You probably remember artist Neil Kellerhouse from his jaw-droppingly gorgeous poster for Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience. He is also the man responsible for the memorable posters for The Social Network and I'm Still Here. Well the World Wide Web was taken by storm this morning when a series of gorgeous images emerged attributed to him for Soderbergh's upcoming film Haywire. The film, rumored to hit theaters this August (ahead of his likely October release of Contagion), stars MMA fighter GIna Carano as a super spy alongside a great ensemble cast lead by Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, and more. Hopes are high for the film with a script penned by Lem Dobbs who wrote Soderbergh's The Limey and...

Headlines making news around the mixed martial arts world...

-FN Video: Minotauro talks recovery, coming back at UFC Rio (Credit: TheFightNetwork.com)

-Report: Gina Carano agrees to face Sarah D'Alelio in June return (Credit: MMAFighting.com)

-2011 Asian M-1 Selection tournament's opening round results (Credit: TheFightNetwork.com)

-Gleison Tibau replaces Cody McKenzie, will face Bart Palaszewski at UFC 130 (Credit: MMAFighting.com)

-MMA Mahyem: tomorrow night at Palace of Auburn Hills (Credit: TheFightNetwork.com)

"The Face of Women's MMA" Gina Carano is almost officially set to get back into the cage, according to MMAFighting. After spending almost two years away from the sport  pursuing an acting career, Carano had resumed training at Xtreme Couture for a few weeks, then switched over to Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, NM. It's taken a while to find her an opponent, but it appears the search is over:

Gina Carano's opponent for her long-awaited return fight will be Sarah D'Alelio, a Washington-based fighter with a 4-1 record who goes by the nickname "The Monster."

Sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed that both fighters have agreed to the bout, which will take place on June 18 in Dallas. Over the last week, D'Alelio's name had been rumored as a possibility, but sources tell MMA Fighting that it's now essentially a done deal, and that the matchup may be officially announced as early as next week.

Strikeforce had originally planned to match Carano up with Belgian fighter Cindy Dandois but it was recently discovered that Dandois is pregnant, which obviously ended any discussions. D'Alelio is certainly a different fighter than Dandois is, using more of a submission game as opposed to Dandois' strong striking. Carano had feasted on grapplers in the past before meeting Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in 2009 and getting finished late in the first round. 

Her return to the cage will bring added interest to an already strong June 18th card in the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, joining the two Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix quarter-final matchups featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers.

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Gina Carano's return to MMA is all but official, as MMAFighting.com reports that a rumored bout with Sarah D'Alelio is nearly finalized, and could be announced by Strikeforce as early as next week.

Carano will have been away from the sport for nearly two full years by the time she steps into the cage on June 18, having taken a role in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film "Haywire."

The last time she was in action, she was defeated by Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in their historic main event fight in August of 2009. That fight on Showtime was the first time two women had ever headlined a major MMA event.

D'Alelio is a 4-1 professional out of Washington. Of her four career wins, three have come by submission. She's coming off her first career loss, a decision loss to Julie Kedzie in December.

Strikeforce's June 18 show is headlined by the Heavyweight World Grand Prix fight between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, and takes place from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: This is a fight set up for Carano to have the best chance at a successful return. That's not a knock on D'Alelio, but she's not the type of fighter that would give Carano a ton of trouble. Carano's striking has historically been her strong suit, and she's also typically been larger than her opponents. Those were two problems she ran into with Cyborg, but even after two years off this is a fight that she is supposed to win. Still, it's a good thing for women's MMA to have her back to bring more attention to the sport, and everyone will just have to hope she'll be able to be around more often then once every two years with her acting career.

[Gina Carano art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

It appears the Gina Carano lottery has finally produced a winning ticket.

The one-time "face of women's MMA" will make her return to the Strikeforce cage on June 18 in Dallas, Texas, when she takes on submission specialist Sarah D'Alelio.

MMA Fighting reports the bout is "now essentially a done deal" and could be announced as early as next week.

Carano (7-1) hasn't seen action since a first round beatdown at the hands of Brazilian "Cyborg" Cristiane Santos back in August 2009. Following the loss, "Conviction" took a break from competition to star in the upcoming "Haywire" movie from director Steven Soderbergh.

She told fans earlier this year she was planning her MMA return to "prove something to herself," but she'll have to prove it to the venerable D'Alelio as well.

"The Monster" had a busy 2010 fight campaign, racking up five fights in a span of ten months and going 4-1 in the process. D'Alelio was last seen on the losing end of a unanimous decision against Julie Kedzie at Jackson's MMA: "Series 3" last December.

Her fight against Carano represents a major leap in competition but it could also put her on the map if she manages to upset the returning favorite.

Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" will feature the continuation of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix as division champion Alistair Overeem tries to eliminate Fabricio Werdum while fellow PRIDE veteran Josh Barnett takes on the hard-hitting Brett Rogers.

For the current Strikeforce fight card and line-up for the June 18 event in the "Lone Star State" click here.

Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, News

Gina Carano's opponent for her long-awaited return fight will be Sarah D'Alelio, a Washington-based fighter with a 4-1 record who goes by the nickname "The Monster."

Sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed that both fighters have agreed to the bout, which will take place on June 18 in Dallas. Over the last week, D'Alelio's name had been rumored as a possibility, but sources tell MMA Fighting that it's now essentially a done deal, and that the matchup may be officially announced as early as next week.

