Filed under: Strikeforce, News
Twenty-two-year-old striking sensation Amanda Nunes will return to the cage on June 18, when she takes on veteran Julie Kedzie. Strikeforce confirmed the matchup will take place on June 18's Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum event in Dallas. Nunes made her U.S. debut on a January Strikeforce Challengers series card, knocking out fellow striker Julia Budd in just 14 seconds. The highlight-reel win opened many eyes and lifted Nunes' name into the conversation of 145-pound contenders. Nunes started her career with a submission loss in March 2008, but has since rattled off six straight wins, all via knockout or TKO. Kedzie will be no easy test for her. The 30-year-old is 16-8 in her career and is riding a four-fight win streak, with her most recent victory coming against Kaitlin Young on April 9. Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum takes place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and also boasts Heavyweight Grand Prix fights with Josh Barnett facing Brett Rogers and Alistair Overeem taking on Fabricio Werdum in the main event.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/05/20/amanda-nunes-vs-julie-kedzie-added-to-strikeforce-overeem-vs/
"Big, strong wrestler grinds out a victory over dynamic striker."
Patricio "Pitbull: Freire couldn't have enjoyed that storyline playing out last weekend when his brother Patricky was grounded often and lost to Michael Chandler at Bellator 44.
At Bellator 45, Freire penned a different story. From the start of his fight against Daniel Straus, the younger of the Pitbull brothers was wary of the former college wrestler's takedowns and avoided the mat for all but a few seconds on his way to winning the Bellator Season 4 Featherweight tourney title in unanimous fashion, 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27, last night in Lake Charles, La.
The win gets Pitbull (17-1) a $100,000 payday and chance to rematch against Bellator 145-pound champ Joe Warren.
"There were lots of things going on in my mind," Freire told Sherdog, "but the primary thing was the victory and [getting] a shot at a belt for the first time in my career. I'm going to be a champion. I'm going to take his belt."
Freire, 23, smoked Warren in the first round of a fight last June. Pitbull couldn't close it out and thwarted by Warren's ground attack over the next two rounds. With markedly improved takedown defense against Straus, Freire looked like a different fighter.
Straus, with a three-inch height advantage over the 5-foot-5 Freire, looked massive in the cage, but his size never took over. He executed a few nice throws, but Freire bounced right back up. When the fight was in the clinch, Pitbull more than held his own and by the third round he looked like the more powerful fighter.
The stoppage of the night was produced by Bellator's new light heavyweight champ. With 45 seconds left in the fight, Christian M'Pumbu caught the former champ with a right hook and pounded him out on the ground.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9324.shtml
Strikeforce lightweight champion, Melendez talks with Showtime Sports, straight from the cage following a brutal victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri.
There's still no word on what's next for Georges St-Pierre. After he limped across the finish against Jake Shields, many folks have changed their minds about the UFC welterweight champ being invincible at 170 pounds.
Does that mean fans are more open to GSP-Jon Fitch II? Fitch sold the fight on this week's Inside MMA on HDNet (9 p.m. ET).
"You look at all the fights GSP's had, which fight has been the most exciting? Whether or not, you think I could beat him, which fight has been the most exciting fight?" Fitch asked Kenny Rice and company (0:179 mark). "And that's the fight I had with him. You're guaranteed to have an exciting fight with him. He can't hold me down, I can take his punch and I'm always gonna keep moving forward."
Fitch lost that one-sided fight at UFC 87 by a unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 50-44). Has he gotten better since then? Fitch's won five straight along with a draw versus B.J. Penn, but he hasn't exactly steamrolled people. Meanwhile, St-Pierre's become a very cerebral fighter and appears to gameplan for decision victories.
If GSP-Fitch II goes five rounds again it may spark another Wiki graffiti incident.
Is Fitch-GSP II the best option? If not, what is?
It looks like a good episode of Inside MMA with Rashad Evans, Mark Munoz, Daniel Cormier and Fitch. Evans appears to be the co-host. Hopefully, he can live up to standard set by Tito Ortiz a few weeks back. Tito struggled a little bit.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/The_Ultimate_Fighter_25/article_9358.shtml
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_9274.shtml