Beyond the Octagon: Stoppage victories for UFC alumni

Your weekly look at what big-show vets are up to on the world's regional circuits.

First, at Friday's M-1 Challenge 59: Battle of the Nomads 5, former UFC fighter Luigi Fioravanti (26-13-0) stepped up against undefeated prospect Sergey Kovalev for a middleweight tilt. Across three tours in the UFC, Fioravanti compiled a respectable 4-5 record, with a 2009 knockout loss to Anthony Johnson finally pushing him out of the promotion. He's been up and down since then, with a five-fight run from 2010-2011 serving as a high point, and a subsequent, three-fight losing streak being the deepest slump of his career. As for Kovalev, he kicked off his pro career in 2012, but took extended leave from the…