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Daniel Cormier vs John Devine booked for Strikeforce 'Challengers' on March 26
UFC Quick Quote: Frankie Edgar is used to fighting outside -- though it usually goes down at the Jersey Shore
'War Machine' returns to (MMA) action at Wild Bill's on April 17
MFC 25 fight card for 'Vindication' on May 7 is 'stacked'
Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao would be the most successful boxer to transition to MMA (Video)

Daniel Cormier vs John Devine booked for Strikeforce 'Challengers' on March 26

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 04:34 PM PDT

Former United States Olympic wrestler turned mixed martial artist, Daniel Cormier, has been booked to make his second professional start under the Strikeforce banner against John Devine on the Challenger Series 7: "Johnson vs Mahe," according to Sherdog.com.

Cormier made his professional debut last September on the Challenger Series III card, earning a second round technical knockout stoppage over an over-matched Gary Frazier.

Devine has put together a nice five fight winning streak, which includes back-to-back technical knockouts in his two most recent outings. He's a jiu jitsu guy with some talent that has built up some steam. He should certainly provide Cormier with a bigger challenge than what he faced in his debut.

This should be a solid fight; however, as of right now it's not guaranteed to make the Showtime telecast.

Challenger Series 7, which is scheduled for the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Friday, March 26, features a battle between hard-hitting heavyweights Lavarr "Big" Johnson and Lolohea Mahe. Brazilian jiu jitsu expert Luke Stewart, Andre Galvao, Ron "Abongo" Humphrey, Miesha "Takedown" Tate, Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox and others are also slated to compete on the card.

As always, MMAmania.com will be your spot with all the coverage you need for "Johnson vs Mahe" before, during and after fight night. Check back often.

UFC Quick Quote: Frankie Edgar is used to fighting outside -- though it usually goes down at the Jersey Shore

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 01:37 PM PDT

"It's great to be recognized by the UFC as the No. 1 contender. I put a lot of work into this. It's midnight right now and I left my house at 5:30 in the morning and I won't be home until after midnight. I work hard and I think I deserve it... By the time nighttime rolls in Abu Dhabi (the card begins at 9 p.m.) it should be a comfortable temperature... Being in the desert, it might be a little drier than I'm used to. But I'm going to go out there 10 days beforehand to adjust... I've fought outdoors before, just mostly in Seaside."

-- The challenger to UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn's crown at UFC 112, Frankie Edgar, talked to APP.com about his number one contender status and the potential obstacles that fighting outside in Abu Dhabi can present. While some people believe that Edgar isn't quite deserving of a title fight at this point, "The Answer" trusts in his abilities and feels as though the shot is rightfully his. And though UFC 112 is set to take place outdoors on April 10 in Abu Dhabi for the first time in the promotion's history, Frankie says the adjustment won't take much getting used to as he has already thrown down under the moonlight before... though most of the action has taken place in Seaside Heights. So will fighting outdoors be a problem for either guy in the lightweight title bout? And if so, who has the advantage in previous outdoor fighting experience -- B.J. Penn in his tropical paradise of Hawaii, or Frankie Edgar getting dirty at "The Shore?"

'War Machine' returns to (MMA) action at Wild Bill's on April 17

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 01:28 PM PDT

The man formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver will momentarily step away from his "film career" and return to the cage on April 17 when he takes on Aaron "Tex" Johnson at Wild Bill's Fight Night in Duluth, Georgia.

"War Machine" has been in the news recently more for his newfound adult film career than mixed martial arts.

After making his debut in the porn industry late last year, Koppenhaver ran amock at an insider's party in which numerous bystanders fell victim to the TUF veteran's insanity. A warrant was subsequently granted for his arrest.

As far as his MMA career, "War Machine" (10-3) actually won five consecutive bouts following the release from his UFC contract after his loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 84, before dropping his last contest to David Mitchell at the appropriately named Tachi Palace Fights 1: Most Wanted.

"Tex" Johnson (6-2), 23, has yet to compete past the first round in any of his fights to date, and all six of his victories have come via submission.

Wild Bill's Fight Night is set to go down on April 17 from Duluth, Georgia and is also expected to feature Sonny South, Joe Merit, William Kuhn, Sean Kilgus, and Dustin Chovanic.

MFC 25 fight card for 'Vindication' on May 7 is 'stacked'

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 12:38 PM PDT

The fight lineup for MFC 25: Vindication is proving to be one of the most talent-laden rosters in the organization’s history.

With the official main event still to be announced, the MFC has already lined up five action-packed fights to highlight the card which will air live on HDNet Fights on Friday, May 7 from the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

In the co-main event, a pair of light heavyweights will battle for the position of No. 1 contender for the MFC’s 205-pound belt. Top-ranked Ryan "The Big Deal" Jimmo (12-1), who will be fighting in his home town, takes on Brazilian standout Wilson Gouveia (12-7), who is making his promotional debut and taking on a new role in the light heavyweight ranks moving up from middleweight.

Jimmo has won 12 straight fights since his pro debut and is coming off a convincing decision victory over former MFC light heavyweight champ Emanuel Newton at MFC 23. Gouveia has put together an impressive career resume that includes wins over such notables as Jason MacDonald, Jason Lambert, and Seth Petruzelli.

In another pivotal light heavyweight encounter, Dwayne Lewis (11-4) of Fort McMurray, Alberta, meets Mike Nickels (8-3) of Denver, Colorado. Lewis has won seven straight fights – five in a row by KO/TKO including back-to-back wins over Marvin Eastman and Ryan McClain at MFC 23 and 24, respectively.

Nickels made his organizational debut at MFC 22, ultimately capturing a third-round submission over David Heath in an all-out war that earned the honor of MFC Fight of the Year for 2009.

A middleweight fight between David Heath (14-6) of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and "King" Solomon Hutcherson (11-6) of Racine, Wisconsin, is also on the docket for MFC 25. This will be Heath’s first fight in the 185-pound division and he has a chance to turn things around for himself following the loss to Nickels. Heath holds a key career win over former MFC light heavyweight champion Roger Hollett.

Hutcherson has endeared himself to the loyal MFC fans with an all-out hustle approach. He bested Dave Mewborn with a dominating decision at MFC 20 and fell just short in a close decision loss to Jason MacDonald at MFC 23.

An explosive welterweight matchup has also been signed for MFC 25, one that should certainly spark plenty of aggressive fireworks. Luigi "The Italian Tank" Fioravanti (16-6), fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, will take on "The Secret Weapon" Pete Spratt (20-17) of Dallas, Texas, in what promises to be a war of accomplished strikers.

Fioravanti will be out for redemption following his organizational-debut loss at MFC 22, while Spratt served notice that he still has big-time punching power with his 2009 Knockout of the Year verdict against Nathan Gunn at MFC 22.

As well, the recently signed lightweight bout between Richie "The Dirty Samurai" Hightower (8-3) and "Ragin" Kajan Johnson (17-11-1) will open the HDNet televised portion of the card. Hightower, who hails from Phoenix, Arizona, makes the move down to the 155-pound ranks to take on Johnson, a native of Burns Lake, British Columbia, who added to his resume with a TKO win over Josh Russell at Heat XC 4.

Tickets for MFC 25: Vindication are on sale now via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca and charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000.

Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao would be the most successful boxer to transition to MMA (Video)

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 08:23 AM PDT

That's because he's got Bruce Lee-like qualities: