NEW YORK (Jan. 17, 2011) – In a vitally important fight that will bring the winner one step closer to challenging for a world title, undefeated rising star Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm will face dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Tex. suburb of Cedar Park on Friday, Feb. 18, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Beerbohm, of Spokane, Wash., will enter what will be a dangerous-for-both-fighters lightweight (155 pounds) scrap with a record of 15-0. Healy, of St. Louis, is 25-17.

An exclusive pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider”
e-newsletter subscribers (www.strikeforce.com/signup.asp) beginning at 10 a.m. CT this Wednesday, Jan. 19, and ending at 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 20. STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter Tuesday tonight with the pre-sale code.

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 on 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. .

Both Beerbohm and Healy are highly skilled 155-pounders who are trying to position themselves to contend for a possible shot at STRIKEFORCE World Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez.

The experienced Healy has faced top quality opposition and is no stranger to a big fight. He showed his ability and tremendous determination in his last start, pushing former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson to the limit before getting submitted (rear-naked choke) at 4:27 of the third and final scheduled round on June 26, 2010, on SHOWTIME.

All Beerbohm has done is win convincingly.

Beerbohm will be making his fourth start for STRIKEFORCE and his main event debut. This will be his initial appearance on SHOWTIME. In his last outing for STRIKEFORCE, Beerbohm won a split-decision over four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro on May 15, 2010. It was only the second time one of Beerbohm’s fights went the distance.

A 5-foot-10, three-year pro, Beerbohm, who turns 32 on Feb. 5, has since fought twice, both in his home state of Washington. He is coming off a 2:48, first-round submission (guillotine choke) over Talon Hoffman on Dec. 4, 2010.

Beerbohm literally began his pro career after serving 366 days at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla as a result of felony convictions, all related to a crystal meth addiction. The day he was freed from prison, he visited a Jiu-Jitsu gym. He had his first amateur fight eight days after being released.

Since entering MMA, Beerbohm has found a discipline and determination that was missing in his life. “If I didn’t go to prison, I probably would be dead today,” he said. “Because I wouldn’t get cleaned up. I wouldn’t go to rehab. I wouldn’t get off the drugs. I didn’t want to get off the drugs. (Finally) I traded one addiction for the other. I traded meth for MMA.”

A top wrestler in high school, Beerbohm is a brawler who can switch between southpaw and orthodox stances. He went 12-0 in the amateurs, in spite of the obstacles he had to overcome. Although the vast majority of his fights have ended early and he’s recorded more KO’s than submissions, he still considers himself a grappler.

Beerbohm, whose nickname is derived from the custom-made, multi-colored trunks sewn by his mother, owns wins over former world Muay Thai champion and STRIKEFORCE and UFC veteran Duane “Bang’’ Ludwig as well as UFC vet Rafaello Oliveira. Beerbohm submitted (bulldog choke) Ludwig in the first round of a non-televised fight at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on June 19, 2009.

“I want to fight the best, I want to fight for the STRIKEFORCE title,’’ said Beerbohm, the head of Washington’s Fancy Pants Fight Team. “All I can do is continue to work hard and beat who they put in front of me. This is going to be a very difficult fight for both of us, but I’m confident of winning and moving up the ranks.

“I am very anxious to fight on SHOWTIME and show the fans and STRIKEFORCE what I can do. My goal is to fight for the world title. I want to be the champ. I want a five-round fight. That would be something else.’’

A member of Team Quest, Healy has been an active MMA fighter for nearly a decade. He’s ousted big-name, quality opponents all over the world since turning pro in August 2001, including Paul “Semtex’’ Daley, Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy.

The accomplished veteran is 1-1 in STRIKEFORCE. Before the Thomson tussle, Healy scored an impressive unanimous decision over Bryan Travers (13-1 going in) during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21, 2010. It was a rare points victory for the well-conditioned, durable wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.

Healy has won three of his last four bouts, and six of eight. “I was disappointed I didn’t quite get it done the last time, but I appreciate getting another opportunity against an up-and-coming fighter,’’ Healy said. “This fight is obviously very important to me. I’ll enter the cage with a lot of confidence.’’

Healy got his start in MMA at the age of 15, shortly after he and a brother stood up to a neighborhood bully and Muay Thai practitioner. Following the altercation, Pat wanted to learn more about technical fighting and sought out MMA gyms for formal training.

To supplement his MMA training regimen, he wrestled in high school, gaining All State accolades and eventually went on to wrestle at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. Following college, Pat knew that he had the potential to do something great and devoted himself fulltime to an MMA career.

Healy believes that cardio is his strength and that it allows him to pressure and break his opponents mentally.

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.

NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2011) – Six additional hard-hitting heavyweight fighters have been called to action for the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promotion and historic kick-off of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

The three fights are: Undefeated top prospect Shane Del Rosario (10-0) of Irvine, Calif., vs. power-punching Lavar “Big’’ Johnson (15-3) of Madera, Calif., Chad “The Grave Digger’’ Griggs (9-1) of Tucson, Ariz., vs. Gian (pronounced “John”) Villante (7-1) of Bellmore, N.Y., and Valentijn Overeem (28-25) of Amsterdam, Holland, vs. Ray “Sugarfoot’’ Sefo (2-0) of Las Vegas.

“This event will showcase the depth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight roster,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “Shane and Lavar are two products of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series that has been instrumental in developing new talent. We are proud to welcome them to our championship series for the first time on Feb. 12 and excited to show the world that STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweights on the planet.”

The all-heavyweight main card will be highlighted by two sensational quarterfinal bouts in the single-elimination STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament.

Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC), of Stary Oskol, Russia, returns against Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil, in the main event. The co-feature will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8), of Chicago by way of Minsk, Belarus, against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4) of Moscow, Russia. Kharitonov is the last fighter to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair Overeem.

The promising 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Rosario has won nine of his 10 fights in the opening round, including a 3:38 first-round TKO (knees and punches) over Lolohea Mahe during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in his last outing on July 23, 2010, at Everett, Wash. Prior to that, Rosario registered a rare omoplata submission victory over Brandon Cash at 2:27 of the first on Nov. 6, 2009, on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Fresno, Calif.

“I’m looking forward to fighting again and fighting Lavar,” said Rosario, a Muay Thai specialist whose longest fight lasted a total of 4:07. “We’ve both fought on Challengers and now we get to show what we can do on a big show. I’m excited about that. This will be a great fight between two hungry fighters.”

The heavy-handed Johnson has been triumphant in seven consecutive fights, winning all by (T)KO, including three straight on Challengers. This will be his third fight since returning to the cage after he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009. Johnson survived three gunshot wounds from a walk-by shooting that led to the death of a cousin. A father of two boys, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital fighting for his life and several more months rehabilitating.

“I want to be known as a fighter, not as a guy who got shot, and this is my greatest opportunity to do that,” said the 6-foot-3, 33-year-old who stopped Virgil Zwicker at 2:17 of the first round on Oct. 22, 2010. “I feel like I’m ready to move up to the big stage. Fighting a talented fighter like Rosario is a huge step and, with our records, there is no way this cannot be one of the most exciting fights of the night.”

Thirteen of Johnson’s 15 victories have come via either knockout or TKO.

Griggs, a winner in four consecutive fights, is coming off a bloody, upset second-round TKO (retirement) over former pro wrestling superstar Bobby Lashley on Aug. 21, 2010, in Houston, on SHOWTIME.

A fulltime Tucson firefighter and paramedic, the 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Griggs opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye in the first round after getting taken to the ground and ultimately outlasted the previously unbeaten MMA fighter in the second as a still-bleeding Lashley seemed to gas.

The courageous, come-from-behind triumph may have been the most noteworthy for a well-rounded, strong finisher known for quick endings and tricky submissions. Six of Griggs’ victories came in the first round, and he has scored knockouts in eight of his nine victories.

“It was a dream come true to fight for STRIKEFORCE and getting a super win in a big fight like that was huge for me,’’ Griggs said. “I appreciate the opportunity to show what I can do again against another tough opponent.”

Villante is a 6-foot-2, 25-year-old grappling stud who was born and raised on Long Island. Before he wrestled and played football at Hofstra University, he was an All-State football player and All-American wrestler at MacArthur High in Levittown, N.Y.

After trying out with the NFL’s New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, Villante turned to MMA in late 2008. “I got hooked the first time I went to an MMA fight card and saw one of my high school wrestling coaches KO some guy in a few seconds,” he said. “I was still a senior in high school but I got that feeling that I could maybe do this, and it was always in the back of my mind.
“I knew when my dream to play in the NFL ended that this was what I wanted to do. Now, fighting MMA has become more of a dream than football. I’m extremely excited about fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. This is a tremendous opportunity and it is like a home game for me.”
Without the benefit of an amateur career, Villante turned pro on Feb. 20, 2009, and won his initial six fights. His lone defeat came when he dislocated an elbow in a bout halted in the opening round on April 16, 2010. Villante is coming off a 1:03, first-round TKO over Joseph Reyes on Dec. 3, 2010. It was his sixth success in the first round.
The older brother of Alistair Overeem, Valentijn Overeem is a fierce, dangerous striker who has won his last two fights in a combined time of 47 seconds. The 6-foot-3, 34-year-old Dutch Destroyer scored a 40-second KO (knee) over Catalin Zmarandescu on May 21, 2010. In his outing before last, the previous April 17, a head kick finished off Tengiz Tedoradze seven seconds after the opening bell.

Overeem, who injured an elbow during training and withdrew from a match last Dec. 4 against “Big Foot’’ Silva, has several notable victories, including a 0:56, first-round submission over all-time great Randy “The Natural” Couture and a 2:19, first-round submission over former STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Overeem has only gone the distance twice in a 53-fight career.

A member of Team Golden Glory like his brother, Alistair, Valentijn is a four-time winner in PRIDE Fighting Championship competition. He’ll be making his debut for STRIKEFORCE after signing with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion last June.

Sefo is one of the most devastating knockout artists in the history of kickboxing and many are excited to see him return to STRIKEFORCE. This will be the native of Auckland, New Zealand’s first MMA start since he defeated (knee injury) Kevin Jordan in his STRIKEFORCE debut during a Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.

After turning prol and earning more than a dozen kickboxing championships, Sefo turned his focus to the mecca of kickboxing, K-1, in Japan. While competing under the K-1 banner, Sefo quickly earned a reputation as a power puncher with a penchant for knocking his opponents out. During his time with in K-1, Sefo notched wins over the likes of MMA notables Mark Hunt, Melvin Manhoef, 7-foot-2 Hong Man Choi, Gary Goodridge, Marvin Eastman and Gilbert Yvel along with scores of champion kickboxers.

The 6-foot, 39-year-old Sefo’s level of kickboxing is rarely seen in MMA, yet with just two pro MMA fights in five years he remains a question mark in a heavyweight division regarded as the best in MMA. Sefo, who went undefeated his entire career as an amateur kickboxer, won his MMA debut with a second-round KO (head kick) over Min Soo Kim on July, 6, 2005, in Japan.

