Strikeforce announced the match-ups and official date in a recent press release.

Gurgel scored his first tap-out in more than six years last March at “Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson” with an opening round Guillotine Choke of opponent Billy Vaughn but has regularly been a tough draw regardless of who he’s facing and has scored wins in his career over Diego Saraiva and Conor Heun. While ten of his total victories have been the result of a submission, the 14-7 Gurgel is known of opting to stand for entertainment’s sake rather than rely on his BJJ blackbelt when competing.

“I’m so excited to be headlining this Strikeforce Challengers card in Las Vegas, the home of MMA,” commented Gurgel. “Everybody knows that when I fight, I bring it every time. This is going to be a fight that every fan goes home happy about and remembers for a very, very long time.”

In Duarte the Ohio native will face another apt grappler though one who has won his last four fights including his Strikeforce debut in April. He holds an overall record of 9-2 with eight finishing performances to show for his efforts.

Though Wisely is not a household name yet, the talented 26-year old has beaten the likes of Matt Veach and Hermes Franca (twice). However, Healy has been consistently competitive for his decade in MMA and can not only see Wisely’s in-ring success but raise it given past victories over Lyle Beerbohm, Carlos Condit, Dan Hardy, and Paul Daley.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Gurgel revealed news of the blessed occasion through his Facebook page.

Five Ounces of Pain would like to extend our collective congratulations to the newlyweds and wish them the best! Given their individual talents it seems safe to say there will likely be no fight in life the two of them can’t overcome together.

In news that should fall on welcome ears to those who enjoy Gurgel’s unique combination of charisma, courage, and combative skills, Five Ounces of Pain has learned from sources close to the Cincinnati resident that Gurgel has agreed to a new five-fight deal with Strikeforce and is likely to be in action on March 5 when the promotion journeys to Columbus. No opponent has been attached to the potential match-up. A request for an official comment from Strikeforce has not been returned as of this posting.

Gurgel has gone 1-2 in Strikeforce after a two-year stint in the UFC but entertained throughout in the trio of bouts including a decision win over Conor Heun in mid-2009. He is 13-7 in his career with nine submissions victories to his credit (one by way of strikes).

In a tactical co-feature, world-class submission specialist Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza captured the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship with a unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy.

In an all-action fight, Mo (7-1) was the aggressor in the first, scoring a body slam in the opening minute of the round. But, Feijao (10-2) was unfazed by the take down and got to his feet without suffering any significant damage.

After trading punches in the second, Feijao came out swinging in the third. He landed a few strong combinations and caught Mo with a powerful knee. Clearly wounded, Mo tried to take his opponent to the ground to minimize the damage but, while locked up standing, Feijao battered Mo with a series of brutal slashing elbows to Mo’s head, knocking him out at 1:14.

“I hit him hard with the right hand and the knee,” Feijao said. “I saw he was hurt, but I was just going to continue to hit him. I felt his grip loosening and knew that he was done.

“I have a new coach in boxing and Muay Thai that made the difference. “I just made my dream. I saw in his last fight he wanted to get inside. My strategy worked perfectly.”

A wounded Mo was disappointed but not dejected in his performance.

“I just got to make a few adjustments,” Mo said. “He fought a hell of a fight, but I’m not worried. I’ll come back stronger.”

Jacare (13-2-1) wasn’t able to get Kennedy to the ground, but his effective and relentless counterpunching was the difference maker in the fight.

A deep gash opened up over Kennedy’s left eye early in the third round. Kennedy (12-3) tried taking the fight to the mat, but it was ineffective against Jacare, who was the superior striker landing the harder, crisper punches.

Kennedy continued to attack Jacare throughout the fight, never giving up, but was unable to land anything that hurt his opponent.

“I felt through the fight that he felt my hand,” Jacare said. “I was landing some big punches and I thought I was winning the fight. I was ready to fight everywhere in the cage, but I was surprised how strong he was. He was strong, but I was the one connecting and landing the damaging punches.”

Kennedy, who landed more punches with a higher percentage, was a bit surprised in the unanimous decision loss.

“I was really frustrated with the end result,” Kennedy said. “Jacare is an amazing contender and now a champion. I was humbled that I was able to go five rounds with him, but I think it goes without saying that I’d like another five rounds with that guy. It’s going to be different.

“We’re talking about the most decorated grappler in the planet. I expected him to want to grapple. He countered with me the whole time and I was surprised. I should have put more pressure on him. The only time anyone got dropped in the fight was when I dropped him, but he’s got the belt.”

