News of the bout was first Tweeted by the organization’s official Canadian account.

MacDonald had an up-and-down 2011 that saw him return from a brutal broken leg in April to submit Ryan Jensen with a triangle choke in the first round. “The Athlete” ran into the power of Alan Belcher in his next contest though, succumbing to strikes in just under four minutes. A veteran of forty fights, MacDonald has 25 victories under his belt including wins over Ed Herman, Chris Leben, and Joe Doerksen, but has dropped two of his last three scraps. Nineteen of MacDonald’s twenty-five wins have come by way of submission.

Known for his entertaining entrances, Lawlor will likely need his hand raised at the end of the night if he hopes to keep his charisma on display in the UFC. “Filthy” Tom has tasted defeat in three of his last four bouts, most recently losing to Chris Weidman at UFC 139 via submission in the opening frame. Prior to the loss, Lawlor snapped a two fight skid by picking up a unanimous decision victory over former 185-pound contender Patrick Cote.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

According to the UFC, Belcher will face Canadian grappler Jason MacDonald on September 17 in New Orleans as part of the UFC’s still-developing “Battle on the Bayou” event.

Belcher, a Gulf Coast resident who will almost certainly receive a hero’s welcome from the crowd, has been out of action for more than a year and last fought Patrick Cote at UFC 113. Months after the event, while preparing for a scheduled bout with Demian Maia, he started losing vision in his right eye and has been sidelined ever since. “The Talent” will enter his match-up with MacDonald having found success in four of his last five fights with the lone exception being an extremely close Split Decision against Yoshishiro Akiyama. He holds past wins over a number of his respected peers including Cote, Denis Kang, and Jorge Santiago.

His upcoming opponent, MacDonald, is no stranger to working his way back from a career-threatening injury after suffering a gruesome broken leg in a bout last May. The 35-year old tap-out artist only recently made his return to the Octagon albeit in victorious fashion with an opening round choke of Ryan Jensen at UFC 129. The performance improved MacDonald’s record to 25-14 and was the nineteenth submission of his career.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

MacDonald made a name for himself with Canada’s MFC promotion, fighting a total of ten times under the MFC banner before being scooped up by the UFC in 2006 where he ended up going 5-5 with the organization before back to back losses to Wilson Gouveia and Nate Quarry brought upon his departure.

Considering the history it only seems fitting that MacDonald will make his return on his old stomping grounds at MFC 22: Payoff on September 25.

His opponent has yet to be determined, but according to MacDonald, it’s him against everyone as far as he’s concerned.

“The one guy who impressed me the most was Bryan Baker,” said MacDonald in a recent press release about the upcoming event. Baker shocked a lot of people when he TKO’d UFC veteran Rory Singer at MFC 20. “He comes to fight and I want to fight someone who wants to throw down, someone who’s going to fight and give us both an opportunity to put on an exciting fight for the fans.

“I think a best-case scenario would be to fight Trevor Prangley but since he just won the title at 205 he’ll probably want to defend that a couple of times though it’s something to look at. I wouldn’t mind avenging my loss to Marvin Eastman because I wasn’t really at the best point in my career back then (2005) but I think he’s more comfortable at 205 now.

“Travis Galbraith is coming down to 185 and that would be exciting. Solomon Hutcherson … anybody really. I just want to fight in a great fight, get the biggest challenge against the biggest name guy available.

“There are still some alumni kicking around that I could fight,” noted MacDonald. “I think Edwin Dewees would be great fight. Shonie Carter? At this point in his career I think Shonie is a bit of a joke and I’m not sure that a fight with him would be worth it. I’m looking for quality fights and fights that will get me to the title.”

Regardless of his opponent on September 25, first and foremost Jason is eager to show the world that he is back to stay.

“I’m hungry again. I’m going to do everything in my power to get back on track. I am re-focused. I’m not going to fight for a long time, probably another two years and hopefully I’ll get to 50 fights, but most importantly I want to finish on a positive note.

“There’s nothing greater than being on top of your game. I want to perform well and have fights that I’m proud of like the fights I had against Demian Maia and Jason Lambert. Most importantly I want to fight well. That’s the No. 1 priority.”

MacDonald confirmed the news on Monday in a column for the Sportsnet.Ca website.

“I received an e-mail Saturday from the UFC, from their legal department, saying ‘my services were no longer needed’ and ‘my contract has been terminated,’” wrote MacDonald.

Nicknamed “The Athlete,” MacDonald started off his UFC career strong with consecutive guillotine choke submission wins over Ed Herman and Chris Leben in 2006. However, MacDonald had struggled as of late, losing three out of his last four fights.