A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins tomorrow/Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com

Tickets for the mega-event go on sale to the public on Friday, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. ET at the IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

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 M-1 Global

Founded in 1998, M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged over 70 events worldwide including the M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States. Captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 events boast some of the sport’s top names including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Stephan Struve and rising stars Shamil Zavurov, Byron Byrd, Alexander Sarnavskiy and Vinny Magalhaes. 2011 marks a breakthrough year with two Selections tournaments across Eastern & Western Europe, North America and Asia and a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport.

M-1 Global’s greatest asset is the number one heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA Times and New York Times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to grow MMA in the 21st century.

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®.

Tyron Woodley scored a three round unanimous decision over Tarec Saffiedine in the main event of Strikeforce Challengers in a Welterweight bout in Nashville, Tennessee.

Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for Woodley, 170 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL ans is now 8-0. Saffiedine, 170 lbs of Temecula, CA is now 10-3.

“I did well,” said Woodley. “He’s got some power and some pop. I think I kept the pressure on him and got some strikes in there. For me, it was about getting out of his range and getting in there when I could. I think I did a good job tonight.”

Ovince St Preux scored a three round unanimous decision over Abongo Humphrey in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 on all cards for St. Preux, 205 lbs of Knoxville, TN and won his third bout in seven weeks to raise his record to 10-4. Humphrey, 205 1/2 lbs of Atlanta, GA is now 7-3.

“I knew I had to win the third round to get this fight. He’s definitely a tough opponent,” said Saint Preux, a winner of seven straight bouts.

Daniel Cormier remained undefeated with a three round unanimous decision over Devin Cole in a Heavyweight bout.

Cormier, 249 lbs of San Jose, CA won by scores of 30-27 on all cards to go to 7-0. Cole, 239 lbs of Oregon is now 18-9-1.

“He did an incredible job. He can take a shot. I landed some pretty decent shots on him,” said Cormier after the bout. “I want to continue to improve and make my way up the ladder.”

Amanda Nunes needed just fourteen seconds to destroy Julia Budd in a their ladies Welterweight bout.

Nunes, 143 lbs of Brazil is 6-1 with all wins coming by knockout. Budd, 144 lbs of British Colombia is now 1-1.

Dr. Rhadi Furguson scored a second round tap out over John Richard with a heal hook at 2:00 in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Furguson, 205 lbs of Florida is 3-0. Richard, 206 lbs of South Carolina is 3-2.

“I get a D minus,” he said. “I started my camp with a pulled groin and a pulled hamstring and John Richard was a tough opponent. I’m a neo fighter in this sport – I’m young and humble.”

NEW YORK (Jan. 7, 2011) – Fans wishing to purchase tickets for the blockbuster Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) mega-event featuring the return of legendary Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko and the kickoff of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., won’t have to wait long.

A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET 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, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. ET at the IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

A three-stage, single-elimination tournament comprised of eight of the world’s top heavyweights will begin with two tremendous quarterfinal matches on Feb. 12.

In the main event, Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC) will take on Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The co-feature will pit former world champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-8) against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

The famed Fedor, 34, of Stary Oskol, Russia, will be making his first start since it was announced earlier this week that STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with SHOWTIME®, had signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend.

In his last fight, the 6-foot Fedor suffered a shocking upset loss to Fabricio Werdum on June 26, 2010. Until then, Fedor had manufactured an unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 consecutive victories, earning him recognition as the world’s all-time greatest pound-for-pound fighter.

Silva is a 6-foot-4, 31-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has won eight of his last night fights. All but two of his victories have come by knockout. Only five of his fights have gone past the first round.

Arlovski, of Minski, Belarus, is one of the most popular and recognizable fighters in the history of MMA. A hard-hitting, extremely athletic 6-feet-4, 31-year-old, he has fought and defeated some of the best since turning professional in April 1999.

A winner in four of his last five fights, the 6-foot-4, 30-year-old Kharitonov is the last man to defeat Overeem. On Sept. 17 2007, he scored a thunderous first-round KO of Overeem with a single punch in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Kharitonov is coming off a 1:25, first-round TKO (knee) destruction of Tatsuya Mizuno this past Dec. 31 in Japan.
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 M-1 Global

Founded in 1998, M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged over 70 events worldwide including the M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events and its co-produced STRIKEFORCE events in the United States. Captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 events boast some of the sport’s top names including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Stephan Struve and rising stars Shamil Zavurov, Byron Byrd, Alexander Sarnavskiy and Vinny Magalhaes. 2011 marks a breakthrough year with two Selections tournaments across Eastern & Western Europe, North America and Asia and a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is the number one heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA Times and New York Times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to grow MMA in the 21st century.

WHO: Undefeated Main Event Fighter and Rising Star Tyron Woodley

U.S. Olympic Wrestler and Undefeated MMA Heavyweight Daniel Cormier

U.S. Olympic Judo Player/Unbeaten MMA Light Heavyweight Dr. Rhadi Ferguson

Former University Of Tennessee Star Linebacker Ovince Saint Preux

Women’s Middleweight Prospect Julia Budd

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 2 p.m. CT

WHERE: Nashville Mixed Martial Arts, 490 Allied Drive, Suite C, Nashville, Tenn., 37211,

Phone: 615-297-4430

WHAT: The fighters who will compete on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event Friday, Jan. 7, live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast)) from Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., will participate in an open workout in Nashville just two days before the eagerly awaited event.

The 28-year-old Woodley (7-0), a two-time All-American NCAA wrestler for the University of Missouri and St. Louis native, will take on fellow fast-rising star Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine (10-2), of Temecula, Calif., in the main event.

Cormier (6-0), a 31-year-old, two-time U.S. Olympic wrestling team member who placed fourth in the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, will face Devin Cole (18-8-1) of Medford, Ore. The ambitious Cormier competed successfully five times in 2010.

Ferguson (2-0), the only athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) World Championships and the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships, was a three-sport star at Howard University in the mid-90s competing in football, wrestling and track & field. While training for the Olympics, he furthered his schooling and received a doctorate in education in ’09 from Capella University. The 35-year-old will face undefeated Ion Cherdivara (1-0), of Montreal, Canada, on Friday.

Saint Preux (9-4), who’ll take on “Abongo” Humphrey (7-2), of Atlanta, played for the Vols from 2001-2004. After graduating with a degree in Sociology in ’04, he went on to compete in Tennessee’s first sanctioned MMA event on Feb. 20, 2009. On Friday, the 27-year-old will become the first fighter in history to compete in three consecutive STRIKEFORCE events. He has won six in a row.

The promising, 27-year-old Budd (1-0), a chiseled athletic specimen from British Columbia, Canada, will face Amanda “Lioness Of The Ring’’ Nunes (5-1), of Patterson, N.J., by way of Salvador, Brazil, in a women’s middleweight (145 pounds) match. Budd, a seasoned kickboxer, recorded her first pro MMA victory, a second round TKO over Shana Olsen in STRIKEFORCE Challengers competition last Oct. 22.

Tickets are on sale at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000 including Kroger and FYE, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Frankie Edgar retained the UFC Lightweight championship as he survived a first round drubbing to come back in his fight with Gray Maynard to headline UFC 125 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Midway through the first round, Maynard landed a vicious left hook that dropped Edgar to the canvas and Maynard immediately pounced on the champion. For the next two-plus minutes, Maynard savagely drilled a visibly hurt and bloody Edgar all over the octagon. Edgar was bleeding from the nose and on several occasions it seemed that he was just one shot away from being stopped. Edgar began to show some signs of life towards the end of the first frame. Edgar gathered himself and began winning most of the nest three rounds and he started landing hard shots of his own and solid kicks as he began to figure out Maynard. Edgar had a big round four as he momentarily locked in a guillotine choke. Round five was good back and forth action as both men gave all they had left to the delight of the crowd.

When the scores were read, each man took a card at 48-46 while a third card was tallied at 47-47.

Edgar, 155 lbs of Summit, NJ retains his belt for the second time. Maynard, 155 lbs of Phoenix, AZ was attempting to beat Edgar for the second time and is now 11-0-1-1.

In The co-feature, Brian Stann pounded out Chris Leben at 3:37 of round one of their bout.

Stann of Scranton, PA is 10-3. Leben is 21-7.

Thiago Silva scored a three round unanimous decision over Brandon Vera in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 30-36; 30-27 and 30-27 for Silva, of San Paulo, Brazil and is now 15-2. Vera, 205 lbs of Norfolk, VA is now 11-6.

Dong Hyun Kim scored a three round unanimous decision over Nate Diaz in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Kim, 171 lbs of Suwon, South Korea and is now 14-0-1. Diaz, 170 lbs of Stockton, CA is now 13-7.

Clay Guida scored a second round tapout over Takanori Gomi in a scheduled three round Lightweight bout.

Guida choked Gomi out with a guillotine at 4:27 of round two.

Brad Tavares pounded out veteran Phil Baroni in round one of their scheduled three round Middleweight bout.

Tavares landed a high leg kick to the head that startled Baroni which led to an assault of punches that forced referee Josh Rosenthal to stop the bout at 4:20 of round one.

Tavares, 186 lbs of Las Vegas is now 6-1. Baroni, 186 lbs of Las Vegas is now 13-13.

Guida, 156 lbs of Ground Lake, IL is now 28-8. Gomi, 155 lbs of Kanangawa, Japan is now 32-7-1

Dustin Poirier scored a three round unanimous decision over Josh Grispi in a Featherweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 on all cards for the twenty-one year old Poirier, 145 lbs of Lafyette, LA and is now 9-1. Grispi, 146 lbs of Massachusetts is 14-2.

Jeremy Stephens scored an explosive one punch knockout over Marcus Davis in the final scheduled round of their three round Lightweight bout.

Stephens landed a crushing right that knocked Davis down aand out.

Stevens, 156 lbs of San Diego, CA is now 19-6. Davis, 156 lbs of Bangor, ME is now 22-9.

Former Two-Time World Champion to Challenge
“Jacare” Souza For 185-Pound Title Saturday, Jan. 29,

Live on SHOWTIME® From HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

NEW YORK (Dec. 29, 2010) – One day after re-signing its world welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, to a new multi-fight deal, STRIKEFORCE announced Wednesday that exciting, hard-hitting former two-time world middleweight champion “Ruthless’’ Robbie Lawler had also signed a new, multi-year agreement with the San Jose, Calif.-based world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion.

One of the most lethal punchers in his weight class, Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) will challenge STRIKEFORCE middleweight belt-holder “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 1 NC) in one half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 29, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will defend his title against Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in the other.

Lawler, a 5-foot-11, 28-year-old southpaw fan favorite from Granite City, Ill., is coming off one of the most devastating MMA knockouts of 2010 – a brutal, single-punch, 50-second annihilation of Matt “The Law’’ Lindland last Dec. 4 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Fifteen of Lawler’s 18 career victories have come via knockout or TKO.

“STRIKEFORCE has treated me good and I am happy to re-sign with them,” Lawler said. “They have given me an opportunity to fight for the title and I’m looking forward to that and to fighting any and all of the top 185-pounders.’’

