Showtime officials added two more bouts to the upcoming Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson event by posting the additions on Showtime’s official event page. Bouts include a Strikeforce women’s welterweight title fight between champion Marloes Coenen (19-4) vs. Miesha Tate (11-2), and a light heavyweight bout featuring former title holder Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal vs. Roger Gracie (4-0).
Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Henderson is expected to take place on July 30, 2011 at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The main card is set to air on Showtime across the U.S.
Coenen will defend her Women’s Welterweight (135 lb) title for the second time when she meets Tate at the end of July. Both women had been scheduled to fight in March at the Strikeforce: Columbus event, but Tate was forced to pull out because of a knee injury and was replaced by Liz Carmouche. Carmouche proved to be a tough opponent taking the fight to Coenen, but was caught in the fourth round by the champ who used a triangle choke to make her first title defense.
Tate is currently riding a five fight win streak, which includes winning the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Tournament, a one night four competitor tournament. Tate earned decisions over Maiju Kujala in the semifinal, then over Hitomi Akano in the final to earn the No. 1 contender spot last August at a Strikeforce Challengers event. This fight against Coenen will be her first bout of 2011.
News of the matchup between Lawal and Gracie has already surfaced, but is now official as ‘King Mo’ steps back into the cage after almost a year.
Lawal lost the Strikeforce 205lb title last August after Rafael Cavalcante stopped him with a third round TKO at the Strikeforce: Houston event. That was ‘King Mo’s’s first official defeat ending a seven fight win streak. Lawal has not fought since then opting to undergo knee surgery to repair a nagging injury.
Lawal represents Gracie’s toughest opponent so far in mixed martial arts. The former ADCC submission champ is 4-0 having won in 2011 by submitting Shark Fights champ Trevor Prangley last January at the Diaz vs. Cyborg event. Gracie will make his third appearance in a Strikeforce cage and will fight twice in one year for the first time in his career.