Lopez Replaces Collins Against Spiritwolf at Tachi Palace Fights 9
Mike Whitman Feb 9, 2011
Wand Fight Team member Jorge Lopez
(Pictured) will replace Phil
Collins against Strikeforce veteran Waachiim
Spiritwolf at Tachi
Palace Fights 9. A source close to the bout informed
Sherdog.com on Wednesday that Collins withdrew from the match for
personal reasons.
Sherdog.com also learned that Lopez and TPF have verbally agreed to a three-fight contract, though the deal has not been finalized. The proposed contract would be non-exclusive, unless Lopez were to win the promotion’s title in the future, in which case the terms would change and Lopez would fight exclusively for TPF.
TPF 9 will go down May 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in
Lemoore, Calif., and will feature a pivotal 125-pound scrap between
world-ranked flyweights John Dodson
and Mamoru
Yamaguchi.
Only 22 years old, Lopez rides an eight-fight win streak into his bout with Spiritwolf. After dropping his professional debut by split decision in 2007, Lopez has not lost in over three years. The “Lil Monster” owns three of his eight career victories by knockout and was last seen getting his hand raised at a South Texas Fighting Championships event in November.
Spiritwolf’s last outing was over almost before it started, as the welterweight was accidentally poked in the eye by Dream champion Marius Zaromskis just six seconds into their November bout at Strikeforce Challengers 12. When it was determined that Spiritwolf could not see to fight, the fight was waved off and declared a no-contest. A durable battler, Spiritwolf suffered back-to-back defeats before the Zaromskis incident, dropping decisions to Billy Evangelista and Delson Heleno. Before his meeting with Lopez, Spiritwolf is expected to face Jamie Jara at the Tachi Palace on March 5 as part of the Bellator Fighting Championships 35 undercard.
Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report.
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Sherdog.com also learned that Lopez and TPF have verbally agreed to a three-fight contract, though the deal has not been finalized. The proposed contract would be non-exclusive, unless Lopez were to win the promotion’s title in the future, in which case the terms would change and Lopez would fight exclusively for TPF.
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Only 22 years old, Lopez rides an eight-fight win streak into his bout with Spiritwolf. After dropping his professional debut by split decision in 2007, Lopez has not lost in over three years. The “Lil Monster” owns three of his eight career victories by knockout and was last seen getting his hand raised at a South Texas Fighting Championships event in November.
Spiritwolf’s last outing was over almost before it started, as the welterweight was accidentally poked in the eye by Dream champion Marius Zaromskis just six seconds into their November bout at Strikeforce Challengers 12. When it was determined that Spiritwolf could not see to fight, the fight was waved off and declared a no-contest. A durable battler, Spiritwolf suffered back-to-back defeats before the Zaromskis incident, dropping decisions to Billy Evangelista and Delson Heleno. Before his meeting with Lopez, Spiritwolf is expected to face Jamie Jara at the Tachi Palace on March 5 as part of the Bellator Fighting Championships 35 undercard.
Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report.
Reader comments are active below. Register an opinion by signing in with your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Yahoo! account.
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