Since September 2006, Lawler has gone 7-2-1 with one No Contest. Three starts ago, the athletic, aggressive crowd-pleaser registered a dramatic, come-from-behind first-round (3:33) KO over highly regarded Melvin Manhoef on Jan. 30, 2010.

Lawler, who turned pro at 19, fought Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith during the first-ever primetime network telecast of MMA on May 31, 2008, on The CBS Television Network.

In other featured fights on the stacked Jan. 29 SHOWTIME televised card, football legend and MMA upstart, the incredible 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), will battle former South African national wrestling champion and MMA star Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

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.

NEW YORK (Dec. 22, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will make his second title defense when he faces Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in main event action and STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 1 NC) will put his belt on the line for the first time when he squares off with power-punching knockout artist “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) in the co-main event of a stacked Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

In other featured televised fights on SHOWTIME, football legend and MMA upstart, the incredible Herschel Walker (1-0) will return to the cage to face Scott Carson (4-1) in a heavyweight bout. The latest prospect from MMA’s first family, undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0), will battle former South African national wrestling champion and MMA star Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

Tickets go on sale Monday, Dec.27, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com, and Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000.

The 27-year-old Diaz, of Stockton, Calif. has been unstoppable of late, winning his last eight fights. In his last effort, the 6-foot-1 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and potent striker settled a three-year old score with arch-nemesis KJ Noons, out-striking Noons en route to a five-round unanimous decision at HP Pavilion last Oct. 9.

Five months prior to the victory over Noons, the no-nonsense Diaz, one of MMA’s most intriguing figures, ventured to Saitama, Japan, to face top-ranked rival Hayato “Mach” Sakurai in a DREAM promoted affair. To the surprise of many, the southpaw Diaz made quick work of Sakurai, submitting the Japanese fighter with an armbar at the 3:54 mark of the first round.

Like Diaz, Cyborg, the husband of STRIKEFORCE Women’s Middleweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg, possesses tremendous striking abilities, having KO’d 11 of his 18 victims. In his last outing, the 5-foot-10 Cyborg, who hails from Rondonopolis, Brazil, scored a first round TKO (punches) over highly-touted Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis at STRIKEFORCE: Live at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles last June 16.

Prior to defeating Zaromskis, Cyborg scored a first round-TKO on Daniel Zarate with a head kick and flurry of punches in Curitiba, Brazil on Dec. 12, 2009.

Souza, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, captured the vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight crown last Aug. 21 when he earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy at Toyota Center in Houston, Tex. A slick submission specialist who has tapped out 10 of his 13 victims, the 6-foot Souza surprisingly opted to stand and exchange punches and kicks with his opponent for five rounds rather than take the fight to the mat.

A resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Souza, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Dec. 7, earned a crack at the middleweight title by winning his first two STRIKEFORCE starts. In his STRIKEFORCE debut on Dec. 19, 2009, he submitted 1996 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt Lindland with an arm triangle choke at the 4:18 mark of the first round. Last May 15, Souza earned a unanimous decision over Joey Villasenor at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Souza’s only defeats came in his first career match in 2003 and to former STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi at the DREAM 6: Middleweight Grand-Prix Final in Saitama, Japan, in 2008. The showdown with Mousasi came shortly after Souza had claimed victory earlier on the same night over Zelg Galesic with an armbar submission in the first round of a quarterfinal round tournament bout.

Over the course of the 2008 DREAM tournament series, Souza also triumphed over Ian Murphy with a first-round (3:38) rear naked choke and over superstar Jason “Mayhem” Miller via unanimous decision.

The 28-year-old Lawler’s title shot will take place less than two months after the former Pat Miletich protégé decimated Lindland with a single punch just 50 seconds into their matchup at Scottrade Center on Dec. 4.

One of the hardest punchers in his weight class, the 5-foot-11 Lawler is a two-time 185-pound world champion who has earned 15 of his 18 career victories via knockout or TKO.

Last Jan. 30, Lawler produced a dramatic, come-from-behind, first-round (3:33) knockout over highly regarded, fellow striking machine Melvin Manhoef at Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

After turning pro at age 19 in April 2001, Lawler, who was born in San Diego, Calif., relocated at an early age with his family to Bettendorf, Iowa. He fought for years out of the Miletich Fighting Systems headquarters in nearby Davenport and eventually relocated to Granite City, Ill. His UFC bout with Aaron Riley on May 10, 2002, became the first MMA bout to air on network television (FOX Sports Network).

Lawler took on Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith during the first-ever, live primetime network telecast of MMA on May 31, 2008, on The CBS Television Network. After the bout was ruled a no contest due to an accidental thumb to Smith’s eye, Lawler dominated Smith in their live CBS primetime-televised rematch on July 26, 2009, scoring an impressive second-round TKO.

The matchup between Walker and Carson was originally scheduled for Dec. 4, but was postponed after Walker sustained a cut above his eye during a training session.

Healthy, eager and ready to go, the 48-year-old Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL Pro Bowl competitor, is undefeated at 1-0 in his latest athletic endeavor – MMA. A 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team that year, the 6-foot-1, 220 pound Walker of Atlanta already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo.

On Jan. 30, Walker made an impressive professional MMA debut, scoring a third round TKO (punches) over 26-year-old Greg Nagy at Sunrise, Fla.’s BankAtlantic Center. Walker has been training in San Jose, Calif. with Team AKA, one of the most prominent MMA fight camps in the world that is also the home of former STRIKEFORCE world champions Cung Le and Josh Thomson.

The 6-foot-2-inch Carson, a resident of Gardena, Calif., turned pro in September 1999 and won his initial four starts through June 2001. He is a WEC veteran who scored a first-round submission victory over Bryson Haubrick at the inaugural WEC event on June 30, 2001.

After being sidelined with a back injury and due to several scheduled fights falling out, Carson, a former longtime training partner of MMA legend Chuck Liddell, was finally able to fill his desire to get back in the cage last June 12 in Los Angeles. A member of Reign Training Center in Lake Forest, he got knocked out in the first round by undefeated Lorenz Martin (3-0 going in, 5-0 now).

The 29-year-old, 6-foot-4 Gracie, the winner of the coveted ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, holds a second degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie, Jr. He made history by submitting all eight of his opponents during the tournament, a feat that had never previously been achieved.

Not surprisingly, Gracie’s highly advanced submission skills have been his key to success in all three of his MMA starts. Last May 15, he made his STRIKEFORCE debut, submitting former UFC Heavyweight Champion and former NCAA National Wresting Champion Kevin “The Monster” Randleman with a rear naked choke in the second round (4:10) at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

A native of Brazil, Gracie resides in West London, England, where he owns and operates The Roger Gracie Academy.

One of the most feared and dangerous fighters in the light heavyweight division, Prangley has proven he is capable of defeating anyone on any given night. Since his pro debut in January 2001, the 6-foot Prangley has fought some of the world’s toughest opponents, including former STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight Champion “Babalu” Sobral, Jorge Santiago (his last loss) and Chael Sonnen. Prangley’s most significant victory may have come against Sonnen.

Prangley has competed in five STRIKEFORCE events, including Four Men Enter, One Man Survives, the first sanctioned MMA tournament in the state of California on November 16, 2007. During the second STRIKEFORCE event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2008, Prangley was victorious over Anthony “A Train” Ruiz by way of unanimous decision.

After winning a national wrestling championship in his native South Africa, Prangley left his homeland for The United States in search of the highest caliber wrestling training, and later established himself as a force in the sport of MMA. He is a member of Team AKA in San Jose.

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.

NEW YORK (Dec. 12, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem of The Netherlands made history on Saturday by winning the annual eight-man, single elimination K-1 World Grand Prix Championship in Japan, thus making him the first fighter in history to simultaneously hold a major MMA and K-1 Grand Prix title.

On Saturday, the 6-foot-5, 30-year-old Overeem won three fights at the annual one night, eight-man K-1 Grand Prix, the most prestigious tournament in kickboxing. He capped off a winning night by scoring a first-round (1:07) TKO in the finals over K-1 legend Peter Aerts, a four-time champion of the tournament.

In the semifinal round of the event, Overeem produced a similar result, registering a first round TKO over Gokhan Saki (2:33). In the opening tournament round, he scored a unanimous decision over Tyrone Sprong.

Overeem has been unstoppable in the sport of MMA, not suffering a loss in over three years. On Nov. 16, 2007, he became the first STRIKEFORCE MMA heavyweight champion in history, crushing Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello, with knee strikes to the body in the second round (3:42) of their matchup at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Overeem returned to STRIKEFORCE action last May 15, scoring a first round (3:40) TKO on Brett “The Grim” Rogers at Scottrade Center in St. Louis and bringing his career MMA record up to 33-11.

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.

Undefeated Olympian Daniel Cormier To Face Veteran Devin Cole, Yancy Medeiros vs. John Salter, Julia Budd vs. Amanda Nunes,

Nate Moore vs. Nate Coy

Tickets Go On Sale Tomorrow/Wednesday, Dec. 8,
For STRIKEFORCE’s First Event of 2011

NEW YORK (Dec. 8, 2010) – An eagerly anticipated showdown between top welterweight (170 pounds) rising stars, undefeated Tyron Woodley (7-0) and hard-hitting Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine (10-2), will headline a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT tomorrow/Wednesday, Dec. 8, and will be available at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000 including Kroger and FYE, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com). The first non-televised, undercard fight on Jan. 7 will begin at 7:30 CT. Doors will open at 7.

Undefeated up-and-coming heavyweight prospect and former Olympic wrestling star Daniel Cormier (6-0) of San Jose, Calif., faces what could be his toughest test to date when he meets veteran Devin Cole (18-8-1) of Medford, Ore., in a feature televised contest.

In other televised fights on STRIKEFORCE’s initial presentation of the decade: unbeaten Yancy “Frisson’’ Medeiros (9-0) of Waianae, Hawaii, faces John Salter (5-2) of Nashville in a middleweight (185 pounds) scrap, promising Julia “The Jewel’’ Budd (1-0) of British Columbia, Canada, faces Amanda “Lioness Of The Ring’’ Nunes (5-1), of Salvador, Brazil, in a women’s middleweight (145 pounds) match and Nate Moore (6-2) of San Jose meets Nate “Soulforce’’ Coy (8-3) of Portland, Ore., in a welterweight (170 pounds) fight.

The unbeaten 5-foot-9, 28-year-old Woodley of St. Louis, Mo., is a two-time All-American NCAA wrestler for the University of Missouri. After notching three straight victories on the Challengers series, Woodley made his debut at a STRIKEFORCE championship series event, scoring a thunderous first round (1:48) KO over fellow prospect Andre Galvao on the Diaz vs. Noons card in San Jose last Oct. 9.

Woodley fought five times in 2009, winning all five of his starts by way of submission. He was only forced beyond the first round on one occasion last year, submitting Zach Light with an armbar in the second round (3:38) of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Sept. 25.

