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UFC officials have started to work on July’s cards, as three bouts have either been confirmed or are in the works for the month.

Two are set for UFC on FOX 8, as former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine will make his Octagon debut against Robbie Lawler. MMAjunkie.com first reported the bout, though it has yet to be made official.

Also, lightweights Bobby Green and Danny Castillo will collide from the KeyArena in Seattle on July 27.

For UFC 162 earlier in the month, heavyweights Shane Del Rosario and Dave Herman have agreed to face each other.

UFC officials confirmed both the Castillo-Green and Del Rosario-Herman fights on Thursday.

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine has yet to sign on the dotted line for his UFC debut.

Saffiedine (14-3) last fought in January, besting Nate Marquardt to become the final Strikeforce champion. Marquardt has since made his return to the Octagon, but a few nagging injuries kept Saffiedine from taking a short notice bout at a recent card.

Instead, he’ll remain on the sidelines, waiting to hear what the UFC has to offer.

“I don’t know when my first UFC fight will be. Getting a title shot straightaway would have been great, but I haven’t even had any title defenses in Strikeforce. Hopefully after a couple of fights I should get the title shot,” said Saffiedine, during a recent interview with BloodyElbow.com. “I was offered a fight with Carlos Condit but I was injured and it was too close to heal up and be ready.”

Since a 2011 decision loss to Tyron Woodley – who is also in the UFC and has earned a win – Saffiedine has reeled off four consecutive decision triumphs.

With the welterweight division as deep as ever, the prospects of fighting for the title are a ways off for Saffiedine. Still, a win or two over some Top-10 fighters could vault him into a strong position.

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine had the opportunity to step in and face Carlos Condit next month at UFC 158.

However, with just a number of weeks to prepare for the former interim UFC champion, Saffiedine did not feel like he could put forth his best effort, and turned down the fight.

“I have a lot of respect for Carlos, and I’d love to fight him, but I believe I need a healthier camp and a longer camp,” said Saffiedine, during a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com Radio. “Three-and-a-half weeks is kind of short for a fighter like him, and that’s basically why I didn’t do the fight.”

Condit will now face Johny Hendricks, who steps in for the injured Rory MacDonald.

Saffiedine won the Strikeforce title in January, defeating Nate Marquardt in the final fight for the promotion. Marquardt will make his return to the UFC against Jake Ellenberger in March.

Eduardo Alonso, the manager for rising welterweight contender Demian Maia, believes he has the perfect opponent in mind for his fighter: Tarec Saffiedine.

Saffiedine was the last Strikeforce 170-pound champion, defeating Nate Marquardt before the promotion folded up shop earlier this year.

Maia, meanwhile, is a former No. 1 contender in the middleweight division, and has earned three straight wins – including a decision victory over Jon Fitch – since dropping down to welterweight.

“The division is scrambled, almost all the contenders are fighting at UFC 158 in March, including Georges St-Pierre,” said Alonso, during a recent interview with Tatame. “Now, Demian is among the tops. Do not know if it pays to wait. Has Strikeforce champion coming, so we’ll see who shows up. Saffiedine, being Strikeforce champion, adds prestige. Depending on the timing, it can be interesting.”

Saffiedine (14-3) has won four straight and seven of his last eight. He dominated Marquardt in January, while Maia’s (18-4) win over Fitch came in early February.

As Alonso said, the majority of the Top-10 in the welterweight division are booked for March, as GSP defends his title against Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks faces Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald battles Carlos Condit.

Tarec talks about his potential next home as a mixed martial artist.

UFC Tonight made mention of several fighters who will enter the UFC from Strikeforce.

While most of the names were already known, some of them may come as a surprise.

Last Strikeforce champions Luke Rockhold, Tarec Saffiedine and Gilbert Melendez were all among those named, along with the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Ronaldo Souza and Roger Gracie.

Ryan Couture, the son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, has been added. The two will become the first father-son duo to compete inside the Octagon.

