Roy Nelson, the winner of the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, confirmed via his twitter account (@RoyNelsonMMA) that his next opponent will be the devastating striker, Cheick Kongo.  “Done at swapmeet, just got off internet phone found out fighting Kongo, excited for the fans, and the press” said Nelson’s tweet posted late last night.  Roy Nelson is coming off of two of the most impressive performances in his career, having won his only two fights in the UFC thus far by first round KO.  In his first fight Nelson faced off against fellow The Ultimate Fighter 10 finalist, Brendan Schaub to decide who would be the season’s winner.  Nelson would land a right hook behind the ear of Schaub, knocking him unconscious midway through the first round.  In Nelson’s next and most recent fight he took on 6’11″ Stefan Struve.  Although being much shorter than Struve, Nelson was capable of reaching Struve’s chin, hitting him flush with an overhand right to bring an abrupt stop to the fight in only 39 seconds.  Now as Nelson gears up to take on Cheick Kongo, one must ask, will Nelson be able to handle the raw KO power of which Kongo possesses?  Or can “Big Country” prove he belongs in the UFC against the upper echelon of Heavyweight fighters?

Cheick Kongo is a very recognizable face within the UFC.  Having entered the Octagon on a dozen occasions now, he posts an 8-4 UFC record.  He was even viewed as a top contender until he dropped two consecutive bouts in 2009.  Kongo started off last year with promise, finishing off Antoni Hardonk at UFC 97 in Montreal.  He would then replace an injured Heath Herring and face the young prospect, Cain Velasquez, at UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany.  Kongo would drop the fight to Cain by Unanimous Decision, although often creating problems for Cain when the fight was standing.  Kongo would then lose to Frank Mir at UFC 107 by a very quick Guillotine Choke in the first round.  Days seemed dark for Kongo, that is until he turned around his fortunes this past March.  Kongo faced off against UFC veteran Paul Buentello at UFC LIVE on Versus and ended up thoroughly dominating Paul en route to a 3rd round TKO stoppage.  Now Kongo sets his sights on derailing “Big Country” and getting himself back into title contention.  Will the devastating striker be able to make Roy Nelson take a nap of his own? Or will Kongo be the third man to be put to sleep by the big belly of “Big Country”?

Written by FightPros.com contributor Dylan Routledge.  Follow him on twitter @dylan_geezus

Loiseau, born and raised in Montreal, is a long-time friend and training partner of UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre.  Loiseau is a light-hearted Frenchman and well remembered amongst MMA fans for his several stints inside the UFC.  Loiseau’s first fight in the UFC occurred at UFC 42 back in April of 2005 in which he defeated Mark Weir.  Following a loss to Jorge Rivera, Loiseau would leave the UFC and fight in the TKO organization before once again returning and building himself up to number one contender status.  Loiseau faced Rich Franklin for the Middleweight title at UFC 58 and lost in a unanimous decision.  Following 2 more losses, Loiseau was released.  Last year at UFC 97 we saw Loiseau return once again to the UFC, this time to face The Ultimate Fighter 3 runner-up, Ed Herman.

Loiseau would lose yet again by Unanimous Decision and be released one more time.  Loiseau sports a 4-4 record within the UFC and come May 8th, he will get yet another chance to prove why he belongs in the UFC against John Salter.  Will Loiseau be able to seize the opportunity and capture a victory or will “The Crow” fall victim to Salter?

John Salter is a fresh, new face in the UFC’s Middleweight division.  Salter made his MMA debut back In March of 2009 and compiled a 4-0 record before signing with the UFC.  In his UFC debut he took on The Ultimate Fighter 7 veteran Gerald Harris at Fight Night 20: Maynard vs. Diaz.  John Salter would suffer his first professional loss by TKO in the 3rd round.  John Salter was originally set to face Nick Catone until Catone just recently was forced out due to a back injury.  Now 0-1 in the UFC, Salter has a big opportunity to gain a large amount of exposure if he is capable of beating a name as recognizable as David Loiseau.  Come UFC 113, Salter has all the cards in his favour as he looks to play spoiler to Loiseau’s home coming.

So recap: 3 under card fights get a change for UFC 113.  The new opponents are all Canadians AND all have former experience with the UFC.  Just when it seemed the card was lacking Canadian talent…

Written by FightPros.com contributor Dylan Routledge.  Follow him on the twitter @Dylan_Geezus

The entire “Who will Toney fight first?” debacle has had more spins than a merry-go-round at this point as several people have speculated he’d fight the likes of Kimbo Slice, Chuck Liddell and Brock Lesnar.  Obviously the latter match up would make no sense seeing as Toney hasn’t ever even had a MMA fight, so why would he even get a championship fight in his debut?  But as the names like Kimbo, Liddell and even Couture were being thrown around, interest began to grow.  Slugging it out with the likes of Kimbo Slice or seeing if Toney could survive the wrestling strength of Randy Couture excited MMA fans and fighters alike.  It seems the UFC may try to go with what the fans wanted and give Toney the legendary Randy Couture in only his first ever MMA fight.  Of all the fighters Toney has called out, Couture has remained fairly silent, never going to great lengths to respond to the comments made by Toney although he has acknowledge he would enjoy the opportunity to face him.  Today, via Randy Couture’s twitter account, he posted a story about how the UFC has been working to schedule a fight between him and Toney for UFC 118 in Boston.

