Add Florida to the list of states jumping on the MMA bandwagon.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Sunshine State is on board to santion amateur mixed martial arts at the start of the new year.

 "This is absolutely groundbreaking," said John Morrison, Florida State Director for ISKA, the sole sanctioning organization designated to regulate amateur events.

Morrison, as well as other top officials, including the UFC's Troy Waugh, hosted the first judging and officials seminar to train the sport's judges, timekeepers, scorekeepers and locker-room inspectors. The four-hour seminar drew nearly 60 participants, with notables Din Thomas, an American Top Team fighter; Bonny Canino, the boxing trainer and Hall of Famer; and trainer Yvonne Reis in attendance.

If all goes as planned with the new law, the first sanctioned event will likely be Warriors Collide 7 on Jan. 24 at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale.

• Sanctioning coming to MMA (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Will Ribeiro, Courtesy of Zuffa

Just weeks after his second WEC fight, bantamweight Will Ribeiro was involved in a motorcycle accident in Rio de Janeiro early this morning. According to Guilherme Cruz of TATAME.com, Ribeiro's coach Luiz Alves contacted the web site with the news.

Things are really bad ... The accident happened around 1a.m.. He was riding a bike without a helmet and, when he tried to brake, skidded and crashed.

According to Alves, Ribeiro is in a coma and seeking treatment at Andarai's Hospital.

• Will Ribeiro crashes with bike in Rio (TATAME.com)

Johnny Rees, Courtesy of Zuffa

Yet another UFC fighter is expected to bite the dust.

According to FiveOuncesofPain.com's Sam Caplan, welterweight Johnny Rees will be released from his contract after losing to Steve Bruno at UFC Fight Night 16 on Wednesday.

After entering the UFC with a perfect 10-0 record, Rees lost two - his only two - fights with the promotion. His debut was marred by a first-round submission (triangle choke) from Nate Loughran at Fight Night 14. Rees' most recent loss to Bruno was by rear naked choke at 3:44 in the second round.

And, as Caplan's anonymous source noted, more UFC cuts may come.

Wasn't "Fight for the Troops" supposed to be a charitable event?

• Johnny Rees expected to be released from UFC contract following Wednesday's loss (FiveOuncesofPain.com)

Josh Koscheck, Courtesy of Zuffa

The UFC's video-game contracts saga continues. The promotion, which axed and brought back welterweight Jon Fitch in the same day after a dispute over the agreement, is still trying to get its fighters to sign their life away.

According to MMAWeekly.com, Josh Koscheck, Fitch's American Kickboxing Academy teammate, still hasn't given his John Hancock, even though the UFC has made it clear that those who don't sign will be given the boot. Koscheck, however, is still slated to face Yoshiyuki Yoshida at the "Fight for the Troops" on Dec. 10. But that pesky contract will be waiting for him, says MMAWeekly.com.

The rumors were stating that Koscheck had not signed the agreement and had no intention of doing so, and he may very well exit the UFC after his fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida on Dec 10.

MMAWeekly.com has confirmed with sources close to Koscheck that the rumors about his UFC exit are absolutely false.
According the representatives close to the fighter, he has simply chosen to wait until after his fight to address any and all situations regarding contracts because he did not want a distraction while he was in the final weeks of his training camp getting ready for the fight.

• Koscheck Will Address Video Game Contract After Yoshida Fight (MMAWeekly.com)

Antonio Silva

Sherdog.com's Loretta Hunt reports that Antonio Silva has accepted an offer to take on Yoshihiro Nakao at Sengoku's "Seventh Battle" on Jan. 4 in Saitama, Japan.

The confirmation by Silva's manager, Alex Davis, comes after California State Athletic Commission's Executive Director Bill Douglas recommended that fighter's license be taken away if he didn't adhere to his suspension, which he was hit with in July after failing a drug test. Silva tested positive for Boldenone after his EliteXC fight against Justin Ailers.

When Silva, Davis and attorney Howard Jacobs appealed the suspension on the grounds that it was a "false positive," the CSAC voted unanimously to uphold the ban. Said Davis:

"Antonio has decided to fight, he really has no option. He's innocent, he's tried to prove it and it fell on unwilling ears, and he has financial commitments that to not meet would have serious consequences for him. In light of these, he has decided to continue his career in Japan until when and if his situation with the CSAC is resolved."

Douglas warned that if Silva decides to compete at Sengoku, the executive director will recommend the CSAC revoke his license at a Feb. 10 hearing. If the CSAC is in accord with Douglas, Silva's license could be frozen in one-year increments until the commission votes to reinstatement him.

However, the CSAC could also vote to not revoke Silva's license, change his suspension and slap him with a fine.

Either way, Davis is willing to risk it.

• Suspended Silva opts for Sengoku fight (Sherdog.com)