Shamar Bailey Replaces Bryan Travers, Fights Justin Wilcox at Strikeforce Challengers 7
PRESS RELEASE:
A winner of four in a row, Shamar Bailey (10-1), of Chicago, will face Justin “The Silverback’’ Wilcox (8-3), of San Jose, Calif., on a stacked STRIKEFORCE Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) fight card at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Friday, March 26.
Bailey is a replacement for Bryan Travers, who withdrew from the fight with a shoulder injury. The three-rounder between the promising prospects will be one of five fights featured on STRIKEFORCE Challengers live on SHOWTIME® (11:45 p.m. ET/ PT, delayed on the West Coast) and will be contested at a catch weight of 160 pounds.
Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event, priced from $30, are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office and select Save Mart Supermarkets, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).
“I think this is a fantastic matchup for me and I am excited about the opportunity to be able to showcase my skills,’’ said Bailey, who won his STRIKEFORCE debut with a unanimous three-round decision over John Kolosci on the undercard of STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. on Nov. 7, 2009.
“I have a lot of respect for Justin. I know he’s been winning (Wilcox has won three straight and seven out of eight) and I think we’re both well-rounded fighters with a lot to prove. But I believe that when you have two fighters of equal ability going at it, the bigger guy holds the edge and he is a natural 155-pounder and I fight at 170.
“I am really looking forward to showing off more striking skills than I did in my last fight.’’
In the main event, heavyweight Lavar “Big” Johnson (13-3), of Madera, Calif., takes on unbeaten Lolohea Mahe (4-0-1) of Wailua, Maui, Hawaii. Johnson’s start will be his first since he was nearly shot to death at a family barbeque during the last July 4 holiday.
Other televised fights: “Abongo” Humphrey (5-1), Atlanta, Ga., vs. George Bush III (5-1), Columbus, Ohio, at light heavyweight (205 pounds); Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Luke Stewart (6-2), San Francisco, Calif., vs. Andre Galvao (3-1), Brazil, at welterweight (170 pounds); and undefeated Zoila Frausto (2-0), Fresno, vs. Miesha “Takedown” Tate (7-2), Olympia, Wash., in a women’s scrap at 135 pounds.
Save Mart Center doors will open for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at 6 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised, preliminary bout will begin at 6:45 p.m.
Click here to check out the Strikeforce Challengers fight card, and stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest Strikeforce news and Strikeforce rumors.
Pictured: Shamar Bailey
Tags: Bryan Travers, Justin Wilcox, Shamar Bailey
Loading ...
Everytime I read or hear about a great Strikeforce Challangers event dropping, I can’t help but think that the UFC could put to much better use that Friday night 10pm EST SpikeTV timeslot than airing old PRIDE fights almost all of us have seen, or in a lot of cases own on DVD.
I could even tolerate the presence of Kenda “What am I doing here?” Perez if she was showcasing young UFC talent going head to head, instead of trying to get me psyched to watch decade-old fights…
There are still a lot of MMA fans that haven’t even heard of Pride, and what better way to capitalize on a warehouse full of Pride footage that the UFC already paid for than to put it on Spike? It sure beats letting it just collect dust.
I’m really looking forward to Stewart v Galvao and Tate returning to Fresno, I can’t wait to se Lavar back in action after that BS he went through in Bakersfeild not too long ago!!!