

But what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of Ellenberger’s attacks, and a possible match-up with Shields?

Read on for questions 2-7…

2. How will Carlos Condit fight in the first round vs. Dan Hardy?  Why is this important? Because, “The Natural Born Killer” has been extremely slow to get going in his last two fights vs. Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald, needing big comebacks to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.  Against Hardy, if he is slow to fire, he may never get his chance in the third round, instead falling prey to Hardy’s heavy hands.

3. Has Dan Hardy truly developed a sturdy takedown defense?  I am interested to see, not how good his wrestling and Jiu Jitsu have become once on the mat … I want to see if he has improved his takedown defense.  This is the most important element in his growth. No matter how good he gets on the ground, his bread and butter will always be his standup.  His long-term success requires he keep fights standing against all the great wrestlers he will face going forward.  He needs to stay on his feet to leverage his greatest asset.  Chuck Liddell is the best example of this.  He became a master at stopping takedowns to keep fights in his sweet spot.

4. Can Michael Bisping finally deliver a thrilling offensive performance from start to finish?  In his last several fights we have seen a tentative, strategic Bisping unable or unwilling to let all his artillery fly.  He needs to win, first, but then be exciting to capture back the idea that he is title contender worthy, provided he keeps winning.  UFC suits would love for him to thrill so they can leverage his UK fan base and keep growing “The Count” into an international star.

5. Will Yoshihiro Akiyama display the crisp and crunching standup weapons we saw in the first three minutes of his fight against Chris Leben?  This version of “Sexyama” should be able to dispatch the UK’s Michael Bisping.

6. Will Mike Pyle finally show the UFC a dominating performance?  Pyle has long been lauded as one of the more talented mixed martial artists in the game to those around the sport. He has been a core cog in team Randy Couture and a Couture MMA trainer in Las Vegas.  However, his UFC performances have been hot and cold.  He has impressive career wins against Jon Fitch, Dan Hornbuckle, Shonie Carter, and Matt Horwich, but has gone 2-2 in the UFC alternating wins and losses recently.  Yes he beat Fitch, and not only did he beat him way back in 2002, but is the only man to ever submit the UFC welterweight star.  I have a gut feeling on Pyle at UFC 120 that he is ready to let loose a decisive performance.

7. Has Cheick Kongo diversified his MMA tool kit?  Before losing to Cain Velasquez, Cheick Kongo had started 7-2 in the UFC and was on a three fight win streak and starting to be in title discussion.  But the losses to Velasquez and Frank Mir set him back into more of grizzled seasoned veteran role.  Can he start another run?  Has he evolved to a new level?  We shall see in his fight against Travis Browne.

After knocking out Tyson Griffin in just over a minute in the first round of their lightweight affair, Gomi not only picked up an impressive win over a perennial contender, he picked up the “Knockout of the Night”, which added additional pleasure to his already impressive portfolio, as the former Pride Lightweight champion.

Here are the fighter payouts, initially reported by MMAJunkie.com, through the California State Athletic Commission. Gomi earned the event high.

The following is in bout order.

The total list of paydays include:

Jon Jones: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus)
def. Vladimir Matyushenko: $31,000

Yushin Okami: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus)
def. Mark Munoz: $22,000

Jake Ellenberger: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. John Howard: $15,000

Takanori Gomi: $80,000 ($40,000 win bonus)
def. Tyson Griffin: $30,000

Jacob Volkmann: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Kelly: $17,000

Matt Riddle: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. DaMarques Johnson: $10,000

Igor Pokrajac: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. James Irvin: $20,000

Brian Stann: $34,000 ($17,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Massenzio: $5,000

Charles Oliveira: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. Darren Elkins: $8000

Rob Kimmons: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus)
def. Steve Steinbeiss: $6,000

http://mmajunkie.com/news/20176/ufc-on-versus-2-fighter-salaries-takanori-gomi-earns-event-high-80k-payday.mma

Do any of the figures above shock you, or are they as expected? I personally though, Jon Jones would be receiving a bigger pay day by now, since Brandon Vera was at one point making a flat rate of $100,000, after 3 fights into his UFC career, though at the time, Vera can be likened to the phenom that is Jones.

The fight with Condit was the first indication that Ellenberger would show promise.

A noted striker, Condit took to the center of the cage early, and while the standup exchange remained even early, it took Jake all but one shot to plant Condit on his butt. Though he was in trouble early, and dropped on several more occasions in the first round, after being unable to be put away, Carlos stormed back and took the last two rounds, earning a very close split decision victory over Ellenberger.

A true veteran with a record of 23-5, Jake is also an assistant wrestling coach for the NCAA Division II National Champion University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks, and with his obvious work ethic has been able to notch up two back-to-back victories inside the octagon over formidable opponents.