Couture is easily one of the greatest fighters to have ever lived and is one of the most recognizable faces within the UFC.  He’s one of only two fighters to hold a championship in 2 weight classes and is leagues above that of Toney when it comes to MMA.  Even at the age of 46, the man is still racking up wins.  Toney comes in at 41 years of age, an unusual age to be making his MMA debut.  A former boxing champion in multiple weight classes, Toney brings heavy hands and will be one of the most decorated boxers to ever make the jump into MMA.  With Toney being a Heavyweight and Couture currently fighting at Light Heavyweight, Randy has stated that he’ll take the fight at either weight.

This is in my opinion one of the biggest risks the UFC has ever taken.  If they do choose to pit Randy Couture against James Toney then they will be pitting not only a fan favourite but  a legend of this sport against a man who has publicly bashed the sport of MMA and the many aspects of the sport for several months now.  If Toney is able to knock out Randy, then it could hurt the sport due to Toney’s arrogant ways and his loud mouth as it would only serve as fuel to Toney’s fire when it comes to him burying the abilities of mixed martial artists.  One thing is certain, this fight is big risk with little reward for Randy Couture.

You can find Randy Couture on twitter @Randy_Couture

Written by FightPros.com Contributor Dylan Routledge.  You can follow him on twitter @Dylan_Geezus

The card  features many talented and recognizable names as well as some match ups that could make a run for the Fight of the Year honours.  One of those match ups could have been an preliminary card fight between contestants from The Ultimate Fighter 7 and 8, Tim Credeur and Tom Lawlor respectively.  Credeur and Lawlor are charismatic and exciting fighters, both men having won Fight of the Night honours in their most recent bouts.  Both men have a strong technical base to their game but in a second they are willing to throw technique aside to put on an exciting and entertaining scrap for the fans.  Their scheduled fight for UFC 113 promised to provide such excitement until Credeur was forced out of the fight due to an injury he sustained training.  In his place, MMA veteran Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen will step back into the Octagon one more time.

Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen is a recognizable face amongst die hard MMA fans as a veteran of over 50 fights, having fought all over the world.  Doerksen has previous experience in the UFC, having first fought against Joe Riggs at UFC 49 back in 2004.  Joe would lose the bout due to submission by strikes.  Joe would then compete in the UFC on 5 other separate occasions, losing in all 5 fights.  Having a 0-6  record within the UFC is unheard of and it seems as though Joe was brought back simply to elevate the young and promising star in Tom Lawlor.  Will “El Dirte” be able to upset Lawlor or will things get “Filthy” for him as he drops to 0-7 in the UFC?

Tom Lawlor is best known for his brief, yet extremely entertaining stint on The Ultimate Fighter 8.  He was a member of Team Mir and was the first casualty of the season as he lost to eventual winner, Ryan Bader.  Since then Tom has not only been known for his exciting entrances to the Octagon, but also for his exciting performances within it.  Since the show, Tom has gone 2-1, having defeated fellow TUF 8 castemate Kyle Kingsbury in his debut before dropping down to 185 lbs. and defeating the very tough C.B. Dollaway.  His first loss would come from C.B.’s teammate, Aaron Simpson in a Fight of the Night, Split Decision loss.  Come UFC 113, Lawlor looks to make some “dirty” money and continue his success in the Octagon at the expense of Joe Doerksen.

I could sit here all day making jokes about how these two fighters nickname’s fit together so well but I’ll just leave it at this:  This fight will be filthy and I’ll love every second of it

Written by FightPros.com contributor Dylan Routledge.  Follow him on twitter @dylan_geezus

Shinya Aoki is the current DREAM Lightweight Champion and is an MMA sensation in Japan.  He is seen as one of the greatest grapplers in MMA today and with good reason as 14 of his 23 wins have come by way of submission.  Widely seen as the #2 Lightweight fighter in the world, Shinya most recently fought on New Years Eve on the Dynamite!! 2009 card, which featured DREAM fighters taking on the fighters of the Sengoku organization.  Shinya would face off against the Sengoku Lightweight Champion, Mizuto Hirota, and defeat him in impressive fashion.  But controversy would surround him following his post-match antics.  Shinya would break the arm of Hirota with a Hammerlock-like submission for the technical submission victory but following breaking Hirota’s arm, Aoki leapt up to the canvas and instantly threw the middle finger into Hirota’s face as well as at Hirota’s corner.  The backlash from his actions would be heard through out the MMA community for his lack of sportsmanship.  Now Aoki looks to make the jump into Strikeforce and become more widely known amongst North American fans of the sport.  With a victory over Melendez, Aoki could easily make a claim as the #1 Lightweight fighter in the world.

Strikeforce: Nashville is set to take place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and will feature 3 title fights.  The event will be the second time Strikeforce has broadcast on the CBS channel.

Alistair is 2-0 in Strikeforce and is the current (and only) Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion.  He is 32-11 (1) and hasn’t lost since 2007.  He’s most recently found success across seas in the DREAM organization, having gone 4-0.  Over his last 10 fights he has gone 8-1 with one No Contest.  All 8 of those victories have come via stoppage with 7 of them ending in the first round.  As of recently, Overeem has began a tear through out the worldwide Heavyweight division but now he’s finally coming back to Strikeforce.  Win or lose against Rogers, Alistair is likely to defend his belt in his next match up.  Pending the outcome of his fight against Rogers, Alistair could face three different men with his belt on the line.  If he was to lose to Rogers, one would be safe to assume that Rogers would get a rematch against Alistair for his belt.  But if Alistair beats Rogers he will likely face the winner of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum, which is rumoured to occur on the same card as Alistair’s return.

Rogers most recently lost by a second round KO to Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers.  He has a 2-1 record inside Strikeforce and before losing to Fedor, Rogers had an unblemished record of 10-0 with all fights ending thanks to his fists.  If Rogers can defeat Overeem then he should most certainly get an immediate rematch against him, only this time for the belt.  Even though Rogers lost to Fedor he is still seen as a top 10 Heavyweight and will look to prove he still matters in the Strikeforce Heavyweight division come this May against Alistair Overeem.

Bisping is coming off a hard fought, unanimous decision loss to Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia.  Having gone 1-2 in his last three UFC bouts some would believe Bisping is on a decline but after you review that the two losses have come to Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva, you will likely disagree.  Bisping is still poised to make a run for the UFC`s Middleweight title permitting, he can string some more wins together and a fight against Dan Miller is the right place to start.  With a win over Miller, Bisping will maintain his spot as part of the upper echelon of the UFC`s Middleweight division.

Dan Miller most recently lost to Demian Maia at UFC 109 and will also look to get back to winning ways.  Having gone 3-2 inside the UFC, Miller has dropped both of his last two bouts by unanimous decision to Middleweight top contenders Chael Sonnen and Demian Maia (with Maia getting a title shot against at Silva in April and Chael likely facing the winner of that match).  In a similar position as Bisping, you should not judge Miller just based on the numbers he`s posted recently, but instead judge him based on the recent top level competition he`s faced.  Both men seem like a proverbial gate keeper for the Middleweight division at this moment and a win for Miller will boost him up there with the likes of the men who have defeated him.  Both men are in desperate need of a win to remain relevant in the Middleweight division and active on the Main Card scene.

UFC 114 will take place on May 29th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Jake was recently tapped to be the grappling coach for Team Liddell during The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 and was the only Welterweight Champion in Elite XC history before the organization folded.  Following the folding of the organization, Strikeforce signed him.  Jake Shields recently won the vacated Middleweight Championship at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers back in November of last year and is currently 2-0 in the organization.  He would grind out a competitive unanimous decision victory over tough Middleweight competitor Jason “Mayhem” Miller.  With the win Jake extended himself to a 13 fight win streak, having not lost since 2004.  Jake will be looking to go on a 14-fight win streak in April as he takes on a PRIDE and UFC veteran in Dan Henderson.  With a win over Hendo, Jake would place himself towards the top of the rankings for the best Middleweight fighter in the world.

Dan Henderson is the only man in the history of PRIDE FC to hold two championships in two different weight classes at the same time and is a veteran of the UFC.  Following a stint as a coach for The Ultimate Fighter Season 9, he defeated Michael Bisping at UFC 100 by a devastating KO heard around the world.  The KO would actually gain him the honours of winning numerous “KO of the Year” awards.  Following the victory, it was believed that he would be put in place to face Anderson Silva in a rematch of a fight he lost in 2008.  Hendo would be denied this right and when it came time to renegotiate his contract, Hendo asked for more money than Dana White was willing to offer him.  This resulted in Hendo walking away from the UFC.  Towards the end of the 2009 he officially announced his signing with Strikeforce.  Fast forward to today and now here we are with Hendo meeting Jake Shields for a different Middleweight title than what he originally wanted.  Hendo is currently riding a 3-fight win streak and will look to make it 4 as he makes his way to getting the title on April 17th.

Also official for this card is Gegard Mousasi defending his Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship against “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal.  Rumoured participants for this card are Herschel Walker and Cung Le taking on yet-to-be determined opponents.

Patrick Barry is coming off an impressive win over Antoni Hardonk at UFC 104.  Barry is currently 2-1 in the UFC and will be looking to add a big name to his resume of wins come UFC 115.  Barry was originally supposed to face off against the dangerous striker Gilbert Yvel but following UFC 110, Barry was chosen to face Cro Cop while Yvel is now intended to face off against Rothwell at UFC 115 as well.  Come UFC 115, if Barry can defeat Cro Cop he will launch himself into a much higher position in the UFC’s Heavyweight division.  This match up joins other star-studded fights on the UFC 115 card such as Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama and a potential match up of Randy Couture vs. Rich Franklin.

UFC 115 is set to take place on June 12th in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the GM Place.