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.

Former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk is a possible opponent for up and coming fighter Evan Dunham at UFC 119 which is currently scheduled for Indiana on September 25 as reported by MMAWeekly.

Dunham is a more than worthy opponent and is currently riding a four fight win streak including a great victory over Tyson Griffin. Dunham has not tasted defeat yet in his career and a win over Sherk would be huge towards a push at the lightweight title.

Sherk, once one of the most feared fighters in the UFC lightweight division, has been injured for at least a year, and coupled with his last fight being a loss, seems to be moving towards becoming a gatekeeper for the lightweight division. A solid win against Dunham would certainly make a strong case for him to move up the ladder towards an eventual shot at the lightweight title.

Already a veteran of ten fights in the UFC, Nate Diaz has recently agreed to terms that will see his tenure with the promotion extended for another four bouts.

News of the contract extension comes courtesy of Cesar Gracie, Diaz’ manager and trainer, who recently relayed the news to MMAJunkie.com.

Diaz recently moved up to the welterweight division after spending the bulk of his career at lightweight. He is curently scheduled to face off with Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis at UFC 118 in Boston on August 28.

Diaz will be looking to notch his second consecutive victory in the welterweight division after recently stopping Rory Markham via first round TKO, while Davis is also looking to make in two in a row after stopping Jonathan Goulet with a second round TKO in his last trip to the Octagon.

New York City, New York (July 5, 2010) – Continuing its quest to seek out the world’s next mixed martial arts superstars, M-1 Global’s highly anticipated M-1 Selection 2010 – Americas Semi-Final world tournament bouts are set with the live event taking place August 7, 2010 at Bally’s Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“M-1 Global is committed to finding the next generation of MMA superstars and the Selection tournament plays a pivotal role as the proving ground for these young fighters,” says Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations of the mixed martial arts powerhouse, M-1Global. “The semi-finals represent the mid-point and its win – and earn a spot in the finals – or go home. The caliber of competition gets markedly tougher from here on.”

The semi-final round bouts feature rising American stars; all expecting to demonstrate spectacular athleticism as they create fireworks within the ring.

Tournament fighters include:

Josh Bacallao and GeorgeSheppard Lightweight Division

Pat Audinwood and Dennis Bermudez Lightweight Division

Robert Rodriguez and Daniel Viscaya Light Heavyweight Division

Tom Gallicchio and Aaron Meisner Welterweight Division

Reggie Pena and Colin Schrader Welterweight Division

Shane Primm and Mike Geurin Middleweight Division

Tyson Jeffries and Plinio Cruz Middleweight Division

Byron Byrd and Mike Foster Light Heavyweight Division

Medi Hassan and Pat Bennett Heavyweight Division

Andrei Kapylov and Kenny Garner Heavyweight Division

· Additional bouts to be announced

The M-1 Selection 2010 – Americas Final round match-ups will be determined at the conclusion of the August 7th event in preparation for the September 18th showcase of the 2010 M-1 Selection Championships.

The “M-1 Selection” is the world’s premiere MMA competition where the next generation of superstars are given the opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage with fighters being eliminated after only one loss; victory will advance the winning fighters throughout the tournament and earn them a trip to the championship event where they will compete for the coveted “M-1 Selection” title.

The “M-1 Selection” tournament is broken down into global regions: Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Americas with each region hosting three rounds and a final of the ““M-1 Selection” tournament. The winning fighter in each weight class will gain the opportunity to fight on the larger international stage.

The tournament features some of the best up-and-coming fighters from each region as they begin the journey towards a tournament victory.