MMAFrenzy.com » Cristiane Cyborg

“Cyborg” vs. Coenen Likely for January Strikeforce Event in Miami

Kris Karkoski — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:15:58 +0000

A matchup between Strikeforce 145-pound women’s champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos and top contender Marloes Coenen is likely to take place at a January 30 Strikeforce event in Miami, Florida, according to MMA Weekly.

“Cyborg” (8-1) won the title with a first-round knockout of Gina Carano in August, her seventh-straight win, while Coenen (17-3) won her Strikeforce debut on Saturday with a first-round submission of Roxanne Modafferi.

“Cyborg”-Coenen is the first rumored bout for the card, which is expected to air live on Showtime.

For the latest Strikeforce news and Strikeforce rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

ADCC 2009 Results: Injury Gives Estima Win Over Ribeiro in Absolute Finals; Werdum Wins Division

Kris Karkoski — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:30:48 +0000

Bráulio Estima won the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) 2009 absolute division championship on Sunday after fellow-Brazilian Xande Ribeiro suffered a fight-ending arm injury in the open-weight finals.

Estima will meet Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who defeated Robert Drysdale on Saturday, in a superfight at ADCC 2011.

In other action, Strikeforce heavyweight Fabricio Werdum (pictured) won the +99kg division, while notables Jeff Monson, Vinicius Magalhaes, and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos all earned third-place in their respective classes.

The complete results from Sunday action at ADCC 2009 in Barcelona, Spain (via Bloody Elbow) were:

Men’s Absolute Final

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) via arm injury

Men’s Absolute 3rd Place

Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) def. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) via points (3-0) in OT

Men’s Absolute – Semifinals

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) via points (7-0)
Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) via kneebar

Men’s Absolute – Quarterfinals

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) via rear-naked choke
Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) def. Chris Weidman (USA) via armbar
Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Andre Galvao (Brazil) via points (3-0)
Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) def. David Avellan (USA) via rear-naked choke

Men’s Absolute Division – Opening Round

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) via armbar
Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Bruno Bastos (Brazil) via rear-naked choke
Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) def. Dean Lister (USA) via referee decision
Chris Weidman (USA) def. Antoine Jaoude (Brazil) via points (3-0)
Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Ricco Rodriguez (USA) via kimura
Andre Galvao (Brazil) def. Tom De Blass (USA) via points (3-0)
Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) def. Jeff Monson (USA) via points (3-0) in OT
David Avellan (USA) def. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) via referee decision

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Final

Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) via points (9-0)

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Final

Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) via points (2-0)

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Final

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. André Galvão (Brazil) via inverted triangle

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Final

Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) via points (3-2)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Final

Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) via points (3-0)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Final

Hannette Staack (Brazil) def. Penny Thomas (USA) via kneebar

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Final

Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) def. Sayaka Shioda (Japan) via points (3-0)

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Jeff Monson (USA) def. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) def. via judges’ decision

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil) def. Glover Teixeira (Brazil) via armbar

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

David Avellan (USA) def. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) via leglock

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Gregor Gracie (Brazil) def. Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) via points (10-0)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Ryan Hall (USA) def. Jeff Glover (USA) via points (3-2)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil) def. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) via points

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Hillary Williams (USA) def. Laurence Cousin (France) via points (9-0)

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Semifinals

Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) via judges’ decision (2x overtime)
Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) def. Jeff Monson (USA) via points

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Semifinals

Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil)
Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) def. Glover Teixeira (Brazil) via points (5-0)

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Semifinals

André Galvão (Brazil) def. David Avellan (USA) via points (2-0)
Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) via kneebar

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Semifinals

Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) via north-south choke
Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Gregor Gracie (Brazil) via points (3-0)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Semifinals

Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) def. Rani Yahya (Brazil) via armlock
Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Leo Vieira (Brazil) via rear-naked choke

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Semifinals

Penny Thomas (USA) def. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil) via points (-1 to -2)
Hannette Staack (Brazil) def. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) via points

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Semifinals

Sayaka Shioda (Japan) def. Hillary Williams (USA) via armbar
Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) def. Laurence Cousin (France) via rear-naked choke

ADCC 2009 Day 1 Results: “Jacare” Tops Drysdale in Superfight; Cyborg, Werdum, and Monson Advance to Semis

Kris Karkoski — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:05:33 +0000

The Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Submission Wrestling World Championship, the most-prestigious grappling tournament in the world, is taking place this weekend in Barcelona, Spain and a handful of MMA notables are in action at the event.

