Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-5) will defend his belt from "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) in San Jose 21 November. Strikeforce Lightweight Champion "Punk" Josh Thomson (16-2) will also defend his title versus an opponent yet to be named. Before his last "W" over "Archer" Ashe Bowman (9-5) in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September, Thomson expressed interest in fighting "Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida (17-4-1).  After the fight, Thomson also hoped to defend his title from Fighters.com's fourth-ranked lightweight and DREAM champ "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen (19-7-1). After knocking off former Strikeforce champ "El Nino" Gilbert Melendez (14-2) in San Jose 27 June, Thomson has been desperate for an opponent who'd help him crack the top ten. Southworth versus "Babalu" was originally scheduled for the 20 September card at the Playboy Mansion, but both fighters pulled up lame and spent the night chasing bunnies into the grotto (I assume). ...

American Kickboxing Academy's Trevor Prangley (17-5) will fill-in for injured "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) to rematch "El Toro" Anthony Ruiz (21-11) Saturday in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles. Prangely tapped Ruiz in an armbar in Fresno,southeast of San Francisco, in 2006. More recently, Prangley won a referee's decision over Falaniko Vitale (26-8) in San Jose last November in Strikeforce's middleweight tournament, but was TKO'd the same night in the tournament final by Jorge Santiago (17-7). Ruiz most recently won a UD over Jeremy Freitag (6-7). The original main event was to have pitted Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-5) versus Sobral; but, both fighters have pulled up lame. ...

Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-5) will defend his title from "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September. After defending his title from "El Toro" Anthony Ruiz (21-11) in a five-round unanimous decision in San Jose 27 June, the 38-year old champion told a post-fight press conference, "I'm getting on in years.  I'd like to fight some bigger names." Southworth then indicated his desire to fight "Babalu". "Babalu" won a three-round unanimous decision over Mike Whitehead (21-6) in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, 19 July and called out "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) after the "W". "That is my dream fight," Sobral told the post-fight press conference about a match-up with Ortiz. Affliction, one of Sobral's promoters, has yet to announced a rumoured deal with Ortiz. Of Southworth and hist belt, Sobral said, "He is the protector and I am the hunter.  I want to be the new Strikeforce world champion." ...

After winning a unanimous decision over Mike Whithead (23-7), "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) told the post-fight press conference that he wants Affliction VP Tom Atencio to make a fight with "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-6-1). ...

It only took 36 seconds for "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) to leave "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (24-5) laid out on the mat in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, Saturday night. Just thirty-six seconds to answer questions raised by Fighters.com about Emelianenko's two-year hiatus from top competition. At the bell, Sylvia exited his corner in an awkward, low crouch. Obviously...Emelianenko wasted no time blasting Sylvia with a left, right hook combo, followed by an uppercut. "I've never been hit that hard in my life," said Sylvia after the fight.  "He's not human." The "Maine-iac" dismantled to the mat; and, Emelianenko stuck in a rear naked choke that forced Sylvia to tap. After the fight, the Russian was nonchalant, but not arrogant about his destruction of one of the world's top heavyweights. The victory cemented him as the top heavyweight in the world, the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world, and perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist ever. ...

"Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) def. "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (26-6) via submission (rear naked choke), 0:36 of round one. "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (13-5) def. "Big" Ben Rothwell (33-6) via KO, 1:13 of round three. "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (26-5) def. Pedro Rizzo (16-8) via KO, 1:44 of round two. "The Machine" Mark Hominick (16-8) def. Savant Young (9-8) via submission (armbar), 4:25 of round two. "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) def. Mike Whitehead (23-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27) "The Law" Matt Lindland (21-5) def. Fabio Negao (8-4) via unanimous decision (30-26; 30-27; 30-27). "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) def. "Babyface" Edwin Dewees (35-13) via TKO, 4:06 of round one. "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (17-5-1) def. JJ Ambrose (8-2) via submission (rear naked choke), 2:51 of round one. "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort (17-8) def. Terry Martin (17-5) via KO, 3:12 of round two. "Head Hunter" Paul Buentello (26-10) def. "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27). ...

