• HDNet announced it has reached an agreement with the World Victory Road promotion in Japan to broadcast its Sengoku fight series. The first broadcast is set for March 20 and will center on the first round of a talent-rich tournament to crown a featherweight champion. The draw features Marlon Sandro, Chris Manuel, Nam Phan and the top 10-ranked Hatsu Hioki.
• One of the top names in boxing, Roy Jones Jr., announced plans to dip his toe into MMA promotion, as his March 21 fight against Omar Sheika will feature mixed martial arts bouts on the undercard. The show will take place in Pensacola, Fla., and will be broadcast on pay-per-view. Former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Bobby Lashley will have his second professional fight on the show, which is also set to feature Roy Nelson vs. Jeff Monson and Seth Petruzelli vs. Doug Marshall.
• Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will make his debut as a professional boxer on April 11 underneath the Winky Wright vs. Paul Williams fight, according to a report from ESPN.com. The event, which will originate from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Arlovski still plans to fight at the next Affliction show, set for either June or July.
• Ben Askren, a Beijing Olympian in wrestling and a four-time All-American, made a successful MMA debut, as he scored a first-round technical knockout over Josh Flowers on a Feb. 7 card he promoted in Columbia, Mo.
• Palace Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Brian Cobb has been tapped to replace an injured Justin Buchholz and will face Terry Etim at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London.
Note: This article was updated Feb. 15 to correct the field for the Sengoku featherweight tournament. Alexandre Franca Nogueira and Hiroyuki Takaya are not in the tournament.