Japan’s Olympic Judo Gold Medalist, Satoshi Ishii, yesterday started exclusive negotiations to enter into a contract with the UFC.

Ishii, who won the gold medal in the men’s over 100-kilogram event at the Beijing Olympics, arrived in Las Vegas on Christmas day to experience UFC 92.  Over the next two days, Mr. Ishii toured Las Vegas and visited various MMA gyms, including the UFC Training Center and Xtreme Couture, where he trained and sparred with Randy “The Natural” Couture.

Earlier this month, Mr. Ishii decided that he wished to start his MMA career in the United States, and that his dream was to fight in the UFC. He made his choice to negotiate with UFC last night after watching UFC 92.

“I was impressed with the training programs here in Las Vegas and the UFC event,” said Mr. Ishii.  “I am looking forward to working with the UFC and to developing my mixed martial arts skills.”

“Satoshi Ishii has the potential to be very successful in mixed martial arts,” said Dana White, UFC President. “We can’t wait to start working with Mr. Ishii, we look forward to helping him with his training, his career, and his eventual debut in a professional fight.”

Ishii competed as a Judo heavyweight in the Olympics this year. Whether he will attempt to compete as a heavyweight or light heavyweight has yet to be decided.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs. Frank Mir
Frank Mir Wins by Technical Knock Out at 1:54 in the 2nd round

CB Dollaway Vs. Mike Massenzio
CB Dollaway Wins by Technical Knock Out at 3:01 in the 1st round

Wanderlei Silva Vs. Quinton Jackson
Quinton Jackson Wins by Knock Out at 3:21 in the 1st round

Cheick Kongo Vs. Mostapha Al Turk
Cheick Kongo Wins by Technical Knock Out at 4:37 in the 1st round

Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship
Frank Mir (251) VS Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (246)

Wanderlei Silva (203) VS Quinton Jackson (206)
Mostapha Al Turk (237) VS Cheick Kongo (233)
Mike Massenzio (184) VS CB Dollaway (186)

Dean Lister (186) VS Yushin Okami (185)
Mike Wessel (260) VS Antoni Hardonk (246)
Reese Andy (206) VS Matt Hamill (205)
Brad Blackburn (170) VS Ryo Chonan (171)
Patrick Barry (233) VS Dan Evensen (242)

According to Bill White, President of the IFHF, UFC and Spike TV should be applauded for their efforts. “We are profoundly grateful to the UFC and Spike TV for their extraordinary support of our nation’s Wounded Warriors,” White said. “Their efforts have moved us that much closer to complete the traumatic brain injury center in Bethesda for the service members that are fighting for our freedom overseas.”

According to the ratings, 2 million viewers watched the fight live on Spike TV and was one of the most watched programs that night, highly popular with male viewers.

NICoE will be a $65 million, 75,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation center to provide leading edge services and support for soldiers with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Further, the center will conduct research, test new protocols and provide comprehensive training and education to patients, providers and families while maintaining ongoing tele-health follow-up care.

The project is being funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), which provides assistance to our nation’s military heroes who have been critically injured in the performance of their duty, and their families. The IFHF previously raised more than $60 Million to support families of military personnel lost in Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and to construct the Center for the Intrepid, an advanced physical rehabilitation facility at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, which opened in 2007. Construction for the NICoE is scheduled to begin this summer and with its opening in late 2009.

Forrest Griffin Vs. Rashad Evans
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs. Frank Mir
CB Dollaway Vs. Mike Massenzio
Wanderlei Silva Vs. Quinton Jackson
Cheick Kongo Vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Yushin Okami Vs. Dean Lister
Antoni Hardonk Vs. Mark Burch
Matt Hamill Vs. Reese Andy
Ryo Chonan Vs. Brad Blackburn
Dan Evensen Vs. Pat Barry

Ryan Bader Vs. Vinicius Magalhaes
Ryan Bader Wins by Knock Out at 2:18 in the 1st round

Kevin Burns Vs. Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson Wins by Knock Out at 0:28 in the 3rd round

Jason MacDonald Vs. Wilson Gouveia
Wilson Gouveia Wins by Submission (Other) at 2:18 in the 1st round by strikes

Junie Browning Vs. Dave Kaplan
Junie Browning Wins by Submission (Arm Lock) at 1:32 in the 2nd round by arm bar

Krzysztof Soszynski Vs. Shane Primm
Krzysztof Soszynski Wins by Submission (Arm Lock) at 3:27 in the 2nd round by kimura

Kyle Kingsbury Vs. Tom Lawlor
Tom Lawlor Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round

Shane Nelson Vs. George Roop
Shane Nelson Wins by Split Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round

Rolando Delgado Vs. John Polakowski
Rolando Delgado Wins by Submission (Choke) at 2:18 in the 2nd round by guillotine

Light Heavyweight Final
Vinicius Magalhaes (205) VS Ryan Bader (205)

*Wilson Gouveia (189) VS Jason MacDonald (184)
Anthony Johnson (171) VS Kevin Burns (171)
David Kaplan (156) VS Junie Browning (156)

Shane Primm (202) VS Krzysztof Soszynski (205)
Jules Bruchez (205) VS Eliot Marshall (203)
George Roop (153) VS Shane Nelson (156)
Tom Lawlor (204) VS Kyle Kingsbury (205)
John Polakowski (152) VS Rolando Delgado (155)

* Gouveia did not make weight and for safety reasons, the Nevada State Athletic Commission won’t allow him to make a second weight cutting attempt.  The bout will go on at a catch weight of 189 pounds, and Gouveia will forfeit 20% of his purse to MacDonald.

Jonathan Goulet (171) VS Mike Swick (171)
Razak Al-Hassan (205) VS Steve Cantwell (206)
Matt Wiman (156) VS Jim Miller (156)

*Brodie Farber (174) VS Luigi Fioravanti (173.5)
Johnny Rees (169) VS Steve Bruno (171)
Brandon Wolff (170) VS Ben Saunders (170)
Nate Loughran (185) VS Tim Credeur (186)
Dale Hartt (156) VS Corey Hill (155)
Justin McCully (228) VS Eddie Sanchez (246)

* Farber and Fioravanti will fight at a 173-pound catchweight.