The Strikeforce promotion has added two more bouts to it’s upcoming July 14, 2012 card with a pair of lightweight bouts, Jorge ‘Gamebread’ Masvidal (22-7) is set to meet ‘The Silverback’ Justin Wilcox (11-4, 1NC), while Ryan Couture (4-1) takes on Joe ‘Hybrid’ Duarte (10-2).
Both bouts were made official by the promotion via Twitter (@Strikeforce) on Thursday.
The Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy event is expected to take place on July 14 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The event will feature two title matches as defending middleweight champ Luke Rockhold takes on Tim Kenndy, and undefeated fighter Tyron Woodley meets promotion newcomer Nate Marquardt for the vacant welterweight title.
Masvidal hasn’t fought since last December where he lost a title match to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez by decision. It was his first loss in three bouts which included victories against K.J. Noons and Billy Evangelista.
Wilcox will make his seventh straight appearance in a Strikeforce cage, and he too enters this fight on a loss. ‘The Silverback’ was KO’d by Caros Fodor in just 13-seconds at the same December event last year. Wilcox’s previous match ended in a “No Contest” versus Gesias Cavalcante after an accidental eyepoke, and his last win was a TKO victory versus Rodrigo Damm in April 2011.
Ryan Couture, son of UFC legend Randy Couture, makes enters the fight on a two fight win streak having stopped Conor Heun last March by TKO in the third round. The other win was a majority decision victory versus Maka Watson in September at a Challengers show.
Duarte has won five straight including two under the Strikeforce banner. His most recent bout took place almost a year ago in the main event of a Challengers event versus Jorge Gurgel. At the Las Vegas event, Duarte earned a decision win in a spirited match.