In action will be a bevy of former Zuffa castoffs, including former top middleweight prospect and former UFC fighter Jake Rosholt, three-time WEC veteran Jameel Massouh, and former “The Ultimate Fighter” competitor, Roli Delgado.

Rosholt, who’s biggest claim to fame in his career is a third-round submission win over Chris Leben back at UFC 102 in August of 2009, is a three-time UFC veteran, who compiled an overall record 1-2 in his brief stint within the promotion. He has since gone 1-1 in his last two outings, picking up a first-round submission win over Rudy Lindsey before suffering a TKO loss to fellow UFC vet Matt Horwich last November. He will be returning this on March 19, taking on John Bryant on the Bellator preliminary portion of the card, however a fighter as high-profile as Rosholt may find his way to the main-card if his performance is impressive.

Massouh, who holds a fan friendly style, will make his second appearance inside the Bellator cage on the 19th when he takes on former TUF vet Roli Delgado, who will be dropping down to the featherweight division after competing for a majority of his career as a lightweight.

Massouh fought thrice for the WEC, and despite entertaining performances, ultimately suffered decision losses to notables Raphael Assuncao, Leonard Garcia, and Erik Koch (respectively). In his debut with Bellator in September of last year, Jameel submitted Nick Mamalis with a first-round guillotine choke, and is currently riding a three-fight win streak.

Delgado, meanwhile, hopes to extend a two-fight win streak with a potential victory over Massouh. Since his stint on TUF, he was invited back to the UFC, where he scored a second-round submission win over fellow castmate John Polakowski in the finale show in 2008. However subsequent losses to Paul Kelly and Andre Winner ultimately lead to his release from the promotion. In his last outing, Roli picked up a unanimous decision win over Anthony Jones this past February.

Here is the complete fight card as it stands, courtesy of MMAJunkie.com:

MAIN CARD

Patricio “Pitbull Freire vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
Zac George vs. Wilson Reis (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
Kenny Foster vs. Eric Larkin (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
Nazareno Malegarie vs. Daniel Straus (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)

PRELIMINARY CARD

John Bryant vs. Jake Rosholt
Jerrod Sanders vs. Jeremy Spoon
Brandon Shelton vs. Adam Snook
Roli Delgado vs. Jameel Massouh

So, MMA peeps, what do you think about the card? Sound off in the comment section below.

Dana White has said he does not believe they will receive any rain but that the wind could be an issue. Dana was not very keen on holding an outdoor event and it took much convincing to get him to buy into it.

“I’ve always been terrified of doing an outdoor show,” White said during a recent interview with Rogers Sportsnet.

What has shocked me is that with the risk of rain and wind the UFC has not put together a back up plan. “If it starts raining and the wind starts blowing..right now there is no Plan B” said White.

While it may not rain on the UFC’s parade in Abu Dhabi, it very well might kick up a nasty wind storm. Dana stated “Wind could be a factor. It’s very dusty and sandy there. I’m worried about the wind”

If the wind does start to kick up this could be a major problem for Dana and the UFC. The last thing they or the fans want is any sort of controversy with fighters. Imagine a fighter losing as the wind had picked up and stating he had sand in his eye and could not see. This could happen mid-fight and a fighter turn due to this and similar to an unseen eye-poke, the fight could get stopped.

Not only that but you have to worry about fighter safety inside the Octagon. If the floor of the Octagon becomes covered in sand, even the smallest amount, it would wreak havoc on fighters who are trying to fight off their back. It is enough to be on your back, avoiding some vicious ground pound but to also have to deal with what amounts to sandpaper taking off layers of skin on your back, that is to much to ask of any fighter.

According to many, the fighters should only feel a breeze as the design of the venue reportedly minimizes the concern. The facts remain, fighter safety must come first, weather is unpredictable and titles are on the line.

UFC 112 will see two title defenses as Fighters.com and UFC middleweight champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) defends his crown against sixth-ranked middleweight Demian Maia (11-1). The other title up for grabs belongs to none other than top-ranked and UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) as he does battle against sixth-ranked challenger “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1).

