lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.mmanews.com/rankingsquot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;The highly-rankedlt;/Agt; lightweight pride of Japan, Shinya Aoki, will be in action on September 25th for his next fight. Unfortunately for Aoki, the man standing across from him at the Nippon Gaishi Hall on 9/25 will not be Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. Despite lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.mmanews.com/news/88357quot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;Aoki#039;s attempts to lure Melendez into a rematchlt;/Agt; on the same date, Aoki will find himself competing against the man who derailed the last great Japanese-hope — Takanori Gomi — as he battles Marcus quot;Maximusquot; Aurelio at DREAM 16 in Japan.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

DREAM officials confirmed the Aoki-Aurelio bout earlier this week, in what will be Aoki#039;s second fight after losing in his North American MMA debut at lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.mmanews.com/news/87844quot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;Strikeforce: Nashvillelt;/Agt; this past April. Aoki (24-5) last stepped into the ring at lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.mmanews.com/news/88352quot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;DREAM 15lt;/Agt; on July 10th, defeating highly-regarded Tatsuya Kawajiri by submission in a fight that didn#039;t reach the two-minute mark before lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.mmanews.com/news/88382quot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;Aoki injured Kawajiri#039;s leglt;/Agt; with a vicious achilles lock.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Aurelio (20-8) last saw ring-action at the Fight Festival 27 event, submitting the unheralded Niko Puhakka (an 18-10 MMA fighter) with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their March 13th fight. Prior to the FF 27 match, Aurelio#039;s last appearance on a big-stage saw the Brazilian drop a split decision to Evan Dunham at UFC 102 in August of 2009. The split-decision loss isn#039;t the worst blemish now that Dunham is a legitimate contender in the UFC#039;s transitioning lightweight division. Unfortunately it was still the third-straight loss for Aurelio in the UFC, which leads to his return to Japan, the place he made his name with high-profile PRIDE Bushido victories.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;lt;!–more-break–gt;

Aoki-Aurelio joins Takeshi Inoue vs. Kazuyuki Miyata, along with an interesting Joachim Hansen vs. Hideo Tokoro bout, as three new fights officially announced by the DREAM promotion this week.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Already announced for DREAM 16, which is scheduled to air on HDNet in the U.S. from the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on September 25th, is a grand prix tournament final between Gegard Mousasi and Tatsuya Mizuno to determine the new DREAM light heavyweight champion, a unique fight between Jason quot;MayheMquot; Miller and Kazushi Sakuraba and Michihiro Omigawa vs. Joe Warren.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Also announced to participate in fights on the 9/25 DREAM card are top fighters Kid Yamamoto, Caol Uno and Ikuhisa Minowa.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

The Virginia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Programs decision to deny Shine Fights a promoters license last Friday was based on the promotions inability to provide mandatory documents, including evidence of a surety bond to cover fighters purses, said Mary Broz-Vaughan, director of communications for the Dept. of Professional and Occupational Regulation.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

A Shine Fights event originally scheduled for this Friday at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., was relocated to the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Okla., over the weekend.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

The event, which plans to host an eight-man, one-night tournament, will be held on sovereign land outside of the Oklahoma Sate Athletic Commissions jurisdiction. The First Council Casino does not have its own commission body to regulate combat sports events, said a representative on Tuesday. Details of any requirements Shine will have to complete with the casino to hold the show were not readily available.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

In Virginia, Broz-Vaughan said the regulatory body worked diligently with the Florida-based promotion up until last Thursday to approve its licensure, even allotting the promotion an extension past the 30-day deadline organizations have to hand in all necessary documentation.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

Shine was either late or unable to provide complete medical records and test results, as well as fighters professional records, said Broz-Vaughan.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

We were begging for information from them on Tuesday, said Broz-Vaughan. We just cant put on an event without the required documents.

quot;George Sotiropoulos is one fight away from setting up a dream UFC world title fight in Sydney next February. Geelong-born Sotiropoulos will face either B.J. Penn or Kenny Florian in a lightweight title eliminator in November, and victory would likely earn him a bout for the championship belt when the UFC returns to Sydney next year.quot;lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

quot;Frankie Edgar will take on Gray Maynard later this year. Sotiropoulos is confident of claiming the belt against whoever wins. #039;quot;I see [Edgar#039;s] strengths and weaknesses, and I look at how my strengths and weaknesses match up against his and I#039;ve got a lot of confidence in myself.quot; said Sotiropoulos.quot;

