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.

No Holds Barred: The Death of Strikeforce and the Rise of Bellator

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On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the death of Strikeforce and the rise of Bellator MMA.

We trace some of the history of Strikeforce, and how its first show in March 2006, featuring Frank Shamrock vs. Cesar Gracie, was directly related to the rebirth of this show. No Holds Barred. After slowly growing, culminating in the inception of the Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2011, Strikeforce was sold in March 2011 to Zuffa. After that, it was only a matter of time until it was closed down, which will happen following the final Strikeforce card on January 12, 2013. We thus discuss the some of the main lessons of the rise and fall of Strikeforce.

Bellator began running shows in April 2009, which were only televised live in the U.S. in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. After a year there and one on Fox Sports Net, where it was preempted numerous times amidst a different schedule in many markets, Bellator began to get more stability with a deal for weekly live shows on TV giant Viacom's MTV2 beginning in March 2011. Then, on October 26, 2011, Viacom itself announced the purchase of a majority stake in Bellator. Beginning on January 17, 2013, Bellator's live weekly shows will be shown in the U.S. on Spike TV, a cable powerhouse and former home of the UFC.

We thus also discuss the growth of Bellator, their tournament format for crowning champions and number-one contenders, their rebranding efforts as Bellator MMA, and their prospects now that they will be live on Spike TV. We also play an excerpt from a Bellator and Spike TV media conference call of December 11, 2012, with Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and Spike TV President Kevin Kay about Bellator MMA's first season on Spike TV.

♔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.

STRIKEFORCE®: ROCKHOLD vs. KENNEDY, World Championship Doubleheader tomorrow/Saturday, July 14, live on SHOWTIME®

All the fighters who will compete on a STRIKEFORCE^® World Championship Doubleheader tomorrow/Saturday, July 14, live onSHOWTIME^® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore., made weight Friday.

Luke Rockhold, who will defend his STRIKEFORCE middleweight title against Tim Kennedy in the main event, and Lorenz Larkin, who meets Robbie Lawler in a featured non-title televised fight, required two attempts at the scale. The live undercard fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME® begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The matchups and weights: Jorge Masvidal (156 pounds) vs. Justin Wilcox (155 1/2 pounds), Pat Healy (156 pounds) vs. Mizuto Hirota (156 pounds), Ryan Couture (155 1/2 pounds) vs. Joe Duarte (155 1/2 pounds), Jordan Mein (170 pounds) vs. Tyler Stinson (170 1/2 pounds) and Jason High (171 pounds) vs. Nate Moore (171 pounds).

Luke Rockhold will defend his STRIKEFORCE® middleweight title against Tim Kennedy in the main event of a World Championship Doubleheader this Saturday, July 14, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the Rose Garden.
In the co-feature scheduled for five rounds, Tyron Woodley and Nate Marquardt will clash for the vacant STRIKEFORCE Welterweight crown. Other matches on the SHOWTIME telecast: Lorenz Larkin vs. Robbie Lawler (middleweights) and Roger Gracie vs. Keith Jardine (middleweights).
The live undercard fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME® begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The fights: Jorge Masvidal vs. Justin Wilcox (lightweights), Pat Healy vs. Mizuto Hirota (lightweights), Ryan Couture vs. Joe Duarte (lightweights), Jordan Mein vs. Tyler Stinson (welterweights) and Jason High vs. Nate Moore (welterweights).



What STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker and the world championship competitors said Thursday:



SCOTT COKER



“When I look at this fight card from top to bottom this is an amazing card. Like I’ve said, look at the fights that are on SHOWTIME EXTREME; those fights could really be on the championship part of the card. So from top to bottom STRIKEFORCE is going to deliver another world class match up.’’

(Regarding the vacant welterweight title) “Nate Marquardt is an amazing fighter. If you’ve never seen him fight, he is a dangerous fighter. T-Wood (Woodley) is somebody who came up through the STRIKEFORCE organization on SHOWTIME. This is going to be his toughest test to date.”

LUKE ROCKHOLD

(On being a fighter in STRIKEFORCE and the fan’s reaction) “I’m fighting to legitimize myself and keep bettering myself and to prove to everyone that I am one of the best in the world. They need to realize how good we (STRIKEFORCE fighters) are and if they haven’t seen that then they don’t know what they are missing. STRIKEFORCE guys are going over to the UFC and they are killing guys over there.’’

TIM KENNEDY

“We both want to demonstrate that we are the best fighter in our division. We are going to step in there and go 25 minutes to prove that. What we say before we step in there is irrelevant.

