(more photos at Strikeforce.com)
Press Release – AUSTIN, Tex. (Feb. 16, 2011) – Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm, Carlo Prater and Lee Higgins, who will compete on the televised portion of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Texas suburb of Cedar Park this Friday, Feb. 18, participated in an open media workout Wednesday at South Austin Gym.
Beerbohm (15-0), of Spokane, Wash., will face dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (25-17), of St. Louis, in the main event live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). It will be Beerbohm’s fourth start for STRIKEFORCE and his main event debut. It will also be his initial appearance on SHOWTIME.
Prater (25-10-1), of Bryan, Texas, will battle Bryan Travers (14-2), of Bakersfield, Calif., at a catch weight of 160 pounds and Higgins (2-0), of Houston, will take on fellow unbeaten prospect Ryan Couture (1-0), of Las Vegas, Nev., in a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup. Ryan, the son of MMA legend, Randy Couture, will be making his second pro start and second for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME.
In other televised fights, Erik “Bad’’ Apple (10-2), of Laguna Niguel, Calif., will be opposed by local favorite Ryan Larson (5-2), of Austin in a welterweight (170 pounds) skirmish and David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (5-2) of Antioch, Calif., takes on Austin fan favorite Nick “The Ghost’’ Gonzalez (16-8, 1 NC) at 150 pounds.
Tickets are on sale at the Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online and STRIKEFORCE’s official website.
The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 8 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 7:15 p.m.
What the fighters had to say Wednesday:
LYLE BEERBOHM
“My ultimate goal is to become STRIKEFORCE world champion but my immediate goal is to get my hand raised and beat Pat Healy.
“This is going to be a fun, tough, hard fight that I expect will go everywhere. There’ll be stand-up, wrestling, a little but of everything. Pat is definitely an all-around great fighter who is coming off a great performance, but the bottom line is I want to win.
“This is a great matchup and I am very excited about fighting in my first main event for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. There are so many great, tough, talented fighters at 155 pounds in STRIKEFORCE. I’m looking to build off the fight Friday and show what I can do and show that I belong in that company.
“My time has come and I am really looking forward to the fight. l want that title shot.’’
CARLO PRATER
“I am very honored to be fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. I remember fighting for STRIKEFORCE at the HP Pavilion (in San Jose, Calif.) before they started promoting MMA.
“This is going to be a great fight. Travers is a tough and durable and I know I need to be at my best. I’ve trained very hard. I want to make a statement and be around a long time.
“I want Travers to be at his best so when I win, I can say I beat him at his best.’’
LEE HIGGINS
“I’m really happy for this opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME and for STRIKEFORCE. For some people, this is a really big deal but, as a fighter, for me, this is just another fight.
“I can’t and won’t allow myself to get caught up in the hype of fighting a fighter with a very famous last name. Sure, there is extra motivation but I am not going to put any more pressure on myself.
“So, I have to treat this as just another fight. Besides, I’m fighting Ryan, not Randy. I’ve watched his tapes and broken them down. I’m ready to fight the fight. There is no pressure. If anything, the pressure is on Ryan.
“I’m looking forward to a great, exciting fight.’’