AKA-trained former bodybuilder ready to take on Ribeiro. Photo: Publicity.

Jackson, Mississippi (Nov. 16, 2010) – Feeling like he wasn’t getting the competition he craved, former college wrestler turned competitive bodybuilder Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox decided to give Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) a try five years ago. He’s been hooked ever since.

Now, Wilcox finds himself in the biggest fight of his career, taking on lightweight (155 pounds) star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro in the headlining fight of a Strikeforce Challengers event on Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi, Live on Showtime® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

Wilcox (9-3), a 31-year-old former NCAA wrestling star, has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March 26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at Strikeforce Challengers in Fresno, California, the city where his family currently resides.

A member of San Jose, Calif.’s Team AKA, one of the most fearsome fight teams in the world that also plays home to Strikeforce superstars Josh Thomson and Cung Le, Wilcox wrestled for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and is from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Wilcox recently fielded six questions from Strikeforce’s director of communications, Mike Afromowitz:

What do you think about Vitor Ribeiro? He thought he beat Lyle Beerbohm (he lost a split decision May 15) in his last fight. What did you think?

I think it could have gone either way. I think he looked good. I know he’s a four-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion and he’s 20-4. I’m not underestimating him in the least. I know people think there won’t be a lot of striking; that we’re both going to want to get it to the ground. Wherever he wants to take it is fine by me. I have faith in my ground game and I’m working with Dave Camarillo at AKA, just an incredible Jiu-Jitsu coach.

What’s it like training at the AKA gym in San Jose?

It’s been awesome. It’s one of the top gyms in the world. I don’t see myself training anywhere else. Going into my fights I don’t get too nervous because I’m training against such high-level guys and some world champions. The gym is so complete. You don’t have to travel to get high-level boxing or high-level wrestling. It’s all right there. That’s why I love it so much.

Who’s the toughest guy you ever fought?

Each opponent has had his strong points. They’ve all been tough. I don’t take any of them lightly. If I had to pick one I would say the (Daisuke) Nakamura fight (which Wilcox won by unanimous decision on Dec. 19, 2009). I had to take the fight on two weeks notice. He was such a high-level opponent.

In your first professional fight in 2006 you beat Bobby Voelker, another Cincinnati fighter (who scored a major victory over previously undefeated Roger Bowling last Oct. 22 on Strikeforce Challengers on Showtime). Does that seem like a long time ago?

That was also a tough one. I was just a wrestler back then. Everything he could throw at me he did. People after that fight were like, ‘Wow, wait till you get that chin.’ I don’t know. I just want to keep moving forward. That was my first fight. Bobby’s had some success recently with Strikeforce which is great. We’re kind of on the same path. He’s a great kid. I like Bobby a lot.

Is there any opponent you’d like to face? Where do you see yourself in the sport in a year?

I see myself wearing that belt. Each fight is one step closer to that belt. That’s what I see myself going after and being a world champion. Whoever they put in front of me is fine. Whoever has the belt at the time is who I want to fight and who I want to beat.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

I just really like to hang out with my three-year-old daughter Natalie and being with my family. I’m up here in San Jose training and they are down in Fresno so I go down on weekends and see them a lot. Just being with my little girl and my wife Leslie is what makes me happy. Just hanging out and spending time with the family.

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

Damm is riding a ten-fight winning streak. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Strikeforce is the promotion boasting the best female MMA fighters in the world. On August 13, in Pheonix, Arizona, an unprecedented event will take place. Taking center stage for the Grand Prix challenge will be Miesha Tate, Carina Damm, Hitomi Akano and Maiju Kujala.

The winner will place second in line for a shot at the middleweight belt. This Friday the divisional title will be up for grabs, when Sarah Kaufman faces off with Roxanne Modafferi. The winner of that bout will then go on to fight Marloes Coenen, and the winner of that one will face the tournament winner.

The female fights will kick off the August 13 broadcast with the tournament semifinals. The grand finale will take place shortly after the evening’s main event, between Joe Riggs and Louis Taylor. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is confident in the tournament’s success:

“We are going to fast-track these four talented prospects in a quest to determine the best in this deep women’s division. Having all four women square off on one night with the chance to separate themselves from the pack is what Strikeforce Challengers is all about,” says Coker.