Wednesday, March 30, 2011,
Torres Pacific M.A., Stockton, Calif. and Cesar Gracie Academy
STRIKEFORCE® CHALLENGERS
THIS FRIDAY AT STOCKTON ARENA;
FIRST LIVE FIGHT 5:30 P.M. PT;
LIVE ON SHOWTIME® AT 11 P.M. ET/PT
Press Release – Stockton, CA – Four of the fighters who will compete on this Friday’s stacked mixed martial arts event at Stockton Arena, including Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox, who will face off with submission wizard Rodrigo Damm in the STRIKEFORCE® Challengers main event, participated in an open media workout Wednesday at Torres Pacific M.A. in Stockton, Calif. and Cesar Gracie Academy in Lodi, Calif.
Twin brothers David and Damion Douglas as well as Stockton native Josh Thornburg, all protégés of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Cesar Gracie, were also on hand for the media workout.
The Wilcox-Damm matchup will headline a telecast on SHOWTIME® that begins at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). In other televised fights: David “Tarzan” Douglas will square off with Caros “The Future” Fodor in a matchup of fast rising lightweights and Damion Douglas will battle Wayne Phillips at welterweight. Thornburg will square off with James Terry, a star pupil of former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion Cung Le, at a catchweight of 165 pounds, and undefeated Lorenz Larkin will take on Scott Lighty in a light heavyweight matchup.
Doors open Friday at 4:45 p.m. The first of nine fights presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now starting at $20 and can be purchased at the Stockton Arena ticket office, online at www.StocktonTickets.com, by phone at (209) 373-1700 or (866) 373-7088 and STRIKEFORCE’s official website.
Selected quotes from the fighters on Wednesday:
DAVID DOUGLAS
“As long as I keep it standing, he’s done in the first round. He’s a Jiu Jitsu guy, not a striker. He may be decent at striking, but he’s not on my level. It’s going to be bad for him on Friday. I’m going to push my will and put on the fight of the night again. I’m going to destroy my opponent.”
On fighting near his hometown: “Everybody knows who I am out here, so I’m the fan favorite. This is my backyard. A lot of people are coming out to see me.”
“I think I put on crazy fights all of the time. I fight really hard and ferociously. I don’t think anyone really pushes the pace like I do. A lot of people fight to score points, but I come out to destroy them.”
DAMION DOUGLAS
On fighting on the same card as his twin brother: “People are taking to us a lot. We’re making history because we’re the first twins to fight on a televised card together. That goes down in the books so it’s exciting.”
“I’m typically a counter-fighter. I hit hard and bang a lot. I’m always in the fight, being aggressive. Most of my fights don’t last long. Hopefully, he can go a little longer and take it, so people can see my skills and strengths. If he goes out early, though, he goes out early. That’s just the way it goes.”
On his opponent: “He hasn’t been stopped yet and his losses have all been by decision. I like that because that means he comes to fight.”
JOSH THORNBURG
“I think this fight fits me pretty well. I’m really confident. I’ve gotten to watch (Terry) fight a few times. He’s fought some of my teammates. He’s kind of a pace fighter – he likes to push the pace and jump in and out. I think I’ll get the better of him standing up and, if it goes to the ground, I think I’ll get the better of him.”
On returning to the cage less than 30 days after his previous fight, a hard-fought decision loss to top prospect Roger Bowling: “To me, it’s not difficult at all. I’ve fought several times back to back to back. I don’t really take time off from the gym so it’s not like I was away from training. If anything, I think it’s more of a good thing.”
On the benefits of training with Team Cesar Gracie: “I think I’ve benefited a lot as far as learning stuff they have to teach. Nick (Diaz), Nate (Diaz), Gilbert (Melendez) and Jake (Shields) are all ranked top in the world. Training with guys like that can only make you better. They all have a lot of knowledge to share with guys like me who are coming up underneath them.”
JUSTIN WILCOX
On his opponent: “I know he’s a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and he’s on Brazil’s national wrestling team He’s a real scrappy kid. He’s tough and a game fighter so it should be a good fight.”
On how far away he feels he is from a title shot: “As soon as STRIKEFORCE thinks I’m ready, I’ll be more than ready to take it. I got into the sport to become a world champ and I feel like I’m well-rounded enough now. I’ve got two years behind me at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy), training with a bunch of world-class fighters so I think my skills are refined enough to the point that I can become champ.”