Unbeaten STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Welterweight (135 pounds) Champion and former ballet dancer Sarah Kaufman (11-0) will put her perfect record as well as her crown on the line against international star Roxanne Modafferi (15-5).

In other featured action, Abongo Humphrey (7-1) will take on Mike “Mak” Kyle (16-7-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://STRIKEFORCE.com/insider.html), beginning at 10 a.m. PT Tomorrow/Friday, June 11, until 10 p.m. PT on Sunday, June 13. STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets for the event go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, June 14 and can be purchased at the Comcast Arena box office (866-332-8499) as well as online at ComcastArenaEverett.com and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Del Rosario, of Irvine, Calif., hasn’t come close to losing since turning pro in August 2006. He has yet to go the distance; in fact, only one of his fights has gone past the first round.

In his last start, Del Rosario, who’ll be making his fifth appearance on SHOWTIME, submitted (omoplata) Brandon Cash at 2:57 of the first round on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Nov. 6, 2009. Seven of his previous eight victories came via knockout.

Besides power, the 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Del Rosario possesses excellent movement and quickness. A graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in Psychology, Del Rosario played basketball in high school. He also is an active professional Muay Thai fighter and is 6-1 (six knockouts).

Mahe will be trying to regain his winning ways after suffering the first defeat of his career in his last start to Lavar Johnson during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event last March 26.

An American Samoan who resides and fights out of Kahului Maui, Hawaii, the heavy-handed 6-foot-4, 28-year-old had his fair share of pavement punchouts before turning to MAA in November 2007,

Outside the cage, the married father of three children is very active in the Church. Every Saturday he and his family clean the local church (Ala Lani United Methodist Church).

Kaufman, of Victoria, British Canada, captured the first-ever STRIKEFORCE Women’s 135-pound Championship in her last start with a unanimous five-round decision over Takayo Hashi in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers card last Feb. 26.

In her outing before last on June 19, 2009, on SHOWTIME, the 5-feet-5, 24-year-old Kaufman outpointed Shayna Baszler in the historic first five-minute, three-round women’s fight.

Regarded as perhaps the most powerful, pure puncher in women’s MMA, Kaufman is an avid ballet, jazz and hip hop dancer who only discovered the sport after a martial arts gym opened underneath her dance studio when she was 17. She attended the University of Victoria for two years with the goal of becoming a cardiovascular surgeon before focusing her efforts on MMA.

A pro since 2006, Kaufman knocked out her first eight opponents before earning a hard-fought decision over Miesha Tate during the first-ever STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 15, 2009.

Modafferi, of Wilmington, Del., is coming off the biggest victory of her career, a three-round decision over highly regarded Tara LaRosa last May 21. The 5-foot-7, 27-year-old Modafferi has won eight of her last nine starts. The loss came in her STRIKEFORCE debut against Marloes Coenen on the undercard of “Fedor vs. Rogers” on Nov. 7, 2009.

One of the most unique and eclectic fighters in MMA, Modafferi cannot only be defined by fighting alone. A long-time admirer of Japanese culture, she graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2005 with a major in Japanese Language and Literature and a minor in Linguistics. Her pro debut on Nov. 10, 2003, came in Japan during her junior year of college.

Soon after graduating college, Modafferi moved to Japan on a permanent basis after securing a full-time teaching position in which she taught English. Her earliest MMA victories came in Japan. But the lack of comparable competition made it virtually impossible for the terrific grappler to get fights, so she moved back to the United States.

Regarding her style, Modafferi says, “I put a lot of value in perfection, which is why I generally like grappling more than striking. I think it takes the perfect pressure, the perfect control, to pull off a beautiful submission hold. You take an armbar to the point of breaking, until the opponent gives up, and you let them go, unharmed. I think it’s smooth, beautiful and masterful. I don’t really want to break somebody’s face and make them bleed — just make them give up.”

Humphrey, a military son who was born on a base in Vacaville, Calif., and resides in Atlanta, Ga., scored a submission over George Bush (guillotine choke) at 1:44 of the first-round of a STRIKEFORCE: Challengers event last March 26.

The birth name of the 5-foot-11, 33-year-old is “Ronald,” but he prefers to be addressed as “Abongo,” the name of an African warrior spirit believed to protect a village located in The Republic of Ghana. The moniker was bestowed upon him a few years ago after he endured a series of mentally and physically grueling tasks during a rites of passage trip to Africa.

Humphrey’s experience there inspired him to establish a non-profit organization that allows him to introduce other African-Americans to their heritage by bringing them to Africa.

