With the injury to fighter Mike Kyle, the Strikeforce promotion has opted to bump up a welterweight bout between ‘Hands of Steel’ Scott Smith (17-9) and Lumumba Sayers (5-2) to the main card of next months Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey event.
Kyle was scheduled to face Gegard Mousasi on the Ohio card but officials with the promotion confirmed with MMAWeekly.com today of the change. Due to the time left before the event, it appears that no new opponent will be found found for Mousasi.
Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey is scheduled to take place on March 3, 2012 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio with the five bout main card airing on SHOWTIME.
Smith has dropped three straight fights and is 1-4 over his last five. His last fight took place in July of last year, a decision loss to Tarec Saffiedine at the Fedor vs. Henderson event.
While Sayers is 1-1 in his last two and is 3-1 over his last four. His last two bouts were with Strikeforce, a 28-second KO of Antwain Britt at a SF Challengers 20 event in November, and a submission loss to Derek Brunson at the Fedor vs. Henderson event.
The main card for Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey appears as follows:
Women’s Bantamweight Championship bout: Miesha Tate (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
Welterweight bout: Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki
Lightweight bout: K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson
Women’s Bantamweight bout: Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis
Welterweight bout: Scott Smith vs. Lumumba Sayers