One of the other concerns raised by many is the religious climate. A country that is known for being predominately Muslim but also tolerant of other religions is a new aspect for a UFC crowd. All across the internet I have talked to fans who seem to wonder what type of crowd the fighters will be dealing with during UFC 112. Will the crowd be like a pumped up, loud and rabid group of fans here in the states or will they be more like the calm and quiet Japanese MMA fans?  Really it is difficult to try and predict anything in the way of crowd reaction.

I feel certain that the crowd will see less of the booing we tend to see here in the states when a fight hits the ground due to the rich history the region has with Jiu Jitsu and submission grappling but other than that I have no idea what to expect.

Will the crowd be tolerant of the swimsuit clad UFC ring girls in a country where the burka is common place? There are many questions lingering about this foray into a new country and the reaction the UFC gets could very well determine if they push into some of the other countries they are looking to explore in the middle east.

Saturday all of this will be answered if the entire event is not wiped out by a massive sandstorm.

If you want to discuss more about UFC 112 you can join myself and Gary Friedman tonight on MMA Gospel Radio from 8-9:30 PM EST/ 5-6:30 PT as we will be joined by Keith Florian and Jake Rosholt. We can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel. Come kick back and listen or join in the live chat during the show.

The hour-long broadcast will run commercial-free followed by UFC 106 live on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM. ET. Additional fights from the UFC 106 undercard may also air on SpikeTV depending on the length of the two scheduled bouts.

Topping the bill is the return of former UFC light heavyweight champion “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) as he is set to face former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) in a rematch of the 2006 fight that was Griffin’s first loss in the UFC.

Although a winner of the inaugural Ultimate Fighter reality show, to many observers Griffin’s loss to the veteran Ortiz was the fight that catapulted the Xtreme Couture fighter into the deeper ranks of professional MMA. Now currently coming off a two fight losing streak, Griffin has a lot to win and a lot to lose when he faces Ortiz for the second time.

For Ortiz, UFC 106 will be a triumphant return to the promotion following over a year of bad blood with the organization. His last appearance in the Octagon was a losing effort at the hands of current UFC light heavyweight champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) at UFC 84 in May, 2008.

UFC 106 will also feature two heavy-handed welterweights as Josh Koscheck (13-4) is set to clash against “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-2) in the co-main-event. Johnson is recently coming off a devastating win over “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) in 41 seconds of a catchweight bout at UFC 104.

The fight card is rounded out by a series of bouts that set a theme of old versus new when veteran of the UFC and PRIDE Fighting Championship “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (13-11) returns to the Octagon for the first time since UFC 51 in 2005 to face off against The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-1).

Fighters.com seventh-ranked light heavyweight “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) and fellow Brazilian ”Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (12-3) continue the theme of veteran versus up-and-comer. Nogueira makes his UFC debut following a near decade-long career worldwide.

Remaining main card bouts for UFC 106 include UFC veteran and Judo superstar “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) as he meets Dustin Hazelett (11-4). “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) is set to fight American Top Team’s “KIlla B” Ben Saunders (5-0-2 ). And the Ultimate Fighter 3 winner, “Da Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-6) will take on wrestler and WEC alumnus Jake Rosholt (6-1).

UFC 106 is rounded out by Paulo Thiago (7-1) versus Jacob Volkmann (9-0), Brock Larson (27-3) versus Brian Foster (9-12), Caol Uno (25-11-4) versus Fabricio Camoes (6-0), and George Sotiropoulos (10-2) versus Jason Dent (29-9).

The Ultimate Fighter 3 champ Grove lost a three-round unanimous decision to “Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (11-3) at UFC 101 in August.

Rosholt choked “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-7) unconscious at UFC 102 in Portland also in August.

The matchup is not scheduled to be broadcast on pay per view.

Doors at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas open at 7:00 PM local time November 21.  Tickets starting at $100 can be purchased at Ticketmaster.  The pay per view broadcast will begin at 10:00 PM EST.

Brown took the title decisively following a right hand that laid the former champ out. 

Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) won a surprisingly boring unanimous decision over Fighters.com’s third-ranked middleweight and WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (15-1) in a non-title fight that was heckled by fans throughout.  Official scores were 10-9 twice for Sonnen, 10-8 for Sonnen.