Woodley, who turned pro in February 2009, is a member of American Top Team. He won his initial start for STRIKEFORCE with a first-round submission (Brabo Choke) over Sal Woods in a non-televised, undercard bout on June 6, 2009, in St. Louis.

Like Woodley, Saffiedine, a 24-year-old, 5-foot-9 native of Brussels, Belgium, has been on a surge, winning all three of his bouts in 2010, and 9 of his last 10 fights. Saffiedine’s only defeat during this stretch came via narrow, split decision against Dong Sik Yoon at DREAM 12 in Osaka, Japan on Oct. 25, 2009.

Saffiedine’s strong striking foundation stems from his teenage years when he took up Karate at age 16. He now holds a black belt in Shihaishinkai, a form of Karate that combines striking, Judo throws and wrestling, and an amateur kickboxing record of 12-1-1. After immigrating to The United States, he added Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his repertoire.

Saffiedine holds a record of 2-0 in STRIKEFORCE Challengers competition. In his debut for the promotion last Feb. 26 in San Jose, he earned a unanimous decision over James Terry. On May 21, Saffiedine scored a second-round (1:21) KO on Moore with a punch in Portland, Ore.

Cormier, a two-time JUCO national wrestling champion, six-time U.S. national champ, two-time Olympian and 2008 U.S. Olympic team captain, has been virtually unstoppable since turning pro on Sept. 25, 2009, winning all his fights inside the distance, all within two rounds.

The 5-foot-11, 31-year-old Cormier may be short in stature for a heavyweight, but he’s long on talent. His last five fights – all in 2010 — ended in the first round, the last three by submission. In his most recent outing, the exciting Cormier devoured Soa Palelei on Nov. 5. The farthest Cormier has been taken was in his pro debut when he triumphed by 3:39, second-round TKO (punches) over Gary Frazier at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.

Cormier, who whipped Jason Riley in 1:02 in his last fight for STRIKEFORCE last Aug. 21, is a member of American Kickboxing Academy. One of his teammates and chief training partners at AKA is UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, whom Cormier helped get ready before Velasquez obliterated Brock Lesnar in November.

Cole is 6-1-1 in his last seven fights. Unquestionably, the most experienced fighter to face Cormier, Cole has fought several well-known, world-class fighters in a career that began in July 2003, including former STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, STRIKEFORCE star Mike “Mak” Kyle, Jeff Monson, Travis Wiuff, Krzysztof Soszynski, and Ben Rothwell.

An All-American wrestler at Oregon State, the 6-foot-4 Cole has been victorious inside the distance in 13 of his 18 victories, and has gone nearly two years without being submitted. An IFL veteran who’ll be making his STRIKEFORCE debut, Cole had a five-fight winning streak end in his last outing on Sept. 11 when he dropped a decision to Aaron Rosa.

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.

Many first time promoters have small corwds and average fights. Saturday night that changed asNFC Promotions christened their new organization with a MMA show that would make the casual observer think they have been around for years. Shawn North’s NFC Promotions came to Hocking College for the first installment of the “Caged on Campus” fight series. Using the largest cage in Ohio (a standard UFC championship size ring), the sold out, standing room only crowd was treated to 8 action packed MMA fights.

Chris Warren def. Eric Rodgers
Anthony Crosby def. Jon Withrow
Jack Coates def. Donnie McKnight
Rick Cullison def. Eric Battcher
Mark Spears def. Andrew Taylor
Zack Cook def. John Grant
Maria Messier def. Jennifer Pierce

In what was arguably the fight of the night David “Bubba” Crabtree defeated Ryan Cunningham via a Tap Out due to strikes at 1:08 of the second round. Crabtree was subjected to a onslaught of clean punches all throughout the first round and was knocked out on his feet when the horn sounded to end the round. Crabtree was moments away from having the fight stopped. Many in the sold out crowd felt that Crabtree’s corner would not let their fighter continue. Crabtree, insisted on continuing and gathered his legs back under him. Visibly hurt, he began the second round attacking his opponent. Crabtree saw an opening, and took his opponent down the the mat with a hard shot to the ribs winding Cunningham. A few punches later the fight was stopped. Both fighters showed the hears of champions and the crowd was standing on their feet cheering for both fighters.

Prior to the main event, it was announced that the Caged on Campus Series would be returning to Hocking College in late March / early April 2011.

NEW YORK (Dec. 4, 2010) – A long-awaited showdown between top welterweight (170 pounds) rising stars, undefeated Tyron Woodley (7-0) and hard-hitting Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine (10-2), will headline a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011.

Undefeated up-and-coming heavyweight prospect and former Olympic wrestling star Daniel Cormier (6-0) of San Jose, Calif., faces what could be his toughest test to date when he meets veteran Devin Cole (18-8-1) of Medford, Ore., in a feature televised contest.

In other televised fights formally announced by STRIKEFORCE for its initial presentation of the decade: undefeated Yancy “Frisson’’ Medeiros (9-0) of Waianae, Hawaii, faces John Salter (5-2) of Nashville in a middleweight (185 pounds) scrap, promising Julia “The Jewel’’ Budd (1-0) of British Columbia, Canada, faces Amanda “Lioness Of The Ring’’ Nunes (5-1), of Salvador, Brazil, in a women’s middleweight (145 pounds) match and Nate Moore (6-2) of San Jose meets Nate “Soulforce’’ Coy (8-3) of Portland, Ore., in a welterweight (170 pounds) fight.

A special ticket pre-sale purchase opportunity for the event will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://STRIKEFORCE.com/insider.html), beginning at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 8, and ending at 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, Dec. 9. STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 10, and will be available at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000 including Kroger and FYE, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

The first non-televised, undercard fight on Jan. 7 will begin at 7:30 CT. Doors will open at 7.

The unbeaten 5-foot-9, 28-year-old Woodley of St. Louis, Mo., is a two-time All-American NCAA wrestler for the University of Missouri. After notching three straight victories on the Challengers series, Woodley made his debut at a STRIKEFORCE championship series event, scoring a thunderous first round (1:48) KO over fellow prospect Andre Galvao on the Diaz vs. Noons card in San Jose last Oct. 9.

Woodley fought five times in 2009, winning all five of his starts by way of submission. He was only forced beyond the first round on one occasion last year, submitting Zach Light with an armbar in the second round (3:38) of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Sept. 25.

Woodley, who turned pro in February 2009, is a member of American Top Team. He won his initial start for STRIKEFORCE with a first-round submission (Brabo Choke) over Sal Woods in a non-televised, undercard bout on June 6, 2009, in St. Louis.

Like Woodley, Saffiedine, a 24-year-old, 5-foot-9 native of Brussels, Belgium, has been on a surge, winning all three of his bouts in 2010, and 9 of his last 10 fights. Saffiedine’s only defeat during this stretch came via narrow, split decision against Dong Sik Yoon at DREAM 12 in Osaka, Japan on Oct. 25, 2009.

Saffiedine’s strong striking foundation stems from his teenage years when he took up Karate at age 16. He now holds a black belt in Shihaishinkai, a form of Karate that combines striking, Judo throws and wrestling, and an amateur kickboxing record of 12-1-1. After immigrating to The United States, he added Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his repertoire.

To date, Saffiedine holds a record of 2-0 in STRIKEFORCE Challengers competition. In his debut for the promotion last Feb. 26 in San Jose, he earned a unanimous decision over James Terry. On May 21, Saffiedine scored a second-round (1:21) KO on Moore with a punch in Portland, Ore.

Cormier, a two-time JUCO national wrestling champion, six-time U.S. national champ, two-time Olympian and 2008 U.S. Olympic team captain, has been virtually unstoppable since turning pro on Sept. 25, 2009, winning all his fights inside the distance, all within two rounds.

The 5-foot-11, 31-year-old Cormier may be short in stature for a heavyweight, but he’s long on talent. His last five fights – all in 2010 — ended in the first round, the last three by submission. In his most recent outing, the exciting Cormier devoured Soa Palelei on Nov. 5. The farthest Cormier has been taken was in his pro debut when he triumphed by 3:39, second-round TKO (punches) over Gary Frazier at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.

Cormier, who whipped Jason Riley in 1:02 in his last fight for STRIKEFORCE last Aug. 21, is a member of American Kickboxing Academy. One of his teammates and chief training partners at AKA is UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, whom Cormier helped get ready before Velasquez obliterated Brock Lesnar in November.

Cole is 6-1-1 in his last seven fights. Unquestionably, the most experienced fighter to face Cormier, Cole has fought several well-known, world-class fighters in a career that began in July 2003, including former STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, STRIKEFORCE star Mike “Mak” Kyle, Jeff Monson, Travis Wiuff, Krzysztof Soszynski, and Ben Rothwell.

An All-American wrestler at Oregon State, the 6-foot-4 Cole has been victorious inside the distance in 13 of his 18 victories, and has gone nearly two years without being submitted. An IFL veteran who’ll be making his STRIKEFORCE debut, Cole had a five-fight winning streak end in his last outing on Sept. 11 when he dropped a decision to Aaron Rosa.

ST. LOUIS (Dec. 5, 2010) – Legendary MMA superstar Dan Henderson, 41, proved he is back in a major way Saturday as he closed an outstanding night of exciting, non-stop action fights by demolishing former STRIKEFORCE World Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral in 1:53 in the main event on SHOWTIME® before a crowd of 7,146 at Scottrade Center.

“Hendo answered the questions about his age, about his desire,’’ said SHOWTIME analyst and MMA pioneer, Frank Shamrock, after the fight. “There was never a question about his power.”

Other results on the televised portion of STRIKEFORCE: Henderson vs. Babalu presented by Rockstar Energy Drink:” World-ranked welterweight Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (26-9-2) of Nottingham, England, knocked out Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (18-8, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., with a ferocious counter left hook at 2:09 in the first; new-look Robbie Lawler (18-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., returned to his old, “Ruthless” self with a devastating 50-second, first-round knockout over Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-8), of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight match; Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (15-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, rallied to register a second-round TKO (punches) over Mike “Mak’’ Kyle (18-8), of San Jose, Calif., in a heavyweight scrap and former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux (9-4) of Knoxville, Tenn., won his sixth in a row and second in two weeks with a dominant three-round unanimous decision over Benji “Razor’’ Radach (19-6, 1 NC), of Laguna Beach, Calif., at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

“I’ve said it before but not often enough: we have some of the most devastating and talented fighters in the world on the STRIKEFORCE roster,’’ said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker after the final STRIKEFORCE fight card of the year. “And these guys — Hendo, Daley, Lawler — proved it tonight. These aren’t even the champs of their divisions in STRIKEFORCE and they put on some display tonight.

“This is a second chance for Daley. He’s shown remorse for his past action and he’s earned the right to keep fighting. As for Mike Kyle: Watch out at 205 because he’s got devastating power.”

Henderson, making his first fight at 205 pounds in three years, moved a step closer to a title shot against STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

“Whoever STRIKEFORCE comes up with, I’ll fight,’’ said Henderson, who floored Babalu with two solid right hands and finished him with a series of shots. “But I prefer 205. I’m ready to fight at 185 but there are plenty of good fights for me at 205.