MacDonald’s most recent defeat took place at UFC 97 last month in Montreal, Canada, where he was TKO’d by Nate Quarry due to elbows just 2:27 into their fight. His previous fight during the live finale for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter also ended in a loss following a first round submission against Wilson Gouveia due to elbows.

It appears as though MacDonald is taking the setback in stride.

“I spoke with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and we are still on good terms,” said MacDonald. “He said to go out there and put together some wins and they’d like me to be back. I’ve always had a positive relationship with the UFC, and even Joe said I was always a pleasure to deal with.”

The news comes according to a report my MMA Weekly.

MacDonald, 21-11, last competed during the live finale for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Facing Wilson Gouveia in a featured matchup, MacDonald submitted to elbows at 2:18 of round 1. A ten year veteran of the sport, MacDonald is 5-4 in nine career fights under the UFC banner.

MacDonald will be fighting in his home country for the second consecutive year. During the UFC’s Montreal debut last April, the Edmonton native recorded a second round TKO over fellow countryman Joe Doerksen.

Quarry, 10-3, last fought in November at UFC 91 in November. Facing middleweight sensation Demian Maia, Quarry was forced to tap at 2:13 of round 1 after getting caught in a rear naked choke submission. The one-time UFC middleweight title challenger is 5-2 during his UFC career.

In addition to MacDonald vs. Quarry, UFC 97 will be headlined by Anderson Silva defending his UFC middleweight title vs. Thales Leites. Additionally, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell will return to action against former PRIDE star Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Other reported matchups for UFC 97 include David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman, Brian Stann vs. Krzysztof Soszynski, Luiz Cane vs. Steve Cantwell, Mark Bocek vs. David Bielkheden, T.J. Grant vs. Ryo Chonan, and Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman.

The news comes courtesy of a report by MMA Weekly, which quotes MacDonald’s manager, MFC promoter Mark Pavelich, as the source.

MacDonald, 21-10, last competed at UFC 88 this past September, where he submitted Jason Lambert with a rear naked choke at 1:20 of round 2. Prior to the win against Lambert, MacDonald competed less than a month earlier at UFC 87. Facing renowned grappler Demian Maia, MacDonald tapped to a rear naked choke at 2:44 of round 3. A veteran of eight fights in the Octagon, the Canadian’s overall UFC record is 5-3.

Gouveia is a member of Florida’s American Top Team and recently dropped from light heavyweight to middleweight. Debuting at 185 pounds at UFC Fight Night 15 this past September, Gouveia submitted Ryan Jensen with an armbar at 2:04 of round 2. His lifetime record in the UFC is 5-2.

In addition to MacDonald vs. Gouveia, also scheduled for the TUF 8 finale are the finals of the lightweight and light heavyweight tournaments as well as a welterweight rematch between Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns.

The news comes from MacDonald’s blog where he said, “I signed a new contract with the UFC this week. It’s a new four-fight deal, so I’ll be looking forward to four more fights in the UFC and hopefully climbing my way to the top of the division.”

MacDonald, a native of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, has fought three times this year amassing a record of 2-1. MacDonald has scored stoppage victories over Jason Lambert and Joe Doerksen while dropping a bout to Demian Maia at UFC 87: Seek and Destroy.

MacDonald isn’t currently slated for any upcoming UFC cards but he did state that he feels Michael Bisping may be next on the horizon. “My gut feeling is I’m going to fight Michael Bisping, win or lose in his upcoming bout. I have no particular reason for that. Nobody has said anything to lead me to believe that. I just see that happening. But then again Alessio Sakara just had a good knockout so maybe they’ll think that is a good matchup, another striker vs. grappler matchup.”

Bisping is scheduled to battle Chris Leben at UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben on Saturday, October 18 in Birmingham, England.

MacDonald has kept himself busy this year mixing his octagon time with coaching and promoting. MacDonald has been preparing the likes of Ryan Ford, Josh Russell and Ryan Machan for bouts at MFC 18: Famous while also working on promoting his new show, Pure Fighting Championship.

“(UFC CEO) Lorenzo (Fertitta), (UFC V.P. of Talent Relations) Joe (Silva) and I got together and thought yeah, he deserves the title shot,” MMA Junkie quotes White as saying. “How could you say, ‘No, he doesn’t deserve the shot’ after [that]?”

