FiveOuncesOfPain.com was the first to report several months ago that half-brothers Torrance Taylor (pictured) and Tiawan Howard had signed multi-fight contracts with EliteXC. And now we can be the first to report that they have been added to EliteXC’s ShoXC event to take place on Friday, Oct. 10 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana.

We confirmed the news while speaking with their manager, Mike Camp of F1 Management.

While opponents have yet to be finalized, EliteXC officials have confirmed that tentative matchups have been set for the two. Taylor, a dynamic lightweight striker, is likely to face former UFC veteran Jeff Cox while Howard, who normally competes at welterweight, will move up to middleweight to face Hector Urbina.

Both Taylor and Howard made it to the finals of the IFL Draft during the promotion’s tryouts in New York last year. They were part of an impressive class that included James “Binky” Jones and Jim Bova of EliteXC, Danillo Villefort of the WEC, Matt Brown of the UFC, former BodogFIGHT veteran Matt Lee, and top unsigned prospects LeVon Maynard of Virginia and Al Iaquinta of New York.

Taylor, 20, is just 7-4, according to Sherdog’s fight finder, but holds three career victories over former UFC veterans Jason Dent, Junior Assuncao, and Luke Caudillo. His two most recent victories were in May against Assuncao while competing for the AFL and then in June against Caudillo during a Ring of Fire show.

Howard, 33, is 5-2 according to Sherdog’s fight finder. His four fight win streak was snapped on August 2 in a decision loss to Micah Bender during the IFBL’s Fight Night 12. Prior to that he recorded consecutive wins over Mohammed Rashad, Mark Lesley, Travis Burnett, and Chris Thomas.

Cox is based out of Cleveland and is 9-6, according to Sherdog. He is 0-2 in his UFC career with losses to Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 10 and Manny Gamburyan at UFC Fight Night 13. His most recent fight was a loss to Bart Palaszewski during Adrenaline MMA’s inaugural show on June 14.

Urbina, 12-4, according to Sherdog, also competed on Adrenaline MMA’s first-ever show, recording a second round TKO over David Kleczkowski. This will be his second appearance on ShoXC with his EliteXC debut having taken place in August of 2007, where he recorded a unanimous decision victory over Ray Lizama. He also holds notable victories over John Doyle and former Green Bay Packers running back Herbert “Whisper” Goodman. The 20-year old has also suffered notable losses to Tim Kennedy and Jason “Mayhem” Miller.

The Oct. 10 ShoXC event will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET and will be headlined by heavyweight prospect Dave Herman taking on TUF 2 veteran Kerry Schall.

Ariel Gandulla, who last fought at the World Extreme Cagefighting event in Las Vegas on Dec. 12, has tested positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone according to Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Gandulla fought Doug Marshall at WEC 31 a little over a week ago for the light heavyweight title and got stuck in an armbar in the opening moments of the first round. Another fighter under the Zuffa banner testing positive for Nandrolone.

I’m not going to give the event my usual thorough analysis because I watched it via unconventional circumstances. As I’m sure you’re aware by now if you’re a regular reader of this blog, I was in Los Angeles earlier this week to tape “Inside MMA” for HDNet.

I was at LAX while the event was taking place and while I DVR’d the event, things have been so crazy that I haven’t had time to sit down and watch it. My hope was that I could possibly watch it at a bar in the airport but I scoped out three separate bars and none of them had Versus. I was kind of dismayed because all three bars carried DirecTV so I know it was available to them.

The biggest disappointment was encountering a sports bar that didn’t carry Versus. Dude, how can you present your bar as a “sports bar” and not pay the extra $9.95 a month to pick up the basic sports tier that contains Versus? That bar should have its liquor license revoked.

After my search proved fruitless, I contacted a FiveOuncesOfPain.com writer that shall remain nameless via IM. He’ll remain nameless so that his innocence can be protected. But after informing him of my plight he informed me of a means in which I could watch the event on my computer. This method is probably not the most legal way to watch an event and I have always shied away from the type of thing. However, I had a seven hour wait at LAX and the surreal mixture of Christmas music and sunny 50 degree weather started taking a toll on my sanity after about hour four. I needed to see some good MMA and I needed to see it now.