On Saturday, Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza defeated Robert Drysdale 2-0 on points in a featured grappling superfight, while notables Fabrico Werdum, Jeff Monson, Vinny Magalhaes, and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos all advanced to Sunday’s semifinals in their respective divisions.

Results from Saturday’s matchups as well as the schedule for the ADCC conclusion on Sunday are below (via Bloody Elbow):

Saturday, September 26 Results

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Opening Round

#1 – Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Rogent Lloret (Spain) via kimura
#2 – Tomasz Janiszewski (Poland) def. Antoine Jaoude (Brazil) via points
#3 – Romulo Barral (Brazil) def. Denis Roberts (Australia) via heel hook
#4 – Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Kouji Kanechika (Japan) via points (5-2)
#5 – Jeff Monson (USA) def. Karol Bedorf (Poland) via points
#6 – Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) def. Tom Erikson (USA) via heel hook
#7 – Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) def. Tom De Blass (USA) via points
#8 – Asa Fuller (USA) def. Mike Matell (Canada) via armbar

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Opening Round

#9 – Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Ilir Latifi (Sweden) via points (2-0)
#10 – Radek Turek (Poland) def. Rafael Davies (USA) via points
#11 – Márcio Cruz (Brazil) def. Anthony Perosh (Australia) via points (3-0)
#12 – Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil) def. Rodrigo Cavaca (Brazil) via leglock
#13 – Dean Lister (USA) def. Andreas Olsen (Norway) via triangle choke
#14 – Glover Teixeira (Brazil) def. Vesa Vuori (Finland) via points (6-0)
#15 – Tomasz Szczerek (Poland) def. Ricco Rodriguez (USA) via poinits (4-0)
#16 – Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) def. Yoshiyuki Nakahashi (Japan) via points

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Opening Round

#17 – André Galvão (Brazil) def. Kassim Annan (France) via points (11-0)
#18 – Chris Weidman (USA) def. Daniel Tabera. (Spain) via points (19-0)
#19 – Tarsis Humphreys (Brazil) def. Igor Praporshchikov (Australia) via ref decision
#20 – David Avellan (USA) def. Trond Saksenvik (Norway) via heel hook
#21 – Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Yuji Arai (Japan) via rear-naked choke
#22 – James Brasco (USA) def. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) via ref decision
#23 – Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) def. Tom Lawlor (USA) via points (4-0)
#24 – Bruno Bastos (Brazil) def. Jorge Santiago (Brazil) via ref decision

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Opening Round

#25 – Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Rodney Ellis (Australia) via guillotine choke
#26 – Kron Gracie (Brazil) def. Enrico Cocco (USA) via rear-naked choke
#27 – Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo (Brazil) def. Mike Fowler (USA) via leglock
#28 – Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) def. Milton Vieira (Brazil)
#29 – Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Don Ortega (USA) via rear-naked choke
#30 – Ben Askren (USA) def. Toni Linden (Finland) via arm-triangle choke
#31 – Leonardo Santos (Brazil) def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Japan) via points (8-0)
#32 – Gregor Gracie (Brazil) def. Murilo Santana (Brazil) via points (3-0)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Opening Round

#33 – Rani Yahya (Brazil) def. Kouhei Yasumi (Japan) via rear-naked choke
#34 – Jeff Glover (USA) def. Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas (Finland) via rear-naked choke
#35 – Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) def. Hiroshi “Iron” Nakamura (Japan) via armbar
#36 – Joel Tudor (USA) def. Nicolas Renier (France) via triangle choke
#37 – Leo Vieira (Brazil) def. David Marinakis (Australia) via guillotine choke
#38 – Ryan Hall (USA) def. Jeff Curran (USA) via points (5-2)
#39 – Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Jayson Patino (USA) via triangle choke
#40 – Justin Rader (USA) def. Baret Yoshida (USA) via points (7-0)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#41 – Penny Thomas (USA) def. Shanti Abelha (Denmark) via points (3-0)
#42 – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil) def. Ida Hansson (Sweden) via points (10-0)
#43 – Hannette Staack (Brazil) def. Hitomi Hiraiwa (Japan) via armbar
#44 – Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) def. Lana Stephanac (USA) via ref decision

