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UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has received his return date, as “Mighty Mouse” will face John Moraga at UFC on FOX 8.

UFC officials confirmed the championship match for the July 27 card from Seattle. The main card airs on FOX, while the prelims are likely to be televised on FX and Facebook.

Also, a female bantamweight bout between Miesha Tate and Liz Carmouche was made official, as well.

Johnson and Moraga were set to square off earlier this month before the champion went down with an injury. The UFC decided to wait and re-book the contest instead of pairing Moraga with someone else in the meantime.

Jon Jones recently released a series of signature items by Nike.

Anderson Silva and Junior dos Santos also have deals with the company.

However, one more fighter could be joining those ranks, as Liz Carmouche is campaigning to fill the spot of a gay athlete with the clothing and shoe giant.

In a report by Bloomberg, Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts let it be known that he heard Nike was looking for an openly gay athlete. Welts is gay, and told the site “they made it clear to me Nike would embrace it.”

Carmouche jumped all over that, taking to Twitter to try and convince people to allow her to become that person.

@nike If u’re looking to sponsor a gay athlete I am the 1st openly gay @ufc fighter. I fought in the 1st ever female bout! #lizbos #lizbros

— LIZ CARMOUCHE (@iamgirlrilla) April 16, 2013

The lineup for July’s Invicta FC 6 card has been set, as Cris Cyborg and Marloes Coenen will collide for the vacant featherweight title.

Action takes place inside the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City. It will stream live once again on online PPV.

The strawweight title will also be up for grabs, as champion Carla Esparza defends against Ayaka Hamasaki.

The complete fight card lineup is below:

MAIN CARD (Online PPV, 10 p.m. ET)

Marloes Coenen vs. Cristiane Santos – for inaugural featherweight title

Carla Esparza vs. Ayaka Hamasaki – for strawweight title

Sarah D’Alelio vs. Lauren Taylor

Leslie Smith vs. TBA

Jessica Penne vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc

Joanne Calderwood vs. Claudia Gadelha

Julia Budd vs. Ediane Gomes

Bec Hyatt vs. Mizuki Inoue

Miriam Nakamoto vs. Duda Yankovich

PRELIMINARY CARD (Online PPV, 8 p.m. ET)

Rose Namajunas vs. Tecia Torres

Ashley Cummins vs. Emily Kagan

Mollie Estes vs. Veronica Rothenhausler

Laura Sanko vs. Livia Von Plettenberg

Cat Zingano took to Twitter to announce her coaching staff for the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Zingano, along with UFC female bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, will make history as the first-ever female coaches on the reality series. They will coach both men and women bantamweights.

Helping her on the show will be her husband, Mauricio Zingano, who is the owner and head coach at Team Zingano. Also, Leister Bowling, who coached on the 16th season of TUF, Mark Beecher and Loren Landow will also have spots.

Ok, been getting asked a ton, my TUF 18 coaches @zinganobjj @leisterbowling @markhyena @lorenlandow @ufc @danawhite

— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) April 20, 2013

The season debuts in September on FOX Sports 1. Early reports have Rousey-Zingano going down in December as part of the year-end card, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza will put her belt on the line against Ayaka Hamasaki, according to a report by MMA Rising.

While the next Invicta FC event has yet to be scheduled, the all-female promotion is looking at either late June or early July. No venue has been confirmed, either.

Also, a bout between Bec Hyatt and Mizuki Inoue has been linked to the card.

The main event was confirmed shortly after Invicta FC 5, as Cris Cyborg will face Marloes Coenen for the vacant featherweight title.

Some feel as if Ronda Rousey is untouchable.

Other MMA fans believe Cris Cyborg is the only female walking this planet that can truly give the UFC bantamweight champion a run for her money.

Well, Cat Zingano will have something to say to both of those statements sometime this year after securing a future title shot by defeating Miesha Tate.

Did Zingano storm Tate and handle the former Strikeforce champion? No, but she did do something not many others have been able to accomplish: finish “Cupcake.”

