STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader

Headed To Toyota Center In Houston

 Saturday, Aug. 21, Live On SHOWTIME®,

Kickoff Press Conference Quotes

 

Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Toyota Center, Houston, Texas 

 

“King Mo” To Defend Light Heavyweight Belt Against “Feijao” Cavalcante,

“Jacare’’ Souza and Tim Kennedy Clash For Vacant Middleweight Crown;

Live Telecast Begins At 10 p.m. ET/PT

 

August 21, 2010

Toyota Center

Houston, Texas

 

 

HOUSTON (July 13, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE formally announced Tuesday a World Championship

Doubleheader for Toyota Center here on Saturday, Aug. 21, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT,

delayed on the west coast). 

 

STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Champion “King Mo” Lawal (7-0) will make the

first defense of his belt against devastating striker Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (9-2) in the main event.

The semi-main will match Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (12-2-1) and Tim Kennedy (12-2) in a clash for the

vacant STRIKEFORCE Middleweight (185 pounds) crown.

 

In a featured, televised bout, undefeated heavyweight rising star Bobby Lashley (5-0), will return to the cage

against an opponent to be announced. 

 

Also on the televised portion of an outstanding event, former world champion KJ Noons 11-2) will face

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt Jorge Gurgel (13-6) in a lightweight (155 pounds) match. 

 

A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the STRIKEFORCE event is available for “STRIKEFORCE

Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://STRIKEFORCE.com/insider.html) until 10 p.m. CT this Thursday,

July 15.  STRIKEFORCE Insiders receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.      

 

Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. CT at www.ToyotaCenterTix.com, by

phone at 1-866-4-HOU-TIX, at select Houston area Randalls locations, and at www.strikeforce.com. Tickets

will be available at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 19, at Toyota Center Box Office.

 

“King Mo” Lawal vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante

The undefeated Lawal, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and Big 12

wrestling champion for Oklahoma State University. He won the STRIKEFORCE title with a unanimous five-

round decision over defending belt-holder Gegard Mousasi last April 17 on the CBS Television Network. 

 

Prior to the convincing victory over the highly regarded Mousasi, the colorful, charismatic 30-year-old, 6-foot

Lawal won his STRIKEFORCE debut via first-round knockout of “Iron” Mike Whitehead on Dec. 19, 2009,

at STRIKEFORCE: Evolution in San Jose. 

 

A winner in five of his last six starts, Brazil’s Feijao is coming off a crushing first-round knockout over

Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt at STRIKEFORCE: Heavy Artillery last May 15 in St. Louis on

SHOWTIME.  Feijao trains out of the famed Black House camp with, among others, Anderson Silva,

Lyoto Machida and Antonio Nogueira with Silva, the current UFC middleweight champion, serving as his

striking coach and former champ Nogueira working as his grappling coach. 

 

The only losses on Cavalcante’s resume came in 2007 on a disqualification and in a shocking upset to late

replacement and dangerous veteran Mike “Mak” Kyle on June 6, 2009.  Since the loss to Kyle, the 6-foot-1

Cavalcante has rattled off two consecutive knockouts: a second-round KO of Aaron Rosa at a

STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in Kansas City on Nov. 20, 2009 and the Britt blowout. 

 

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Tim Kennedy

Jacare (pronounced “Jock-a-ray’’) is a world-class submission specialist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt

who is coming off a hard-fought unanimous decision over Joey Villaseñor at STRIKEFORCE: Heavy

Artillery.  In his outing before last, the world-renowned grappler submitted (arm triangle choke) 1996 Olympic

Games Greco-Roman medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland on Dec. 19, 2009. 

 

The 6-foot, 30-year-old Jacare’s only defeats came in his first career match in 2003 and to former

STRIKEFORCE champ Mousasi at the Dream 6: Middleweight Grand-Prix Final in 2008. 

 

An American military hero, Kennedy, of Austin, Tex., is fresh off a first-round submission (rear-naked choke)

of Trevor Prangley on June 16 at STRIKEFORCE: LIVE at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.   The

5-foot-11, 30-year-old Kennedy is a United States Army Special Forces sniper with the 19th Special Forces

outfit based in San Antonio. He has toured the Middle East multiple times and earned the Army's Bronze

Medal Star medal for valor under fire. 

 

Kennedy has split two fights with Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller, while his only other defeat came to Scott

“Hands Of Steel’’ Smith in his pro debut on Aug. 31, 2001.

 

KJ Noons vs. Jorge Gurgel

A confident, prolific striker, the 5-foot-11 Noons outlasted Conor Heun in his STRIKEFORCE debut via split

decision in an all-out slugfest in his last fight, also at STRIKEFORCE: LIVE in L.A.  Noons, who is also a

professional boxer, is the last fighter to defeat current STRIKEFORCE welterweight champion Nick Diaz – a

bloody first-round knockout in 2007. 

 

The 27-year-old Noons has won five consecutive fights and is 8-1 in his last nine outings. His last defeat

came to Charles “Krazy Horse’’ Bennett on Feb. 10, 2007, in the opening bout on the historic first MMA

fight card ever broadcast on network premium television (SHOWTIME).

 

Gurgel holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but prefers to stand and exchange strikes rather than utilize

his submission skills, which makes all his fights explosive and entertaining.  The 5-foot-7 Gurgel has never

lost a fight via knockout and has only been submitted twice in an eight-year MMA career. 

