9 Fights Greenlit for UFC 113

by Brian Knapp (bknapp@sherdog.com)

Former King of the Cage welterweight champion Michael Guymon will toe the line against Yoshiyuki Yoshida in a preliminary bout at UFC 113 “Machida vs. Shogun 2” on May 8 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Nine fights are now official for the promotion’s return to the Great White North. ufc



Guymon has posted five wins in six fights but lost his UFC debut to Rory McDonald, succumbing to an armbar from the undefeated Canadian at UFC Fight Night 20 in January. The 35-year-old Newport Beach, Calif., native has secured all 11 of his victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Wins over Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Anthony Lapsley, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 hopeful Kyacey Uscola and once-beaten prospect Quinn Mulhern anchor his resume.



A fourth-degree black belt in Judo, Yoshida has been on the receiving end of two violent knockouts against Josh Koscheck and Anthony Johnson in his last three fights. The 35-year-old 2007 Cage Force welterweight tournament winner holds notable victories against War Machine, former welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi -- the last man to defeat current Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields. Yoshida, a Tokyo native, has spent time at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M.



Meanwhile, the UFC put an end to rampant speculation, as it made official the heavyweight feature between Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Matt Mitrione at “Machida vs. Shogun 2.”



Ferguson made a successful Octagon debut in December, when he notched a unanimous decision against Houston Alexander at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in Las Vegas. He lost to eventual winner Roy Nelson during production for the Spike TV reality series but remained a strong ratings draw throughout the season. Slice holds victories against Pride Fighting Championships veteran James Thompson and David “Tank” Abbott.



Mitrione, who emerged as the lead villain on the reality show, made his professional debut at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale, as he stopped Marcus Jones on second-round strikes on the undercard. He trains out of the Integrated Fighting Academy in Indianapolis.



A rematch between light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and 2005 Pride middleweight grand prix winner Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will headline UFC 113. Machida won a controversial unanimous decision over Rua at UFC 104 in October, setting up one of the most anticipated rematches of 2010.