MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported the matchup earlier this month, and UFC officials today announced the main-card contest.

Featuring a heavyweight rematch between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, UFC 119 takes place Sept. 25 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and airs live on pay-per-view and Spike TV.

The addition of the Dunham-Sherk matchup completes the evening’s five-fight main card, which airs live on pay-per-view. Two additional bouts are promised for the evening’s Spike TV-broadcast portion of the event.

Sherk, 36, has not been seen in the cage since UFC 98, when he dropped a unanimous decision loss to now-champion Frankie Edgar. He was originally scheduled to fight Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 108 but fell prey to the event’s injury curse after agreeing to fight Jim Miller on the night’s main card.

Two months later, Sherk was scratched from a bout with Clay Guida at UFC on Versus 1 due to another undisclosed injury. Since then, the former champion has been whisper-quiet on his career plans.

A disciple of Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts, Sherk dropped to lightweight when the UFC re-introduced the 155-pound belt at UFC 64. In a bloody fight, he defeated Kenny Florian to become the promotion’s second champion in the weight class.

Sherk defended the belt against Hermes Franca at UFC 73, but his title was taken away five months later when the California State Athletic Commission flagged him for performance enhancers. He steadfastly denied the use of any illegal substances.

Sherk returned to action almost a year later and failed to regain his title at UFC 84 when B.J. Penn ‚ who had scooped up the undisputed belt against Joe Stevenson at UFC 80, beat him by TKO.

The 28-year-old Dunham, meanwhile, put his jiu-jitsu black belt to impressive use with a decision victory over division standout Tyson Griffin at UFC 115. The Oregon native surprised many fans by controlling Griffin, a well-known escape artist, on the canvas and keeping back control throughout much of the fight.

The victory built on another savvy grappling performance when Dunham armbarred “The Ultimate Fighter 8″ winner Efrain Escudero and picked up an extra $30,000 check for “Submission of the Night.”

For more on UFC 119, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Evan Dunham)

So imagine Sean Sherk’s image in July, 2007. He’d just starred in a UFC Countdown show on Spike, and followed that up with a commanding title defense against top challenger Hermes Franca.

Then he flunked a steroid test. His image as one of the hardest, most dedicated gym rats in the business took an enormous hit. Probably from the juice, fans said.

Sherk pushed back hard. He appealed the suspension and swore he didn’t take any kind of performance-enhancing drugs. He fought and fought and fought—and the California Athletic Commission actually caved a little. His suspension was reduced to six months, and Sherk started fighting again. “I had to get back out there and remind fans who I am,” Sherk says.

Last May he lost to B.J. Penn trying to get his lightweight title back, but followed up with a solid unanimous decision win against Tyson Griffin at UFC 90 in October. For the Griffin war, Sherk won Fight of the Night honors.

Next, he’ll face Frankie Edgar at UFC 98 on May 23. If he wins, he’s right back in the thick of the 155-pound title hunt. If he loses, he’s still a solid contender, with a 33-4-1 career record, who will continue making a good living as a UFC fighter.

But win, lose or draw, that one flunked drug test—which he still wants to eventually clear from his record—haunts Sherk. On the way to the cage for the Griffin fight, Sherk heard boos and steroid chants. “I care about peoples’ perceptions of me,” Sherk says. “I really do. I didn’t take steroids. I know it’s hard to believe, but I didn’t. Unfortunately, some people will only ever hear my name and think about that one drug test.”

How much does Sherk care? Well, when Round 5, a startup MMA figurine manufacturer, approached him about making a “Muscle Shark” toy of Sherk, he took it seriously. He didn’t want it to be ridiculously ripped, for obvious reasons. He wanted his tattoos to be perfectly replicated on the toy. There was even a little back-and-forth about the texture of his hair.

And when it came time to make the most critical decision—his figure’s pose—he thought long and hard about the image he wanted to present. He ultimately decided to go with the first image many fight fans ever saw of him. At UFC 42, Sherk fought legend Matt Hughes for the welterweight title. For the first time, Sherk was asked to appear on the promo poster the UFC puts out before every event. To introduce himself to the world, Sherk stood with two fists closed, one raised, a small smirk on his face. He felt the shot showed him as he is—workmanlike, not flashy, solid.

That’s what he went with for The Muscle Shark figurine, too. For the back of the box, Sherk had to come up with a quote that best sums up him. For example, Wanderlei Silva’s says, “I promise violence.” Sherk thought long and hard throughout the 10-month, intricate process that figurine-making requires, and finally came up with his perfect message.

“There is no substitute for hard work.”

Thanks to all my family, my fans, my sponsors: MMAOverload.com, IslandSupplements.com, Warrior Wear, Silver Star, CouponCabin.com, Calio, Farcry2, API, and my team Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.

Sean will be taking on Tyson Griffin at UFC 90 in chicago

The Cage MMA Academy in Reading will host a seminar with former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk on Saturday, August 16, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at their Route 222 location.

The extremely tenacious Sherk massed over 400 career matches during his competitive wrestling years before transitioning to MMA in 1999, where he compiled an impressive 17-0-1 record earning a shot at the UFC Welterweight title held by Matt Hughes in April 2003. Although Sherk lost the fight, his never quit spirit sent him on a mission, where he went on a 12 fight winning streak finishing most of his opponents by submission. In October 2006, Sherk dropped a weight division and successfully defeated Kenny Florian to become the undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion.

The Extreme Challenge and Pride veteran has nearly 40 recorded professional fights and will demonstrate what has been affective for him in competition during the seminar. The member of Team X-Factor will teach wrestling, ground and pound and takedowns, all of which are synonymous with The Muscle Shark. The takedowns will show transitions from boxing to wrestling for wrestlers who are not used to doing takedowns from a boxing position.

There will be time for photographs and autographs with Sherk after the seminar.

The cost is just $80.00 per person. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today by calling 610.929.2280 or at www.TheCageMMA.com.

The Cage MMA Academy is located at 5306 Allentown Pike (Route 222) in Temple (just north of Reading), Pennsylvania.

Joseph Cunliffe
www.MMAinPA.com

Email store@seansherk.com with questions.

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Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice bring you all the latest MMA news, rankings, and highlights. Guests include UFC Champion Sean Sherk, jason miller & magazine Publisher Bob Pittman.

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