COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 6, 2011) – One of the most decorated and widely respected fighters in the history of Mixed Martial Arts, Dan Henderson, knocked out defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante at 0:50 of the third round to capture the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight Championship in Saturday’s main event live on SHOWTIME® before 7,123 at the Nationwide Arena.

For the remarkable 40-year-old Henderson, the only fighter to simultaneously hold two world titles in two different weight classes with a major promotion, it was his fifth MMA world title and, perhaps, the sweetest.

“Leading up to this fight there was a lot of talk about fighting for the title but I didn’t give it much thought,’’ said Henderson, who left the UFC on a three-fight winning streak to sign with STRIKEFORCE in December 2009. “But now that I have it, it is really nice.

“I wanted to be real patient. Feijao is a tough, real powerful guy especially in the first round. Hopefully, now, I can break that curse.’’

By winning, Henderson (27-8), of Temecula, Calif., became the fourth consecutive challenger since November 2008 to dethrone a defending champion in the deep, talent-laden STRIKEFORCE 205-pound division. It began with Bobby Southworth losing to Renato “Babalu’’ Sobral, who was dethroned by Gegard Mousasi, who in turn was ousted by Muhammad “King’ Mo’’ Lawal, who fell to Feijao.

“I’m just thankful it turned out like this,’’ said Henderson, a two-time United States Olympic Games wrestler before turning pro. “I want to thank Feijao for giving me the opportunity.’’

A winner of five of his last six, Henderson threw what appeared to be a glancing right hand that landed on Feijao’s head. While off-balance, Hendo pushed Feijao to the mat. Feijao landed face-first, and from there Henderson pounced. After five huge right hands, the referee stepped in and stopped it. Going into the third, Hendo was ahead 20-18 on one of the scorecards. The other two had it 19-apiece.

“I made a lot of mistakes,’’ said Feijao (10-3), of Rio de Janiero, Brazil. “You can’t make these kinds of mistakes. I’ll go home, and come back stronger than ever.’’ Feijao entered the fight having won three in a row and six out of his last seven.

In other televised action on STRIKEFORCE: Feijao vs. Hendo presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, Marloes Coenen (19-4) of the Netherlands turned back a determined challenge by late substitute and previously undefeated Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche (6-1), of San Diego, Calif., to retain her 135-pound title with a come-from-behind fourth-round submission (triangle choke) in the opening half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader.

Also, Saturday, on SHOWTIME, American military hero Tim Kennedy (13-3) of Austin, Texas, regained his winning ways with a 3:21, first-round submission (rear-naked choke) over Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (25-8) of the Netherlands in a middleweight (185 pounds) match and Jorge Masvidal (21-6) of Miami, Fla., dealt previously undefeated lightweight Billy Evangelista (11-1) of Fresno, Calif., his first loss on a unanimous three-round decision.

One of the top female fighters in the world, Coenen, a product of Holland’s Golden Glory team, was behind 29-28 on all the scorecards, heading into the fourth round. She rallied to tap out the game Carmouche at 1:29

“She was kicking my (butt), you must give her respect,’’ said Coenen, who won the STRIKEFORCE crown with an impressive third-round submission (armbar) over defending belt-holder Sarah Kaufman on Oct. 9, 2010. “My gameplan was to just get her tired but she got me on the ground a few times.

“When I had her in that choke I knew I had her, I knew it was over. I’ve been sick and I just wasn’t feeling well in there. If (STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Middleweight Champion Cris) Cyborg hits you, it’s hard to survive but these hits didn’t really hurt that much. I was just defending myself and waiting for my opportunity. Liz is a terrific fighter. She’ll be a champion one day.

“I want to face Miesha Tate next – I think she deserves it. I want to thank the American audiences, my sponsors, and of course (STRIKEFORCE CEO) Scott Coker for giving women a chance in MMA.”’

The virtually untested Carmouche, who replaced an injured Tate on less than two weeks notice, displayed a ton of skill, grit and determination en route to nearly pulling off a major shocker.

“Of course I’m frustrated, no one wants to lose,’’ said the 27-year-old Carmouche, a former Marine whose five-year stint included three tours to Iraq. “I thought I was dominant and that she wasn’t defending herself. I thought the ref was going to stop it a few times but he didn’t.

“I was expecting him to stop it and I was surprised he kept letting it go on. I absolutely want another shot at her. I’d take it next week if I could.’’

One of first things Kennedy, who’s toured the Middle East multiple times, did after the victory over Manhoef was jump on the top of the cage and salute two of his superiors seated near cageside– Leader General Tim Kadavy, the Deputy Director of The National Guard, and Colonel Rob Porter, the Chief of Guard strength director.

When asked by SHOWTIME’s Mauro Ranallo moments later about Manhoef and his immediate future plans, Kennedy said, “we’re talking about one of most decorated strikers (Manhoef) in MMA. I’m excited. There was no hidden game plan. He’s weak on his back.

“I just love being here and fighting for the crowds. I want to fight the best. If the matchmakers at STRIKEFORCE don’t think I’m ready for (current STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion) Jacare (Souza) again, give me the next guy, Robbie Lawler. They’re the two best in the world. I’d love fighting either.’’

Then, directing his attention to those tuning in to the Armed Forces Network, Kennedy said. “There’s only one thing I love more (than fighting MMA, and that’s) being overseas with those guys. Give me a little more time. I’ll be back, protecting your freedoms.’’

Masvidal won by the scores of 30-27 on the three judges’ scorecards. “I do well with strikers,’’ he said. “My timing wasn’t great and I was a little off my game plan but I pulled it out. I think the difference maker was my heart. If I need to go back and beat a few more guys before I get a title shot then that’s fine with me.’’

Said Evangelista, a veteran of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series who was making his Saturday debut for SHOWTIME: “It was a close fight. I was definitely the aggressor and trying to fight. He used his reach to his advantage. He did what he needed to do to win. I didn’t focus on my grappling. Maybe next time I can get in better grappling shape.’’

Saturday’s event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, took place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The telecast will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Tuesday, March 8, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO Extreme

The telecast also will be available On Demand beginning Tuesday, March 8, and running through March 21.

Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with MMA legends Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich serving as expert analysts.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 3, 2011) – The eight fighters who will compete in televised fights during a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader this Saturday, March 5, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) participated in a final press conference Thursday at Nationwide Arena.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at the Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone (800) 745-3000. The first non-televised, undercard fight starts at 7:30 p.m. ET. Doors will open at 7 o’clock.

In Saturday’s main event, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending belt-holder Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) of Brazil for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship. In a second world title fight, Marloes Coenen (18-4) of the Netherlands will risk her lightweight (135 pounds) title for a first time when she faces Liz Carmouche (6-0) of San Diego, Calif.

Other televised fights: American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Austin, Texas, faces Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (24-8-1) of Amsterdam, Holland, in an important middleweight (185 pounds) match and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., in a lightweight (155 pounds) encounter.

