Miesha Tate and
Hitomi Akano will meet in the first bracket of a four-women 135-pound tournament at Strikeforce Challengers 10 on Aug. 13 at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Ariz., the promotion announced on Friday.
The Showtime-televised event will host the tournament over one night, with the winner earning a title shot against the promotion’s 135-pound champion. Champion
Sarah Kaufman will defend her crown against
Roxanne Modafferi at Strikeforce Challengers 9 on July 23 in Kent, Wash.
Tate returns to the promotion following a second-round submission victory over
Zoila Frausto at Strikeforce Challengers 7 last March. The 23-year-old Tacoma, Wash., native has only two career losses on her docket, with one against current champion Kaufman.
Akano, 35, made her promotional debut against 145-pound champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, who pummeled the 135-pound Akano to a third-round stoppage in April 2009. Akano has since notched a win and split decision loss in Japan’s Jewels promotion.
Two more tournament entrants, as well as a reserve match, will be announced by the promotion shortly.
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