In the Cage – 8.6.12

Each day, The MMA Corner will provide a recap of results, event announcements, fight matchups, and injuries/cancellations from throughout the world of MMA.

Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier will have to wait until Oct. 27 to face former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir in Strikeforce, but the undefeated Cormier has opened up as a heavy favorite in the betting lines with just a little over two months to go. Cormier opened as high as -350 on one poll, while Mir opened at +250. Though Mir does not seem to be such a substantial underdog in the early lines, it will intrigue fans to learn where these two close out as the fight draws nearer.

Despite only drawing in 2.36 million viewers and going against the London 2012 Olympics, UFC on Fox 4 turned in a stellar night of fights, and the toll of the action showed through the medical suspensions for the card’s fighters.

Brandon Vera, Jamie Varner, and card-openers Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson will need clearance before looking to their next bouts, as well as Oli Thompson. Wagner Prado suffered a no-contest against Phil Davis also, and Prado will need clearance from an ophthalmologist before he can officially face Davis in the rematch on tap for UFC on FX 5.

The complete list of medical suspensions is as follows:

Mauricio Rua: 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact; hard bout

Brandon Vera: 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact; KO/TKO
Brandon Vera: 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact, or cleared by physician; cut Left suborbital

Ryan Bader: 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact; KO/TKO

Jamie Varner: indefinite; needs orthopedist clearance of right hand
Jamie Varner: 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact, or cleared by physician; possible fracture

Mike Swick: 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact, or cleared by physician; right ankle and elbow
Mike Swick: 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact, or cleared by physician; cut right eye lid

DaMarques Johnson: 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact; KO/TKO
DaMarques Johnson: indefinite; needs neurological clearance

Wagner Prado: indefinite; needs opthamlogical clearance

Cole Miller: 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact; hard bout
Cole Miller: 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact, or cleared by physician; right hand, left middle finger
Cole Miller: 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact, or cleared by physician; suborbital cut

Oli Thompson: 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact, or cleared by physician; nasal fracture

Ulysses Gomez: 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact; KO/TKO
Ulysses Gomez:: 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact, or cleared by physician; cut forehead

John Moraga: 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact, or cleared by physician; cut right eyebrow

Cung Le and Rich Franklin will do battle in Macau on Nov. 10, after all. The Vietnamese Sanshou expert was set to do battle with “Ace” at UFC 148, but an injury to then-UFC 147 headliner Vitor Belfort opened the doors for a rematch between Franklin and MMA legend Wanderlei Silva. Franklin would go on to win the rematch by unanimous decision, while Le would outpoint Patrick Cote on the third-billing slot of UFC 148’s main card. As Le’s Sanshou career has taken him into China on numerous occasions, Le proved a natural choice for a spot in the UFC’s first trek into China.

Former KOTC lightweight champion Bobby Green will defend a three-fight win streak when he takes on the undefeated Matt Ricehouse on the Showtime Extreme portion of Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman, which takes place later this month on Aug. 18 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif. Ricehouse, a 6-0 prospect stands as the only man to defeat both Ryan Couture and young upstart Bill Cooper. Green’s three-fight streak consists of wins over James Terry, James Reese and Charon Spain in three of Green’s past four Strikeforce appearances, with the only recent blemish coming in a loss to Gesias Cavalcante.

The main card on Showtime is headlined by Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs. former champion Sarah Kaufman and also features former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza against hungry prospect Derek Brunson.