"The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 7 ratings: Season-high 1.9 million viewers

The seventh episode of "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" scored a 1.3 household rating and matched the previous season-high average audience of 1.9 million viewers.

Spike TV officials today emailed the ratings information to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The ratings matched the figure from episode No. 5, which also scored a season-high 1.9 million viewers.

Atypical of most episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter," the second quarter-hour of the episode saw the largest audience and drew a 1.3 rating. The first and final quarter-hours were just slightly behind with a 1.27 rating.

"TUF 12," which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, features welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck as coaches overseeing 28 lightweight fighters. Episode No. 7 saw Team Koscheck claim victory in the season's final preliminary round contest as Sako Chivitchian earned a unanimous decision win over Dane Sayers.

The ratings figures for episode No. 6 include an impressive 1.84 rating among men 18-49 and a 2.20 among men 18-34.

The full season ratings include:

Spike TV, which has hosted "TUF" since its debut in 2005, is available in 98.6 million homes.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 12" section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Sako Chivitchian)

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"The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 7 discussion thread

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"The Sunday Junkie" deadline reminder, win a free Fighters Only subscription!

As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.

All topics – including this week's historic UFC and WEC merger, as well as Bellator's final season-three event  – are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) will be invited onto MMAjunkie.com Radio to discuss the topic.

Each winner will also receive a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine!

Send your submission of no more than 150 words with your full name (or MMAjunkie.com screen name), hometown and phone number (not to be published) to sundayjunkie AT mmajunkie.com by Sunday at 10 a.m. ET. For sample entries, check out the Oct. 24 edition of our reader-feedback feature.

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Antwain Britt vs. Ovince St. Preux added to Strikeforce Challengers 12 in November

A light heavyweight matchup between "The Juggernaut," Antwain Britt (11-4 MMA, 1-1 SF) and former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux (7-4 MMA, 1-0 SF) has been added to Strikeforce Challengers 12 in November.

Strikeforce officials today announced the addition to the card.

Featuring a lightweight headliner between Justin Wilcox and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, Strikeforce Challengers 12 takes place Nov. 19 at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss.

Britt returns to action for the first time since a May loss to current Strikeforce champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante. The heavy-handed 32-year-old has earned nine of his 11 career wins via knockout or TKO, and he eyes an eventual rematch with the Brazilian champ.
"This is a must-win fight for both of us," Britt stated in today's release. "I really want this bad. I thought I had 'Feijao' and would love a rematch with him, especially since he now is the Strikeforce champion."

Meanwhile, St. Preux fights under the Strikeforce banner for the second time – and the first since his April debut for the promotion. The 27-year-old is currently riding a four-fight win streak comprised of four-straight first-round stoppages.

"Everything's going good, but the more I win, the harder I know I have to work," St. Preux stated. "I fought some tough guys early in my career because it didn't matter to me who I fought. Looking back, I probably should have won all those fights, but I'm not mad because I learned so much from each of them."

For the latest on Strikeforce Challengers 12, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

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Danny Castillo vs. Will Kerr, Renan Barao vs. Chris Cariaso set for WEC 53

World Extreme Cagefighting's final event of 2010 is beginning to take shape, and the promotion recently announced two new contests for the "WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis" fight card.

In lightweight action, Danny Castillo faces Will Kerr, while bantamweights Renan Barao and Chris Cariaso also face-off.

Featuring title fights in both the lightweight and bantamweight divisions, WEC 53 takes place Dec. 16 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card airs live on Versus.

The two new contests are expected for the evening's preliminary card.

Castillo (9-3 MMA, 4-3 WEC) enters the contest on the strength of a much-needed win over Dustin Poirier at August's WEC 50. Prior to the win, the Team Alpha Male product had dropped back-to-back contests against top contenders Anthony Pettis and Shane Roller. Prior to the slide, "Last Call" had rattled-off wins over Ricardo Lamas, Phil Cardella and Rafael Dias.

Kerr (9-2 MMA, 1-1 WEC) returns to action after earning his first WEC win at June's WEC 49 event. The Connecticut resident, who turns 28 years old on Friday, debuted for the promotion in November 2009 but suffered a first-round TKO at the hands of Kamal Shalorus. That loss snapped a run of five-straight wins for Kerr.

Brazilian standout Barao (23-1 MMA, 1-0 WEC) fights for the second time under the WEC banner. In his WEC debut, Barao submitted Anthony Leone with a third-round armbar. The victory pushed Barao's remarkable win streak to 23-straight fights. The Nova Uniao product hasn't dropped a fight since his April 2005 debut.

