The Weekly Wrap: July 31 - August 6

Odds and Ends

• Injuries plaguing Zuffa LLC events moved a UFC 118 undercard match to the main event position at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 22 show. The Sept. 15. card on Spike TV was originally scheduled to be topped by Demian Maia vs. Alan Belcher, but that was scratched when Belcher suffered a detached retina in training. The UFC moved Nate Marquardt vs. Rousimar Palhares to the Spike TV main event, and Maia will now face Mario Miranda at UFC 118.

• Top World Extreme Cagefighting draw Urijah Faber may be out of action until November or even December, as he recovers from an injury that scrapped his Aug. 18 fight against Takeya Mizugaki. The WEC is running a contest to determine which city will host an event in December; the Wrestling Observer reported that Sacramento, Calif., Faber’s hometown, is the frontrunner. It’s possible that Faber’s return may be held off to top that event.

• The fledgling Texas-based Shark Fights promotion announced its well-apportioned Sept. 11 card will be available for $29.99 on iN Demand cable pay-per-view. The card features a host of UFC veterans, headlined by Keith Jardine vs. Trevor Prangley and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Houston Alexander. The promotion is expected to announce an opponent for Paul Daley and another main card bout next week. Daley faces an Aug. 10 hearing date before athletic commission officials in Montreal to answer for his after-the-bell punch on Josh Koscheck at UFC 113 in May; the incident led to his termination from the promotion.

• After hosting one last year, the UFC confirmed it will hold a third Fan Expo in 2010. UFC 120 on Oct. 16 in London will feature a two-day expo at the Earls Court Exhibition Center. The company had an expo prior to UFC 116 in Las Vegas in May and will have one prior to UFC 118 later this month in Boston.

• The UFC launched a retooled Web site and a new weekly magazine show “UFC Ultimate Insider.”

• Bellator Fighting Championships announced it has signed UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida to compete at welterweight. His debut is set for Sept. 30, though an opponent has not yet been named. MMAWeekly.com reported the promotion has also signed Jeremy Horn, who will face Bryan Baker on Sept. 23.