Despite the pronouncement that Evans will receive the next title shot at 205, White stopped short of say when and where the fight between he and Griffin would take place. Speculation had indicated that with a win over Evans, Liddell would receive a title shot vs. Griffin during the UFC’s annual New Year’s Eve weekend show in Las Vegas on Dec. 27. All signs point to Griffin vs. Evans taking place on that date, but nothing has been confirmed.

Both Griffin and Evans are former winners of Spike TV and the UFC’s hit reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter.” A matchup between season one and two winners could make for an intriguing storyline.

UFC awards $60,000 bonuses to Evans, MacDonald, Pellegrino, and Tavares

The UFC also announced during the post-show press conference for UFC 88 that four of its fighters had received $60,000 bonuses. Those fighters include Evans, Jason MacDonald, Kurt Pellegrino, and Thiago Tavares.

Evans was rewarded on top of his guaranteed salary and his win bonus with a third payoff in the form of a “Knockout of the Night” bonus thanks to a one-punch knockout of Liddell at 1:51 of round 2.

MacDonald was compensated for his rear naked choke victory over Jason Lambert at 1:20 of round 2 that garnered “Submission of the Night.” The bout was the second of the night and occurred live during the preliminary card but still was shown during last night’s telecast on a tape-delay basis.

Pellegrino and Tavares were awarded $60,000 each for their respective role in what the UFC determined was “The Fight of the Night.” Pellegrino won the fight via unanimous decision in the final live fight before the pay-per-view went live. Unfortunately, the Pellegrino vs. Tavares fight was only one of two fights last night that did not make it to air. However, the fight is now available free of charge on UFC.com.

UFC 88 attendance figures are strong

According to published reports, UFC 88 at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta drew 14,736 fans for a total gate of $2.6 million.

Sherdog.com is now reporting that Day’s replacement will be fellow Canadian Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald.

MacDonald, a native of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, possesses a UFC record of 4-3 with victories over Ed Herman, Chris Leben, Rory Singer, and Joe Doerksen. MacDonald’s most recent outing came at UFC 87: Seek and Destroy where he fell victim to the ground game of Demian Maia after three grueling rounds.

Jason Lambert is looking to test his hand at 185 pounds after spending the majority of his career in the light heavyweight division. Lambert has gone 4-3 in the UFC with victories over Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Branden Lee Hinkle, Terry Martin, and Rob MacDonald.

UFC 88: Breakthrough is scheduled for Saturday, September 6, 2008 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The card will be headlined by a light heavyweight bout featuring former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Rashad Evans.

In his most recent post, MacDonald discussed his upcoming bout with Demian Maia and how a lot of fans are focusing solely on Maia’s jiu-jitsu skills. MacDonald said, “Everyone’s talking about Maia’s jiu-jitsu, and there’s no doubt he’s a superb jiu-jitsu fighter. But I’m not going to turn this into a jiu-jitsu fight. I’m going to make this a mixed martial arts fight. That’s the bottom line. So, my prediction: I’ll TKO Maia in the second round.”

MacDonald is entering the fight as a +220 underdog but he feels he’ll flourish in the role. The last time the UFC considered MacDonald a stepping stone he submitted The Ultimate Fighter alumni Chris “The Crippler” Leben and Ed “Short Fuse” Herman.

MacDonald is currently 4-2 in the UFC but has failed to secure the necessary wins to consider him a legit contender. MacDonald’s two defeats came to former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and Yushin Okami.

Another interesting note from MacDonald’s blog was that he used an IV to re-hydrate following Friday’s weigh-ins. “Afterward, when I got back to the hotel, I actually got an IV, which is I believe is one of the safest ways to re-hydrate,” said MacDonald, “I was probably already back up to 200 pounds by the evening.”

The report comes from Sherdog.com’s Josh Gross, who indicates that the match was scratched after Thomson sustained an injury while training with “Razor” Rob McCullough at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif.

Apparently the shoulder had been previously injured and Thomson suffered a separation. The severity of the injury is not yet known but Gross reports that Thomson will undergo surgery on Thursday.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

That’s a big fight right there, ladies and gentlemen.

Also, after Cung Le’s impressive domination of Sam Morgan, he challenged Frank Shamrock for his Strikeforce middleweight title. Shamrock accepted.

Don’t be surprised if this fight is added to the March card as well. With these two fights coming up and coming off of a solid show on Friday, Strikeforce is moving in the right direction.

During Yahoo!’s live stream of Strikeforce’s show this past Saturday from the Playboy Mansion, Shamrock claimed while he was commentating that Thomson is “MMA’s first openly gay fighter.”

