Take a look back at the past seven days in mixed martial arts, which included fight cards from Tachi Palace Fights and XFC. 
Along with looking back at the fights over the weekend, this week-in review includes the latest news, TV ratings, and fight announcements.
The MMA Recap
1. With UFC on the back-burner for the weekend, it was a relatively quiet week in the sport of MMA, but there was still some notable action taking place.
On Thursday, Tachi Palace Fights returned with it’s eighteenth event. Two champions were crowned as Poppies Martinez (28-9, 1 NC) submitted Chris Culley (17-11) with an anaconda choke in the first round to win the promotion’s featherweight strap, while Joe Soto (13-2) won bantamweight gold when the ringside doctor stopped the fight because of the bloody canvas Soto was crafting on the face of his opponent, Jeremiah Labiano (7-2).
2. The first XFC international happened on Saturday. Along with the opening rounds of the lightweight and women’s flyweight tournament bout, Thiago Meller (19-5) impressed with a first round ground and pound victory over Clay French (19-7) in the night’s featured bout. The co-main event was a featherweight fight that saw Fernando Vieira (9-2) elicit a verbal submission from Marcelo Rojo (6-2) in the second round.
As far as the tournament goes, lightweights Gilson Lomanto (9-1), Glaucio Eliziario (9-2), Natan Schulte (7-2), and Alan dos Santos (12-1) advanced to the semi-finals by beating Daniel Salas (12-5), Jonathan Ortega (7-2-1), Giovanni Arroyo (0-0), and Marcos Alderete (2-2) respectively.
In the women’s flyweight bracket, Silvana Juarez (4-0) advanced to the finals with a late, third round triangle submission of Bianca Daimoni (3-1), and Mayerlin Rivas (5-0) also earned a spot in the tournament’s conclusion with a decision victory over Daiana Torquato (1-2).
3. A pair of familiar names fought in Brazil on the Bitetti Combat 19 card. Former elite middleweight Paulo Filho (23-6-2) lost for the fourth time in his last six fights when he dropped a decision to Andre Muniz (6-2), and Ronys Torres (28-5), who went 0-2 in the UFC, knocked out Gilmar Lima (23-12-1) with a barrage of strikes within the first thirty seconds of their bout. Torres has won fourteen of his last fifteen bouts.
4. On the fourth episode The Ultimate Fighter Nations, Australia’s Tyler Manawaroa (10-0) won a close decision over Nordine Taleb (8-2) that played out primarily on the feet. While he tired quickly, Manawaroa was able to consistently land quality strikes on Taleb. Manawaroa, the first Australian to get a win on the show, joins Elias Theodorou in the next round of the middleweight bracket. The fight net week will be a welterweight bout between Canada’s Matt Desroches (4-0) and Australia’s Richard Walsh (7-1).
5. At NEF XII, long-time UFC fighter Marcus Davis (22-11) suffered another loss when the doctor stopped his fight with Ryan Saunders (6-4) in the first round due to an eye injury.
6. In a battle of former Bellator featherweights, Scott Heckman (17-4) edged out a close, five round split decision victory over Jeff Lentz (9-3-1) to win the CFFC Featherweight Championship at CFFC 31.
The News
1. Former UFC Light Heavyweight Thiago Silva was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and obstruction without violence after he was arrested by police on Thursday. For details on the incident, you can read about the police report here.
Silva was scheduled to face Ovince St. Preux at UFC 171, but he was obviously pulled out of the fight following the events that took place earlier in the weak. Nikita Krylov, who normally fights at heavyweight, will drop down to 205 to fill in for Silva again St. Preux.
2. UFC women’s bantamweight Jessica Eye is under a year-long probated suspension by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation after she tested positive for a prohibited drug. The result of her fight with Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 was also turned into a no contest. As of press time, it has not been confirmed as to what drug Eye tested positive for, but she is still scheduled to face Alexis Davis at UFC 170.
3. The Bellator Bantamweight Championship between Eduardo Dantas and Rafael Silva at Bellator 111 was called off as Silva was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury. Dantas will now face Anthony Leone with the bantamweight strap on the line.
4. The officials that will oversee the Ronda Rousey/Sara McMann fight at UFC 170 were decided on Friday. Herb Dean will referee the contest, while Junichiro Kamijo, Chris Lee, and Glenn Trowbridge will be the judges.
5. Undefeated Russian lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov finally has an opponent. He will replace an injured Rustam Khabilov to take on Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on FOX 11.
6. The date for the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi has been set. A fight night card, headlined by Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is scheduled to take place on April 11th.
7. Anthony Johnson will make his return to the UFC. The former welterweight will face a sturdy test when in his first fight back as he is scheduled to take on top light heavyweight Phil Davis at UFC 172.
8. Top bantamweight Raphael Assuncao is now without an opponent. He was scheduled to face Francisco Rivera in a fight that would likely propel the winner into a bantamweight championship fight, but Rivera had to pull out because he broke his hand.
