Author: John Morgan [kingofabuelos]

Canadian MMA fans, adjust your calendars.

After much recent speculation that the UFC’s return to Montreal might
be filling a different spot on your day planner, UFC president Dana
White has confirmed a switch to Yahoo! Sports.

UFC 113 has been pushed back one week from its planned date of May 1 and will now take place on May 8, though no adjustment has been made to the planned venue of Montreal’s Bell Centre, host of two previous UFC events.

An airline ticket to the mat spelled success for UFC welterweight Ben Saunders (8-1-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC).
 
Saunders, 26, received a long-delayed brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
from coach Ricardo Liborio on Wednesday and was hip-tossed to seal the
deal. Usually, jiu-jitsu promotions come with a run through a gauntlet
of dojo members who whip the lucky contestant with their belts. This
time, a takedown sufficed.
 
Saunders, a flagship member of American Top Team’s Orlando branch, said
he was honored by the promotion and would work towards a black belt as
his fight career allowed.

“The Ultimate Fighter 9” winner Ross Pearson (10-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) joins
Team Rough House teammate Andre Winner at UFC Fight Night 21 on March
31 in North Carolina.
 
Sources close to the situation told MMAjunkie.com that Pearson is definitely booked for the event, but his opponent
currently remains unclear.

Additional sources indicated Pearson had been expected to face Matt
Wiman at the event, but the “Handsome” lightweight has been forced to
withdraw from the card with an undisclosed minor injury.

While the MMA world has known about Brock Lesnar’s struggle with
various mystery ailments for several months now, few specifics made
their way to the public.

Today, following an appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in which he
professed a clean bill of health, Lesnar opened a bit more about his
harrowing experience and road back to recovery.

“Everybody has life-changing experiences, and this is one of them for
me,” Lesnar said on a media call this afternoon. “I believe everything
happens for a reason.”

Another up-and-coming lightweight has been added to the rapidly
swelling ranks of competitors slated for Bellator Fighting
Championships’ second season of tournament action.
 
Ferrid Kheder (16-5), a seventh-place finisher in judo
competition at the 2000 Sydney Games, is set to join the promotion’s
eight-man, 12-week tournament, which slated to begin April 8. Bellator
made the announcement today in an official press release.
 
“I’m a judo guy through and through, but I’ve adapted my skills to
MMA,” Kheder stated in the release. “I’ve worked hard on my ground game
and my striking, and I believe I’m ready to take it to the next level.

While Strikeforce is still actively searching for the final piece to
its “Strikeforce: Miami” puzzle, the organization is also actively planning
for a return to its homebase of San Jose, Calif.

MMAjunkie.com has learned from sources close to the
event that the next edition of Strikeforce’s “Challengers Series” will
be the first such event to take place in the promotion’s hometown.

“Strikeforce Challengers VI: Prangley vs. Amoussou” takes place Feb. 26 at the San Jose Civic Auditorium.