Jorge Gurgel | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
The undercard for Strikeforce “Columbus” has begun to materialize, as UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel will take on Tyler Combs in an all-Ohio affair at the March 5 event.
The event, which will be headlined by a light heavyweight title bout between champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante and onetime Pride Fighting Championships star Dan Henderson, will go down at the Nationwide Area in Columbus, Ohio, and will coincide with the city’s annual Arnold Fitness Weekend.
Gurgel holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but he is famous for his gutsy, unrelenting stand-up attack. Born in Brazil, the 34-year-old currently fights and teaches out of West Chester, Ohio. A contestant on season two of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Gurgel went 3-4 during his run with the UFC, though he twice earned “Fight of the Night” honors.
Though Gurgel was successful in his 2009 Strikeforce debut against Conor Heun, he enters his bout with Combs riding back-to-back defeats. He was first outpointed by prospect Billy Evangelista in the main event of Strikeforce Challengers 4, and subsequently knocked out by former EliteXC lightweight king K.J. Noons in August.
Combs also hails from Ohio and has done most of his damage fighting in local shows around the Midwest, where he has racked up six knockout wins. Most recently, the Killing Fields Fighting product was submitted by Mike Lullo at a Chicago Cagefighting Championship event in October. The “Tyrant” has never been to a decision and has finished 10 of his 11 career victims by either KO or submission.
Strikeforce “Columbus” will also feature a women's 135-pound title tilt, as Marloes Coenen will put her belt on the line for the first time against Miesha Tate. Middleweights Tim Kennedy and Luke Rockhold will also square off, while the aforementioned Billy Evangelista will meet Jorge Masvidal in a lightweight scrap.