Major UFC news coming, loaded women's wrestling show on Friday, WWE Championship history, Josh Barnett note, former WWE Diva Search contestant Jessica Hatch, AWA on ESPN Classic match listing

-For those who missed it last night, the Los Angles Times is reporting that UFC is close to finalizing a deal with Fedor Emelianenko Meanwhile, I've heard plenty of rumors that UFC is negotiating with ESPN regarding a new television deal. Plus, the promotion is believed to have re-signed Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort. UFC has a conference call scheduled for Friday that should be extremely newsworthy.

-Heavy on Wrestling and F1rst Wrestling are holding loaded women's show on Friday night at the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis. The show features Awesome Kong vs. ODB, Roxxi vs. Ann Brookstone, Shark Girl vs. Sojo Bolt, and Daffney vs. Rachel Summerlyn, and a mixed tag match with Pete Huge and Allison Wonderland vs. Arik Cannon and Christy Hemme.

The promotion is also advertising appearances by Molly Holly, Tammy "Sunny" Sytch, Stacy Carter (a/k/a The Cat), Victoria, Lacey Von Erich, and Jonny Fairplay and his wife Michelle of America's Next Top Model fame. It's a loaded lineup and tickets are only $15 at the door. For more information on the show, visit HeavyOnWrestling.com.

-In a dark match held after the WWE Smackdown tapings in Baltimore last night, Jeff Hardy defeated C.M. Punk in a cage match.

-Alfonso Castillo posted a couple of articles on the WWE Championship belt history in The Steel Cage blog. It's a good read. You can check it out at Newsday.com.

-Baltimore Sun blogger Kevin Eck attended Monday's WWE Raw and posted his live perspective thoughts in his Ring Posts blog at BaltimoreSun.com.

-Thanks to everyone who wrote to point out that Josh Barnett has previously wrestled in Japan. He is returning Aug. 9 for a match on the Inoki Genome Federation show.

-Former WWE Diva Search contestant Jessica Hatch is posting online videos for a company called ACN, which Donald Trump is involved with. [Thanks to Devin Cutting of ProwrestlingEvents.tk.]

-The following matches are listed for the 10 p.m. CT airing of the AWA on ESPN Classic: The Trooper vs. Tokyo Bullet, Mike George vs. The Menace, Nikita Koloff vs. Jones, D.J. Peterson and Rick McCord vs. Bennett and Carlson, Jonnie Stewart vs. Tony Denucci. The show was taped on June 20, 1990.