Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce
The fighters who will compete in the Strikeforce Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) event tonight weighed in on Thursday at the Ice Box at Comcast Arena at Everett in Everett, Washington.
Undefeated heavyweight prospect Shane Del Rosario (9-0) faces Lolohea Mahe (6-1-1) in the main event on Showtime (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Both fighters are looking for a big win to help them break through to the next level of Strikeforce Heavyweights, a stacked division that features Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, and Antonio Silva, among others.
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 the co-main event.
Bonney Lake’s Cory Devela (9-4) will return to the cage for the first time in more than a year to face dangerous Bobby Voelker (21-8) in a welterweight (170 pounds) battle. Devela took a year off from MMA to help his girlfriend battle cancer.
In other featured action, Abongo Humphrey (7-1) will take on Mike “Mak” Kyle (16-7-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds) and U.S. Army war veteran and Matt Hume protégé Caros Fodor (2-0, 1 NC), of Kirkland, Wash., will take on Cung Le pupil Thomas Diagne (1-1) in a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup in the first televised bout of the evening.
Strikeforce Challengers provides today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Comcast Arena at Everett box office (866-332-8499) as well as online at ComcastArenaEverett.com and www.strikeforce.com.
FINAL WEIGHTS:
Shane Del Rosario – 243.6
Lolohea Mahe – 264
Sarah Kaufman – 134
Roxanne Modafferi – 133.4
Cory Devela – 171
Bobby Voelker – 170.4
Abongo Humphrey – 202.6
Mike Kyle – 205.8
Caros Fodor – 155.6
Thomas Diagne – 156