What the fighters had to say Thursday:

FEIJAO

“I prepare for the next fight and I train for that opponent. I’m thinking about Dan Henderson and not thinking about the championship.

“I don’t care that no one has successfully defended the (light heavyweight) title. I care about preparation, training and getting inside the cage to fight.

“I always train like a family. Antonio Rodrigo is like my mentor. He helped me a lot. He’s always there with me. My coaches and I have made a strategy for this fight.

“With a big challenge you train more and more. Henderson is a big challenge and that is what makes this sport exciting.”

DAN HENDERSON

“One of the benefits of fighting at 205 (pounds) is I get to enjoy my food. One of the drawbacks is I have to fight guys his (Feijao’s) size.

“I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title. Every fight for the last few years has been pretty big so I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title.

“He’s (Feijao is) a different fighter than Anderson Silva so it doesn’t matter that they train together. And I think I’ve improved a lot since I fought Anderson.

“A lot of the techniques are similar in MMA. You just have to look at your opponent and their technique and tweak your game plan a little bit.

“Obviously, I wouldn’t be here if winning a world title wasn’t one of my goals. But the challenge of fighting someone like Feijao is exciting. He’s big, he’s tough and he’s strong. I would definitely enjoy having the belt but the reason I fight is for the challenge.”

MARLOES COENEN

“I’m always prepared and ready to go. This will be a very exciting fight. Liz will come in very determined because of the opportunity she’s getting, but this is an important fight for me, too.

“I need to stay humble because when you start to get cocky is when you’ll lose. I’m comfortable, my weight is good. I can fight at 135 and 145, but I feel a bit stronger at 135 pounds.’’

LIZ CARMOUCHE

“I’m absolutely grateful and excited for this chance. I look forward to the challenge. I’m all about challenges.

“This is going to be a fierce, non-stop back-and-forth fight that I expect will go five full rounds.

“We train for five round fights, so stamina will not be a problem. I can’t wait to fight Marloes on Saturday.’’

TIM KENNEDY

“I’m just excited to be fighting a guy that comes to fight. Manhoef is exciting and comes to win. It is exactly the recipe for a good fight and that’s what I want on Saturday.

“I expect a fast-paced, explosive fight. I don’t see it going the distance.’’

MELVIN MANHOEF

“All fights are important and every time I step into the cage I’m confident I will win. I’m not treating this fight any differently, but it would be good to get a win to reestablish myself.

“I’m not making any excuses, but I know I had (Robbie) Lawler but I made a mistake and it cost me the fight. I went in for the kill and dropped my hands and he caught me.

“Striking is definitely my strong point, but I’m prepared to go anywhere the fight goes on Saturday. The key is for me to be aggressive and fight my fight and not force it.

“Kennedy is a very good, determined fighter. This is going to be an all-action fight.’’

BILLY EVANGELISTA

“I’m looking forward to dropping back down to my natural weight of 155 pounds. My last fight was my first in nearly a year and the first since my injury. I fought a guy stronger and bigger than me and in a totally different weight class. Performance-wise, I expect to be much better on Saturday.

“I don’t watch tapes of opponents so I don’t know much about Masvidal other than he’ll have a height advantage. I’m confident that I can win what will be a very hard fight and take the next step up. A win gets me closer to the STRIKEFORCE belt – the ultimate goal is for me to fight for the STRIKEFORCE title.”

JORGE MASDIVAL

“I’m happy to be fighting for STRIKEFORCE again. I’m looking forward to fighting on SHOWTIME.

“I had a great camp and I’m in great shape. I’m very confident.’’

Diego Sanchez scored a controversial three round unanimous decision over Martin Kampmann in a bloody welterweight bout at the KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Both guys thrilled the crowd with power punches with Sanchez being bloodied all over his face in round one and Kampmann was bleeding over his left eye in round two. The two landed huge punches in every round with round’s two and three being close rounds as Kampmann won the first round.

Sanchez, 171 lbs of Albuquerque, NM won on all cards 29-28 which was booed loudly by the crowd. Sanchez is now 25-4. Kampmann, 171 lbs of Las Vegas is now 17-5

Mark Munoz needed just fifty-four seconds to pound out CB Dollaway in a Middleweight bout.

Munoz, 186 lbs of Vallejo, CA is now 10-2. Dollaway, 185 lbs of Tempe, AZ is now 12-4.

Chris Weidman as he bloodies and batterd and stopped Alessio Sakara in a Middleweight bout.

Weidman, 186 lbs of Mineola, NY is now 5-0. Sakara, 186 lbs of Rome, Italy is now 19-8-1.

Brain Bowles scored a first round stoppage over Damaico Page in a Featherweight bout from a Guillotine choke at 3:30

Bowles, 135 lbs is now 9-1. Page, 136 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 12-6

Igor Pokrajac scored a first round stoppage over Todd Brown in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Pokrajac pounded Brown to a pulp and the fight was stopped at the end of round one.

Shane Roller scored a devastating second round stoppage over Thiago Tavares.

Time was 1:28 of round round two.

NEW YORK (March 3, 2011) – Former body builder and NCAA wrestler Justin Wilcox will face former world title challenger Rodrigo Damm in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif., on Friday, April 1, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Wilcox (10-3), of San Jose, Calif., has emerged a contender in the deep lightweight (155 pounds) division, while Damm (9-4), of Brazil, is looking to climb back into title contention.

Tickets, starting at $20, for STRIKEFORCE’s first fight in Stockton go on sale tomorrow/Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. PT at the Stockton Arena ticket office, online at www.StocktonTickets.com, by phone at (209) 373-1700 or (866) 373-7088 and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 5:30 p.m. PT. Doors will open at 4:45 p.m.

In a featured, televised bout, 2008 Judo Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (4-1), of Japan, will take on kickboxing specialist Scott Lighty (6-1), of San Luis Obispo, Calif., in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) bout.

David “Tarzan” Douglas (6-2), of Antioch, Calif., will face Caros “The Future” Fodor (7-2), of Kirkland, Wash., in a featured lightweight bout.

Strikeforce Challengers is a SHOWTIME Sports® series that serves as a proving ground for up-and-coming Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters, providing today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
GREEN BAY, WI (USA) 8pm CST Saturday, March 5th, 2011 – Wisconsin’s top mixed martial arts pro fighters will battle in four weight divisions when Combat USA presents a 10-fight card at Oneida Casino. Tickets are priced at $40, $65, $90, and $110 for cage-side, tickets available at www.CombatUSA.net, or by calling 920-569-4987. Box office hours are M-F 10am-5pm CST.

“This upcoming event is the second event on the Combat USA Season 2 Tournament. The winners of this event will fight for the Wisconsin State Championship April 22nd. The Wisconsin State champion will then go head to head against the best in Illinois for $10,000 in cash, a Diamond Championship Ring, and a two week trip to the Tapout Training Center in Las Vegas to train with Team Tompkins.