Steven Soderbergh has two big pictures coming down the pipe for 2011: Contagion, which he recently finished shooting, and Haywire, the thriller in which MMA fighter Gina Carano makes her big acting debut as a double-crossed black ops soldier who is out for revenge. We haven't seen very much at all from Haywire, despite the fact that the film is finished and test-screening, but now there are some great concept posters floating around. These aren't likely to be final -- more than likely when the movie actually hits theaters the one-sheet  art will foreground much of the strong supporting cast. (Like Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas.) So take a look at this art now -- there are some excellent images here. The art is evidently by Neil Kellerhouse [1], who also designed the poster for The Girlfriend Experience. These sheets foreground Gina Carano, but not in the obvious way. (Hell, many of them look like they could be Warp Records [2] single covers.) That one where she's standing behind a broken door is magnificent, as is the image where she's fighting Michael Fassbender on a bed. And the hand-scrawled one reminds me of the promo imagery for Olivier Assayas' film, Irma Vep. This film was written by Lem Dobbs, who also wrote The Limey for Steven Soderbergh. That film was a big Point Blank homage in some ways, and I get a similar vibe from these posters, too -- if this is even vaguely a spiritual successor to The Limey/Point Blank I'll be thrilled. There's no solid release date yet for Haywire, but we'll keep you posted. [gallery columns="2"] [GinaCarano.org [3] via The Playlist [4]] [1] http://www.kellerhouse.com/ [2] http://warp.net/ [3] http://www.gina-carano.org/gallery-update-haywire-pics/ [4] http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/intense_promo_art_for_haywire_lands_a_solid_punch/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed

We've yet to see trailers or even a poster for Steven Soderbergh's action thriller Haywire (formerly known as Knockout). However, some cool promo art that may or not be predecessors to official posters have just surfaced and they're pretty damn great. The film stars MMA fighter Gina Carano in her first feature film and these pieces of promo art showed up at one of her fansites (via The Playlist). They're pretty unique, and while it'd be great to see a couple of them in theaters, only one seems like a viable option as it highlights the cast including Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas and many more. Here's the cool promo art which The Playlist brought to our attention: These posters apparently come from Neil Kellerhouse, the man who also designed the poster for The Girlfriend Experience (you can see some similarities between that poster and the second piece from the top). ...

Kate Upton was left off the Maxim and FHM lists... NYC movie history map... Home Alone house for sale...Woke up from surgery with an Irish accent... Hitler reacts to NC State hiring... Jennifer Aniston's house... gas prices could slow job growth... Kate Middleton is coming to the US... Godfather prequel book is a go... Why won't [...]

Props to UG member "pervert" (naturally). Click for full-size version; two more after the jump. Haywire is now slated for an August release.

Bleacher Report's Ari LeVaux reports:

After the April 9th Jackson's MMA Series IV fight card in Albuquerque, NM, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone spoke to Bleacher Report about a variety of topics, including his upcoming fight with Mac Danzig, the future of women's MMA, what it's like training with Gina Carano, and how the dynamic at Jackson's MMA has changed since Rashad Evans left that camp in preparation for his upcoming light heavyweight title fight against former teammate Jon Jones. 

The conversation began on a comic note thanks to guest interviewer Brad Tate, who kicked off the interview. Watchers of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 reality show might remember Tate as the paramedic who taunted Josh Koscheck to the point that Koscheck tried to choke him, and proceeded to call Tate a "male nurse," which was supposed to be an insult.

The interview ends with an invitation to Bleacher Report to attend a pig roast at the ranch Cerrone recently purchased with his teammate Leonard Garcia. We fully intend to be there.

Click here to see the video.

Gina "Conviction" Carano (7-1-0) will return to the cage against Sarah D'Alelio (4-1-0) in a 145-pound professional match on Saturday June, 18 at Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" in Dallas, Texas. Gina who is getting ready for this fight at Jackson/Winklejohn MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico has not fought since her loss to Christiane "Cyborg" Santos in August of 2009.

This week, both Strikeforce (on MMA Junkie Radio) and Bellator (on the Cage Potato website) put out releases stating that they are in complete support of having women’s matches in their organizations for a long time to come. “We support female fighters,” has been the phrase of this past week. Now its time to show it. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney Bellator hasn’t had a female fight since their 115 pound champion Zoila Gurgel’s un-televised match with Karina Hallinan this past March. Their next women’s fight will be on June 25, when #7 ranked 125 pounder Carla Esparza faces #6 ranked 115 pounder Jessica Aguilar. In between that time, Bellator will be hosting four more events. At this time, no other women’s matches are scheduled. They also have yet to firmly announce that a 125 pound tournament in the women’s division will happen this fall. There isn’t a lack of competitors, as Esparza, Gurgel, and Rosi Sexton are all available; plus a growing crop of fighters in the division itching for their shot.   Strikeforce head Scott Coker Strikeforce’s last female fight was champion Marloes Coenen defeat over Liz Carmouche on the same day as Gurgel’s match – Mar. 5.  Although they have been better coming into the new year with four female fights total (2 televised, 2 non-televised), there are several in the wings waiting to debut or re-debut. Olympic silver medalist wrestler Sara McMann is waiting for her shot, as well as #4 ranked 135 pounder Shayna Baszler. Upcoming Glory tournament winner Romy Ruyssen is still waiting for her promised debut in the Strikeforce cage. Sorry to say there isn’t a Strikeforce event until the June 18 return of Gina Carano, but an untelevised women’s match added to the card would be something most women’s MMA fans would like. On the bright side, Coenen and Miesha Tate did state this past week that they'll face off this summer. Strikeforce champion Cyborg Santos also needs to defend her title sooner rather than later.   Strikeforce Coenen vs. Carmouche   As much as the thought of Zuffa eliminating the women’s division looms, the growing future of women’s MMA is in the hands of Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, and Strikeforce head hancho Scott Coker. If they truly support women’s MMA, then they will let these fighters prove their worth in the cage. Let the female fighters' actions speak for themeselves.

Kristin's suggestions for who can face off with Gina Carano this June 18, 2011 on Strikeforce.

Gina Carano's heart still lies with Xtreme Couture.

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, who at the end of this month faces Lyoto Machida at UFC 129, today told MMAjunkie.com that the women's MMA superstar isn't snubbing one gym for another in working with famed trainers Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.

Instead, Carano wants to build her skills in a facility with more female fighters as she prepares for a return to the cage against an as-yet-unnamed opponent at June's "Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum" event.

Gina Carano is preparing to return to mixed martial arts after taking two years (2 years!) off to start a movie career. (The picture is from the set of "Haywire." That's Ewan McGregor she's tossing around the beach.) Looking for a worthy opponent for her return to the cage has been a slow process, but [...]

Cindy Dandois is being forced to pull out of a June 18 fight with Gina Carono due to pregnancy. She is three and a half months pregnant. The news broke on MMA Fighting after Saturday night’s Strikeforce event. The announcement was made by CEO Scott Coker.

Gina Carano Has Returned to MMA, But Will She Still be On Top Of Her Game?

Gina Carano is one of the top women in the MMA world, only she walked away to chase a career in Hollywood.

