ESPN's Outside the lines does a segment on UFC Fighter's pay:

“I’m looking forward to continuing my career with STRIKEFORCE,” said the dynamic 27-year-old Diaz, a protégé of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Cesar Gracie and resident of Stockton, Calif. “When I first got here, there weren’t a lot of great 170 pound fighters for me to fight, but that’s definitely changed. There’s a lot of really good fighters in the division now and I’m ready to fight anyone who thinks they can beat me.”

Of late, the 6-foot-1 Diaz has been unstoppable, winning his last eight matchups. In his last effort, he settled a three-year old score with arch-nemesis K.J. Noons, out-striking Noons en route to a five-round unanimous decision at HP Pavilion in San Jose last Oct. 9.

Five months prior to the victory over Noons, the no-nonsense Diaz, one of MMA’s most intriguing figures, ventured to Saitama, Japan, to face top-ranked rival Hayato “Mach” Sakurai in a DREAM promoted affair. To the surprise of many, the southpaw Diaz made quick work of Sakurai, submitting the Japanese fighter with an armbar at the 3:54 mark of the first round.

Diaz was crowned the first STRIKEFORCE MMA welterweight champion in history last Jan. 30 after he scored a thunderous first round (4:38) TKO on rising star Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis with an onslaught of punches at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

Diaz’s next challenge and second title defense is set for Sat., Jan. 29 when he will square off with Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in the main event of a stacked STRIKEFORCE fight card at HP Pavilion, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

As reported on Shane Carwin's website:

I am going to pull out of the fight with Roy Nelson. As many of you know I have been having some back pain. I had an MRI yesterday and I have some damage that may really require surgery. If the doctors do not have to perform surgery then I will be out 8-12 weeks. If they do have to perform surgery I do not know how long I will be out of action.


I was really looking forward to fighting again and obviously this is a very disappointing turn of events. My manager said "You can't fight the best fighters in the world with just heart, it is time to stop limping to the top of the mountain and get healthy so you can climb it on your terms." I have been up all night thinking about this decision and what I may be missing by making it.


In the end my family and manager are right. I owe myself, I owe my fans the best show I can give them. I need to get healthy. I am going to be speaking with the surgeon this week about the surgery. My thoughts are if the surgery fixes it why add 8-12 weeks of physical therapy, epidurals and traction if surgery may still be needed.


The good news is the doctors said I can work on my cardio (they must have seen my last fight lol) with this injury.


This is a hard decision but the right one and I home #TeamCarwin can stand by me through this period of my career. No one wants to get me back to winning more than me. I just need to be healthy to do it.


This type of thing is MMA. I know I am saying that a lot but it is the truth. We sacrifice our minds and bodies on our own time and our own dimes to prepare for battle. in hopes that we get the call for battle. In that process things can go wrong and if we don't compete we don't get paid. The time, money and sacrifices are lost and your opportunity might pass you by. Some fighters choose to fight injured as the risk is worth any part of the reward they may receive.


This is why sponsors who support fighters outside of when they fight are critical to this sports success. This is why I am always thanking my sponsors.


If it wasn't for my sponsors I would not be where I am and I surely would not able to make this very difficult decision right now. Thank you Dethrone, Budlight, Good4UDrinks, and performancemma.com for your continued support. Thank you to my other sponsors and to all of those helping us fighters chase this dream of being a Champion.


Thank you to Jason Genet for being able to make sure that all of my efforts in and out of the ring have value. You and your team have done so much for me and my family words cannot describe how grateful we are.


To my fan's, we will get there and in the end this is all for you. I hope to continue to entertain you and interact with you as much as possible.


PS- If you are going to use this story please at least source where you got the content. Yes you BE!

VITOR “SHAOLIN” RIBEIRO TO FACE
JUSTIN “THE SILVERBACK’’ WILCOX
IN MAIN EVENT ON FRIDAY, NOV. 19,
IN JACKSON, MISS., LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

Ryan Couture, Son Of MMA Legend, Randy, Returns To The STRIKEFORCE Cage

San Jose, Calif. (Oct. 4, 2010) – Lightweight star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro will take on Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox of Cincinnati in the headlining fight of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

In a featured televised bout, unbeaten lightweight Ryan Couture (1-0) will face an opponent to be determined. The son of legend Randy Couture won his STRIKEFORCE and MMA debut with a 1:15, first-round submission (triangle choke) over Lucas Stark last Aug. 13 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state of Mississippi.

A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders” begins this Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. CT and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at www.STRIKEFORCE.com.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Oct. 8, at 10 a.m. CT at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.COM.

