A 145-pound women’s bout has been added to the upcoming Strikeforce Challengers 13 event in Nashville, Tennessee on January 7, 2011. Recent Strikeforce victor Julia “The Jewel” Budd will face Brazilian standout Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes in a fight with major title implications.

MMARising.com first learned of plans for the featured bout last month and the promotion confirmed the addition late Saturday night. Budd enters the fight after a dominant upset win over the previously unbeaten Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen, while Nunes has won five straight fights by knockout.

Budd (1-0-0), a Muay Thai Champion hailing from British Columbia, Canada, made the most of her Strikeforce debut on October 22nd when she defeated Olsen in a one-sided bout. Controlling the fight on the feet and on the ground, Budd displayed impressive ground and pound skills and eventually finished Olsen with punches midway through the second round. She is the only woman to have ever defeated Gina “Conviction” Carano in Muay Thai and her striking skills are among the best of any of the top female MMA fighters at 145 pounds. A win over Nunes could set up a title shot for Budd in 2011.

Nunes (5-1-0) dropped her pro debut after getting overzealous with punches against submission ace Ana Maria “India,” but has since put together five straight victories. All five wins have come via a form of knockout, including a December 2009 stoppage of Vanessa Porto and a destruction of the previously undefeated Ediane “India” Gomes this past February. The fight with Gomes was impressive, as Nunes displayed improved ground skills and dominated the fight with strikes from the top. She finished Gomes in nearly the exact same amount of time that Budd took to dispose of Olsen in October.

However, Nunes has not fought since the February clash with Gomes. She had been scheduled to face Amanda Buckner next February, but Buckner was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a lingering knee injury. Nunes anxiously looked for a replacement fight and has now found one in her long-awaited Strikeforce debut. As with Budd, an impressive win could propel Nunes directly into a title fight with reigning Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight (145-Pound) Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

Strikeforce Challengers 13 takes place on January 7, 2011 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is headlined by a welterweight bout between Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley and Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine.

Strikeforce Challengers 13 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):

– Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley vs Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine
– Daniel Cormier vs Devin Cole
– Julia “The Jewel” Budd vs Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes
– Yancy “Frisson” Medeiros vs John Salter
– Nate Moore vs Nathan “Soulforce” Coy