Also on the Showtime televised main card, Strikeforce newcomer Kerry Vera earned a first round TKO victory over Kim Couture, Bobby Voekler weathered an early storm to defeat Erik Apple with a second round TKO, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante bounced back from his previous loss, defeating Aaron Rosa via second round TKO, and Kevin Casey submitted Chad Vance in the opening round.

The complete results for Strikeforce Challengers 5 were:

• Tyron Woodley def. Rudy Bears via submission (arm triangle) — 2:52 Round 1
• Kerry Vera def. Kim Couture via TKO (strikes) — 3:35 Round 1
• Bobby Voelker def. Erik Apple via TKO (strikes) — 1:23 Round 2
• Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. Aaron Rosa via TKO (strikes) — Round 2
• Kevin Casey def. Chad Vance via submission (rear naked choke) — 1:41 Round 1
• Lee Gibson def. Joe Wilk via TKO (strikes) — 4:39 Round 1
• Brian Davidson def. Russel Patrick via TKO (strikes) — 0:29 Round 1
• Nick Nolte def. Andrew Waters via submission (triangle choke) — 3:45 Round 1
• Darryl Cobb def. Gary Tapasua via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Mike Chandler def. Rich Bouphanouvong via TKO (strikes) — 2:07 Round 2
• Lucas Lopes def. Dominic Brown via TKO (strikes) — 0:45 Round 2

Pictured: Tyron Woodley and Rudy Bears

The event takes place at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas and airs live on Showtime at 11pm ET (delayed on west coast).

The card’s complete weigh-in results were:

MAIN CARD

• 170: Tyron Woodley (171) vs. Rudy Bears (170)
• 135: Kerry Vera (135) vs. Kim Couture (136)
• 170: Erik Apple (170.5) vs. Bobby Voelker (170)
• 205: Aaron Rosa (206) vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (205)
• 185: Kevin Casey (185) vs. Chad Vance (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• 155: Lee Gibson (155) vs. Joe Wilk (155.5)
• 145: Brian Davidson (147) vs. Russell Patrick (144)
• 170: Andrew Walters (171) vs. Nick Nolte (171)
• 185: Darryl Cobb (184) vs. Gary Tapasua (185)
• 165: Mike Chandler (166) vs. Rich Bouphanouvong (164)
• 190: Dominic Brown (190) vs. Lucas Lopes (191.4)

Stop back to MMAFrenzy.com tomorrow for Strikeforce Challengers 5 results and also be sure to check out a photo gallery from today’s weigh-ins.

Pictured: Tyron Woodley and Rudy Bears

Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem, who has yet to fight again for the promotion since winning the title in November 2007, returned to MMA action overseas over the weekend, dominating Tony Sylvester at Ultimate Glory 11 in Amsterdam, Netherlands before finishing the fight with a guillotine choke in just 83-seconds. Overeem will fight again this weekend at DREAM 12 against James Thomson before he’s expected to return to Strikeforce to defend the title.

Pictured: Alistair Overeem

Though no bouts have yet been confirmed for the card, a previously-reported women’s matchup between Kim Couture and Kerry Vera is expected to be featured and undefeated heavyweight Roger Gracie is also expected to make his Strikeforce debut on the card.

In other Strikeforce news, heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum has been added to the lineup for the promotion’s November 7 CBS-televised event headlined by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers, but his opponent has not yet been announced.

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

Pictured: Fabricio Werdum

Ratings for the second episode of The Ultimate Fighter 10 dropped 29 percent to 2.9 million from the series record 4.1 million who tuned in for the TUF 10 debut. [Spike TV]

Pictured: Anderson Silva

Sarah Kaufman

PRESS RELEASE — Undefeated power puncher Sarah Kaufman (8-0) will fill the void left by Kim “Sugar Free” Couture and throw down with fellow rising star Miesha Tate (6-1) in a 135-pound contest during the SHOWTIME televised portion of the inaugural Strikeforce Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) event at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Friday, May 15.

Couture’s withdrawal last week created an ideal opportunity for the 23-year-old Kaufman, who is in fighting form after stopping Sara Schneider in the second round of their matchup on April 23. Kaufman has never been taken the distance in a professional fight.

“I’m very excited about this fight because I’ve been hearing about Miesha Tate for quite a while,” said Kaufman, a former dancer who hails from British Columbia, Canada. “I know she has good wrestling and she’s been pretty active. She’s probably going to want to take the fight to the ground and I’ll want to stay standing so it should be an interesting matchup.”

Punching and kicking opponents is a far cry from Kaufman’s former passion. She’s been dancing since the ripe age of two. At eight years old, the five-foot, five-inch Kaufman joined a dance company and soon after began performing in musicals, dancing to everything from ballet to jazz to hip-hop.

