Author: Matt Erickson [matt-erickson]

Most of Rad Martinez’s 20s have been spent on a ceaseless carousel of work, training and fighting, and caring for his sick father.

But as he prepares for the semifinals of Bellator’s Season 7 lightweight tournament, Martinez is about to write a new chapter in his life’s story: marriage.

“Just when you think you don’t need any more motivation, something comes in your life that gives you more motivation than you’ve ever had before,” he told MMAjunkie.com.

It’ll be a home fight for one and a quick trip down Interstate 94 for the other.

Featherweights Erik Koch and Ricardo Lamas will meet when the UFC returns to Chicago in January for UFC on FOX 6. Sources with knowledge of the fight on Wednesday confirmed its new date to MMAjunkie.com.

The bout originally was targeted for the year-end UFC 155 pay-per-view in Las Vegas, but now finds a home in the Windy City.

It looks like there won’t be another fissure in Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn’s MMA team in Albuquerque, N.M.

Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit, who have shared gym space and fight each other at UFC 154, are working around an agreement that has kept Jackson out of the picture during preparation for their meeting, which takes place Nov. 17 at Bell Centre in Montreal.

“Just for this fight, we changed the protocol, so no problem,” undisputed champ St-Pierre said.

Standing in a queue of fighters hoping to work on a possible Jan. 12 Strikeforce card, Jorge Masvidal has a contingency plan if the promotion can’t find space or the event is canceled.

He plans to take an offer from the recently revived Japanese promotion DREAM to fight Hayato Sakurai or Satoru Kitaoka at “DREAM.18: Special NYE 2012.”

“I’d much rather fight here in America because I’d get more money … but if I have to, (I’ll fight on) Dec. 31,” Masvidal told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “I’ll be kicking ass in Japan.”

Bellator Fighting Championships has added to the ranks of one of its most competitive divisions.

Fabricio Guerreiro has signed with the promotion and is expected to make his debut with Bellator in 2013. Sources close to the promotion told MMAjunkie.com of the signing.

Though a debut fight is not set, sources said Guerreiro likely would be tapped as one of the eight competitors in Bellator’s Season 8 featherweight tournament.

A commissioner with the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission has accused a top state official of appointing an unsuitable candidate to run the office following the resignation of its executive director.

Until a qualified person is found, GAEC commissioner Rick Thompson told MMAjunkie.com, the future of combat sports in the state is in jeopardy.

“Our primary goal is to protect the fans and the fighters so that there are fair and competitive fights,” he said Tuesday.