Cariaso (10-1 MMA, 1-0 WEC) returns to the WEC after posting a decision win over Rafael Rebello at WEC 49. The win was the fourth-straight for "Kamikaze," who also boasts experience for the Strikeforce and ShoXC promotions.

For the latest on WEC 53, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

(Pictured: Danny Castillo)

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Bellator vet, former pro boxer Jessica Rakoczy fails NSAC drug screen

One-time Bellator Fighting Championships veteran and former pro boxer Jessica Rakoczy (1-3 MMA, 31-3 Boxing) has failed a post-fight drug screen administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and now faces a potential suspension of her license.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) learned of the failed screen from NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer.

The failed screen is the first by a female mixed martial artist in Nevada.

According to NSAC records, Rakoczy tested positive for the banned painkillers Oxymorphone and Oxycodone following her Oct. 9 win over Jennifer Scott under the Las Vegas-based MMA Xplosion banner.

Rakoczy earned the victory via second-round TKO when a bloodied Scott was ruled ineligible to continue after absorbing 10 minutes of pinpoint strikes from Rakoczy.

The win was Rakoczy's first as a mixed martial artist after suffering defeats in her first three outings to kickboxing ace Felice Herrig, new Bellator 115-pound champion Zoila Frausto and California resident Michelle Ould.

The NSAC tests for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, as well as drugs of abuse such as cocaine, marijuana and heroin. The NSAC traditionally tests all main-event fighters, all winning competitors, and any fighters who have previously failed drug tests. However, every fighter is subject to testing.

The Canadian-born Rakoczy boxed professionally from 2000 to 2009, amassing an impressive 31-3 record. Fighting predominantly in California during her boxing career, Rakoczy holds a pair of notable wins over Mia St. John and in September 2006 competed on the preliminary card of James Toney's split-decision loss to Sam Peter at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Rakoczy, who was notified of the failed screen earlier this month, is set to appear before the NSAC on Nov. 4. She likely faces a one-year suspension, though she reserves the right to appeal the finding.

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Bellator 34 weigh-in results: Lombard vs. Shlemenko, Fujii vs. Frausto official

Official fighter weigh-ins for Thursday's Bellator 34 event took place today, and all eight main-card fighters made weight without issue.

The festivities took place at The Paradise Live inside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

With a pair of titles on the line, middleweight champion Hector Lombard and challenger Alexander Shlemenko each weighed well under the division's 185-pound limit, while female tournament finalists and title challengers Megumi Fujii also avoided their division's 115-pound mark.

Today's weigh-ins preceded Thursday's FOX Sports Net-televised event, the final fight card in Bellator's third season, which also takes place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The muscular Lombard weighed 183.25 pounds, and his pre-fight comments were short and sweet.

"It's going to be a good fight," Lombard said.

The dynamic Shlemenko was equally brief but no less confident.

"My style will make me a winner, and everybody will see that," Shlemenko said through his interpreter.

Meanwhile, he night's co-main event fighters, who will compete for Bellator's first-ever 115-pound female title, both appeared confident in their chances to take the belt.

Widely considered the world's top pound-for-pound female fighter, Japanese import Fujii said she plans on capitalizing on her grappling skills.

"She's a very good striker, but I'd like to take her down," Fujii said through an interpreter.

Meanwhile, Frausto said she'll be at her very best after taking part in a full training camp.

"I'm healthy," Frausto said. "I'm ready to go. I was able to train for this fight and not be on a treadmill the whole time."

Preliminary card fighter John Kelly registered one-and-a-half pound over the accepted 171-pound welterweight limit, but the promotion made no mention of a need for him to weigh-in a second time.

The full weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD
Champ Hector Lombard (183.25) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (184.75) - for middleweight titleZoila Frausto (114.5) vs. Megumi Fujii (113.5) - women's 115-pound tourney finaleMike Bernhard (185.75) vs. Dragan Tesanovic (185.5)Raphael Davis (205.5) vs. Tony Lopez (204.5)PRELIMINARY CARD
William Kuhn (170) vs. John Kelly (172.25)Ralph Acosta (135) vs. Tulio Quintanilla (135.5)Frank Carrillo (184.25) vs. Moyses Gabin (184.25)Bounmy Somchay (161) vs. J.P Reese (159.25)Igor Almeida (184.5) vs. Dan Cramer (185.5)For more on Bellator 34, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

(Pictured: Hector Lombard)

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