In a featured lightweight bout, KJ Noons scored a second round KO (:19) over fearless brawler and BJJ blackbelt Jorge Gurgel in a short, but spectacular match.

The two exchanged powerful punches in the first, but a powerful and controversial blow from Noons a split second after the sound of the closing bell for the first round proved to be the difference. Noons (10-2) came out swinging in the second, landing an overhand right followed by a left hook that sent Gurgel (13-7) flying to the canvas. He followed it up with punches on the ground, but the fight was clearly over as Gurgel could not recover.

“By any means am I a dirty fighter, no,” Noons said. “I was just going in there to try to engage and get the round. I was in the heat of the moment and I couldn’t stop my hands as they were going. It wasn’t cheap and I’m not trying to be dirty – I’m just trying to finish the fight. I didn’t’ intentionally do it, it’s just the rush.

“I thought it was a great fight. He had a really good game plan. He was moving around the ring and was trying to get me to engage more. I just knew I had to not over commit on my punches and my kicks and I’d be able to keep standing. I’m not surprised he didn’t take me down.”

Gurgel didn’t make any excuses or complaints in losing.

“I apparently got hit a couple of times when the round was up, but it’s not KJ’s fault,” Gurgel said. The referee is responsible for separating the fighters. I’m not taking anything away from (KJ) He landed a good right hand and a left hook. I have no excuses whatsoever. I came up short in my performance and I’m really upset. I thought I had his number. I’ve never been rocked before. I’ve had 20 professional fights and I’ve never felt that. KJ is a world class fighter.”

In the opening fight of the Showtime telecast, Chad Griggs won an upset, TKO victory over previously unbeaten Bobby Lashley at the end of the second round.

An experienced and talented wrestler, Lashley immediately took the fight to the ground in the first round. He expended a lot of energy trying to hit Griggs (9-1) while on the ground, but Griggs was able to counter and opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye.

Once again, Lashley (5-1) took the fight to the ground in the second, but his punches didn’t do enough damage to the more experienced Griggs. The cut worsened with Lashley apparently gassed in the closing moments of the second round and the referee called the bout immediately following the conclusion of the round.

“This is a dream come true fighting for Strikeforce. I got offered a big fight right off the bat and I’m super pumped I got the win,” Griggs said. “I know he was bleeding all over me. I think he was tired and he was hurt already. I think it was a good call to end it.

“I felt him starting to fade a little bit at the end of the first round. I could hear him breathing really hard and could feel him using a lot of muscle to land punches. I was comfortable because he wasn’t really catching me and he was using a lot of energy. I don’t think that he’s really been hit before or been tested. I could see it in his eyes that the fight was changing. He was still hustling, but I think he was losing some heart in there.”

A full list of results from “Strikeforce – Houston” can be found below:

Artenas Young def. Chad Cook via Unanimous Decision
Chad “Robo” Robichaux def. Humberto DeLeon via Split Decision
Reynaldo “The Truth” Trujillo def. Jose Santibanez via TKO Round 1
Adam Schindler def. Kier Gooch via Submission Round 1 (Rear Naked Choke)
Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes def. Rocky Long via Unanimous Decision
Andre Galvao def. Jorge Patino via TKO Round 3
Daniel Cormier def. Jason Riley via Submission Round 1 (Strikes)
Chad Griggs def. Bobby Lashley via TKO Round 2
KJ Noons def. Jorge Gurgel via KO Round 2
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Tim Kennedy via Unanimous Decision
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. “King Mo” Lawal via TKO Round 3

PHOTO CREDIT: Esther Lin / Strikeforce

The event will take place from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California and will air live on Showtime.

Casey Olson has also been announced for the card against an opponent yet to be determined.

The undefeated Evangelista has established himself as one of the premier up and coming lightweights in Strikeforce with recent victories over the likes of Marlon Sims, Nam Phan and Luke Caudillo. Evangelista’s last performance in the cage was ruled a no-contest after striking a downed Mike Aina with a knee to the head.

With a career record of 13-5, the always entertaining Jorge Gurgel has picked up wins over Diego Saraiva, John Halverson, and most recently, Conor Heun during the course of his career.

The news of the tentative match-up was reported earlier by Sherdog.com.

The winner of the bout would likely be in very good position to challenge for the Strikeforce lightweight championship in the near future.