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

1. Charles Valencia defs. Ian McCall via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3.19 of R1
2. Brian Bowles defs. Marcos Galvao via TKO(Strikes) at 2.09 of R2
3. Ed Ratcliff defs. Alex Karalexis via TKO(Strikes) at 1.26 of R2
4. Bryan Baker defs. Eric Schambari via Decision (Split) at 5.00 of R3
5. John Alessio defs. Todd Moore via Decision (Unanimous) at 5.00 of R3
6. Doug Marshall defs. Ariel Gandulla via Submission (Arm Bar) at 0.55 of R1
7. Paul Filho defs. Chael Sonnen via Submission (Arm Bar) at 4.55 of R2
8. Jens Pulver defs. Cub Swanson via Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 0.35 of R1
9. Urijah Faber defs. Jeff Curran via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4.34 of R2

Video care of RawVegasTV.

Check FiveOuncesofPain.com for more WEC 31 content.

In addition to the title fights, tonight’s show, which will air live at 9 p.m. ET on Versus, will feature the WEC debut of Jens Pulver.

Here are my predictions for the card:

Urijah Faber vs. Jeff Curran for the WEC featherweight title - We’ve seen a lot of great matches in 2007 and this could go down as one of them. Curran is very well-rounded and Faber is as well, as his standup game does not get nearly as much credit as it deserves.

I expect this to be an evenly contested battle with Faber holding a slight advantage on the ground and Curran having the advantage standing. Faber is the pure definition of gameness and will be up for this fight, more so than usual. I expect him to deliver in the clutch and walk away with a five round unanimous decision.

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

Here are the weigh-in results:

Urijah Faber (144) vs Jeff Curran (143.5) (for WEC featherweight title)

Paulo Filho (185) vs Chael Sonnen (185) (for WEC middleweight title)

Doug Marshall (204) vs Ariel Gandulla (199) (WEC light heavyweight title)

Jens Pulver (145) vs Cub Swanson (146)

John Alessio (170) vs Todd Moore (167.5)

Bryan Baker (183.5) vs Eric Schambari (182.5)

Alex Karalexis (155) vs Ed Ratcliff (155)

Ian McCall (136) vs Charlie Valencia (134)

Brian Bowles (134) vs Marcos Galvao (136)

WEC 31 will be aired live on the Versus Network at 9pm ET/6pm PT tomorrow night.

The card will feature three separate title defenses in the featherweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight divisions, as well as a featherweight bout between Jens Pulver and Cub Swanson.

The finalized fight card is as follows:

• Urijah Faber (c) vs. Jeff Curran (for featherweight title)
• Paulo Filho (c) vs. Chael Sonnen (for middleweight title)
• Doug Marshall (c) vs. Ariel Gandulla (for light heavyweight title)
• Cub Swanson vs. Jens Pulver
• John Alessio vs. Todd Moore
• Alex Karalexis vs. Ed Ratcliff
• Chance Farrar vs. Micah Miller
• Brian Bowles vs. Marcos Galvao
• Dominick Cruz vs. Charlie Valencia
• Bryan Baker vs. Eric Schambari

I don’t know about you, but I would not mind seeing this entire card.

Paulo: “I would not train American to fight with Brazilian”Jiu-jitsu black belt, Paulo Filho travels on December 8 for the United States to do his first defense of belt against Chael Sonnen, in the WEC 31, which happens on December 12. In exclusive interview with TATAME, Paulo told how it went to prepare for the fight and commented on the invitation he received to train Chuck Liddell in the struggle against Wanderlei Silva in the UFC 79. “I would never train with an American to fight with a Brazilian. I am not a slut, or a prostitute,” said the champion middleweight of the WEC. Check the interview in the full text, tomorrow morning, here in the site TATAME.

Whoa. Doesn’t look like Filho’s interested. ***UPDATED: READ MORE FOR FULL INTERVIEW*** Now, mind you, this has been run through a translator. Everything doesn’t translate over perfectly. Also, I’m no speaker-of-Portuguese, so I did not take any liberties in changing the translations. I am assuming the untranslated word, “trocação” has something to do with a striking or stand up style of fighting. Enjoy.

