After a planned August 21st bout with Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen was cancelled earlier this week, the next fight for Erin “Steel” Toughill is unlikely to be contested inside a Strikeforce cage. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the news with MMARising.com earlier this evening.
Coker stated that previous plans to reschedule the Toughill vs Olsen fight for September or October are no longer targeted, but that Toughill remains on the Strikeforce radar. Should she win her fight outside of Strikeforce, a long awaited bout with Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos is a possibility.
Toughill (10-2-1 MMA; 8-2-1, 1 NC Boxing) first engaged in a war of words with Olsen earlier this week after an exclusive report on this website detailed Toughill’s struggles to make the planned fight’s weight limit of 145 pounds. After campaigning for a fight in Strikeforce for months, Toughill first withdrew from a tentative April fight with Olsen. She later stated intentions to leave Strikeforce, but reconsidered and the bout with Olsen was then moved to the August 21st Strikeforce: Houston card.
Last week, Toughill informed Strikeforce management that she would be unable to cut down to 145 pounds in time for the fight and requested that the bout be moved to a 150- or 155-pound catchweight. When Olsen declined, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed with MMARising.com that a tentative plan was put in place to delay the fight until September or October to allow Toughill sufficient time to make 145 pounds. The fight with Olsen had been intended to serve as a number one contender’s bout.
Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz confirmed earlier this week that Toughill would no longer face Olsen on the Houston card and the fight has now been scrapped entirely. While Olsen may potentially be matched up against Santos in a Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight (145-Pound) Championship bout later this year, Toughill’s future remains much more uncertain. According to Coker, Toughill will most likely next compete outside of Strikeforce. Pending that fight’s outcome, she may face Santos – or Olsen – in the coming months.
No details of the proposed non-Strikeforce bout are currently available and it is unknown whether the potential fight would take place at 145 pounds or at a higher weight. Toughill has previously campaigned for “tune-up fights” at or around 155 pounds in promotions outside of Strikeforce.
Citing health problems, general grievances and now issues with making weight, Toughill has withdrawn from at least three scheduled or tentatively planned Strikeforce fights and nearly a year has elapsed since the outspoken former boxer was first set to step inside a Strikeforce cage.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)
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