UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold in Brazil

[Kemal]

Final Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) and fellow UFC contender Vitor Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) will headline a major UFC event in Brazil.

UFC President Dana White today confirmed the plans while in London.

A date and venue have not been determined for the fight, White said, though the event is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2013.

The fight is likely to determine a No. 1 contender.

Rockhold, who's been nursing a shoulder injury, hasn't fought since July, when he successfully defended his Strikeforce belt with a unanimous-decision victory over Tim Kennedy. It was his second title defense (he also knocked out Keith Jardine) following his September 2011 title win over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. The American Kickboxing Academy fighter, who campaigned for the Belfort fight in recent weeks, now owns a nine-fight win streak with seven stoppages.

Belfort, meanwhile, most recently scored a TKO victory over Michael Bisping in the headliner of UFC on FX 7 in January. The victory, which moved Belfort to 3-1 in his past four fights, actually spoiled Bisping's promised title shot. After the fight, though, Belfort campaigned for a rematch with light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who submitted the Brazilian in September, rather than middleweight champ Anderson Silva, who knocked him out in 2011. However, he'll remain in the 185-pound division for now.

Belfort was granted use of testosterone-replacement therapy for the January bout, but he didn't fail a post-fight drug test, as was widely rumored. With no lingering injuries from the Bisping fight, he'll face a fairly quick turnaround time for the Rockhold meeting.

[Kemal]

UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold' set for May 18 in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil


Vitor Belfort's Brazilian tour continues when he meets final Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the city of Jaragua do Sul.

Sources close to the event told MMAjunkie that UFC on FX 8 is set for May 18 at Arena Jaragua, which is located in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The main card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

Tatame first reported the event's destination, which follows confirmation of the middleweight fight from UFC President Dana White.

At a press conference in support of this weekend's UFC on FUEL TV 7 event, White said Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) vs. Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was set for the event, but he didn't have a date or location for it.

The bout could have title implications for the middleweight division, which was thrown out of whack when Belfort knocked out Michael Bisping at this past month's UFC on FX 7 event, which took place in Sao Paulo. With a win, Bisping had been guaranteed a title shot with middleweight champ Anderson Silva.

After the fight, the UFC revealed Belfort's use of testosterone replacement therapy. The fighter dodged questions about his use of the hormone in interviews before and after the bout.

Before the revelation, Belfort said he needed three or four knockout wins to get a rematch with Silva, who knocked him out in devastating fashion when they first met at UFC 126. "The Phenom," though, expressed his preference for an immediate rematch with light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones, whom he nearly submitted at UFC 152 before tapping out in the fourth. Belfort was skeptical about the benefits of a meeting with Rockhold, but he said he'd fight whomever the UFC wanted.

Belfort is 2-1 as a UFC middleweight.

Rockhold makes his octagon debut on the strength of a nine-fight win streak, which included two defenses of the Strikeforce middleweight title he took from Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

This past July, Rockhold outpointed Tim Kennedy to retain his belt. He then was linked to two separate bookings against Lorenz Larkin, which were scheduled for Nov. 3 and Jan. 12, but he was forced to bow out from both matchups due to a wrist injury.

When UFC parent company Zuffa folded Strikeforce this past month, Rockhold was a lock to fight in the octagon.

[ChingChong]

0 -0 in SF, heel relevant

[Son & Breugel!]

Ben benieuwd hoe Rockhold zich staande houd tegen vitor.

[Kemal]

Constantinos Philippou vs. 'Jacare' Souza targeted for UFC on FX 8 in Brazil

A middleweight bout between surging contender Constantinos Philippou (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (17-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is expected to be part of UFC on FX 8 in May.

A source close to the event told MMAjunkie at least one fighter has agreed to the bout. MMAFighting first reported the planned matchup.

MMAjunkie.com recently passed along news of UFC on FX 8, which takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, which is located in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.

The main card, including a Vitor Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) vs. Luke Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) middleweight headliner, airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook. Philippou vs. Souza also is expected to be part of the main card.