Carano hasn't fought since 2009, where she lost to Cristiane Santos via TKO and she was set to face Cindy Dandois, but she had to pull out of a fight because she got pregnant, but not before she won her last bout.

Per Ariel Harwani of MMAFighter.com:

"I am so sad I cant take the fight against Gina. It was and still is one of my biggest goals. But on the other hand, it is a blessing from God to get a child an [sic] become a mother again. A child is forever and you must care about a life that is given by the hand of God. I hope I can do the fight after my pregnancy."

While Carano searches for an opponent, I worry about her ability to come back and be as dominant as she used to be in the past.

When you get away from fighting, you lose some of those skills and tendencies that make you a great fighter. You get better instincts the more you get in there and compete, and when you go away for any reason, those things dull over time.

It will almost be two years in between fights for Carano, and there is going to be rust. It's inevitable. No matter how good your conditioning and strength is, there is nothing that can replace actual experience with a live opponent.

Obviously, at this point, I think Carano is going to get an opponent that is a bit below her skill set to try and ease her back in. Think of it as a tune-up fight, and she's going by rusty, but she's going to win.

She's one of the best women's fighters in MMA and she has a lot to prove after walking away to head to Hollywood. That's a great motivating factor and it's going to push her to a victory when she returns.

However, when she does, she's going to be rusty. It's inevitable.

Most jobs you can continue performing while pregnant. Bank teller, movie star, neurosurgeon, but some careers just aren’t conducive to being knocked up, like Mixed Martial Artists fighting. But being ‘with child’ evidently didn’t  slow down MMA fighter Cindy Dandois from wanting to hit the ring with MMA star Gina Carano. Dandois was set to [...]

Following Saturday night's Strikeforce event, CEO Scott Coker told MMA Fighting that female fighter Cindy Dandois was forced to pull out of a June 18 fight against Gina Carano because she was three and a half months pregnant.

"Cindy actually wanted to take the fight," Coker said, "and ended up being three and a half months pregnant. So she will not be fighting on June 18."

Read More...
More on Combat Sports

Filed under: Strikeforce, News

Following Saturday night's Strikeforce event, CEO Scott Coker told MMA Fighting that female fighter Cindy Dandois was forced to pull out of a June 18 fight against Gina Carano because she was three and a half months pregnant.

"Cindy actually wanted to take the fight," Coker said, "and ended up being three and a half months pregnant. So she will not be fighting on June 18."

Dandois confirmed the news Tuesday on her Facebook fan page:

According to a report by MMA Junkie, Showtime pulled in an average of 528,000 viewers for Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley on Saturday night. The event peaked with 806,000 viewers during the Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley title fight.

The numbers suggest a few things. First, Showtime as done an excellent job of turning itself into a destination for combat sports fans with elite boxing and MMA live programming. Second, despite the numbers being very high, they do not tell us if there was a clear "UFC effect" in play. Fans that subscribe to Showtime to watch live Strikeforce content are likely more up to speed on MMA news and generally had a sense about the UFC's (Zuffa's) purchase of the organization. That customer base already existed and it isn't clear new fans were added as a result of the marketing push from UFC channels.

We can also surmise that because of Diaz's now clear history as a ratings draw. To wit:

The five top-rated Strikeforce-Showtime shows, as compiled by MMAjunkie.com, include:

1. "Strikeforce: Silva vs. Fedor" (February 2011): 741,000 viewers
2. "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" (August 2009): 576,000
3. "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" (January 2011): 561,000
4. "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" (April 2011): 528,000
5. "Strikeforce: Miami" (February 2010): 517,000

It is true that Diaz has been the focal point of a push by Showtime and Strikeforce. The last three cards he's fought on he's headlined and the event moniker included his last name (Diaz vs. Noons 2, Diaz vs. Cyborg, Diaz vs. Daley). He's been a key figure the promotion has pushed at the top of bill on five occasions since April of 2009 beginning with Diaz vs. Shamrock and including Strikeforce: Miami. There's an argument to make that even by sheer volume and ubiquity of having Diaz's name on a fight card that those events would rank somewhere towards the top of Showtime's best dates.

The amount of pushing Diaz received, in part a result of a thinner fight roster, probably helps that argument a little, but Strikeforce wouldn't position ratings cancer with such frequency. They also wouldn't so heavily invest in talent that couldn't demonstrate capacity for growth as a draw. Diaz has been pushed hard by Strikeforce, but he's clearly delivered. Consider this: only Gina Carano and Fedor Emelianenko have headlined Strikeforce events with better ratings. Think about that for a moment.

Strikeforce has long been accused of being unable to create stars. They could harness the existing power of stars for decent effect, but there was a sense they weren't able to move careers or narratives forward. Nick Diaz might be the best evidence that Strikeforce has finally moved past that stumbling block. This was a card Strikeforce put together before any UFC purchase. With the recency of the UFC takeover, it's unlikely what little attention they were able to give this show mattered much in the final tally. As for now, Is the praise even relevant now that UFC-infused juice will be put into major future Strikeforce cards?

It's probably overly generous to suggest Strikeforce was turning a promotional corner when Zuffa purchased them. But it is fair to acknowledge that while slow going for years, the Strikeforce machine had finally shown evidence of producing names that serve as ratings and live gate draws. It took intense focus and heaping amounts of attention. In no way does it even compare to UFC efficiency on those terms. But it's admirable and a real achievement in the world of MMA promotion.

Too bad we'll never know how far it could've gone.

Female fighters bring some unique differences to the table versus their male counterparts. Menstrual cycles can wreak havoc when it comes to women cutting weight. It was a touchy subject when Cris "Cyborg" Santos had trouble making the 145-pound limit against Hitomi Akano. The pound-for-pound king of female fighting blamed the struggles on her time of the month, but that's nothing compared to the reason Cindy Dandois just dropped out of the mix for a June fight against Gina Carano.

Dandois is three and half months pregnant. Ariel Helwani of Versus has this crazy twist on the story:

Interestingly enough, Dandois' last fight was on March 19, so if she really is three and a half months pregnant, that means she competed in a fight (which she won, by the way) while she was over two months pregnant.

Dandois beat Jorina Baars on a fight card in Belgium.

Dandois avoided damage on the feet and scored a quick takedown (1:18 mark) which she almost immediately converted to mount position. The position was reversed for a few seconds (4:27 mark) before Dandois regained the mount. There were certainly openings for her to receive a knee, punch and heel to stomach.