The fight card includes Wisconsin’s best talent fighting to see who the best in the State. The main card includes Gary Bivens vs. James Warfield, Tony Rook vs. Tim Hallock, Morgan Sickinger vs. Nick Agallar, and former Green Bay Packer running back Whisper Goodman vs. Will Dicke. For more information about the event or future events be sure to check out www.CombatUSA.net or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/combatusa

Sponsors will be Oneida Casino “Fun is our game”, Tapout R & D, 4oz Fight Gear “Built for the fighters by the fighters”, Cagetrain “Mobile MMA Training Cage”, Real Wellness, Massage Evolution, Planet Chiropractic, Submission Impossible, Sharkbite MMA, Combat Training Center, Wisconsin Combat Sports, Verlo, Final Round, Miller Light, Payback Inc, and Stadium View Bar and Grill.

GFL.tv will feature this tournament fight exclusively worldwide online. This is a high quality video stream provided by GFL.TV that allows viewers to watch as if they are a part of the live Combat USA event. Combat USA January 5th event is currently showing on GFL Video-On-Demand.

The event is sanctioned by the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing.

###

GFL Combat Sports Network is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 850 live events with over 4300 combat sports videos in 190 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 1.8 million public viewers last year with now over 150 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. www.gfl.tv

###

NEW YORK (Feb. 23, 2011) – Undefeated Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche (6-0) has replaced an injured Miesha Tate and will face STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen on Saturday, March 5, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tate, the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, was forced to withdraw after suffering a knee injury during training.

Carmouche, of San Diego, by way of Lafayette, La., will be making her third start for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. She is coming off an impressive third-round TKO (punches) over the more-experienced, hard-hitting Jan Finney on Nov. 19, 2010. Carmouche has only gone the distance once in her career.

In her debut on SHOWTIME, the 5-foot-5, 27-year-old Carmouche registered a unanimous decision over Colleen Schneider on Aug. 13, 2010, in a “reserve bout” in the STRIKEFORCE one night, single-elimination women’s 135-pound tournament, which was won by Tate.

A member of Team Hurricane Awesome, Carmouche lived many years in Okinawa, Japan, where her father was stationed in the Air Force. At the age of 20, she joined the Marine Corps where she spent more than five years and achieved the rank of Sergeant.

Carmouche’s stint in the Marines included three tours to Iraq. Unlike many women in the military, she was attached to a GRUNT unit, which she describes as ground fighting outside of the perimeter where the rest of the units are stationed. In Iraq, she began training in Mixed Martial Arts.

Coenen, a product of Holland’s Golden Glory team, will be making the first defense of the belt she won with a dominant third-round submission (armbar) over defending belt-holder Sarah Kaufman on Oct. 9, 2010.

In the second half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2), of Brazil, for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) title.

American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., will be opposed by Melvin Manhoef (24-8) , of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, at middleweight (185 pounds) and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in other televised bouts on SHOWTIME.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone (800) 745-3000.

The first non-televised undercard bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

CEDAR PARK, Texas (Feb. 19, 2011) – In a hotly contested fight, Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy of Portland, Ore., registered a razor-thin, unanimous three-round decision over previously unbeaten Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm of Spokane, Wash., in the main event Friday on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Cedar Park Center live on SHOWTIME®.

In other results on the televised portion of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event presented by Rockstar Energy Drink: Carlo “Neo’’ Prater (26-10-1), of Houston, Texas, submitted Bryan Travers (14-3), of San Jose, Calif., with an anaconda choke at 38 seconds in the first round in a catchweight bout at 160 pounds, unbeaten lightweight Ryan Couture (2-0), of Las Vegas, the son of MMA legend Randy Couture, submitted (rear-naked choke) Houston’s Lee Higgins (2-1) at 4:41 in the third round; local favorite Ryan Larson (6-2), of Albuquerque, N.M., submitted (triangle choke) Erik Apple (10-3), of Orange County, Calif., at 3:14 of the second round in a welterweight (170 pounds) skirmish and David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (7-2) of Antioch, Calif., submitted (rear-naked choke) Austin fan favorite Nick “The Ghost’’ Gonzalez (16-9, 1 NC) at 1:05 in the first round.

The victorious Healy (25-18) won by the scores of 29-28 on the three judges’ scorecards while Beerbohm dropped to 15-1.

“He talked a lot of trash, but if he wants a rematch, I’ll give him one anytime,’’ said Healy, who pushed former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson to the brink before losing his last start on June 26, 2010, on SHOWTIME.

“Beerbohm fought a good fight but I think I outworked and outhustled him. I’d like to fight the winner of the March 5 fight between Billy Evangelista and Jorge Masvidal.’’

A member of Team Quest, Healy has won four of his last five fights and seven of nine. In a 10-year career, he’s defeated several big-name, quality opponents including Paul “Semtex’’ Daley, Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy.

Beerbohm, who not only suffered his first pro defeat but first ever in Mixed Martial Arts – he was 8-0 as an amateur — felt he’d done enough to get his hand raised.

“I definitely thought I won,’’ he said. “I thought going into the third we’d each won a round, but I definitely thought I won that last round. I took the fight to him from the start. But that’s what happens when you let it go to the hands of the judges.’’

The quick victory ended a two-fight losing streak for Prater, who’d also dropped four out of five. He used his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to take down Travers, and moments later it was over.

“My record shows I’m not a perfect fighter, but when you’re down you get up,’’ Prater said. “This was a good win, I’ll get better off this fight, but I’ll be right back in the gym soon.’’

Travers had won seven of eight going in. A six-fight winning streak was snapped when he lost a decision to Healy on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on May 21, 2010, in Portland, Ore., on SHOWTIME.

Couture, who turned pro for STRIKEFORCE on Aug. 13, 2010, is one of the most promising prospects in MMA, but he had to work to get the victory against a game Higgins.

“It felt good to be in there,’’ Couture said, “but the guy was tough as nails. I’m real glad I was able to get him there at the end. For the most part I was happy with my standup and getting almost 15 minutes in there was good.’’

In a battle of wrestlers, the well-conditioned Larson controlled the action from the outset against Apple, who was competing for the first time since Nov. 20, 2009.

“I think the key was to come out fast and dictate the pace,’’ said Larson, a member of Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Austin. “It’s like a dream come true to fight for STRIKEFORCE and to win in my hometown.’’

Tarzan, a member of Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, dominated en route to winning his seventh fight inside the distance. The Ghostbuster, Douglas was the aggressor from the outset. He dropped Gonzalez with an overhand right followed by a left hook at about the 0:35 mark. He continued the punishment until the referee stopped matters.

“I wanted to show my Jiu-Jitsu skills,’’ said Douglas after outclassing the more experienced, local fan favorite. “Everyone says they never see my Jiu-Jitsu so I wanted to showcase them to the crowd. I do what they tell me. I’ll fight anybody. I feel most comfortable at 155 pounds. When I’m healthy, no one can beat me.’’