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#45 – Hillary Williams (USA) def. Megumi Fujii (Japan) via rear-naked choke
#46 – Sayaka Shioda (Japan) def. Bianca Andrade (Brazil) via points
#47 – Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) def. Ina Steffensen (Denmark) via guillotine choke
#48 – Ana Michelle Dantas (Brazil) def. Laurence Cousin (France)

#49 – 52 – Four “Special Matches” featuring non-bracketed Spanish athletes

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#53 – Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Tomasz Janiszewski (Poland) via points (3-0)
#54 – Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Romulo Barral (Brazil) via points (3-0)
#55 – Jeff Monson (USA) def. Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) via points
#56 – Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) def. Asa Fuller (USA) via points

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#57 – Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Radek Turek (Poland) via armbar
#58 – Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil) def. Márcio Cruz (Brazil) via flying armbar
#59 – Glover Teixeira (Brazil) def. Dean Lister (USA) via points
#60 – Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) def. Tomasz Szczerek (Poland) via points

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#61 – André Galvão (Brazil) def. Chris Weidman (USA) via points (4-0)
#62 – David Avellan (USA) def. Tarsis Humphreys (Brazil) via rear-naked choke
#63 – Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. James Brasco (USA) via ref decision
#64 – Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) def. Bruno Bastos (Brazil) via points

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#65 – Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Kron Gracie (Brazil) via mounted guillotine choke
#66 – Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) def. Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo (Brazil) via points
#67 – Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Ben Askren (USA) via kneebar
#68 – Gregor Gracie (Brazil) def. Leonardo Santos (Brazil) via points

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#69 – Rani Yahya (Brazil) def. Jeff Glover (USA) via points (7-0)
#70 – Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) def. Joel Tudor (USA) via rear-naked choke
#71 – Leo Vieira (Brazil) def. Ryan Hall (USA) via guillotine choke
#72 – Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Justin Rader (USA) via brabo choke

Superfight

Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza def. Robert Drysdale via points (2-0)

Sunday, September 27 Lineup (Matches begin at 6AM ET / 3AM PT)

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) vs. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil)
Jeff Monson (USA) vs. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil)

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) vs. Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil)
Glover Teixeira (Brazil) vs. Gerardi Rinaldi (USA)

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Semi-Finals

André Galvão (Brazil) vs. David Avellan (USA)
Bráulio Estima (Brazil) vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA)

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) vs. Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan)
Pablo Popovich (Brazil) vs. Gregor Gracie (Brazil)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

Rani Yahya (Brazil) vs. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil)
Leo Vieira (Brazil) vs. Rafael Mendes (Brazil)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Penny Thomas (USA) vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil)
Hannette Staack (Brazil) vs. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil)

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Hillary Williams (USA) vs. Sayaka Shioda (Japan)
Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) vs. Ana Michelle Dantas (Brazil)

Pictured: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

Gina Carano Tops Strikeforce “Carano vs. Cyborg” Fighter Salaries

Kris Karkoski — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:55:42 +0000

Headliner Gina Carano was the top earner at Saturday’s Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg event, receiving $125,000 for her main event loss to Cris “Cyborg” Santos, who earned $25,000 for the first-round TKO victory.

Renato “Babalu” Sobral ($70,000), Jay Hieron ($55,000), Gilbert Melendez ($50,000), and Fabricio Werdum ($50,000) were also among the top earners for the event, according to the official fighter salaries released by the California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday.

Gegard Mousasi, who won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of “Babalu” in the card’s co-headliner, officially made just $2,000, but is assumed to have made significantly more, with his previous contract for Affliction’s now-defunct promotion calling for a reported salary of $125,000.

The official attendance for the Showtime-televised event was 13,976 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose for a live gate of $735,710, with a disclosed fighter payroll of $468,500.