Ribeiro (20-4) is a decorated submission expert and one of the top 155-pounders in MMA. He won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship four times, once as a purple belt in 1996 and three times as a black belt in consecutive years (1999-2001).

His 20 victories include 14 stoppages (12 by submission) and he has defeated, among others, such notable fighters as Joachim Hansen, Eiji Mitsuoka, and Mitsuhiro “The Endless Fighter” Ishida.

Ribeiro’s losses have come against some of the division’s most talented practitioners -- Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gesias "GZ" Cavalcante and, Shinya Aoki, in the DREAM Grand Prix finals July 20, 2009.

Shortly thereafter, Ribeiro, 31, underwent successful eye surgery. He returned to the cage last May 15 and lost a controversial split decision to undefeated Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm in St. Louis, Mo.

Wilcox (9-3), a 31-year-old former NCAA wrestling star and bodybuilder, has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March 26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Fresno, Calif.

A member of San Jose, Calif.’s Team AKA, one of the most fearsome fight teams in the world, Wilcox wrestled for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where he befriended teammate Josh Koscheck, who turned his college wrestling buddy on to MMA and eventually brought Wilcox into the AKA family.

Wilcox’ first most noteworthy victory came on Aug. 30, 2008 when he scored a unanimous decision over Gabe Ruediger, a contestant on season 5 of Spike’s The Ultimate Fighter reality series.

The younger Couture is a member of the Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme Couture fight team. Before impressively winning his pro debut, the 28-year-old compiled an amateur record of 5-1-1 with all five wins coming by submission.

Couture, whose parents split up when he was in the sixth grade, spent his high school years in suburban Seattle. With his father being a former wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University, Couture naturally developed into a talented high school wrestler.

Following high school, Couture enrolled in Western Washington University in Bellingham, where he graduated in 2004 with a mathematics degree. He worked at a local bank until he realized his desire to work in the family business.

Couture began MMA training in 2006, working diligently to mature into a well-rounded fighter, adding Muay Thai and a dangerous submission game to his repertoire. In January 2008, he moved to Las Vegas to train with his father. He has had access to a who’s who of MMA royalty as training partners and coaches, which, coupled with a solid amateur career, has given him the background and confidence to take his fight career to the next level

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first fight on SHOWTIME will begin at 9 p.m.


About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

CONTACT: STRIKEFORCE :
Mike Afromowitz (917) 566-8754, mafromowitz@strikeforce.com

Brener Zwikel & Associates:
Steve Pratt (818) 462-5602, SteveP@BZAPR.com
John Beyrooty (562) 233-7477, Johnnybey@aol.com

Kaufman to Defend STRIKEFORCE Women’s Belt Against Coenen
Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT; Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Today

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Aug. 25, 2010) – A grudge rematch that fans, media, and the confident fighters themselves have been clamoring for since the first fight ended in bloody controversy nearly three years ago, will take place on Saturday, October 9, when KJ Noons (9-1), fresh off a knockout victory last Saturday, challenges STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Nick Diaz (22-7, 1 NC) in the main event at HP Pavilion here, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the co-feature, undefeated STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight World Champion Sarah Kaufman (12-0) will make the second defense of her 135-pound title against No. 1 contender and Dutch superstar Marloes Coenen (17-4).

Another featured fight will pit an emerging star from the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series, up-and-coming Luke Rockhold (7-1), against the vastly more experienced, 2000 Olympic Games wrestling silver medalist, Matt "The Law" Lindland (22-7), in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest.

Tickets go on sale to the general public this Saturday, Aug. 28, at 10 a.m. PT online at Ticketmaster.com, at HP Pavilion ticket office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

A special presale opportunity for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers begins today, Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. PT. Sign up to become a “STRIKEFORCE Insider” at http://www.strikeforce.com/insider.html.

Diaz has not lost a fight since he first faced Noons, losing via disputed first-round TKO on Nov. 7, 2007. Diaz has been devastating in recent outings notching seven in a row. The talented, outspoken, no-nonsense brawler also boasts a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

The always-dangerous Noons is an aggressive and prolific striker who has won his last six fights, including the thrilling slugfest against Diaz that ended when the cageside physician halted the proceedings due to excessive cuts around Diaz’ eyes.

Since that fight, there has been no love lost between the pair of brash fighters. Seven months after their first fight, on June 14, 2008, the fighters and their camp members nearly came to blows in the cage after the fighters registered victories in separate bouts.

“Nick has no class, he’s a bum, a piece of (expletive) and he and his team disrespected my family and I with their gestures and trash talk and tried to upstage my fight,’’ said Noons after the near-fracas.