In Friday’s non-televised bouts, Aaron Lan Franco (2-0), of Austin, TKO 1 (punches, 4:22) over Thomas Diagne (1-3), of San Jose, at 155 pounds and in an all-Austin affair, Drew Pendleton (3-0) submitted (guillotine choke) Dennis Dombrow (2-1) at 2:38 of the second round at 145 pounds.

Friday’s event will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

The telecast also will be available On Demand beginning Monday, Feb. 21, and running through March 6.

Mauro Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with The Fight Professor, Stephen Quadros, and MMA legend Pat Miletich serving as expert analysts.

Upcoming STRIKEFORCE Event on SHOWTIME: Saturday, March 5, World Championship Doubleheader – Dan Henderson (26-8) challenges defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). In a second world title fight, Marloes “Rumina’’ Coenen (18-4) risks her STRIKEFORCE lightweight title for a first time against No. 1-ranked 135-pound contender, Miesha “Takedown’’ Tate (11-2), of Tacoma, Wash. Also, American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) vs. Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (24-8-1), middleweights; and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) vs. Jorge Masvidal (20-6), lightweights. The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

AUSTIN, Tex. (Feb. 16, 2011) – Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm, Carlo Prater and Lee Higgins, who will compete on the televised portion of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Texas suburb of Cedar Park this Friday, Feb. 18, participated in an open media workout Wednesday at South Austin Gym.

Beerbohm (15-0), of Spokane, Wash., will face dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (25-17), of St. Louis, in the main event live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). It will be Beerbohm’s fourth start for STRIKEFORCE and his main event debut. It will also be his initial appearance on SHOWTIME.

Prater (25-10-1), of Bryan, Texas, will battle Bryan Travers (14-2), of Bakersfield, Calif., at a catch weight of 160 pounds and Higgins (2-0), of Houston, will take on fellow unbeaten prospect Ryan Couture (1-0), of Las Vegas, Nev., in a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup. Ryan, the son of MMA legend, Randy Couture, will be making his second pro start and second for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME.

In other televised fights, Erik “Bad’’ Apple (10-2), of Laguna Niguel, Calif., will be opposed by local favorite Ryan Larson (5-2), of Austin in a welterweight (170 pounds) skirmish and David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (5-2) of Antioch, Calif., takes on Austin fan favorite Nick “The Ghost’’ Gonzalez (16-8, 1 NC) at 150 pounds.

Tickets are on sale at the Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 8 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 7:15 p.m.

What the fighters had to say Wednesday:

LYLE BEERBOHM

“My ultimate goal is to become STRIKEFORCE world champion but my immediate goal is to get my hand raised and beat Pat Healy.

“This is going to be a fun, tough, hard fight that I expect will go everywhere. There’ll be stand-up, wrestling, a little but of everything. Pat is definitely an all-around great fighter who is coming off a great performance, but the bottom line is I want to win.

“This is a great matchup and I am very excited about fighting in my first main event for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. There are so many great, tough, talented fighters at 155 pounds in STRIKEFORCE. I’m looking to build off the fight Friday and show what I can do and show that I belong in that company.

“My time has come and I am really looking forward to the fight. l want that title shot.’’

CARLO PRATER

“I am very honored to be fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. I remember fighting for STRIKEFORCE at the HP Pavilion (in San Jose, Calif.) before they started promoting MMA.

“This is going to be a great fight. Travers is a tough and durable and I know I need to be at my best. I’ve trained very hard. I want to make a statement and be around a long time.

“I want Travers to be at his best so when I win, I can say I beat him at his best.’’

LEE HIGGINS

“I’m really happy for this opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME and for STRIKEFORCE. For some people, this is a really big deal but, as a fighter, for me, this is just another fight.

“I can’t and won’t allow myself to get caught up in the hype of fighting a fighter with a very famous last name. Sure, there is extra motivation but I am not going to put any more pressure on myself.

“So, I have to treat this as just another fight. Besides, I’m fighting Ryan, not Randy. I’ve watched his tapes and broken them down. I’m ready to fight the fight. There is no pressure. If anything, the pressure is on Ryan.

“I’m looking forward to a great, exciting fight.’’

Fedor Emelianenko met his demise, beaten down on the mat by a much bigger man Saturday night at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as Strikeforce began their 8-man heavyweight tournament.

It was not as shocking an outcome as other MMA media would like you to believe. Coming off his first loss in a decade, the 34-year-old Russian legend faced off against the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva—a man that outweighed the great Emelianenko by 55 pounds by the time they stepped into the cage. No, it was not surprising. Strikeforce heavyweight champion and the tournament’s prohibitive favourite, Alistair Overeem, who was in the crowd watching, said afterward that Fedor “fought like a true warrior” and that the “fight could have gone either way, fifty-fifty.”

In the first stanza, Fedor came out slugging, landing, but unable to hurt Silva. Fedor then attempted a guillotine, with Silva powering out of that attempt. From there Fedor moved into a half guard, eventually attempting a kimura, but Silva again drove through that with his excessive size and strength and got back to his feet, managing to take down Fedor with 10 seconds left in the round, which painted a portrait of things to come.

In the second stanza, there were no guillotine attempts, or kimuras, and there were no images of Fedor going to work from the half guard. No, the second stanza began how the first ended, with Silva taking down Fedor again, in continuation, feeding his heavy fists into Fedor’s face from the top position, like we got so used to seeing Brock Lesnar do to Frank Mir.

Silva then moved from side position to a full mount midway through the round, throwing several more painful shots before going for an arm triangle. Escaping that, Fedor almost got caught with a knee bar, and for the final minute, sitting there, you could almost picture ‘The Last Emperor’ making it through and coming back in the third to win, because so many times had you seen Fedor levelled and bleeding from his nose and his eyes only to win in the end, somehow, like nothing we had seen before, over and over again. But it did not happen this time. His constant comebacks from all kinds of dire situations over the years that created high drama and his escapes from sure submissions that provided breathtaking theatre for the MMA world ended on this night.

This time his eye was swollen shut, and this time the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board’s doctor told referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight. This time we were not to find out if Fedor could reign once more. And all that we were left with was Fedor’s humble Russian voice, standing in the middle of the cage, being translated into something no one was expecting:

“I want to thank you for your support. Something was wrong from the beginning. I didn’t adjust. Maybe it’s time to leave. Yes, maybe it’s the last time. Maybe it’s high time. I spent a great, beautiful, long sport life. Maybe it’s God’s will.”

Andrei Arlovski may also be facing retirement following his knockout at the hands of Sergei Kharitonov in the other heavyweight grand prix quarterfinal earlier in the night. Kharitonov is now set to fight the winner of Josh Barnett—Brett Rogers, while Silva awaits the results of the Fabricio Werdum—Alistair Overeem fight. Both remaining quarterfinal bouts will take place on April 9. The semifinals for the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament could take place as early as June.