Below is a list of fighters known to be headed to the UFC at the present time:

HEAVYWEIGHT:

Daniel Cormier (11-0)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT:

Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2)
Gian Villante (10-3)

MIDDLEWEIGHT:

Roger Gracie (6-1)
Tim Kennedy (15-4)
Lorenz Larkin (13-0)
Luke Rockhold (10-1, final champion)
Ronaldo Souza (17-3)

WELTERWEIGHT:

Roger Bowling (11-3)
Jason High (16-3)
Tyron Woodley (10-1)
Nate Marquardt (32-11-2)
Tarec Saffiedine (14-3, final champion)
Bobby Voelker (24-8)

LIGHTWEIGHT:

Ryan Couture (6-1)
Pat Healy (29-16)
Kurt Holobaugh (8-1)
Adriano Martins (24-6)
Gilbert Melendez (21-2, final champion)
K.J. Noons (11-6)
Josh Thomson (19-5)

The direction that the UFC takes with new Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine will be an interesting one.

Saffiedine, who stunned the MMA world when he picked Nate Marquardt apart in the main event of the final Strikeforce event, will likely enter the Octagon sometime in the early stages of 2013. Who the Zuffa brass present to the “Sponge” will show exactly what they think of Strikeforce champions.

Will Saffiedine be placed in an immediate title vs. title match with either Georges St-Pierre or Nick Diaz? That is highly, highly unlikely.

For the 26-year-old from Belgium, his road to becoming the UFC welterweight champion will likely be a grind. The 170-pound division is at its deepest right now, with the likes of Carlos Condit, Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger and others all jockeying for position. Add in the elite welterweights from Strikeforce, and you have a jumbled mess to sort out.

Still, it’s always fun to play the role of Joe Silva and Sean Shelby as matchmaker, so let’s take a look at some potential opponents for Saffiedine inside the Octagon:

Carlos Condit/Rory MacDonald winner

This would be the best-case scenario for Saffiedine, as he would be thrust into the UFC’s spotlight in a likely main or co-main event billing match.

Condit, who is coming off a loss to Georges St-Pierre in a bout to unify the UFC welterweight titles, will be facing MacDonald in a rematch later this year. “The Natural Born Killer” topped MacDonald in their first meeting via TKO with just seconds left in the bout.

Saffiedine would be taking a major leap into the UFC with either Condit or MacDonald – who are both far ahead of the skill set that Marquardt presented. Still, if he considers himself a world champion, these are the kind of fights the Belgian will have to compete in.

Tyron Woodley

The last man to defeat Saffiedine – Tyron Woodley – will make his UFC debut next month against Jay Hieron. With a win, Woodley will have rebounded from a loss to Marquardt and be one-up in terms of Octagon victories over Saffiedine.

Would it make much sense from a booking standpoint to pair Woodley with Saffiedine? Of course, seeing as their first encounter went the distance.

Saffiedine would likely be motivated to avenge the loss, and Woodley would want nothing more than to beat the man who was the last one to wear a title he chased for a couple of years.

Photo credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog

Nate Marquardt

This would be a hard sell for anyone who watched Saffiedine systematically pick Marquardt apart recently.

Marquardt, who will likely join Saffiedine in the UFC despite the loss, is a veteran fighter. You would have expected him to check those kicks that Saffiedine continued to throw, and you would have to think a second meeting would not go the same way.

Still, rematches that are so one-sided in the eyes of the audience don’t make for great sells on pay-per-view, or even on free television, so it could take a while before we see Saffiedine-Marquardt II.

Siyar Bahadurzada

Depending on if he gets past Dong Hyun Kim in March, Bahadurzada would make for an intriguing opponent for Saffiedine.

Bahadurzada has won seven straight fights – and would make it eight with a win over Kim – entering the fight, and has quickly made an impact in the UFC after knocking out Paulo Thiago in just 42 seconds. Bahadurzada has power and skill, holding 11 knockout victories and six submission wins to his credit.

While he isn’t the biggest name in the welterweight division, Bahadurzada has a sparkling resume and would give Saffiedine plenty to think about.

Matt Brown

The past year was one of the best for Brown, as he put together four consecutive victories, including a stunning KO of Mike Swick to close out 2012.

After a rough patch that saw him go 1-4 inside the Octagon, Brown’s status skyrocketed upon finishing Swick, a perennial top-ten fighter.