Offered Diaz: “I’m sorry about what happened in the cage afterward, but I didn’t start it. His guys were talking (expletive) to us.’’
(more)

Page 2
STRIKEFORCE: DIAZ VS. NOONS SATURDAY, JULY 9, AT HP PAVILION IN SAN JOSE ON SHOWTIME


Diaz is coming off a first-round submission (armbar) over fellow superstar Hayato “Mach” Sakurai last May 29 at DREAM 14 in Japan. The six-foot, 27-year-old Diaz won the STRIKEFORCE title with a convincing first-round TKO (punches) over Marius “The Whitemare” Žaromskis on Jan. 30, 2010.

The 5-foot-11, 27-year-old Noons, who was born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, registered a spectacular, crowd-pleasing second-round knockout over Jorge Gurgel during last Saturday’s STRIKEFORCE: Houston, live on SHOWTIME.

Kaufman, a former ballet dancer, retained her belt for the first time with an explosive third-round body slam KO over Roxanne Modafferi at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Everett, Wash., on July 23.

The personable, hard-hitting, 5-foot-5, 24-year-old Kaufman, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has scored knockouts in nine of her 12 victories.

Coenen, 29, will appear before an audience for the first time since suffering a hard-fought third-round TKO loss to Cris Cyborg for the STRIKEFORCE Women’s Middleweight (145 pounds) Championship at STRIKEFORCE: Miami last Jan. 30.

The game and courageous, 5-foot-9 Coenen gave Cyborg one of her toughest fights. A member of Holland’s Team Golden Glory, Coenen has been a mixed martial artist since the age of 14. She will be moving down in weight to challenge for the title.

Rockhold of Santa Cruz, Calif. will bring a six-fight winning streak into what figures to be the toughest assignment of his career. Many feel the 25-year-old is one of STRIKEFORCE’s next great middleweight stars. He has been victorious by submission in all but one of his wins. A member of Team AKA in San Jose, Rockhold won his last start with a first-round TKO (knees to body) over Paul Bradley on Feb. 26, in San Jose.

Lindland of Oregon City, Ore, brought home the silver in Greco-Roman wrestling. He’s fought the best in a 13-year MMAs career, including the famed Fedor Emelianenko. An All-American at the University of Nebraska before turning pro in 1997, Lindland holds victories over Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, former UFC welterweight champion Carlos Newton and remains one of only two men to submit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Travis Lutter.

In his most recent fight, the six-foot-tall Lindland scored a third-round TKO over “King” Kevin Casey on May 21 during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Portland, Ore.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Strikeforce Press Release Aug, 3 2010

Colleen Schneider Will Face Liz Carmouche in Prelude to Four-Woman, Single-Elimination 135-Pound Tournament To Be Contested

At Dodge Theatre, Live on SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK (Aug. 3, 2010) – Colleen Schneider and Liz Carmouche will tangle in the “reserve bout” in the first-ever STRIKEFORCE women’s single-elimination welterweight (135 pounds) tournament at STRIKEFORCE Challengers on Friday, Aug. 13, from Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., live on SHOWTIME®. The match will take place during the non-televised undercard.

If a winner of a completed tournament semifinal fight cannot advance because of an injury or any other reason, they will be replaced by the Schneider-Carmouche winner.

STRIKEFORCE women’s welterweight contenders Miesha “Takedown” Tate, Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano and Maiju Kujala will compete in the tournament. A draw to determine the semifinal matchups for the two-round tournament will take place at the Official Weigh-In on Thursday, Aug. 12. Each of the tournament tussles and the reserve bout are slated for three, 3-minute rounds.

The tournament winner will become the official No. 2 challenger in the STRIKEFORCE women’s welterweight division (behind Marloes Coenen). On July 23 on SHOWTIME, undefeated world champion Sarah Kaufman impressively retained her STRIKEFORCE crown with a third-round “power slam” KO over Roxanne Modafferi.

The winners of each semifinal bout on Aug. 13 will face off in the tournament final later that night, just before the main event matchup on SHOWTIME between Joe “Diesel” Riggs (32-12) and Louis Taylor (6-1) that will be fought at a catch weight of 182 pounds.

Schneider (0-1), of Oakland, Calif., by way of Syracuse, N.Y., trains with STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez at his El Nino Training Center in San Francisco. She moved to the West Coast in 2000 to attend University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Physics and Astrophysics. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004.

“While at Cal, I met some people from the Taekwondo team who convinced me to come and try it, and I loved it,’’ Schneider said. “I did it for a few years there, and things kind of went on from there.’’

