Strikeforce Completes Challengers 9 Card; Shane Del Rosario-Lolohea Mahe in Main Event

Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsStrikeforce on Thursday made official the full fight card for its Challengers show July 23 in Everett, Wash.

Heavyweight Shane Del Rosario (9-0) puts his unbeaten record on the line against Lolohea Mahe (4-1-1) in the mai…

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Strikeforce on Thursday made official the full fight card for its Challengers show July 23 in Everett, Wash.

Heavyweight Shane Del Rosario (9-0) puts his unbeaten record on the line against Lolohea Mahe (4-1-1) in the main event.

All nine of Del Rosario’s fights have been stoppage victories and just one has gone to the second round. His last win came more than eight months ago, an omoplata victory over Brandon Cash. Mahe is coming off a loss in his Strikeforce debut in March against Lavar Johnson.

In the co-main event, Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman (11-0) puts her title on the line against Roxanne Modafferi (15-5), who upset Tara LaRosa by split decision at Moosin’s God of Martial Arts show in Massachusetts in May. It will be Kaufman’s first defense of the title.

Sarah Kaufman: The Perfectionist

(Photo courtesy of sarahkaufman.ca)
The Strikeforce 135-pound women’s champion talks about her upcoming title defense, her desire to fight on a major Showtime/CBS card, and the potential of a superfight with 145-pound champ Cris Cyborg.
B…

Sarah Kaufman MMA Strikeforce champion
(Photo courtesy of sarahkaufman.ca)

The Strikeforce 135-pound women’s champion talks about her upcoming title defense, her desire to fight on a major Showtime/CBS card, and the potential of a superfight with 145-pound champ Cris Cyborg.

By CagePotato contributor Brian J. D’Souza

When fans think of women’s MMA, their first thought is often a tossup between pinups like Gina Carano and Miesha Tate or a 2-2 Kim Couture aided by a last name she married into. But sitting pretty at 11-0 with possession of the Strikeforce bantamweight championship belt is Victoria, BC’s Sarah Kaufman, who fights Friday, July 23rd, on the ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers event to be held in Everett, Washington. It will be her first defense against 15-5 Roxanne Modafferi, but she’s driven not just to get the win, but also by the goal of making it to the next level.

“I started out in dance when I was about two,” explains Kaufman of her earliest pastime, which was interrupted when she took her first Muay Thai class at age 17. “Adam Zugec opened Zuma (MMA gym) underneath my dance studio — when I started that, it was something fun that just took over my life.”

Later, she even tried to work her University classes around her training schedule for MMA, but there was just no compromising her passion.

“After two years of University, I decided it wasn’t really where I wanted to go. Now I’m doing MMA fulltime”

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The 10 Greatest Undefeated Fighters in MMA

Unless your name is Phillip Miller, you can’t expect to go through a career in cage-fighting without losing at least once. So in honor of Fedor Emelianenko’s first legitimate defeat, we decided to take a look at the best MMA fighters who st…

Unless your name is Phillip Miller, you can’t expect to go through a career in cage-fighting without losing at least once. So in honor of Fedor Emelianenko’s first legitimate defeat, we decided to take a look at the best MMA fighters who still have flawless records. Whose “0” will be the next to go? And whose win streak is just getting started? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section…

#1: SHANE CARWIN (12-0, all wins by first-round stoppage)
Shane Carwin UFC
Notable victories:
Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96 (TKO R1), Frank Mir at UFC 111 (TKO R1, won UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship)

Next fight:
Brock Lesnar at UFC 116, 7/3/10

He may very well take his first loss this Saturday, but right now, Shane Carwin is the most dangerous undefeated fighter in MMA — as evidenced by the fact that no opponent has made it to the second round against him, and only two have lasted past the second minute. As he immediately showed in his UFC debut against Christian Wellisch at UFC 84, Carwin has a near-supernatural ability to generate power with his 4XL fists. Though he’s backed by impressive wrestling credentials, he’s only needed those hands to achieve victory in the UFC, knocking out top contenders Gabriel Gonzaga and Frank Mir in his last two fights. Brock, get ready to have your chin tested.

#2: MEGUMI FUJII (20-0, 16 wins by submission)
Megumi Fujii Mega Megu MMA
Notable victories: Lisa Ward at Bodog Fight: Vancouver (SUB R1), Mika Nagano at Smackgirl: Starting Over (SUB R1)

Next fight: Bellator women’s 115-pound tournament quarterfinals, opponent TBA

One of the most effective submission artists in the history of MMA, “Mega Megu” owns the longest active win streak in the sport, but suffers from the same problem that Cris Cyborg is facing in the States — a scarcity of legitimate challengers. Now that she’s signed on for Bellator’s 115-pound tourney later this year, she can prove her reputation as a living legend who can do more than armbar pint-sized scrubettes in Japan.

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Sarah Kaufman, Roxanne Modafferi Set for Strikeforce Title Fight

Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsSarah Kaufman will defend her Strikeforce 135-pound title against Roxanne Modafferi at Strikeforce Challengers 9, Strikeforce has announced.

The two top 10 female fighters will meet in support of the Showtime event happe…

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Sarah Kaufman will defend her Strikeforce 135-pound title against Roxanne Modafferi at Strikeforce Challengers 9, Strikeforce has announced.

The two top 10 female fighters will meet in support of the Showtime event happening July 23 at the Comcast Arena in Everett, Wash. Undefeated heavyweight Shane Del Rosario (9-0) will main event against Lolohea Mahe (4-1-1).