“There are certain things that are lacking in the black community here and one of them has to do with cultural identity,” said Humphrey, whose only loss came to Brett “The Grim” Rogers. “Fighting and doing the community work in Africa is something that really drives me and motivates me in life.”

Humphrey was introduced to a national audience as a contestant on BET’s MMA reality series “Iron Ring” where he was a member of a fight team coached by MMA star, “Mr. International” Shonie Carter, and managed by hip-hop artist and producer Lil’ Jon.

“Some people are under the impression that most of the fighters on the show were push overs, but I fought and defeated some pretty well-known contenders,” Humphrey said. Among those he defeated during his stint on “Iron Ring” were former K-1 USA contender, Jeff “Big Diesel” Ford, and Carlos Moreno, who Humphrey knocked out with a head kick.

“I move more like a 205-pounder than I do a 245. I bring a lot of athleticism and skill into the cage,” Humphrey said.

Kyle has won four in a row and eight out of nine and is the last fighter to defeat highly touted Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. His only setback since April 2008 came against world-class Fabricio Werdum, who is fighting Fedor Emelianenko, the world’s No. 1 fighter, on June 26.

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

The first-ever STRIKEFORCE event scheduled for mid-week will take place in the midst of the E3 Expo, the premier trade show for computer and video games. During E3 Expo 2010 at the L.A. Convention Center, EA SPORTS(tm) will exhibit its highly anticipated title, EA SPORTS MMA, in which STRIKEFORCE is featured as a premier league.

Tickets are on sale at STAPLES Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’S official website (www.strikeforce.com). Tickets will also be sold at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE box office on days when events take place there.

In other televised matches, hard-hitting “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-5) will collide with ex- STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral, at a catch weight of 195 pounds, DREAM belt-holder Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-4) will face Evangelista Cyborg (17-13) in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest and American military hero, Tim Kennedy, will take on the dangerous Trevor Prangley in a middleweight match.

The SHOWTIME broadcast will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Doors at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE will open for the event at 6:15 p.m. PT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m. and the first main card fight will begin at 8 p.m.

Noons will be making his STRIKEFORCE debut and fifth start on SHOWTIME. He has won four consecutive fights and is 7-1 in his last eight outings. His last defeat came to Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett on Feb. 10, 2007, in the opening bout on the historic first MMA fight card ever broadcast on network premium television (SHOWTIME).

A confident, prolific striker, Noons is the last fighter to defeat current STRIKEFORCE welterweight champion Nick Diaz. In a thrilling, bloody fight on Nov. 10, 2007, Noons won by first-round TKO when a cageside doctor stopped matters after the round due to excessive cuts around Diaz’ eyes.

The 5-foot-11, 27-year-old Noons won his three ensuing fights after the setback to Krazy Horse – all by knockout — over Edson Berto (KO 3, knee) on July 27, 2007, Diaz and Yves Edwards (TKO 1, punches and elbows) on June 14, 2008.

Following a near-two-year respite to continue a boxing career, Noons returned to MMA and won a decision over Andre Armado at DREAM 13 last March 22.

“They’re a lot of good fights out there for me in STRIKEFORCE,” said Noons, a former EliteXC 155-pound titleholder. “I’m looking forward to getting a good win and moving on to bigger and better things. Fighting in Los Angeles is very cool. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of friends and fans there rooting for me.”

The boyishly handsome Noons, who was born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, has been fighting for more than 20 years.

“My father was a professional kick boxer so I’ve been in martial arts since I was five or six years old and boxing and Muay Thai since I was eight or nine,” he said. “I’ve been doing this forever and finally it’s my time to shine again and I’m ready.”

Heun, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt who prefers to kickbox in the cage, is a superb athlete and former IFL and EliteXC fighter who turned pro in 2006.

The 5-foot-10, 30-year-old Eddie Bravo-trained fighter is competing for the first time since losing his STRIKEFORCE debut on a decision in one of the most entertaining brawls of the year to Jorge Gurgel during a STRIKEFORCE: Challengers event on June 19, 2009.

The setback in a fiercely contested, electrifying slugfest between two ground fighters that gave the fans a kickboxing exhibition stole the show. At the conclusion of a grueling, non-stop-action encounter fought at a catch weight of 160 pounds, they got a standing ovation.

Bloodied and battered, the athletes “put on a fight for the ages at 160 pounds,” SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo commented during the telecast.

“I may go home a couple of bucks shorter and with some scrapes but that was the most fun I’ve ever had. I live for those 15 minutes,” said Heun, who was the stronger fighter at the finish despite coming up short by the scores of 29-28 and 30-27 twice.

The loss ended a three-fight winning streak for the aggressive-minded Heun, who entered the bout, his first in nine months, having won seven of eight.