Evangelista is a blue chip prospect with a record of 9-1. The sole defeat on his record came in the form of a disqualification due to kneeing a downed Mike Aina in May of 2009. He currently trains out of Team Buhawe in Fresno, California.

Gurgel is no stranger to fans of the UFC as he was recently released from the organization with an Octagon record of 3-4. He bounced back and looked impressive while edging out Conor Heun in an amazing battle that took place at Strikeforce Challengers II in June of 2009.

It has been said before by UFC President Dana White, and echoed more recently by UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta; It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose in the UFC, leave nothing in the octagon and your spot is safe with the promotion.

While that may be the case with fighters such as Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell and Stephan Bonnar, dare I ask the question; What about Jorge?

Let me just issue this disclaimer: This is not a fluff piece on Jorge Gurgel although it may seem like it from the initial glance. The truth of the matter is that I’ve never been a humongous Gurgel fan. Not that I didn’t respect the man, I do, he’s just kind of flown under the radar for me until recently.

I’m a big fan of exciting fights. Who isn’t right? With that being said, I’m the type of guy that pays close attention to which two fighters are awarded “Fight of the Night” bonuses after every UFC.

That’s why it struck me as odd when it was announced that Jorge Gurgel was released from the UFC following his FOTN performance against Aaron Riley. Gurgel lost a close decision, but he fought his heart out and put his health on the line for us, the fans.

I couldn’t imagine how the UFC would release a fighter after such an exhilarating performance, especially since the fighter in question had a track record for bringing the crowd to it’s feet time and time again.

Let us not forget that Gurgel had previously been awarded FOTN honors with the UFC when he edged out a hard fought decision against Diego Saraiva at UFC 73.

How many other UFC fighters have earned two, or even one FOTN bonus while competing on the undercard?

According to Gurgel himself in an interview with MMAJunkie.com following his release from the UFC , the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt admitted that it was a habit of his to abandon his strong grappling background in favor of striking to insure an exciting performance for the UFC salary paying fans.

“(UFC announcer) Joe Rogan, everybody asks me. ‘Why don’t you do jiu-jitsu? You’d be in the top of the guys in the weight class if you would do jiu-jitsu.’ But I always get caught up in not being boring” confessed Gurgel.

“I have so much fun striking, and I love it so much,” continued the current Strikeforce lightweight. “And the high that I get that I look for when I train is to be in the octagon in heated exchanges. And we’re just going crazy punching each other, moving from a head kick or something. And the crowd goes from watching the fight to, ‘Wow.’ That’s what I feed on.”

This is why it struck me as extremely odd when I heard Lorenzo Fertitta quoted as saying that laying it all on the line basically insures your spot with the UFC during a Q&A session at the recent UFC Fan Expo.

“I don’t care if you win or lose. I don’t care about your record. I want you to come and fight,”said Fertitta. “If you come and fight and you lay it all on the line, then you will have a spot in the UFC.

“Perfect example. Look at Wanderlei Silva. Does anybody care that he lost his last fight? No, he is a bad dude and I would want to watch him fight every single time.”

But what about Jorge?

Slated to compete are the two odds-on favorites to reach the finals of the eight-man, single-elimination tourney, Eddie Alvarez and Jorge Masvidal.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the news after speaking with sources close to the fight on Thursday.

Alvarez, 16-2, advanced into the second round following his first round victory over Greg Loughran in Hollywood, Fla. during Bellator’s first-ever show on April 3. Alvarez walked away victorious after securing a guillotine choke submission at 2:44 of round 1.

Masvidal, 17-3, fought on the same show and needed just one minute and 19 seconds to TKO Nick Agallar due to punches. The American Top Team product improved to 3-0 in his last three fights with the win.

Alvarez will meet Eric Reynolds in Dayton while Masvidal is set to take on Toby Imada. Imada submitted Alonzo Martinez with a rear naked choke at 3:26 of round 1 on April 3 while Reynolds advanced after upsetting Thomas Schulte on April 10 in Uncasville, Calif. following a TKO a 4:17 of round 1.

Former EliteXC heavyweight Dave Herman is also scheduled to compete on the card in a non-tournament bout vs. Josh Barnes.

Soon after the loss to Riley – a bout in which he garnered a $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus – the UFC moved to purge Gurgel from its roster.

However, Gurgel’s gutsy performances in the Octagon clearly made an impact in the eyes of talent evaluators presiding over other fight promotions, as San Jose-based Strikeforce moved to add Gurgel to its lightweight division almost immediately following his release.