Xtreme Couture light heavyweight Mike Whitehead (23-6) told the press Wednesday that he dropped sixty pounds for his Affliction fight Saturday in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, versus "Babalu" Renato Sobral (29-7). ...

Light heavyweight "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3), twin brother of Fighters.com's top-ranked heavyweight "Minotauro" Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1), will fight "Tiger" Vernon White (26-32-2) on Affliction's Banned card 19 July in Anaheim, outside of Los Angeles, reported MMA Junkie Friday. Nogueira was widely-ranked among the top ten light heavyweights in the world until seventh-ranked light heavyweight "African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) literally knocked him out of the rankings in Soko's PRIDE debut in February 2007. "Minotoro" bounced back in a tough second-round TKO over Canadian Todd Gouwenberg (7-4) in the since-defunct Hardcore Championship Fighting last February. "Tiger" is an MMA original, fighting on the first Pancrase card in 1993.  Since 2003 he's 6-10-1 with fights in the UFC, WEC, IFL, and other promotions. Recently, he picked up a "W" in April when Jeremiah Constant (6-4) was DQ'd, White's first fight since losing to Marcelo Tigre (12-3) due to an injury White suffered in the first round. "Babalu" Renato Sobral (29-7) and "The Law" Matt Lindland (20-5), both also appearing on Affliction's debut card in separate fights, make more compelling matchmaking for Nogueira. Nogueira, Sobral, and Lindland are all matched versus fighters they seemingly hold significant advantages over. ...

Affliction Veep Tom Atencio told SI.com Thursday that light heavyweight "Babalu" Renato Sobral (29-7) has been matched versus Xtreme Couture fighter Mike Whitehead (20-5) for the apparel-company-turned-promoter's debut 19 July in Anaheim, outside of Los Angeles. Whitehead was dismissed from the UFC after losing a unanimous decision to Fighters.com's fourth-ranked 205-pounder “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-3-1) in February 2006, his only official appearance in the big show. Since that loss, Whitehead has wracked up 11 straight wins, nine by stoppage, in several promotions, including a four-fight stint in the IFL. Sobral is 2-1 since challenging then-champ and sixth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) for the UFC title in August 2006. He was dismissed from the big show after holding an anaconda choke several seconds after David Heath (7-3) obviously tapped out, then bragging about it. Atencio also added the following fights to the official card: Savant Young (9-7) v "The Machine" Mark Hominick (15-8) Ray Lazama (5-5) v Justin Levens (9-8) JJ Ambrose (9-1) v Patrick Speight (6-0) "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (15-5-1) v Brett Cooper (7-4) ...

Keith Crawford, former CEO of Canadian promotion Hardcore Championship Fighting, confirmed to Fighters.com Friday morning that the promotion has ceased operations. HCF's demise was foreshadowed by Fighters.com last month when Crawford released a statement postponing a scheduled 10 May card in Calgary. “Due to the fact that the due diligence process has been extended on our impending re-structuring we are officially postponing our May 10 fight card," Crawford said then. In response to a Fighters.com request for details Friday morning, Crawford replied, "I cannot comment on these things." The promotion's last event was held 29 March in Gatineau and featured Quebecois middleweight "The Crow" David Loiseau (16-8) in the main event. HCF debuted in July 2007 and held four events in Canada featuring fighters such as Fighters.com's tenth-ranked heavyweight Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3), Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1), "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3), and "Diesel" Joe Riggs (27-10). Last November, HCF signed former UFC light heavyweight title contender "Babalu" Renato Sobral (29-7) to a contract, though the grappler never fought in an event. HCF joins a list of MMA start-ups that couldn't turn recognizable names into sustaining revenue. ...