Fight Announcements
UFC Fight Night 36 – February 15th
FW Bout: Douglas Silva de Andrade (22-0, 1 NC) vs Zubaira Tukhugov (15-3)
UFC 170 – February 22nd
LW Bout: Rafael dos Anjos (20-6) vs Khabib Nurmagomedov (21-0)
W BW Bout: Jessamyn Duke (3-0, 1 NC) vs Bethe Correia (7-0)
LW Bout: Ernest Chavez (6-0) vs Yosdenis Cedeno (9-2)
The Ultimate Fighter China Finale – March 1st
WW Bout: Zak Cummings (16-3) Alberto Mino (10-0)
FW Bout: Jumabieke Tuerxun (14-0) vs Mark Eddiva (5-0)
Albert Cheng (2-2) vs Anying Wang (1-0)
Bellator 11 – March 7th
BW Title: Eduardo Dantas (15-3) vs Anthony Leone (13-6)
UFC 171 – March 15th
LHW Bout: Nikita Krylov (16-3) vs Ovince St. Preux (14-5)
UFC Fight Night 38 – March 23rd
MW Bout: Cezar Ferreira (8-2) vs CB Dollaway (14-6)
LW Bout: Leonardo Santos (12-4) vs Norman Parke (20-2)
LHW Bout: Fabio Maldonado (20-6) vs Gian Villante (11-4)
FW Bout: Rony Jason (14-4) vs Steven Siler (23-11)
LW Bout: Gleison Tibau (37-10) vs Mairbek Taisumov (21-4)
MW Bout: Ronny Markes (14-2) vs Thiago Santos (8-2)
FLW Bout: Jussier Formiga (15-3) vs Scott Jorgensen (14-7)
MW Bout: Thiago Perpetuo (8-1-1) vs Kenny Robertson (12-2)
FW Bout: Diego Brandao (18-9) vs Will Chope (19-6)
FW Bout: Noah Lahat (7-0) vs Godofredo Pepey (9-3)
WSOF 9 – March 29th
WW Bout: Josh Burkman (26-10) vs Tyler Stinson (26-9)
UFC Fight Night 39 – April 11th
HW Bout: Roy Nelson (19-9) vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-8-1, 1 NC)
TUF Nations Finale – April 16th
W BW Bout: Sarah Kaufman (16-2, 1 NC) vs Shayna Baszler (15-8)
UFC on FOX 11 – April 19th
LW Bout: Donald Cerrone (22-6, 1 NC) vs Edson Barboza (13-1)
MW Bout: Brad Tavares (12-1) vs Yoel Romero (7-1)
LW Bout: Pat Healy (31-17, 1 NC) vs Jorge Masvidal (25-8)
WW Bout: Thiago Alves (19-9) vs Seth Baczynski (19-10)
WW Bout: Jordan Mein (27-9) vs Santiago Ponzinibbio (18-2)
MW Bout: Josh Samman (10-2) vs Caio Magalhaes (7-1)
UFC 172 – April 26th
LHW Bout: Anthony Johnson (16-4) vs Phil Davis (12-1, 1 NC)
MW Bout: Luke Rockhold (11-2) vs Tim Boetsch (17-6)
FLW Bout: Joseph Benavidez (19-4) vs Tim Elliott (10-4-1)
LW Bout: Jim Miller (23-4, 1 NC) vs Bobby Green (22-5)
Ratings Report
1. The fourth episode of The Ultimate Fighter Nations drew 384,000 viewers which is the new season high, while the preliminary portion of UFC 169 had 933,000 viewers on Fox Sports 1.
Quick Results
Tachi Palace Fights 18
FW Title: Poppies Martinez (28-9) def. Chris Culley (17-11) via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 3:31
BW Title: Joe Soto (13-2) def. Jeremiah Labiano (7-2) via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 3, 4:16
MW Bout: Randall Wallace (9-1) def. Joey Cabezas (5-7) via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:33
LW Bout: Cain Carroza (6-0) def. Chris Quitiquit (5-4) via KO (punch) – Round 1, :30
HW Bout: Jack May (7-0) def. Carl Seumanutafa (8-5) via TKO (head kick) – Round 1, 2:57
FLW Bout: Luis Gonzalez (5-5) def. Damen Wood (5-4) via KO (punches) – Round 1, 1:39
LHW Bout: Andrew Martinez (9-6-1, 1 NC) def. William Johnson (6-9) via submission (neck crank) – Round 1, 2:13
FLW Bout: Hector Sandoval (7-1) def. Benny Vinson (6-2-1) via unanimous decision
FLW Bout: Alex Perez (10-2) def. Eloy Garza (4-2) via unanimous decision
BW Bout: Thomas Vazquez (3-0) def. Alex Rojas (2-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:23
XFCi 1
LW Bout: Thiago Meller (19-5) def. Clay French (19-7) via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:39
FW Bout: Fernando Vieira (9-2) def. Marcelo Rojo (6-2) via verbal submission (americana) – Round 2, 1:35
Lightweight Tournament
Gilson Lomanto (9-2) def. Daniel Salas (12-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Glaucio Eliziario (9-2) def. Jonathan Ortega (7-2-1) via unanimous decision
Natan Schute (7-2-1) def. Giovanni Arroyo (0-0) via TKO – Round 3
Alan dos Santos (12-1) def. Marcos Alderete (2-2) via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1
Women’s Flyweight Tournament
Silvana Juarez (4-0) def. Bianca Daimoni (3-1) via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:49
Mayerlin Rivas (5-0) def. Daiana Torquato (1-2) via unanimous decision