As the year is coming closer to an end, the now annual World MMA Awards, which is hosted by Fighters Only Magazine, has recently announced their finalists for the December 1st event, which will take place once again in Las Vegas, Nev., which has become a hot bed for all things fighting related. The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States. ...

After years in the fight game, becoming one of the corner stones for Japanese MMA, mixed martial arts promotion Deep will hold its 50th event on October 24, celebrating it's 10 year anniversary at the Tokyo JCB Hall, in Tokyo, Japan. A bevy of some of the most notable fighters will grace the card, including DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, who will be returning to Deep after a 6 year absence from the promotion that gave him his start as a professional mixed martial artist. ...

Kazuo Misaki, a perennial fixture in the middleweight division is a man's fighter. He takes on all comers, never turns down an opponent, and always comes to fight. And while the former Pride Welterweight Grand Prix Champion has seen the brighter side of things just a few years ago and has recently fallen on back-to-back losses, he's putting all on the line--and according to Misaki himself, it was his life that was at stake in his last fight with Sengoku Champion, Jorge Santiago. ...

For someone who once approached the upcoming video game “EA Sports MMA” with an incredible amount of hesitation, now more and more I’m thinking that October 19 can’t get here soon enough. In order to generate interest and encourage fans to open their wallets and put down a pre-order, EA Sports is revealing the entire roster of the game on a week-by-week, division-by-division basis. The Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight roster has already been revealed, and recently the Middleweights took center stage. EA Sports also recently revealed a teaser image of a famous venue that has yet to see a Mixed Martial Arts event. ...

UFC Hall of Famer, and one of the most recognized fighter's in the sport today, Matt Hughes will step into the octagon for the 52nd time, against welterweight contender, Ricardo Almeida. A Renzo Gracie student, Almeida has made a successful transition to the 170 pound division after a well established career as a middleweight, which has seen him garner wins over the likes of Kendall Grove, Kazuo Misako, and perennial contender Nate Marquardt. Matt Hughes, has had a long and storied career in the UFC. After making his debut nearly 10 years ago, a 20 second submission loss to nemesis Dennis Hallman, Hughes would then go on to capture the welterweight title with a knockout slam over then champion Carlos Newton, and would then go on to set the precedent for 5 consecutive defenses--the most ever cemented in the welterweight division. ...

“Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (22-9-2) and recent Strikeforce signee “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-5-1) will matchup at Fields Dynamite!! 2009 in Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, the promotion has announced. ...

The rise of Japanese lightweight Mizuto Hirota (10-3) left many breathless Sunday after he upset Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) by TKO at 2:50 of round four at Ninth Battle in Tokyo. Masanori Kanehara (5-2) stole the Featherweight Grand Prix Championship in a controversial final that featured Kanehara despite losing his semi-final fight by unanimous decision to Hatsu Hioki (16-3-2) versus Michihiro Omigawa (4-8) who was given a hometown free pass into the finals after majority draw on the cards versus Marlon Sandro (13-1) in the semi-finals. Strikeforce middleweight champ “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (23-9-2) strangled judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura's (13-10) hopes of challenging Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) in a guillotine at 3:03 of round one, leaving Kaz' out on the mat. Denied a title challenge himself by Sengoku after pleading guilty to interfering with the duties of a public official following a March traffic stop, Misaki said nothing after playing spoiler, refusing the microphone in the ring. ...

Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) and challenger Mizuto Hirota (9-3) both made weight for their main event at Ninth Battle in Tokyo Sunday. Kitaoka weighed 69.9 kg while Hirota tipped the scales at 70 kg. The card also features the semi-finals and finals of Sengoku's featherweight grand prix and all competing fighters also made weight. ...

While it had been previously announced that Sengoku 7 would feature “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-4) versus the Lightweight Grand Prix winner, and “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (21-8-2) versus the Middleweight GP winner, World Victory Road made it official Friday. Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight Gomi will face Satoru Kitaoka (21-9-7), and ninth-ranked middleweight Misaki will face Jorge Santiago (18-7).  The first-ever WVR titles in both weight classes will be on the line. Heavyweight Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1) is also on the card. Gomi will fight for the belt despite losing his last fight versus Red Devil Sports Club’s Sergey Golyaev (8-5) 1 November at Sengoku 6 via split decision. Kitaoka won the lightweight tournament at the same event by submitting sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) with a first-round heel hook, then defeating Kazunori Yokota (7-1-2) via unanimous decision. Misaki last fought in September at Strikeforce versus “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10).  Riggs was felled via TKO in round two. Santiago submitted Siyar Bahadurzada (9-3-1) via first-round heel hook and TKO’d  Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) in round three to win the middleweight tournament at Sengoku 6. Yoshida submitted “Mo” Maurice Smith (13-13) by neck crank at Sengoku 3 in June. ...

