There are few stories and loose ends out there that need some tying up. These don't warrant dedicated posts; therefore, I'll just provide some quick bullets.
Here we go:
- Talks between Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and the UFC fell apart, which was evident when the talented Japanese fighter signed on to fight under the Shoot Boxing banner on October 28. He was penciled in to fight Karo Parisyan at UFC 78 in November; however, Hector Lombard has now filled that spot because of the apparent inability to agree to contract terms with the UFC. It seemed like a done deal, especially after Sakurai appeared on camera at UFC 74: "Respect" in August.
- Dave Meltzer reported in the print edition of the Wrestling Observer newsletter that Houston Alexander could very well face Thiago Silva in his next light heavyweight bout. That match up is just a rumor at this point.
- Renato "Babalu" Sobral has already inked new a deal with StrikeForce. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu veteran was released from his UFC contract last month after his controversial submission win over David Heath at UFC 74: "Respect."
- Despite reports that he was a UFC fighter, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza says that no terms have been reached. In fact, the uber-skilled grappler indicates that he was close to signing with the UFC sister organization, WEC, but nothing is official at this time.
- The rematch between Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans is still unofficial. This fight is expected to take place at UFC 78: "Validation" on November 17 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
If we missed anything feel free to share it in the comments section.
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