Contrary to a report earlier this week on Sherdog.com, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has confirmed with MMARising.com that his promotion still intends to hold a random draw for their upcoming 135-pound women’s tournament. First-round matchups have not been decided.

The report claimed that the promotion had confirmed both of the first-round matchups, but Coker maintains that that is false. A random drawing, as first exclusively reported on this website, is still planned for the night of the weigh-ins to determine opening-round fights in the tournament.

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Eighteen months after their first meeting, Marloes “Rumina” Coenen and Cindy “Battlecat” Dandois may square off for a second time this Fall inside the confines of a Strikeforce cage. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed with MMARising.com that preliminary talks have begun and the 145-pound rematch may take place in September or October.

Dandois defeated Coenen by Unanimous Decision on January 24, 2009 in what was Dandois’s professional debut, but the upset win sparked a lengthy debate with some observers believing that Coenen deserved the win.

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The first-round matchups for the one-night Strikeforce 135-pound women’s tournament on August 13th are now reportedly set. Miesha “Takedown” Tate will take on former Smackgirl champ Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano, while Brazil’s Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm faces 2010 Upcoming Glory Tournament Champion Maiju Kujala.

MMARising.com first reported on the participation of all four fighters and Strikeforce reportedly confirmed the matchups this week with Sherdog.com. An untelevised tournament reserve bout will also be held in case of injury.

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A 115-pound women’s tournament bout between Lisa Ward and Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly, originally set for Bellator 25, will no longer take place on the August 19th card. Bellator officials confirmed the news with MMARising.com today and Daly posted a message on Facebook stating that the fight will now take place at Bellator 26 one week later.

The inaugural Bellator women’s tournament kicks off with two opening-round matchups at Bellator 24, with a third bout pitting Jessica Pene against Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto still scheduled for the Bellator 25 event.

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Former DEEP Women’s Lightweight (106-Pound) MMA Champion Hisae Watanabe had all she could handle in her return to kickboxing today at Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan. She battled J-Girls ace “Little Tiger” to a five-round Draw in a WPMF Japan Women’s Mini Flyweight Championship bout.

The featured fight was part of REBELS.3, which also showcased a series of men’s title fights and contender’s bouts. At the conclusion of five highly competitive, back-and-forth rounds, the judges were divided in their support of Watanabe and Little Tiger, resulting in a razor-thin Split Draw.

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Rebounding after a tough loss in May, Tonya Evinger dominated Adrienna “AJ” Jenkins en route to a second-round TKO stoppage victory at Raging Wolf 8: “Cage Supremacy” last night. The win earned Evinger another shot at Raging Wolf Women’s Flyweight (135-Pound) Champion Alexis Davis.

Evinger battled ring rust in her first bout with Davis at Raging Wolf 7, but that did not appear to play a factor last night as she controlled the fight with Jenkins from start to finish. Following a series of punches from mount in round two, the fight was stopped, giving Evinger the well-deserved victory.

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Former EliteXC and Strikeforce champion Jake Shields is set to officially sign with the UFC and will return to the welterweight division for his UFC debut. GracieFighter.com was first to report on the news and Shields could make his first appearance inside the Octagon as early as UFC 121.

Shields was released from his Strikeforce contract at the end of June and was subsequently stripped of the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. A bout with welterweight contender Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann is planned for Shields’s UFC debut, but has not yet been signed.

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Two of the top female bantamweights in the sport will collide this Saturday when Adrienna “AJ” Jenkins takes on Tonya Evinger in the co-main event at Raging Wolf 8: “Cage Supremacy.” The fight will serve as a number one contender’s bout, with the winner moving on to challenge Raging Wolf champ Alexis Davis at an upcoming event.

Jenkins was most recently defeated by Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler in the finals of the FCF Women’s Grand Prix, while Evinger faced Davis in May, but fell victim to a third-round submission.

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