In other results on Saturday’s all-heavyweight televised portion of Strikeforce, undefeated Shane Del Rosario (11-0) submitted, via arm bar, to Lavar Johnson (15-4) at 4:31 in the first round, Chad Griggs (10-1) won his fifth consecutive fight, stopping Gian Villante (7-2) at 2:49 in the opening round and Valentijn Overeem (29-25) won his Strikeforce debut via submission (neck crank) over Ray Sefo (2-1) at 1:37 in the first.

NOTES:
Sergei Kharitonov, a 6-foot-4, 30-year-old native of Moscow, Russia, is best known for being the last fighter to defeat current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem … Gina Carano announced that she is returning to MMA, but no date or opponent has been decided … Fedor’s loss left many MMA fans cramming internet forums over the weekend, calling for a super-heavyweight division … Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said that Fedor could rejoin the heavyweight tournament as an injury replacement … At the end of the Silva—Fedor match, before the official announcement was made in the arena, Antonio Silva walked across the cage, got down on his knees and bowed at the feet of Fedor Emelianenko. “I told him he was No. 1, that he is still No. 1 and that he would always be No. 1,” said Silva. “There will never be a fighter like him.”

NEW YORK (Feb. 14, 2011) – Bryan Travers (14-2), of Bakersfield, Calif., takes on Carlo “Neo’’ Prater (25-10-1), of Bryan, Texas, at a catch weight of 160 pounds, Erik “Bad’’ Apple (10-2), of Laguna Niguel, Calif., will be opposed by local favorite Ryan Larson (5-2), of Austin, Texas, in a welterweight (170 pounds) skirmish and David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (5-2) of Antioch, Calif., takes on Austin fan favorite Nick “The Ghost’’ Gonzalez (16-8, 1 NC) at 150 pounds in featured bouts of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin suburb of Cedar Park, Texas, this Friday, Feb. 18, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event, unbeaten rising star Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm (15-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (25-17) of St. Louis. Unbeaten lightweights Ryan Couture (1-0), of Las Vegas, the son of MMA legend Randy Couture, and Houston’s Lee Higgins (2-0) will clash in another televised fight.

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s third event in 21 days and second in the Lone Star State are on sale at Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 8 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 7:15 p.m.

The Californians, Travers, Apple and Douglas will be making their second starts on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers card while the Texans, Prater and Larson will be making their debuts for the San Jose, Calif.-based MMA promotion. Gonzalez will be fighting for STRIKEFORCE for a second time.

A winner in seven of his last eight, the 5-foot-10, 27-year-old Travers is a terrific wrestler who unanimously outpointed Rocky Johnson on Aug. 27, 2010. Travers’ six-fight winning streak was snapped in his outing before last by “Bam Bam’’ Healy, who won a decision during a Challengers event May 21, 2010, in Portland, Ore., on SHOWTIME. Travers’ most noteworthy triumph was a unanimous decision over former UFC and IFL vet John Gunderson in May ‘09.

Prater is an eight-year pro and former WEC title challenger. The 6-foot, 29-year-old, who’ll be looking to regain his winning ways in this one, was victorious in his initial 10 starts after turning pro in November ‘02. Last Sept. 10, Prater fought three times during a single-night tournament.

Apple is a skilled wrestler who is gigantic for the division. This will be the 6-footer’s first assignment since a second-round TKO loss (punches) to Bobby Voelker on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on Nov. 20, 2009, on SHOWTIME. In his outing before last, Apple submitted then-highly touted Matt Makowski on Sept. 26, 2008.

Larson, a product of Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Austin, has won by first-round submission in all but one of his victories. A pro since Feb. 10, 2006, he split his two outings in 2010, winning by first-round submission (rear-naked choke) over Anthony Macias on Feb. 27, and losing by an identical result to Derrick Hantz in his last fight on Aug. 20.

Douglas, a member of Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, is a 5-foot-11 non-stop action fighter who has won five out of six, including a second-round TKO (punches) over Dominic Clark in a non-televised match on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event last Oct. 22 in Fresno, Calif.

Douglas’ most memorable win came against Mongkhon Wiwasuk, aka Malaipet, a Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai champ in Thailand and an extremely dangerous striker, on Sept. 26, 2008, at Santa Ynez, Calif. He rallied to triumph by third-round TKO (punches) in a brawl that featured numerous changes in momentum, exceeded all expectations and, for sheer excitement, was as good as it gets.

Gonzalez is vastly more experienced than Douglas and has fought, among others, former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson (June 26, 2007, on the undercard of Shamrock-Baroni in San Jose) and Yves Edwards on July 26, 2008.

A winner by unanimous decision over Tim Snyder in his last start on Aug. 20, 2010, the 5-foot-6 Gonzalez is 2-0 with one No-Contest dating to August 2009.

The non-televised bouts will feature three promising fighters from Austin: Aaron Lan Franco

(1-0), of Austin, meets Thomas Diagne (1-2), of San Jose, at 155 pounds and in an all-Austin affair of unbeatens, Drew Pendleton (2-0) will go up against Dennis Dombrow (2-0) at 145.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

WHO: STRIKEFORCE and DREAM Heavyweight World Champion Alistair Overeem

WHERE: ESPN2

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 10, at Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT

WHAT: Interview on MMA LIVE Thursday on ESPN2

The STRIKEFORCE and DREAM Heavyweight Champion will discuss, among other things, the STRIKEFORCE Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament that begins this Saturday, Feb. 12, at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In Saturday’s main event, Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC) faces Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The opening quarterfinal on the telecast will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) against Russian star Sergei Kharitonov (16-4).

The other two quarterfinal matchups in a three-stage, single-elimination tournament will take place at a site and date to be announced. Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), and hard-hitting Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will be opposed by Josh Barnett (29-5).

NEW YORK (Feb. 10, 2011) – Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (24-8-1) of Amsterdam, Holland, will replace an injured Luke Rockhold and face American Military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., in a featured fight at middleweight (185 pounds) on a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader on Saturday, March 5, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The promising Rockhold withdrew after suffering an injury to his left leg during training.

“Man, this is beyond really disappointing,’’ said Rockhold, a winner of six in a row. “I’d been feeling great and working hard and was really pumped for the fight with Kennedy.

“I know injuries are part of the game, but I want to fight. That’s what I do. It’s pretty swollen now, but once my leg is 100 percent I’m coming back with a vengeance.’’

Manhoef, who’s one of MMA’s most devastating and offensive-minded stand-up fighters, is making his second start for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. In his debut on Jan. 30, 2010, Manhoef had mostly manhandled hard-hitting, former two-time world champion Robbie Lawler before getting caught and losing in the first round.

The exciting, crowd-pleasing Manhoef does not know the meaning of a full night’s work. The Destructive Dutchman has registered KO or TKO victories in all but one of his 24 victories.