Luckily, Dandois avoided any serious damage that could've harmed her unborn child. This all begs the question - do commissions need to start administering a pregnancy test along with tests for PED's before females step into the cage?

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the pregnancy news (5:50 mark) and said a new opponent will be found shortly for Carano. Carano will return to fighting after 21-plus months off while busy with a movie career.

Strikeforce and Showtime announced that Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum is now official for June 18th. The event will be held at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. The two remaining quarterfinal bouts of the grand prix, Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett, will be held. In addition, the event will feature the return of female MMA superstar Gina Carano.

Strikeforce and Showtime announced today that the second quarterfinal leg of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix is now official for June 18th at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas Texas. The event is billed as Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum and is naturally headlined by the next stage of grand prix bouts. Most notably, Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum. The co-main event is Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett.

The winner of the Overeem-Werdum fight will face Antonio Silva the semi-finals while the winner of the Rogers-Barnett bout will face Sergei Kharitonov.

The releases both teased the return of female MMA superstar Gina Carano, but no opponent has yet been named.

A poster released for the event stated a light heavyweight contest between Muhammed Lawal and Ovince St. Preux would also be on the card, but according to Damon Martin Strikeforce has already scrapped that plan:

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The main card for the event thus far:

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers
Gina Carano vs. TBA
Daniel Cormier vs. Shane del Rosario
Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem

SAN JOSE, CA – Four of the sport's most talented heavyweights are set to collide when STRIKEFORCE® heads to American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, June 18 for the quarterfinals of its Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament. STRIKEFORCE®: OVEREEM vs. WERDUM will air LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

STRIKEFORCE heavyweight champion Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) squares off against Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) in the highly-anticipated main event, while former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (29-5) will battle heavy-handed knockout artist Brett "The Grim" Rogers (11-2).

Two additional, non-tournament heavyweight clashes are also scheduled for the card, as former U.S. Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (7-0) will face fellow undefeated budding star Shane Del Rosario (11-0) and Valentijn Overeem (29-25), the elder brother of Alistair, will take on streaking Chad Griggs (10-1).

Plus, women's mixed martial arts superstar Gina Carano (7-1) returns to action with her sights set on taking the STRIKEFORCE championship.

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Strikeforce jumped the gun a bit on Monday, announcing a fight between Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and Ovince St. Preux for the June 18 event in Dallas when the bout, in fact, is not happening.

Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz confirmed that the bout is not taking place to multiple outlets, and Lawal is expected to fight in July on a Strikeforce pay-per-view event, as MMAWeekly.com reported last week.

The June 18 event comes to the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and features the next two quarterfinal bouts in the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix in Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers. It also features the return of Gina Carano and two more heavyweight fights.

Penick's Analysis: It looks like they simply forgot to change their poster when they sent out their Insider Newsletter on Monday, which had the bout listed on there. It's a fight that would have made sense for the card were they not putting more heavyweight fights on there, but it had already been reported that Lawal was being removed from the June 18 card. This fight would work in July if they still want to go with it, though it may be Lawal against Roger Gracie instead.

Event: Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum"
Date: Sat., June 18, 2011, at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime
Location: American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas

Main Event:

265 lbs.: Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum

Main Card:

265 lbs.: Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers
265 lbs.: Daniel Cormier vs. Shane Del Rosario
265 lbs.: Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem
145 lbs.: Gina Carano vs. TBA

Preliminary Card:

TBA

For more Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" news and notes click here.

Tickets for the upcoming Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" event at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on June 18, 2011, will go on sale to the general public beginning Fri., April 15, 2011, at 10 a.m. CT.

However, UFC Fight Club members (that's not a typo) will be afforded a special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity that begins Wednesday (April 13) at 10 a.m. CT and "Strikeforce Insiders" e-newsletter subscribers will get a crack 24 hours later this Thursday (April 14) at 10 p.m. CT. 

The Showtime televised event will feature the second leg of the promotion's heavyweight tournament, featuring match ups that pit Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers

Former light heavyweight champion "King" Mo Lawal will also look to get back to his winning ways when he takes on on former University of Tennessee linebacker, Ovince St. Preux.

And Gina Carano has also been announced for the card; however, her opponent is still unknown at this time.

Check out the complete  Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" ticket sales schedule (All times CT) after the jump:

• UFC Fight Club presale: Weds., April 13 at 10 a.m. 
• Strikeforce Insider presale: Thurs., April 14 at 10 a.m. 
• General tickets sale: Fri., April 15 at 10 a.m.

Strikeforce tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out").

For more on Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" stay dialed in to MMAmania.com.

By Rich Hansen, MMA Torch Columnist

Strikeforce might not be putting on a card for ten weeks, but when they return on June 18 they will be returning with a stacked card. Strikeforce's Dallas debut which already features Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal fights featuring Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem versus Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett versus Brett Rogers, along with the return of Gina Carano, will be adding a feature Light Heavyweight fight to the card. Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal will make his return to the Strikeforce cage against Ovince St. Preux.

Lawal (7-1, 2-1 Strikeforce) has not fought since dropping his Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title to Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante in August, 2010. Lawal suffered a knee injury during the fight with Cavalcante, and underwent surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament in September. Lawal has since joined the famed American Kicboxing Academy in preparation for his Strikeforce return. Before the announcement of this fight, Lawal had been rumored to face Roger Gracie in July.

Lawal will be facing off against former University of Tennessee football player Ovince St. Preux. St. Preux (10-4, 4-0 Strikeforce) has been on a roll since joining Strikeforce, most recently defeating Antwain Britt, Benji Radach, and Abongo Humphrey in a span of seven weeks. His fight with Lawal will be the biggest challenge of his career.

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum will be broadcast on Showtime on Saturday June 18 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event will mark Strikeforce's second foray into the Lone Star State, and will be the second major show under Zuffa management.

Link to Original Source Article

Hansen's Take: I have the feeling that OSP's tailbone is gonna be sore sore sore after Lawal continually plants him on his butt.

The Heavyweight Grand Prix will continue with two more two quarterfinal matchups on Saturday, June 18, when Strikeforce Heavyweight World Champion Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem faces the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum, and hard-hitting Brett "The Grim" Rogers meets former UFC champion Josh Barnett.