The official fighter salaries for Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg were:

Cris “Cyborg” Santos ($25,000 – includes $5,000 win bonus) def. Gina Carano ($125,000)
Gegard Mousasi ($2,000 – no win bonus) def. Renato Sobral ($75,000)
Gilbert Melendez ($50,000 – no win bonus) def Mitsuhiro Ishida ($30,000)
Fabricio Werdum ($50,000 – $25,000 win bonus) def. Mike Kyle ($14,000)
Jay Hieron ($55,000 – $30,000 win bonus) def. Jesse Taylor ($12,000)
Scott Lighty ($4,000 – no win bonus) def. Mike Cook ($2,500)
Justin Wilcox ($5,000 – $2,500 win bonus) def. David Douglas ($5,500)
James Terry ($6,000 – $3,000 win bonus) def. Zak Bucia ($2,000)
Alex Trevino ($3,500 – $1,500 win bonus) def. Isaiah Hill ($2,000)

For more Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg coverage check out MMAFrenzy.com’s Strikeforce category.

Pictured: Gina Carano

Strikeforce Roundup: Fedor Debut Pushed to November, Nick Diaz vs. Jay Hieron Title Fight Planned, Next Opponent for Cyborg, and More

Kris Karkoski — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:55:59 +0000

Fedor Emelianenko’s Strikeforce debut is now likely to take place in November against Brett Rogers or Fabricio Werdum, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, who confirmed the news and Saturday’s post-fight press conference and also dismissed rumors that the top-ranked heavyweight could fight Ricco Rodriguez. Emelianenko’s first fight for the promotion won’t take place at Strikeforce’s home at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, which hosted Saturday’s card.
Coker also announced that Marloes Coenen (16-3), a little-known Dutch fighter who’s earned stoppages in all but two of her career victories, could be the first opponent for newly-crowned 145-pound Strikeforce women’s champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos. It was also announced that Strikeforce could host an eight-fighter female tournament, with the winner taking on the women’s title-holder.
Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi, who won the title on Saturday with a first-round knockout of Renato “Babalu” Sobral, said at the post-fight press conference that he plans of remaining at 205-pounds for “two or three years” before a possible move up to heavyweight.
Strikeforce is planning a Nick Diaz vs. Jay Hieron welterweight title fight, which could take place before the end of the year provided Diaz resolves his issues with the CSAC after failing to be licensed for Saturday’s event for refusing to take a mandatory pre-fight drug test.
Strikeforce’s end-of-year schedule includes three Strikeforce Challengers events, one each in September, October, and November, as well as major Showtime-televised cards in November and December.

Strikeforce Results: Cyborg Wins Title With First-Round Knockout of Carano

Kris Karkoski — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:39:17 +0000

Cris “Cyborg” Santos needed less than one round to become the first-ever Strikeforce 145-pound women’s champion, knocking out Gina Carano in the opening round of Saturday’s Strikeforce headliner at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

After an exciting start to the main event that saw Cyborg pick Carano apart with powerful punches, Santos used a late flurry of ground and pound to force the referee to step in and stop the bout just one second remaining before the end of the opening frame.

With the victory, Cyborg improves to 8-1 with eight-straight wins dating back to 2005, while Carano falls to 7-1 after suffering he first career loss.

In other main card bouts, Gegard Mousasi became the new Strikeforce light heavyweight champion with a 60-second knockout of Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Gilbert Melendez retained the promotion’s interim lightweight title with a third-round TKO of Mitsuhiro Ishida, and heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum submitted Mike Kyle in the opening round to kick off the Showtime broadcast.

Jay Hieron, Scott Lighty, Justin Wilcox, James Terry, and Alex Trevino were all victorious on the event’s preliminary card.

The official results for Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg were:

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos def. Gina Carano via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:59
Gegard Mousasi def. Renato “Babalu” Sobral (c) via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:00
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship
Gilbert Melendez (c) def. Mitsuhiro Ishida via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 3:56
Strikeforce Interim Lightweight Championship
Fabricio Werdum def. Mike Kyle via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:24
Jay Hieron def. Jesse Taylor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Scott Lighty def. Mike Cook via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 2:05
Justin Wilcox def. David Douglas via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 3, 3:16
James Terry def. Zak Bucia via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:23
Alex Trevino def. Isiah Hill via submission (key lock) — Round 1, 3:56

Pictured: Cris “Cyborg” Santos

Strikeforce Weigh-In Results: Carano and “Cyborg” On Weight

Kris Karkoski — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:49:45 +0000

“Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg” headliners Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, who meet for the newly-created Strikeforce 145-pound Women’s Championship in Saturday’s Showtime-televised main event, successfully made weight for the matchup at Friday’s official weigh-ins in San Jose, California.

