In the Cage – RFA 8, Cage Warriors 55, Maia-Koscheck

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

RFA 8 returns to Milwaukee for a stellar card featuring two title fights.Undefeated Sergio Pettis comes off of a recent NAFC win over Josh Robinson to face 50-fight veteran Jeff Curran, with the inaugural RFA flyweight title hanging in the balance. Also, RFA featherweight champion Jared Downing defends his crown for the first time since defeating Jordan Rinaldi for the belt. His first defense comes against undefeated Lance Palmer.

Additonally, the older brothers of two current UFC standouts compete on this card. Chinzo Machida, brother of Lyoto Machida, competes at featherweight against undefeated two-fight prospect James Barber. Also, Keoni Koch, brother of Erik Koch, fights fellow undefeated bantamweight Pedro Munhoz

Demian Maia will see action once the UFC returns to Brazil for UFC 163 this August. Fresh off of his welterweight debut win over Jon Fitch, Maia contends against perennial contender Josh Koscheck. Koscheck comes off of a recent loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 157, and steps into hostile territory to face the Brazilian Jiu-JItsu ace.

Former Cage Warriors middleweight champion Chris Fields returns to action to face French star Norman Paraisy at Cage Warriors 55  in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday, June 1. Fields relinquished his title with a loss to Jesse Taylor at Cage Warriors 51 on New Year’s Eve, and returns home to fight. Meanwhile, Paraisy looks to end a two-fight skid which includes recent Bellator losses.

Also, Henry Fadipe fights Mike Ling. Fadipe knocked out Charlie Watts in his Cage Warriors debut but will come off of a split draw over Tumelo Maphutha. Meanwhile, Ling halted a 1-4 skid with recent back-to-back wins over Stuart Tyrie and Lukasz Przybylski.

Visa issues will force Tyrone Spong out of a planned bout with Angel DeAnda, but the World Series of Fighting will still get a solid fight to feature in the form of a recently-signed prelim bout. Former UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann faces former Strikeforce product Lyle Beerbohm. While Volkmann fights for the first time since the defeat to Bobby Green, Beerbohm rides a five-fight winning streak

With UFC light-heavyweight champion indefinitely suspended due to his gruesome toe injury, Lyoto Machida changed his tune about a fight with Alexander Gustafsson. Despite his official top-contender status, Machida expressed his desire to fight Gustafsson, citing a desire to fight as soon as possible. If signed, the bout would likely determine the undisputed next challenger to the throne.