Strikeforce Weigh-ins Open To Public on Thursday

PRESS RELEASE:

VILLASENOR, CYBORG, THOMPSON, KENNEDY, KAUFMAN, BASZLER, DEVELA, HALLMAN, BEERBOHN, LUDWIG & MORE

Thursday, June 18, ShoWare Center (Club Lounge), 6 P.M. PT

WHAT: All 22 fighters who will compete in the eagerly awaited Strikeforce Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) event Friday, June 19, at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., will weigh in the day before, Thursday, June 18, at ShoWare Center's Club Lounge. The weigh in is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and will start at 6 p.m. PT.

Rugged, determined middleweights "Smokin" Joe Villasenor of Albuquerque, N.M., and Evangelista "Cyborg" of Rondonopolis Mato Grosso, Brazil, will clash in the main event of a five bout telecast on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

Tim Kennedy faces Nick Thompson (middleweights), Cory "The One'' Devela, of Bonney Lake, Wash., will be opposed by Luke Rockhold of Santa Cruz, Calif. (middleweights); Sarah Kaufman of Victoria, Canada, takes on Shayna Baszler of Sioux Falls, S.D., in a women's fight at 135 pounds and Jorge Gurgel of Cincinnati, Ohio, will collide with Conor Heun of Boulder, Colo., in a 155-pound match.

In addition to Devela and Dennis "Superman" Hallman of Yelm, Wash, the event is loaded with other popular area fighters. Lyle "Fancy Pants'' Beerbohm, of Spokane, Wash., meets Duane "Bang'' Ludwig of Denver, Colo. (lightweights), Brian Caraway, of Seattle, throws down with Alex Zuniga, Landon Showalter takes on Travis Diverge (middleweights), Len Bentley, of Irvine, Wash., confronts Marques Daniels and Steve Hassel collides with Taylor Roberts.

Doors for a stacked 11-bout Strikeforce fight card open at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday, June 19. The first live bout will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for the Strikeforce Challengers event, priced from $32, are on sale at the ShoWare Center Box Office (253 856-6999 or (877) 840-0457, online at ShoWareCenter.com and at www.strikeforce.com.

Strikeforce's MMA fight card at the Tacoma Dome on Feb. 28, 2008, produced the largest live gate in the history of any boxing, MMA, or kickboxing event in Washington State.

WHEN: Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m. PT.

WHERE: ShoWare Center (Club Lounge)
625 W James St. Kent, Wash., 98032, (253) 856-6777