Despite delays of up to 36 days in processing visa requests at the office in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Strikeforce officials are still working to obtain a visa for Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm. The visa is required for Damm to compete as scheduled on August 13th in Phoenix, Arizona.
As first reported this morning on MMARising.com, Damm had reportedly provided Strikeforce with all required paperwork in advance. However, delays have now put her participation on the August card in serious jeopardy. She was set to be part of the one-night 135-pound women’s tournament.
As a result of visa issues, Brazilian star Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm will no longer compete in the August 13th Strikeforce 135-pound women’s tournament. Sources close to Damm confirmed the news with MMARising.com late Tuesday night and further stated that Damm had submitted all necessary paperwork weeks ago.
A previously scheduled WEC 50 bantamweight matchup between former WEC Featherweight Champion “The California Kid” Urijah Faber and Takeya Mizugaki is now targeted for the Fall. The fight, first scrapped after Faber was forced to withdraw due to injury, is now likely for WEC 52 or 53.
After a Bellator 25 bout with Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle was scrapped, former UFC welterweight Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida is now expected to face John “The Natural” Alessio at Bellator 31. Sources close to the negotiations confirmed plans for the September 30th fight with MMARising.com earlier this weekend and bout agreements could be in place soon.
MMARising.com reports from the Comcast Arena in Everett, Washington tonight with live play-by-play for Strikeforce Challengers 9. The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between undefeated rising star Shane del Rosario and hard-hitting Hawaiian Lolohea Mahe.
Five more fights are reportedly in the works for a stacked UFC 121 card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on October 23rd. Chief among them is a light heavyweight bout between former champ “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz and former TUF 3 student Matt “The Hammer” Hamill.
In an update to a Monday story, former Strikeforce title challenger Marloes “Rumina” Coenen will indeed be able to make 135 pounds and will compete in both the 135- and 145-pound divisions. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMARising.com on Monday that a cut to 135 would be too difficult for Coenen, but confirmed this morning that it is now possible.
A planned August 21st bout between Erin “Steel” Toughill and Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen at Strikeforce: Houston could be postponed or possibly even cancelled as Toughill struggles to cut down to 145 pounds. Sources have confirmed with MMARising.com that a catchweight has been proposed.