Manhoef, a winner in seven of his last 11, has participated in more than 60 professional fights between MMA and kickboxing, but is seeking his first MMA victory in the United States.

“I come to fight and give my very best,’’ the 5-foot-8, 34-year-old Manhoef said. “I am very, very hungry. I need to win this fight. I am looking forward to fighting Tim Kennedy.’’

Born in Suriname, Manhoef relocated to Rotterdam with his family when he was three years old. He was introduced to the sport of Muay Thai by a brother at the age of 18.

The popular Kennedy is an American military hero who’s toured the Middle East multiple times, and earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire.

This will be the 5-foot-11, 31-year old’s fifth start for STRIKEFORCE and his first since losing a close, hard-fought decision to “Jacare” Souza in a fight for the then-vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight title on Aug. 21, 2010, on SHOWTIME.

The disputed defeat ended a four-fight winning streak for Kennedy, who has split two fights against Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller.

In the March 5 main event, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending belt-holder Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) of Brazil for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship. In a second world title fight, Marloes “Rumina’’ Coenen (18-4) of the Netherlands will risk her lightweight title for a first time against No. 1 135-pound contender, Miesha “Takedown’’ Tate (11-2), of Tacoma, Wash.

Undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in a previously announced televised bout.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at the Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Seven hours before the doors would open for the STRIKEFORCE Grand Prix Fan Experience Tuesday, a long line began to form outside the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Once inside, the approximately 1,500 MMA fans who jammed the venue for the event were treated to a spectacular afternoon they will not soon forget.

All eight fighters who will compete in the eagerly awaited STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix — Heavyweight Tournament were in attendance and signed autographs, answered questions from emcee Scott Ferrall and posed for photos. There were ticket, T-shirt and STRIKEFORCE fight gear giveaways, fight videos shown on giant television screens, workouts in the cage and photo opportunities with The Rockstar Girls. Music was provided by special guest deejay, DJ Clue.

The STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix — Heavyweight Tournament begins this Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) with two quarterfinal fights from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The first live, non-televised undercard bout starts at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In the main event, Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC) returns to action against Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The opening quarterfinal will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) against Russian star Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last fighter to defeat current STRIKEFORCE and DREAM Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

The other two quarterfinal matchups at a site and date to be announced are: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) versus the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), and hard-hitting Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) against Josh Barnett (29-5).

Dyami Arroyo of The Bronx was the first to show at 8:30 a.m. Despite cold, bitter, windy conditions, he kept his spot at the head of the line. “There was no way I was going to miss a chance to meet Fedor and the greatest heavyweights in the world,” he said. “As soon as I heard about this, I told my boss I was taking the day off.”

His buddy, Freddie Diaz, of Queens, says he called in sick. “I love STRIKEFORCE, but this is a dream-come-true for any MMA fan.”

Said Brooklyn’s Joe Doyle, who arrived a little after Arroyo and Diaz: “To get this kind of access to these kinds of fighters is unbelievable,” he said. “There was no way I wasn’t going to be here. I am really happy that STRIKEFORCE did something like this for us. No other MMA organizations do anything like this around here.”

NEW YORK (Jan. 31, 2011) – Dan Henderson is one of the most recognizable and popular fighters in the world. He is the only fighter in the history of Mixed Martial Arts to simultaneously hold two world titles in two different weight classes with a major MMA promotion.

In an illustrious career, the legendary 40-year-old Henderson has won a total of four MMA world championships and fought and defeated a host of all-time greats, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. Before turning pro, Henderson was a two-time United States Olympic Games wrestler. There isn’t a lot that he hasn’t accomplished.

On Saturday, March 5, Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will attempt to add another belt to his wardrobe when he challenges defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) of Brazil for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the opening half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader, Marloes “Rumina’’ Coenen (18-4) of the Netherlands will risk her lightweight title for a first time against No. 1 135-pound contender, Miesha “Takedown’’ Tate (11-2), of Tacoma, Wash.

American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., will be opposed by Luke Rockhold (7-1) at middleweight (185 pounds) and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in other televised bouts on SHOWTIME.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins tomorrow/Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m. CT and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com

Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, Feb. 4 at the Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000.

It will be the hard-hitting 6-foot-1 Henderson’s third start for STRIKEFORCE since he left the UFC on a three-fight winning streak to sign with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion in December 2009.

Henderson secured the title shot in devastating fashion, destroying Brazilian Renato “Babalu” Sobral by 1:53, first-round knockout (punches) last Dec. 4 in St. Louis. It was the STRIKEFORCE 205-pound debut for Henderson, a former two-division PRIDE Fighting Championships belt-holder who will become the only fighter to compete for titles in STRIKEFORCE, PRIDE and UFC.

For Cavalcante, a powerful 6-foot, 30-year-old Brazilian referred to simply as “Feijao,” it will be his first defense of the 205-pound crown he captured with a third-round upset TKO (elbows) over previously undefeated “King Mo’’ Lawal last Aug. 21 in Houston.

The talented Feijao will enter the scheduled five-round match at the peak of his game. He has won three in a row and six out of his last seven. Feijao has never gone the distance as a pro and the furthest one of his bouts has gone came against King Mo.

Feijao has never been in with anybody who hits like Henderson, but the Brazilian fighter has been highly-touted as one of the next great superstars of the sport. With his fearsome submission capabilities and vastly improved kicking and punching, Feijao could indeed be something special — especially if he passes the class test against Hendo.

“Everybody knows about Dan Henderson and what he can do and how hard he hits,’’ said Feijao, a native of Ilha Solteira in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who trains out of the famed Black House camp with, among others, the aforementioned Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Antonio Nogueira.

“This is going to be a very exciting fight. I worked very hard to get back to where I could fight for the title. Now that I have won it, I’ve been working even harder to keep it.’’

While fighting for PRIDE, Henderson was both the welterweight (185 pounds) and light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion. In his debut for STRIKEFORCE, at 185 pounds, the aggressive-minded veteran nearly knocked out Jake Shields during a dominant first round on April 17, 2010, in Nashville, before losing a close decision.

“I want to thank STRIKEFORCE for this opportunity to fight for the title,’’ said Henderson, a winner in four of his last five. “That last fight got me back on track. I’ll be ready for anything, but mostly I’m expecting a flat-our war.’’

Coenen, a product of Holland’s Golden Glory team, captured the STRIKEFORCE crown with an impressive third-round submission (armbar) over defending belt-holder Sarah Kaufman on Oct. 9, 2010. A strikingly attractive submission whiz, the talented, 5-foot-9, 29-year-old ousted Kaufman one fight after giving STRIKEFORCE 145-pound champ, the naturally bigger Cris Cyborg one of her toughest fights.

Tate, a winner of five in a row and 10 out of 11, earned her first five-round fight by winning twice during a single-night elimination tournament on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on Aug. 13, 2010, in Phoenix, Ariz., The 5-foot-6, 24-year-old outpointed Maiju Kujala and then Hitomi Akano to take the tourney and ascend to the top spot. It will be Tate’s fifth bout on SHOWTIME and her sixth start for STRIKEFORCE.