Jun 18th, live on Showtime from Dallas, Texas:

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers
Gina Carano vs. TBA
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal vs Ovince St. Preux
Daniel Cormier vs. Shane del Rosario
Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum coverage

Welcome to the Fightergirls column brought to you by your source for women’s mma gear and clothing Fightergirls.com. Here is the news for this week. Kedzie (right) & Young (Left) Photo coutesty Ray Mares/ NM Boxing It wasn’t the most entertaining match, but the five rounds for the Jackson’s MMA women’s title was about respect, and both fighters had plenty of it for each other. At Jackson’s MMA Series 4 at the Hard Rock Casino in Albuquerque, NM, Julie Kedzie defeated Kaitlin Young via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) to become the first Jackson’s MMA Women’s champion. It was a long feeling out process throughout the fight, with both competitors giving short flurries of strikes and pummeling against the fence. It wasn’t until the fifth when we saw Julie Kedzie take Young down; but Young was actively working submissions on her back. The judges gave the unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) to Kedzie. Lobb (red) winds up to punch Branchal (green) In other matches on the card: 43 year old grandmother and NAGA grappling champ Beckie Lobb showed off her striking skills in her TKO win over Katrina Branchal. Lobb used some of her jiu-jitsu in the first round to try to secure a triangle choke, but it was all boxing in rounds 2 & 3, with Lobb utilizing the right hook in a showcase of some striking skills. A barrage of punches ended the fight standing at 2:36 of round 3 as the referee stopped the contest. Tuff-n-uff amateur MMA vet Tsui-Jen “Soo Bee Doo” Cunanan gets her first win as a pro over Jackson’s MMA own Kelley Renee via majority decision. And in her debut, Jodie Esquibel made an impressive pro-debut in the Strawweight division by defeating Brittany Horton via TKO at 3:59 of round 1.   Toughill (left) upset in comeback vs. Sanchez (right) Courtesy FCF It was a tough night for Erin Toughill. At the Freestyle Cage Fighting 46 card in Shawnee, OK, Ashley Sanchez beats Toughill by unanimous decision. Sanchez was also returning to the cage after a two year absence, having fought at 135 pounds her last outing in a unanimous decision loss to Sarah Schneider. Sanchez goes 2-2, while Toughill receives her first loss on seven years. In a tightly contested fight, Avery Vilche defeated Sarah Maloy by split decision to earn her second win of her career. Maloy drops to 2-1 in her pro career. Lucas (left) & Martin (right) at weigh-ins Courtesy FCF Amanda Lucas didn’t fight as her opponent Heather Martin came in overweight. Martin initially weighed in at 178 pounds for the 165 pound contest, and wasn’t able to drop to 173 pounds to satisfy the Okalahoma State Athletic Commission or the 163 pound Lucas. Martin did issue a public apoligy for missing weight via MMACLVR.com. Plans are in the works to have Lucas fight in another organization in June.   Lybarger (left) & Cummins (right) Courtesy Tuff-n-uff/Ray Kasprowicz The undefeated Tuff-n-uff MMA 115 champ Ashley Cummins defeated Jocelyn Lybarger via verbal submission (armbar) at 1:43 of round 1 in Vegas. Cummins got a takedown early. As Lybarger tried to stand-up after a scramble, Cummins attempted a triangle choke, and transitioned to an armbar. Cummins stated on our podcast that she has been offered a position on Team USA in the MMA Sports Federation this summer, and soon after, she will be turning pro. Lybarger stated in an interview with us that she has some more fights lined up. Millard (left) & Mosqueda (left) Courtesy Tuff-n-uff/Ray Kasprowicz In other matches – Jocelyn Lybarger’s her twin sister Jillian Lybarger was victorious over Mahlee Rahn via unanimous decision earlier in the card. In the 145 pound division, Samantha Mosqueda get her first win as an amateur, defeating Rachael Millard via unanimous decision in a dominate performance. Mosqueda and Tuff-n-uff 145 pound champion Taylor Stratford have already agreed to title match, with a date being announced in the next few weeks.   In pro action this weekend Valérie Létourneau defeated Julie Malenfant via TKO 2:15 round 2 at Ringside MMA 10 in Montreal.   European fighter Cindy Dandois  Cindy Dandois will have to wait to face Gina Carano another time. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, in an interview with MMAFighting's Ariel Helwani, stated he offered Dandois her dream match with Carano. However, Dandois had to back out because she’s 3 ½ months pregnant. This was surprising, as Dandois had just fought three weeks ago in Belgium, defeating Jorina Baars. Coker stated that he would be announcing Carano’s opponent for the June 18th comeback fight in Dallas in the next few weeks, and they had someone in mind to replace Dandois.   Strikeforce star Gina Carano Speaking of Carano, she has moved training camps to Jackson/Winklejohns MMA. The Albuquerque based MMA gym run by legendary trainer of champions Greg Jackson, has one of the most solid professional women’s MMA teams; which includes Julie Kedzie and boxer Holly Holm. There is no word if this is a permanent move away from her long time home of Xtreme Couture, or simply a temporary training camp situation for her upcoming match.   Strikeforce 135 pound champion Marloes Coenen Strikeforce champ Marloes Coenen is getting a home gym in the U.S. Golden Glory, her training gym in the Netherlands, is opening a location in Coast Masa, CA. The grand opening will be in June following Golden Glory’s own Alistair Overeem match versus Fabricio Werdum.   Ais "The Bash" Daly In an interview with MMARising.com, #5 ranked 125 pounder Aisling Daly announced she has been released from Bellator. Uncertainty of where the women’s division is heading was a deciding factor to drop Daly. Despite her leaving Bellator, she is still a busy fighter with two fights already scheduled. She faces #9 ranked Jessica Eye at NAAFS in Ohio in June, and faces Sheila Gaff for Cage Warriors in London in two weeks. Speaking of Cage Warriors, they have inked a deal with Fight TV in Canada to air their cards live; so fans in the Great White North will be able to see Daly and top fighter Rosi Sexton on tv in the near future.   JEWELS MMA announced this week they will be holding two cards in Tokyo on May 14 to help benefit the Japanese earthquake victims. They are reaching out to all female fighters in the area and are looking to hold a couple of tournaments as apart of the cards.   Kelly Kobold Courtest MN MMA News Kelly Kobold makes her return to the cage this weekend as she faces undefeated Pipi Taylor at the Bruutal card in Owatonna, MN. Kobold told us on the Fightergirls podcast that she will be taking this fight at 135 pounds, but will be dropping to 125 pounds after the fight.   Scott (left) & Clark (right) face off in Clovis, NM Evolution Combat Sports will be hold their Friday Night Fights 3 card in Clovis, NM, with three professional women’s fights. Local fighter and Jackson/Winklejohn product Heather Clark will face Muay Thai Striker Jennifer Scott in the main event. Clark was interviewed on the Fightergirls podcast this past weekend, and expects an exciting and competitive striking contest with Scott. Anzaldua (left) faces top 125 pound contender Esparza (right) Also in action – #7 ranked 125 pounder Carla Esparza faces Texan Yadira Anzaldua Celestina Cano faces Meghan Wright Cassie Rodish feaces Margarita Chavez   Noland (left) faces Blalock (right) in Denver In the other pro match this weekend, Casey Noland will face Michelle Blalock at Ring of Fire 40: Backlash in Denver, which will be streamed live on Go Fight Live for $10.     That is all for now. Please check out Fightergirls for all your women’s mma news and interviews. Plus follow us on twitter @fightergirls with the most up to the minute breaking news stories in women’s mma. Also check out the Fightergirls store of all your mma gear and clothing. We also carry Everlast and Cleto Reyes boxing and mma gear. Until next week.