Gurgel recently took time out to speak exclusively with FiveOuncesOfPain.com regarding the process in which he arrived in Strikeforce after departing the UFC.

Question: How did everything go down over the past few days – starting with your UFC release to the signing with Strikeforce?

Jorge Gurgel: Well, I can’t be released from a childhood dream – which the UFC has always has been for me – and be truly and thoroughly happy about it. It’s disappointing for anyone to get released from any job, but at the same time, I’m very excited to start a new chapter of my life – to fight in a new organization, to fight new competition, to fight in a new cage. I’m going to come out a totally new Jorge Gurgel. I am really excited about it.

Q: How did this happen so quickly?

JG: I told Monte (Cox) that if I get released, which I knew it was a possibility, even though everyone told me it wouldn’t happen because I almost always get fight of the night. When the UFC officially sent me the devastating e-mail that I had been released, not only did I get a lot of calls from the UFC, I got a lot of calls from a lot of different people.

Q: Has Strikeforce said when you’d be fighting next?

JG: No, but I want to know. I just had a couple of bone spurs taken out of my elbow. I just had surgery a couple of days ago, and I ran six miles today. It was a minor surgery. I’m going to take a little time off and go to Brazil to see my Dad and to train with my home guys where I started. I’m going to come back fresh. Hopefully, in three weeks, I should be fully training – punching and grappling. By the end of January, I hope to be fully ready to go in Strikeforce.

Q: How long are you signed with Strikeforce for?

JG: Three fights.

Q: Strikeforce certainly does have a couple of very good lightweights on its roster in Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson. What are your thoughts on those guys?

JG: Those guys are top of the world. Besides BJ Penn, they rank higher in the world rankings then most of the guys in the UFC. You know Josh Thomson is ranked higher than any other lightweight in the UFC besides BJ Penn and maybe Sean Sherk as well. It’s not like I’m going someplace to get easier fights.

I’m sure Strikeforce is not going to give me those guys right off the bat. My goal is to climb the ladder like anyone else. I’m going to be prepared. I want to get my first fight out of the way and my second fight out of the way, and hopefully in my third and forth fight, I’ll get to fight the contenders and we’ll go from there.

Q: I know you said earlier that you thought the release from the UFC was a possibility, but were you surprised it happened like this?

JG: Yes. I’m not going to lie, but I’m not surprised from Joe Silva’s standpoint. I’m very good friends with Joe Silva, and we’ve known each other for a very long time. He called and said that he hates to do this, but you’ve lost two in a row. The losses were mainly due to me being stupid though. In the Cole Miller fight, I was beating him decisively for three rounds and then I got caught in a triangle with ten seconds left. In the Aaron Riley fight, I hurt my shin in the second round and could not kick him anymore. I won the first round, and somehow, my retarded head veered from the game plan, and I was having too much fun striking when I should have taken him to the ground to submit him.

This is a business. I lost two in a row. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s not like I’m going to look down and pick up an alcohol habit. They cut me. It does hurt my pride that I was released. I printed the letter, and I framed it. I will read it every day, and one day, I will be champion of the world and look back to everyone and say ‘how do you like me now?’

Q: One guy you’ve trained with for a long time is former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Have you spoken with him about what has happened?

JG: Yes. Rich said this is a transitional period. You’ll go somewhere new, test new waters and test new fighters. Rich is happy for me that I was jobless less than fifteen minutes. One thing I can promise you now is that you will see my Jiu-Jitsu skills now. Period.

Q: Was part of the reason you stood in your fights so much an effort to win the fight of the night bonus?

JG: No. Never. Everyone who has ever followed my career knows that it has never been about the money. I would have been rich if I cared about the money. My school is one of the biggest schools in the country, but I make no money from it because I let everyone train for free.

I get caught up in the moment, and I always think that I am winning. But when the three rounds are over, I sometimes think that I may have lost so it hits me. That happened in the Mark Hominick fight. I totally thought I won the fight. The same thing occurred with Aaron Riley. I didn’t realize I was in trouble until the fight was over.

Q: You mentioned the Riley and Hominick fights. Did you disagree with the decision of the judges in those fights?

JG: I definitely disagreed on the Mark Hominick fight. I knew it was my fight. Right after that fight not only did Mark Hominick get released but they changed the rules. If you’re a fighter in the UFC and you turn your back from the combat and run away even if only for one second, you automatically get one point deducted. Mark ran in the fight four straight times. Not only did he run, he sprinted. I should have brought my Nike shoes to keep up with him. I like Mark a lot, but I thought I beat him in the fight. I’m not a sore loser though. I thought Riley razor thinned me in the second and third rounds.