Kennedy is an American military hero who’s toured the Middle East multiple times, and earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire. This will be the 5-foot-11, 31-year olds fifth start for STRIKEFORCE and his first since losing a close, hard-fought decision to “Jacare” Souza in a fight for the then-vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight title last Aug. 21 on SHOWTIME. The disputed defeat ended a four-fight winning streak for Kennedy, who has split two fights against Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller.

The up-and-coming Rockhold is taking a step up in class, but the 6-foot-3, 26-year-old has won six in a row, all in the first round, including three straight on STRIKEFORCE Challengers. In his last start, he registered a 2:24 TKO over Paul Bradley on Feb. 26, 2010. A rising star in STRIKEFORCE’S talent-laden 185-pound division, Rockhold was scheduled to fight last Oct. 9, but withdrew after injuring a shoulder in training.

Like Tate and Rockhold, Evangelista is a veteran of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series who is making his Saturday debut for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. In his last outing and first fight in nearly a year, the 5-foot-8, 29-year-old Muay Thai specialist won a unanimous decision over hard-trying Waachiim Spiritwolf in an extremely spirited affair last Oct. 22. That fight was contested at a catch weight of 165 pounds; Evangelista will be competing at his natural weight of 155 for this one.

Masvidal is an experienced seven-year pro who has been matched with some good ones across his career. In his last outing, he went the distance with world-ranked Paul “Semtex” Daley before losing a decision on Sept. 10, 2010. The 5-foot-10, 26-year-old member of America Top Team is unbeaten in his two fights for STRIKEFORCE.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Jan. 29, 2011) – On a thrilling night of action in which Herschel Walker and Roger Gracie remained undefeated and STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champion Ronaldo “Jacare’’ Souza outlasted Robbie Lawler to retain his 185-pound title, Nick Diaz closed the show in sensational fashion, turning back a determined bid by Evangelista Cyborg to win by second-round submission to successfully defend his STRIKEFORCE Welterweight Championship before a pro-Diaz crowd of 9,048 at HP Pavilion live on SHOWTIME® .

The victory was the ninth in a row for Diaz (24-7, 1 NC), of Stockton, Calif. and the second defense of the 170-pound world title. Cyborg, of San Diego, Calif., by way of Brazil, dropped to 18-14.

Complete results on the televised portion of STRIKEFORCE: Diaz vs. Cyborg presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, Souza (14-2, 1 NC), of Rio de Janiero, Brazil, kept his 185-pound crown with a hard-fought third-round submission (rear-naked choke) over former two-time world champion Robbie Lawler (18-7, 1 NC) of Gilbert, Ariz., the remarkable Walker, a former college football and NFL standout who fights out San Jose, Calif., improved to 2-0 in Mixed Martial Arts with a 3:13, first-round TKO (punches) over Scott Carson (4-2) of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu standout Gracie (4-0), of Rio de Janiero, submitted Trevor Prangley (23-7-1) of San Jose with a rear-naked choke at 4:10 of the first.

The main event was a slugfest, the southpaw Diaz landing solid punches with both hands while the gallant challenger did significant damage with an array of leg kicks and counter punches.

But shortly after Cyborg, the husband of STRIKEFORCE Women’s Middleweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg, scored an ill-advised takedown late in the second, Diaz finished him with an armbar at 4:50.

“He was eating a lot of punches,’’ Diaz said. “For all the leg kicks he was throwing, I was landing more punches. He had taken too many punches and had to take me down. It was a mistake and I was able to finish him.

“(But) I respect the way he fights. He doesn’t mess around. He came out here and fought me. He didn’t play games.”’’

In a bit of a pleasant surprise, for him, the talented Diaz was the clear choice of the crowd. The fans chanted “Dee-As, Dee-As’’ several times throughout the action-packed fight.

“I think it’s great to get a fight in front of a hometown crowd,’’ Diaz acknowledged. “When I fought here before, I was fighting against San Jose when I fought Frank Shamrock. It’s nice to have a home here now.’’

Both Jacare, a slick submission specialist, and Lawler, the puncher, displayed their greatest strengths throughout the exciting fight. The hard-hitting Lawler almost knocked out the champion in the opening round.

But Jacare survived and went on to retain his title for a first time. Jacare captured the vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight crown last Aug. 21 with a unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy in Houston on SHOWTIME.

“I love my job,’’ said Jacare, who forced Lawler to tap out at 2:00 of the third. This was a great night. “I don’t know what’s next but I’m ready to fight again and defend my belt.

“He fought with courage and a lot of guts. He got me hard in the first. I really felt it. But I used my heart to come back. He fought me off well in the second, but he was tired in the third.’’

Said Lawler, who was coming off a devastating, 50-second, first-round knockout over Matt Lindland last Dec. 4 in St. Louis on SHOWTIME. “I just got tired. I wanted to keep it standing but I didn’t have the energy to keep him off me’’

Look for Walker, who seemingly never gets fatigued, even at age 48, to get back in the gym quickly after a dominant triumph over Carson.

“I’m happy I won and I’m happy I took it to the ground,’’ Walker said. “My ground game has definitely improved. That’s something we’ve been working on in the gym with all the guys since the last fight.

“I think I was a little bit too excited in the beginning. I let him kick me and that was a mistake. It made me a little upset but it fired me up. I don’t have time to play. When I do something I do it with all my heart. I have to train more. I’m still a young MMA fighter. I’m happy with the win but I still have a lot to learn.

“I love MMA and look forward to fighting again.’’

The submission victory was the fourth in four starts for Gracie. “I’d like to get to the top of my division,’’ he said. “That’s the goal.’’

Saturday’s thrilling event will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO2

The telecast also will be available On Demand beginning Tuesday, Feb. 1, and running through Feb. 14.

Mauro Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with MMA legends Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich serving as expert analysts.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Jan. 27, 2011) – The eight fighters who will compete this Saturday, Jan. 29, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) and STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker participated Thursday in a final press conference for the eagerly awaited event at HP Pavilion.

Saturday’s event will be highlighted by a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader. STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will seek his ninth consecutive victory when he makes his second title defense against Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in the main event.

STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight Champion “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 1 NC) will put his belt on the line for the first time against hard-hitting, former two-time world champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) in the co-feature of a stacked card.

The remarkable Herschel Walker (1-0) will return to the cage to face Scott Carson (4-1) in a heavyweight bout and undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0), the latest prospect from MMA’s first family, will battle former South African national wrestling champion Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

The first non-televised, undercard fight on Saturday begins at 4:30 p.m. PT.

What the fighters had to say:

NICK DIAZ
“I feel good and I’m ready to fight. Cyborg has a unique style and I know that he will give it his all and be as crazy as ever. But that’s good because I’m crazy, too.

