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After seven years of studying the craft, former UFC fighter and “The
Ultimate Fighter 6″ semifinalist Matt Arroyo earned his black belt in
Brazilian jiu jitsu.

The 27-year-old fighter today told MMAjunkie.com he received the belt in a recent ceremony.

The honor came from his longtime instructor, Rob Kahn, the head of the
Florida-based Gracie Tampa camp who earned his own black belt from
grappling and MMA legend Royce Gracie.

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Thiago Alves apparently has gotten his wish and will get a rematch with Jon Fitch.

Alves (16-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who originally was expected to fight Ricardo Almeida at UFC 111, instead has agreed to fight Fitch (21-3 MMA, 11-1 UFC) at the March event.

Sources close to both competitors told MMAjunkie.com verbal agreements are in place for the welterweight matchup, though bout agreements have not been signed.

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Weigh-ins for next month’s UFC Fight Night 20 event take place Sunday, Jan. 10, at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

The same venue hosts the following night’s Spike TV-broadcast event, which features a headliner of Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard and three other televised bouts.

The weigh-ins begin at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT), and doors open at 3 p.m.

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Debbie Lee, UFC – Jamais desistir. Translation: Never quit. The Portuguese phrase is inked handsomely across the underside of Thiago Silva’s right forearm in black. It’s one of many tattoos that blanket the 27-year-old’s body, but this one serves a specific purpose, reminding him to always press on in the face of adversity.

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The WEC recently announced that MMA legend Jens Pulver (22-12 MMA, 1-4
WEC) will return to action at “WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz” in March.

Now he’s got an opponent.

MMAjunkie.com has learned from sources close to the
organization that Pulver will meet fellow featherweight Javier Vazquez
(13-4 MMA, 0-2 WEC) on the evening’s main card.

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The last time MMA fans saw Rashad Evans, he was getting scraped off the Octagon canvas after getting pimp smacked by Lyoto Machida. Not only did Evans drop his first pro fight at UFC 98, but he also lost the highly-coveted light heavyweight crown. He claims to have grown from the loss and fully intends to unleash his knowledge on Thiago Silva this Saturday at UFC 108.

“I really don’t think about the last fight as far as me losing,” Evans said of his botched title defense. “I just think about some of the mistakes I had as far as mentally, as well as execution-wise in that fight.”

Although he’s on the losing track, don’t expect for him to remain there for long. He knows the quickest way to get back into another title fight is to stockpile one impressive win after another.

Although he’s never had to face the challenge of having to bounce back from a loss, the wrestler isn’t about to compound the issue by adding extra pressure on himself.

“I’m not going to put any pressure on myself to go out there and say, ‘Well, I have to win, I have to win.’ I’m just going to go out there and perform well. And me performing well, the outcome will be a victory … ”

And what exactly has changed since his face-to-fist encounter with Machida?

“For the most part, I’m just a lot more confident with my game plan and my strategy going into this fight,” Evans said. “I think I’m a bit sharper than I was, but it all remains to be seen. You can feel one way in practice and get out there the night of the fight just looking like crap.

“So it’s all about execution. That’s what I’m focusing on, just going out there and executing.”

Sounds simple enough …

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With his welterweight title shot on hold and with a potential bout with Marius Zaromskis ultimately scrapped, Jay Hieron (18-4 MMA, 1-0 SF) instead is expected to meet veteran Joe Riggs (32-11 MMA, 3-2 SF) next month at “Strikeforce: Miami.”

Sources close to the event told MMAjunkie.com the fight is in the works, but bout agreements have not been signed, and the Florida State Boxing Commission must first approve the matchup.

“Strikeforce: Miami” takes place Jan. 30 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., and airs on Showtime.

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With Versus airing a marathon of World Extreme Cagefighting content, Spike TV today does the same with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC’s longtime cable partner launched the marathon earlier today, and it runs until 7 p.m. ET/PT tonight.

The New Year’s Eve content includes replays of three recent editions of The Ultimate Fighter Finale events.

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MMAjunkie.com Radio returns today to recap the just-concluded “DREAM/FEG’s Dynamite!! 2009: DREAM vs. WVR” event and to preview Saturday’s UFC 108 show (with a ticket giveaway!).

The crew also discusses last night’s 2009 World MMA Awards. It was a big night for MMAjunkie.com, which won the Best Media Source award, and John Morgan, who picked up the trophy as Best MMA Journalist. “Gorgeous George” and the gang were in attendance and discuss the star-studded affair.

MMAjunkie.com Radio begins at noon ET (9 a.m. PT). Due to the temporary relocation of the studio, listener phone calls will not be available until the crew returns to Mandalay Bay. Listen to and watch a video stream of the show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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World Extreme Cagefighting has set a matchup that could very well
determine the next challenger for WEC featherweight champion Brian
Bowles (or his upcoming opponent, Dominick Cruz).

In what should be one of the early year’s top matchups, former champ Miguel Torres (37-2 MMA, 5-1 WEC) takes on fellow contender Joseph Benavidez (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at WEC 47, sources close to the event told MMAjunkie.com.

Benavidez partially earned the fight out of necessity; due to injuries, fellow contenders Damacio Page (12-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Scott Jorgensen (8-3 MMA, 4-2 WEC) are both unlikely to be ready for the event, which takes place March 6 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

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