Strikeforce Announces 135-Pound Women’s Tourney, but Coenen’s Got Next

Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsFor a while, it seemed as though the Strikeforce 135-pound women’s division was being overshadowed by the 145-pound weight class and its champion, Cris Cyborg. But all of a sudden, and not to mention on the eve of Strikefo…

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For a while, it seemed as though the Strikeforce 135-pound women’s division was being overshadowed by the 145-pound weight class and its champion, Cris Cyborg. But all of a sudden, and not to mention on the eve of Strikeforce’s 135-pound women’s title fight between champion Sarah Kaufman and Roxanne Modaferri, the welterweight division has become a lot more stable and clear, as the organization announced Thursday a four-woman single elimination tournament, which will crown a new No. 2 contender for that weight class.

Strikeforce also announced that Marloes Coenen, who most recently lost a 145-pound title fight to Cris Cyborg in January, has been named the new No. 1 contender and will face the winner of Modafferi-Kaufman at a later date.

The tournament, which will begin and end on the same night, will take place at the Aug. 13 Strikeforce Challengers event at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. The three, 3-minute round fights will air on the undercard of the Joe Riggs vs. Louis Taylor main event show.