“I have great respect for Cyborg. He is strong and has skills and comes real hard. I feel he deserves a shot.

“I think he was fighting guys too big when he was fighting at middleweight, but I might be too big for him too. Anything can happen in a fight, but I prepare for everything.’’

EVANGELISTA CYBORG
“After 15 years of training and sacrificing, my dream is finally almost here. I am very excited at the chance to make my mark. I can promise you I will do my best to pull out the win.

“Nick Diaz is a very gallant fighter but I will press the action whether we are standing or on the ground.

“I am not worried about those who underestimate me in this fight. I am pre-occupied with winning.

“The belt always equals a build-up to your career, but first you have to win it. I feel strong and very comfortable at 170 and looking forward to a great fight against Nick Diaz.’’

JACARE SOUZA

“This is going to be a tough fight, and a very dangerous one. Robbie Lawler is very heavy-handed and I know to win I am going to have to play my game, which is to take him down and try and finish the fight.

“Some were surprised that I stood last time but Lawler is a different kind of fighter than I had in my last one. If I have to stand, I will, of course, but I know it is important that I keep control.

“I don’t feel either of us think that we can afford to make a mistake.’’

ROBBIE LAWLER
“I’m not looking ahead to anybody. I’m only looking ahead to Saturday’s fight.

“I work on all my skills all the time. Guys are so good at this level. Make a mistake and it will cost you.’’

HERSCHEL WALKER
“The Herschel of today would have beaten up the Herschel of a year ago. I was dumb and naïve when I first started. But I have learned a lot.

“This will be a good fight. Scott Carson has a lot of experience. I am looking forward to fighting again for STRIKEFORCE and on SHOWTIME.’’

SCOTT CARSON
“I feel fortunate to get this fight and I hope to make the best of it. I’m definitely prepared and ready for a fight.

“Fighting such a legendary name has certainly added a lot of hype to the fight, but I have worked very hard in training camp. I’m looking to see this fight go into the later rounds where it will be a war of attrition.’’

ROGER GRACIE
“Even though each fight is different, I treat them all the same in my approach. All fighters are dangerous. I am in with a good, very experienced fighter so I do not expect him to make any silly mistakes. I know I must be patient because he is very heavy-handed.

“I have worked very hard for this fight and am excited about fighting on a STRIKEFORCE show on SHOWTIME. I want to be more active in MMA and hope to fight two or three times this year.’’

TREVOR PRANGLEY
“I think this is going to be a great chess match. Who can implement their game plan best will win. I want to fight my fight.

“I had a great camp and feel comfortable. We’ll see how it goes.’’

Melvin Guillard scored a first round stoppage over Evan Dunham in a scheduled three round lightweight bout that highlighted UFC Fight for the Troops in Fort Hood, Texas.

Guillard landed some quick punches that hurt Dunham and Guillard followed up with several vicious kicks and punches that led to the stoppage at 2:58 of round one.

Guillard, 155 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 45-9-3-1. Dunham, 156 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is now 11-2.

Matt Mitrione remained undefeated by scoring a first round stoppage at 2:59 over Tim Hague in a scheduled three round Heavyweight bout.

Mitrione dropped Hague with a straight left and landed a barrage of punches while Hague covered up on the canvas and the fight was stopped.

Mitrione, 260 lbs of Indianapolis, is now 4-0. Hague, 256 1/2 lbs of Edmonton, Alberta, CAN is now 12-5.

Mark Hominick scored a devastating first round knockout at 1:28 over George Roop in a scheduled three round Featherweight fight.

Hominick landed a blistering left hook that sent Roop to the canvas and followed up with a crushing left to the face while a defenseless Roop sat on the canvas and the fight was stopped.

Himinick, 145 1/2 lbs of Ontario, Canada now will earn a title shot at UFC Featherweight champ Jose Aldo and is now 20-8. Roop, 145 1/2 lbs of Tucson, AZ is now 11-8-1.

Pat Barry scored a three round unanimous decision over Joey Beltran in a exciting Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 30-27; 29-28 and 29-28 for Barry, 240 lbs of Milwaukee, WI and is now 6-2. Beltran. 230 lbs of Carlsbad, CA and is now 12-5.

Matt Wimon scored a dominating three round unanimous decision over Cole Miller in a Lightweight bout

Scores were 30-27 on two cards while a third read 28-28 for Wimon, 155 lbs of Colorado. Miller, 155 1/2 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL and is now 17-5

NEW YORK (Jan. 20, 2011) – One of the most promising prospects in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Ryan Couture, will seek his second consecutive victory when he faces fellow unbeaten Lee Higgins (2-0) of Houston in a featured lightweight (155 pounds) bout of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Texas. suburb of Cedar Park on Friday, Feb. 18, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event, unbeaten rising star Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm (15-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (25-17) of St. Louis. The winner in the lightweight scrap remains in contention for a possible shot at the STRIKEFORCE title.

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s third fight card in 21 days and second in the Lone Star State go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT tomorrow/Friday, Jan. 21, and will be available at the Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.

Ryan, the son of MMA legend, Randy Couture, will be making his second pro start and second for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. He won his debut last Aug. 13 with a slick, 75-second, first-round submission (triangle choke) over Lucas Stark on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

The 5-foot-10, 28-year-old Couture was scheduled to fight last Nov. 19 but withdrew due to a staph infection.

“I was down for a few weeks but now I’m ready to fight and looking forward to fighting in Texas on Feb. 18,’’ said Couture, a member of Las Vegas, Nev.- based Xtreme Couture. “I’m excited and working hard. I expect a tough fight.’’

Ryan, who was born in Seattle, wrestled in junior high and high school before taking up Jiu-Jitsu. He graduated in 2004 with a mathematics degree from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., and worked at a local bank before deciding to go into MMA. He began serious training in MMA in 2008.

“I became a fan when my dad began competing but didn’t get involved as a competitor until years later,’’ said Ryan, who went 5-1 in the amateurs. “I still have a ton to learn and there’ll always be pressure because I’m a ‘Couture,’’ but I’m pretty used to that now.’’’

Higgins, who fights out of Houston and is a product of Tony Aponte’s “Urban Jungle,’’ won both his fights by rear-naked choke in the first round within a three-week span late last year.

The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old submitted Gilbert Jimenez at 2:36 in his most recent outing on Dec. 4. He forced Kenny Burke to tap at 1:25 the previous Nov. 12. Both fights were in Houston.

“This is a great opportunity and an honor for me to fight the son of a legend,’’ Higgins said. “I couldn’t believe it when they offered me the fight. To get a chance to show my skills and make a name for myself on television is very exciting and absolutely a huge deal.’’

A blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Higgins grew up in Massachusetts but has been training in Houston the past two years.

“Lee’s biggest strength is his Jiu-Jitsu but he is also emotionally very strong and works extremely hard,’’ Aponte said. “He’ll be ready for Feb. 18.’’

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.