Shortly after his fight with “The Natural Born Killer”, the 25-year-old Ellenberger returned to face Mike Pyle, who has squared up against a who’s who of MMA elite in his 10-plus years as a professional, including the likes of Jake Shields, Quinton Jackson, Dan Hornbuckle, and Jon Fitch to name a few.

While Pyle was supposed to present one of Jake’s toughest test to date, it didn’t quite go down as an all out war of exchanged techniques and memorable ground grappling…it went more like Ellenberger punching Mike in the face before the referee stepped in and waved off the bout, declaring Jake the winner, moving him 1-1 inside the UFC.

Last night, on “UFC Live on Versus 2″, in San Diego, Cali., Ellenberger looked every bit the hard-nosed wrestler he did against then-rising contender John Howard, who was on the heels of a three fight win streak.

A wrestler in his own right, Howard had no answer for the strong offense that Ellenberger presented, which consisted of heavy double leg takedowns, and coupled with short elbows and punches within guard.

Though Howard battled throughout, scoring on a few solid hooks on several occasions, Jake was eventually able to seal the deal in the third round, when it was determined by the doctor at ringside, that John was unable to continue after his left eye was completely swelled shut, after absorbing repeated elbows and punches.

Now, Jake, who moves 2-1 in the UFC and on a two-fight win streak, who would you like to see him paired up with next? And, additionally, is he ready to make an impact at 170?

UFC on Versus 2 – the mixed martial arts promotion’s second event to broadcast on Versus – will take place in Salt Lake City on August 1, according to MMA Weekly.

According a Monday Salt Lake Tribune report, the UFC has recently applied to the Utah Athletic Commission for a license to promote the event.

A welterweight matchup between Jake Ellenberger (22-4) and  “Doomsday” John Howard (14-4) has been reported for UFC on Versus 2 by MMA Diehards.

TMZ broke the news stating “UFC’s Thiago “Pitbull” Alves will not fight at Saturday’s UFC 111, because a CAT Scan shows an irregularity in his brain, TMZ has learned. Thiago was scheduled to rumble with Jon Fitch on Saturday, but a pre-fight CAT Scan revealed an irregularity. A source close to 26-year-old Pitbull tells TMZ the irregularity involves an artery in the brain.

UFC honcho Dana White tells TMZ he will fly Pitbull to a specialist for further evaluation. White says, “If it’s true, it can be career-ending.” No one will replace Pitbull on Saturday.

The last statement about no one replacing Alves is not quite true as news is breaking as I write this but I will get to that in a minute.

First, this is awful news for Alves who has been a top contender for some time now. No one wants to see such a strong fighter go out due to a brain irregularity. We at MMA Gospel and Fighters.com hope the best for Thiago and hope to see something positive come from all of this.

Now back to the UFC 111 fight card and what the UFC is doing to fix this problem. Alves was slated to face third-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (20-3) but now it looks like the UFC has bumped Jake Ellenberger (21-5) from the card in order to give fight fans a fight between Fitch and Ellenberger’s original opponent tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2).

This is a fast move by the UFC and one I will applaud. Not only are they working hard to still give fans quality fights but they have paid Jake his show and win money for the last minute change. This is a show of class and just goes to show that contrary to many reports, the UFC does care about the fighters on their roster.

Stay tuned to Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio for more information on Thiago’s ongoing medical problems.

Ellenberger TKO’d “Quicksand” Mike Pyle (19-7-1) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2, his first victory in the Octagon.

Saunders enters the fight off his biggest victory, a knockout of “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-6) at UFC 106 in Las Vegas last November and verges on entering serious title contention.

Kampmann suffered a cut over his eye that required stitches and forced him from the fight, he told MMA Weekly.

In his exciting UFC debut, Ellenberger lost a split decision to former WEC welterweight champion “Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit (23-5) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 16.

Ellenberger does not yet know his next opponent in the UFC.

In round one, Ellenberger sat Condit down with a straight right after catching Condit’s leg kick, but Condit wrapped his guard around Ellenberger’s hips and walked his left leg up Ellenberger’s back into a semi-rubber guard to smother Ellenberger’s offense from top position.  Condit inched up the gate to his feet, but was staggered with another Ellenberger straight as Condit again threw a leg kick.  Ellenberger followed Condit to the cage and dropped Condit with a pair of hooks.

“I was seeing stars,” Condit admitted after the fight.

Ellenberger attempted a D’arce choke near the fence, but never threatened and decided to try his luck standing.  In the clinch, Condit landed a knee to Ellenberger’s head, but Condit was dropped for a third time.  Ellenberger pounced and attempted a guillotine which Condit rolled free from.