 

Gurgel, 33, is coming off an exciting, extremely tough decision loss to undefeated prospect Billy

Evangelista on Nov. 6, 2009, at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in Fresno, Calif.  Before the loss to

Evangelista, Gurgel won a unanimous decision victory over Heun on June 19, 2009 at a STRIKEFORCE

Challengers event in Kent, Wash. 

 

Bobby Lashley vs. TBA

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Lashley is a former collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College who

competed in both the WWE Raw and SmackDown! shows in 2005 and 2006.  He made his MMA debut in

December 2008. 

 

In his last fight and STRIKEFORCE debut, Lashley, 33, scored a first round TKO over Wes Sims at

STRIKEFORCE: Miami on Jan. 30, 2010.  Prior to that, the former professional wrestling superstar pulverized

the 6-foot-5, 350-plus pound goliath Bob Sapp

 

Lashley’s WWE and TNA wrestling career has helped make him a well-known figure in the sports and

entertainment world. 

 

 

What the fighters said Tuesday:

 

“KING MO” LAWAL

“Feijao likes to bang so this is going to be an exciting fight.  I’m going to show you all some new things I’ve

been working on.”

 

On coming into his first fight as champion:  “The approach doesn’t change.  Going into every fight, I feel like

both a champion and a challenger because I challenge myself in training, but I’m always champion in my

mind.  So nothing is going to change for this fight.

 

“I watch about 10-15 fights a day.  I’m always studying guys and learning their weaknesses.”

 

After KJ stated that he’s going to fight a war:  “I’ll let KJ fight a war.  I don’t want to fight a war.  I’m going to

look to finish (Feijao) as fast as I can.  I don’t ever want to fight a war.  I always want to dominate and fight

as one-sided a fight as possible.”

 

TIM KENNEDY

On how his military experience prepared him mentally and physically for MMA competition:  “This is just

fighting.  (In the cage), there’s a guy in a black shirt wearing latex gloves who’s going to protect me.  It’s

much different than battling a guy who’s hiding behind a rock with a cell phone, waiting to blow me up.  So,

this is fun.  I love fighting.  It’s a huge sport and I’m a huge fan of it.  It’s totally different.

 

“I’m proud to say that I’m a Texan now.  I live in Austin.  I hope that all of Texas will come out to support me

as I fight to win the belt.

 

“As your career progresses, every next fight is the most important one.  After I beat Jacare and have the title,

they’re going to say ‘Is this the most important fight of your career?’  I take every single fight with extreme

seriousness and I take Jacare very seriously.  I have great respect for him as an athlete and as a fighter. 

He’s very talented.  It’s a tough fight.  I don’t know if he’s my toughest opponent, but it’s nice to be able to

train full time, so this is going to be a tough fight for him.”

 

BOBBY LASHLEY

“I think I’ve progressed well.  The Bobby Lashley who fought my first fight is completely different from Bobby

Lashley now.   I’m anxious to get back out there.   I had a little setback and when I finally got cleared. I

called (STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott) Coker and begged him to be on this card.”

 

“As far as comparing myself to the other heavyweights, we’ll see real soon.  I’ll have opportunities to fight

those guys in the next year.”

 

KJ NOONS

“I’m very excited to come back to Texas.  I finished high school here.  My mom and my dad are here.  The

fans are awesome here.  I did open-hand Pancrase down the street from here eight years ago before MMA

was even big, so I know how it was back then so I’m super excited to be back here.

 

“I think I’m going to keep the fight standing and keep it exciting.  Whether you want to call it a war or

whatever, it’s going to be like all my other fights.  I’m going to pick him apart and take him out.

 

“(MMA) is a lifestyle.  You have to work hard and you can be the best, just like anything else.  But, if you

don’t work hard and you don’t respect the sport, then you won’t make it.”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Photos: Photo credit: Rosemary Acosta Clark/STRIKEFORCE

 

Tim Kennedy poses after the press conference

 

______________________________________________________________

 

KJ Noons strikes a pose

 

______________________________________________________________

 


Master of ceremonies, Jimmy Lennon Jr., (left) looks on as

Kennedy and Noons (shown responding to a question) address the media

 

 

______________________________________________________________

 


The four fighters who will appear on SHOWTIME

(left-to-right) Lashley, Kennedy, King Mo and Noons pose after the press conference

 

 

______________________________________________________________

 


King Mo poses with his STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight belt

 

 

______________________________________________________________

 


Bobby Lashley poses

 

 

 

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on

Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed

martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary

champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion,

played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has

been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a

leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA)

series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie."  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of

STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000

to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March

2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the

premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on

the CBS Television Network.

 

Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the

premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex

channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®,

SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™

XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and

THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between

SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI

markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view

basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. 

 

CONTACT: 

- Strikeforce

  Mike Afromowitz: mafromowitz@strikeforce.com

 

- Showtime Networks Inc.

  Chris DeBlasio: chris.deblasio@showtime.net

  Annie Van Tornhout: annie.vantornhout@showtime.net

 

- The Bedford Agency

  Lester Bedford: wlbedford@aol.com

 

- Toyota Center

  Laura Maag: lauram@rocketball.com

 

- Brener Zwikel & Associates

  John Beyrooty: Johnnybey@aol.com

  Steve Pratt: Stevep@bzapr.com

 

 

- Press Release from Strikeforce

- Photos courtesy of Strikeforce

 

 

 

Subject to change

 

 

 

(7/13/10)