 ”Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) dismantled “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1) in a 1:12 TKO shocker to move up the ranks in the WEC’s stacked 145-pound division.

Jake Rosholt (5-0) powered to victory over Nissen Osterneck (4-1) in the second round via TKO stoppage.

Rani Yahya (12-2), Danny Castillo (4-1), “The Fury” Carmelo Marrero (9-2), Jose Aldo (11-1), “The A-Train” Aaron Simpson (2-0) and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-1) were all winners within the cage as well. 

Brown Shocks Faber To Take the WEC Featherweight Title

The arena was pumped for the title bout of the night as Mike Thomas Brown entered to a favorable home crowd.  The fight started quick as expected, but soon tied up into the clinch.  Both fighters threw leather, but Brown’s right hand set the tone for the surprise to follow. 

“I train with the best team in the world.  All I have to do is perfrom like I do in training each day.  I don’t have a lot of knockouts on my record, but I hit fucking hard, man,” announced the new WEC Featherweight Champion, Brown. 

Faber rushed in with a careless elbow attempt only to get tagged with a hard and heavy right hand from the challenger.  Faber went down to the mat and covered up as Brown plastered the champ with punches.  Referee Troy Waugh stopped the fight at 2:23 of the first round. 

Sonnen Glides To A Boring Victory Over An Overweight and Passive Filho

Filho’s entrance into the cage proved to be a metaphor for his performance to come as fans heckled loudly in disapproval in what most assume was a reaction to the veteran’s failure in making weight for the bout. 

The fight between Filho and Sonnen was an absolute deflation to an evening of otherwise exciting and fast-paced bouts.  Filho preferred to lay on his back for the majority of the fight resulting in continuous stand-ups by the referee.  During the fight, Sonnen definitely scored in the stand-up game, but showed hesitation at moments in answering Filho’s lackluster performance. 

Sonnen seemed satisfied to pepper his opponent with jabs and the occasional straight shot resulting in what appeared more as an exhausted round of western boxing set to a chorus of moans and vocal disappointment by the fans on hand. 

Sonnen took a unanimous decision win in this unfortunately boring mixed martial arts sequel. 

Garcia Stuns Pulver With Heavy Hands

Going into the fight,  Garcia hoped for a stand-up war with veteran “Little Evil”.  Although temporarily wobbled by a flurry of punches early from Pulver, Garcia weathered the storm to eventually land a strong right hand.

Pulver was immediately rocked falling to his knees and visibly hurt.  Garcia went in for the kill and unleashed a storm of punches resulting in a quick and surprising stoppage.  It was all over but the shouting at 1:12 of round one.

Rosholt Overpowers Osterneck

This middleweight challenge started out with the lightning fast pace of a typical featherweight affair.  Both fighters came out swinging with Nissen Osterneck (4-1) swarming Rosholt with a sloppy but continuous barrage of fists.  But, it wasn’t long before the superior wrestling skill of Rosholt took root and found Osterneck on the receiving end of pounding following numerous takedowns. 

Osterneck attempted a few submissions only to find himself mounted again and again by the feisty Rosholt. Momentarily in the second round Osterneck caught Rosholt with another flurry of punches, but the wrestler survived the clash only to get his hooks in again and score another strong mount.  The second round came to an official end via TKO stoppage at 3:48 with Rosholt pounding his way to victory.

The A-Train Railroads Avellan 

Pardon all the clichés here, but if ever there was an train wreck in the cage, this was certainly one for the ages.  “The A-Train” Simpson landed a devastating overhand right at 0:18 of the first round sending David Avellan (5-1) into the realms of unconsciousness.  It was a strong KO victory for Simpson augmenting his undefeated record in stunning fashion.

Yahya Chokes Maeda

Yoshiro Maeda (23-6-2) secured an early guillotine in what appeared to be a potentially tight and winning submission only to have Yahya escape and come back with a guillotine of his own.  Yahya hung on strongly to the choke, making Maeda tap at 3:30 of the first round. 

Castillo Stops Dias

Rafael Dias (12-5) was winning on the cards in round one with more technique all around against more wild shots coming from Castillo.  The fight was up and down with Dias looking the better of the two.