The pace slowed in round two as Ellenberger took Condit to the mat with a double leg takedown and Condit returned to rubber guard.  Condit worked to his feet only to pull guard into a guillotine choke.  But, Ellenberger defended and Condit transitioned to a Kimura on Ellenberger’s left arm.

In the third round, Ellenberger landed a right head kick that staggered Condit, who shot clumsily for a single leg.  Ellenberger countered with a guillotine.  But, Condit yanked his head free and passed to half mount to pound on Ellenberger.  Ellenberger lunged for a Condit leg to save himself from the pounding, but Condit switched to Ellenberger’s back and attempted an armbar.  Ellenberger rolled free of the armbar.

The win is former WEC champion Condit’s first in the Octagon.  After the fight, he said, “I’m just looking forward to see who Joe Silva puts in front of me next.”

On a three-fight losing streak and most recently on the horizontal end of a “Merciless” Ray Mercer (1-0) nine-second knockout at Adrenaline MMA 3 in Birmingham 13 June, Sylvia will get to diggin’ himself out of the deepest trench of his underrated career versus Jason Riley (6-1).

Riley knocked out Justin Black (2-2) for the heavyweight title at Caged Vengence 4 in Columbus 3 April.

After three first-round losses in the Octagon, Alexander gets a pass from the UFC to fight “Tank” Sherman Pendergarst (11-14), training partner of Sylvia.

At UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha in September 2008, Alexander tapped in a arm triangle to “Red” Eric Schafer (12-4-2). Alexander is still under contract to the UFC, but has been given the opportunity to get some action while he awaits his next Octagon appearance.

One-time UFCer Pendergarst has lost five in a row, most recently a first-round TKO to Joey Beltran (7-1) at Bellator 5 in Dayton 1 May.

Middleweight Jake Ellenberger (20-4) was pegged to fight Adrenaline 4 until he was happily poached by the UFC to fight “Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit (23-5) at Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City 16 September.

Adrenaline MMA 4 will be held at the Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs on 18 September. The undercard will start at 7:30 PM; the main card will be broadcast on HDNet beginning at 9:00 PM. Pre-sale tickets start at $33 for general admission, $103 ringside, and $530 for a table of ten. Purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.

The rest of the card includes:

HDNet Broadcast at 9:00 PM:
“Grinder” Chad Reiner (19-8) v “Meat Cleaver” Forrest Petz (13-7)
Alonzo Martinez (22-10-1) v Ryan Williams (10-4)
Jeremy Lang (13-1) v Matt Delanoit (13-6)
Joe Vedepo (9-2) v Webster Farris (1-0)
James Siepel (4-1) v Bob Tuttle (0-0)

Untelevised:
Todd Meneely (0-0) v Corey McDonald (1-1)
Dustin Smith (2-0) v Marcos Marquez (3-1)
Matt Bentley (0-1) v Danny Black (1-0)
John Hansen (3-1) v Gregg Van der Creek (0-0)
Dakota Cochrane (3-0) v Bill Holcombe (1-1)
Ryan Shell (0-1) v Roberto Rojas (4-0)

Ellenberger told Fighters.com, “I’m stoked. It’s my time!” He called the former WEC champ Condit a “great opponent.”

Ellenberger knocked out Brazilian Top Team’s Marcelo Alfaia (6-5) in 42 seconds at Bellator 11 in Uncasville 12 June.

Condit lost a split decision to “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (15-2) in his UFC debut at Fight Night 18 in Nashville 1 April.

Lytle had to drop the fight Wednesday after tearing his ACL.

Ellenberger was originally scheduled to fight at Adrenaline IV in Omaha 18 September.

According to NWI.com, Omaha’s Alexander is still under contract with the UFC, but will be allowed to fight for Andrenaline MMA after losing three straight by stoppage in the Octagon, most recently tapping in an arm triangle to “Red” Eric Schafer (13-4-2) at Fight Night 15 in Alexander’s hometown last September.

Fighters.com could not confirm the appearances of Alexander, Sylvia, or Horn with Adrenaline MMA President Monte Cox.

However, Fighters.com has confirmed with sources close to the event that Omaha middleweight Jake Ellenberger (20-4) will take his four-fight winning streak into Adrenaline, though no opponent has been chosen.

Ellenberger knocked out Brazilian Top Team’s Marcelo Alfaia (6-5) in 42 seconds at Bellator 11 in Uncasville 12 June.

In a downright stupid matchmaking call in the Adrenaline MMA 3 main event, Sylvia got laid out in nine seconds by forty-eight year old former boxer “Merciless” Ray Mercer (1-0) in Birmingham 13 June.

Horn bounced back from a dismal 0-3 run in his lastest Octagon stint to tap Chris Davis (5-1) in a rear naked choke at Adrenaline MMA 3.