Heun is anxious to put together another winning streak, beginning on June 16. “I’ve been eyeing a fight like this, and have been calling out Noons for a long time,” Heun said. I’m beyond thrilled this fight was made. If Noons thinks this is going to be easy, he is in for the surprise of his life. This is my time”

Before turning to MMA, Heun was a former Division III National Qualifier wrestler at the University of Ithaca where he majored in English. After graduating, Heun did not enter MMA immediately. Instead, he went into the corporate world and even owned his own clothing apparel line. He would later leave Colorado and move to California where he began to work as a dental assistant. A little more than a year ago, Heun beat up a bully MTV’s “Bully Beatdown.”

Doors at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE will open at 6:15 p.m. PT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 7 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.

On Saturday, June 26, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on SHOWTIME®, Smith will attempt to make it two consecutive victories over Cung Le in a middleweight (185 pounds) rematch of one of the most incredible Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) comeback victories of all-time.

The eagerly anticipated return bout between Smith (17-6), of Elk Grove, Calif., and Le (6-1), of San Jose, will take place on an already-stacked STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global fight card that features the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound MMA fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1),against two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in the main event.

The universally recognized No. 1 female fighter in MMA, Cris Cyborg will defend her STRIKEFORCE 145-pound belt against Jan Finney, marking the first time in history that both the No. 1 male and female fighters will compete on the same card.

In another featured fight, former STRIKEFORCE lightweight (155 pounds) champion Josh Thomson (16-3), of San Jose, will try and regain his winning ways against Pat “Bam Bam” Healy (23-15) of Portland, Ore. Thomson lost a five-round decision in his last start to Gilbert Melendez in one of the most wildly exciting, give-and-take slugfests of the year on Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion. Healy is coming off a well-deserved, unanimous three-round decision over Bryan Travers during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21.

Tickets are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com ) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com). For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.

The SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The hard-hitting, never-say-die Smith is no stranger to dramatic, stirring, come-from-behind victories. He rallied to knock out Benji Radach on April 1, 2009, at HP Pavilion and registered a highlight-reel second-round KO over the UFC’s Pete Sell on Nov. 11, 2006.

Smith, however, may have outdone himself with his courageous performance against Le, coming back from the brink of absolute defeat to triumph by third-round knockout last Dec. 19 at HP Pavilion.

Smith had taken a frightful beating for two-and-a-half-rounds as southpaw Le, making his first start in 21 months, totally dominated. The one-sided proceedings seemed over at least a couple of times as everything was going Le’s way. His trademark spinning back kicks were connecting with startling frequency and were knocking Smith around the cage.

At one point, while Smith was on the ground after getting dropped, Le seemed to throw more than 50 consecutive punches. He slammed Smith once.

But Smith, a proven finisher who has never turned down a challenge, summoned the energy and heart – again – to twice drop Le. After he connected twice on a downed Le, the referee stepped in and halted the exciting battle at 3:25.

“This was one helluva fight,” said Smith afterward. “He had me the first two-and-a-half rounds, but I’ve got a hard head. On the knockdowns, I faked the right and threw the left. Everyone always looks for my right, but the left hook is my best punch.”

“It took me until the third round to close the gap on him, but once I did and he began to drop his hands, I could sense things were starting to go my way. That’s when I feinted with the right and landed the left. It never matters who I fight. I just want these types of tough fights.”

Le, a former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion who relinquished the belt to concentrate on an acting career, offered no excuses but has been clamoring for a rematch since.

“He got the best of me last time with a good punch,” Le said. “We both fought our hearts out that night, but I’ve wanted a chance to turn the tables on him since that fight ended and now my opportunity is here. I am very excited to fight a warrior like Scott again.

“The fans in San Jose and those watching on SHOWTIME are in for a great fight again between Smith and me and a great night of fights.”

Thomson, who shut out Melendez across five rounds to capture the STRIKEFORCE world 155-pound belt on June 27, 2008, dropped a rematch by the scores of 49-46 twice and 49-47.

Like Le, the popular Thomson was coming off a lengthy layoff. It was his first start before a paying audience in 15 months due to injuries (he broke his left leg twice during training).

But Thomson showed against Melendez that he’s healthy again and he is excited about a possible rubber match. First, however, he must get past Healy.

“I’m up for a third fight with Gilbert if that’s what STRIKEFORCE wants,” said Thomson, who had an eight-fight winning streak end last time out. “I know this is a fight the fans want to see again. But my sole focus now is on winning my next fight. I can’t concern myself with future fights.

“For me, the future is June 26 and beating Healy.”

