10 Fights Official for April 9 Strikeforce
Mike Whitman Apr 2, 2011
Both the undercard and main draw are now set for Strikeforce “Diaz
vs. Daley,” the promotion announced on Saturday, as 10 bouts have
been greenlit for the event.
Strikeforce made official six new undercard bouts after revealing Friday that Keith Jardine will serve as a last-minute replacement for an injured Mike Kyle against Dream light heavyweight titleholder Gegard Mousasi as part of the televised card.
The event, which airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. PT/ET, goes down April
9 from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego and will be
headlined by a welterweight title fight between reigning king
Nick
Diaz and heavy-handed challenger Paul Daley.
Also scheduled for the event is a lightweight title scrap featuring
champion Gilbert
Melendez and former Shooto titleholder Tatsuya
Kawajiri, as well as an additional 155-pound showdown pitting
Shinya
Aoki against Lyle
Beerbohm.
Highlighting the recently announced undercard pairings is a bout featuring Dream featherweight champion Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictured), as the Japanese import squares off with Gladiator challenge veteran Robert Peralta.
Takaya makes his first appearance in the United States since a two-fight run with the WEC netted him back-to-back losses. His debut in the blue cage resulted in a 91-second knockout defeat to hard-swinging Leonard Garcia at WEC 32 in 2008. Takaya fared considerably better in his second outing with the promotion, taking Cub Swanson the distance in an ultimately futile performance that earned him “Fight of the Night” honors. Since his departure from the WEC, Takaya has won six of his last eight bouts fighting under the Dream banner. Most recently, the 33-year-old won the Japanese promotion’s featherweight title by besting Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes at Dynamite “The Power of Courage 2010” on New Year’s Eve.
Fighting out of San Diego, Peralta rides a six-fight winning streak heading into his showdown with Takaya. The Team Kadillac representative has fought the entirety of his pro career under the Gladiator Challenge and MMA Xtreme banners. Peralta had an active 2010, fighting four times last year and finishing all four of his foes by either knockout or submission. The featherweight has knocked out all but two of his conquered opponents and has only been to a decision once in his four-year pro career.
Also scheduled for the undercard is a heavyweight bout between Virgil Zwicker and Brett Albee and a lightweight affair between Joe Duarte and Saad Awad. Additionally, Herman Terrado will meet A.J. Matthews in a welterweight contest, while Rolando Perez and Edgar Cardenas lock up at featherweight. Rounding out the bill will be a middleweight fight between Casey Ryan and Paul Song.
Strikeforce made official six new undercard bouts after revealing Friday that Keith Jardine will serve as a last-minute replacement for an injured Mike Kyle against Dream light heavyweight titleholder Gegard Mousasi as part of the televised card.
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Highlighting the recently announced undercard pairings is a bout featuring Dream featherweight champion Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictured), as the Japanese import squares off with Gladiator challenge veteran Robert Peralta.
Takaya makes his first appearance in the United States since a two-fight run with the WEC netted him back-to-back losses. His debut in the blue cage resulted in a 91-second knockout defeat to hard-swinging Leonard Garcia at WEC 32 in 2008. Takaya fared considerably better in his second outing with the promotion, taking Cub Swanson the distance in an ultimately futile performance that earned him “Fight of the Night” honors. Since his departure from the WEC, Takaya has won six of his last eight bouts fighting under the Dream banner. Most recently, the 33-year-old won the Japanese promotion’s featherweight title by besting Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes at Dynamite “The Power of Courage 2010” on New Year’s Eve.
Fighting out of San Diego, Peralta rides a six-fight winning streak heading into his showdown with Takaya. The Team Kadillac representative has fought the entirety of his pro career under the Gladiator Challenge and MMA Xtreme banners. Peralta had an active 2010, fighting four times last year and finishing all four of his foes by either knockout or submission. The featherweight has knocked out all but two of his conquered opponents and has only been to a decision once in his four-year pro career.
Also scheduled for the undercard is a heavyweight bout between Virgil Zwicker and Brett Albee and a lightweight affair between Joe Duarte and Saad Awad. Additionally, Herman Terrado will meet A.J. Matthews in a welterweight contest, while Rolando Perez and Edgar Cardenas lock up at featherweight. Rounding out the bill will be a middleweight fight between Casey Ryan and Paul Song.
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