Former light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi will be returning to Strikeforce against a formidable opponent.
The Armenian will be taking on budding contender Ovince St. Preux on December 17. No venue is currently set as a lock for the show; however, a lightweight match pitting Jorge Masvidal against champion Gilbert Melendez is expected to headline the Showtime broadcast event.
Strikeforce officials made the official announcement via Twitter just moments ago:
“He’s baaaack: Former LHW champ Gegard Mousasi will face rising prospect @003_OSP Dec. 17! Stay tuned for more info…”
Mousasi was last seen inside the Hexagon when he went to a controversial draw with UFC veteran Keith Jardine this past April. “The Dean of Mean” served as a late replacement for an injured Mike Kyle. Mousasi bounced back in July when he starched Olympic Judoka Hiroshi Izumi under the DREAM banner, finishing off the Japanese fighter inside of the first round with strikes.
At 26 years old, Mousasi remains one of the best in his class, but he will have a tall task ahead of him when he meets with St. Preux.
OSP is undefeated under the Strikeforce banner, holding a perfect 5-0 record, and is currently riding an eight-fight win streak. In his last outing, St. Preux took on fellow prospect Joe Cason this past July, blitzing the heavy hitter in just 72 seconds, earning the submission due to strikes.
The winner between Mousasi and OSP will likely serve as the next immediate contender to the organization’s 205-pound title, which was recently vacated when Dan Henderson re-signed with the UFC.
Stay tuned for more as the story develops.
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