An opening-round heavyweight tournament bout between two-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Cole Konrad and submission specialist Rogent Lloret is set for Bellator 25.

Bellator officials today announced the fight.

Bellator 25, which features other season-three tourney fights, takes place Aug. 19 at the Chicago Theatre in Illinois.

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – One of the sport’s pound-for-pound elite returns this fall to defend his title against one of the division’s most dangerous fighters. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo, universally recognized as the number one ranked lighter weight fighter in MMA, makes the second defense of his crown against judo ace Manny Gamburyan when World Extreme Cagefighting® invades the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. on Thursday, Sept. 30.

WEC follows the lead of its sister company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, which has put on two successful events in Broomfield in recent years.

In addition to the featherweight title fight, WEC General Manager Reed Harris confirmed today that Denver native Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will meet former lightweight champion Jamie Varner in a long-awaited grudge match. Plus, former bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres returns to the cage to take on the red-hot Charlie Valencia. If those fights weren’t enough, Sept. 30 also features featherweight bouts pitting Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop.

“From top to bottom, this card is stacked with Fight of the Year-caliber matchups,” Harris said. “In addition to having a title fight, a grudge match, and a bantamweight war, this card features warriors like Garcia, Hominick, and ‘The Korean Zombie.’ These guys have all been in some of the most memorable fights in WEC history. Now, they have a chance to put on epic fights in front of the great Colorado fans.”

Tickets for WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan go on sale Saturday, July 31 at 10 a.m. MT and will be priced at $185, $135, $75, and $40. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, July 29 starting at 10 a.m. MT. To access this presale, users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets will be available online at www.TicketHorse.com or by phone at 866.461.6556. TicketHorse kiosks are also located at all Colorado Dick’s Sporting Goods Stores (credit cards only). In addition, tickets are also available at 1STBANK Center Box Office on July 30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. MT or at Pepsi Center during normal box office hours.

WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network’s live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

Ranked as one of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, featherweight champion Jose Aldo (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is unbeaten at 7-0 in WEC and on course to become the most dominant 145-pounder ever. Fresh off a dominant performance over former division kingpin Urijah Faber in April, the 23-year-old knockout sensation Aldo (17-1) has his sights set on his 10th consecutive victory.

“I’m excited to fight Manny Gamburyan, who is a really good fighter,” Aldo said. “I know that he has good judo and punching power, but I expect to knock him out. He’s not taking my belt.”

Unbeaten at 3-0 since dropping to featherweight last year, Manny Gamburyan (fighting out of Hollywood, Calif.) stunned many observers in April by knocking out former champion Mike Brown. The win earned the Armenian judo practitioner a shot at Aldo, and more importantly, the opportunity to realize a lifelong dream. With a world title in his crosshairs, Gamburyan (13-5) expects to shock the world when he meets the Brazilian champion in Colorado.

“I feel blessed to have this opportunity,” Gamburyan said. “This is a fight featuring the number one and number two fighters in the world in this division, so there are no secrets to my game plan. I’ve gotta’ bring my ‘A’ game. I have to be in top-notch shape, I’ve got to have good standup, ground and wrestling. Everything has to be perfect. I think he’s a great fighter and I respect him as a champion, but I fight to destroy. It’s my time and I’ve got to shine.”

Ask Donald Cerrone (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M) which fight he’d like the most and he’d undoubtedly tell you that it’s a rematch with former world champion Jamie Varner. Since their first fight in Jan. 2009 ended in a controversial decision loss for Cerrone – a loss than came when Varner was struck with an illegal knee and could not continue – the Denver-born fighter has made no qualms about his desire to get back inside the cage with Varner. Now, on Sept. 30, “Cowboy” gets his wish and he gets it in his backyard of Colorado.

“I’ve wanted this fight for a long time,” Cerrone (11-3, 1 NC) said. “There’s definitely bad blood there. Jamie is definitely the perfect fight for me to get motivated and come back stronger than ever. Plus, I’ve never lost in Broomfield and I have a lot of support there. It will be good to feel that energy and fight Jamie Varner in Colorado.”

One of the most division’s most talented athletes, Jamie Varner (fighting out of Tempe, Ariz.) is on a quest to reclaim the WEC lightweight title. After battling unbeaten Kamal Shalorus to a draw in June, the 25-year-old Varner (16-3-3, 2 NC) has his sights set on a rematch with Cerrone and the opportunity to silence the former pro bull rider once and for all.

“This Cerrone fight has been a question mark in my career and everybody has question marks in their life,” Varner said. “So this fight is the opportunity to turn that question mark into a period or an exclamation mark. This is a good opportunity to shut him up and silence the critics and let them see that I’m the real deal.”

Once the most dominant bantamweight on the planet, Miguel Angel Torres (fighting out of East Chicago, Ind.) believes he has recaptured the formula that led him to becoming world champion. Fueled by a new training regimen that includes refining his aggressive striking and high-level jiu jitsu, the 29-year-old Torres (36-3) is as motivated as ever and hopes to prove that point on Sept. 30 when he locks horns with Valencia.

“Charlie is tough and he’s been around a long time like me,” Torres, a Carlson Gracie black belt, said. “I can’t underestimate him, but I match up well with him in all areas of the game. I’m looking to make a statement with this fight and I have to show everybody that I haven’t gone anywhere. I’m still here and I’m dangerous. I’m not looking to just beat Charlie. I want to put him out”

Riding consecutive victories over Seth Dikun, Ox Wheeler, and Akitoshi Tamura, Charlie Valencia (fighting out of Ontario, Calif.) is knocking on the doorstep of world title contention. As the explosive 35-year-old gears up for his biggest fight to date against Torres, Valencia (12-5) predicts one of the year’s best fights.

