STRIKEFORCE HEADS TO OKC WITH THREE TITLE FIGHTS ON JAN. 12 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®‏

THREE STRIKEFORCE^® TITLE FIGHTS AND THE RETURN OF OSU STAR DANIEL CORMIER HEADLINE JAN. 12, 2013 EVENT IN OKLAHOMA CITY, LIVE ON SHOWTIME^®

STRIKEFORCE^® heads to the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Saturday, Jan. 12 with three championship fights, plus the return of Oklahoma State University star Daniel Cormier, all televised live on SHOWTIME^®. With a collection of some of the best fighters in the world today, STRIKEFORCE has put together a memorable and historic card for the fans in the Sooner State. 

The action-packed night includes the following bouts:

• Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez (champion) vs. Pat Healy for the STRIKEFORCE lightweight title
• Luke Rockhold (champion) vs. Lorenz Larkin for the STRIKEFORCE middleweight title
• Nate Marquardt (champion) vs. Tarec Saffiedine for the STRIKEFORCE welterweight title
• Daniel Cormier (Grand Prix champion, OSU All-American) vs. Dion Staring

“We’ve built an absolutely stacked card for Oklahoma City and the SHOWTIME viewers,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “We have three awesome title fights featuring some of the best fighters to ever grace the STRIKEFORCE cage. Plus, we have Daniel Cormier, one of the fastest-rising heavyweight stars today, returning to his roots in Oklahoma to fight Dion Staring. January 12 is going to be a really special night.”

“The biggest stars in STRIKEFORCE are putting their titles on the line in competitive fights,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports^®, “and that is precisely what fans of STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME have come to expect.  We are excited to be part of the event.”

STRIKEFORCE^® will air live on SHOWTIME^® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while preliminary fights will be shown live on SHOWTIME EXTREME^® at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast). Additional fights scheduled for the event are expected to be released shortly.

 ♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

The Men Of Warrior Book Makes Debut Coffee Table Book Featuring The Photographs Of Tim Palen Available At Select Retailers On August 9

Lionsgate and publisher Insight Editions are thrilled to announce “The Men Of Warrior.” Featuring fine art portraits by acclaimed photographer Tim Palen, the book is a companion to the highly anticipated film WARRIOR, which will be in theaters everywhere on September 9, 2011.

“The Men Of Warrior” features stunning photographs of the actors and fighters featured in the film, including Tom Hardy, who also wrote the book’s foreword, Joel Edgerton, Erik Apple, Nate Marquardt, and Ron “RJ” Messenger. In its pages, Hardy and Edgerton show off their hard-earned fighting bodies and bloodied upper lips, capturing the tough and dramatic world of WARRIOR in a series of iconic images, all of which are poster-worthy.

Said CEO of the book’s publisher Insight Editions Raoul Goff of the book’s release, "Insight Editions is proud to include Tim Palen to our list of award-winning photographers as we release the larger-than-life fine art photography book 'Men of Warrior.'"

The 128 page book will be on shelves at brick and mortar book sellers nationwide beginning one month before the film’s release, on August 9, and is currently available for pre-sale on Amazon, Borders, and Barnes & Noble’s websites.

About The Film

Rising stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton command the screen as two estranged brothers facing the fight of a lifetime­ in Lionsgate’s WARRIOR, a moving, inspirational action drama from acclaimed director Gavin O’Connor (Miracle).

Haunted by a tragic past, Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for Sparta, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. But when Brendan’s unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart, facing off in the most soaring, soul stirring, and unforgettable climax that must be seen to be believed.

A rousing ode to redemption, reconciliation and the power of the human spirit, WARRIOR is also a moving testament to the enduring bonds of family. WARRIOR stars Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, Star Wars: Episode III), Tom Hardy (the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Black Hawk Down), Jennifer Morrison ("House", Star Trek) and Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder, The Thin Red Line). The film is directed by Gavin O'Connor; screenplay by Gavin O’Connor & Anthony Tambakis & Cliff Dorman and story by Gavin O'Connor & Cliff Dorfman. Lionsgate and Mimran Schur Pictures present a Lionsgate / Mimran Schur Pictures production. A Solaris Entertainment and Filmtribe production.

About The Photographer

Tim Palen is an American photographer and Lionsgate’s Chief Marketing Officer. Palen’s photography has appeared in Premiere, Paper, Vibe, Redbook, Penthouse, The New York Observer, The New Yorker, and Flaunt magazines. Palen’s photography for movie posters has garnered several Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards. He was named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the "50 Smartest People in Hollywood," as well as making Fast Company's 2011 list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and lives in Los Angeles.

Palen is known throughout the movie marketing industry for his daring approaches to film promotion, most specifically his provocative one-sheet posters, many featuring his own photography. Examples of his work include the arresting imagery used to promote the SAW and HOSTEL horror franchises, and the iconic portraits he created on behalf of W, PRECIOUS, and FOR COLORED GIRLS. As Paula Burr has written, Palen’s movie poster photography attempts “to boil [the image] down to the essence of the film. It is all about finding simplicity, a singular iconic image, something that evokes emotion.”

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Brenneman Replaces Marquardt at UFC Live 4; Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry go toe-to-toe - live tonight at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT on Versus

Nate Marquardt’s loss was Charlie Brenneman’s gain.
by Brian Knapp (bknapp@sherdog.com)

Brenneman will replace Marquardt in a welterweight bout against Rick Story at UFC Live 4 on Sunday at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Marquardt, who was set to make his first UFC appearance at 170 pounds, was scratched from the lineup on Saturday, a little more than 24 hours before the event. Marquardt was not cleared to fight, though the specific reasons behind his exit were not immediately known.

Spawned by the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, Brenneman (13-2, 2-1 UFC) last appeared at UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” in January, when he outpointed Amilcar Alves en route to a unanimous decision at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. The 30-year-old Hollidaysburg, Pa., native has won eight of his last nine fights. Brenneman made his UFC debut in March 2010 with a unanimous decision victory over 2009 Dream welterweight grand prix finalist Jason High.

Story (13-3, 6-1 UFC) has rattled off six consecutive wins, including a unanimous nod over Thiago Alves at UFC 130 less than a month ago.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.