Four More Fights Confirmed for UFC 88

UFC 88: Breakthrough at Phillips Arena, Atlanta on Saturday, September 6, 2008 will be a star studded affair.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship organization have confirmed four more fights on the card, featuring some of the biggest names in MMA.

Added to the fight card are exciting match-ups between Matt Hamill vs Rich Franklin; Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs Karo Parisyan; Rousimar Palhares vs Dan Henderson; and Nate Marquardt vs Martin Kampmann.

Matt "The Hammer" Hamill is one of the top prospects in mixed martial arts’ most high-profile division. Light heavyweight Hamill has proven that being deaf isn’t a handicap, but instead, a mere obstacle to be overcome on the way to bigger and better things. This was never more evident than in his April 2nd win over Tim Boetsch, in which he took out his highly-regarded foe with strikes in the second round. A three-time Division III National and two-time World champion wrestler, Hamill first made his mark in the UFC on season three of The Ultimate Fighter show. Now against former middleweight champion Rich Franklin, Hamill hopes to not only win but to continue to be an inspiration to others. When Franklin, a self-described ‘”adrenaline junkie,” is in the Octagon, it’s like nothing else in terms of a rush, and it makes all the pain and sacrifice of training worth it. It’s the best explanation yet for why someone would want to compete as a professional fighter. That mentality took Franklin from the classrooms of his native Cincinnati to the top levels of the middleweight division. Even after losing his crown to Anderson Silva in October of 2006, Franklin still sees more challenges for himself in the light heavyweight division.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan, is owner of a fourth-degree black belt in judo and numerous titles in the art. The 34-year old Yoshida has made a smooth transition to the world of MMA. Since his debut in 2005, he has won 10 of 12 pro fights, including nine in a row over the last two years. Though he was a relative unknown here in the United States when he entered the Octagon for the first time against Jon Koppenhaver in May, less than a minute later, a packed MGM Grand in Las Vegas knew who he was after his submission win. He would love to add more fans to his bandwagon by beating North Hollywood’s own, Karo "The Heat" Parisyan. A veteran of 11 UFC bouts, Parisyan, has been in with the best of the welterweights over the years, including Georges St Pierre, Matt Serra, Diego Sanchez, and Thiago Alves. But now at 25, Parisyan is taking his career more seriously than ever before, and he begins his assault on the top of the 170 lb. division against Yoshida in what may be the greatest clash of judo black belts ever seen in the UFC.

Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares, fighting out of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 28-year old Palhares entered the UFC’s Octagon earlier this year with a well deserved reputation as one of the premier submission artists in the game, having won his previous four bouts via first round tap outs. Palhares tore through his UFC debut in one round in May, barely breaking a sweat in the process as he submitted seasoned veteran Ivan Salaverry in just over two minutes. Now this decorated Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt looks to continue his jaw-dropping assault on the middleweights and add an 18th win to his stellar record when he takes on former PRIDE two-division champion Dan Henderson. A native of Temecula, California, Henderson, turned to mixed martial arts in 1997 after a stellar Greco-Roman wrestling career that saw him represent the United States in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.

Nate "The Great" Marquardt, fighting out of Denver, Colo., is a class act and one fighter you will never hear a bad word about. That type of class is a great attribute to have in an era where it’s sorely lacking, but when you’re a fighter in a business where the squeaky wheel is often the one that gets oiled, it can be a problem. It’s been a particular issue with Marquardt, whose talent in the sport is matched by his previous accomplishments, which include recognition as a seven-time King of Pancrase while competing in Japan. Despite a nine year career spanning 39 fights, Nate Marquardt is showing no signs of wear as he takes on the best the middleweight division has to offer. He’s continued his run of success in the UFC, finally getting some overdue praise for his wins over Jeremy Horn, Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, and Dean Lister, with his only losses coming to Anderson Silva and Thales Leites. He continues on his road back to a title shot when he takes on Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann. Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, Kampmann, came to the UFC in 2006 with a reputation as a fierce standup fighter. Unfortunately, after a submission of Drew McFedries in March of 2007, a knee injury put the native of Denmark on the shelf. After a year away, he returned with a submission win over Jorge Rivera, and he hopes to keep his unbeaten UFC record intact against Marquardt.

The remaining bouts for UFC 88: Breakthrough will be confirmed in the near future.