Just two days after announcing the fight, Strikeforce has made a change to the upcoming 145-pound women’s bout between “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey and Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio. The matchup will now take place at Strikeforce Challengers 18 on August 12th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rousey and D’Alelio were previously set to face off on the undercard of the Strikeforce: “Fedor vs Henderson” event on July 30th, but will now receive an opportunity to compete on the televised main card in August. Strikeforce Challengers 18 will be the second edition of the series in Las Vegas.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 132: “Cruz vs Faber 2.” The main event featured a UFC Bantamweight Championship rematch between Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber.
Though it was not his best performance to date, Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem emerged victorious on June 18th in his rematch with former rival Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum. Overeem now advances on in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and enters the top three in the division’s rankings.
Two additional women’s bouts have been officially added to the upcoming Strikeforce: “Fedor vs Henderson” card on July 30th in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Olympic bronze medallist “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will face Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio, while Alexis Davis takes on Julie “Fireball” Kedzie.
Three additional matches have been added to the upcoming Jewels: “15th Ring” card on July 9th in Tokyo, Japan. The sold-out event will now feature a kickboxing bout between J-Girls veteran Tomoko SP and Jewels newcomer Kaoru Chatani. The fight is one of three kickboxing matches on the card.
Sunday’s controversial bout between lightweights Nik “The Carny” Lentz and Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira has now been officially ruled a No Contest due to Oliveira’s illegal knee strike in the second round. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission confirmed the change today after deliberations.
Former Strikeforce and EliteXC champion Jake Shields will look to rebound from his loss to reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre when he returns to action later this year. Shields will next face rising star Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger at an event set for the Fall.
Despite a last-minute change to tonight’s main event, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made its way to the Consol Energy Centre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for UFC Live 4. The card was headlined by a heavyweight bout between talented strikers Pat “HD” Barry and Cheick Kongo.