Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"Any fight you go into you want to win that fight, it’s important to you. [Foster]’s the type of guy that, even when he’s on top, he’s not looking to lay on you. He’s looking to really press the action. It’s definitely the kind of fight I want to be involved with. But yeah, I’ve definitely got a chip on my shoulder because when this is all over I want to have something I can point to. I want to have accomplishments that are mine, and I want to have a winning record in the UFC."

Longtime mixed martial arts veteran and part-time purchaser for a Northern Ohio industrial supplies seller, Forrest Petz, doesn't want to get bounced from the UFC for not getting the job done. Petz wants to go out on his own terms, but will that motivation be enough for "The Meat Cleaver" to cut his way through the venerable Brian Foster on Sept. 15?

Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 contestant Kyle Noke (17-4-1) will return to the Spike TV airwaves when he travels abroad to face Rob Kimmons(23-5) at UFC 122 on Nov. 13 from the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, according to MMAWeekly.

Despite getting sent home by eventual finalist Kris McCray, Noke redeemed his stint on the Spike TV reality show with an impressive technical knockout over fellow contestant Josh Bryant during the show's live finale back on June 19.

In addition to his first Octagon win, "KO" is battle-tested, having thrown hands with some of the sport's top names like Scott Smith, Hector Lombard and George Sotiropoulos.

A win over the experienced Kimmons could help him get into the title race sooner rather than later.

Like Noke, "The Rosedale Reaper"is no stranger to combat.

The biggest knock on the grappling stud is his inconsistency inside the Octagon. Kimmons is 3-2 since his 2008 debut with wins over Steve Steinbeiss, Joe Vedepo and Rob Yundt, but has been unable to post back-to-back victories as a Zuffa employee.

Stopping Noke would certainly fix that issue, as well as lead him to bigger and better opportunities.

Headlined by Vitor Belfort vs. Yushin Okami, UFC 122 is expected to feature a bevy of German born fighters -- though no official match-ups have been announced at this time. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this still developing fight card.

Former welterweight number one contender Thiago Alves (17-7) will start his slow climb back up the division ladder when he faces division prospect John Howard (14-5) at the upcoming UFC 124 pay-per-view (PPV) from the Bell Centre on Dec. 11 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Fighter's Only confirmed the previously rumored match-up late last night.

"Pitbull" was put back on his leash by 170-pound stalwart Jon Fitch at UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen" on Aug. 17. It was his second straight defeat after a torrid seven-fight winning streak that saw him topple the likes of Chris Lytle, Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck.

While his only losses in the past five years have come to Fitch (twice) and reigning champion Georges St. Pierre, the welterweight division is one of the promotion's deepest, and it could take several wins to once again see Alves challenging for the belt.

Assuming he can make weight.

UFC President Dana White put Alves on notice following his failure to come in under the division limit at the UFC 117 weigh ins. A career at 170-pounds hinges on his ability to continually make weight and to aid him in that goal, the "Pitbull" camp has brought in nutrition guru Mike Dolce.

Also looking to rebound from a recent loss is Howard. "Doomsday" was in cruise control over the past year and a half, assembling four consecutive wins en route to bigger and better things inside the Octagon.

Enter Jake Ellenberger.

The Nebraskan sent Howard home with a technical knockout loss (doctor's stoppage) after three rounds of abuse at the UFC on Versus 2 event on Aug. 1 in San Diego.

No question the defeat was a setback for the rising star, but a big win over a name like Alves could vault him right back into the mix.

UFC 124 will feature a rematch between division champion Georges St. Pierre and fellow Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 coach Josh Koscheck. "Rush" claimed a unanimous decision win over "Kos" when they first met at UFC 74: "Respect" in Aug. 2007.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this still-developing fight card.

SAN ANTONIO, TX. (September 2, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships crowned a new Featherweight World Champion in front of a boisterous crowd at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. Fans were treated to a full card of electrifying fights that included one of the best comebacks in the history of the sport.

In the night’s main event the Bellator World Featherweight Championship was on the line as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Joe Warren, took on defending Bellator World Champion Joe "The Hammer" Soto in the first ever defense of a Bellator World Title.

The first round was all Soto, as the undefeated champion put on a boxing clinic, delivering a series of devastating punches to what appeared to be a completely outmatched Warren. As the first round came to a close, a battered and bruised Warren headed to his corner shaken, but not discouraged.

In Round Two, Warren stormed out of the gate on a mission, delivering a overhand right to the head of Soto that sent The Hammer reeling to the canvas. After scrambling back to his feet, it was a crushing knee to the chin that finished the fight, establishing Warren as the newly crowned Bellator World Featherweight Champion.

"I told you I was going to win," proclaimed an overjoyed Joe Warren after the fight. "I came in here and got the job done. I’m super happy to be a World Champion. This is the first time I’ve knocked someone out – there is a lot more to come."