“I’m usually the underdog and I relish that role,” Valencia said. “In MMA, anything can happen. I’m out there to win and put on exciting fights. I respect him for what he’s done for the bantamweight division. I expect this fight to be fast-paced and entertaining.”

Sept. 30 also marks the return of Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung, who waged war against one another in the “Fight of the Decade” in April. Garcia (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) heads to Broomfield to take on Canadian star Mark Hominick (fighting out of Thamesford, Ontario, Canada), who had his own epic clash in June with long-time rival Yves Jabouin. Meanwhile fan favorite “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) looks to leave Colorado buzzing when he locks horns with gritty featherweight George Roop (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.).

Remaining bouts for WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS.

On July 17th NASA held their annual Grand Nationals. This year it was held in Alvin Texas. Kicking it off in the raw division, Bencher Jonathan Clark posted a 12th ranked 501 for the win and best lifter in the unequipped bench.

Patrick Cote and Tom Lawlor could very well be fighting for survival in the UFC‘s middleweight division as both men will be coming off of back-to-back losses when they clash at UFC 121 in California.

UFC 121 is set for October 23 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

News of the match-up came in a recent report on MMAJunkie.com, who confirmed through sources close to the event that bout agreements have been signed on both sides.

UFC 121 will be headlined by a heavyweight title bout between champion Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez.

Cote is currently reeling from consecutive defeats at the hands of Anderson Silva and Alan Belcher, while Lawlor is in an extremely similar position having suffered losses to Aaron Simpson and Joe Doerkson in his prior two outings.

In just a few weeks, Brazilian light-heavyweight fighter Thiago Silva (14-2) will step back into the octagon to face Tim Boetsch (11-3) at UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif.

Silva is coming off a loss to UFC top contender and former champion Rashad Evans. It was a fight the Brazilian took with three herniated disks in his back which more than likely contributed to his unanimous decision loss.

Now Silva is healthy and looking to climb his way back up the UFC light-heavyweight division. Silva recently spoke to Tatame.com about his injury as well as his upcoming fight.

How are the trainings for your fight on UFC 117 going?
The training is good, it’s being very productive, the guys are committed and the expectations are high… The last time I fought was seven month ago, right? It’s time, I’m ready. He’s a good wrestler, a good banger, has a good boxing, but my strategy is settled.

You had an injury on your fight with Rashad Evans. Is your recovery done? Are you going to be 100% for this fight?
My recovery was good. I found out I had three hernias and it disturbed me a bit because I couldn’t get back to my trainings, I had to stop and take care of myself, but I’m fine now. I did physiotherapy every single day and it became a routine thing for me, but my back is good, I’m training hard, so the expectations are high. I’ll get back at my best.

You are coming from a loss to Rashad, who will probably be the next challenger for the belt. How do you see yourself on the division currently?
I see myself as an athlete with a potential to be developed and that, despite the injury, is working hard to compensate it. I don’t choose my opponents, I fight with whoever they tell me to, but I want to fight the bests. From this fight on, I want to fight the tops again.

Saturday July 17th, Joe Morrow (148) took first place in the 148 Open Single-Ply division at the SPF Southeastern Regional in Arab, Alabama.

Anna McCloskey competed at the AWPC world championships held in Palm Beach Gardens Fl, on Saturday July 17th. Anna set 4 world records in the full meet and the bench only category for the 16-17 year old division. She squatted 501lbs, benched 260lbs and deadlifted 463lbs for a total of 1224lbs. All the lifts are world records. In addition, Anna received the best lifter award for the bench only category. Anna weighed in at 181.6 and competed in the 198lb class.
Here are the videos of her lifts.

UFC has gained a high level welterweight addition to the division as former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields has signed with the promotion and, according to GracieFighter.com, will face a top contender in his debut match:

“Jake Shields will be debuting at the 170lbs weight division in the UFC. After careful consideration and consulting with UFC representatives it was determined Jake would be finally going back to his original fighting weight. [His] opponent is one of the UFC’s top contenders and will be announced shortly.”

Shields has been on a run for some time, taking out Robbie Lawler in 2009, then Jason Miller and Dan Henderson and there had been considerable speculation concerning Shields defecting to UFC from Strikeforce. Shields has been vocal about facing current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre as well as middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

No word on who the “top contender” is, but Shields is a welcome addition to a somewhat stiffled welterweight field. Look for Shields to hit the Octagon some time this year and try to continue his winning ways.

Update:
Sports Illustrated Josh Gross say’s Shields isn’t signed yet but they’ll get the deal done next week.

Jake Shields isn’t officially signed with the UFC. The money is agreed to, but the contract isn’t finalized. Next week most likely.

Update II: UFC president Dana White sent a message to MMAFighting.com, saying the announcement that Jake Shields had signed with the UFC was “not true” and that negotiations between the two sides, “They take time.”

Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields is no longer a free agent.

As expected, Shields is heading to the UFC and will soon make his debut for the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion.

And while Shields' father and manager, Jack Shields, in June told MMAjunkie.com that his son would likely test the waters of the UFC's middleweight division, Jake will instead drop down to his more natural fighting weight of 170 pounds.

German mixed martial artist Dennis Siver hopes that mixed martial arts is accepted sooner rather than later in his country.

Silver has carved out a place in the UFC's lightweight division. But back home, his sport is banned on TV and faces stern public opposition.

"In my opinion, the German media are giving MMA a really hard time," Siver told MMAjunkie.com.