Healy has defeated quality opponents since turning pro in August 2001. He was impressive outpointing Travers (13-1 going in) by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice. It was a rare points’ victory for the durable, well-conditioned wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.

A winner of three in a row and five out of six outings, Healy is getting an opportunity against one of the fighters he most wanted to fight.

“I’ll fight anyone but there are two guys in the 155-pound as far as I’m concerned and that’s Josh and Melendez,” Healy said. “A win over Thomson, then Melendez could be next for me.”

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.

About M-1 GLOBAL

M-1 GLOBAL (www.m-1global.com) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for well over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995. During the last two years, since the inception of M-1 GLOBAL, the organization has promoted events all over the world, in over 20 countries and is shown on television in well over 100. In 2010 M-1 GLOBAL is promoting the Selection tournament, a competition to find the best new talent in MMA the world over. 160 fighters started in February from four global regions, and will be reduced to 20 champions by September. M-1 Breakthrough will be taking place in the U.S. and Europe starting in the fall and will pit MMA’s better known athletes and stars in a one-on-one competition.

The first-ever STRIKEFORCE event scheduled for mid-week will take place in the midst of the E3 Expo, the premier trade show for computer and video games. During E3 Expo 2010 at the L.A. Convention Center, EA SPORTS(tm) will exhibit its highly anticipated title, EA SPORTS MMA, in which STRIKEFORCE is featured as a premier league.

Tickets are on sale at STAPLES Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’S official website (www.strikeforce.com). Tickets will also be sold at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE box office on days when events take place there.

In other televised fights on SHOWTIME, hard-knocking, hard-hitting “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-5) will collide with former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral, at a catch weight of 195 pounds in the main event and. DREAM welterweight champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-4) will face Evangelista Cyborg (17-13) in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest.

A previously announced heavyweight match between Bobby Lashley and Ron Sparks will not transpire. Lashley suffered a knee injury during training.

Both 185-pound fighters – Kennedy (11-2), of Austin, Tex., by way of San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Prangley (22-5-1), of Couer D’ Alene, Idaho, via Cape Town, South Africa — have been impressive in recent starts.

The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Kennedy, a United States Army Special Forces sniper with the 19th Special Forces outfit based in San Antonio, has toured the Middle East multiple times, and earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire.

Inside the cage, Kennedy has won three in a row and 11 of his last 12. In his last outing, he submitted (north-south choke) Zak Cummings in the second round during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.

Prangley, a six-foot, 37-year-old former South African national wrestling champion and Olympic alternate who turned to MMA after suffering a knee injury in college, is 11-1-1 in his last 13 fights. A five-fight winning streak ended Feb. 26, 2010, when a STRIKEFORCE: Challengers fight he seemingly was on his way to winning against Karl Amoussou ended in a technical draw at 4:14 of the first round due to an accidental thumb to Amoussou’s eye.

Kennedy has split two fights with Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Kennedy’s only other defeat came to Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith in his pro debut on Aug. 31, 2001.

“I am fighting full-time and still in uniform, which is what I’ve wanted all along,” Kennedy said. “I am looking forward to fighting again against a good, solid wrestler like Prangley, who trains at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif.).

“He’s got heavy hands and a good chin. This will be a good fight for me.

Kennedy signed with STRIKEFORCE in 2009 after a two-year break the sport due to his military commitments. This will be his third start on SHOWTIME for the San Jose-based organization. Before walking through the previously unbeaten Cummings (10-0 going in) in Tulsa, Okla., Kennedy scored a second-round submission (punches) over former BodogFIGHT champion Nick “The Goat” Thompson at Kent, Wash.

“I want to keep winning,” Kennedy said. “STRIKEFORCE has a bunch of guys in my weight class who I match up very well with. I want to fight all of these guys and put on a good show for SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE.”

Prangley may not be the most feared fighter in MMA, but he is definitely not one many want to enter the cage with. He’s capable of besting anyone on any given night.

Since his pro debut (as a light heavyweight) in January 2001, Prangley has met some good ones, including “Babalu,, Jorge Santiago (his last loss) and Chael Sonnen. Prangley’s most significant victory may have come against Sonnen.

Prangley has fought for STRIKEFORCE in the past. Besides his last start against Amoussou, he also competed in STRIKEFORCE: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives, the first sanctioned MMA tournament in the state of California on November 16, 2007 and was victorious over Anthony “A Train” Ruiz by way of unanimous decision at the second STRIKEFORCE event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Sept. 20, 2008.

Doors at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE will open for the event at 5:15 p.m. PT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m. and the first main card fight will begin at 8 p.m.

The event will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

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.

