Vera to Strikeforce, Women’s Tourneys Pushed to 2010
Loretta Hunt Sep 11, 2009
Kerry
Vera has agreed to a four-fight deal with Strikeforce that will
see the wife of UFC light heavyweight Brandon join the promotion’s
135-pound women’s division.
Vera is expected to make her Strikeforce debut sometime in November, said her trainer, Eric DelFierro. No opponent or date has been named.
Strikeforce will hold a Challengers event on Nov. 6 in Fresno,
Calif., and has yet to announce another November event to be
headlined by Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Brett
Rogers.
Vera, 27, made her mixed martial arts debut for Bellator Fighting Championships last May in Chicago, and earned praise for her unanimous decision over Leslie Smith in a gripping slugfest.
She was also the winner of the 2007 season of “Fight Girls,” an Oxygen channel reality series that documented 10 female muay Thai fighters through an elimination competition that culminated in Thailand.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker informed Sherdog.com Friday that the promotion has also pushed back plans to host two eight-woman tournaments –- at 135 and 145 pounds –- until early 2010.
DelFierro said Vera, who trains alongside her husband at the Alliance training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., would consider entering the 135-pound bracket, if invited.
“It all depends on the timeline,” he said. “She’s still developing as a fighter and we’d like to see her get two or three fights before we consider the tournament. We don’t know who’s in the tournament yet, so we’ll look at that when we know more.”
Strikeforce’s 135-pound female ranks include Meisha Tate, Hitomi Akano, Shayna Baszler, and undefeated Canadian ace Sarah Kaufman.
Vera is expected to make her Strikeforce debut sometime in November, said her trainer, Eric DelFierro. No opponent or date has been named.
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Vera, 27, made her mixed martial arts debut for Bellator Fighting Championships last May in Chicago, and earned praise for her unanimous decision over Leslie Smith in a gripping slugfest.
She was also the winner of the 2007 season of “Fight Girls,” an Oxygen channel reality series that documented 10 female muay Thai fighters through an elimination competition that culminated in Thailand.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker informed Sherdog.com Friday that the promotion has also pushed back plans to host two eight-woman tournaments –- at 135 and 145 pounds –- until early 2010.
DelFierro said Vera, who trains alongside her husband at the Alliance training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., would consider entering the 135-pound bracket, if invited.
“It all depends on the timeline,” he said. “She’s still developing as a fighter and we’d like to see her get two or three fights before we consider the tournament. We don’t know who’s in the tournament yet, so we’ll look at that when we know more.”
Strikeforce’s 135-pound female ranks include Meisha Tate, Hitomi Akano, Shayna Baszler, and undefeated Canadian ace Sarah Kaufman.
