The California State Athletic Commission has informed Chael Sonnen that he flunked his PED test for UFC 117 according to Sherdog. Wow. This is a huge blow to Sonnen who will certainly lack any credibility if he doesn’t find a way to rebuke these allegations. A suspension is usually in order, along with a career long stigma for failing the post fight drug test, and that would certainly put the future Anderson Silva rematch on hold.

The MMA News has tried to connect with Sonnen for comment, but he could not be reached. We’ll update this story as word gets out.

LEMOORE, Calif. - Former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob
McCullough returned to the site of his first professional MMA
contest in Lemoore, Calif., and earned a much-needed stoppage win over
current Tachi Palace Fights featherweight champion Isaac de Jesus.

The 160-pound catchweight contest served as the main event of Friday
night's "Tachi Palace Fights 5: Stars & Strikes" event at the Tachi
Palace Hotel & Casino.

MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan was on
hand as part of the broadcast team for the GoFightLive.tv stream.

(photo via UFC.com)

UFC president Dana White has confirmed the event for heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s (5-1) next title defense. Lesnar will face Cain Velasquez (8-0) at the yet-to-be officially announced UFC 121 on Oct. 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

MMAFighting.com was first to break the news Friday night after speaking with White.

Lesnar is coming off his second successful title defense after using a surprise submission to defeat knock-out artist Shane Carwin last weekend at UFC 116 in Las Vegas. That victory was the former professional wrestler’s fourth straight win, having defeated former champ Frank Mir last summer at UFC 100.

Velasquez is undefeated in eight bouts and has won all six of his UFC fights. He’s earned his title shot after defeating former PRIDE champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira last February at UFC 110. Velasquez KO’d Nogueira to win his second “Knockout of the Night” honor in that fight.

The winner is expected to face either Junior dos Santos or Roy “Big Country” Nelson who face off at UFC 117.

Other bouts rumored for UFC 121 are as follows:

- Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. TBA
- Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor

While the fight card for the UFC's next October trip to London is
rapidly filling, the promotion is already moving on to future plans.

MMAjunkie.com has learned that the promotion is
targeting Oct. 23 for UFC 121, and the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.,
is the promotion's likely destination.

Sources close to the venue said that contracts have not yet been signed
for the date but that the promotion appears to be "strongly considering"
a return to the site of three previous UFC events.

SAN DIEGO (July 8, 2010) – Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia takes on former UFC and Strikeforce heavyweight title challenger, Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello, in the main event for the vacant Powerhouse World Promotions (PWP), LLC Heavyweight Championship, August 14 on Pay Per View live from Bren Events Center in Irvine, California.

“War on the Mainland,” presented by Powerhouse World Promotions, is being distributed by Integrated Sports Media at 10:00PM ET/6:00PM PT in North America on cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network, as well as Viewer’s Choice, Bell TV and Shaw PPV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. It will also be available in the United Kingdom via Primetime Live. The PPV card will also be streamed live on Internet PPV outside of the United States, Canada and United Kingdom by going to www.WarontheMainland.com and registering.

“This event started as a training clinic that we’re still holding August 8 in San Diego,” PWP CEO Brian Manna explained. “It’s a full day, training clinic – MMA, Jiu-Jitsu, striking, boxing kicking, etc. – at Manna’s Martial Arts in San Diego. Tony Martinez (President of Powerhouse) suggested we do a show. We discussed it with members of our team – Joe Moreira, Carlos Palomino, Rodolfo Gonzalez and Burdett Streeter – as well as Doug Jacobs (Integrated Sports Media) and (associate) Benny Ricardo. Pay per view made it an easier sell and we were able to raise capital for the show. Now, people from all over the world will be able to watch our show.

“The depth of our field is unmatched. We not only wanted to make sure that we had three really good fights like we do, but to insure that all of the fights on this show would feature high quality fighters, as well as competitive, entertaining matches. These fights are all very well matched from top to bottom. All of us (Team PWP) are old-school martial artists. We stepped into the ring against anybody that was put in there; the type of show we’re putting on August 14th and few like it exist today in MMA for the public.”

Sylvia (26-6-0), fighting out of Bettendorf, Iowa, is coming off of an impressive second-round submission of 5-time World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz “Dominator” Pudzianowski. During his sensational career, Sylvia (6-8, 300 lbs.) has defeated many of the world’s top MMA heavyweights and super heavyweights – Andrei Arlovski (2) Brandon Vera, Jeff Monson, Wes Sims, Ricco Rodriguez, Mike Whitehead (2), Ben Rothwell and Jason Lambert.

Buentello (6-2, 250 lbs.), fighting out of Amarillo, Texas, has notable victories against “Tank” Abbott, Gary Goodridge, Justin Eilers, Mike Kyle and Kirill “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov.

