LAS VEGAS –Undefeated STRIKEFORCE Grand Prix heavyweight champ and former Oklahoma State wrestler Daniel Cormier takes on former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir, when STRIKEFORCE heads to Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Saturday, Nov. 3. The event will air live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
“As a former Oklahoma State wrestler and two-time Olympian, Cormier has used his wrestling background to immediately put himself among the sport’s elite,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “On November 3 he faces his toughest opponent to date in former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir, who has beaten legend after legend on his own path to the title. We’ve had a lot of big heavyweight bouts in the history of STRIKEFORCE, but I can tell you, without a doubt, that this is the one that you don’t want to miss.”
The co-main event will feature current STRIKEFORCE middleweight champ and training partner of Cormier, Luke Rockhold, who makes his third consecutive title defense against undefeated rising Kung Fu prospect Lorenz Larkin.
“Rockhold is rapidly approaching his first full year of being middleweight champ and he’s definitely opened a lot of eyes in that time,” said Coker. “He’s beaten three top contenders, successfully defended the belt twice and looked extremely impressive in doing so. This bout could easily be the toughest matchup he’s seen yet due to Larkin’s equally impressive standup.”
STRIKEFORCE: CORMIER vs. MIR will air live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while preliminary fights will be shown live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast). Additional fights scheduled for the event are expected to be released shortly.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE: CORMIER vs. MIR go on sale to the public on Friday, September 14 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets are available at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations, at Ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices will be announced in the coming days. Applicable service charges may apply.
UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, September 12 at 10 a.m. CT, via the website www.UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter and STRIKEFORCE Insider subscribers Thursday, September 13, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this pre-sale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.UFC.com and the STRIKEFORCE Insider through www.STRIKEFORCE.com.
In addition to being the current STRIKEFORCE Grand Prix heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) is also a former Oklahoma State University NCAA wrestler and two-time U.S. Olympic wrestler who now trains alongside the likes of former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, Jon Fitch and Mike Swick. On November 3, he takes on his second former UFC titleholder, having most recently defeated Josh Barnett in the finals of the heavyweight tournament last May. Additionally, the undefeated 10-0 AKA-trained fighter owns decisive victories over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Jeff Monson and Devin Cole. Vowing to prove he is truly one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world, “DC” will look to add Mir to that list.
Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) is set to make his STRIKEFORCE debut after fighting his last 20 bouts in the UFC’s Octagon. Being a former UFC heavyweight champ, as well as a former interim UFC heavyweight champ, Mir knows what it’s like to be at the top of the heap and the level of talent that you have to face every time you step into the cage. With wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brock Lesnar, Roy Nelson, Mirko Cro Cop and Tim Sylvia, the 16-6 Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has gone toe-to-toe with best and has proven he is among the division’s elite. Fans can expect fireworks when these titans meet on Nov. 3.
Also training out of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, Luke Rockhold (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) steps back into the STRIKEFORCE cage for the tenth consecutive time, including his third straight title defense. At 10-1, the Santa Cruz-native and former surfer has let the MMA world know that he’s serious about not letting anyone take the title that he feels belongs to him. Having earned recent wins over Tim Kennedy, Keith Jardine and “Jacare” Souza, Rockhold’s next opponent is in for a long night if he’s willing to stand and trade with the renowned striker.
Finding continued success after a recent drop to middleweight, Lorenz Larkin (fighting out of Riverside, Calif.) recently defeated UFC and STRIKEFORCE veteran Robbie Lawler to earn his shot at the title. At 13-0, 1 NC, “The Monsoon” remains undefeated having survived tough bouts with Gian Villante and Nick Rossborough. A practitioner of Kung Fu, Larkin is known for his intense striking, having finished eight of his opponents via KO, and may be the perfect test for the current belt holder.
