MMA - UFC - Bellator

Yet again, injuries continue to plague fighters and affect their opponents. This past week, we learned that Alan Belcher was forced to withdraw from his Fight Night 22 bout with Demian Maia due to eye surgery. Following the announcement of Belcher’s removal, it was then confirmed that Maia would instead face Mario Miranda at UFC 118 swapping with a bout between Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares, which was moved to Fight Night 22.

UFC 118 will mark Maia’s return to the Octagon after a disappointing title fight against a disrespectful Anderson Silva. A win for Belcher over Maia would have possibly put him one or two fights away from a title shot. Maia and Miranda are both similar in style and will likely showcase their talent on the ground.

Marquardt is also looking to rebound from a loss. Chael Sonnen earned a unanimous decision victory over Marquardt at UFC 109 after dominating him with superior wrestling for all three rounds. Palhares is coming off a win, but it is one that ended in controversy. At UFC 111, Palhares submitted Tomasz Drwal with a heel hook, but failed to let go of the submission after the referee signaled the end of the fight and Palhares was consequently suspended for 90 days. Marquardt will want to keep the fight on his feet to avoid the deadly heel hook the Brazilian is known for.

UFC 118 will take place August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston. The card is headlined by the rematch between current UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and the man he defeated for the belt, BJ Penn.