Filed under: Strikeforce

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers will highlight the next Strikeforce event on June 18 in Dallas to determine the remaining two semifinalists in the 2011 Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Overeem, the current Strikeforce heavyweight champion, will look to avenge a 2006 submission loss to Werdum at PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute in Japan.

Women's MMA superstar Gina Carano will also make her return after taking time off fighting to act in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film, Haywire.

The current fight card is below.

Chad Griggs has gone from "that can Bobby Lashley is fighting" to a pretty well-respected heavyweight, wouldn't you say?

That's because he knocked Lashley out before stopping a game Gian Villante in a Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix reserve bout just two months ago. His next order of business? A June 18 showdown against Valentijn Overeem at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

Strikeforce announced the fight booking just last night.

Griggs is an every-man who outright admits he may not be the most skilled mixed martial artist on Earth but he'll bring the fight to anyone that gets put across from him.

He's been "digging graves" since 2005 and now it's time to see if he can't add another body to the pile.

Valentijn Overeem doesn't have a sexy record at 29-25, and his biggest claim to fame may, in fact, be his relation to current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, but rest assured, the Dutchman is as tough as they come.

"The Python" has tangled with a few beasts in his time, holding wins over the likes of Renato Sobral and the legendary Randy Couture. Do not count this man out of any fight.

And with the same edict applying to his opponent, I'd say we're in for a nice little undercard scuffle, Maniacs.

Strikeforce is set to invade Dallas on June 18 with the opening leg of its heavyweight tournament, featuring match-ups pitting Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers.

Gina Carano has also been announced for the card, though her opponent is still unknown at this time.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
Saturday June 18
American Airlines Center
Dallas, TX
Airing on Showtime

MAIN CARD

* Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum (heavyweight grand-prix opening round)
* Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers (heavyweight grand-prix opening round)
* Gina Carano vs. TBA
* Daniel Cormier vs. Shane Del Rosario
* Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem

Fight fans have been asking for a couple of budding Strikeforce prospects to get a step up in competition and the San Jose based promotion has obliged them.

Rising contenders Daniel Cormier and Shane Del Rosario have been booked to square off against one another at the upcoming June 18 event set to go down at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

The promotion officially announced the bout last night.

The placement of the contest on the Dallas card is likely a strategic one, as the "Lone Star State" will now play host to an event comprised almost entirely of heavyweights.

Both fighters come in sporting spotless career resumes, but as Cormier remarked on his Twitter upon the announcement of the bout, "someone's O must go."

Cormier and Del Rosario were both names bandied about as potential replacements in the heavyweight grand prix tournament and that may very well still be the case for the winner of this contest.

Riding a seven-fight win streak since his debut in Sept. 2009, Cormier has looked every bit the monster destroyer he's been billed as, finishing all but one of his opponents, a game Devin Cole in his most recent bout.

Del Rosario will represent the toughest test of the NCAA Champion wrestler's career, as he comes in having finished all 11 of his opponents including eight by way of knockout.

He's even 8-1 as a professional kickboxer. Should be one hell of a fight.

Strikeforce is set to invade Dallas on June 18 with the opening leg of its heavyweight tournament, featuring match-ups pitting Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers.

Gina Carano has also been announced for the card, though her opponent is still unknown at this time.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice both appear twice on the list of Top Watched MMA Fights according to this MMA infographic (see below). If UFC President, Dana White and Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker need proof that fans will pay to see women fighters, they need look no further. When Gina Carano fights, over 5 million people tune in to watch. With so much conversation and speculation about what will happen to women's MMA now that Strikeforce and Zuffa have merged, the question everyone is wondering about is: How will Dana White and Scott Coker exploit the potential for attracting viewers by promoting female fighters? Gina Carano fans are anticipating her return to MMA. According to a recent update on FighterGirls.com: "Coker stated that he would be announcing Carano’s opponent for the June 18th comeback fight in Dallas in the next few weeks, and they had someone in mind to replace Dandois." Cindy Dandois will not face Gina because she has just received the happy news that she is pregnant! Source:Online College Degrees   Cheryl Ragsdale practices martial arts for fun and physical fitness at Florian Martial Arts Center. She was recently promoted to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt by Keith Florian and Kenny Florian, both Black Belts. Stand up for yourself and stay young from the inside out. Check out some of my other posts strictly for UFC fans and fighters.

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

For the second leg of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix on June 18 in Dallas, Texas, the organization is following suit on the February event's first set of quarterfinals, as they announced during Saturday's "Diaz vs. Daley" broadcast on Showtime the addition of two more heavyweight fights to the event.

Tournament quarterfinal fights in Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers will now be joined by Valentijn Overeem against Chad Griggs and Shane Del Rosario against Daniel Cormier.

In addition to those two fights, women's MMA star Gina Carano will return to MMA for the first time since August of 2009.

Overeem, Griggs and Del Rosario all competed on the February card, headlined by the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva quarterfinal bout, picking up victories over Ray Sefo, Gianpiero Villante and Lavar Johnson, respectively.

The Del Rosario-Cormier bout pits two of Strikeforce's top prospects against one another. Both undefeated, Del Rosario and Cormier have been showcased on Showtime in several fights each, and the winner puts themselves into the thick of things in Strikeforce's heavyweight division, if it doesn't lead outright to an entrance into the UFC.

A former Olympic wrestler, Cormier made the move to MMA in late 2009, and stopped his first six opponents before winning a decision over Devin Cole in January.

Del Rosario has stopped all 11 of his opponents, ten of which he's finished inside the first round. In his bout with Johnson in February, he pulled off an armbar at 4:31 of the first round, his second submission win in three fights in Strikeforce.

Penick's Analysis: These are two more very good heavyweight fights for Strikeforce. The Del Rosario-Cormier fight in particular is fantastic for both heavyweights, who have shown a lot of promise as the next level under the elite of Strikeforce's heavyweights. It will be an interesting card with four heavyweight fights sandwiching the return of Gina Carano, but it should provide for plenty of action on Showtime and should be a very good fight card for Strikeforce in Texas.

The State of Texas plays host to one of the most anticipated MMA events of the year this summer when the second half of the Strikeforce World Grand Prix fires up in Dallas on June 18. Already headlined by Fabricio Werdum facing Alistair Overeem, as well as Josh Barnett battling Brett Rogers, in quarter-final action [...]

Strikeforce announced several fights last night for their June 18th card in Dallas, Texas, which will feature the conclusion of the quarterfinal round of their heavyweight grand prix. In addition to the grand prix fights with Allistair Overeem taking on Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett facing Brett Rogers, several other heavyweight prospects will be in action.  Shane del Rosario will meet Daniel Cormier, and Valentijn Overeem is matched up with Chad Griggs. The ultra-popular Gina Carano is also set to make her return on the card against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

Alistair Overeem (34-11) -325 vs. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) +250

Josh Barnett (29-5) -340 vs. Brett Rogers (11-2) +260

Gina Carano (7-1) vs. TBA

Shane del Rosario (11-0) vs. Daniel Cormier (7-0)

Valentijn Overeem (29-25) vs. Chad Griggs (10-1)

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum coverage

Gina Carano's return to the Strikeforce cage for the first time in 22-months will be featured on Strikeforce's June 18 event in Dallas, which is headlined by two opening-round matchups from the promotion's heavyweight grand prix.

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

A war was promised, and a war was delivered on Saturday night in San Diego, as Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz retained his title in a thrilling one round bout with Paul Daley on Showtime.

Diaz began the fight in typical Diaz fashion, dropping his hands, sticking his chin out and taunting Daley to engage. That's exactly what happened, and Daley struck with the first of a few back and forth barrages early in the fight, getting Diaz down with strikes against the cage and landing some strikes on the ground.

But Diaz was able to recover, and then he went to work as well. His normally flustering style of boxing has gotten even more dangerous, as he's added power to his technical prowess, and he lit Daley up on the cage with vicious body shots and pinpoint accurate shots to the head. Daley was still in the fight, but Diaz was connecting on nice shots while eating some of the counter-punches wildly thrown by Daley.

However, Daley nearly ended Diaz's night with a left hook that flattened the Champion with a couple of minutes remaining. Though he claimed after the fight he hadn't been hurt, things were certainly shaky for him at that point. Daley pounced and attempted to finish him off, but Diaz got his bearings and got back to his feet.

He remained unafraid of Daley's attack, and came straight back at the challenger, lighting him up again with combinations on the cage. Finally, after a vicious combination of body shots and a hook to the jaw, Daley walked forward and tried to push Diaz away. As he did, he stumbled and fell to his back as he was out of sorts. Diaz pounced as time was running out in the round, and delivered a few blows on the ground before referee "Big" John McCarthy stopped the fight with only seconds remaining.

The stoppage has brought an outcry from some fans who felt it was an early stoppage, but though Daley may have been able to survive the end of the round, much like Carlos Condit's third round stoppage of Rory MacDonald last year, or Cris "Cyborg" Santos' late first round stoppage of Gina Carano, the beating was being put on and Daley did go to the ground in suspicious fashion to begin with.

Regardless, Diaz retained the title, and now all involved will look to the future with Strikeforce now under the Zuffa umbrella. But for at least one more night for Strikeforce in his home state of California, Diaz gave the fans another thrilling MMA fight and an incredible performance.

In an instant classic, Nick Diaz TKOs Paul Daley in what was one of the greatest rounds in MMA history. Diaz defeated Daley via TKO (punches) at 4:57 of round 1 to retain the Strikeforce welterweight championship. Yet Nick Diaz thinks he will get suspended after the Paul Daley win:

"They're going to suspend me for that shit, and I don’t even know why I do this. I’m like, whatever, suspend me, you know what I mean. For whatever, I don’t know, but I can guarantee I’m suspended for whatever happened out there."

Josh Gross tweets:

CSAC executive officer George Dodd told me he has no idea why Nick Diaz thinks he's getting suspended, @arielhelwani. No suspension coming.

More post-fight interviews from MMA Fighting:
- Scott Coker Discusses Diaz vs. Daley Results, What's Next for Gina Carano (video)
- Gilbert Melendez Open to Dominating Strikeforce Before Moving Onto UFC (video)
- Keith Jardine Explains Why He Thinks He Beat Gegard Mousasi (video)

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley coverage

More post-fight interviews from MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant:
- Strikeforce's Shinya Aoki Knew Beerbohm Could Be Submitted (video)
- Strikeforce's Keith Jardine Talks About Majority Draw With Gegard Mousasi (video)


More post-fight interviews from Shosports:
- Gilbert Melendez - Post Fight (video)

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, Videos

SAN DIEGO -- MMA Fighting spoke to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker about Saturday night's Strikeforce fights, his take on the main event, what's next for Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez, why he thought Gegard Mousasi won his fight against Keith Jardine, the organization's upcoming show on June 18 and why Gina Carano's opponent had to pull out of their scheduled fight.

Three main-card bouts have been added to Strikeforce's June 18 event, which already features two opening-round matchups in the organization's heavyweight grand prix.

The Showtime-televised event marks the long-awaited return of Gina Carano, who meets an opponent to be announced.