“I think the best way for me to represent the military community is for me to win this fight.”




TYRON WOODLEY

“I think Nate has been around the block for a while. I think he brings a lot to the table. I think he is a well-rounded fighter. I think in this weight class he brings the most name recognition and more skills than the other guys. Most of the guys in the division I’ve already beat or I’ve beat someone who has beat them. I have no issue with him coming over and getting the title shot. ’’

NATE MARQUARDT

(About Tyron’s style) “As a fighter I respect his skills. He is a great wrestler and that’s what he does and that’s what he should be using in his fights. The thing is, we’re there to fight. So when you’re a wrestler your job is to fight. And if you are going to use wrestling that’s great and can be super exciting for the fans. If you can get that guy down and ground and pound that’s great, but if you are going take that guy down and hold him and wait for the decision, that’s a different thing.”

(Regarding what kind of a fight he is expecting on Saturday) “I am expecting to knock him out. This layoff has rejuvenated me and I’m ready to go. ’’

♔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.

Catch Rockhold vs. Kennedy for the STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Championship LIVE on SHOWTIME SATURDAY JULY 14th AT 10PM ET/PT

What’s an MMA promotion without a villain? Veteran fighter Frank Shamrock gives a crash course in evil to two of the sport’s nicest guys LUKE ROCKHOLD and TIM KENNEDY



♔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.

May 25 Fight Night at the Horseshoe Heating Up! Martin to Face Woods in Cruiserweight Slugfest

♔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.

Strikeforce : Broadcast Preview - Barnett, Cormier, Melendez, Thomson - SHOWTIME

Take a first look and the SHOWTIME's broadcast intro for the May 19th Strikeforce event before it airs! Get ready for a night of MMA action with Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, and Josh Thomson.

♔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.

STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament Final Saturday, May 19; Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier

Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier do battle to determine the heavyweight tournament winner! Plus, longtime rivals collide for a third time when the Bay Area's own Gilbert Melendez defends the lightweight championship against Josh Thomson!

♔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.

Strikeforce : Melendez Thomson III: A Trilogy in the Making

After the first intense battle between Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez, fight fans demanded a rematch. Their second encounter was the dramatic slugfest in which Melendez won the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship belt. Relive both fights and prepare for the third chapter in the Melendez Thomson trilogy! Live on SHOWTIME, Saturday May 19th at 10PM ET/PT. As a prelude to the STRIKEFORCE: World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament Final on Saturday, May 19, SHOWTIME EXTREME will offer replays of STRIKEFORCE fights featuring the four top fighters on the May 19 event -- Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson. Additionally, a number of previous fights including all the heavyweight tournament fights are currently available online at http://sports.SHO.com.

The Saturday, May 19, Barnett-Cormier clash for the World Grand Prix heavyweight championship highlights a live four-fight card on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). In the co-feature at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., Melendez defends his STRIKEFORCE lightweight title against former champ and longtime adversary Thomson in the rubber match of an exciting rivalry. Preliminary matches on SHOWTIME EXTREME begin live at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Relive the Excitement of Barnett, Cormier Tournament Fights,

Melendez-Thomson I & II & More, Weeknights on SHOWTIME EXTREME®

STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament Final

Live on Saturday, May 19, on SHOWTIME, Prelim Fights Live on SHOWTIME EXTREME

Melendez vs. Thomson I
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/980

Thomson vs. Melendez II
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/981

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Silva
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/983

Andrei Arlovski vs. Kharitonov
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/982

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/984

Brett Rogers vs. Barnett
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/985

Cormier vs. Jeff Monson
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/986

Barnett vs. Kharitonov
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/989

Silva vs. Cormier
http://sports.sho.com/#/mma/videos/990

♔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.

MIESHA TATE vs RONDA ROUSEY SATURDAY MARCH 3rd @ 10PM ON SHOWTIME

A war of words between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey made for a tense room at the final press conference at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, before Saturday night's STRIKEFORCE Women’s Bantamweight Championship, LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), from Nationwide Arena.

Tate (12-2), of Yakima, Wash., will make the first defense of her title since shocking the MMA world and tapping out submission expert Marloes Coenen last July. The aggressive wrestling expert may face her toughest opponent to date in Rousey (4-0), of Venice, Calif., the 2008 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist in Women’s Judo.

In the co-feature, former STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson (18-4, 1 NC), of San Jose, Calif., will face the hard-hitting KJ Noons (10-3), of San Diego, Calif.

