HOUSTON, TX, August 10, 2011 – Strikeforce Challengers returns tomorrow night (Friday) from the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. Set to air on Showtime, the headliner for this card features a battle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialists in Jorge Gurgel (15-5) and Joe “Hybrid” Duarte (9-2). Other fighters set to be featured on the televised card include Danillo Villefort, Pat Healy, and Roy Jones (not that one). Besides those names, Texas fans are probably most interested in the undercard bout featuring Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis taking on Strikeforce newcomer Chad Leonhardt.
This fight will mark the Houston-based Mike B’s second fight for the promotion. The former Legacy FC welterweight champion made his debut on the undercard of the Strikeforce: Overeem vs Werdum card this past June, losing to fellow Houstonian Todd Moore by decision. Looking to rebound from that setback, Mike will sure to be amped and ready to go come tomorrow night.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with Mike’s opponent, here are a few details.
Chad “The Boss” Leonhardt (10-2) is a veteran of the regional MMA scene fighting out of Shreveport, Louisiana. The thirty-one year old earned his Strikeforce deal by virtue of three straight wins in the cage, all finishes. Overall, he has ended eight of his ten victories before the final bell and has been known as a vicious knockout artist while fighting for promotions such as Bellator and Ring Rulers.
With the rookie looking to remain on the rise and Bronzoulis looking to rebound, this bout should be an exciting test for both men. We’ll bring results to you guys as soon as we have them.
As for the rest of the card, tune in LIVE on Showtime® beginning at 10PM Texas time this Friday night to catch all the action from Las Vegas. Below are some quotes from the fighters set to do battle in the main event.
“I’m so excited to be headlining this STRIKEFORCE Challengers card in Las Vegas, the home of MMA. Everybody knows that when I fight, I bring it every time. This is going to be a fight that every fan goes home happy about and remembers for a very very long time,” said Strikeforce lightweight Jorge Gurgel about his bout with Guam’s Joe Duarte, who’s looking forward to the fight as well.
“This is the most excited I’ve ever been for a fight,” said Joe. “When I found out about the matchup with Gurgel, I couldn’t say “no”, and when I found out that it was in Vegas it just made it that much better. Jorge is a guy that’s been around for a long time and I respect him for what he’s done for the sport. He doesn’t put on boring fights and neither do I, so the fans at the Palms can expect a great show from two of the best on August 12.”
Strikeforce Challengers : Gurgel vs. Duarte – Main Card (Showtime)
- Jorge Gurgel vs. Joe Duarte
- Danillo Villefort vs. Nate James
- Pat Healy vs. Eric Wisely
- Ronda Rousey vs. Sarah D’Alelio
- Roy Jones vs. Derrick Mehmen
Strikeforce Challengers : Gurgel vs. Duarte – Preliminary Card (untelevised)
- Gian Villante vs. Keith Berry
- Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Lukasz Lez
- Mike Bronzoulis vs. Chad Leonhardt
- Sterling Ford vs. Milton Viera
YOU can help us grow Texas MMA! Please take a moment to read this article to see how YOU can help us grow the sport. Please make sure to LIKE TXMMA on Facebook when you get the chance and let us know if you have any feedback on how we can serve you better!
