After a year of injury setbacks and waiting on the sidelines, top 145-pound contender Erin “Steel” Toughill is likely to make her long-awaited Strikeforce debut on August 21st in Houston, Texas. The fight would be Toughill’s first in well over a year, dating back to a May 2009 decision victory.
Reports earlier this week had suggested that Toughill could make her promotional debut at Strikeforce Challengers 10 eight days prior, but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker informed MMARising.com that the Houston event is a strong possibility. No opponent has been determined as of yet.
Toughill (10-2-1) was twice scheduled to compete for Strikeforce in 2009 – first on the undercard of “Carano vs Cyborg” in August, then in a rematch with Marloes Coenen on CBS in November – but injuries and miscommunications between Toughill and Strikeforce management left the former boxer on the sidelines. After a January bout for Freestyle Cage Fighting fell through, tensions rose between Toughill and Strikeforce and she announced her intentions to leave the promotion in mid-March.
The two sides entered talks and things smoothed over, as Toughill later stated that she would remain with Strikeforce and would return after taking time off to recharge. While recent comments from Toughill indicate that communication issues are still present, the outspoken striker looks to finally be set to step foot inside a Strikeforce cage. Should she be victorious in August, a title fight with Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight (145-Pound) Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos is planned for later this year.
Strikeforce: Houston is planned for August 21st at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Heavy.com was first to report on the targeted date. The event is expected to be headlined by a Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship bout between Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. It will air live on Showtime in the United States and Super Channel in Canada.
Strikeforce: Houston Fight Card (to date; subject to change):
– Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (*)
– Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza vs Tim Kennedy (*)
– “King” KJ Noons vs Jorge “J.G.” Gurgel (*)
– Erin “Steel” Toughill vs TBD (*)
*Not yet officially announced/set.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)
[…] planned fight between Toughill (10-2-1) and Olsen (4-0-0) was targeted for the main card of the Houston event, but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker informed MMARising.com that […]