In the Cage – MFC Champ Signs with WSOF, Amateur MMA Fighter Dies, Dan Hardy to Get Second Opinion

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.

MFC Middleweight champ Elvis Mutapcic has signed a five-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting Promotion. Mutapic is only 26 years old and sports a 13-2 overall record.

He’s considered one of the best middleweights outside the UFC and is expected to debut with WSOF later this year, possibly at their third event in June.

Felix Pablo Elochukwu died following his involvement in an amateur MMA bout this past Friday night. Elochukwu reportedly took a number of strikes to the head in the final round before the referee was forced to intervene.

Elochukwu appeared fine after the contest but eventually fell out of a chair and was rushed to the hospital. An autopsy was conducted on Sunday and the results are scheduled to be released later this month.

After pre-fight medical tests revealed a rare heart condition, Dan Hardy was pulled from his scheduled UFC on Fox 7 contest against Matt Brown.  Hardy previously stated he wouldn’t be taking any action for his condition but UFC President Dana White said that Hardy will get a second opinion.

“Lorenzo and I called him last week,” White said during a media call in support of UFC on FOX 7. “He’s got some personal stuff going on right now with his family. But we’re going to send him to the best heart surgeon in the country out in Los Angeles when he’s ready. We’re going to get him a second opinion and get him checked out.”

With Marcos Vinicius out of his scheduled contest with Yuri Alcantara, Iliarde Santos has stepped in and will make his UFC debut on the UFC on FX 8 card.

Alcantara began his UFC career with two-straight wins but is coming off a loss to Hacran Dias last June. Santos amassed a 6-0 record in 2012 including four first-round stoppages.