Stephen Thompson, Dustin Poirier, Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson each went home with a hefty bonus- to the tune of $65,000- following UFC 143, Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Thompson earned knockout of the night, Poirier snagged submission of the night, and Werdum and Nelson acquired fight of the night honors.

Thompson knocked out Dan Stittgen with a vicious head kick, Poirier locked up a triangle-choke armbar, and the two heavyweights duked it out until the bitter end.

Event results from UFC 143, which take place Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

• Carlos Condit def. Nick Diaz via decision (49-46x2, 48-47)
• Fabricio Werdum def. Roy Nelson  via decision (30-27x3)
• Josh Koscheck def. Mike Pierce via split-decision (29-28x2, 28-29)
• Renan Barao def. Scott Jorgensen via decision (30-27x3)
• Ed Herman def. Clifford Starks via submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 2, 1:43

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)

• Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via submission (mounted triangle-choke), Rd 1, 3:23
• Matt Riddle def. Henry Martinez  via split-decision (29-28x2, 28-29)
• Edwin Figueroa def. Alex Caceres via split-decision (28-27x2, 27-28)
• Matt Brown def. Chris Cope via KO (punches), Rd 2, 1:19

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

• Stephen Thompson def. Dan Stittgen via KO (head kick), Rd 1, 4:13
• Rafael Natal def. Michael Kuiper via decision (30-27x2, 29-28)

Results from the UFC 143 weigh-ins, which take place today at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

• Carlos Condit (169) vs. Nick Diaz (169)
• Roy Nelson (246) vs. Fabricio Werdum (246)
• Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Mike Pierce (170)
• Renan Barao (136) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135)
• Ed Herman (185) vs. Clifford Starks (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)

• Max Holloway (144) vs. Dustin Poirier (146)
• Henry Martinez (169) vs. Matt Riddle (170)
• Alex Caceres (136) vs. Edwin Figueroa (135)
• Matt Brown (171) vs. Chris Cope (171)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

• Dan Stittgen (170) vs. Stephen Thompson (171)
• Rafael Natal (186) vs. Michael Kuiper (183)

The UFC has retained an independent drug-testing laboratory to screen fighters for performance-enhancing drugs and drugs of abuse later this month at UFC 144 in Japan.

The event's headliners – lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson – will be tested along with six to eight random competitors on the fight card.

The UFC frequently hires outside firms to conduct drug testing for international shows, where athletic commissions often aren't available.

UFC 144 is the organization's first event held in Japan since UFC 29, which took place in December 2000 when the fight promotion was under the control of its former owners, Semaphore Entertainment Group.

Tachi Palace Fights 12's main event will feature a pair of Californians, as Fresno's Casey Olson (13-3) drops to 135-pounds to face Visalia's Cody Gibson (5-2).

Olson may be best known for a pair of Strikeforce wins over Chris Culley and Bobby Sanchez, but he's also a staple at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino having fought there four times under the WEC banner (during the promotion's pre-Zuffa era), as well as six times for the now-defunct Palace Fighting Championship promotion in addition to his May 2010 win at Tachi Palace Fights 4.

Meanwhile, Gibson looks to rebound from a December loss to Ulysses Gomez in a bid for Tachi Palace Fights' then-vacant bantamweight title. The Elite MMA product fought well on the opening rounds and looked on his way to an upset before succumbing to a third-round submission.

"TPF 12: Second Coming" takes place March 9 at Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

Karlos Vemola (8-2) is dropping another weight class and moves from light heavyweight to middleweight and now meets Mike Massenzio (13-6) in May at UFC on FOX 3.

Vemola, a Czech national wrestling champion who now trains in England, made his UFC debut in 2010 and suffered a decision loss to heavyweight Jon Madsen. He then dropped to light heavyweight and defeated Seth Petruzelli in a "KO of the Night" performance. However, back in August at suffered a UFC on Versus 5, he suffered a lopsided decision loss to Ronny Markes.

He hopes his third weight class will be a good fit when he meets Massenzio, who fights in his home state at the FOX event. The New Jersey-based fighter went 1-2 in his first UFC stint, and he's 1-2 in his most recent one. Back in August at UFC 142, he suffered a quick heel-hook loss to Rousimar Palhares.   Massenzio is now 3-5 in his past eight fights, which included a stint in the IFL.

UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

Thiago Silva (14-2) and Brandon Vera (12-5), who first met in a UFC 125 bout that was eventually ruled a "no contest," will fight again on May 15 in Fairfax, Va.

