Three main-card bouts have been added to Strikeforce's June 18 event, which already features two opening-round matchups in the organization's heavyweight grand prix. The Showtime-televised event marks the long-awaited return of Gina Carano (7-1 MMA, 0-1 SF), who meets an opponent to be announced.
Additionally, heavyweight bouts of Shane Del Rosario (11-0 MMA, 3-0 SF) vs. Daniel Cormier (7-0 MMA, 4-0 SF) and Valentijn Overeem (29-25 MMA, 1-0 SF) vs. Chad Griggs (10-1 MMA, 2-0 SF) have been added.
The event previously was announced to be taking place at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Officials announced the full main card as part of Saturday's "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" event but didn't confirm the venue.
Carano hasn't fought since August 2009, when she suffered a first-round TKO loss to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos for Strikeforce's first-ever 145-pound women's title. Since then, Carano, who opened her career with seven consecutive wins, has filmed a role for the Steven Soderbergh film "Haywire."
Del Rosario, meanwhile, recently competed in a grand-prix reserve bout and submitted Lavar Johnson. It was his 11th stoppage win in 11 career fights and his 10th to come in the first round. He now meets Olympian Cormier, a two-time JUCO national wrestling champion and 2001 Division I runner-up. Since his move to MMA, he's 7-0 with six stoppage wins. Most recently, Cormier scored a decision victory over Devin Cole at Strikeforce Challengers 13.
Valentijn Overeem recently made his Strikeforce debut and picked up his third consecutive win with a first-round submission victory over Ray Sefo in a grand-prix reserve bout. He meets Griggs, who recently out-slugged Gianpiero Villante in a tourney-reserve bout for a TKO victory. Griggs, who upset Bobby Lashley in his promotional debut, now has won five straight.
In addition to those bouts, the June 18 event features the final two opening-round matchups in the heavyweight grand prix. Josh Barnett (26-5 MMA, 0-0 SF) and Brett Rogers (11-2 MMA, 2-2 SF) fight for the right to meet Sergei Kharitonov in the semifinals, and heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (34-11 MMA, 3-0 SF) faces Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1 MMA, 3-0 SF) for the right to fight Antonio Silva.
The full main card now includes:
- Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum (heavyweight grand-prix opening round)
- Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers (heavyweight grand-prix opening round)
- Gina Carano vs. TBA
- Daniel Cormier vs. Shane Del Rosario
- Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem
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