A four-fight preliminary card televised LIVE on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) will precede the five-fight main card on SHOWTIME.

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Thursday:

MIESHA TATE:
“I don't care for Ronda's personality. I've fought people I haven't liked before but not to this extent. But I'm careful not to be overzealous and let tempers change my game plan.

“I don't really care what the odds are. Betting odds are just opinions. I'd love to see the statistics on how often they're right. I'll let the fight talk for itself.

“Ronda and I are feminine women and when you add on the fact that we're fighters, it makes for an intriguing package. For whatever reason, we're gaining viewers and it's our job to perform Saturday. We want people to walk away from the fight with a positive outlook because of the way we fought and not if we're gorgeous or not.

“Ronda is a self-righteous person. She cares more about herself than the sport. She talked her way into a title fight. Clearly, she doesn't deserve it. She's not the No. 1 contender. She hasn't even fought at this weight before. I mean, she's 4-0 and has been moderately impressive but she hasn't faced anyone like me.”

RONDA ROUSEY:
“The less everyone knows about my game, the better for me. There is very little footage on me. People can't study my full arsenal.

“Miesha will probably try to keep me on my feet because there's not much tape of me doing that so people think it's a weakness. But everyone else I've fought has tried to do keep me on my feet and that didn't go very well for them.

“I wasn't looking to make friends in this sport. I just wanted to make a living so I didn't have to catch coins. But it doesn't matter if people don't like me because it's mostly current or former champs who think everyone should throw petals at their feet. Honestly, I don't care if a bunch of girls I don't know don't like me. I'm doing this to support myself and not work night shifts at the gym.

“I don't have respect for Miesha's inconsistency. One minute it's about the sport, the next she is wearing booty shorts on her website and it's the entertainment business.”

JOSH THOMSON:
“I'm going to get the best KJ Noons anyone has ever seen. He has improved his kickboxing and other parts of his game. No one else has fought the KJ I'll be fighting on Saturday. It's a huge matchup. If I win, I should get a title shot.

“Am I worried about cage rust? I've been through this before. You saw I was in good shape after 15 months off against Melendez. The problem isn't conditioning, it's technique. So I've trained pretty hard with that in mind.”

KJ NOONS:
“I'm not worried about being in the Fight of the Night because I KNOW it will be. All of my fights are Fight of the Night.

“I've changed my fight game. I used to just want to get out there and see who the toughest man was. But other guys would try to take me down, lean on me and put rounds in the bank. So I've adjusted all parts of my game - knees, kicks, ground, everything - because I want to win and not just show I'm tough. I can do both.”

Mauro Ranallo will call the action alongside analysts Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich with Heidi Androl serving as cageside reporter. The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr.


♔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.

Rockstar Presents STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Semi-Finals; Josh Barnett vs Sergei Kharitonov & Antonio Silva vs Daniel Cormier, Saturday, Sept. 10

Rockstar Presents STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Semi-Finals Saturday, Sept. 10
US Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH Featuring
STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Semi-Finals
Josh Barnett vs Sergei Kharitonov & Antonio Silva vs Daniel Cormier Plus
STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Championship
Jacare Souza vs Luke Rockhold LIVE ON SHOWTIME 11 PM ET/PT


♔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.

STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL PRESENT:Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson - THIS Saturday on SHOWTIME!‏

This Saturday, two MMA legends will collide!
FEDOR EMELIANENKO and DAN HENDERSON


STRIKEFORCE® and M-1 Global, in advance of the upcoming STRIKEFORCE® and M-1 GLOBAL PRESENT: FEDOR vs. HENDERSON card scheduled for Saturday, July 30 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., as well as women’s bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen and top contender Miesha Tate

On Saturday, July 30 from Hoffman Estates, Ill., legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko makes his highly anticipated return to the cage when he takes on former Olympic wrestler Dan Henderson. The Russian-born Emelianenko, a former PRIDE® heavyweight champion, is looking to topple one of the best American MMA fighters and show the world that “The Last Emperor” is again ready to make a run to the top. Also a former PRIDE champion, current STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion, Henderson is on a mission to derail one of the best heavyweights of all time.

The evening of fights presented by Strikeforce and M-1 Global also features:Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha
TateRobbie Lawler vs. Tim Kennedy
Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley
Scott Smith vs. Tarec Saffiedine

Watch footage from the early days of both legends before their long awaited matchup.