Round two found the two fighters in familiar exchange. Dias scored a takedown while Castillo attempted a guillotine. Castillo then tried for an armbar that proved too loose. Dias took Castillo’s back for a moment, but then wound up on the bottom.

But, it was a missed shoot by Dias that finally delivered the ending.  After missing the shoot, Castillo got on top and rained down punches until the fight was stopped at the 2:54 mark.

Marrero Wins The Split Over Steinbeiss 

Marrero’s wrestling skills came in handy for the UFC veteran in the bout against “The Hooligan” Steve Steinbeiss (4-2).

Taking Steinbeiss down often, Marrero avoided submission attempts.  The fighters utilized all weapons, exchanging body kicks in the second round before Marrero appeared gassed in the closing minutes.

Steinbeiss appeared fresh in round three, delivering shots to Marrero and temporarily stunning him.  Winning the round, Steinbeiss nearly got caught in a late guillotine attempt and took an elbow.  The final round ended with Steibeiss in the guard.

Marrero won a split decision with a 29-28 score twice against Steibeiss’ 29-28 third round score. 

Aldo Defeats Brookins In Late Round Stoppage

Aldo scored much better than Jonathan Brookins (8-2) through the first two rounds and winning on the cards.

Aldo came into the second round with a knot over his eye even though he handed out the worse of the stand-up punishment.  Brookins looked surprisingly crisp in the second, but eventually took a lot of damage via leg kicks.

In the third round, Aldo dropped Brookins with a left hook and laid down the leather.  Taking a lot of punches but also hanging in, referee Troy Waugh stepped in and stopped the fight at 0:45 of the final round. 

The Cowboy Disposes The Razor

“Razor” Rob McCullough (16-5) came out with strong low kicks against Cerrone, only to have them answered by the middle of the first round.  Cerrone dropped McCullough with a right and mounted the injured fighter.  An elbow cut McCullough and eventually resulted in a stop to inspect the cut.  The first round started back up; and, Cerrone dropped McCullough again, but was saved by the bell.

In the second, a right uppercut dropped McCullough yet again, but ended up with Cerrone on the bottom.  Cerrone then grabbed an armbar; but, McCullough escaped.

The third round found McCullough landing an overhand right; but, Cerrone soon answered with leg kicks.  There were equal exchanges, but Cerrone turned on the heat and scored a strong takedown.  Cerrone landed a combination of punches late in the final round that hurt McCullough yet again.

Cerrone won a very clear unanimous decision.

Osterneck replaces American Top Team’s “Indio” Danillo Villefort (8-2).  The reason for his removal from the card is unknown at this time.

Rosholt’s manager Ted Ehrhardt revealed to Five Ounces of Pain Monday that this bout will be Rosholt’s only WEC fight; UFC matchmaker Joe Silva reportedly informed them that Rosholt will be moved to the UFC’s middleweight ranks after the November event.

Rosholt last fought in March when he TKO’d “Don’t Play” Chad Jay (7-2) in the third round.

Osterneck submitted Freddie Espiricueta (3-3) in round one at HDNet Fights’ December event.

After submitting Cub Swanson (12-2) with a guillotine choke in 35 seconds at his WEC debut in December, Pulver lost the unanimous decision in his five-round battle with current Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1) in June.

Garcia, who has been battling drug charges, most of which have been dropped, last fought at his WEC debut in February when he TKO’d “Streetfight Bancho” Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1) in the first round.

Also official on the WEC 36 card are:

“Indio” Danillo Villefort (8-2) v Jake Rosholt (4-0)
“Razor” Rob McCullough (16-4) v “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-0)
Rani Yahya (11-4) v Yoshiro Maeda (23-5-2)
Johny Hendricks (3-0) v “Russian Crusher” Alex Serdyukov (8-4)
“9mm” Ed Ratcliff (6-1) v Danny Castillo (5-1)

Headlining the event are Faber and Mike Thomas Brown (19-4) in a featherweight title fight, and a middleweight title rematch between Fighters.com’s third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) and Chael Sonnen (20-9-1).