Strikeforce has set the date for its next event, May 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., the promotion’s home base prior to being purchased by Zuffa, also the UFC’s parent company.
Strikeforce on Friday announced that tickets will go on sale for the event on April 6 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.
Thus far, only the final bout of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix has been confirmed for the May 19 event. That final features former UFC heavyweight champion and Pride veteran Josh Barnett against blazing up-and-comer Daniel Cormier.
Barnett (31-5) hasn’t lost a fight since 2008, winning eight consecutive bouts. He rolled over both Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov in the opening rounds of the Grand Prix, easily moving into the final.
Cormier didn’t even start fighting until 2009, but enters the bout with a stellar 9-0 record. He entered the tournament in the semifinal round as a replacement for an injured Alistair Overeem, but he immediately proved his worth.
Cormier knocked out Antonio “Bigfoot†Silva inside of the opening five minutes of their fight. Silva had just come off of a victory over Fedor Emelianenko.
Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez is also expected to defend his belt on the May 19 fight card, but his bout has yet to be made official, and any opponent is still speculative.
