Aldo vs. Mendes at UFC 142, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - MMA Combat

Aldo vs. Mendes at UFC 142, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - MMA Combat

UFC president Dana White revealed Monday in an interview with FoxSports that featherweight champion, Jose Aldo Jr. (20-1-0) will defend his title next in his home country of Brazil when the feared striker collides with undefeated wrestling stand-out, Chad "Money" Mendes (11-0-0). Little is known about UFC 142, which will take place January 14, 2012, but it is expected to land back in Rio de Janeiro at the HSBC Arena, the same venue that hosted UFC 134 in August of this year.

"Pound-for-pound superstar Jose Aldo will return home to fight in Brazil for the first time since 2007 when he defends his UFC featherweight title against unbeaten powerhouse Chad Mendes," UFC president Dana White told FOXSports.com. "Aldo hasn’t lost in over five years, but Mendes has yet to lose in MMA, and after clearing out all the contenders put in his way, he believes he has what it takes to beat the champion."

Representing Team Alpha Male, Mendes (26) was set to challenge Aldo at UFC 133 this past August, but after an injury sidelined the champion, "Money" elected to remain on the card and battle replacement Rani Yahya, deferring his title opportunity. Mendes picked up his fourth consecutive decision win at the event and his second in as many fights inside the octagon. The Hanford, California, native has won seven of his eleven professional bouts on the judge's scorecards.

Nova Uniao's Jose "Scarface" Aldo (25) by contrast has finished fourteen of twenty-one career opponents with twelve of those victories coming by [T]KO. The once-defeated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belt from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, possesses some of the most dynamic stand-up in the sport today and has compiled thirteen consecutive wins dating back to 2005. He most recently defended his title at UFC 136 on October 8, 2011, where he defeated three-time title challenger, Kenny "Kenflo" Florian via unanimous decision.


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MMA Combat - UFC 136 - Edgar vs. Maynard III, Pick 'Em

MMA Combat - UFC 136 - Edgar vs. Maynard III, Pick 'Em

Click above link to see our picks for UFC 136!

MMA Combat - Top-Five Featherweight Hatsu Hioki to UFC?

MMA Combat - Top-Five Featherweight Hatsu Hioki to UFC?

On Tuesday, May 31, Shooto 143lbs champion Hatsu Hioki officially relinquished his promotion title to pursue accolades on a new stage within the sport of MMA. Hioki (24-4-2), is a nine-year veteran of the sport and is widely considered a World top-five featherweight on most accredited ranking outlets.

Hatsu Hioki is a top-five featherweight world-wide

A native of Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, the 27-year old grappling ace is a winner in four straight appearances and holds notable victories over Jeff Curran, Mark Hominick, Takeshi Inoue, and Marlon Sandro whom he defeated in December of 2010 for the Sengoku RC 143lbs title.

In a statement released by the fighter on Tuesday, Hioki was slightly ambiguous in his words, although a move to the UFC has been rumored for some time now:

“At this time, I’ve returned the Shooto world lightweight title... There is a pride in wearing the Shooto world title, but I think that in the near future I would like to challenge a new stage of pride.”

When speaking with mmafighting.com, UFC match-maker Sean Shelby indicated he would welcome the Japanese star with open arms should the opportunity for negotiations ever present itself. “If Hioki wanted in the UFC, I would be happy to have him.” stated Shelby.

While neither side has confirmed talks at this time, sherdog.com was able to verify from a source close to the fighter that he will be in attendance at UFC 131 - Carwin vs. dos Santos, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, June 11, 2011; a sure sign of where Hioki's intent lies for the future, an intent that would represent a much needed infusion into the promotion's 145lbs division.


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