quot;In interviews this week, I#039;ve been asked if another two losses in addition to my loss to George St-Pierre and Paul Daley#039;s defeat to Josh Koscheck, shows that the Rough House needs to bring in new wrestling coaches in order to be successful in the UFC … Rather than saying #039;oh, these guys can#039;t wrestle#039;, I think the problem is there#039;s beginning to be too much wrestling in UFC Octagon, not too little of it in the gym. There are a lot of people out there calling themselves #039;UFC fighters#039; who are nothing of the kind. In the UFC, you should go for finishes. You should work for 15 minutes to knock your opponent out, submit him, or improve your position to give yourself the best chance of doing either. But there#039;s guys out there who just want to use wrestling to hold a stalemate for 15 minutes, without ever risking going for ground and pounds or attempting submissions. This isn#039;t #039;cheating within the rules#039; it is actually against the rules. #039;Timidity#039; is outlawed in the Unified MMA rules and what better describes the act of holding on to an opponent and waiting for the clock to tick down with no attempt or inclination to do any damage? And that#039;s not the same as saying all UFC bouts have to be kickboxing or Thai boxing matches in order to be entertaining. That#039;s not what I am saying. One of the best fights of the year was George [Sotiropoulos] who is a friend of mine and a guy I am tipping to win the Lightweight Title next year beating Joe Stevenson at UFC 110 … The Athletic Commissions need to look at the scoring and refereeing to stop this from becoming a problem. If a guy is in a dominant position, but not actually doing anything offensive stand #039;em back up. If he is consistently trying to tie the other guy up to avoid actual fighting warn him and then start taking points. It is supposed to be a fight.quot;lt;brgt;lt;Brgt;

Props: lt;a href=http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Dan-Hardy-Column/article-2610453-detail/article.htmlgt;This Is Nottinghamlt;/agt;

quot;I believe a lot of the guys try to take me off track. They do that, because I do believe skill wise and technically I#039;m the best fighter in the world. They want to take me off track. They want me to fight with my anger and not with my head and my heart. I#039;m not going to do that mistake.quot;lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

quot;Of course a guy like that (Josh Koscheck), that trash talks, says I#039;m a frenchie. It just puts extra motivation for me to twist my knuckle on his head when I hit him.quot;

Jeff Mulhollan from Throwdown Training Center sent along the following to MMANEWS.COM:lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;Bgt;September 7, 2010lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;CENTERgt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THROWDOWN, PLAYS KEY SUPPORTING ROLL WITH LHP ENTERTAINMENT INC PRODUCTION OF THE ULTIMATE WOMEN CHALLENGE REALITY SHOW THAT WILL DEBUT THIS MONTH ON NBC AND OTHER MAJOR NETWORKSlt;/CENTERgt;lt;/Bgt;lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

LHP Entertainment selected Throwdown Industries, Throwdown Training Center and its fight team in Las Vegas (Throwdown), as a key partner in the production of the Ultimate Women Challenge Reality TV show which will be syndicated and featured on NBC and other networks in 60+mm households, with international distribution as well.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

This 13 episode reality TV show goes live on September 25th and features Educational and Instructional programming showcasing sixteen ultimate women dedicated to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and overcoming extraordinary challenges. Each episode immerses the women in real life challenges surrounding everyday issues that many Americans face, such as obesity, education and literacy, homelessness, foster care, cancer and disabilities. Each contest will reward the winner, or penalize the loser, while imparting educational information on nutrition, fitness, general health and wellness, financial management, and other relevant information. All challenges will be both entertaining and enlightening and will ultimately benefit a charitable cause whose works will be highlighted. The charities will be presented with a donation in the name of the contestant who wins the challenge.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

The program is hosted by Joanna Krupa and Amber Nicole. Joanna was name the Worlds Sexiest Swimsuit Model and has been featured on many magazine covers. She also appeared in Superstar with Terrell Owen and Dancing with the Stars. She is also hosting Polands Next Top model with Tyra Banks.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Amber Nicole was a former UFC ring girl and formerly modeled for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Venus Swimwear and has had roles in movies and various TV shows. Amber has been featured in many top magazines as well. She is a Las Vegas Celebrity and her likeness appears on numerous billboards around Las Vegas and Los Angeles.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Although we embraced this opportunity on many levels, it was the charitable approach that really resonated with Throwdown reported David Vautrin, CEO Throwdown Industries. The series also features The Throwdown Training Center in Las Vegas, its leadership, trainers and Throwdown techniques. The training center provided authenticity to the program as it is the home of many well known top MMA fighters like Forrest Griffin, Evan Dunham, Amir Sadollah, Matt Riddle, Todd Duffee and many others. The UWC program is lead by Pro-Fighter John Wood. John is an incredible mentor and coach and really connects with fighters irrespective of the genderlt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Throwdown and its team have been paramount in the production of the Ultimate Women Challenge, commented Lyle Howry, President of LHP entertainment. Although we had initially considered filming this production in Hollywood, we determined that for the first season we would utilize one of the nations top MMA Training Centers while utilizing Las Vegas as the setting for many of the challenges.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

The Throwdown Training Center has been featured on many programs and publications like Fight Magazine, Countdown to UFC, and MMA Business to name a few. MMA enthusiasts can find training videos online featuring techniques. Recently CBS, Telemundo, XXXXXXX have all been by the Training Center looking to capture a sneak preview of this impending fall program. The facility has classes that include many professional fighters as well as MMA enthusiasts and includes a 30 octagon.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;Bgt;About THROWDOWNlt;/Bgt;lt;BRgt;
Throwdown is a pioneer in Impact and Action Sports product development and an industry leader in combat sport innovation. Founded in 2003, with its DNA in Mixed Martial Arts, the company is one of the leading brands in the multi-billion dollar Impact and Action Sports Market with a full portfolio of cages, racks, rings, performance gear and apparel. Throwdowns products are designed with superior performance, innovation and authenticity to empower athletes and provide them the competitive edge to prevail ANYTIME ANYPLACE. For more information on Throwdown, please visit www.Throwdown.com or call 877-847-9396.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;Bgt;About LHP Entertainmentlt;/Bgt;lt;BRgt;
LHP is a film and television company with over 25 years of experience, currently in development and production on multiple projects. With strong ties to television and theatrical distribution as well as finance, talent and many other sources. Founded by CEO Lyle Howry. Lyle was born in Hollywood, California. Lyle#039;s entertainment career began in 1985 as an actor on the award-winning television series quot;Moonlightingquot; (1985). During his acting years, a side business led to the discovery that he had a passion for finance and a gift for packaging. This new direction took him to London, Hong Kong and Taiwan to close international finance and motion picture investment deals.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Lyle Howry has been associated with the entertainment industry for more than 25 years, including nine years in corporate finance, as well as specializing in studio negotiations.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

To find out more please visit: lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.UltimateWomenChallenge.comquot; target=quot;_blankquot;gt;UltimateWomenChallenge.comlt;/Agt;.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Chris Detert from American Rebel PR sent along the following to MMANEWS.COM …lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;Bgt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASElt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP ACQUIRES TAPOUT AND SILVER STAR CASTING COMPANYlt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

NY/LA/Toronto September 6, 2010 lt;/Bgt; Authentic Brands Group, LLC, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto, is proud to announce the acquisition of TapouT and Silver Star Casting Company (Silver Star), two of the biggest names in the mixed martial arts (MMA) industry. MMA is the worlds fastest growing sport with billions of dollars in annual revenue and global appeal. Authentic Brands Group acquired TapouT and Silver Star as part of its multi-branded distribution strategy designed to protect brand integrity.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Authentic Brands Group has global brand building experience in apparel, action sports, consumer electronics, home and celebrity brands. The companys innovative marketing strategies include traditional and social media, and securing partnerships with high profile athletes and celebrities.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Authentic Brands Groups Chairman amp; CEO Jamie Salter said, This sport is still in its infancy. We strategically chose these acquisitions as our first big move because were getting into the right business at the right time. Were looking forward to working with the best brands and the best athletes in the world as we transition these two companies into global lifestyle brands with our retail and licensing partners.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

With the acquisition of TapouT, Authentic Brands Group now owns the number one MMA lifestyle brand in the world, a brand name that has become synonymous with the sport itself. TapouT has global brand awareness that has grown alongside the MMA over the last 15 years by staying focused on the athletes and the fans. Built by three impassioned men who trained in MMA, the late Charles Mask Lewis, Dan Punkass Caldwell and Timm Skyskrape Katz, TapouT has maintained its authenticity through its rapid growth by staying deeply rooted in the MMA culture.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Caldwell said, TapouT is more than a company or a brand to me, it is a way of life. With the passing of my best friend and co-founder Charles Mask Lewis, weve been through a lot. Now we are focused on continuing to set the standard as the industry leader, bringing to life Masks dream of building a billion dollar empire. Authentic Brands Group understands what TapouT is about and they share our vision. Mask always said to simply believe and that one word became our formula for success. We believe in Authentic Brands Group and they believe in us.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Silver Star Casting Company is a lifestyle apparel brand that has made its mark in the MMA, action sports and motor sports industries. Founder and President of Silver Star Luke Burrett, and his wife/business partner Charis Burrett, have successfully marketed the brand across these sport categories by supporting athletes and keeping them accessible to the fans. Silver Star is committed to sponsoring only champion level athletes such as MMA middleweight champion Anderson Silva and fan favorite Clay Guida.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Charis and I are extremely excited to work with the Authentic Brands Group team to take Silver Star to the next level. Weve built our brand on staying true to our passion for sponsoring champions and making high quality products, said Luke Burrett. We are confident that having Authentic Brands Group behind us will allow us to realize our goals and the potential of the brand.lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

####lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;Bgt;About TapouTlt;/Bgt;lt;BRgt;
TapouT is the worlds leading MMA apparel, gear and lifestyle brand for men, women and children and represents the biggest MMA superstars including Rashad Evans, Rich Franklin, Dan Hardy, Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen and Roy Nelson. TapouT boasts a sought-after clothing line, a TV reality show, TapouT Radio and is the official apparel brand for Spike TVs hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter. TapouT can be purchased in more than 20,000 retail stores worldwide. Brand names under the TapouT business entity include TapouT, TapouT MPS, and Hitman Fight Gear.lt;BRgt;
lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.TapouT.comquot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;www.TapouT.comlt;/Agt; lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.hitmanfightgear.comquot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;www.hitmanfightgear.comlt;/Agt;lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;Bgt;About Silver Star Casting Companylt;/Bgt;lt;BRgt;
Silver Star Casting Company was founded in 1993 as an athletic lifestyle brand built for champions. Silver Star has a dedicated and loyal consumer base inside mixed martial arts, action sports, motor sports and Hollywood through athlete and celebrity endorsements and has built its reputation as an original, art-driven, edgy and confident trend setter. The Silver Star brand is an official sponsor of the UFC at the mid to upper-tier level of distribution, and its sub-brand Iron Star is available at the mid-tier to mass retail level.lt;BRgt;
lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.silverstarnow.comquot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;www.silverstarnow.comlt;/Agt;lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

lt;Bgt;About Authentic Brands Group LLClt;/Bgt;lt;BRgt;
Authentic Brands Groups mission, in partnership with Leonard Green amp; Partners and Knights Bridge Capital Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Counsel Corporation, is to acquire a global portfolio of world-renowned brands and to enhance brand equity through partnering with best-in-class brand licensees. ABG acquires iconic consumer brands in the active lifestyle, celebrity, media amp; entertainment, sporting goods, and consumer electronics segments. Currently the company holds TapouT, Tapout MPS, Silver Star Casting Company, Hitman Fight Gear, and Iron Star in its growing portfolio. The company also manages the Bob Marley family of brands.lt;BRgt;
lt;A HREF=quot;http://www.authenticbrandsgroup.comquot; target=quot;_Blankquot;gt;www.authenticbrandsgroup.comlt;/Agt;lt;BRgt;lt;BRgt;

Keith Jardine will be fighting outside of the UFC for the first time in almost six years this weekend when he fights Trevor Prangley at Shark Fights 13 in Amarillo, TX.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

With a 6-7 mark in the UFC during his run and with four straight losses to close it out, Jardine will look to get back in the win column and work his way back to the sports top promotion beginning Saturday in Texas. lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

I got in a funk and lost a few fights in a row Jardine told MMANews.com.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

Most UFC fighters are lucky to lose three fights in a row and still have a job but Keith Jardine is different, he boasts a resume that features fights against a whos who of 205lbs. fighters and win or lose he always brought it. I#039;m very proud of that actually. I#039;ve never really fought any easy guys and that was sort of the point of me getting cut from the UFC. I was frustrated being cut but the UFC always treated me right and I could call up Joe Silva or Dana White tomorrow and they would still treat me right. lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

lt;!–more-break–gt;

As Jardine put it, the UFC sent him out to collect a couple of quality wins against bums on the independent circuit and then he would be welcomed back to the UFC. Unfortunately, I went out and picked one of the toughest guys not in the UFC in Trevor Prangley joked Jardine.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

A different approach to training has Jardine feeling confident in his fight with Prangley I changed things up this time around and took it slower. After every fight I would just go right back into the gym and go all out until the next fight. I realized that come fight time I was over trained and tired when I had to get in the cage.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

lt;!–more-break–gt;

Despite quite a few offers from multiple other promotions Jardine says he knew a week after being cut that he would be fighting for Shark Fights, though he first thought he would be fighting Houston Alexander It was suppose to be Houston Alexander but that fell through. That was a fight I was interested in because I#039;d like to get that one back but it worked out in the end because I feel I am now fighting a better and tougher opponent in Prangley.lt;brgt;lt;brgt;

The path back to the UFC could be anywhere from one impressive win or two quality wins, whichever the case, with his new found fan support and drive to return to the top of the light heavyweight rankings, Jardine feels it wont be long I#039;m starting to realize now just how many fans I actually have since this happened. I was surprised to see the support I received and I want to thank all my fans for that. Make sure to check me out this weekend on Shark Fights 13 against one of the best in Trevor Prangley and you can also follow me on Twitter lt;a href=http://twitter.com/keithjardine205gt;@KeithJardine205lt;/agt;