Welterweight Jake Ellenberger (18-4) will return after a successful Team USA debut in July to face Korean Doo Won Seo (1-2) on the card.

Lightweight Daisuke Nakamura (16-9) returns to Team Japan versus Berlgian “Moreno” Wim Deputter (18-2) while welterweight Hidehiko Hasegawa (13-10-6) debuts versus American Top Team’s Norman Paraisy (4-0).

Russian Roman Zentsov (17-12) will headline the event in a rematch versus Korean Sang Soo Lee (8-4).

Also on the card, light heavyweight Tatsuya Mizuno (4-3) will fight Bruno Carvalho (3-3).

Undefeated American light heavyweight Bryan Harper (5-0) will fight Mujin Na (0-0).

Lightweight Dutchman Furdjel de Windt (24-10-1) will fight Korean Park Won Sik (0-0).

Lightweight American David Gardner (13-9) will fight Korean Jong Man Kim (3-5-3).

Middleweight American Brandon Magana (5-0) will debut in M-1 versus Korean Hyungyu Lim (0-0).

Heavyweight American Jeremiah Constant (6-5) drew Korean Ji Hoon Kim (1-6).

Heavyweight Dutchman Stefan Struve (13-2) will face Japan’s Yuji Sakuragi (9-12-1).

Russian Radmir Gabdulin (2-0) will fight Min Suk Heo (3-5) in a “Superfight”.

Mizuno dispatched Yoshiyuki Nakanishi (3-1) at 4:13 of round one in the main event.

American Jake Ellenberger (18-4) bounced back from a UD loss in Portland 20 June to win a UD over Frenchman “Paco” Farouk Lakebir (2-1) in Ellenberger’s Japan debut.

Countryman and former TUF contestant Mike Dolce (3-5) was TKO’d at 41 seconds of round two by middleweight “Psycho” Karl Amoussou (7-1-1) of France.

It was Dolce’s first action since season seven of TUF.

Japanese lightweight Daisuke Nakamura (15-9), fresh from knocking out Bu Kyung Jung (0-3) at DREAM.3 last May, won a decision over Bogdan Christea (4-3-1).

Dutch middleweight Jason Jones (6-3) TKO’d DEEP star “Andre” Yuta Watanabe (9-3-3) in the second round.

In SuperFights, Yuki Ito (9-3-3) and Seigo Inoue (4-3-1) came away tops in decisions versus Takaaki Aoki (4-4) and “Mike” Nobuhiro Hayakawa (1-4-2) respecitvely.

Journeyman Romano de los reyes (8-5) upset Japanese welterweight Ken Hamamura (14-5-4) by decision.

Heavyweight Jessie Gibbs (1-0) knocked out Katsuhisa Fujii (9-15-1) at 1:34 of round one.

Light heavyweight Kamil Uygun (6-2) TKO’d Yuji Sakuragi (9-12-1) in the first round.

Heavyweight Frenchman “Komodo” Malick Idiaye (2-1) wrapped up American James Jack (2-2) in a keylock at 3:54 of round one.

Keith Perrigon (2-1) TKO’d Samuel Judes (2-2) at 3:16 of round one.

Light heavyweight Christian N’Pumbu (10-1) TKO’d Bryan Harper (5-1) 32 seconds into the second round.

In M-1 Challenge’s national team format, the Netherlands crushed Japan 4-1 and France edge out the States 3-2.

Team Quest’s Schultz, 19-9-1, escaped a choke hold applied by 15-6 John Gunderson to grind out a unanimous decision.

Miletich middleweight Ryan McGivern added the IFL 185-pound strap to his belt drawer with a unanimous decision over defending champion “Suave” Matt Horwich of Team Quest.

The back-and-forth rematch was fight of the night ending with the same result as their 2006 fight.

IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson made quick work of debuting “Pega-Leve” Fabiano Scherner with TKO at 3:20 of round one.

On the undercard, 17-3 middleweight Jake Ellenberger won a unanimous decision over “Bam Bam” Pat Healy.

BTT light heavy “Cacareco” Alexandre Ferreira submitted ATT’s Lew Polley in 20 seconds for 16th “W” against five losses.

Late substitution “Bring the Pain” Josh Haynes of Team Quest won a unanimous decision over Brazilian Leopoldo Serao to pull even at 9-9.

ATT lightweight Rafael Dias submitted 11-4 Santino Defranco at 2:03 of round one to raise his record to 10-3-1.

Finally, featherweight “The Barn Owl” Ian Loveland of Team Quest guillotine choked Xtreme Couture’s “Piranha” Dennis Davis 58-seconds into round two for his ninth win against seven losses.