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Top MMA heavyweight, undefeated challenger to meet

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By Dann Stupp, Contributing Writer 10:26 PM Sunday, July 4, 2010

An encore to this past weekend’s MMA heavyweight superfight could take place at a nearby UFC event in September.

On Saturday, July 3, UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (5-1) defeated interim champ Shane Carwin (12-1) in the main event of UFC 116, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

After barely surviving Carwin’s first-round onslaught and submitting him with an arm-triangle choke in the second, Lesnar unified the titles and — following Fedor Emelianenko’s recent loss in Strikeforce — is now the world’s top-ranked heavyweight fighter. With the win, he is now slated to face undefeated Cain Velasquez (8-0).

And health permitting, that fight is expected to happen at a UFC 119 event planned for Indianapolis’ Conseco Fieldhouse on Sept. 25.

Prior to their UFC 116 fight — which UFC president Dana White expects to generate a million pay-per-view buys — officials told Lesnar and Carwin that the winner would likely meet Velasquez at UFC 119 if injuries aren’t a factor.

Lesnar, a former WWE star and NCAA Division I national wrestling champion, was bloodied and bruised in the bout, but a post-fight examination initially revealed no significant injuries.

That’s good news for UFC officials, whose busy summer and fall schedules left few viable main-event options for UFC 119. However, in a year featuring many significant heavyweight matchups, Lesnar vs. Velasquez would be one of the biggest.

The event will be the closest for Dayton-area fight fans since UFC 96 took place in Columbus early last year. It also marks the UFC’s debut in Indiana, which only recently began official MMA regulation.

Also on this past weekend’s UFC 116 card, Xenia native Matt Brown (11-9) suffered a second-round submission loss to Indy firefighter Chris Lytle (28-18-5), and Chris Leben (21-6) picked up his second UFC victory in two weeks with a submission upset of fellow middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-2).

Gurgel meets  Noons in August

Former UFC fighter Jorge Gurgel (13-6), whose West Chester-based gym is one of the region’s top training facilities, is expected to fight pro boxer/MMA fighter K.J. Noons (9-2) next month at “Strikeforce: Houston.”

Although agreements have not been signed, officials are in the process of finalizing the Aug. 21 bout, which is expected to be part of the night’s Showtime broadcast.

Gurgel hasn’t fought since a November decision loss to rising prospect Billy Evangelista.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, voted best media outlet in the 2008 and 2009 World MMA Awards. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to www.MMAjunkie.com.

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