Since suffering a decision loss to Nick Catone in his UFC debut, Philippou has posted five consecutive wins. The Serra-Longo Fight Team striker most recently replaced injured Chris Weidman and scored a TKO victory over fellow contender Tim Boetsch. The former Ring of Combat champion also has picked up octagon wins over Riki Fukuda, Court McGree, Jared Hamman and Jorge Rivera during his move into title contention.

Souza, meanwhile, makes his UFC debut following an eight-fight stint in Strikeforce. Since losing his title to Luke Rockhold via close decision in late 2011, the world-champion grappler has posted consecutive stoppage wins over Bristol Marunde, Derek Brunson and Ed Herman. He's now 7-1 since a DREAM.9 no-contest with Jason "Mayhem" Miller in 2009.

[Kemal]

Evan Dunham vs. Rafael dos Anjos added to UFC on FX 8

Resurgent lightweights Evan Dunham (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and Rafael dos Anjos (18-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) are set to meet at UFC on FX 8.

The news was reported by the combat-sports website of Brazilian network Globo TV, though mmajunkie was unable to reach UFC officials for confirmation on the bout's status.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event's main card airs live on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

Dunham recently took to MMAjunkieRadio to vent at an Internet writer who said he had no business fighting the Brazilian.

"I wanted to remind him that two of his losses are two guys I beat," he said. "I would love to go fight that kid and put the hurt him just so I could rub it in that other dude's face."

Dunham recently rebounded from a decision loss to T.J. Grant at UFC 152 with a split call over Gleison Tibau at UFC 156.

The two lightweights to whom Dunham is referring are Tyson Griffin, whom he outpointed, and Tibau.

Dos Anjos did, in fact, fall short against the two, but recently has put together a three-fight win streak, which was capped off by a decision over Mark Bocek this past November at UFC 154.

[Kemal]

John Lineker vs. Azamat Gashimov planned for UFC on FX 8

Flyweights John Lineker (20-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Azamat Gashimov (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) are the latest additions to UFC on FX 8.

Brazilian website Tatame first reported the fight, and MMAjunkie confirmed it with sources close to the event.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event's main card, which features a middleweight headliner between Vitor Belfort and ex-Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold, airs live on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

Lineker returns to the cage following his first win inside the octagon, which took place this past November at UFC on FUEL TV 6. He earned a unanimous decision over Yasuhiro Urushitani, who was part of the UFC's 125-pound unofficial four-man tournament to crown the promotion's first flyweight champion.

In his UFC debut, Lineker missed weight against Louis Gaudinot at UFC on FX 3 and was choked unconscious via guillotine in the second round. However, the exciting fight netted both men bonuses for "Fight of the Night."

Gashimov hopes to rebound after stumbling out of the gate in his UFC debut. The Russia native took on Ivan Menjivar at UFC 154 and submitted to an armbar less than three minutes into the first round, which snapped a two-fight streak.

The latest UFC on FX 8 card now includes:

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza*
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker*

* Not officially announced

[Kemal]

Paulo Thiago vs. Lance Benoist added to UFC on FX 8 in Brazil

Welterweights Paulo Thiago (14-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) and Lance Benoist (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) are the latest additions to UFC on FX 8.

MMAjunkie confirmed their booking with a source close to the event following an initial report from esportes.br.msn.com.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event's main card airs live on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

The placement of Thiago vs. Benoist on the fight card isn't yet known.

Both welterweights are in dire need of a win inside the octagon. Thiago, who four years ago announced his arrival in the octagon with a fierce knockout of Josh Koscheck, is 1-4 in his past five outings. A decision win over David Mitchell at UFC 134 is bookended by losses to Dong Hyun Kim, Siyar Bahadurzada, Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann.

Another loss would most certainly signal a pink slip for the member of Brazil's special police force.

Benoist, meanwhile, has dropped his past two bouts following a decision win over Matthew Riddle in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 25, which resulted in a "Fight of the Night" bonus. Decision losses to Seth Baczynski and Sean Pierson broke his undefeated streak of six pro fights.

The latest UFC on FX 8 card now includes:

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker

[Kemal]

UFC on FX 8 official for Brazil in May; Rio-Trinaldo, Hollett-Maldonado added

The UFC's return to Brazil now is official for May, along with a pair of newly booked fights.

"UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold" is set for May 18 at Arena Jaragua, which is located in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. UFC officials on Tuesday made a formal announcement of the card and its current lineup of fights.

The main card of UFC on FX 8, featuring a middleweight bout between Brazilian favorite Vitor Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and final Strikeforce 185-pound champ Luke Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

In addition to a slate of previously reported bouts for the card, the UFC announced bouts between lightweights Mike Rio (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Francisco Trinaldo (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and light heavyweights Roger Hollett (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Fabio Maldonado (18-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC).

Rio, a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter Live" a year ago, returns for his second official UFC fight after a submission win over John Cofer at the TUF 16 Finale in December. That win gave him three straight, not counting his unofficial fights on "TUF." He was injured on the show and couldn't compete on Season 15's live finale, delaying his official debut with the promotion to December.

Trinaldo, a cast member of the first international "TUF" season in Brazil, looks for his second straight. All three of his UFC fights have been in his home country of Brazil, including a second-round submission of C.J. Keith in January at UFC on FX 7, giving him six wins in his past seven fights.

Hollett will try to get back on track after dropping his UFC debut this past September in Toronto to Matt Hamill at UFC 152. Hamill was returning from retirement and picked up a unanimous decision, snapping the Canadian's five-fight win streak.

Maldonado is likely in a must-win situation. With three straight losses, the Brazilian will get one more shot. But a loss is likely to send him packing, especially with UFC President Dana White's recent revelation that the promotion still needed to trim its roster by roughly 100 fighters this year. Maldonado won his UFC debut in October 2010, but since has dropped unanimous decisions to Kyle Kingsbury and Igor Pokrajac, then a doctor's stoppage TKO loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC 153 in October. He was praised in that fight, however, for his ability to withstand what was a fairly brutal beating for 10 minutes before the stoppage.

The latest UFC on FX 8 card includes:

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham
• CB Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• Roger Hollett vs. Fabio Maldonado

[Kemal]

Gleison Tibau vs. John Cholish slated for UFC on FX 8

A lightweight fight has been added to UFC on FX 8 in May.

Gleison Tibau and John Cholish have verbally agreed to fight on the card, which is set to take place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Santa Catarina, Brazil, sources close to the fight confirmed with MMAFighting.

Tibau (26-9) most recently lost to Evan Dunham at UFC 156 last month.

Cholish (8-2) hasn't fought since May 2012 when he lost to Danny Castillo via unanimous decision. The Cornell University graduate was slated to fight Yves Edwards in December but an injury forced him out of the bout.

UFC on FX 8 will be headlined by former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold vs. Vitor Belfort.

[Noahri]

Jacaré, die hebben we altijd al in de UFC willen zien vechten!
Jacaré vs Maia zou een prachtig gevecht worden als je het mij vraagt.

[Kemal]

Jussier Formiga vs. Chris Cariaso targeted for UFC on FX 8 in Brazil

A flyweight bout between Jussier Formiga (14-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Chris Cariaso (14-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is the latest addition to June's UFC on FX 8 event in Brazil.

Tatame first brought word of the matchup, though UFC officials haven't made a formal announcement.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18, likely at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul. The event's main card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

Formiga vs. Cariaso likely will be part of the prelims.

Formiga (previously known as Jussier da Silva), who gets to compete in his home country, fights for the first time since his UFC debut in October. There, he suffered a TKO loss to recent title challenger John Dodson, which snapped a five-fight win streak for the world's former top-ranked 125-pounder.

The submission specialist now meets Cariaso, who was on a 4-1 run that included a flyweight-debut victory over Josh Ferguson. However, in his following bout, the former WEC fighter suffered a submission loss to upcoming title challenger John Moraga at UFC 155. He now fights for the first time since that December defeat.

The latest UFC on FX 8 card includes:

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham
• CB Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Chris Cariaso vs. Jussier Formiga*
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau
• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• Roger Hollett vs. Fabio Maldonado

* - Not officially announced

[Kemal]

Lucas Martins vs. Jeremy Larsen targeted as 13th bout for May's UFC on FX 8 card

A lightweight matchup between Brazilian striker Lucas Martins and Jeremy Larsen has reportedly been added to May's UFC on FX 8 event.