Now, Thomson is apparently considering a suit for slander:

PDG: Last night during the broadcast on Yahoo sports, Frank Shamrock was commentating. When you entered the ring Frank said that you were “The first openly gay fighter in mixed martial arts.”

Josh: Yea I know I have been hearing about that. I think that my agent is in the process of hiring a lawyer to file a lawsuit against Frank for slander. We’ll see how that goes.

During the interview, Thomson also addressed the origins of the bad blood that exists between he and Shamrock:

PDG: Well the two of you have gone back forth recently with the taunts. What lead to the dislike between the two of you?

Josh: Really it is the fact that he left our gym and the American Kickboxing Academy fighters didn’t go with Frank. So he got all butt-hurt about the situation. So he started taking credit for all the AKA fighters. Saying we were all trained by him when in fact we were not. Frank likes to think that he trained me and Mike Swick and all the other guys. He never rolled or worked with any of us guys. My trainer Javier brought him in to spar with me, which is no different than Gilbert Melendez coming in to spar with me. He came in and worked with me a couple days a week — that doesn’t mean he is my coach. He was my training partner. If Frank wants to take credit for that then he is barking up the wrong tree. He was never my coach.

Click here for the entire interview.

As for the fights themselves, they were pretty mediocre. Gilbert Melendez pretty much dominated Tetsuji Kato from the get go, peppering him with his superior boxing game. At one point, he knocked Kato flat on his ass and it appeared that the fight might be stopped. Kato recovered, however, and was able to weather the storm.

Melendez appeared to have hurt his right hand early in the second round and threw it very sparingly throughout the rest of the fight. It didn’t seem to matter much to Melendez, as he continued to win the fight with just his jab and a couple of takedowns. Melendez won a unanimous decision and said he’d love to fight Josh Thomson, who fought earlier in the night.

Melendez v. Thomson is something I think we’d all love to see. Those guys are both top-notch lightweights.

Regarding Josh Thomson, he won rather easily. The story coming out of the night regarding Josh Thomson was Frank Shamrock’s comments about Thomson as he was coming into the cage. Shamrock said something along the lines of “Josh is the first openly gay MMA fighter.” Shamrock shows, once again, that he’s a classless kinda guy. Something tells me he’s still salty over the whole “Frank Glamrock Is My Bitch!” tee shirt that Thomson wore into the cage one night.

Later on, Cung Le would go on to say: “Um. Josh Thomson has a girlfriend. I’ve met her.”

Two former UFC fighters, Joe Riggs and Eugene Jackson fought on the card, with Riggs coming out on top. The fight was really never in question as Riggs dominated the entire fight, eventually pounding Jackson out about halfway into the second round. Riggs belongs back in the UFC. Everyone says he’s a beast in the gym, but he needs to put it together when fight time comes. Even though the competition tonight was nowhere near top caliber, Riggs took care of business.

In other action on the card, WWE Tough Enough winner, Daniel Puder won a three round decision. His fight was a snoozer for sure. The entire first round he tried to pull off a standing guillotine. I’m not kidding. 5 full minutes of straining to pull off a standing guillotine. He was trying so hard that his legs were shaking. Incredible waste of energy. I personally have no interest in seeing Puder fight again.

Overall, this show was a D+. Production was weak, you couldn’t even tell they were at the Playboy Mansion. Light the place up a little, give us a little atmosphere. Terrible commentating from Shamrock. Sometimes the camera angles would just be zoomed in on one of the padded poles in the cage and would completely miss action inside the cage. The fights overall were pretty lackluster, but it was good to see Riggs, Thomson, and especially Melendez get back into the cage.

Josh “The Punk” Thomson (34-2) will square off against former IFL fighter Adam Lynn (11-7) in a clash of 155 lbs. fighters.

No other matches have officially been announced although Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Bobby Southworth, and Daniel Puder are still being advertised for the card.

Yes, you read that right: the Playboy Mansion. MMA and an abundance of fake breasts is a brilliant combination. Scott Coker is a genius. There’s going to be a ton of celebs there and media requests from all over.

Melendez, who is undefeated, became a free agent not too long after Dream Stage Entertainment sold Pride to Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. He announced in June in an interview for ProElite.com that he was officially free to negotiate with other organizations. However, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that Melendez has not signed a new deal with Strikeforce, but will be fighting under the terms of an existing deal that has been signed since last April.

Regardless, it’s good news knowing that one of the most gifted lightweights in the world is going to start fighting again.

Strikeforce has also announced that Josh Thomson, Bobby Southworth, and Daniel Puder will be fighting on the 10-fight card.

I’ll have more details as they become available.