Former season 10 “The Ultimate Fighter” participant James McSweeney (4-5) will be dropping to the light-heavyweight division for his next fight in the UFC. His opponent for that next fight will be fellow Brit Tom Blackledge (10-6), with both men meeting at UFC 120 in England.

McSweeney weighed in at 231 in his last fight as part of the preliminary card for the “TUF 11″ Finale, a fight in which he lost via TKO in the first round to Travis Browne. Dropping to 205 won’t be that hard of a stretch and will hopefully prove better for the former kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter. He made the announcement on Sunday via his Twitter page.

The former “TUF 10″ fighter will feel the pressure of performing in his fight with Blackledge with a 1-1 record under the UFC banner. McSweeney defeated fellow housemate Darrill Schoonover at the shows Finale to win his UFC debut.

Blackledge trains at the Wolfslair MMA Academy in Liverpool, England and will be making his UFC debut against McSweeney. He’s taken his last two fights under the M-1 Global banner, defeating both opponents in the first round. Both fights took place last year and his UFC debut will mark his first bout of 2010.

UFC 120 is set to take place on Oct. 16 at the O2 arena in England and Spike TV will broadcast the main card in North America for free via tape delay.

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.

Tom Watson has a unique opportunity within the Maximum Fighting Championship.

Already a top-ranked contender for the MFC’s middleweight title and one of the most-potent strikers in the entire organization, Watson is in position to become something that the MFC has never had before – a truly international star.

Because of his mass appeal and social media accessibility, Watson has become a popular figure in his native England and in both countries where he trains – the United States and Canada. His Canadian fan base in particular has grown exponentially thanks in large part to his appearance at MFC 24: Heat XC but Watson is far from forgotten in his homeland or in the U.S.

While the MFC has featured countless fighters over the years in prominent roles and as home-town favorites, Watson has the chance to become the first fighter to have international drawing power.

“I’ve always had a bit of a following in the U.K. due to the fights I’ve been involved in,” explained Watson, who will sport a 12-3 record going into his expected clash at MFC 26 in September.

“It was great to see the Canadian fans appreciate the humor of my (ring) entrance at MFC 24 and I hope to give them more of the same in September. I have been training in America for over three years now so that has helped my exposure in the States as well.”

At MFC 24, Watson strutted to the ring to funky soul music all while sporting a gorilla mask in homage to his nickname “Kong.” But what’s a stylish ring entrance worth if you don’t back it up with some substance when the bell rings? Watson certainly did that, scoring a near-lethal head-kick knockout of Travis Galbraith. The first-round sudden stoppage is most definitely a candidate for the MFC’s Knockout of the Year and instantly put Watson on the map as a contender and budding star.

That convincing win was Watson’s seventh straight positive verdict and was a resounding debut, both in the organization and on North American soil. Watson will get his chance to show the world his talents at MFC 26 when he steps into the ring for the first time on HDNet Fights.

“(Against Galbraith) I remember being thoroughly prepared for a jiu-jitsu battle and didn’t really train too much striking too be honest,” recalled Watson. “But years’ of hard work is always there and as soon as it landed I knew it was over. No one can take my kicks clean on the jaw and not get knocked out. My coach Eric O’Keefe put together a great game plan. We knew what Galbraith’s moves would be and the rest fell into place.”

And so did Galbraith, with a crashing face-first thud to the canvas. Should Watson come away from MFC 26 with another victory tucked securely into his back pocket, he has been assured of a crack at the MFC’s middleweight crown – an emblem that has only been worn once before when Patrick Cote took the honor way back at MFC 9 in March 2006.

“Of course it won’t be easy but nothing worth doing in life is easy. I came into the MFC with the belief that I would become champion. I will achieve this goal,” declared Watson, who is hoping the road to the title goes straight through Drew McFedries – his potential opponent at MFC 26.

“I really hope it is McFedries as for sure he will come and stand and bang with me. I have never been knocked out in 50 fights but he has big power so for the fans that is a great fight. I have no doubt I can do whatever it takes to win and put myself forward to fight whoever the MFC decides.”

One thing for sure with Watson, whatever fights await him, he will undoubtedly do his best at creating as much hype as possible and even fire off a few verbal jousts at his foe. It’s just ingrained in British fighters that part of their job is to heat up the pre-fight antics with some ribbing – good-natured or not. While some in the martial arts world frown on that behavior, it’s a necessary part of the business both for the fighter and the organization to stand out in the crowded world scene.

