Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce and is expected to face former EliteXC champ Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva on May 15th. Sherdog.com first reported on the signing and planned matchup today.
Arlovski made his Strikeforce debut on very short notice last June, but was upset by top contender Brett “The Grim” Rogers in just 22 seconds. He has lost two straight fights and will be looking to climb back to the top half of the heavyweight ranks in his Strikeforce return.
Middleweight standouts Dan Miller and Michael “The Count” Bisping are likely to collide at UFC 114 on May 29th in Las Vegas. While it has not yet been officially signed, MMAjunkie.com is reporting that the UFC is working to finalise the fight and at least one fighter has verbally agreed to the bout.
Confirming weeks of rumours, DEEP Women’s Lightweight (106-Pound) Champion Miku “Supernova” Matsumoto announced her abrupt retirement tonight at DEEP: “46th Impact” at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The pound-for-pound phenom did not provide a reason for her sudden departure from the sport, but stated plans to engage in one final exhibition match.
Strikeforce crowned its second women’s champion tonight at Strikeforce Challengers 6 when undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman defeated Japanese standout Takayo Hashi for the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Championship. The title fight headlined tonight’s event.
A pair of hard-hitting heavyweight bouts are currently in the works for the UFC’s first trip to British Columbia in June. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović has verbally agreed to face fellow former K-1 star Pat “HD” Barry, while Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel has agreed to battle former IFL standout “Big” Ben Rothwell on the UFC 115 card.
Despite the loss of top-ranked heavyweight “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko from the card, Strikeforce’s April event will still air on CBS. MMAWeekly.com is reporting that the CBS event will go ahead as planned and will be headlined by a Strikeforce Middleweight Championship bout between Jake Shields and Dan “Hendo” Henderson.
A Strikeforce bout between WAMMA Unified Heavyweight Champion “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum has been pushed back until May. The fight was originally planned for an April Strikeforce card on CBS, but M-1 officials stated today that that will no longer take place.
The women will once again take centre stage this Friday at Strikeforce Challengers 6. The promotion confirmed earlier today that the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Championship bout between Sarah Kaufman and Takayo Hashi will now serve as the night’s main event.