Chairman and CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships, Bjorn Rebney, was thoroughly impressed by Joe Warren’s heart and courage, stating, "If you saw Joe Warren’s fight with Patricio Pitbull in Season 2, most people would not of made it out of that first round, but Warren has that immeasurable heart that allows him to push forward. Tonight was no different. When I sat down with Warren a year ago he told me that he was willing to die in there to get that title. Most people just say that, but when he says it you believe it. What a great performance. We have a tremendously talented and rapidly evolving featherweight champion."

Kicking off the night was a Quarterfinal Bantamweight Tournament matchup between Ed "Wild" West and Bryan Goldsby.

Both fighters began feeling each other out on the feet before West attempted a series of dazzling leg lock submissions attempts that impressed the crowd and the judges. In the final period, "Wild" West came out swinging for the fences, connecting with a number of heavy strikes to Goldsby, which ultimately led to a unanimous decision win for the talented West.

In other Bantamweight Tournament action, Nick "Garfield" Mamalis took on Zach "Fun Size" Makovsky a grueling back and forth three round battle. Both fighters flexed their wrestling skills in a match filled with crisp strikes and impressive slams. The momentum swung back and forth, with Markovsky shaking off everything Mamalis tried to throw at him early.

However, Mamalis landed powerful takedown slam in the second round that left Makovsky in a daze. As the fight moved to the third and final round, Fun Size dug deep and secured a rear-naked-choke that led Makovsky to an impressive 30-27 unanimous decision victory.

Rounding out the Bantamweight Tournament was a quarterfinal match between submission specialist Ulysses "Useless" Gomez and Travis "Hurricane" Reddinger.

Gomez controlled the first round with consistent leg kicks and looked to end the fight early by applying a tight guillotine to Reddinger, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. Rounds two and three saw similar action, with each fighter delivering numerous takedowns throughout the fight while Gomez controlled the bulk of the action on his way to a hard fought split decision victory (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

"This is what Bellator is all about; anyone can change the outcome of a fight with a single knee or punch in our tournament style format," said Rebney. "It was another spectacular event in San Antonio.

Below is a full list of results from Bellator 27:

• Gilbert Jimenez def. Aaron Barringer via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  
• Richard Odoms def. Dale Mitchell via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)*
  
• Andrew Craig def. Rodrigo Pinheiro via TKO (doctor's stoppage due to cut) - Round 3, 2:53
  
• Andrew Chappelle def. Joe Christopher via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  
• Ulysses Gomez def. Travis Reddinger via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  
• Jon Kirk def. Shane Faulkner via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 2:19
  
• Steven Peterson def. Ernest De La Cruz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

You can catch an action-packed Bellator 27 highlight show on NBC late Saturday night

(The content for this story is courtesy of a press release issued by Bellator)

Marcus Davis, who sustained a horrific eye injury during a submission loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 118 in front of his local supporters on Aug, 28, 2010, today issued the following statement regarding his performance (via the Press Herald):

"I am now home resting with my family. I want to thank all the people who supported me and all the people with team Irish MMA, team Gurgel, and team Sityodtong for all the help preparing for the match. I left the fight in the puddles of sweat on the floor of Sityodtong. I was over trained and never took the rest to recuperate that I should have. Within minutes of the first round my legs felt like I had just ran a marathon and they never came back. Today my thighs feel as though I spent the weekend lifting weights. I am known to have good footwork but had none that night. The accidental head clashes caused most of the damage to the right side of my face and eye. I have three lacerations, two over the right eye and one under it. My CAT scan came back good. No brakes or fractures. The eye itself is being looked at. I had my second appointment today and my next one is in a week. Although I'm having some cloudy vision it is much better than it was initially and with rest it should return to 100 percent. I apologize to my supporters, team, friends and sponsors for not performing to my full potential. Being recognized for fight of the night honors is great and that's why I fight -- to entertain -- but I wish I could have done so the way I have done in previous fights. Thank you again."

Anyone in their right mind think the gutsy "Irish Hand Grenade" has anything to apologize for after putting on the "Fight of the Night"?

(Photo courtesy of the lovely and talented Tracy Lee for Yahoo! Sports)

"I'm rooting for Cro Cop. He's more humble! (laughs) Watch TUF and tell me why!"

-- Antonio "Rodrigo" Nogueira, who has been undergoing therapy to recover from recent hip surgery that prevented him from fighting Frank Mir in the UFC 119 main event in Indianapolis, Indiana, is pulling for his replacement, Mirko Cro Cop, to do his dirty work later this month."Minotauro" and Mir were opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter mixed martial arts reality series, which culminated with the pair battling for Nogueira's interim heavyweight title. Mir won, convincingly, stopping the durable Brazilian for the first time ever in his professional career. Nogueira has history with Cro Cop, too, winning with a come-from-behind submission after getting battered for nearly 10 full minutes. He's apparently more impressed with the way the reserved Croatian handles his pre- and post-fight business as opposed to the opinionated Mir. Is Mir's arrogance, for lack of a better word, something that makes not just "Big Nog" the only one who wants to see Mir get put in his place ... again?