It was a few years ago that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Adam Zugec opened an MMA school directly underneath the dance studio where Kaufman practiced daily. After trying a single aerobic kickboxing class, she quickly gravitated towards martial arts.

“I’m very competitive by nature so I just pushed myself and eventually started competing in grappling tournaments,” explained Kaufman.

“One day, an opportunity to fight came up so it just seemed like the next logical step for me at that point. There wasn’t anywhere else I could go with dance unless I wanted to turn professional so I put the dancing aside.”

Since her professional MMA debut three years ago, Kaufman has added a breath of athleticism as well as credibility to the women’s field of competitors in the sport with the speed and force of her hands.

“I have the ability to put a lot of punches together because my conditioning is always really strong. I let my hands go and, at the same time, I don’t mind taking a shot to give a shot so I think that’s why I’ve performed the way I have so far.”

Whereas Tate was regarded a heavy favorite in the matchup with Couture, she will enter the cage as an underdog against her new, unbeaten opponent.

“I like being the underdog because I have everything to gain and nothing to lose,” said the 22-year-old Tate, who has been on a tear of late, stopping each of her last three opponents in the first round.

“I think (Kaufman)’s in for a surprise because she’s probably figuring that she’s beaten opponents that fight similar to me. But, she hasn’t fought me yet.”

A native of Olympia, Wash., Tate was introduced to wrestling during her teen years when a girlfriend convinced her to join their all-boys high school wrestling team. Tate’s passion for the sport developed as she learned. Eventually, wrestling led Tate to join the MMA club at Central Washington University.

Last year, Tate enlisted with Victory Athletics, the elite fight squad headed by MMA star and two-time Matt Hughes conqueror Dennis “Superman” Hallman.

“He’s got so much to offer technically,” she said about her mentor. “He comes from a wrestling background so his fighting style is very similar to the one I want to develop.”

Tickets for the first Strikeforce Challengers event are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office and select Save Mart Supermarkets as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and Strikeforce’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Undefeated lightweight (155 lb. limit) sensation Billy Evangelista (9-0) will face off with hard-hitting brawler and BJ Penn protégé “Iron” Mike Aina (11-6-1) in the main event live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from the Save Mart Center.

Also on the SHOWTIME telecast, Aaron Rosa (11-2) will meet Anthony “A Train” Ruiz (21-12) in a light heavyweight (205-pound limit) fight while Lavar “Big” Johnson (11-3) will square off with Carl Seumanutafa (4-2).

Strikeforce Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series was designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

Kim Couture

Kim Couture has withdrawn from her scheduled May 15th Strikeforce bout against Miesha Tate for undisclosed reasons.

Strikeforce today confirmed the card change, but did not announce the reason for her withdrawal from the debut installment of ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers in Fresno, California.

On Tuesday, Tate posted a MySpace bulletin alleging that Couture was withdrawing from the bout due to marital problems with her husband, UFC hall of famer Randy Couture:

So Kim ‘Sugar Free’ Couture is pulling out of the fight supposedly cuz her and Randy are getting a divorce………..I’m so pissed right now……Sugar Free my ass!!”

Tate then issued an apology for the bulletin on Wednesday:

So I missunderstood about what I had previously stated, I have a few friends that train at Extreme Couture one of which told me Randy and Kim were having issues and then she backed out of the fight on me and I was VERY upset because most of you know this fight meant the world to me, it was my big break and I was really upset when I found out and jumped to conclusions. My apologies to Randy and Kim, When I wrote about them I meant no ill intentions and didn’t mean to blast their personal life, I was just focused on the fact I wasn’t going to get the fight. I forget how famous they are and didn’t even think how that might effect them and their personal life which was immature and stress my apology to them and who ever else it may concern.

Strikeforce is working to replace Couture and finalize the event’s lineup.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for updates on this MMA news as it becomes available.

Kim Couture

PRESS RELEASE: NEW YORK (April 20, 2009)—Mixed martial arts (MMA) upstart Kim “Sugar Free” Couture (1-1), wife of MMA legend Randy Couture, will take a major step up in competition when she squares off with fearsome submission expert Miesha Tate (5-1) in a live SHOWTIME-televised 135-pound limit contest at the inaugural SHO MMA: Strikeforce Challengers event at Fresno, California’s Save Mart Center on Friday, May 15.

SHO MMA: Strikeforce Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. SHO MMA provides today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

In addition, Aaron Rosa (11-2) will face Anthony “A Train” Ruiz (21-12) in a light heavyweight (205-pound limit) fight on a fight card headlined by undefeated lightweight (155-pound limit) Billy Evangelista (9-0) versus BJ Penn protégé “Iron” Mike Aina (11-6-1).

The SHOWTIME telecast will air live beginning at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and feature up to five live fights.

