Looking to add more depth to their growing welterweight division, Strikeforce has signed DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis to a multi-fight deal. The native of Lithuania, who has won three straight fights by head-kick knockout, could make his debut for the promotion as early as December 19th.
A former contender in Cage Rage, Zaromskis rose to fame as the underdog winner of the 2009 DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix. He captured the crown with a brutal knockout of Jason High at Dream.10.
While the bout was removed from the upcoming Strikeforce Challengers 5 card on November 20th, top bantamweight contenders Takayo Hashi and Sarah Kaufman will still face off in a pivotal battle for title contention. The fight has been rescheduled for January of next year and should determine a #1 contender for a Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship.
As a result of an injury sustained in his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship defence against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida will undergo surgery on his hand. The procedure will prevent Machida from facing Rua at UFC 108 next year in a rematch from their controversial UFC 104 meeting last weekend.
The return of Vale Tudo Japan resulted in an excellent event that featured legends, current champions and future stars. In the main event, former PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori “Fireball Kid” Gomi earned a hard-fought five-round decision over reigning King of the Cage Lightweight Champion Tony “Lionheart” Hervey.
Following conflicting reports throughout the morning, American Top Team has officially confirmed that top welterweight contender Thiago “Pitbull” Alves has suffered a torn knee ligament in training. He will be unable to compete in a rematch with Jon Fitch at UFC 107 and a replacement opponent for Fitch is being sought.
Strikeforce’s upcoming “Fedor vs Rogers” card on November 7th will still feature a women’s bout after all, as highly-ranked contender Roxanne Modafferi has stepped in to replace an ailing Erin Toughill and will face Dutch standout Marloes Coenen in a rematch from their 2007 battle.
Mere hours after the cancellation of the top contender’s bout between Sarah Kaufman and Takayo Hashi, a medical issue has forced Erin Toughill to withdraw from her title eliminator bout against Marloes Coenen, which was set to be a part of the Strikeforce: “Fedor vs Rogers” card on November 7th.
With just over three weeks until the event, a highly-anticipated women’s bout between undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman and top Japanese contender Takayo Hashi has been removed from the November 20th Strikeforce Challengers 5 card. The fight may be rescheduled for 2010.