Fresh off of her Ring of Combat title victory this past weekend, top prospect Jessica “Evil” Eye is expected to make her Strikeforce debut against tough veteran Jan “Cuddles” Finney on March 5th. The targeted matchup would be contested at 135 pounds on the undercard of Strikeforce: Columbus.

MMARising.com confirmed plans for the fight today with a source close to the negotiations. Bout agreements have not yet been signed, but the fight is expected to be finalised shortly. Eye will move up from her natural weight class of 125 pounds for the second consecutive time for this fight.

Eye (3-0-0) has rapidly made a name for herself over the past year. The unbeaten Ohio standout first notched seven wins under the North American Allied Fight Series banner – two as a professional – before capturing the Ring of Combat 130-pound women’s title on Friday. With well-rounded skills, Eye is currently one of the top female prospects in North America. She had long been rumoured for the Strikeforce card in Columbus, but was left without an opponent. She will now take an even bigger step up in weight to face her toughest test to date in Finney, who has fought above 145 pounds in the past.

Finney (8-9-0) put together four straight wins after a razor-thin loss to Erin Toughill in late 2008, but her Strikeforce tenure has thus far been unsuccessful. Finney was first brought in to challenge Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight (145-Pound) Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos last June, but was soundly beaten and eventually stopped in the second round. She made her return to 135 pounds to face another unbeaten prospect, Liz Carmouche, but suffered a third-round stoppage loss last November. Finney now likely needs a big win in order to ensure her place in the promotion.

Strikeforce Columbus: “Feijao vs Henderson” takes place on March 5th at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The event is headlined by a Strikeforce Light Heavyweight matchup between Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante and Dan “Hendo” Henderson. The Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Championship will also be on the line when Marloes “Rumina” Coenen faces Miesha “Takedown” Tate.

Update: Eye has commented that she would prefer a 130-pound catchweight and this is a key point that remains to be worked out before the targeted bout becomes official.

(Photo Credit: NAAFS)