Q: One of the guys who has looked very good coming from your training camp is Dustin Hazelett. His Jiu-Jitsu has been off the charts. Are you responsible for some of his growth?

JG: I’m responsible for all of that brother. He’s my kid. He’s my black belt. Dustin is the ultimate student. He has no ego whatsoever. He’s always willing to learn. When I learn new things, the first person I teach is Dustin. He’s always up for learning. If I say to do something one hundred times, he does it one hundred times. Dustin Hazelett made himself what he is from believing in his coach and having one of the greatest work ethics outside of myself and Rich Franklin. Dustin is a submission master. I am very proud of what he’s accomplished.

Q: Will you still be cornering your guys with the UFC?

JG: Of course. I don’t think the UFC dislikes me at all. Rich Franklin will be cornering me at Strikeforce, and I’ll be cornering him with the UFC.

Q: What do you think about Rich’s upcoming fight with Dan Henderson?

JG: I think Rich Franklin is Rich Franklin, and he always finds a way to win. He’s going to be fine.

Q: Did you speak with any other organizations at all? Or was it Strikeforce only?

JG: That is the first time someone has asked me this question. When I thought the release was possible, I spoke with my manager Monte to make sure things were set. He got in touch with Strikeforce because Strikeforce has good relations with the UFC. Apparently, Dana and the UFC do not like Affliction. I do not want to go to a place that the UFC does not like and have the possibility of getting black-listed. Strikeforce was the first option. Right off the bat, Monte called Strikeforce, and they asked Monte if we were shopping around at all. Monte said that he does not want to. He did not want to put me out on the market. He just wanted me to be happy, and he felt I’d be happy at Strikeforce.

Mike (Afromowitz) called me, and he was very excited. He was very nice to me. He paid attention to everything I said. We did an interview and a press release the very same day I was released. They offered a great contract right off the bat, and I was more than happy with it.

Q: With this being a crazy past few days, do you have an idea of where you see yourself in the next year or so?

JG: I don’t look too far in the future. I think the next 200 yards. The next thing is to rehab my elbow and get back into fighting shape. After that, I want to schedule a fight with Strikeforce. I want to find an opponent, a location, and a date. All I know is that in two years, I will still be fighting. Hopefully, I’ll have a world title with Strikeforce or someone else. If not that, I want to be fighting for a title. Maybe I’ll be back in the UFC. Who knows? I have a lot of fight in me. Fighting is what motivates to get up every morning. I am very re-energized to get going.

Gurgel had a string of exciting fights in the UFC culminating with the unanimous decision loss to Aaron Riley at UFC 91. Even in defeat, Gurgel pocketed an additional 60k as he and Riley took home fight of the night honors. More often than not though, Gurgel ended up on the losing side of the ledger. His UFC record stands at 3-4 at the time of his release.

Strikeforce has a few well known lightweights at the top of its rankings. Gurgel was quick to point out a couple of guys he’d like to face.

“There are some amazing contenders in my weight class including Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez,” said Gurgel, “I will do whatever it takes to climb to the top of this league.”

Gurgel is optimistic about fighting outside of the Octagon.

“I am very excited to be a part of Strikeforce and given a chance to fight new blood and capture a belt.”

Despite lofty projections for PPV sales of the event, officials with the promotion awarded $60,000 bonuses after having awarded $70,000 bonuses during last month’s UFC 90 event in Rosemont, Illinois.

Receiving the 65K bonuses last night on top of their originally scheduled pay were Dustin Hazelett, Jeremy Stephens, Jorge Gurgel, and Aaron Riley.

Hazelett was awarded the “Submission of the Night” bonus following a victory via armbar against fellow welterweight Tamdan McCrory at 3:59 of round 1. The award marked the second time in the 22-year old black belt’s career that he has earned such honors. After the fight, Hazelett informed UFC color commentary Joe Rogan that it is his goal to set the UFC-career record for “Submission of the Night” awards.

The “Knockout of the Night” award went to Jeremy Stephens after the native Iowan thwarted multiple submission attempts by Rafael dos Anjos en route to a third round TKO. In what was proclaimed by color commentator Rogan as one of the biggest uppercuts in UFC history, Stephens deemed his lackluster performance in the first two rounds as irrelevant after loading up and delivering.