Like his good friend Paul Daley, Watson isn’t shy about tossing out the quote-worthy lines, shooting them out like a stiff jab.

“Not all British fighters are like that … just the good ones!”

Kurt Warburton (6-1) will have his hands full during his first trip to the UFC as his first opponent will be none other than Spencer Fisher (23-6) at UFC 120.

The bout will mark Fisher’s fourteenth appearance in the UFC, making him one of the most experienced veterans the promotion has to offer.

News of the bout was first reported by MMAJunkie.com, who further reported that Fisher has recently inked a new four-fight deal with the UFC.

Fisher will be looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats at the hands of Joe Stevenson and Dennis Siver, while Warburton is hoping to rack up a third straight victory in his UFC debut folowing an armbar defeat suffered in May of 2008.

UFC 120 is expected to take place on October 16 from the O2 Arena in London, England, not far from Warburton’s stomping grounds in Liverpool.

The Chute Boxe trained knockout artist Vinicius “Spartan” Kappke de Quieroz will collide with UK favorite Rob “The Bear” Broughton at UFC 120 in a heavyweight showdown between UFC first-timers.

News of the bout was first reported by Tatame.com.

UFC 120 is expected to take place from the O2 Arena in London, England on October 16.

Kappke de Quieroz sports a record of 5-1 with every one of his victories being finished via KO or TKO, while the more experienced Broughton holds a career record of 14-5-1 and a reputation as a relentless brawler.

Other bouts expected for UFC 120 include Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit and Cheick Kongo vs. Travis Browne.

LAS VEGAS - Following the opening of offices in the U.K. and soon Toronto, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is finalizing plans for its third international division.

As UFC president Dana White first suggested in May, the Las Vegas-based promotion next will open an office in mainland China.

In fact, the UFC's Chinese website launched over the weekend, a new division head has been hired, and the office will open "immediately," White said.

Current CFC Heavyweight Champion Karlos Vemola has some MMA fans frothing at the mouth to see how the Czech fighter will compete at the highest level of the sport inside the UFC’s Octagon. Vemola goes by the nickname “The Terminator” and has built a solid 7-0 record fighting mostly in England for CFC. Vemola takes on Jon Madsens at UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin as part of the undercard. It’ll be interesting to see if Vemola’s style of rushing in and trying for the quick win pays off or if the step up in competition will be too much for the 25 year old fighter to handle.

UFC welterweight Dan Hardy is looking to make his next fight in the Octagon in front of hometown fans at the O2 Arena in London England where he is tentatively scheduled to face Carlos Condit as part of UFC 120 in October, this according to MMAWeekly.

This will be the first match back for Hardy since he badly lost a unanimous decision to Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, the current UFC welterweight champion. That loss was the only blemish on Hardy’s record since arriving in the UFC, as he was riding a four fight win streak prior to that match.

Carlos Condit is coming off a very hard fought decision win over up and coming fighter Rory Macdonald and the two garnered “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin. Condit is 1-1 since his debut having lost to Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18.

Expect this fight to be very exciting, but keep in mind it’s not announced officially yet. We’ll update this story as the word comes out.

A welterweight fight between Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy and Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit is set for UFC 120. Both sides have apparently agreed to the bout, and the contract for the fight should be signed by the end of the week.

News of the likely contest between the crowd-pleasing welterweights comes courtesy of a recent report on MMAWeekly.com.

Hardy is coming off of a one-sided loss to UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111, a fight that saw St. Pierre take Hardy down at will throughout most of the fight. Before that, Hardy had defeated Rory Markham, Akihiro Gono, Marcus Davis, and Mike Swick in the UFC. Three of five Hardy’s fights in the Octagon have occurred in England, and this will be no different.

Condit’s last fight was a gutsy victory as he faced the up-and-coming Rory MacDonald at UFC 115. MacDonald dominated the first two rounds of the fight, but Condit made a staggering comeback in the final round and finished MacDonald with punches and elbows on the ground, earning him and MacDonald a nice $85,000 dollar Fight of The Night Bonus.

UFC 120 occurs on October 16 and will emanate from the O2 Arena in London, England.

Carlos Condit has agreed to fight fellow welterweight contender Dan Hardy in a UFC 120 bout planned for October.

A source close to the overseas show told MMAjunkie.com verbal agreements are in place for the fight, which was first reported by MMAWeekly.com earlier today.

UFC 120 takes place Oct. 16 at The 02 in London, England.