“My body felt better for this fight. I appreciate all the support from the fans in St. Louis.’’

This was the second victory over Babalu for Henderson, who won a decision in February 2000.

Daley-Smith turned out to be the slugfest most everybody expected, but Daley, making his STRIKEFORCE debut, landed the first telling shot and that was that.

“I’m very happy with this fight and for the opportunity STRIKEFORCE is giving me,’’ said Daley, who delivered a perfectly-placed left look that sent Smith crashing head-first to the canvas.

By stopping Lindland with a picturesque, short right hook, Lawler put himself right back into the stacked STRIKEFORCE middleweight picture.

Unlike his last outing on June 16 when he may have played it a little too cautiously in a points’ loss to Babalu, Lawler was all business Saturday.

“For some reason I thought he’d try to stand with me,’’ said Lawler, who was sporting a beard and hair on his head for this one. “He probably shouldn’t have. I knew I was in good enough shape to fight my fight and not worry about take downs. I’ll take a one-day break and talk to managers and then we’ll go from there.’’

When asked if he knew the fight was over before the referee stepped in, Lawler said, “I always know when the fight is over.’’

The Silva-Kyle fight looked like it might be over in the first round, a five-minute session dominated by Kyle, who dropped Silva with a booming right hand in the opening seconds and spent the remainder of the round in the top position pounding the Brazilian with both hands.

But Silva, who outweighed Kyle by 44 pounds, rebounded strongly to triumph for the eighth time in nine starts.

“He surprised me at the beginning,’’ Silva said. ‘But I never felt I was in danger of losing or that the referee would stop the fight.’’

Kyle, who took the fight on a week’s notice after Valentijn Overeem withdrew with an injury, came close to scoring a major upset.

“I thought they were going to stop the fight,’’ said Kyle, who entered the cage having gone 5-0 with one No Contest since losing to Fedor conquerer, Fabricio Wedum, on Aug. 15, 2009. “I was really excited but they didn’t and then I realized I broke my hand and I was out of the fight mentally’’

In the opening bout of the telecast, Saint Preux dominated what many felt would be his toughest fight, outpointing Radach by the one-sided scores of 30-27, 30-26 and 30-25.

It was the second consecutive points victory for the 6-foot-3, 27-year-old Saint Preux, who was coming off a unanimous over Antwain Britt during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Nov. 19.

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

DAY CHANNEL

Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO2

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

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

In Saturday’s non-televised professional results: Fernando Bettega (7-4), Cerritos, Calif., split decision over Wayne Phillips (4-4), San Jose, at 170 pounds; Justin Lawrence (1-0), St. Louis, unanimous (technical) decision over Max Martynuk (0-1), Los Angeles, at 155 pounds; Pat Cummins (1-0), Carlsbad, Calif., TKO 1 (strikes) over Terrell Brown (2-1), O’Fallon, Mo., at 205 pounds; Matt Ricehouse (4-0), St. Peters, Mo., unanimous decision over Tom Aaron (8-2), Troy, Mo.; Booker DeRousse (4-4), St. Louis, TKO 2 (strikes) Coltin Cole (1-1) of Duquion, Ill., at 185 pounds; Cortez Coleman (6-1), Granite, City, Ill., submitted (guillotine choke) Lucas Lopes (19-11), St. Louis, in the first round (2:04) at 185 pounds; Mike Glenn (7-4), Springfield, Mo., first-round TKO over Lee Brousseau (7-3), of River Wood, Mo., at 205 pounds; and J.W. Wright (1-0), St. Louis, submitted (guillotine choke) Josh “The Loose Cannon’’ Epps (2-3), St. Louis, in the first round (1:29) at 130 pounds.

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®.

NEW YORK (Nov. 29, 2010) – Streaking STRIKEFORCE star Mike “Mak’’ Kyle (18-7) will replace the injured Valentijn Overeem and take on former heavyweight world champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, in one of the featured televised fights on STRIKEFORCE: Henderson vs. Babalu this Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Overeem, the older brother of STRIKEFORCE heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, withdrew Saturday after suffering an elbow injury.

Legendary MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) of Temecula, Calif., will clash with former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Cerritos, Calif., via Brazil, in a rematch between world-class 205-pounders in the main event.

Other televised fights: Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, confronts Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (17-7, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., in a matchup of power-punching welterweights (170 pounds) and former world champion and exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., goes up against 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout.

Tickets are on sale at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com or by phone (800) 745-3000. Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m.

The 6-foot-3, 30-year-old Kyle, of San Jose, Calif., has gone 5-0 with one No Contest since losing to Fedor conqueror, Fabricio Werdum, on Aug. 15, 2009. In his last start, Kyle scored a first-round TKO (punches) over Stephen Oliver on Nov. 5.

Since April 2008, Kyle is 8-1 with one NC. One of the talented nine-year pro’s most significant triumphs came on a second-round TKO (punches) over current STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante in June 2009.

In his last appearance for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME, Kyle submitted (rear-naked choke) Ron “Abongo’’ Humphrey during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event last July 23.

The 6-foot-4, 31-year-old Silva has won seven of his last eight, including a decisive, lopsided decision over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski in his most recent outing last May 15.

Silva’s lone loss since December 2006 came when he was narrowly outpointed in a tight fight by fellow Brazilian, Werdum, on Nov.7, 2009.

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.

Less than one year ago, a father and a son had a vision. To bring the best MMA shows to Ohio. They succeeded. One year later, they have taken it national.

National mixed martial arts fight promotion Rocktagon MMA, formerly known as CageStars, presented the first Amateur MMA event under the Rocktagon name Saturday night, at the brand new Rocktagon Arena.

The 12 fight card was stacked with rising talent and action packed fights. Two champions were crowned as Cy Stephens won a 3 round decision over Mike Maderitz. The capacity crowd was on its feet for the entire final round as both these warriors fought like champions but only one walked away with the gold.

The main event saw hometown fan favorite Marcus Washington capture the 155lb title with a first round TKO over David Parker. Washington flashed his signature Hollywood smile as the title was placed around his waist. Washington thanked Rocktagon MMA for the opportunity to fight for a title and thanked the 3,000 screaming fans that were in attendance at the Rocktagon Arena. When asked if fighting in his backyard made a difference Washington stated that “It was important to have the support of the hometown fans but it was really most important to me to perform well because it was the first time my mother could see me fight,”

Fans in attendance were amazed of the growth of this promotion in only one year. Mark for Elyria told us “I have been to all of their shows and each of them have been better than the first.”

John from Akron was impressed with the overall event “When you come to a Rocktagon event you are not just coming to see cage fighting. There is so much more to their show than just a fight..they really open their doors to everyone…..even a non MMA fan will have fun here”.

Mike from Parma stated “This arena is beautiful, problem is the word is getting out and I bet in a few more shows they will have to get a larger venue.”

Immediately following the event CageStars founder Lorenzo Gentile and Rocktagon CEO James Jedda announced that the “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 2” will be held on February 5th, 2011 at the Rocktagon Arena. For more information visit www.rocktagonmma.com

Full Results
• 185-Mark Ondich (1-0) TKO 2:40 1st round over Mike Schmittle (0-1)
• 145-Paul Troutman (3-2) decision 30-27, 30-27, 39-28 over Nate Hurst (2-2)
• Super Heavyweight-Nick Breshear decision 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 over Clay Wetzel (0-2)
• 135-Sean Brown (1-2) tapout 1:28 1st round over Ron Fitch (2-4)
• 170-Jacob Rathwell (1-0) tapout 2:08 1st round over Andy Johnson (0-1)
• 170-Don Jongquist (2-0) decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 over Nick Schenk (0-1)
• 170-James Pfeiffer (1-0) decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 over Alex Brown (0-1)
• 215-Kyle Horton (2-0) TKO 3:00 2nd round over Tyree Johnson (1-2)
• 185-Josh Martinez (3-0) TKO 3:00 1st round over Brandon Vasquez (3-1)
• 170-Dave Vandevolde (4-0) TKO :43 1st round over Kyle Booth (2-2)
• 145 (Title fight)-Cy Stephens (5-2) decision 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 over Mike Maderitz (4-2)
• 155 (Title fight)-Marcus Washington (5-0-1) TKO 2:59 1st round over David Parker (4-4)

JACKSON, MISS. (Nov. 16, 2010) – Feeling like he wasn’t getting the competition he craved, former college wrestler turned competitive bodybuilder Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox decided to give Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) a try five years ago. He’s been hooked ever since.

Now, Wilcox finds himself in the biggest fight of his career, taking on lightweight (155 pounds) star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro in the headlining fight of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

Wilcox (9-3), a 31-year-old former NCAA wrestling star, has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March 26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Fresno, Calif., the city where his family currently resides.

A member of San Jose, Calif.’s Team AKA, one of the most fearsome fight teams in the world that also plays home to STRIKEFORCE superstars Josh Thomson and Cung Le, Wilcox wrestled for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and is from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Wilcox answered six questions recently.

QUESTION: What do you think about Vitor Ribeiro? He thought he beat Lyle Beerbohm (he lost a split decision May 15) in his last fight. What did you think?

WILCOX: “I think it could have gone either way. I think he looked good. I know he’s a four-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion and he’s 20-4. I’m not underestimating him in the least. I know people think there won’t be a lot of striking; that we’re both going to want to get it to the ground. Wherever he wants to take it is fine by me. I have faith in my ground game and I’m working with Dave Camarillo at AKA, just an incredible Jiu-Jitsu coach.

QUESTION: What’s it like training at the AKA gym in San Jose?

WILCOX: “It’s been awesome. It’s one of the top gyms in the world. I don’t see myself training anywhere else. Going into my fights I don’t get too nervous because I’m training against such high-level guys and some world champions. The gym is so complete. You don’t have to travel to get high-level boxing or high-level wrestling. It’s all right there. That’s why I love it so much.”

QUESTION: Who’s the toughest guy you ever fought?

WILCOX: “Each opponent has had his strong points. They’ve all been tough. I don’t take any of them lightly. If I had to pick one I would say the (Daisuke) Nakamura fight (which Wilcox won by unanimous decision on Dec. 19, 2009). I had to take the fight on two weeks notice. He was such a high-level opponent.”

QUESTION: In your first professional fight in 2006 you beat Bobby Voelker, another Cincinnati fighter (who scored a major victory over previously undefeated Roger Bowling last Oct. 22 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on SHOWTIME). Does that seem like a long time ago?

WILCOX: “That was also a tough one. I was just a wrestler back then. Everything he could throw at me he did. People after that fight were like, ‘Wow, wait till you get that chin.’ I don’t know. I just want to keep moving forward. That was my first fight. Bobby’s had some success recently with STRIKEFORCE which is great. We’re kind of on the same path. He’s a great kid. I like Bobby a lot.”

QUESTION: Is there any opponent you’d like to face? Where do you see yourself in the sport in a year?

WILCOX: “I see myself wearing that belt. Each fight is one step closer to that belt. That’s what I see myself going after and being a world champion. Whoever they put in front of me is fine. Whoever has the belt at the time is who I want to fight and who I want to beat.”