"Afghan Killa" Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1) spoke exclusively with Fighters.com after his controversial victory over "Cyborg" Evangelista Santos (16-12) by TKO due to injury in the first round of Sengoku's Middleweight Grand Prix.

As a child, Bahadurzada immigrated to the Netherlands from war-torn Afghanistan, but became stuck there without a passport as his fight career took off.  In July 2007, he was finally allowed to travel to Japan to fight (and beat) Shiko Yamashita (10-4-3) for the Shooto title. Fighters.com: Can you describe the difference between your feelings when you first arrived in Holland after leaving Afghanistan, then when you first arrived in Japan to fight after being stuck in Holland?  Holland must've been both a place of refuge from war-torn Afghanistan, but then like a cage keeping you from furthering your fight career? Siyar Bahadurzada: When I first came to Holland I felt like I was given a second chance.  I just went for it and kept trying to make something out of my life.  I learned to speak Dutch in almost six months.  I was [studying] very hard and, besides, not to forget, I'm pretty gifted in learning languages. I can speak several languages very well. But, when I went to Japan, I felt different.  Coming to Holland was different because I was saved from the war; but, when I came to Japan, I felt like, "Now it is my time to shine.  My 15 minutes of fame is on!"  I feel invincible when I'm in Japan.  Somehow, the environment in Japan drives me to my limits, motivates me to take one step more and go for my dreams! ...

World Victory Road has officially added their Middleweight Grand Prix to Sengoku 6, taking place 1 November in Saitama, Japan. The winner of the tournament will face Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) for the first-ever middleweight belt 4 January in Saitama at Sengoku 7. Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) will face Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1), and Jorge Santiago (18-7) will face “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1). The event already features a lightweight tournament to determine an opponent for Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) at Sengoku 7 for the title. The bouts remaining in the lightweight tournament are Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) versus sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) versus Mizuto Hirota (10-2). WVR also announced that Fighters.com’s Fighter of the Month “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (1-0) will fight, although an opponent has not yet been determined. “GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) versus Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) is also official. Joe Doerksen (40-12) revealed through MySpace Tuesday that he has agreed to fight Izuru Takeuchi (25-9-6). ...

Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) and ninth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (21-8-2) will battle to hold the first-ever Sengoku titles in their respective weight classes 4 January in Saitama, Japan. World Victory Road made the official announcement after last weekend’s event. Gomi’s opponent will be determined 1 November when Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) and sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) and Mizuto Hirota (10-2) face each other in the Lightweight Grand Prix in Saitama. Misaki’s opponent will be the winner of the Middleweight Grand Prix.  Four fighters remain in that tournament: “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1), Jorge Santiago (18-7), Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8), and Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1). WVR also announced that they would include Beijing Olympic medalists on the card, as well as fighters from Sengoku 5. Gomi most recently defeated Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) by unanimous decision in August. Misaki fought “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-11) earlier in September, finishing him with a second-round TKO. ...

Fighters.com's ninth-ranked Kazuo Misaki (21-8-2) TKO'd "Diesel" Joe Riggs (28-11) at 2:29 of round two Saturday night in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles. "I'm happy with the win," Misaki said through an interpreter. There was a frustrating seven-minute build-up to the fireworks finale in which both veterans circled and strategized while  the crowd begged for action. Riggs struck first in the second round, nailing Misaki with a big left and a kick; but, Misaki countered with a right cross that floored "Diesel". Misaki followed Riggs to the mat and landed several shots before referee Josh Rosenthal ended the fight. "I had my hands covering my head," argued Riggs after the stoppage.  "But it is what it is." Strikeforce Lightweight Champion "Punk" Josh Thomson (16-2) knocked "Archer" Ashe Bowman to the fence with a right and followed up with a flurry before referee Herb Dean ended the fight at 1:14 of round one. ...

Fighters.com talked to Strikeforce middleweight "Diesel" Joe Riggs (28-10) before his fight Saturday in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, versus ninth-ranked Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2). ...

Fighters.com's eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) will match-up versus "Diesel" Joe Riggs (28-10) at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September. "I  am looking forward to making my debut for Strikeforce at The Playboy Mansion, an incredible venue that is well-known throughout the world,” said Misaki, a former PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion. Misaki won a unanimous decisionover "Pink Pounder" Logan Clark(11-2) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 8 June. Of Riggs, Misaki said, "[He] is a tremendous competitor.  His style is aggressive like mine so I have no doubt that our fight will be an exciting and memorable one." Riggs tapped Matt Dempsey (1-1) in a rear naked choke in Prescott, north of Phoenix, 26 July. The win was Riggs's comeback from a back injury suffered in a loss to Cory Devela (9-2) in Tacoma 23 February. "The back’s great.  It’s 100 percent,"  Riggs said.  "I'm really excited to be healthy again and looking forward to getting back on top." Riggs was pegged to fill-in for "Mr. International" Shonie Carter (44-17-7) versus Luke Stewart (5-1) in San Jose 27 June, but was denied a license by Armando Garcia's California State Athletic Commission. ...