Additionally, heavyweight bouts of Shane Del Rosario vs. Daniel Cormier and Valentijn Overeem vs. Chad Griggs have been added.

The second half of Strikeforce's Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinals takes place on June 18 in Dallas. The promotion on Saturday night made official Gina Carano's participation and two more heavyweight bouts. Read More >>

Get your voting fingers ready, Potato Nation — the right side of the "2011 Hottest Women in MMA Grand Prix" bracket is live and ready for action. But first, a very important announcement about the wild-card spot: After picking up 61.5% of the popular vote against Chandella Powell and Joanne Spracklen, Juliana Salimeni has advanced to the round-of-16, where she will be taking on #1-seeded Gina Carano. Congrats, Juju, and may your Cinderella story have a happy ending. Now, the usual instructions. With the help of the photographic aids we’ve provided below, cast your vote for your favorite lady in each of the four polls; hit the "next page" link when you’re done with each one. Any questions, let us know in the comments section. If you don’t see the poll widget under each pairing of girls, please refresh your browser, or try a different one. We plan to announce the complete list of winners from the Grand Prix's opening round on Tuesday, so if you haven't yet cast a vote for Pool A, there's still time to make a difference. Without further ado, let's get started...

Could Strikeforce Make Their PPV Debut As Soon As This Summer?

When Zuffa purchased Strikeforce last month, most people figured that it would be just a matter of time before they dabbled in the pay-per-view market. It was the next logical step in the company's evolution in mixed martial arts.

From Damon Martin (via MMAWeekly.com):

MMAWeekly.com sources indicated that Strikeforce is targeting a date in July for a pay-per-view broadcast, but a specific date and location have yet to be determined.

[snip]

As far as the fight card for that show, additional sources have stated that a light heavyweight bout between former champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and grappling wizard Roger Gracie is likely to take place on the event’s main card.

It seems like the next logical step for this company. They have run multiple shows on a major television network (CBS) with varying results ratings wise.

Officials for Strikforce have made it public knowledge that they would like to run a pay-per-view show. They even stated earlier this year, before the Zuffa takeover, that they would do everything possible to get pay-per-view going at some point this year.

Dana White previously stated that the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix finals could be an event worthy of pay-per-view.

"Yeah, I think so" was his exact quote when asked about it.

There has never been any doubt that eventually Strikeforce would make it to pay-per-view. If they can put together a card that is strong enough to charge $40 or $50, then it makes sense.

I think that Strikeforce will go on pay-per-view soon, but the card will have to be finalized to make a real decision on the July show.

Honestly, I see no reason why they wouldn't put the June show, which features Fabricio Werdum against Alistair Overeem and is expected to have Gina Carano on the undercard, on pay-per-view. I would think there would be a lot of interest in that show.

Related Story: Gilbert Melendez Talks About His Fight With Tatsuya Kawajiri Saturday Night

By: Mike Bacior, MMATorch Contributor

Strikeforce Women's 135 lb. Champion Marloes Coenen successfully defended her belt last month for the first time in a come from behind performance against late replacement challenger Liz Carmouche. Submitting Carmouche in the fourth round of a highly exciting fight in Columbus, Ohio, Coenen earned her third submission win in four fights inside of the Strikeforce cage. The Golden Glory fighter took some time out this week to talk to MMATorch's Mike Bacior on that win, her next fight against Meisha Tate, Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce and more.

MIKE BACIOR: First off, congratulations on the big, and dramatic win over a very tough challenger in Liz Carmouche. I really enjoyed that fight, as well as all of your other fights that I've seen.

MARLOES COENEN: Thanks Mike!

BACIOR: Was there ever any doubt in your mind during that fight? She was performing very well.

COENEN: Of course but on the other hand the ref was told not to stop it too soon as I can defend good in the guard and we knew that my 11 years experience was a big plus for me.

BACIOR: How relieving was it to finally get the tap?

COENEN: As in...'Finally over!' Haha, it felt really good, better than the Kaufman fight. As I had more pressure on me with a less good preparation.

BACIOR: What are your thoughts on your next title challenger (and original opponent at Fejiao vs. Henderson) Miesha Tate?

COENEN: My thoughts are that she is a good fighter, who I certainly do not underestimate. She plays a certain character in the media where the male audience respond to well. My professional feelings are that she cannot escape this time, I'll come and get her.

BACIOR: How do you see that fight going?

COENEN: Miesha will not go toe-toe with me if she is smart. She'll go for the Carmouche tactic and tries to throw me and end on top. Especially now with the elbows.

BACIOR: Are there any other fighters in the Women's 135 lb division you are particularly watching?

COENEN: Yes there are but my focus is on Miesha right now.

BACIOR: What are your thoughts on Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce? What do you think, or hope, will become of the female fighters in Strikeforce?

COENEN: I refuse to be nervous about it. We bring enough to the game to be a healthy and commercial interesting division. With a variety of characters the division is appealing to a large audience. We are good role models to other women. If we are marketed good by Zuffa we can actually increase the target audience by very loyal fans... the women fans. We can help stretching the UFC brand over multiple targets groups and help [in] creating a long lasting all American dream.

BACIOR: Would fighting in the UFC be a dream of yours?

COENEN: I am already living my dream!

BACIOR: In the long run, do you think the purchase will be good for MMA?

COENEN: Let's hope for the best.

BACIOR: Who are your favorite fighters to watch?

COENEN: Alistair, Gokhan Saki, Nick Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, Jason Miller and many more.

BACIOR: What feelings, if any, do you have about the return of Gina Carano?

COENEN: Good for the sport!

BACIOR: What are your feelings on 145 lb champ, and one-time opponent, Cristian Santos?

COENEN: A power house and a true and worthy champion.

BACIOR: Would you ever want to face her again down the line?

COENEN: 100%, first defend my title at 135lbs a few times then 1-2 warm up fights at 145lbs. Then I have time enough to sharpen my techniques and grow the badly needed muscles on.

BACIOR: Thank you very much for your time, Marloes, and thank you to Mike Afromowitz from Strikeforce for helping me put this together. If you would like to give any shout-outs to sponsors or anything else, please go ahead.

COENEN: Thanks to Showtime, Strikeforce, Shannon Knapp for believing in us women, Tim of Raw State, MicroTech, Lean FX, FightGame and Golden Glory. Last but not least the American audience for welcoming me in their country!