Press Release: "Strikeforce Inks Deal with ProElite"

Freakin' finally.

Weekend Schedule

Get ready for another busy weekend in combat sports. Friday night will feature the eagerly-anticipated debut of the World Cagefighting Alliance, but it will also see another installment of promoter Lou Neglia's Combat at the Capitale (a long-running kickboxing show in Manhattan's Chinatown) and New York Fight Club 2, a multi-discipline fight show on Long Island. Info for both are here http://www.louneglia.com/upcoming_recent.shtml and here www.NYfightclub.net . MMA Journalist will be cageside to liveblog the WCA. Then, on Saturday night, there's "The Return of Macaco" in Newark - MMA Journalist will be liveblogging that one, too. Finally, Sunday morning has the NYC Submission Shootout. Expect some coverage for that one as well.

Joe Lauzon: "Vaseline? Ha! My Corner Rubs Me Down with Gasoline!"

Step aside, Georges St. Pierre - Joe Lauzon is here. Wading hip-deep into the controversy that has arisen from St. Pierre's UFC 94 clash against BJ Penn, the TUF 5 veteran and Massachusetts native admitted in a recent interview to having illegal substances applied to his body between rounds as well. "Vaseline?" said Lauzon. "Ha! My corner rubs me down with gasoline! Sometimes even kerosene! We're crazy like that!" Lauzon is scheduled to face Jeremy Stephens in the main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night 17 in Tampa, Florida. Will this admission jeopardize that match-up? Said a spokesman for the Florida State Boxing Commission, "We always have fire extinguishers on hand in case competitors spontaneously combust, so it shouldn't be an issue. This is Florida, after all. That sort of thing happens anyway."

Win or Lose, Chris Liguori Will Still Have Smoking Hot Girlfriends

Chris Liguori faces his toughest test yet on Friday night, as the lightweight ROC champ will take on Marcus Aurelio in the World Cagefighting Alliance's main event. Who's Marcus Aurelio? He's the guy who put Takanori Gomi away with a choke, a guy who's racked up wins over the likes of Masakazu Imanari and Rich Clementi and most recently has been fighting in the UFC. Clearly, based on record alone, Liguori will have his hands full. But also clear is that win or lose, Liguori will still have smoking hot girlfriends to go back to. Can the Team Ricardo Almeida warrior handle the American Top Team black belt's aggressive submission game? Will the longtime East Coast star be able to impose his will before Aurelio forces him to tap out? Does it matter? If Liguori has a gorgeous female waiting in the wings, like that stunner who cheered him on at the Mixed Fighting Championships or that beauty seen with him at Reality Fighting, then it seems to me there will be only one true winner on Friday. And he ain't Brazilian.

Reminder: NYC Submission Shootout on Sunday

The first NYC Submission Shootout, a grappling event where the competitors will be fighting to the death, is this coming Sunday at the Fighthouse in Midtown Manhattan. More info can be found here: http://www.nycsubshootout.com/ . MMA Journalist will be on hand to witness the action and mock the deceased.

George St. Pierre Under Fire for K-Y Jelly Sponsorship

UFC welterweight champ George St. Pierre has come under fire recently over his choice of sponsors, namely, Johnson & Johnson's K-Y Jelly, whose company logo was prominently displayed on the Canadian's shorts and on a banner unfurled between rounds during his UFC 94 bout against BJ Penn. Critics allege that the lubricant has no place in the sport, and that St. Pierre's victory is somehow tainted. St. Pierre's Muay Thai trainer disagrees. "K-Y Jelly replaces personal moisture in a way that feels natural and helps enhance intimacy," said Kru Phil Nurse in a post-fight interview. "This non-greasy formula rinses off easily for a pleasant experience." Replied a spokesman from Penn's camp: "Dude, that's just creepy."

Carlos Condit Injury So Grave an Entire WEC Weight Class is Scrapped

WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit's rematch with Brock Larson has been scrapped due to injury, an injury so grave that the entire WEC 170-pound class has been scrapped because of it. "Mr. Condit suffered a tear in his 'Big Fish in a Little Pond' tendon," said a spokesperson for the organization, an organization that specializes in hobbit- to rodent-sized MMA athletes. "It's a serious injury, one that can irreparably damage a fighter's credibility, so Carlos - along with everyone else in the welterweight division - will have to prove their worth elsewhere. It's for their own safety." Condit has already been signed to face Marvin Kampmann at UFN 18 on April 1st, with the presumption being that a dose of Octagon medicine is just what the doctor ordered. MMA Journalist wishes the WEC champ a speedy recovery.

In Case of Riot, Hide Behind Bryan Vetell

This coming Saturday is "The Return of Macaco", a pro MMA event at Newark's Essex County College that features Jorge "Macaco" Patino, an old-school vale tudo legend, returning to combat to square up against Brandon Olsen of Montana - the main event on a card rich with Brazilian talent. In the co-main event, the massive IFL veteran Bryan Vetell takes on Steven Banks of South Carolina, while on the under card Marcus Rodrigues of Sao Paulo, Brazil, faces local boy Anthony Montanaro, Valter Roberto de Menezes of Sao Paulo faces Philadelphia's Lamont Lister, Flavio Roberto Alvaro of Sao Paulo faces Illinios' William Hill, and locals Jay Silva and Plinio Cruz will go at it. That's a lot of Brazilians, and it could translate into a night jam-packed with action. It could also translate into a decent-sized riot. Back in 1997, Renzo Gracie took on Eugenio Tadeau at a Rio de Janeiro event called Pentagon Combat, an event that degenerated into a chair-throwing, fighter-stabbing melee involving everyone in the place. And while MMA Journalist doesn't really expect The Return of Macaco to get as out of control, one mantra will be repeated silently throughout the night: in case of riot, hide behind Bryan Vetell.

Observations From My Couch: UFC 94

• I'm not sure what was more impressive: Clay Guida defeating a very tough Nate Diaz, or Clay Guida managing to thank every training partner, sponsor and Zuffa employee he's ever come in contact with in the short time allotted for his post-fighting interview.
• Was it me or was the last few minutes of the Karo Parisyan/Dong Hyun Kim bout nothing more than a judo match? I kept expecting the referee to shout out scores in Japanese like "Ippon!" or "Waza-ari!"
• Jon "GrecoRoman Airlines" Jones. When you absolutely, positively have to fly somewhere immediately.
• You know the Fates have conspired when every bout from the under card on up to the co-main event has gone to a decision and then Lyoto Machida of all people wins by first-round knockout.
• Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn: a grim reminder as to why MMA has weight classes.

Nations Collide At UFC 94

UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn II" is this Saturday night, and as the title indicates, it's all about two nations colliding in the main event. Rematching after their exciting UFC 58 bout ended in a split decision are welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre from the northern country of Canada and lightweight champ BJ Penn from the Republic of Hawaii. It's a bout that promises action, errant elk and pineapples hurled with reckless abandon. "I will crush 'im again," says St. Pierre between gulps of maple syrup. "Count on it. Mr. Penn may worship a volcano and surf to and from the office every day, but his weird Hawaiian ways are no match for my sexually ambiguous relationship with my moose, Matilda." UFC 94 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and will air live on pay-per-view.