The middleweight top ten whirls like a dervish across the UFC, WEC, EliteXC, DREAM, Sengoku, and Strikeforce, leaving Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) to defend versus "Predator" Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October. The UFC seemed intent that sixth-ranked "Thunder" Yushin Okami (21-4-1) miss his de facto UFC top contender challenge of Silva, marketing Cote versus "Cachorrao" Ricardo Almeida (9-3) in Las Vegas 5 July as an eliminator fight even before Okami pulled up lame with a broken hand. Cote won by split decision. ...

It's with a heavy heart that Fighters.com's June Middleweight Rankings saw legendary "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) fall from the top ten. But, the cold, hard ledger reveals Hendo' hasn't had a win at 185-pounds in two years. Hendo's previous rank was filled by tenth-ranked "Mayhem" Jason Miller (20-6), falling a notch to newly ninth-ranked "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza (9-1). Souza debuted in the top ten after pulling off a tight two-round unanimous decision over Miller in DREAM's Middleweight Grand Prix 15 June. Also in June Japanese action, "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) cemented his seventh ranking with a UD over "Pink Pounder" Logan Clark at Sengoku. Misaki now seeks revenge over new Sengoku add-on, seventh-ranked "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6). No Sengoku match-up has been announced for Trigg; but, one would assume Misaki's home nation promotion wants to match the old enemies as soon as Trigg is ready. Sixth-ranked "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) was pulling away from "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) in the third round of their EliteXC title fight 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, when a thumb to Smith's eye rendered the result a No Contest. Lawler held steady in June, as did the entire middleweight top five. ...

Fighters.com's seventh-ranked middleweight "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6) confirmed to Fighters.com that he is negotiating to fight at World Victory Road's Japan-based Sengoku event. "There are no details as of yet for the WVR card," Trigg said Monday afternoon.  He also quashed rumours that he will fight "Cyborg" Evangelista Santos (16-11) on 27 June's Strikeforce card in San Jose.  "I have no Strikeforce fight coming up." WVR announced after Sengoku Third Battle Sunday in Saitama, north of Tokyo, that the promotion was "in negotiations" with Trigg. In February 2007, Trigg won a UD over eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) at PRIDE 333. Misaki now fights in Sengoku and challenged, "I would like to get revenge on [Trigg] in the near future." Trigg tapped "Babyface" Edwin Dewees (35-12) in a Kimura in the first round on HDNet Fights in December. Trigg was announced for DREAM's Middleweight Grand Prix, but denied he agreed to participating and has not fought for the Sengoku rival. ...

Fighters.com's eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) shot it out on his feet with "Pink Pounder" Logan Clark (11-2) for a unanimous decision at Sengoku Third Battle in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Sunday night. Misaki successfully countered Clark's aggressive stand-up for the "W". Ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1) survived a "Maicon" Michael Costa (9-4) hook that detonated in the second round, leaving "The Goat" on the mat, to tap Costa at 4:13 of the round in a Kimura. YAMMA Pit Fighting Heayweight Champion "Diesel" Travis Wiuff (53-11) cemented his return to being taken seriously with a first-round knockout of "Ironhead" Kazuyuki Fujita (15-7) at 1:24, a feet never previously achieved. In the night's main event, heavyweight Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1) ended a three-loss streak by tapping 46-year old kickboxer "Mo" Maurice Smith (12-13) in a neck crank at 2:23 of round one. Sanae Kikuta (27-6-3) finished off Englishman Chris Rice (12-6), who entered the ring costumed as the Grim Reaper, in a first-round armbar at 3:54. "Pe de Pano" Marcio Cruz (4-2) also tapped Korean heavyweight Mu Bae Choi (7-3) in a rear naked choke at 4:37 of round one. Brazilian lightweight Rodrigo Damm (8-1) called out second-ranked lightweight "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (28-3) after the referee ended "Gamebred" Jorge Masvidal's (13-3) night, controversially calling the fight at 4:38 of round two while Masvidal was recovering from a punch that dropped the brawler. Middleweight Fabio Silva (10-4) knocked out Yoshiki Takahashi (28-23-3) with a knee at :24 of round two. ...

