There’s no rest for a fighter on a mission: Two days after earning an unprecedented fifth straight UFC featherweight victory, Darren Elkins has already signed on for the toughest test of his career. Elkins will step in for the injured Clay Guida to take on top contender and wrestling powerhouse Chad Mendes. A win over Mendes could vault Elkins to the very top of the rankings and a claim to a title shot. Guida is the third opponent in three events to be forced out of a bout with Chad Mendes due to injury — Guida himself was a replacement for Manny Gamburyan, who’d been expected to face Mendes at UFC 157. California’s Own to be Showcased in San Joseupdated March 6April’s UFC on FOX event in San Jose has added two bouts featuring three of the Golden State’s best lighter-weight fighters.Sacramento’s Joseph Benavidez will face San Francisco’s Darren Uyenoyama in a NorCal flyweight battle that could shake up the division’s rankings. Two bantamweight knockout artists will also meet as Orange County’s Francisco Rivera battles TUF Brasil standout Hugo Viana.Mendes Gets New Opponent in Clay Guidaupdated February 12Clay Guida looks to continue his invasion into the featherweight division by taking on Chad Mendes, one of the very best featherweights on the planet. If he’s successful, he will stake his own claim for Jose Aldo’s belt. Mendes had been slated to fight at UFC 157 but was forced to find a new bout when his opponent was injured.Also in San Jose, undefeated middleweight Lorenz The Monsoon Larkin will make his UFC debut against France’s Francis Limitless Carmont, who is coming off of nine straight wins.Verbal agreements are in for both bouts. Four More Lightweight Bouts Added to Heavy-Hitting Cardupdated February 6Verbal agreements are in for four new lightweight bouts to grace the undercard of the April UFC on FOX event, which is headlined by a 155-pound title fight. TUF Smashes lightweight winner Stormin‘ Norman Parke has agreed to face undefeated Jon Super Saiyan Tuck in perhaps the Octagon’s first matchup between an Irishman and a Guamanian. Another undefeated fighter, Myles The Fury Jury, will put his 11-0 record on the line against TUF 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem.Strikeforce imports Relentless Roger Bowling and Jorge Gamebred Masvidal will also debut at the San Jose event — Bowling will face one of the UFC’s successful WEC adoptees, Anthony The Assassin Njokuani; Masvidal will be welcomed to the promotion by Tim The Dirty Bird Means.Tickets for the April 20 show in San Jose go on sale Friday, February 15. Diaz and Thomson Square Off on FOX in Aprilupdated January 29For the first time since 2004, former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will grace the UFC Octagon, as he will face fellow Northern California standout Nate Diaz in a battle of 155-pound contenders on Saturday, April 20th’s FOX card in San Jose. Also at that event, Olympic silver medal-winning wrestler Yoel Romero will face 8-1 Clifford Starks in a matchup of powerful middleweights. Bendo-Gil, DC-Mir, Brown-Hardy on FOXupdated January 15Two of the biggest names in Strikeforce history will make their move to the UFC on Saturday, April 20, with FOX airing both bouts live from San Jose. In the main event, UFC lightweight boss Smooth Benson Henderson will defend his belt for the third time when he takes on Strikeforce’s last 155-pound titlist, Gilbert El Nino Melendez, in a clash of champions the entire MMA world has been waiting for. Plus, Daniel Cormier, the Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight tournament winner, will return to action quickly after his win over Dion Staring last Saturday to battle two-time heavyweight champ Frank Mir in a long-anticipated showdown.update: Verbal agreements are also in for an exciting welterweight showdown between Matt The Immortal Brown and Dan The Outlaw Hardy.