QUESTION: What do you like to do in your free time?

WILCOX: “I just really like to hang out with my 3-year-old daughter Natalie and being with my family. I’m up here in San Jose training and they are down in Fresno so I go down on weekends and see them a lot. Just being with my little girl and my wife Leslie is what makes me happy. Just hanging out and spending time with the family.”

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state of Mississippi.

Tickets are on sale now to the general public at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.COM.

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first televised main card fight will begin at 10 p.m.

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.

Akron, Ohio is known as the Rubber City and the home of the All American Soap Box Derby, now is has another legacy, Dan Bobish territory. The former 2 time Super Heavyweight Champion of the World’s promotion, Ultimate Cage Battles, invaded Akron to a capacity crowd at Akron’s hot spot, The Barley House. Fans were treated to a 9 bout card that left the fighters bloody and the crowd screaming for more.

In the main event, Victor “The Italian Stallion” Guarriello stopped Bryan Gregory at 2:51 of the second round via a TKO due to strikes. Both combatants are known for their ground and pound game but the first round was mostly a stand up boxing match reminiscent of Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed. In the second, The Stallion took control early and Gregory could not keep up the pace of Guarriello. In his post fight interview, Guarriello thanked the fans for their support he received as he traveled into hostile territory all the way from Jamestown, New York. Guarriello, fought like a true warrior as he took this career changing bout on only 4 days notice. The Stallion improved to 3-1 while Gregory dropped to 3-2.

On the under card

Ed “Mighty” Mouse improved to 10-4 with a second round stoppage due to strikes over Trevor Stiles.

Kyle “Lil Bam-Bam” made quick work of Tyler Bess stopping him in just 24 seconds with vi\vicious strikes.

Debuting Travis Griffith upset “The Handgun” Dallas Dishman at 1:05 in the first round as he made “The Handgun” tap out with a arm choke.

“The Beast” Christian Anderson was victorious in is MMA debut over John “Big Bang” Compton who was also making his MMA debut.

Late substitute Jeremiah Yeager made Josh “Pitbull” Berkley tap out in the very first round with a Rear Naked Choke. The time was 2:29.

Brad Osborne won a 3 round unanimous decision over DeAndre Billingsly.

John Darin Choked out Sean Brown in the first round. The time 1:36.

UFC legend Wes Sims was in attendance working the corners of the Buckeye MMA fighters.

Following intermission, Dan Bobish announced the January 15, 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio will be the next installment of Ultimate Cage Battles. This pro-am card is already shaping up to be an amazing show. Already signed to fight is Brian Rogers 5-2. This 205lb combatant is riding a 4 fight win streak. None of his victories have gone past the first round.

For more information visit www.cagebattle.net

Urijah Faber made his Bantamweight debut by choking out Takeya Mizugaki at 4:50 of round one of a scheduled three round bout that headlined a WEC card at the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas.

Faber choked Mizugaki and was impressive in his new weight class.

Faber, 136 lbs of Sacramento, CA is now 24-4. Mizugaki, 136 lbs of Japan is now 13-5-2.

Chad Mendes remained undefeated with a three round unanimous decision over Javier Vazquez in a Featherweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 on all cards for Mendez, 145 1/2 lbs and is now 9-0. Vazquez, 146 lbs of Rancho Cucamunga, CA is now 15-5.

Cub Swanson scored a three round split decision over Mackens Semerzier in a Featherweight fight.

Swans0n, 145 lbs won by scores of 29-28 on two cards while Semerzier won a card 29-28.

Erik Koch landed one devastating and made quick work over previously undefeated Francisco Rivera by scoring a stoppage in round one of their scheduled three round Featherweight bout.

Koch landed a hard left kick to the face that sent Rivera to the canvas and quickly pounced on Rivera before referee Steve Mazagatti stopped the bout just ninety-six seconds into the bout.

Koch, 146 lbs of Cedar Rapids, IA is now 11-1. Rivera, 146 lbs of Buena Park, Ca is now 5-1

Joseph Benavidez submitted Wagney Fabiano in round two of the scheduled three round Bantamweight bout.

Benavidez locked in chokes on three separate occasions with the third time being the charm as Fabiano finally tapped out.

The end came at 2:45 of round two for Benavidez, 136 lbs of Sacramento is 13-2. Fabiano, 136 lbs of Rio Di Janerio, Brazil is now 14-.3

Demetrious Johnson choked out Damacio Page in round three of their scheduled three round Bantamweight bout.

The end came at 2:27 of round for Johnson 135 lbs of Parkland, Washington is now 12-1. Page, 136 lbs of Albuquerque, is now 12-5.

UNDERCARD PRECEDES SIX-FIGHT MAIN CARD
LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK (Nov. 11, 2010) – Former NFL player-turned-Mixed Martial Arts fighter, popular heavyweight Wes Shivers, of Brandon, Miss., returns to the cage to face Goldman Butler, of Tupelo, Miss., in the top undercard fight of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in Jackson, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

“I’ve been kicking it around for awhile that I wanted to get back in there,” said Shivers, a star offensive tackle at Mississippi State who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans where he saw action in three games. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons before being released and walking away from the game.

“I didn’t really have any motivation to get back to training. I got the phone call from (local promoter) Dave Ferguson who asked me if I wanted to fight again. I thought it was a great opportunity to be able to fight in front of my home crowd. Not to mention it’s a STRIKEFORCE show. I had to take the opportunity.”

In the main event on the first STRIKEFORCE event in Mississippi, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4) will face Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (9-3) of Cincinnati in a lightweight (155 pounds) match.

The 33-year-old, 6-foot-8 Shivers (7-1), a Rankin County Deputy Sheriff, will take on Goldman (1-3) during the non-televised portion of a card that will include many fighters from Mississippi and Tennessee.

Shivers said it was a lifelong dream to play in the NFL, but he has no regrets over his short-lived NFL career, which ended in 2001.

“Any kid growing up in America wants to play a pro sport and I accomplished that goal,” he said. “When I got in there I realized what the whole business was about and it really wasn’t my cup of tea. I saw an opportunity to walk away from the game without any regrets and I did it. Looking back, I still don’t have any regrets. It’s a business. Like any sport, if you take the fun out of it, it’s not worth playing anymore.

“I had several opportunities to go other places after I was released. I just decided I could do more with my life than play football.”

Shivers started training for MMA as the sport began to get hugely popular in Mississippi and he had his first professional fight at the end of 2005.

“I just loved the competitiveness of it and testing myself on a daily basis,” he said.

Before Shivers and Butler tangle, Jacob “Pyscho” Noe (3-1) of Memphis, Tenn., will take on Wesley “Pitbull” Little (2-4) of Columbus, Miss.

Other pro bouts will pit four middleweights (185 pounds) against one another: Jeremiah “Bigg Rigg” Riggs (6-5) of Vicksburg, Miss., meets Jason Sharp (7-2) of Biloxi, Miss., while Jamie Houston of Olive Branch, Miss., takes on Dave Martin of Southhaven, Miss., in both fighter’s pro debuts.

Among the scheduled amateur undercard bouts: Anthony Mitchel (4-1), Madison, Miss., vs. Jeffrey Hedgepeth (2-1), Silver Creek, Miss, at a catch weight of 200 pounds; Brian “The Law” Hall (2-1), Memphis, Tenn., vs. Thomas “Die Hard Kid” Vasquez (14-3), Horn Lake., Miss., in a bantamweight (135 pounds) bout; and in welterweight (170 pounds) fights, Joel Cooper (9-2), Jackson, Tenn., vs. Brian Burse (8-1), Corinth, Miss.; and Travis Robertson (8-3), Memphis, Tenn., vs. Ken DuBoise (2-0), Jackson, Miss.

Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.COM.

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m. The first fight on SHOWTIME will begin at 10 p.m.

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.

Scott Carson Rips Into ‘Keyboard Warriors’
And Vows ‘To Shut Them Up’

NEW YORK (Nov. 8, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE formally announced that legendary football superstar and unbeaten MMA fighter, Herschel Walker (1-0), of Wrightsville, Ga., will be opposed by Scott Carson (4-1), of Lake Forest, Calif., in a featured heavyweight matchup on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The 6-foot-1 inch Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and a 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee, holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo. He has been honing his MMA skills at world-renowned American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif., under head trainers Bob Cook and Javier Mendez.

The remarkable Walker, 48, will be making his first start since winning his pro debut with a unanimous three-round decision over Greg Nagy on Jan. 30, 2010, at STRIKEFORCE: Miami on SHOWTIME.

So, who is Scott Carson?

“I’ll tell you one thing. I’m a lot better fighter than the one I’ve been reading about on the Internet,’’ Carson said. “This is a huge deal for me, a tremendous opportunity, but you’d think I was nothing going off what has been written by some of these keyboard warriors, who I doubt have ever stepped in a cage. It’s a lot easier to sit in front of a computer and talk (stuff) than it is to actually fight.

“I am trying to take it all in stride, but I have no idea why some people are talking so negatively without ever having seen me. They don’t know me. I’m pretty well-rounded with good standup and wrestling.

“They say I’m old at 40 but I don’t feel 40 and I certainly don’t look 40. I think I look 30 and I’m in great shape. I’m ripped, just like Herschel.

“I’m going to be more ready for Dec. 4 than I have been for any other fight. I plan to shut up all the critics, each and every one of them. Let them write something factual after they’ve seen me on Dec. 4.

“I’m really excited about fighting a great athlete like Herschel. I’m training every day. But the fact that some people aren’t giving me a chance is only giving me extra motivation. This is going to be a great fight.’’

The 6-foot-2-inch Carson turned pro in September 1999 and won his initial four starts through June 2001. He is a former WEC veteran who scored a first-round submission victory over Bryson Haubrick at the very first WEC event.

After being sidelined with a back injury and due to several scheduled fights falling out, Carson didn’t return to the cage until last June 12 in Los Angeles. A member of Reign Training Center in Lake Forest, he got knocked out in the first round by undefeated Lorenz Martin (3-0 going in, 5-0 now).

“I was out a long time because of my back and I did rehab for a while,’’ said Carson, who trained for years with Chuck Liddell before he joined Reign Training Center in Lake Forest. “I never thought much about not fighting again; I always wanted to come back.

“But I couldn’t do anything until I was 100 percent. Once I got healthy again, I got better the more I trained. I’ve helped a lot of guys get ready for fights while waiting for my chance. I had a few fights lined up before my last fight, but they all fell out for one reason or another.’’

The comebacking Carson makes no excuses for his last start, his first in nine years.

“It got to the point for the longest time that all I did was train,’’ he said. “Then, the next thing we know, I’m fighting. I felt good going into that fight but just got caught. It can happen to anybody.’’

In the main event of a stacked card on STRIKEFORCEC’s return to Scottrade Center, MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) of Temecula, Calif., faces former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Brazil in a collision of world-class 205-pounders.

Other televised fights: Former world heavyweight champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, faces the older brother of STRIKEFORCE heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, Valentijn “The Python’’ Overeem (28-23), of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, meets power puncher Scott “Hands Of Steel’ Smith (17-7, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., in a battle of explosive welterweights (170 pounds) and exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., takes on 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) scrap.