Fighters.com's top-ranked middleweight "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4) has sucked the air out of this division. In April, second-ranked "Ace" Rick Franklin (23-3) finessed out of an armbar executed by TUF champ "Serial Killer" Travis Lutter (9-5) to pick apart the Texan in two rounds, but Franklin has no where to go after two stoppages to Silva. As mentioned in 3 May's Bushido Sheet, Franklin was offered a main event versus tenth-ranked "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) at UFC 85, but turned down the fight. Franklin continues to consider interesting match-ups at 205-pounds. Hendo' dropped a rank in May after his 2006 UD over eighth-ranked "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) fell from his two-year record leaving "Hollywood" without a win at 185-pounds in two years. His March stoppage to Silva leaves him with few good match-ups but for Franklin.  At this point, Hendo' just needs a win in the Octagon. The trail on the "Hitman" Misaki has gone cold since his March submission of Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at Sengoku. Third-ranked "Ely" Paulo Filho (16-0) is recovering from a substance abuse problem in Brazil. He's scheduled for a rematch with Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) to defend his WEC title, but don't hold your breath for a Silva versus Filho title unification bout. Filho and Silva are friends and refuse to fight each other; and, Filho plans to move to 205-pounds win, lose, or draw to Sonnen. Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama's (10-1) run at the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix championship ended before it began when he re-injured a nasal bone fracture in training, causing him to withdraw. Fifth-ranked "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) remains the most likely candidate to take a swat at "Spider", but no official word yet. Sixth-ranked "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) may be the face of the division when his EliteXC title defense versus "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) is broadcast on national television across North America at the end of May. Ninth-ranked "Mayhem" Jason Miller (21-5) debuted before the Nipponese in May with a first-round TKO of Katsuyori Shibata (2-4), but the "W" does little to propel him forward in the division. May Middleweight Rankings 1. "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4) “Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger. 2. "Ace" Rich Franklin (23-3) Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. "Ace" finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July. 3. "Ely" Paulo Filho (16-0) Filho's perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking. 4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback. 5. "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes. 6. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) “Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses. 7. "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6) With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch. 8. "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1. 9. "Mayhem" Jason Miller (21-5) Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years. 10. "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) "Hollywood" served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn't follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit. ...

In the ocean, the depth at which the water is suddenly much colder is called the "thermocline".  Most MMA division top tens have one, where the quality of fighter suddenly drops considerably.  The middleweight division has two thermoclines.  Guess where. 1. "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4) “Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger. 2. "Ace" Rich Franklin (22-3) Despite two Silva stoppage losses, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July and out-classed “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald before that. 3. "Ely" Paulo Filho (16-0) Filho's perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking. 4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback. 5. "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes. 6. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) “Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses. 7. "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6) With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch. 8. "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1. 9. "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) "Hollywood" served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn't follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit. 10. "Mayhem" Jason Miller (20-5) Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years. ...

Josh Barnett, judo champion? "The Babyfaced Assassin" from Seattle tread the path of his catch wrestling forefather Ad Santel Wednesday by submitting Japanese Olympic gold medalist judoka Hidehiko Yoshida (7-6-1) by heel hook at 3:23 of round three at World Victory Road's inaugural Sengoku fight card in Tokyo. A century ago, Santel waged war with judoka and proclaimed himself the world judo champion after defeating fifth-degree black belt Tokugoro Ito. "I revived this rivalry when I fought Kazuhiro Nakamura," Barnett (21-5) told Sherdog.com. "And, so I'm keeping it going for this century now." The fight was the American's first in MMA since losing a unanimous decision rematch with current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) on New Year's Eve 2006. His layoff had erased his name from most rankings which require activity in the previous 365-days; but, vanquishing the samurai establishes Barnett's status as a top five heavyweight. Also returning to active duty, former PRIDE Lightweight Champion "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (28-3) sliced open "Bang" Duane Ludwig (16-8) of Denver to earn a first round stoppage at 2:28. Gomi had been out of commission  since tapping to Nick Diaz (15-7) in a gogoplata at PRIDE's last American card in February 2007.  After Diaz tested positive for smoking a doob', the outcome was deemed a No Contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) got back to winning Wednesday with a guillotine submission of middleweight Afghan Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at 2:02 of round two. Thick-skulled Japanese wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita (15-6) posted a north-south choke tapout of MMA-debuting Aussie kickboxer Peter Graham (0-1). "Cyborg" Evangelista Santos (16-11) won the second of his two-month trilogy by wrapping Japanese judoka Makoto Takimoto in a heel hook at 4:51 of round one. Santos will fight Joey Villasenor on a San Jose Strikeforce card at the end of March. Middleweight Pancrase vet Ryo Kawamura (8-2-2) of Japan won a unanimous decision over formerly undefeated Brazilian Antonio Braga Neto (5-1). Bodog Fight welterweight king "The Goat" Nick Thompson (35-9-1) also won a unanimous decision over Gracie Barra "Pitbull" Fabricio Monteiro (16-7). ...