Silva fought fellow light heavyweight Vera and earned a unanimous-decision win at UFC 125 in January. However, the 28-year-old subsequently was scratched from a planned UFC 130 bout with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson when UFC 125 drug-testing results were released.

This past March, Silva was served with a formal NSAC complaint after two separate urinalysis samples revealed a substance that was "inconsistent with human urine," which indicated that he "submitted an adulterated and/or substituted specimen for testing for the urinalysis." Silva's first test was flagged, which prompted further testing by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, which is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Meanwhile, Vera was released from the UFC following the loss to Silva but was brought back when the ruling was made. Vera has since registered a win in the octagon, a UFC 137 decision over Eliot Marshall, but has done little to hide his contempt for the man he openly refers to as a "juice monkey."

The UFC is expected to hold an event at this city's Patriot Center, though UFC executives have yet to reveal the venue for the card or where the action will be broadcast.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation issued mandatory medical suspensions to eight fighters from this past weekend's UFC on FOX 2 event.

Main-card fighters Phil Davis and Chris Weidman were among the group, though no suspension lasts more than two months.

MMAjunkie.com today obtained the suspensions from state officials.

The full list of suspensions included:
Phil Davis: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
Chris Weidman: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
John Olav-Einemo: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
Nik Lentz: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
George Roop: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
Joey Beltran: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
Dustin Jacoby: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
Chris Camozzi: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
Details on the nature of their injuries were not disclosed. Additionally, as a note, Illinois does not disclosed fight purses, so salaries/payroll will not be be available for this card.

The release was notified to Fighters Only directly by Beltran himself (which MMADieHards.com also confirmed with Beltran's manager, Manny Rodriguez).

While sad to see his current tenure on the roster come to an end, he says he understands the decision to cut him following his loss to debutant Lavar Johnson on Saturday night (MMADieHards.com learned that it was the last fight left on his Zuffa contract)

“I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that I have received from the UFC/Zuffa. I am not sad or hurt by their decision as I know that winning is the name of the game,” he told us.

“Posting a 1-4 record my last 5 fights is unacceptable regardless of how entertaining the fights were. So this is the next chapter of my career, and one that I am excited for. You will definitely see my ugly face again so fans don't worry and haters keep on hating.”

Beltran does not know what his next move will be but he has apparently already had some interest from other promotions which value his fighting style and his tendency to get involved in wars.

Gerald Harris (19-4) has a new opponent for his upcoming main event on HDNet.

Rather than Artenas Young (7-4), the former UFC and DREAM fighter now meets Bellator vet D.J. Linderman (10-2) at Legacy Fighting Championships 10.

Legacy officials confirmed the changed with MMAjunkie.com, though a reason for the change wasn't disclosed.

Legacy Fighting Championships 10 takes place at Houston's Arena Theater. At least six fights, including the Harris vs. Linderman headliner, are expected to be part of the night's live HDNet-televised main card.

The latest Legacy 10 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (HDNet)
Gerald Harris vs. D.J. Linderman
Mike Bronzoulis vs. Eric Davila
Pat Audinwood vs. Justin Reiswerg
Carson Beebe vs. Tim Snyder
Jonathon Harris vs. Chidi Njokuani
Rashon Lewis vs. Alex Morono

PRELIMINARY CARD
William "Bubba" Bush vs. TBA
Angel Huerta vs. Mike Sierra
Lee Higgins vs. Lee King
Jason Carter vs. Cody Phillips
Ray Blodget vs. Rey Trujillo
Jesus Mendez vs. Cody Williams

XFC veteran Julio Gallegos returns to the cage on Feb. 10th live on HDNet when he takes on Amaechi Oselukwue at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum at XFC 16: ‘High Stakes’. The heavy handed middleweight is a fan favorite not just for his fighting ability but his charity work as well.

Overcoming tragedy at an early age, that saw the loss of both of Gallegos' parents, the Kentucky native has turned the negative into a positive by focusing his energy on helping sick children. Gallegos works tirelessly promoting cancer awareness and spends his time visiting sick children at St. Jude and Kosair Children’s Hospital in Kentucky. Last year Gallegos even started his own charity, the GJG Foundation, which benefits kids in Lexington, KY. Last year the fighter raised several thousand dollars that went into helping children in his hometown.