Carano tipped the scale at 143-pounds, while “Cyborg” weighed in at 144.5.

The rest of the 18-fighter card also successfully made weight with the exception of Jesse Taylor, who weighed in one pound over the welterweight limit for his main card bout against Jay Hieron. A late-replacement, Taylor has one hour to shed the extra pound.

The official weigh-in results are:

MAIN CARD

Gina Carano (143) vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (144.5)
Strikeforce 145-pound Women’s Championship (vacant)
Renato “Babalu” Sobral (c) (201) vs. Gegard Mousasi (204)
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship
Gilbert Melendez (c) (155) vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (155)
Strikeforce Interim Lightweight Championship
Mike Kyle (219)vs. Fabricio Werdum (228)
Jay Hieron (169) vs. Jesse Taylor (172)*

PRELIMINARY CARD

Mike Cook (205) vs. Scott Lighty (202)
David Douglas (156) vs. Justin Wilcox (154)
Zak Bucia (170) vs. James Terry (169)
Isaiah Hill (156) vs. Alex Trevino (156)

* Taylor has one hour to lose one pound and reach the 171-pound non-title welterweight limit.

Toughill Tapped as Reserve For Carano vs. Cyborg

Justin H — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:16:12 +0000

Originally rumored to be a participant on the August 15th “Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg” fight card, Erin Toughill has instead been tapped as a reserve combatant for the events headlining bout. Should either of the scheduled participants, Gina Carano or Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, be forced to withdraw, Toughill will take their place. According to a report from MMAFanhouse Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz confirmed Toughill’s role Thursday.

Toughill is a former Palace Fighting Championship competitor, who has amassed a 10-2-1 record in her MMA career. Her only loss in her last ten bouts was due to a disqualification for elbows at Smackgirl ‘World ReMix 2004.’ She has also garnered a professional boxing record of 8-2-1, but hasn’t competed in the sport since 2006.

Also of note, Toughill joined Carano on the second season of American Gladiators as “Steele”, the show has since been cancelled.

Click here for the latest Strikeforce news and Strikeforce rumors.

Pictured: Erin Toughill

Women Get Five Minute Rounds

Justin H — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:08:55 +0000

Strikeforce has now made another contribution to the world of MMA, particularly women’s MMA. Strikeforce is already the largest promoter to feature female fights. They have also given women the first North American headlining slot with Gina Carano vs. Christiane “Cyborg” Santos on August 15. Now they have added to that list the first two high profile female bouts to be contested with five minute rounds.

Last week it was confirmed by ESPN.com that Carano v. Cyborg received permission from the California State Athletic Commission to go five minute rounds. This marked a departure from past requirements by athletic commissions that the women only fight three minute rounds. At the time, however, Strikeforce said that the length of rounds in women’s fights would be determined on a fight by fight basis depending on the rulings of the governing athletic commission.

Now Strikeforce CEO Mike Afromowitz has confirmed to MMAJunkie that the Washington State Athletic Commission has followed California’s lead. The WSAC has given its blessing to five minute rounds in women’s fights for the Friday night bout between Shayna Baszler and Sarah Kaufman. The article went on to quote Afromowitz as saying “We can’t yet commit to every women’s fight using five-minute rounds because we’re working with the athletic commissions in the various states we visit, but we hope to get to that point eventually.”

[Pictured: Shayna Baszler]

Carano-Cyborg Winner To Be Crowned First Strikeforce 145-Pound Women’s Champion

Kris Karkoski — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:43:41 +0000

The winner of the anticipated August 15th matchup between Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will be crowned the first-ever Strikefore 145-pound women’s champion, the promotion recently announced.

Carano-Cyborg, which will feature 5 3-minute rounds as opposed to the 5 5-minute rounds of male title bouts, headlines the Showtime-televised card, which takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The event is also slated to feature a rematch between Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez as well as a heavyweight championship bout pitting current title-holder Alistair Overeem against Brett Rogers.

Tickets for the event go on sale to the public beginning at 10am ET on Monday, June 15th.

For more on the recently-announced event click here.

[Pictured: Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos]