Miesha Tate file photo: Jeff Sherwood | Sherdog.com
• Strikeforce announced that the matchups for its one-night 135-pound women’s tournament on Aug. 13 will be decided the night before at weigh-ins, as the UFC used to pair its tournament fighters in the formative days.
The participants are Miesha Tate, Hitomi Akano, Maiju Kujala and Carina Damm. Marloes Coenen is set to receive the next 135-pound title shot; the tournament winner gets the shot after that. Sarah Kaufman defends the division crown against Roxanne Modafferi on a “Strikeforce Challengers” card Friday in Everett, Wash.
• After an impressive campaign in the Tachi Palace Fights, undefeated welterweight prospect and TPF titleholder David Mitchell has been signed to a UFC contract. The David Terrell product faces fellow UFC newcomer Anthony Waldburger on Sept. 15 at UFC Fight Night 22 in Austin, Texas.
• Another hot prospect is having his UFC debut postponed. Lightweight Willamy Freire suffered an injury in training, forcing him to withdraw from a fight against Thiago Tavares at UFC on Versus 2 on Aug. 1, Tatame.com reported.
• Spike TV announced that the preliminary fights it will air prior to UFC 119 on Sept. 25 are C.B. Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen and Matt Mitrione vs. Joey Beltran.
• The long-awaited MMA debut of 2007 ADCC submission championships winner Robert Drysdale, trainer to several MMA stars, took place July 17 in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Drysdale used an arm triangle to tap Bastien Huveneers in 72 seconds.
• The city council of the Canadian city of North Vancouver voted this week to disband its athletic commission, effectively banning boxing and mixed martial arts in the city. The commission had appointed a one-year trial period for MMA in June 2009. A local media outlet reported the decision may have been influenced by a scene at an amateur MMA event last month, where a trainer and others hit the ring to defend a downed fighter who continued to receive blows after the referee had stopped the bout.