XFC President John Prisco isn't just a man who promotes Gallegos' fights. He's also a fan of the man who gives back to his community. "It's great to have Julio back in the XFC. We haven't seen him since 2010 and I know he's eager to get back in there and continue to fight and do his best to help sick children not only in Kentucky but all over the world. Julio had a tough childhood and could've easily fallen into the trap of joining a gang or drugs, but he didn't. He chose to pay it forward and is give back to his community. If anyone deserves to have a chip on their shoulder it's Julio, but he doesn't. He has the biggest heart of anyone in the sport. I'm proud to promote him and win, lose, or draw Julio is a winner."

XFC 16 : High Stakes is sponsored by Sheets Energy Strips & Overthrow Gear and will air live on HDnet from the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, TN on February 10th, 2012. Tickets are on sale now through OfficialXFC.com.

The Texas-based Legacy Fighting Championships has signed fast-rising prospect Lucas Pimenta for its upcoming HDNet-televised events.

Legacy promoter Mick Maynard today confirmed the signing with MMAjunkie.com.

Pimenta, a Brazilian welterweight and onetime Bellator fighter, sports an undefeated 5-0 record.

No debut date or opponent have been determined Pimenta, though he could fight at a show tentatively planned for May 11.

He recently moved to and now trains out of Newark, N.J.

Pimenta fought as an amateur as a 16-year-old. By April 2011, he was fighting MMA in the U.S., beating Yusef Yoldas at an Urban Conflict Championships show in Morristown, N.J. In October, he took two fights in a span of two weeks, defeating Doug Rossi at Fight Time 7 on Oct. 7 and then quickly turning around to top Bryan Danner at a Cage Fury Fighting Championships show on Oct. 22.

In his lone Bellator appearance, Pimenta scored a 40-second KO of Doug Gordon at Bellator 59 in November. It was third consecutive victory that came in fewer than two minutes.

The Federal Trade Commission has officially closed its ongoing investigation into the business dealings of Ultimate Fighting Championship parent company Zuffa, LLC.

The FTC’s Bureau of Competition began its nonpublic investigation of the company last year following Zuffa’s acquisition of Explosion Entertainment, the parent company of Strikeforce -- then the UFC’s biggest competitor.

According to a letter sent from FTC Secretary Donald S. Clark to Zuffa attorney Stephen Axinn, the FTC conducted the investigation to determine whether the acquisition violated either Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which discusses deceptive or unfair business practices, or Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which addresses monopolies.

“Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no further action is warranted by the Commission at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed,” Clark wrote. “This action is not to be construed as a determination that a violation may not have occurred, just as the pendency of an investigation should not be construed as a determination that a violation has occurred. The Commission reserves the right to take such further action as the public interest may require.”

Zuffa acquired Strikeforce and the promotion’s fighter roster last March. Since the purchase, three of Strikeforce’s five male champions made successful UFC debuts, as Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem all earned Octagon victories last year. Currently, only lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and middleweight titleholder Luke Rockhold hold Strikeforce gold, while titles in three weight categories remain vacant.

Score Media Inc. has extended its programming partnership with Bellator Fighting Championships through its upcoming sixth season which begins on March 9.  theScore will also broadcast Bellator’s Summer Season as well as its seventh season later this year. The extension gives Canadian mixed martial arts fans access to another year of Bellator fights across theScore’s multiplatform assets including theScore Television Network, theScore.com and its industry-leading application, ScoreMobile.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the continuation of our partnership with Bellator,” says Benjie Levy, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Score Media Inc.  “Bellator has developed a reputation for being one of the world’s elite MMA promotions and its programming is a perfect fit for our young audience.”

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney is equally excited about the joint-venture that provides Bellator events to homes across Canada.

“theScore is Bellator’s longest running TV partner worldwide, having broadcast each of our first five seasons,” Rebney said.  “As the place where Canadian fans go for MMA programming, news and information, theScore is the perfect partner to help us connect with Canadian MMA fans.”

Season six kicks off on Friday, March 9, and is headlined by the Bellator featherweight title fight between Joe Warren and Pat Curran.  In addition, Bellator is planning multiple Canadian event dates in 2012.

A heavyweight bout between Bellator fighter Rogent Lloret (11-2-1) and American competitor Bobby Brents (11-2) will headline next month's Cage Warriors 45 event.

Officials today announced the main-event booking.

Cage Warriors 45 takes place Feb. 18 at HMV Forum in London. The main card streams live and free on MMAjunkie.com.

Also slated for the card are two opening-round matchups from the eight-man middleweight tournament: John Phillips (14-4) vs. Tony Machado (4-0), and Jack Mason (17-9) vs. Chris Fields (8-3).