Sylvia-Buentello is one of three PWP title fights (5 X 5, all other fights are 3 X 5). Former WEC titlist Jason “The Punisher” Lambert (24-11-0) faces 8-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Allan Goes (17-3-0) for the vacant PWP Light Heavyweight title belt, while former UFC title challenger Thales Leite (17-3-1) fights Strikeforce veteran Falinko “Niko” Vitale (27-9-0) for the PWP Middleweight crown.

In a Special Lightweight Attraction, former UFC lightweight champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver (22-13-1), one of the most popular MMA fighters in the world, meets Diego “El Nino” Garijo (4-1-0).

Also fighting on “War on the Mainland” are Brazilian middleweight Gustavo “Ximu” Machado (18-8-1) vs. Rick Reeves (10-3-0), Mexican welterweight Jorge “The Naked Man” Ortiz (16-5-1) vs. veteran Terry Martin (19-8-0), and California lightweights Joao Silva (3-0) vs. Erin Beach (1-0). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

“We’re hitting the ground running,” Manna added. “People all over the world want to fight with us. We’re not interested in signing fighters to long-term contracts. We’re interested in the fighters being self-sufficient and stable. Burdett is a financial advisor and one of our goals is to aid fighters to become more aware of how to make their financial future more stable.”

Tickets, ranging from $35.00 to $110.00 reserved and $110.00 to $295.00 on the floor, are on sale at the Bren Event Center Box Office (10 AM/PT-6 PM/PT, Mon-Fri), going on line to www.bren.uci.edu or www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.949.824.5000.

Doors open at 5:00 PM/PT, first bout 6:15 PM/PT, first PPV bout 7 PM/PT – 10 PM/ET. Go to www.WarontheMainland.com or www.bren.uci.edu for additional information.

Vendor opportunities and sponsorships are available by calling 1.858.798.1541.

Details, including a rather deep fight card, for a previously reported Powerhouse World Promotions' "War on the Mainland" event are coming together.

The event, which takes place Aug. 14 at the 5,000-seat Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif., airs on pay-per-view for $29.95.

Three titles fights are part of the card, which is headlined by former UFC champ Tim Sylvia vs. former top Strikeforce title-challenger Paul Buentello for the vacant PWP heavyweight belt.

Details, including a rather deep fight card, for a previously reported Powerhouse World Promotions' "War on the Mainland" event are coming together.

The event, which takes place Aug. 14 at the 5,000-seat Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif., airs on pay-per-view for $29.95.

Three titles fights are part of the card, which is headlined by former UFC champ Tim Sylvia vs. former top Strikeforce title-challenger Paul Buentello for the vacant PWP heavyweight belt.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Former number one welterweight contender Jon Fitch is looking to move back into title contention this August 7, 2010 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, United States when he takes on high level welterweight fighter Thiago Alves in a long awaited rematch. While Fitch has won 12 of his 13 fights in the Octagon, he’s been less than thrilling at times for the fans, with his last 8 fights going by way of decision. His lone loss was to UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. Still the highlight video’s well done.

Main Card

Middleweight Championship bout: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
Welterweight bout: Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves
Lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Welterweight bout: Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida
Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Junior Dos Santos

Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight bout: Thiago Silva vs. Tim Boetsch
Welterweight bout: Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story
Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve vs. Christian Morecraft
Welterweight bout: Johny Hendricks vs. Charlie Brenneman
Welterweight bout: Ben Saunders vs. Dennis Hallman
Light Heavyweight bout: Rodney Wallace vs. Stanislav Nedkov

LEMOORE, Calif. - MMAjunkie.com was on scene for today's "Tachi Palace Fights 5:
Stars & Strikes" official fighter weigh-ins in Lemoore, Calif.

Today's weigh-in ceremonies took place at the Tachi Palace Hotel and
Casino, the same site as Friday night's GoFightLive.tv-broadcast fight
card.

Main-event competitors Isaac de Jesus and former WEC lightweight
champion "Razor" Rob McCullough, who meet in a 160-pound catchweight
affair, made their bout official, while big-show veterans John Alessio,
Cole Escovedo, David Kaplan, Gabe Ruediger, and War Machine, as well as
top prospects Stephen Abas, David Bollea, Michael McDonald and David
Mitchell, all hit the scales, as well.

When he wasn't living in a California hippie commune, David Mitchell was traveling the world in his parents' footsteps.

But after his childhood and soccer career ended, his work life proved unfulfilling, and embarrassed by a brief brush with the law, an out-of-shape Mitchell watched Evan Tanner's UFC 51 victory over David Terrell.

He stumbled upon what would become his new life passion - one that takes the undefeated fighter into Friday's Tachi Palace title defense against Poppies Martinez.