Saturday, July 30, at 10pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uTqLIYsD9Y

♔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.

STRIKEFORCE® ANNOUNCES HARD-HITTING CARD IN DALLAS ON JUNE 18

GRAND PRIX HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS:

ALISTAIR OVEREEM vs. FABRICIO WERDUM BRETT ROGERS vs. JOSH BARNETT
OTHER HEAVYWEIGHT ATTRACTIONS: DANIEL CORMIER vs. SHANE DEL ROSARIO
VALENTIJN OVEREEM vs. CHAD GRIGGS PLUS, THE RETURN OF SUPERSTAR GINA GARANO

STRIKEFORCE: OVEREEM vs. WERDUM
SATURDAY, JUNE 18 AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER – DALLAS, TEXAS
Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on West Coast)
TICKETS ON SALE – Friday, April 15 at 10 a.m. CT

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.

“We are really excited to head to Dallas with two outstanding quarterfinal heavyweight Grand Prix fights,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said. “With Overeem vs. Werdum, Rogers vs. Barnett, as well as the return of Gina Carano, STRIKEFORCE is bringing one of its best cards ever to American Airlines Center.”

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE®: OVEREEM vs. WERDUM are priced at $350, $225, $125, $75, $50 and $30, not including applicable service charges, and go on sale Friday, April 15 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased at the American Airlines Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, by calling 800-745-3000, or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Wednesday, April 13 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to newsletter subscribers on Thursday, April 14, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com .

The main event between 30-year-old Alistair Overeem (fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and the 33-year-old Fabricio Werdum (fighting out of Porto Alegre, Brazil) pits the two superstars against one another nearly five years after Werdum submitted Overeem on a PRIDE® Fighting Championship card at Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan on May 5, 2006.

Since their initial encounter, the 6-foot-5, 260 pound Overeem has become the first fighter in history to simultaneously hold both a major mixed martial arts (STRIKEFORCE) title and a K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix championship. Meanwhile, Werdum has wreaked havoc on the heavyweight division, including his submission over Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko in June, which was considered 2010 Upset of the Year.

Josh Barnett (fighting out of Seattle, Wash.) is a former UFC heavyweight champion who owns victories over the likes of Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Pedro Rizzo and Gilbert Yvel. The 33-year-old heads to Dallas with hopes of derailing his opponent and advancing in the Grand Prix. To do so, he must defeat the heavy-handed Brett Rogers (fighting out of St. Paul, Minn). The 6-foot-5 powerhouse reeled off 10 straight wins to start his professional career and holds knockout victories over the likes of former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski and PRIDE vet James Thompson.

A former Division I All-American at Oklahoma State University Daniel Cormier (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) is unbeaten in seven fights. Training alongside the likes of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and welterweight stars Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, Cormier’s blend of wrestling and power could pose problems for his opponent in Texas. With an unblemished record in 11 professional bouts, Shane Del Rosario (fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) remains unfazed by the hype surrounding his opponent. Coming off an impressive submission win over Lavar Johnson in February, the 27-year-old Del Rosario has finished every fight and expects nothing less when he meets Cormier on June 18.

A seasoned veteran riding a three-fight winning streak, Valentijn Overeem (fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) believes a win on June 18 could propel him into contention in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division. Thus, expect fireworks when he meets free-swinging Chad Griggs (fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.), who has won five straight, including a stoppage of Bobby Lashley.

This loaded event also marks the return of former STRIKEFORCE title contender Gina Carano (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.), who will take on an opponent to be announced in the weeks to come. The fierce striker, who turns 29 this Saturday, will train for this fight under the tutelage of renowned coach Greg Jackson, who has trained elite athletes such as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. A rising star in the acting world, Carano is eager to get back to her first love and impress in her first bout since Aug. 2009.

EL Boxing Empress
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" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

No Holds Barred: Keisha Morrisey and Bob Carson Critique Strikeforce
and HBO Boxing, and Analyze Shine Fights Cancellation

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman had a late
night discussion with two of our correspondents, Keisha Morrisey
(http://www.bloodlineboxing.blogspot.com) and Bob Carson (http://
carsonscorner.podomatic.com), about the fight festivities from
Saturday night, May 15. Right after these shows concluded, we spoke
about the Strikeforce card from St. Louis shown on Showtime, the HBO
boxing card from New York headlined by the Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi
fight, and the cancellation of the Shine Fights mixed martial arts
card which was supposed to feature former champion boxer Ricardo
Mayorga against mixed martial arts veteran Din Thomas.