Brazilian outlet Ataquetotal first reported the contest, and Tatame has since confirmed the booking with additional sources. UFC executives have yet to make an official announcement, but the proposed bout represents the 13th contest for the fight card.

With a main event of Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold, UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18, likely at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul. The event's main card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

A former professional Muay Thai fighter, 24-year-old Martins brought an undefeated MMA record to his UFC debut at this past January's UFC on FX 7 event. However, he was overwhelmed by fellow striker Edson Barboza and was forced to submit to punches in the opening round.

He now meets Jeremy Larsen, a former cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 15." Larsen made his official UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale and suffered a first-round TKO loss to Joe Proctor. The Arizona resident's other two career losses came to fellow UFC veterans Efrain Escudero and Edgar Garcia.

Both fighters are likely competing for the right to remain on the UFC roster.

With the reported additions to the card, UFC on FX 8 now includes:

MAIN CARD (FX)

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• C.B. Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX and Facebook)

• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• Roger Hollett vs. Fabio Maldonado
• John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau
• Chris Cariaso vs. Jussier Formiga*
• Yuri Alcantara vs. Marcos Vinicius*
• Hacran Dias vs. Manny Gamburyan*
• Jeremy Larsen vs. Lucas Martins*

* - Not officially announced

[Kemal]

Nik Lentz replaces Manny Gamburyan, meets Hacran Dias at UFC on FX 8

Manny Gamburyan's injury woes continue, and he has been forced out of May's UFC on FX 8 event. In his place steps Nik Lentz (23-5-2 MMA, 7-2-1), who now meets Brazilian Hacran Dias (21-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

UFC officials today announced the switch.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul. The event's main card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook. The main event is a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and final Strikeforce 185-pound champion Luke Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Lentz returns to work after a decision win over Diego Nunes at this past January's UFC on FX 7 event, which also took place in Brazil. "The Carny" is 2-0 at featherweight since dropping down from 155 pounds.

Meanwhile, Dias makes his first appearance since winning a unanimous decision over Yuri Alcantara in June 2012. "Barnabe" was expected to face top 145-pounder Chad Mendes this past December before injury forced Dias out of the fight and off the card.

Gamburyan fought most recently at this past August's UFC on FOX 4 event, where he earned a decision win over Michihiro Omigawa. Gamburyan was also supposed to fight Mendes in a scheduled February fight at UFC 157, but "The Anvil" was also injured in that camp and forced to withdraw from the card.

A timetable for Gamburyan's return wasn't immediately available.

With the change, the UFC on FX 8 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (FX, 9 p.m. ET)

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• C.B. Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV, 6 p.m. ET)

• Hacran Dias vs. Nik Lentz
• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• Yuri Alcantara vs. Marcos Vinícius
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• Roger Hollet vs. Fabio Maldonado

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)

• John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau
• Chris Cariaso vs. Jussier Formiga
• Jeremy Larsen vs. Lucas Martins

[mmacentral]

Jacaré, die hebben we altijd al in de UFC willen zien vechten!
Jacaré vs Maia zou een prachtig gevecht worden als je het mij vraagt.

Eens! Zeker omdat beide heren ook echt goed aan hun standup gewerkt hebben. Ik zie Jacare echter als de fysiek sterkere en met meer power in zijn standup. BJJ-wise zullen we elkaar wel cancellen.

[Kemal]

Chris Camozzi in for injured C.B. Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira at UFC on FX 8

Middleweight C.B. Dollaway (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has suffered an injury and been forced out of his fight against Cezar "Mutante" Ferreira (5-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC on FX 8. Stepping in to take his place will be Chris Camozzi (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC).

UFC officials on Monday announced Dollaway's injury and replacement for the show.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event's main card airs live on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

Camozzi will make a fairly quick turnaround after his win a little more than two weeks ago at UFC 158 in Montreal, where he beat Nick Ring by split decision. That victory was his fourth straight since returning to the promotion after one fight outside the company. In 2012, Camozzi went 3-0 with stoppages of Dustin Jacoby and Nick Catone and a unanimous decision win over Luiz Cane.