Who is going to accompany you in the WEC? With who trained?
The (Josuel) Distak and the Amaury Bitetti are with me. I did a work with the Thiagão Medeiros, which is my pupil, with the Distak, which cannot be lacking, with Rafael Manteiga, with the Amaury Bitetti, with the Arona that was here yesterday with the Minotauro to help me, with this people.

What the Chael Sonnen finds of?
It is a face I last, with back ground of Wrestling good of fall, it knocks down very well. I am going to have to be careful not to be knocked down, but if as fortune I to fall for bass will have some surprises for him. I will not have the problems what I had in my another struggle. This time I am not taking any more medicines to sleep and am going to be strong and fed. We are going to see in what it is going to give.

How the weight is?
At the moment I am with 93 kg, because I prefer to leave to take away at the last moments, since I do not want to train weakly. I want to train strongly and with this weight I do not damage my training.

Are you close with the Team Link? One is going to move for the United States?
I am close with Team Link yes. They have a fantastic infrastructure, it has Gabriel Napão who is excellent and I will be going to act they here. I have the interest to live in America, but for the time being I am going to stay here.

What you gain with this change?
I was very well received there. I did several seminars and I believe that the sport has greatly growing there. They have a very good infrastructure there, have the Napão that gained weight, it is stronger and is the best fighter. I think that I win and they also, with my name and my knowledge.

The Thiago Silva is an athlete of Jorge Patino Macaco and of the Chute Boxe and also it is in the Team Link. Will you have any problem in training with him?
I have not anything against the Thiago Silva, he is excellent and only I have to congratulate it. He only faced quarry, they are that the great fighters are simple, like the Stench, by me, the Shogun. This behaviour erases, does not need to be doing faces and mouths, I think them to myself what he is still going to ripen. He is going to learn what the champions also lose. I think that he has total condition to be the champion of this category. He is to be congratulated.

How it will be the struggle of the Napão against the Fabrício Werdum?
I was the arbiter of the first struggle and the Napão was better in the beginning, I am them that he was prepared badly physically and the Werdum finished turning. I was very much criticized in the time because the stick ate in the struggle and I did not interrupt. But are the two black belts and I did not feel what they wanted to stop, then as I am going to put the hand in the struggle? I think that it is going to be a war. The Napão is excellent and the Werdum also. I prefer not to give hunch and wait for a great show.

What it finds of the defense of belt of the Anderson Silva against Dan Henderson?
I entrust 100 % in the Anderson. I think that he has to train more the clinche because the Henderson is wrestler, believe them to myself that he will not bring problems to the Anderson. The Anderson is more long and in this weight he is “undefeatable”.

You received proposal to train Chuck Liddell. Did you accept the proposal?
Really the proposal was done, I did not accept them to myself. It would never train with an American to fight with a Brazilian. I am not a slut, or a prostitute. We are we against the foreigners. I was for there now and I saw which athlete in America has everything he needs, they are treated well and here in Brazil it is the opposite. So then I am going to train with the foreigners? I am a Brazilian until I die.

How it will be this struggle does it erase against the Liddell?
An advice for the Wanderlei is which struggle is not it fights. If he is for the frank trocação with the Liddell it is going to fall. He has Vale-Tudo wrestling and not Muay Thai fight. He has to put down and to punish the Liddell. This is the way from the stones. I support him. It is a face fighter, he was already a bouncer of bar, he is a Brazilian and is a destruction of the Americans.

A new organization, the M-1, is doing events in Japan with all the staffs of the Pride. What it finds of that? You will fight again in Japan?
First I have to do my life in America. I am going to have to try again now that I have conditions to be a champion. I am going to have to kill another lion. After my contract to finish, I am going to study the proposals and I will choose the best. It would like returning to Japan because I am adapted to the climate of there. I am a fighter of BJJ, what is a style that does not please very much the Americans, whom they prefer trocação, I me them wait that the Americans start to admire mine also. Already in Japan, them they prefer this another style.