St. Louis native and promising welterweight, Jesse Finney, will take on a foe to be announced in the top non-televised undercard bout.

Tickets for the event are on sale at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com or by phone (800) 745-3000.

Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first SHOWTIME televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m

NEW YORK (Nov. 1, 2010) – Two fights have been added to an exciting STRIKEFORCE Challengers event Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

STRIKEFORCE formally announced today that power-punching Jan “Cuddles’’ Finney (8-8) of Springfield, Ohio, will be opposed by unbeaten Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche (4-0) of San Diego, Calif., in a key women’s match at 135 pounds (welterweight) and Caros “The Future” Fodor (6-2) of Seattle, Wash., will throw down with Derek “The Pretzel’’ Getzel (2-1) of Andover, Minn., at lightweight (155 pounds).

In the main event, lightweight star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4) will take on Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (9-3) of Cincinnati. Another televised fight will feature former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux (7-4), of Knoxville, Tenn., who will be seeking his fifth consecutive conquest inside the distance when he faces Antwain “The Juggernaut’’ Britt’’ (11-4) of Virginia Beach, Va., in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) scrap.

The MMA fight card is presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state of Mississippi.

Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and www.STRIKEFORCE.com.

The winner in what will be an excellent women’s fight stays alive for a world title shot in STRIKEFORCE’s wide-open, contentious 135-pound division. The STRIKEFORCE champion, Marloes Coenen, is scheduled to make her first defense against No. 1 contender Miesha Tate in 2011.

Finney’s nickname belies her attitude and fighting style. “I’m far from cuddly. I’m more like a bull in a china shop,’’ she said.

This will mark Finney’s return to her natural weight of 135 pounds. In her last start, the strong striker and one of MMA’s most determined practitioners lost a toe-to-toe-slugfest with STRIKEFORCE Middleweight (145 pounds) World Champion and the No. 1 female fighter in MMA, Cris Cyborg, last June 26.

Finney’s record belies her abilities. Aside from Cyborg, her losses have come against top fighters such as Tate, Julie Kedzie and Erin Toughill. All the fights went to the judges’ scorecards. The Cyborg defeat was only the second time she’d been stopped on strikes.

Finney’s most noteworthy victory came on a decision over Adrienna Jenkins (17-2 going in) on March 27, 2010.

Carmouche is coming off a second-round TKO over Valentina Shevchenko on Sept. 30. In her outing before last on Aug. 13, Carmouche went the distance for the only time in her career, scoring a unanimous decision over Colleen Schneider in a “reserve bout” in the STRIKEFORCE single-elimination women’s 135-pound tournament, which was won by Tate.

In the 5-foot-5 Carmouche’s other fights, she won by second-round TKO in her pro debut last May 29 and by second-round submission (armbar) over Margarita de la Cruz the following June 26.

A 25-year-old of Lebanese descent, Carmouche was born in Okinawa, Japan, and currently resides in San Diego. She spent seven years in the Marines during which she toured The Middle East.

Carmouche trains at Undisputed Fitness and Training in San Diego with Manolo Hernandez and Baret Yoshida, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion.

Fodor, a 5-foot-9, 26-year-old who is trained by Matt Hume and fights out of AMC Kickboxing and Pankration, is a well-rounded fighter known for his mental toughness and ability to finish.

A winner in six of his last seven fights, Fodor won via decision for the first time when he earned a unanimous points victory over Thomas Diagne in his last outing last July 23 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers. Afterward, he apologized for letting the fight go to the judges’ scorecards.

“I really don’t have an excuse, I was a little bit off,” said Fodor, who dominated and had Diagne in serious trouble on a few occasions. “I apologize for that. I don’t like decisions. I want to end all my fights.’’

Fodor, whose brother, Ben, also fights MMA, wrestled in high school but entered the Marines six days after graduation. While he was in boot camp, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred and he was sent to Kuwait for the Iraq invasion. He returned home in 2003 after one tour.

After an extensive, successful amateur career in which he was the Genesis Fights MMA and Muay Thai champion and Revolution submission champion., Fodor turned pro in September 2005.

Outside the cage, Fodor, who once had his sights set on becoming a homicide director, is a trainer at a health club and works with mentally challenged kids while remaining active in the reserves.

Getzel is a 5-foot-7, 23-year-old Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu specialist. He’ll be making his STRIKEFORCE debut and first start since defeating Johnny Case on a career-best first-round TKO last Feb 26.

“I’ve very excited about finally getting this opportunity for STRIKEFORCE,’’ said Getzel, who registered a 4:11, first-round TKO (punches) over Dustin Petron on Nov. 25, 2009.

Getzel turned pro on Sept. 12, 2009.

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first fight on SHOWTIME will begin at 10 p.m.

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.

NEW YORK (Nov. 1, 2010) – Unbeaten Ryan Couture (1-0) has been forced to withdraw from the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., due to a staph infection, STRIKEFORCE announced today.

The son of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) legend, Randy Couture, is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks.

The 28-year-old Couture, a member of Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme Couture, won his STRIKEFORCE and MMA pro debut with a 1:15, first-round submission (triangle choke) over Lucas Stark last Aug. 13 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

“I was really looking forward to fighting so this is a big disappointment, but I’ll be back,” said Couture. “As soon as I’m cleared, you can bet I’ll be back in the gym preparing for my next STRIKEFORCE fight.”

In the Nov. 19 main event on SHOWTIME®, lightweight star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4) will face Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (9-3) of Cincinnati. In another televised fight, former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux (7-4), of Knoxville, Tenn., will seeking his fifth consecutive conquest inside the distance when he faces Antwain “The Juggernaut’’ Britt’’ (11-4) of Virginia Beach, Va., in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) scrap.

The MMA fight card is presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state of Mississippi.

Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and www.STRIKEFORCE.com.

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first fight on SHOWTIME will begin at 10 p.m.

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 FOR MORE EVENT INFO
The Israel Fighting Championship will mke their debut on November 10 from the Nokia Arena in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Genesis will mark the first time that cage fighting has come to Israel. Mixed Martial Artists from around the globe will go toe-to-toe with some of Israel’s most beloved and respected fighters. Former UFC veterans Frank Trigg, Hermes Franca, Rameau Thierry Sokodjou, Jeff Monson and Shonie Carter will join former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez. The first family of MMA will be represented as Daniel Gracie will be competing. Everyone’s bad boy of MMA Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett is also scheduled to see action that night. Ido Pariente, Moishe Kaitz and Ariel Abargel lead the charge of homegrown mixed martial artists. All told their will be 13 action packed MMA bouts for your viewing pleasure as Go Fight Live will be broadcasting the event live for $9.99.

NEW YORK (Oct. 29, 2010) – Streaking former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux (7-4), of Knoxville, Tenn., who is coming off an eight-second knockout victory, will seek his fifth consecutive conquest inside the distance when he faces Antwain “The Juggernaut’’ Britt’’ (11-4) of Virginia Beach, Va., in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) bout during a terrific STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Friday, Nov. 19. The evening of fights will take place at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

In the night’s featured fight, lightweight (155 pounds) star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4) will take on Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (9-3) of Cincinnati.

Unbeaten 155-pounder Ryan Couture (1-0) will face an opponent to be determined on the televised undercard. The son of legend Randy Couture won his STRIKEFORCE and MMA debut with a 1:15, first-round submission (triangle choke) over Lucas Stark last Aug. 13 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card is presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state of Mississippi.

Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and www.STRIKEFORCE.com.

St. Preux, who fights out of Knoxville MMA, has won all four of his fights this year in the first round in a total elapsed time of 7:10. He called it a night after demolishing tough UFC veteran, Jason “Dooms’’ Day, with a single punch in just eight seconds in his most recent outing last July 24.

Day came out hard, charging St. Preux at the opening bell and throwing a hard left hook. St. Preux avoided the shot and landed a crushing, thunderous uppercut that floored Day. He immediately followed up with more punches, forcing the referee to step in and halt matters.

The victory was the second in a row for St. Preux since he won his STRIKEFORCE debut with a 0:47, first-round TKO (punches) over Chris Hawk last April 17 in Nashville. Shortly thereafter, St. Preux signed a multi-fight deal with STRIKEFORCE.

St. Preux is a 6-foot-3, 27-year-old who played for the Vols from 2001-2004. After graduating with a degree in Sociology in ’04, he became heavily involved in MMA, utilizing his impressive wrestling skills and natural athletic abilities. He made history on Feb. 20, 2009, by not only competing in Tennessee’s first sanctioned MMA event, but also by recording the first knockout.

“Everything’s going good, but the more I win, the harder I know I have to work,’’ St. Preux said. “I fought some tough guys early in my career because it didn’t matter to me who I fought. Looking back, I probably should have won all those fights. But I’m not mad because I learned so much from each of them.’’

The 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Britt is making his third consecutive start for STRIKEFORCE, second on SHOWTIME and first since losing to current STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight World Champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante last May 15.

After controlling Feijao for most of the standup in the first round, even buckling the Brazilian at one point, Britt got caught with an overhand right. He staggered backwards and Cavalcante followed him into the corner before unleashing a left hook and uppercut that forced the referee to stop the action at 3:45.

A member of Hybrid Academy of Martial Arts, Britt had entered the Cavalcante clash having won four of five, including an impressive, dominant first-round TKO over Scott Lighty on Dec. 19, 2009.

“This is a must-win fight for both of us,’’ said Britt, who has gone more than one full round only three times in a career that began in March 2007. “But I really want this bad. I thought I had Feijao and would love a rematch with him especially since he now is the STRIKEFORCE champion.’’

Ribeiro is a decorated submission expert who won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship four times, once as a purple belt in 1996 and three times as a black belt in consecutive years (1999-2001). His 20 victories include 14 stoppages (12 by submission) and he has defeated, among others, such notable fighters as Joachim Hansen, Eiji Mitsuoka and Mitsuhiro “The Endless Fighter” Ishida.

Wilcox, a former NCAA wrestling star and bodybuilder, has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March 26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Fresno, Calif.

The younger Couture is a member of the Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme Couture fight team. Before impressively winning his pro debut, the 28-year-old compiled an amateur record of 5-1-1 with all five wins coming by submission.

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first televised main card fight will begin at 10 p.m.

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.

1. Cain Velasquez: With a first round TKO victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 121, Velazquez becomes MMA’s top heavyweight by default, for now. His toughest fight to date was against Cheick Kongo at UFC 99, a three round unanimous decision. If there is one knock against Velazquez (8-0), it is that he hasn’t faced the best. Beside Lesnar—an underwhelming stand-up fighter—and Kongo, the most talented fighter he has stepped in the cage with was a past-his-prime Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Up next for the thick 28-year-old Mexican American kickboxer is Junior dos Santos. The biggest thing Velazquez has going for him: he’s never lost a single round in mixed martial arts competition.