“I think she’s definitely in for a surprise and this is going to be a little bit over her head,” said the 22-year-old Tate, who has been on a tear of late, stopping each of her last three opponents in the first round.

“I do respect the fact that she chose to fight me,” said Tate, who is considered a veteran over the inexperienced Couture. “I think she’s really tough and, at heart, she’s a fighter. She wants to fight people who are going to push her.”

A native of Olympia, Wash., Tate was introduced to wrestling during her teen years when a girlfriend convinced her to join their all-boys high school wrestling team. Tate’s passion for the sport developed as she learned. Eventually, wrestling led Tate to join the MMA club at Central Washington University.

Last year, Tate enlisted with Victory Athletics, the elite fight squad headed by MMA star and two-time Matt Hughes conqueror Dennis “Superman” Hallman.

“He’s got so much to offer technically,” she said about her mentor. “He comes from a wrestling background so his fighting style is very similar to the one I want to develop.”

The 33-year-old Couture said, “(Tate)’s been wrestling for a long time and I’ve only been wrestling for four years, but I’ve been learning from Randy Couture.

“My training partners are Xtreme Couture fighters so I feel like I have the Cliff Notes I need to be successful in this fight. I’ve been pushed and supported by the best guys in the business.”

Couture earned her first professional victory by pummeling an overmatched Lina Kvokov in the first round of their Strikeforce meeting at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Nov. 21, 2008. The victory came shortly after she had adopted K-1 superstar Ray Sefo as her new kickboxing trainer.

It is in the area of punching and kicking that Couture feels she will have the upper hand against Tate.

”Her stand up is not strong. Before she gets to the clinch or a takedown, she’s going to have to get past my hands,” said Couture. “My Muay Thai is really good right now and I’m very confident that, if we get to the clinch, she’s gonna have a hard time taking me down.”

Rosa, of San Antonio, Tex., was victorious in his first 10 starts as a professional. Following two straight defeats, he stopped Ron “Killing” Fields in the second round in Chicago, Ill., on June 14, 2008.

The 31-year-old Ruiz, a former Strikeforce light heavyweight championship challenger, last saw action at Strikeforce’s second event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he lost a unanimous decision to former South African national wrestling champion Trevor Prangley.

Tickets for the first SHO MMA: Strikeforce Challengers event are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office and select Save Mart Supermarkets as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and Strikeforce’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Gina Carano

• Eddie Alvarez, Jorge Masvidal, and Dave Herman will be the featured fighters for Bellator’s fifth event on May 1st in Dayton, Ohio. Complete Bellator lineups are available in the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.
• Former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho will be moving up to light heavyweight to compete at DREAM 9 on May 26th in Japan against an opponent to be named. [Tatame]
• Conor Huen, who last week appeared on MTV’s Bully Beatdown, is likely to fight at Strikeforce’s June 6th event in St. Louis. [MMA Junkie]
• Seven-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and DREAM welterweight grand prix participant Andre Galvao will soon make his Strikeforce debut. [MMA Junkie]
• Kim Couture and Miesha Tate will square off in a 135-pound women’s bout at ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers 1 on May 15th in Fresno, California.
• Daiki Hata has been forced out of the DREAM featherweight quarterfinals due to an eye injury and will be replaced by Hideo Tokoro, who he defeated in the grand prix’s opening round. DREAM also announced this week the matchups for the quarterfinals, which feature Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren, Bibiano Fernandes vs. Masakazu Imanari, Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya, and Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro.
• Tim Sylvia’ and Ray Mercer’s scheduled boxing headliner for Adrenaline MMA’s third event in Alabama will take place in an MMA cage. [MMA Junkie]
• Charles “Mask” Lewis, the co-founder of TapouT who recent died in a car accident, was free of drugs and alcohol at the time of the wreck. [OC Register]
• Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz drew an official attendace of 15,211 to the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Saturday for a live gate pegged unofficially at $750,000.
• Benji Radach suffered a “shattered” right hand in his Saturday Strikeforce loss to Scott Smith and underwent surgery immediately following the fight to repair the damage. [MMA Junkie]
• The highly-anticipated women’s fight between Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos is likely to take place in August in Strikeforce with the winner being crowned the promotion’s first-ever  female champion.
• As expected, Kevin Randleman has officially signed with Strikeforce and will soon make his debut of the promotion.
• A light heavyweight bout pitting Travis Wiuff against Stanislav Nedkov has been added to Sengoku Eighth Battle on May 2nd in Japan.
• The WEC is considering holding a future event in Ohio. [Dayton Daily News]

Mike Aina

Strikeforce has announced that lightweights Billy Evangelista (9-0) and Mike Aina (11-6-1) will meet in the main event of the first-ever ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers event on May 15th at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

The promotion also confirmed that Kim Couture (1-0) will return to action at the event against an opponent to-be-announced.