Stephens began to swing while outside of dos Anjos’ range but continued to move forward as the punch slipped through dos Anjos’ guard and turned his head at a 90 degree angle. The momentum behind the punch forced a discharge of saliva from the mouth of dos Anjos and made his neck to move as if it was on a swivel.

Both Gurgel and Riley were the recipitients of the “Fight of the Night” bonus following their preliminary card fight that ended with Riley winning via unanimous decision. Despite having taken place as the fourth fight on the card, UFC officials still managed to squeeze the fight into last night’s PPV telecast by airing it immediately after the night’s main event of Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar had concluded.

Even though Gurgel holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu, he decided to engage in a standup battle with Riley, who was making his return to the Octagon after two prior tours of duty with the promotion. Gurgel’s decision not to take the fight to the floor cost him not only the battle but the war, but he’s now $60,000 richer to show for the effort.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) (UFC(R)) has added three thrilling bouts to the organization’s next UK super-show. It has been confirmed that Rameau Sokoudjou will collide with Luiz Cane in a battle of light-heavyweight strikers, Japanese submission expert Akihiro Gono will take on on highly-regarded British debutant Dan Hardy and steel-fisted heavyweight Shane Carwin will exchange bombs with England’s own Neil Wain.

There are definitely some quality match-ups in there, however I am slightly disappointed that I might not to get to see Sokoudjou vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua anytime soon. Who knows, maybe if the “African Assassin” comes out of the Cane fight unscathed (which I doubt) we may get to see him take on Shogun in December.

UFC 89 is headlined by a middleweight contest between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben and is set to take place on October 18th at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.

The current rumored line-up is as follows:

• Michael Bisping vs. Chris Leben
• Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez*
• Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Luiz Cane
• Dan Hardy vs. Akihiro Gono
• Shane Carwin vs. Neil Wain
• Paul Kelly vs. Marcus Davis*
• Jess Liaudin vs. David Bielkheden*
• Samy Schiavo vs. Per Eklund*
• Sam Stout vs. Terry Etim*

*Indicates rumored bout as foretold by MMA Weekly.com.

Read more UFC 89 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com

Shane Carwin had KO of the night up until Wanderlei (Silva),” said Dana White.

Carwin looked extremely impressive in taking out Christian Wellisch and his mouthpiece. While Brock Lesnar is getting all the press as the next big heavyweight for the UFC (and boy, do they need a new heavyweight), Carwin could very well be the difference maker in the division for years to come – especially if UFC 84 was any indication.

Carwin has a perfect 8-0 record and was both a Division II wrestling champion and a two-time All-American in football. The news of the UFC signing Carwin was exclusively reported right here, at FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

His rumored opponent, Christian Wellisch, is currently 8-3 professionally with a 2-1 mark in the UFC. He last competed at UFC 76: Knockout where he defeated Scott Junk via heel hook in the first round.

UFC 84: Ill Will is set to take place May 24th, in Las Vegas, Nevada and is headlined by a UFC lightweight championship match between current UFC lightweight champion, B.J. Penn and former UFC lightweight champion, Sean Sherk.

Intriguing light heavyweight contests between Tito Ortiz and Lyoto Machida as well as Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva will serve as co-main events.

Read more Shane Carwincontent on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Carwin confirmed the news when contacted for comment.

Carwin has gained recent national attention thanks in large part to a perfect 8-0 record that includes victories over current IFO heavyweight champion Chris Guillen and also Miletich Fighting Systems-product and former UFC fighter Sherman Pendergarst.

Carwin’s most recent victory came against Pendergarst on Dec. 1 while fighting for Sven Bean’s Ring of Fire promotion in Colorado.

In addition to his perfect record, Carwin has gained acclaim because of his collegiate athletic credentials. He was not only a Division II wrestling champion but also a two-time All-American in football.

His strong amateur wrestling credentials coupled with his impressive phyisque have drawn comparisons to another highly-touted UFC heavyweight, Brock Lesnar. Unlike Lesnar, Carwin’s striking is more proven and he has eight pro fights to his credit. The combination of Carwin and Lesnar gives the UFC two blue chip prospects in its heavyweight division and a showdown between the two could be inevitable down the line.

According to Carwin, signing with the UFC was a long-term goal of his.

“I believe the UFC is the NFL of mixed martial arts and I am extremely excited to fight for them,” Carwin said in an exclusive comment to FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “(It’s) a real dream come true.”

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned that Carwin has not signed with EliteXC and that an opponent for Silva has yet to be determined.