Lavar Johnson vs Joey Beltran at UFC on FOX 2

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/20/lavar-johnson-moves-from-strikeforce-to-ufc-for-chicago-fox-even/

As Zuffa moves forward on its plans to fold Strikeforce's heavyweight division into the UFC, the company announced Tuesday that Lavar Johnson will be the next Strikeforce heavyweight to set foot in the Octagon.

Johnson will fight Joey Beltran at UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago.

The hard-punching Johnson won three straight fights on Strikeforce Challengers cards in 2009 and 2010, but this year he lost to Shane Del Rosario in an alternate bout in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, then bounced back down to Challengers and lost to Shawn Jordan. He's in a must-win situation at UFC on Fox 2, and so is Beltran, who has lost three of his last four.

The UFC also made a few other fight announcements on Tuesday afternoon:
-- Featherweight Erik Koch has suffered an injury and is out of his planned UFC 143 fight against Dustin Poirier. Koch and Poirier are two of the best young featherweights in the sport, and that fight should have been a big one. The UFC will seek a replacement to fight Poirier.

-- The 5-0 Brazilian prospect Caio Magalhaes has been signed and will make his Octagon debut in his home country against Fabio Maldonado at UFC 142. Maldonado had previously been scheduled to face Stansislav Nedkov, but he was forced to withdraw from the fight.

-- John Albert, a bantamweight who competed on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter and beat Dustin Pague in the Finale, will return and take a step up in quality of competition when he takes on Ivan Menjivar at the February 15 UFC on Fuel TV card in Omaha.

Love this fight, it will be a stand up war.

Menjivar is going to fuck Albert up

I don't remember this Lavar-Jordan fight really...what happened?

Jordan caught Johnson early with a short hook and welled up Johnsons eye. From there Jordan would get a few take downs when the stand up got hot. Second round was good, Johnson was getting more comfortable with the standup but Jordan got an easy takedown and took full advantage applying a kimura for the win.

Lavar will gas and Mexicutioner will get a TKO in the late 2nd round. easy bet here guys

awesome..glad to see Lavar get a chance in the UFC.

This is excellent style fight. Should be fun.

I think Joey Beltran will be too durable and will outlast Johnson in a brawl. TKO Mexi. I wouldn't be upset if Lavar Johnson wins though. I'd like to see him do well.

Agree with two above. See Johnson fading as it goes on

Possible on that gassing, but I think Johnson hits harder then Joey to make it interesting. It's the unkillable with a gun versus the unknockoutablecutionerguymanbro.

Speaking of Beltran, why haven't we heard anything about Stipe since that fight?

Never mind didn't realize that fight was in October. Seems months ago to me like summer

He probably has a couple of broken hands or something

bobbitt15 wrote:

Never mind didn't realize that fight was in October. Seems months ago to me like summer

still kinda odd that theres no announcement of a second fight yet...