FUEL TV’s Ariel Helwani tonight reported that Demetrious Johnson is out of his UFC flyweight title fight against John Moraga with an injury. The fight was set to headline the TUF 17 Finale, which takes place April 13 in Las Vegas. It’s unknown what the UFC will do now as far as a main event goes for the TUF 17 Finale, considering the majority of star fighters are already booked up. As for Moraga, it’s possible he stays on the card and fights someone like Joseph Benavidez or John Dodson for the No. 1 contender’s spot, although he may stay on the sidelines until Johnson is ready to return to action. Riddle Released From UFC Matt Riddle was released from the UFC tonight following a failed post-fight drug test after his UFC on FUEL TV 7 matchup against Che Mills. Riddle won the fight by split decision, but it’s possible it may be changed to a No Contest. The news was broken by MMAjunkie.com, who said Riddle tested positive for marijuana, which Riddle also tested positive for after his UFC 149 against Chris Clements. While unconfirmed at this point, it’s likely that marijuana was once again the culprit. Dos Anjos vs. Dunham Booked For UFC on FX 8 The UFC added an awesome lightweight matchup to the upcoming UFC on FX 8 card today, as contenders Evan Dunham and Rafael dos Anjos will clash in a three-round fight. The news was reported by Ivan Raupp of Brazilian outlet GloboeSporte.com. Both Dunham and dos Anjos are in the top 15 of the UFC lightweight division and this should be an absolutely fantastic fight when it finally happens. UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 in Brazil, and it’s headlined by a middleweight fight between Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort. The card also features another middleweight bout between contenders Costa Philippou and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Straus Injured, Out of Title Fight With Curran A broken hand to featherweight contender Daniel Straus has taken him out of his upcoming Bellator featherweight title fight with champion Pat Curran, which was set to take place on April 4th at Bellator 95 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. MMAjunkie.com was the first to report of the scratch. It’s possible that Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, who recently lost a close decision to Curran, is given a rematch, but it’s also possible recent featherweight tournament winner Shahbulat Shamhalaev is given the title shot. Line For Dos Santos/Overeem Revealed MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas today released the opening odds for the upcoming UFC 160 co-main event bout between heavyweight sluggers Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem. Dos Santos opened as a -245 favorite, while the comeback on Overeem is a +185 underdog. Click here to see how the line opened.
