UFC 133 :)

[MoFo]

UFC president Dana White announced today that Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Vitor Belfort (19-9 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has been booked for UFC 133. White had the following to say about the fight…

"Verbal agreements are in for a battle between two of the most exciting fighters in the middleweight division. Coming off three straight 'Fight of the Night' performances, Yoshihiro Akiyama will take on former UFC light-heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort in Philadelphia."

UFC 133 is set for Aug. 6 event will take place in Philadelphia. Here is the updated card for the show…

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Vitor Belfort
Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara
Michael McDonald and Nick Pace
Riki Fukuda vs. Rafael "Sapo" Natal*

* - Not officially announced

Rich Franklin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira added to UFC 133 in Philadephia.

A pair of high-profile light heavyweights looking to return to the win column will meet in Philadelphia, as Rich Franklin faces Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

UFC officials today announced the matchup, which takes place at UFC 133.

A welterweight bout between Brian Ebersole and Dennis Hallman is set for UFC 133.

MMAjunkie.com first reported the fight on Thursday, and UFC executives since have made it official.



Huge Belfort mark, great fight for him :D

[Mr. C]

I assume Nogueira/Franklin will headline with Belfort/Akiyama as the co-main, although I would've rather see Bisping/Belfort headline with a Nogueira/Franklin co-main.

Regardless, I too am a Belfort fan and look forward to seeing him fight again.

[Nark Order]

Akiyama gets beaten every time he has a fight just about, why am I to be excited about this?

[Nark Order]

And the one fight that he did win in the UFC, he actually lost in the eyes of any sane rational human being.

[Kris P Lettus]

Yeah, Belcher won at 100 IMO..

Haven't been impressed with Sexyama..

Franklin/Lil Nog should be good..

[IC Champion]

This card is a meh.

[Funky Fly]

Akiyama gets beaten every time he has a fight just about, why am I to be excited about this?

I think might be turning out to be like a less washed up version of Cro Cop. I mean, he had 1 loss going into the UFC. But at least he goes out there and tries anything and everything. You don't get three back to back Fight of the Nights just standing around the whole fight.

[Kris P Lettus]

That's true but all three guys he has faced in UFC are exciting "balls out" fighters..

Belcher
Leban
Bisping

[Funky Fly]

Indeed. 2 of the three went the distance and Leben pulled a triangle out of nowhere with seconds left in the third. It's not like he's done, just that his age (35) is probably catching up with him.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I like Akiyama, but he seems like a dumb fighter. Like, going into the Leben fight he's like "I know he's better at stand up than I am, so I want to stand up with him, to beat him at his own game."

WTF?

Playing into someone's strengths to prove a point is not smart fighting.

[Funky Fly]

They both have rock hard chins and like to stand and bang...

[MoFo]

Akiyama has like the shittiest cardio of all time though.

[MoFo]

TORONTO – Following his first UFC featherweight title defense at UFC 129 on Saturday, Jose Aldo has his next likely opponent already lined up.

UFC president Dana White said at Saturday's post-fight press conference at Rogers Centre in Toronto that Aldo, who beat Mark Hominick by unanimous decision in the UFC 129 co-main event, will face Chad Mendes at UFC 133 in Philadelphia on Aug. 6.

"That's a curveball for me right now, (but) I think we're looking at Jose possibly fighting Philly," White said.

Aldo cruised through the first four rounds of the co-main event Saturday, including a big elbow to Hominick's forehead that caused a massive hematoma. Doctors twice checked the injury, including checking his eyesight, and he was allowed to continue. In the fifth round, though, Hominick turned the tables and had Aldo in the most trouble he's been in since his last loss in November 2005.

Aldo said he's not yet ready to think about who is next in line for his 145-pound belt.

"To me, I'm not sure if that's the fight or not," Aldo said. "I just want to take a week off and just think about it and rest my body. But I'm an employee, and whoever (Dana White) wants me to fight, that's who I've got to go and take out. So I'm prepared to fight whoever they put in front of me any time."

With the unanimous decision win over Hominick, Aldo improved to 19-1, including 8-0 in the WEC before his UFC debut Saturday. Aldo said Hominick was not necessarily more difficult than any of his previous opponents.

"Every one of my fights are difficult," Aldo said. "I respect all of my opponents and I prepare for all of my fights the same way. So I think this fight tonight just shows that I'm not only a guy that can knock people out quick, that I have the heart to go all five rounds and still hold on."

Mendes (10-0, 1-0 UFC) beat Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision at UFC 126 in February, putting himself in line for a title shot that now likely comes this summer. Before the UFC-WEC merger, Mendes, who trains at Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, went 4-0 in the WEC, all in 2010.

UFC 133, though not yet announced by the promotion, is expected to take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Aug. 6. It will be the UFC's second trip to Pennsylvania in a six-week stretch following a UFC on Versus event in Pittsburgh on June 26. The UFC last was in Philadelphia for UFC 101 in August 2009.

Aside from the featherweight title fight, UFC 133 is expected to also feature light heavyweight bouts between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira-Rich Franklin and Phil Davis-Rashad Evans, plus a middleweight fight between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama.