Weekly MMA Round Up: Oxygen Cans, Shine Fights Pick-'Em & More

On Sept. 10, Shine Fights returns with a one-night, eight-man Lightweight Grand Prix featuring big-card veterans Rich Crunkilton, Carlo Prater, Josh Shockley, Drew Fickett, James Warfield, Marcus Aurelio, Dennis Bermudez, Charles Bennett, and they are asking fans to pick the first-round match ups. E-mail your picks to GrandPrixPick@Shinefights.com.

There was some hubbub following Strikeforce: Houston because Muhammed Lawal and K.J. Noons were seen inhaling from canisters before their fights. It was later determined that the canisters contained pure oxygen, considered an illegal performance enhancer by some athletic commissions, but not by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which cleared the fighters of any wrongdoing.

In an interesting bit of local politicking, it was revealed this week that a Massachusetts MMA referee who is partly responsible for getting the sport sanctioned in the state was left out in the cold when it came time to assign referees to UFC 118.

Bellator is the busiest promotion when it comes to scouting and signing talent and this week they announced the signing of D.J. “Da Protégé” Linderman. The California native will be a heavyweight tournament reserve.