Other bouts include middleweights Brett Sizeland (4-1) vs. Brett Bassett (7-2), lightweight Brad Wheeler (7-5) vs. TBA, featherweights Steve O'Keeffe (5-1) vs. Conor McGregor (9-2), flyweights Ben Hajir (0-1) vs. Michael Jones (0-0), and heavyweights Jay Mortimore (6-2) vs. Eddy Bengtsson (4-2).

The latest Cage Warriors 45 card now includes:
Bobby Brents vs. Rogent Lloret
Tony Machado vs. John Phillips (middleweight-tourney opening round)
Chris Fields vs. Jack Mason (middleweight-tourney opening round)
Brett Bassett vs. Brett Sizeland
Brad Wheeler vs. TBA
Steve O'Keeffe vs. Conor McGregor
Ben Hajir vs. Michael Jones
Eddy Bengtsson vs. Jay Mortimore

Bellator Fighting Championships today announces that it has extended its programming partnership with Score Media Inc. (TSX: SCR) through its upcoming sixth season, starting on March 9, it’s Summer Season as well as its seventh later in the year. The extension gives Canadian mixed martial arts fans access to another year of Bellator fights across theScore’s multiplatform assets including theScore Television Network, theScore.com and its industry-leading application, ScoreMobile.

Season 6 kicks off on Friday, March 9th headlined by the Bellator World Featherweight title fight between Joe Warren and Pat Curran. In addition, Bellator is planning multiple Canadian event dates in 2012. The televised portion of each week’s events kick off at 8 p.m. ET LIVE on MTV2 in the U.S. and on thescore.com in Canada simultaneously, followed by repeat airings on theScore Television Network on Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET, Sundays at 8 p.m. ET and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. ET.

BAMMA, Europe's leading Mixed Martial Arts promotion, is excited to announce three hard-hitting preliminary fights for BAMMA 9, which takes place on Saturday 24th March at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena: Andrew Punshon vs. Matt Howard; Jason Ball vs. Colin Fletcher; and Nick Nembhard vs. Leeroy Barnes.

Matchmaker, Jude Samuel says, "Punshon vs. Howard is definite contender for Fight of the Night, with the winner, in my opinion, in line for claiming a shot at the British or even World Title in the near future. Both have devastating knock-out power and most predictions are placing this as possible KO of the night: Either way it's a war in the making. The current British Masters and Central Area Light-Middleweight Champion, Jason Ball, will be making his last appearance at Lightweight before dropping to Featherweight at BAMMA; while Freakshow is hungry for a challenge and a step up to big fights at the top of BAMMA's Lightweight division. Leeroy and Nick are both guys that now need a win. Leeroy wants to get back to title contention, while a win for Nick will pivotal to his MMA career."

A lightweight confrontation pitting Dennis Hallman against Tony Ferguson has been added to UFC on Fox 3, promotion officials recently announced.

The bout marks the second 155-pound attraction announced for the May 5 event, which takes place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The show, which will be the UFC’s second of four planned live events on Fox’s flagship network this year, will also showcase a pivotal lightweight affair pitting Jim Miller against Nate Diaz.

Ultimate Fighting Championship star Alistair Overeem has been charged with one count of misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident at Wynn Las Vegas over New Year's weekend.

If convicted, the heavyweight title challenger faces a maximum of six months in the Clark County Detention Center and not more than a $1,000 fine.

According to the District Attorney's office, Overeem is scheduled to appear in court at 8 a.m. on Feb. 21.

A citation issued by Las Vegas police stated at about 3 a.m. on Jan. 2, Overeem pushed or shoved a woman in the face, "causing her to stagger back."

Overeem has retained famed Las Vegas defense attorney David Chesnoff.

"Alistair was not arrested, but was summoned to court," Chesnoff said. "There are two sides to this story and we intend on vigorously defending this. Alistair maintains his innocence."

An injury suffered in training has forced lightweight George Sotiropoulos (14-4) to withdraw from UFC 144.

In his place steps newcomer Eiji Mitsuoka (18-7-2), who meets Takanori Gomi (32-8) on the event's preliminary card.

After a modestly successful six-fight stint in the now-defunct Sengoku, Mitsuoka returned to active competition this past year, earning back-to-back victories in Japanese promotions DEEP and DREAM.

Gomi, 33, is likely facing a pink slip should he lose to the newcomer. In his most recent appearance, the former PRIDE lightweight champ was picked apart by the resurgent Nate Diaz before being submitted late in the first round at UFC 135. That setback was preceded by a second-round submission loss to Clay Guida at UFC 125, which brought him to 1-3 since signing with the UFC in 2010.

UFC 144 takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.