Author: John Morgan [kingofabuelos]

While the WEC has already announced a trio of big-name bouts to
headline its first attempt at pay-per-view, one more name has been
added to the fight card on the eve of the show’s ticket on-sale date.

Twelve-time WEC veteran and current bantamweight contender Antonio Banuelos (17-5 MMA, 8-4 WEC) will fight at “WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber” on April 24 in Sacramento, Calif.

Banuelos announced his next fight on MMAjunkie.com Radio, though he declined to name his opponent.

The UFC’s Memorial Day weekend dance card continues to fill, and middleweights Chris Leben (19-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Aaron Simpson (7-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) are the latest fighters set to meet on the UFC 114 card.

The new bout was first reported by Hector Castro of the Ground and Pound in conjunction with Rear Naked Choke Radio, and MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed with sources close to the event that verbal agreements are in place from both participants.

Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly.

As far as UFC debuts go, heavyweight prospect Chris Tuchscherer’s (17-2
MMA, 0-1 UFC) was certainly one of the most memorable in recent history.

Of course, that’s not necessarily a positive thing.

Tuchscherer’s first octagon appearance took place at this past August’s
UFC 102 event, and the bout was marred by the Minnesota Mixed Martial
Arts Academy fighter receiving a brutal low blow from opponent Gabriel
Gonzaga. Tuchscherer makes his return at Saturday night’s UFC 109 event
in Las Vegas, and barring another unfortunate shot, he’s ready to shine.

As the old mixed-martial-arts saying goes, “No one stays unbeaten forever.”

But of course, no one likes to get beaten the way top UFC
middleweight Demian Maia (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was in his UFC 102 contest
with Nate Marquardt.

Maia doesn’t believe in that other old saying – “That loss was the best
thing that could have happened,” he said – but he does believe the lessons
learned in that 21-second disaster will have him more than ready for
Dan Miller at Saturday night’s UFC 109 event.

With Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight champion Hector
Lombard set to defend his belt in 2010, the upstart promotion today
announced the second contender in season two’s eight-man bracket.

Three-time WEC veteran Bryan Baker (11-1 MMA, 1-0 BFC) returns for a
second appearance for Bellator, though this time he’ll be involved in
tournament action.

Baker earned a decision win over Matt Horwich in a non-tournament bout at Bellator VIII during the company’s inaugural season.

Melvin Guillard (22-8-2 MMA, 5-4 UFC) would like to introduce himself to you.

That may seem a little silly as he prepares to make his 10th appearance
for the UFC, but Guillard insists “The Young Assassin” that will step
into the cage with Ronnys Torres (14-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) for Saturday
night’s UFC 109 event in Las Vegas is unlike any version of him you’ve
ever seen before.

“Right now, I feel that I’m 0-0,” Guillard recently told MMAjunkie.com for The Dallas Morning News. “I’m wiping my slate
clean. I’m not looking back.”