Press Release – NEW YORK (May 7, 2012) SHOWTIME® and STRIKEFORCE® have confirmed the full fight card for Saturday, May 19, when former UFC® titleholder Josh Barnett will meet two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier in the much-anticipated conclusion of the STRIKEFORCE® WORLD GRAND PRIX HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT. The STRIKEFORCE lightweight championship will be on the line in the evening’s co-feature, a rubber match between two long-time rivals, when champion Gilbert Melendez defends his title against no. 1 contender Josh Thomson.
Also on the SHOWTIME card, former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion Rafael Feijao will rematch against Mike Kyle, whom he lost to on June 6, 2009. In the opening fight of the telecast two up-and-coming welterweights will face-off when Nah-Shon Burrell takes on Chris Spang.
The main card, headlined by Barnett vs. Cormier will air live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while preliminary fights will be shown live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast).
MAIN CARD – LIVE ON SHOWTIME AT 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast)
* All bouts are subject to change.
STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament Final – 5 Rounds
Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier
STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Championship – 5 Rounds
Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson
STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Special Attraction – 3 Rounds
Rafael Feijao vs. Mike Kyle
STRIKEFORCE Welterweight Special Attraction – 3 Rounds
Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang
PRELIMINARY CARD – LIVE ON SHOWTIME EXTREME AT 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast)
* All bouts are subject to change.
STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Special Attraction – 3 Rounds
JZ Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Special Attraction – 3 Rounds
Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente
STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Special Attraction – 3 Rounds
Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehman
STRIKEFORCE Welterweight Special Attraction – 3 Rounds
Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort
Mauro Ranallo will call the action alongside analysts Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich with Heidi Androl serving as cageside reporter. The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr.
The STRIKEFORCE® GRAND PRIX HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT FINAL will emanate from HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Tickets are on sale and available at the HP Pavilion ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are priced at $175, $125, $75 and $45.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.
About STRIKEFORCE®
Owned and operated by Forza, LLC, a subsidiary of Zuffa, LLC, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand, STRIKEFORCE® is a world-class mixed martial arts promotion based in Las Vegas, Nev. that currently holds live events annually across the United States. First established as a mixed martial arts entity in 2006, STRIKEFORCE now broadcasts its events live on Showtime® Networks, Inc. and has produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network. With a growing roster featuring the world’s elite competitors, STRIKEFORCE has cemented its place as a leader in providing quality mixed martial arts action.
About Showtime Networks Inc.:
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.