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Impact FC Unveils Two-Card Extravaganza Down Under

Josh Barnett file photo: Sherdog.com


Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett will lock horns with Jungle Fight veteran Geronimo “Mondragon” dos Santos in the Impact FC 1 “The Uprising: Brisbane” on July 10 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Eight bouts are now official for the event.

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Barnett, who has tested positive for suspected steroid use on three separate occasions, will carry a five-fight winning streak into the match. The 32-year-old Seattle native last appeared at Dream 13 in March, when he submitted Siala “Mighty Mo” Siliga with a first-round kimura. Victories over former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Pride veteran Aleksander Emelianenko and UFC hall of famers Randy Couture and Dan Severn anchor his resume. Three of Barnett’s five career defeats have come to 2006 Pride open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

Dos Santos has lost two of his last three fights but knocked out Fabio Jamanth under the Combat Fight banner last month. In 27 career bouts, the 29-year-old has never gone the distance. More than half (11) of his 18 victories have come by knockout or technical knockout. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Brazilian holds wins against UFC expatriate Assuerio Silva and Pride veteran Wagner da Conceicao Martins, the 400-pound behemoth better known as “Zuluzinho.”

Meanwhile, jettisoned former UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan will return to competition for the first time in more than a year, as he squares off with Luis Dutra Jr.

Parisyan has not fought since his faced unbeaten South Korean judoka Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94 in January 2009. He won a split decision from Kim, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission overturned the result after Parisyan tested positive for three banned painkillers. Following a suspension, he was scheduled to meet Dustin Hazelett at UFC 106, only to withdraw from the fight two days prior to the event. UFC President Dana White promptly cut Parisyan, who counts victories against current Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and former UFC welterweight titleholder Matt Serra among his 18 career conquests.

A Bitetti Combat and Jungle Fight veteran, Dutra will ride a three-fight winning streak into the match. The 29-year-old Brazilian last appeared in November, when he took a unanimous decision from Arni Isaksson inside the Olympian MMA Championships promotion. Dutra holds a pair of wins against UFC veteran Fabricio Camoes.

Other bouts on the table for Impact FC 1 include a match pairing former UFC welterweight champion Carlos Newton with Brian Ebersole, a heavyweight duel pitting Jeff Monson against Brad Morris and a light heavyweight tilt between Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Joaquim Ferreira.

Impact FC 1 “The Uprising: Brisbane”
Saturday, July 10
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Brisbane, Australia


Josh Barnett vs. Geronimo dos Santos
Karo Parisyan vs. Luis Dutra Jr.
Carlos Newton vs. Brian Ebersole
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Joaquim Ferreira
Jeff Monson vs. Brad Morris
Ubiratan Lima Marinho vs. Felise Leniu
Dylan Andrews vs. Steven Kennedy
Jai Bradney vs. Thiago Meller

Shamrock-Rizzo, Daley-Acacio Official for Impact FC 2

UFC hall of famer Ken Shamrock will meet Pedro Rizzo in the Impact FC 2 “The Uprising: Sydney” main event on July 18 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia. The promotion has announced nine bouts for the show, which will air on pay-per-view.

Shamrock, having dropped five of his last six fights, has not competed since he submitted the late Ross Clifton at a Wargods event in February 2009. He was suspended in wake of the victory after testing positive for suspected steroid use. The 46-year-old recently admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his 17-year career.

A Marco Ruas protégé, Rizzo has posted back-to-back wins against Gary Goodridge and Jeff Monson. The 36-year-old Brazilian -- known and revered for his powerful leg kicks -- fought for the UFC heavyweight crown three times but failed in each attempt. Victories against former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski, Ricco Rodriguez and Mark Coleman highlight his resume. Rizzo opened his professional career with nine consecutive wins, eight of them finishes.

Finally, exiled world-ranked welterweight Paul Daley will face off with Daniel Acacio in his first appearance since being released by the UFC.

Daley dropped a unanimous decision to Josh Koscheck at UFC 113 in May and threw an ill-advised sucker punch at the American Kickboxing Academy standout following the conclusion of their bout. His actions drew the ire of UFC President Dana White, along with an immediate pink slip. Based out of Team Rough House, Daley has delivered 18 of his 23 career victories by KO or TKO and remains one of the welterweight division’s most-feared stand-up fighters.

A veteran of the Pride, Pancrase and KSW circuits, Acacio outpointed Cassiano Ricardo Castanho de Freitas by unanimous decision at a Platinum Fight Brazil show on May 20. The 32-year-old Brazilian holds victories against former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Delson Heleno and 2006 Pride welterweight grand prix winner Kazuo Misaki.

Other matchups greenlit for Impact FC 2 include a middleweight tilt pairing former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Paulo Filho against Denis Kang, a heavyweight showdown pitting Bob Sapp against Soa Palelei and a bout between former ElitXC middleweight titleholder Murilo “Ninja” Rua and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 cast member Jeremy May.

Impact FC 2 “The Uprising: Sydney”
Sunday, July 18
Sydney Entertainment Centre
Sydney, Australia


Ken Shamrock vs. Pedro Rizzo
Paul Daley vs. Daniel Acacio
Bob Sapp vs. Soa Palelei
Paulo Filho vs. Denis Kang
Murilo Rua vs. Jeremy May
Murilo Bustamante vs. Jesse Taylor
Peter Graham vs. Jim York
Glover Teixeira vs. Marko Peseli
Richard Vaculik vs. Luke Hume
Shane Nix vs. Manuel Rodriguez
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