Lindland Added to May 21 Strikeforce Challengers

Matt Lindland will return to the cage in a middleweight bout at Strikeforce Challengers 8 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore., the promotion announced on Monday. An opponent for Lindland, formerly a top-ranked UFC fighter and local star in the Portland area, has not been announced.

The event series, which spotlights the promotion’s up-and-coming talent, will air live on Showtime.

Lindland was an Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 games. The 39-year-old veteran suffered back-to-back losses in 2009 against Vitor Belfort at Affliction 2 in January 2009 and Ronaldo Souza at Strikeforce “Evolution” last December. Souza, a world-decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, submitted Lindland with an arm-triangle choke in the first round.

Lindland, one of the founders of Team Quest, holds victories over Phil Baroni (twice), former UFC champion Pat Miletich, and Ricardo Almeida.

Also on the card, Tyron Woodley faces Nathan Coy in a headlining welterweight bout, while undefeated Kerry Vera will meet Julianna Pena in a women’s 135-pound matchup.

Woodley, a two-time collegiate All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri, delivered his sixth career victory with a first-round arm-triangle choke against local standout Rudy Bears at Challengers 5 last November in Kansas City, Kan.

Team Quest fighter Coy has earned first-round stoppages in his last three outings, which included wins over JT Taylor and Travis Bush. Coy holds key victories against UFC veterans Ricky Story and Mike Pierce.

Vera, a decorated muay Thai fighter who trains with her husband and UFC veteran Brandon at their Alliance gym in Chula Vista, Calif., earned a one-sided, first-round technical knockout over Kim Couture at the November event as well. The 27-year-old Vera is 2-0 in MMA.

Pena earned a second-round armbar submission against Stephanie Webber at CageSport MMA in Tacoma, Wash., in her second professional bout last December.