After seven years of Taekwondo, three years of Karate, two years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, two years of Muay Thai, several tournaments and countless unsanctioned fights, Schneider turned to Mixed

Martial Arts (MMA). She compiled a record of 4-0 in the amateurs before making her MMA pro debut on March 19, 2010.

“I am very happy to be fighting for STRIKEFORCE, which is the place to be right now in the women’s division,’’ said Schneider,’’ an aggressive striker known for her unorthodox kicks. 

Schneider, Carmouche to Fight “Reserve Match’’ in STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight Tournament

Carmouche (2-0) has triumphed in both her starts inside the distance. After winning by second-round TKO in her pro debut last May 29, she registered a second-round submission (armbar) over Margarita de la Cruz the following June 26.

A 25-year-old of Lebanese descent, Carmouche was born in Okinawa, Japan, and currently resides in San Diego. She spent seven years in the Marines in which she spent time fighting in the Middle East.

Carmouche currently trains at Undisputed Fitness and Training in San Diego with Manolo Hernandez and Baret Yoshida, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion.


Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Dodge Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (800) 745-3000, and online at www.livenation.com and www.strikeforce.com.

Dodge Theatre doors will open at 5 p.m. local time. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8.

The SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.)

STRIKEFORCE Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

MEDIA CONTACTS

STRIKEFORCE: Mike Afromowitz; (917) 566-8754; mafromowitz@strikeforce.com

Brener Zwikel & Associates: Steve Pratt; (818) 462-5602; SteveP@BZAPR.com

John Beyrooty; (562) 233-7477; Johnnybey@aol.com

STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS EVENT IN PHOENIX,

AUG. 13, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

SAN JOSE, Calif. (July 29, 2010) - Ryan Couture, son of MMA legend Randy "The Natural" Couture, has signed a multi-fight agreement with world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE and will make his professional MMA debut on Friday, Aug. 13 at the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., LIVE on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

The 27-year-old Couture, a member of the Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme Couture fight team, will face Lucas Stark of Chandler, Ariz. in a three-round lightweight (155 pounds) bout.

Looking to make a name for himself in the sport his father helped pioneer, Couture compiled an amateur record of 5-1-1 competing as a lightweight with all five wins coming by way of submission. He has had access to a who's who of MMA royalty as training partners and coaches, which, coupled with a solid amateur career, has given him the background and confidence to take his fight career to the next level.

Couture, whose parents split up when he was in sixth grade, spent his high school years in suburban Seattle. With his father being a former wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University, Couture naturally developed into a talented high school wrestler.

Following high school, Couture enrolled in Western Washington University in Bellingham, where he graduated in 2004 with a mathematics degree. He worked at a local bank until he realized his desire to work in the family business.

Couture began his MMA training in 2006, working diligently to mature into a well-rounded fighter, adding Muay Thai and a dangerous submission game to his repertoire. In January 2008, he moved to Las Vegas to train with his father.

In his final amateur bout on March 26, Couture fought to a draw against Sean Bollinger for the Tuff-N-UFF 155-pound title fight at The Orleans in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the Aug. 13 STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale now through www.livenation.com <http://www.livenation.com/> , www.STRIKEFORCE.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> , the Dodge Theatre Box Office, any Ticketmaster outlet or by phone at (800) 745-3000

In the main event, Phoenix native and MMA star Joe "Diesel" Riggs will take on knockout artist Louis Taylor at a catch weight of 182 pounds.

The event will also showcase a four-woman, single-elimination 135-pound tournament featuring STRIKEFORCE Women's welterweight prospects Miesha "Takedown" Tate, Carina "Beauty But The Beast" Damm, Hitomi "Girlfight Monster" Akano and Maiju Kujala.

Dodge Theatre doors will open at 5:15 p.m. MT for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8 p.m.

STRIKEFORCE Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today's top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

MEDIA CONTACTS

STRIKEFORCE: Mike Afromowitz; (917) 566-8754; mafromowitz@strikeforce.com

Brener Zwikel & Associates: Steve Pratt; (818) 462-5602; SteveP@BZAPR.com

John Beyrooty; (562) 233-7477; Johnnybey@aol.com

As has been speculated on various websites, Brazilian Carina Damm is having difficulty obtaining the necessary visa to travel to The United States for her participation in the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Friday, Aug. 13 where Damm is slated to compete in the women's welterweight (135 pounds) tournament in Phoenix, Ariz.

STRIKEFORCE is working diligently to help Carina secure a visa in time to make the trip for next month's event. In the event that she is unable to acquire a visa, however, we have identified a qualified replacement for the tournament and will release her name if Carina is officially forced to withdraw from the event. This prospective replacement has been in training camp for several weeks and is prepared to take on the task at hand.