Matt Lindland got back on the winning track in his middleweight match with Kevin Casey. After surviving a rear-naked choke attempt from Casey in the first round, Lindland managed to dominate his opponent and earn a TKO win in the third round.

The co-main event saw welterweights Tyron Woodley and Nathan Coy in a back-and-forth battle for three rounds. Woodley walked away with a split decision. Roger Bowling fought Bobby Voelker in a welterweight bout that ended after Voelker accidentally landed an eye poke to Bowling in the third round. Bowling was the victor by unanimous decision.

Here are the official results:

MAIN CARD:

Middleweight: Matt Lindland def. Kevin Casey via TKO (strikes) – Round 3 at 3:41
Welterweight: Tyron Woodley def. Nathan Coy via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) – Round 3 at 5:00
Welterweight: Roger Bowling def. Bobby Voelker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – Round 3 at 3:22
Welterweight: Tarec Saffiedine def. Nate Moore via KO (strikes) – Round 2 at 1:21
Lightweight: Pat Healy def. Bryan Travers via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) – Round 3 at 5:00

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Light Heavyweight: Pro Escobedo def. Jason Sharp via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – Round 3 at 5:00
Lightweight: Blaine Macintosh def. Ben Morgan via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) – Round 3 at 5:00
Welterweight: David Lloyd def. Jay Schafer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – Round 3 at 5:00
Light Heavyweight: Patrick Whittington def. Jason Lambert via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1 at 1:39
Middleweight: Hamza Salim def. Lee Flores via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – Round 3 at 5:00

The 20 fighters competing on the card hit the scales and weighed-in for the event.

Strikeforce Challengers 8: Lindland vs. Casey is scheduled for Friday, May 21, at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland. The card features a main event middleweight fight between Matt Lindland and Kevin Casey.

In the co-main event, Tyron Woodley squares off with Nathan Coy in a welterweight. Also on on the main card is a welterweight match-up between Roger Bowling and Bobby Voelker.

Showtime Sports will be televising the main card live beginning at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Here are the official weigh-in results:

MAIN CARD:

Middleweight: Matt Lindland (186) vs. Kevin Casey (184.5)
Welterweight: Tyron Woodley (170) vs. Nathan Coy (171)
Welterweight: Roger Bowling (170.5) vs. Bobby Voelker (170)
Welterweight: Tarec Saffiedine (170.5) vs. Nate Moore (171)
Lightweight: Bryan Travers (155.5) vs. Pat Healy (156.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Light Heavyweight: Pro Escobedo (205.5) vs. Jason Sharp (203.5)
Lightweight: Blaine Macintosh (155) vs. Ben Morgan (154)
Welterweight: Jay Schafer (170.5) vs. David Lloyd (169.5)
Light Heavyweight: Patrick Whittington (205) vs. Jason Lambert (198.5)
Middleweight: Lee Flores (183) vs. Hamza Salim (184.5)

MAIN CARD:

Middleweight: Matt Lindland vs. Kevin Casey
Welterweight: Tyron Woodley vs. Nathan Coy
Welterweight: Roger Bowling vs. Bobby Voelker
Welterweight: Tarec Saffiedine vs. Nate Moore
Lightweight: Bryan Travers vs. Pat Healy

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Light Heavyweight: Pro Escobedo vs. Jason Sharp
Lightweight: Blaine Macintosh vs. Ben Morgan
Welterweight: Jay Schafer vs. David Lloyd
Light Heavyweight: Patrick Whittington vs. Jason Lambert
Middleweight: Lee Flores vs. Hamza Salim

WHAT: Replay of their STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery undercard bout

www.Strikeforce.com will replay the hotly-contested undercard bout between Beerbohm and Ribeiro on Wednesday, May 19 at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.

The fight, which was featured on the non-televised undercard of last Saturday’s STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery event, was an incredible game of human chess with both fighters displaying impressive grappling skills.

The 31-year-old Beerbohm has become an inspiration since he literally took up MMA on his way home from prison following a year of incarceration at a Washington State Penitentiary as a result of felony convictions, all related to his crystal meth addiction. Just eight days after his release from the penitentiary, the Spokane, Wash. native had his first amateur fight and has since amassed a perfect 14-0 record and become a top contender as a professional.

Ribeiro, a 30-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, is among the top lightweights in MMA. He’s won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship four times, once as a purple belt in1996 and three times as a black belt in three consecutive years (1999-2001). Among his 20 victories include 14 stoppages (12 by submission) while topping notables such as Joachim Hansen, Eiji Mitsuoka, and Mitsuhiro “The Endless Fighter” Ishida.

WHEN: Tomorrow/Wednesday, May 19 at 6 p.m. ET / 3 PT at www.Strikeforce.com.