» Fighter: Renato Sobral

Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1), former Strikeforce champ and UFC challenger “Babalu” Renato Sobral (31-9), and “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-6) will compete in a light heavyweight tournament to begin at DREAM.15 May30, according to MMA Junkie.

Read More About DREAM 15: Mousasi, Babalu, Sokoudjou All Reported for 205-Pound Tournament…

Regardless who wins the middlweight matchup at UFC 102 in Portland Saturday, Demian Maia (10-0) and “Great” Nate Marquardt (28-8-2) might get a second shot at each other 25-27 September at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships 2009 in Barcelona.

Both UFC title contenders will compete in the -87.9kg division, along with “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (11-3). Sengoku judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) and DREAM welterweight Andre Galvao (3-0).

UFC welterweight champ “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) will compete in the -76.9kg division, along with the UFC’s “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3), Japanese free agent “K-Taro” Keita Nakamura (15-4-2), and Brazilian free agent “Uirapuru” Marcelo Azevedo (3-5).

Read More About UFC Champ Georges St. Pierre, Strikeforce Heavyweight Contender Fabricio Werdum Among Grapplers at 2009 ADCC…

“Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) arrived at 205 after melting Strikeforce light heavyweight champ “Babalu” Renato Sobral (31-9) by TKO against the fence in one minute for the title at San Jose Saturday.

Mousasi landed 13 strikes to Sobral’s one, leaving “Babalu” frighteningly wide-eyed and unconcious as referee “Big” John McCarthy pulled Mousasi off.

A stoic Mousasi resembling his mentor, Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko’s (29-1) , hip tossed the champion and former UFC title challenger after Sobral caught Mousasi’s body kick. From side control, Mousasi hammered Sobral’s face until the fight’s conclusion.

Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “Babalu” Renato Sobral (31-8) and challenger “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) made the 205-pound weight limit for their title fight in San Jose Saturday with pounds to spare.

Defending champion “Babalu” weighed 201 pounds while challenging prospect Mousasi weighed 204 pounds.

Heavyweight UFC cast-off “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) weighed 228 pounds. His late replacement opponent, American Kickboxing Academy’s “MAK” Mike Kyle (11-6-1), weighed 219 pounds.

Read More About “Babalu” Sobral, Gegard Mousasi Make Weight For Strikeforce Title Fight, Fabricio Werdum Svelte At 228 Pounds…

Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “Babalu” Renato Sobral (31-8) and “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) will tangle at Strikeforce in San Jose 15 August after originally being scheduled for Affliction M-1 Global’s scrapped Trilogy card in Anaheim 1 August.

With the switch, “Babalu” will defend his Strikeforce gold from DREAM’s middleweight champion, now fighting at 205 pounds.

Mousasi dutifully remarked, “I am very happy that Strikeforce has resurrected this fight and that I will have the opportunity to become Strikeforce world champion. Strikeforce is one of the world’s top promotions and I am proud to be a part of their roster of world-class fighters.”

Read More About Strikeforce Resurrects Babalu v Mousasi as Title Fight…

“Yes, Tito and I made up,” Tweeted UFC President Dana White Friday, confirming the announcement former UFC light heavyweight champion “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) made on Tapout Radio Thursday.

“I wanted to be a man and squash things between me and him,” the free agent fighter said.

Ortiz hasn’t fought since losing a unanimous decision to Fighters.com and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Dragon” Ryoto Machida (15-0) at UFC 84 in Las Vegas in May 2008, fulfilling his UFC contract.

Read More About Tito Ortiz Settles Beef With Dana White, Wants Fedor Emelianenko…

“African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has signed to be “Babalu” Renato Sobral’s (30-8) new opponent, and welterweight Patrick Speight (7-1) will face Brett Cooper (6-3) at Affliction: Day of Reckoning 24 January in Anaheim, CA, the organization announced Thursday.

Sokoudjou, Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked light heavyweight, was recently released from the UFC after his second-round TKO loss to ninth-ranked “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (7-1) at UFC 89 in October.

Sobral last fought at Strikeforce: Destruction in November, winning Bobby Southworth’s (9-5) light heavyweight title with a referee stoppage due to a cut.

Speight suffered his first career loss in October via unanimous decision to Alex Cisne (4-1) at King of the Cage.

Cooper KO’d Dusty Arden (10-6-1) in round two in June.

New Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion “Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-8) has been pulled from his bout with middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5) at Affliction: Day of Reckoning 24 January in Anaheim, according to MMA Weekly Monday.

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio made the decision to match Lindland against fellow middleweight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (16-8), rather than have the fight with Sobral at a catchweight between 190-195 pounds.

Sobral defeated Bobby Southworth (9-5) over a week ago via TKO due to a cut to win the light heavyweight title.

Sobral’s agent Richard Wilner told Five Ounces of Pain that “Babalu” is still expected to fight on the card.

Lindland last fought at Affliction: Banned in July, defeating “Negao” Fabio Nascimento (16-8) via unanimous decision.

Belfort’s most recent fight was also at Banned.  He KO’d Terry Martin (18-6) in round two.

New Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion “Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-8) shared his thoughts on winning Bobby Southworth’s (9-5) belt at the post-fight press conference Friday night after Strikeforce: Destruction in San Jose.

Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-5) spoke to the press after losing his title to “Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-8) Friday night at Strikeforce: Destruction in San Jose.