Ferreira this past June won "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" middleweight crown with a decision victory over Sergio Moraes at UFC 147. That victory moved him to 4-1 over the past three years, but the fight against Camozzi will be his first since that "TUF: Brazil" victory.

Dollaway was looking to extend his win streak to three after a two-fight skid. The "TUF 7" runner-up picked up a split-decision win over Daniel Sarafian and won "Fight of the Night" in the process at UFC on FX 7 in January. In May 2012, he beat Jason "Mayhem" Miller by decision at UFC 146 to get out of his two-fight losing streak.

With the change, the UFC on FX 8 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (FX 9 p.m. ET)

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• Chris Camozzi vs. Cezar Ferreira
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV, 6 p.m. ET)

• Hacran Dias vs. Nik Lentz
• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• Yuri Alcantara vs. TBA
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• Roger Hollett vs. Fabio Maldonado

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)

• John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau
• Chris Cariaso vs. Jussier Formiga
• Jeremy Larsen vs. Lucas Martins

[Kemal]

Iliarde Santos in for Marcos Vinicius, meets Yuri Alcantara at UFC on FX 8

Promotional newcomer Iliarde Santos (27-6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will fill in for an injured Marcos Vinicius (20-4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) against Yuri Alcantara (27-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) next month in Brazil.

The two Brazilians will meet in a bantamweight bout on the preliminary card of UFC on FX 8. UFC officials late Monday announced the change. Vinicius was reported out this past week, but the UFC had not named his replacement until Monday.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil. The event's main card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

The 32-year-old Santos went an impressive 6-0 in 2012, all in his native Brazil. Two-thirds of his wins have come by stoppage, and he has been stopped just twice in his six losses. In his current six-fight run, he has four first-round finishes.

Alcantara in January appeared to have a win over Pedro Nobre in hand. But referee Dan Miragliotta said his punches were illegal. Nobre was unable to continue, and the fight ended as a no contest. Alcantara started his UFC career with two straight wins, which came on the heels of a knockout win over current featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas in the WEC's finale. But this past June, he lost a decision to Hacran Dias, which has kept him without a win for more than a year.

Vinicius, a cast member on the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," won his official UFC debut with a "Knockout of the Night" win over fellow cast member Wagner Campos. But at the TUF 16 Finale in December, he dropped to bantamweight and was knocked out by Johnny Bedford in the second round, snapping a four-fight win streak.

UFC on FX 8 features a headliner between former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort.

The card includes:

MAIN CARD (FX 9 p.m. ET)

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• CB Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV, 6 p.m. ET)

• Hacran Dias vs. Nik Lentz
• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• Yuri Alcantara vs. Iliarde Santos
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• Roger Hollett vs. Fabio Maldonado

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)

• John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau
• Chris Cariaso vs. Jussier Formiga
• Jeremy Larsen vs. Lucas Martins

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

Cut knocks Constantinos Philippou from UFC on FX 8 fight with Souza

Middleweight Constantinos Philippou (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) reportedly has suffered a cut and will be forced out of his fight with Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (17-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Philippou and Souza were set to meet in a little more than two weeks in Brazil.

MMAFighting reported the injury, though UFC officials have yet to make an announcement. It is not yet known if Souza will remain on the card against a short-notice opponent or if he will be pulled entirely.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event's main-card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

The New York-based Philippou earlier this week told MMAjunkie radio he believes a win over Souza, a former Strikeforce middleweight champion, could put him right in the mix for title contention.

"I think beating Jacare should get me the top three guys in the world," Philippou said. "But let me beat Jacare first – and that's not an easy thing to do – then we'll take it from there."

That now gets put on hold.

Philippou was going after his fifth straight win, and the fight with Souza was his highest-profile opponent yet. After a unanimous decision loss on short notice in his UFC debut, the Serra-Longo fighter, a teammate of current top middleweight contender Chris Weidman, picked up wins over Jorge Rivera, Jared Hamman, Court McGee and Riki Fukuda.

But it was his third-round TKO of Tim Boetsch, a fight he took filling in for an injured Weidman at UFC 155, that put him squarely in the middleweight contender conversation.

