MMA's Top Featherweights Take Center Stage This Friday on HDNet

Consensus Top 10 Featherweights Marlon Sandro and Hatsu Hioki Collide; Plus UFC #1 Featherweight Contender Mark Hominick on Inside MMA - Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET

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HDNet

Jan 13, 2011, 02:12 ET

DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the recent merger of the WEC and UFC, mixed martial arts' Featherweights are having a coming out party as they ascend to the sport's biggest stage. This Friday on HDNet, Your Home for MMA, three of the world's top Featherweights take center stage both in and out of the ring.

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"HDNet Fights: World Victory Road- Soul of Fight Part 1" makes its North American debut at 10:00 p.m. ET. In the main event of the evening top ten consensus ranked Featherweights square off when #4 Marlon Sandro (17-1) defends his SRC Featherweight Title against #8 Hatsu Hioki (22-4-2) in a bout that Michael "The Voice" Schiavello described as "truly exceptional."

Other featured fighters on part one of Sengoku's New Year fighting festival include former SRC Featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara, Dave "Pee Wee" Herman, Kazuo Misaki, Ryo Chonan, and new Japanese female star, the muscle-bound Rin Nakai.

Another top Featherweight takes his turn in the spotlight as UFC #1 contender Mark Hominick joins Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten on "Inside MMA" at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Dana White recently tapped Hominick as the next challenger to Jose Aldo's UFC Featherweight title, but standing in the "The Machine's" way is a fight with George Roop at next week's UFC "Fight for the Troops." Mark steps into the "Inside MMA" cage with Bas on to breakdown the big fight.

UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard also stops by to talk about his upcoming fight with Evan Dunham. "The Young Assassin" opens up about his troubled past and how he has refocused himself to go 5-1 since returning to the UFC.

Rounding out the panel is USA Today's Sergio Non who offers a first hand perspective on the growing acceptance of MMA by the mainstream media.

Plus, Ron Kruck continues his look "Inside America's MMA Gyms" with a stop at Team Quest in Portland, Oregon.

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