Walking to the Octagon with tears in her eyes, the mother and veteran fighter was obviously nervous prior to her Octagon debut this past weekend. For anybody that has seen a Cat Zingano match, she isn’t timid – vs. Tate, she was more than timid, she was down-right scared.

After 10 minutes of action, most of which Tate was in control of, Zingano found her rhythm and unleashed with brutal jabs, hooks and knees. Oh, those knees from “Alpha.”

Tate has fought the who’s who of female MMA, going toe-to-toe with Rousey, Julie Kedzie, Marloes Conene, Sarah Kaufman and others. Only Kaitlin Young in 2007 – her second pro fight – had previously been able to stop Tate via knockout or TKO.

Yes, Tate had been submitted by Rousey, but it had been almost six years since another female had made her surrender.

Zingano is 30 years old, but has fought just eight times in her career. She doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear on her body.

Can Zingano be the one to finally solve Rousey? Honestly, probably not, but she’ll have several months to prep, prepare and get inside the head of “Rowdy.”

Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ronda Rousey talks about the fight between Cat Zingano and Miesha Tate. With Cat’s win, she has secured a title shot and spot coaching against Ronda Rousey on the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter. Rousey goes on to say she doesn’t want to perpetuate drama and turn the show into a “Jersey Shoresque” show.

Alexis Davis’ first MMA fight came in Winnipeg, as she lost to Sarah Kaufman in 2007 via TKO.

Now, just over six years later, Davis will make her UFC debut in the same Canadian province, taking on Rosi Sexton at UFC 161 in June.

Earlier this week, Davis (13-5) spoke to the media about the importance of females fighting in the UFC.

It’s a huge honor to have this opportunity and to fight in Canada. I am glad I get to make my UFC debut back here. It is going to help the sport grow more and more, especially having more women on the main card. Amateur fighters coming up, (competing on pay-per-views) is what they can look forward to.

Davis has won each of her last two fights via submission, including a recent choke-out of Shayna Baszler in January.

Thank you to the UFC for giving me this opportunity. It’s great to be back in Winnipeg.

UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey found out first-hand her next challenger Saturday night, as Cat Zingano claimed a victory over Miesha Tate at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.

Rousey and Zingano, though, will not compete for a while, as the two are set to coach on the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter. They will be the first-ever female coaches, and will direct both male and female bantamweights.

Rousey discussed the Zingano-Tate match while the announcement of TUF moving to FOX Sports 1 was made.

“They both looked great,” she said. “From the open workouts, I thought that Cat looked a lot better, but Miesha’s the type to perform above herself and she came out swinging. I’ve learned a lot about (Zingano) as a fighter by watching her live for the first time.”

The former Olympian sounds excited to get TUF going, which should happen in the coming months.

“I think it’s amazing and is going to be a great opportunity for people to see women fighting on the show,” Rousey said, “and men being coached by women. It’s just the beginning; this will be a season like no one has seen before.”

Rousey will likely help generate interest, and Zingano’s story – being a mother – could also help in that regard. Zingano, though, will need to improve greatly if she is to upset “Rowdy,” as Tate nearly locked in several submissions against her.

Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It was announced Saturday night that the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter will be used to anchor FOX Sports 1′s Wednesday night UFC lineup.

UFC president Dana White made the announcement, as Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano will appear as coaches. The series will feature both male and female bantamweights competing for a guaranteed UFC contract.

“Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter just ended and it was the best season we’ve ever done,” White said. “Season 18 is going to be historic and groundbreaking with the first-ever women coaches, and men and women training and living together, and we’re excited to be airing it on the best new sports network in the country, FOX Sports 1.”

Eric Shanks, an executive with FOX Sports, added his thoughts, and sounds excited for the addition of TUF to FS1.

“Bringing The Ultimate Fighter to FOX Sports 1 is like adding a big bat to an exciting young lineup,” Shanks said. “TUF has jump-started the careers of dozens of fighters, many who have gone on to become UFC champions. It’s going to be a welcomed addition to FOX Sports 1, and the perfect anchor for our Wednesday prime time UFC block. We’re absolutely thrilled to have it.”

The series will begin on September 4 at 10 p.m. ET.