Souza was coming into the fight with Philippou on a three-fight win streak for his UFC debut. After beating Tim Kennedy for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title in August 2010, he defended the belt with a submission win over Robbie Lawler. But Luke Rockhold then took it from him with a unanimous decision win in September 2011.

After losing the belt, "Jacare" went on a tear, stopping Bristol Marunde with a third-round submission, knocking out out Derek Brunson in just 41 seconds and tapping Ed Herman in the first round at Strikeforce's final show in January.

If he remains on the card, it will be the Brazilian's first fight in his home country since 2007.

It is the second high-profile cut to affect the top end of a UFC main card in the past month. At UFC on FUEL TV 9 this past month in Sweden, main-event light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson had a cut knock him from his fight with Gegard Mousasi just days before the event. Teammate Ilir Latifi filled in for him and dropped a unanimous decision.

UFC on FX 8 features a main event middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). The four-fight main card on FX also is scheduled to include a middleweight bout between Chris Camozzi (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Rafael Natal (15-4-1 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC), plus Rafael dos Anjos (18-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) vs. Evan Dunham (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at lightweight.

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

Michel Prazeres vs. Paulo Thiago official for UFC on FX 8, lineup again complete

For now, at least, the UFC on FX 8 lineup shuffling is complete, as a previously reported matchup of Michel Prazeres (16-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Paulo Thiago is now official (14-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC).

Thiago was initially expected to meet Lance Benoist before injury forced a lineup change.

Featuring a headline bout of Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold, UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event's main card airs live on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

Prazeres will make his UFC debut as an unbeaten welterweight with half of his wins by submission. But the Brazilian has competed just twice since 2010 and just four times since 2007. Prazeres first fought professionally in 2000 and won his first four fights by submission.

Thiago is 1-4 in his past five fights with just a decision win over David Mitchell at UFC 134 on the good side of the ledger for him. His losses in that stretch have come to Dong Hyun Kim, Siyar Bahadurzada, Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann.

Earlier today, the UFC announced a few other shifts to the card with middleweight Constantinos Philippou forced to withdraw due to injury. With the official change to the lineup, the complete UFC on FX 8 bout order now includes:

MAIN CARD (FX, 9 p.m. ET)

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Chris Camozzi vs. Ronaldo Souza
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham
• Rafael Natal vs. Joao Zeferino

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV, 6 p.m. ET)

• Hacran Dias vs. Nik Lentz
• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau
• Michel Richard dos Prazeres vs. Paulo Thiago
• Yuri Alcantara vs. Iliarde Santos
• Roger Hollett vs. Fabio Maldonado

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)

• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• Chris Cariaso vs. Jussier Formiga
• Jeremy Larsen vs. Lucas Martins

[Pahlavan]

Ben ik de enige die langzamerhand moe wordt van vitor's 'gepreach'? Elk filmpje/interview weer.
Vraag me af in hoeverre zijn gebruik van trt hem heeft geholpen bij het 'i'm in the best shape of my life' gebeuren. Vitor mag overigens ook niet meer in Nevada vechten (althans zolang hij aan de trt zit) vanwege het feit dat hij in zijn jonge jaren was betrapt op doping.

[K-1sunstarr]

Blijkbaar vinden ze toch een manier om aan die snoepje te komen.
Ze ontkennen het allemaal, ze kunnen niet zonder die snoepje, tot het tegendeel is bewezen.

[appelsap]

Ben ik de enige die langzamerhand moe wordt van vitor's 'gepreach'? Elk filmpje/interview weer.
Vraag me af in hoeverre zijn gebruik van trt hem heeft geholpen bij het 'i'm in the best shape of my life' gebeuren. Vitor mag overigens ook niet meer in Nevada vechten (althans zolang hij aan de trt zit) vanwege het feit dat hij in zijn jonge jaren was betrapt op doping.

Het is wel enigszins irritant ja. Wel iemand die vroeger aan de 'andere kant' leefde en door omstandigheden denk dat zijn leven nu geleid wordt door onze lieve heer....Heb hem een paar keer ontmoet en het is wel een hele aardige gozer die me vertelde dat Gilbert degene was die hem het hardste heeft geslagen.... (dat was voor die frontkick op het kinnetje van Anderson)

[Kemal]