2. Alistair Overeem: The Strikeforce title-holder suffered through a string of losses in 2006-2007 to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Mauricio Rua, but hasn’t taken more than a single round to win any of his last eight fights.

Like Velazquez, Overeem began his career as a kickboxer, though he has been far less busy of late, defending his Strikeforce crown only once in the past two years. He is currently fighting in K-1 and will be participating in the World Grand Prix Final in December and remains at least six months away from returning to the cage in North America. It will be interesting to see just how much he has improved. If he can take care of Werdum and Fedor in Strikeforce, it might be enough for him to be thought of as the top heavyweight around.

3. Junior dos Santos: Maybe the best stand-up heavyweight in mixed martial arts, dos Santos is 6-0 since joining the UFC. His wrestling skills will be heavily tested when the day comes to fight Velazquez for the title, but he has definitely earned his shot. Under the tutelage of fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva, dos Santos has won ten of his twelve career victories in the first round.

Prior to the Lesnar-Velazquez match at UFC 121, dos Santos told MMA Junkie that it didn’t matter who was going to win the fight. “When they fight against me, I will knock them out.” Well, now he’ll have his chance.

4. Fabricio Werdum: Since beating Fedor, Fabricio Werdum has been recovering from elbow surgery, though when he’s cleared to fight he should get first crack at the returning Strikeforce champ, Alistair Overeem, who he beat in a Pride match in 2006. Of the top four heavyweights, he owns the most extensive resume, with other notable victories over Gabriel Gonzaga (twice) and Antonio Silva.

With black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, the 33-year-old Werdum has a real chance to cement his status as one of the top heavyweights of his generation, but only if he can build off the momentum gained from being the first man to ever decisively stop the great Emelianenko. But when comparing Werdum to dos Santos at this point, it’s impossible to ignore Werdum’s KO loss to his fellow Brazilian in 2008.

5. Fedor Emelianenko: It was very surprising to witness the fall of The Last Emperor play out after his error-filled loss to Werdum in San Jose in June. No mixed martial artist in history even comes close to matching Fedor’s stock, so it’s hard to discount him at this point. Until someone decisively knocks out the stoic Russian, he will remain a top five threat. And that’s not expected to happen anytime soon, with Overeem and Werdum both unavailable to fight Fedor in Strikeforce.

Meanwhile, he will remain in flux, though beating up on a lesser fighter or two might allow Emelianenko the time he needs to recapture some of that quickly forgotten legend status.

6. Brock Lesnar: Just another two and done ex-champ. Without a significant improvement in his stand-up game, Lesnar would be an underdog against any of the top five. His beating at knuckles of Shane Carwin was the beginning of the end. He was lucky to even be in the position of fighting Velazquez.

The one-time dream matchup of Lesnar-Emelianenko is now a distant memory, much like the one-time dream matchup of Couture-Emelianenko. I watched his UFC 121 loss in a huge Canadian sports bar with over 1,000 other MMA fans. The reaction of those in attendance when Lesnar was crawling around, bleeding all over the mat, spoke of one thing: he will not be missed as champ.

7. Shane Carwin: It was thought that if he could beat Roy Nelson on New Year’s Day, then he would be next in line for the winner of the dos Santos-Velazquez fight. Roy Nelson is the only fighter to date to go the distance with dos Santos, which shows you how tight the heavyweight division is. But now with the recent announcement that Carwin has pulled out of his bout with Nelson, it will take longer than expected to sort itself out.

The Engineer from Colorado will now spend the next several months rehabbing an injured back. With him and Lesnar—who will need six months to heal the gash on his cheek—both on the shelf, UFC’s heavyweight cupboard is nearly bare.

8. Frank Mir: What should be a scary thought for Mir: he may have to fight Lesnar a third time and beat his hated rival to ever have another shot at the title. A third round KO of Mirko Filipovic at UFC 119 went a little way to restoring Mir’s confidence, but he’s still a long way from re-establishing himself as a true contender.

With Dana White quickly putting an end to talks of Mir movint down to light heavyweight, it looks like the 31-year-old southpaw is here to stay, battling it out with the rest the bigs.

9. Roy Nelson: As tough as they come, he was a decision away in the dos Santos fight in August from becoming the number one contender for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

With Carwin no longer healthy to fight Nelson on New Year’s Day, Nelson has been using his Twitter account to promote a possible future fight with Lesnar. It’s the fight he wants, but the better test would be against Carwin. Either way, Roy “Big Country” Nelson has come a long way since his early days before Ultimate Fighter.

10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: One of the great mixed martial artists of all-time, the 32-6 Brazilian should have at least a couple of fights left in him. He beat almost everyone during his prime, except Fedor Emelianenko, and remains a threat to anyone who opposes him. He’s beaten Fabricio Werdum, but has lost to Cain Velazquez, so it’s hard to grasp exactly where he stands, except that he stands. As long as he’s around, no one will be comfortable fighting him.

Nogueira was supposed to fight Mir in UFC 119 in an attempt to avenge a previous loss to him, but pulled out with a bad knee. Surgery will keep the veteran out of the cage until 2011.

FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2010) – On an exhilarating evening that featured action fights highlighted by crowd-pleasing victories by Fresno fan favorites Lavar Johnson and Billy Evangelista, Bobby Voelker (23-8), of Kansas City, Mo., evened the score with previously undefeated Roger Bowling (8-1) of Cincinnati with a second-round TKO (punches) in the main event Friday on STRIKEFORCE Challengers live on SHOWTIME® from the Save Mart Center.

In other results on the televised portion of an event presented by STRIKEFORCE and Rockstar Energy Drink: Johnson (15-3), of Fresno, scored an explosive 2:17, first-round knockout over Virgil Zwicker (9-2), of Temecula, Calif., in a heavyweight scrap; the comebacking Evangelista (11-0, 1 NC), of Fresno, won the fight of the night with a thrilling, crowd-pleasing, hard-fought three-round unanimous decision over Waachiim Spirit Wolf (8-7-1), of San Diego, Calif., in a catch weight bout at 165 pounds; Julia “The Jewel” Budd (1-0), of Sechelt, British Columbia, made an instant impression at 145 pounds, impressively winning her pro debut with a second-round TKO (punches) over previously unbeaten Shana Olsen (4-1), of Burnsville, Minn., and John Devine (5-2), of San Francisco, submitted (rear-naked choke) Brandon Cash (5-3), of Fresno, at 3:20 of the first round in a heavyweight match.

Voelker lost a technical decision to Bowling five months ago on STRIKEFORCE Challengers when an exciting encounter ended prematurely due to an accidental poke in the eye in the third round. Friday, however, the 6-foot, 31-year-old Voelker shook off a fast start from the aggressive-minded Bowling to triumph decisively in perhaps a career-best performance. It was Voelker’s ninth victory in 12 starts.

“I really trained hard and I really wanted to win this fight,’’ said Voelker after the match was stopped at 3:58 of the round. “I felt like I had something to prove. If they want a third fight, I’m for it, or I will just move on. I’m just very happy that all the hard work I put in morning, noon and night paid off like it did.’’

Johnson was fighting for the second time since he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009. The 6-foot-2, 33-year-old survived three gunshot wounds sustained during the walk-by shooting that led to the death of a cousin. A father of two young boys, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital, fighting for his life, and several more months rehabilitating.

Friday, the hard-hitting Johnson, who has never been victorious via decision, looked as good as new as he earned his seventh consecutive knockout victory.

“This was just the kind of fight I wanted,’’ said Johnson after dropping the game Zwicker with a four-punch salvo that prompted the referee to step in and halt matters at 2:17. “I give Zwicker a lot of credit. He came to fight like I knew he would. But I wanted to make a statement. There are a lot of big-name heavyweights in STRIKEFORCE and I feel it’s time I get my shot at one of them.

“I love fighting in Fresno. It is my home and the fans here are loud and totally into it. They are great.’’

Evangelista, making his first start since Nov. 6, 2009, won an absolute slugfest by the scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28. The extremely popular local fighter is a natural 155-pounder and Friday’s fight was at a catch weight of 165. The naturally bigger and stronger Spirit Wolf, who fights at welterweight (170), used his size and strength to his advantage throughout and some thought the scoring could have been closer.

“I love fighting in front of the hometown fans in Fresno,’’ the 5-foot-8, 29-year-old Evangelista said, “but this was a very hard fight. I wanted to make it into more of a stand-up fight but this guy was tough and game as they come.’’

Spirit Wolf, who took down Evangelista no less than three times, felt he deserved much better.

“I come to fight and that’s what I did tonight,’’ he said. “It is bad enough I thought I deserved the decision, but to not get a round on those scorecards is ridiculous. Honestly, I feel I got ripped off.

“But I hope STRIKEFORCE liked what they saw and they give me another chance. I had to drop weight for this, and that wasn’t easy, but I will fight anybody.’’

Despite losing a blow for delivering an illegal elbow late in the first round, Budd dominated the more experienced Olsen.

“I am very happy right now,’’ said the highly regarded Canadian Muay Thai Champion who was the only fighter to defeat Gina Carano in Muay Thai. “I wanted to keep it standing more, but Shana was tough.’’

Although it would be unrealistic, after just one fight, for her to even entertain thoughts of facing STRIKEFORCE World Champion Cris Cyborg, the No. 1 female fighter in the world, Budd’s performance against Olsen clearly showed that she deserves to be mentioned at or near the top of a short list of possible challengers at 145 pounds.

“It’s up to my coaches,’’ said Budd, who graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor’s degree in human kinetics. “But I’d be game for it.’’

The victory by Devine came in his first start since losing to Daniel Cormier last March 26 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

“This is obviously a big win,’’ said Devine after dealing Cash his third consecutive defeat. “I knew he was heavy-handed but I did what I had to do. I am fortunate and appreciative for everyone involved in making this fight happen.’’

Friday’s action-packed event will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO2

The telecast also will be available On Demand beginning this Monday, Oct. 25.

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

In Friday’s non-televised professional result: David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (5-2) of Antioch, Calif., rallied impressively to register a second-round TKO (punches) over previously undefeated Dominic Clark (4-1) of Fresno.

UPCOMING STRIKEFORCE EVENTS ON SHOWTIME: STRIKEFORCE Challengers will be in Jackson, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 19 (11 p.m. ET/PT). In the main event, lightweight star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4) will take on streaking Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (9-3) of Cincinnati at the Jackson Convention Complex.

MMA legend Dan Henderson will face former STRIKEFORCE World Champion “Babalu” Sobral when STRIKEFORCE returns to St. Louis on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center (10 p.m. ET/PT). In featured bouts, Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, meets Scott “Hands Of Steel’ Smith (17-7, 1 NC) of Elk Grove, Calif., in a welterweight match, “Ruthless “Robbie” Lawler (17-6, 1 NC) of Elk Grove, Ill., takes on 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight scrap, top contender and former EliteXC champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, throws down with the older brother of STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem, Valentijn “The Python’’ Overeem (28-23), of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, football legend and unbeaten MMA fighter Herschel Walker (1-0) will meet an opponent to be announced and St. Louis native Jesse Finney will face a foe to be determined.

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®.