source: mmajunkie.com
The fight card for Strikeforce's March 3 event in Ohio continues to fill, and a pair of middleweight contests were today added to the schedule.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed with sources close to the event that Derek Brunson faces former Strikeforce champ Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, and Lumumba Sayers meets Scott Smith.
"Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" takes place March 3 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and coincides with the annual Arnold Sports Festival. The main card airs on Showtime, and prelims air on Showtime Extreme.
The bout order for the event has not been released, so it's unclear if either of the two fights will appear on the evening's main card.
The undefeated Brunson (9-0 MMA, 3-0 SF) takes a big step up in competition in his fourth fight under the Strikeforce banner. The 28-year-old former Division II All-American wrestler turned pro in May 2010 and has quickly jumped out to a 9-0 mark. His record includes Strikeforce wins over Nate James, Sayers and Jeremy Hamilton.
Souza (14-3 MMA, 4-1 SF), a submission ace, fights for the first time since surrendering his belt to Luke Rockhold this past September. The result snapped a four-fight winning streak for "Jacare" and served as his first loss under the Strikeforce banner.
Sayers (5-2 MMA, 1-1 SF) looks to build on the strength of an impressive 28-second win over Antwain Britt at this past November's Strikeforce Challengers 20 event. Through seven bouts as a professional, Sayers has yet to fight past the first round.
Smith (17-9 MMA, 3-4 SF) returns to middleweight after an unsuccessful two-fight stint at 170 pounds. The heavy-handed Smith has actually lost three-consecutive fights and is just 1-3 in his past four outings.
The night's full schedule now includes:
- Champ Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey (for female bantamweight title)
- Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi
- Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki
- K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson
- Alexis Davis vs. Sarah Kaufman
- Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Derek Brunson
- Lumumba Sayers vs. Scott Smith
- Caros Fodor vs. Pat Healy
- Conor Heun vs. Ryan Couture
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