Brown may still need to prove himself by taking another fight before receiving a match with a champion like Saffiedine, but if he were to approach the UFC and call out Saffiedine, there could be something to build upon.

Josh Barnett’s decision to stay in his Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine fight with Nandor Guelmino was a good one for his bank account, as “The Warmaster” netted $250,000 for his efforts.

The Oklahoma Athletic Commission released the fighter salaries to MMAjunkie.com on Monday. Barnett’s paycheck topped the list, followed by Gegard Mousasi’s $175,000.

The card featured Tarec Saffiedine defeating Nate Marquardt in the main event to become the last Strikeforce welterweight champion. The promotion has closed the doors, with most of the active roster heading to the UFC.

Below is the complete list of fighter salaries, which do not include any type of bonus money given to the athletes:

Tarec Saffiedine: $39,000 (includes $19,500 win bonus)

Nate Marquardt: $40,000

Daniel Cormier: $120,000 (includes $60,000 win bonus)

Dion Staring: $8,000

Josh Barnett: $250,000 (no win bonus)

Nandor Guelmino: $12,000

Gegard Mousasi: $175,000 (no win bonus)

Mike Kyle: $25,000

Ronaldo Souza: $100,500 (includes $28,000 win bonus)

Ed Herman: $34,000

Ryan Couture: $22,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus)

KJ Noons: $41,000

Tim Kennedy: $80,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)

Trevor Smith: $8,000

Pat Healy: $42,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)

Kurt Holobaugh: $9,000

Roger Gracie: $94,000 (includes $47,000 win bonus)

Anthony Smith: $10,000

Adriano Martins: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)

Jorge Gurgel: $10,000

Estevan Payan: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)

Michael Bravo: $6,000

Tarec Saffiedine has the chance of a lifetime this evening, as he meets Nate Marquardt for the Strikeforce welterweight title at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine.

The card will be the last one for the promotion, and many of the top fighters – including the current champions – are expected to sign with the UFC if they have not already done so.

Saffiedine (13-3) will have the opportunity to become the final Strikeforce 170-pound champion, and likely enter the UFC. But, he has yet to hear anything about a potential contract with the UFC.

“I think a win is always better for the next step in whatever you do, but as far as the UFC, I haven’t been approached by them in any way,” said Saffiedine, in a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com. “So, I’m really just focused on winning the fight. I think I’d definitely be a top-five or top-10 fighter (with a win) because even though Strikeforce won’t be there, I think the value of the belt is huge in the UFC.”

The 26-year-old has won three straight and is 6-1 in his last seven, with the lone loss coming to Tyron Woodley in 2011. He has competed in both Strikeforce and Strikeforce Challengers since 2010.

The door will close on Strikeforce Saturday evening, as the final event takes place on Showtime. Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine goes down in Oklahoma City.

In the main event, Nate Marquardt will battle Tarec Saffiedine with Marquardt’s Srikeforce welterweight title on the line.

The card also features Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett, Gegard Mousasi, Ronaldo Souza and UFC fighter Ed Herman.

Weigh-ins took place earlier today, and complete results can be found below:

MAIN CARD (Showtime)

Strikeforce Welterweight Championship
Nate Marquardt (170 lbs.) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (170 lbs.) for Marquardt’s Strikeforce welterweight title

Daniel Cormier (230 lbs.) vs. Dion Staring (240 lbs.)

Josh Barnett (249 lbs.) vs. Nandor Guelmino (229 lbs.)

Gegard Mousasi (205.5 lbs.) vs. Mike Kyle (205 lbs.)

Ronaldo Souza (193 lbs.) vs. Ed Herman (193 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Showtime Extreme)

Pat Healy (156 lbs.) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (156 lbs.)

Roger Gracie (186 lbs.) vs. Anthony Smith (186 lbs.)

Tim Kennedy (186 lbs.) vs. Trevor Smith (186 lbs.)

Ryan Couture (155.5 lbs.) vs. K.J. Noons (156 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Unaired)

Jorge Gurgel (155 lbs.) vs. Adriano Martins (155.5 lbs.)

Estevan Payan (156 lbs.) vs. Michael Bravo (156 lbs.)