Who is chiefly to blame for the cancellation of the Shine Fights card
following an injunction granted to Don King against this card because
of a claim that his company has exclusive rights to promote the fights
of Mayorga? Which card was better between the Strikeforce-Showtime
card and the HBO boxing card? Will Strikeforce heavyweight champion
Alistair Overeem, who stopped Brett Rogers in the first round of their
fight Saturday, ever fight top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko? Should
fighters in mixed martial arts and boxing insist on drug testing based
on the protocols of the World Anti-Doping Agency? What do we think of
the various athletic commissions, which use different tests if any at
all? Are fighters with steroid-laden bodies effective or even sexy?
What is next for Strikeforce? How impressive was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
great Roger Gracie, who submitted Kevin Randleman in the second round
of their fight with a rear naked choke, in his Strikeforce and
American debut? Why is the promotion of boxing to the public so awful?

These and other key questions are answered in our discussion, which is
almost like hanging out after the fights and chatting with our trio of
combat sports aficionados.

You can play or download No Holds Barred at
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/2010-05-16T03_38_28-07_00.

See you at the Fights.
Thank You for your time.

EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/KeishamorriseyEL Boxing Empress;

Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, Khris Kirkpatrick for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

FEDOR SIGNS World’s No. 1 MMA Heavyweight To Fight In STRIKEFORCE / M-1 Global Co-Promoted Events First Fight To Air This Fall, Live on SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK- After a week of intense negotiations and speculation, the hottest topic of discussion in the professional fight world has come to a head as the world’s number one heavyweight and most sought after mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko has signed a historic, multi-fight agreement that will see him headline mega-events co-promoted by world championship promotions STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global.

Emelianenko, known globally as Fedor, will make his premium television debut this Fall when his first fight under the new agreement airs live on SHOWTIME®. Up until now, Emelianenko’s live fights have aired exclusively on pay-per-view in the United States.

“I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level," said the 33-year-old Emelianenko. During his nine year professional fight career, which included a four and a half year stay with the world’s former top MMA promotion, the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championship, the Russian native has faced and defeated all comers.

In his last effort, the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko decimated the number two ranked heavyweight at the time Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski with a single punch in the first round (3:14) of the main event of Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” atAnaheim, California’s Honda Center on January 24.

“STRIKEFORCE is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world,” continued Emelianenko. “I am prepared to fight any of them.”

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor,” said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker, a martial arts fight promoter of over 25 years. “Fedor has been the reigning king of MMA’s heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class.”

“With the addition of Fedor and STRIKEFORCE’s new relationship with M-1 Global, SHOWTIME is now the home of the best pound-for-pound male and female fighters in the world,” saidKen Hershman, Senior VP and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “The Aug. 15 Carano-Cyborg matchup on SHOWTIME will clearly determine the best female mixed martial artist on the planet. Then, come this Fall, our subscribers again will witness history when the universally recognized best male fighter—Fedor Emelianenko—joins the already long list of world-class athletes on the STRIKEFORCE roster, and for the first time ever plies his skills live on SHOWTIME.”

Hershman continued: “We are better positioned now than ever before to deliver on our promise to televise the top fighters in mixed martial arts today.”

“I am very happy and excited about the upcoming collaboration with Strikeforce,” saidVadim Finkelchtein, President of M-1 Global. “We are very pleased that we found a reliable partner and I feel that Strikeforce and M-1 can support each other on many things. This will create big opportunities for both parties to test their fighters against worthy opponents.”

Though his official professional record is 30-1, Emelianenko is considered undefeated. The only blemish on his record is a December 22, 2000 fight that was stopped after 17 seconds and declared a TKO in favor of his opponent, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, due to a cut Emelianenko sustained in the opening seconds of the matchup in Osaka,Japan.

Amongst those on Emelianenko’s list of impressive conquests are former PRIDE Heavyweight Champions Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira,Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic as well as former UFC Heavyweight Champions Kevin “The Monster” Randleman and Tim Sylvia, whom Emelianenko submitted with a rear naked choke only 36 seconds into their main event showdown at Affliction: “Banned” on July 19, 2008.

Despite his extensive experience, Emelianenko’s debut under the new STRIKEFORCE-M-1 venture will, interestingly enough, mark his first start in a cage. To date, all of his bouts have taken place in a ring.

After co-promoting two events live on SHOWTIME in 2007 and 2008, STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network.

See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™2007, 2008 All rights reserved

MMA is Back!‏

See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™2007, 2008 all rights reserved