PHOENIX’S JOE RIGGS, RYAN COUTURE, ALL FOUR WOMEN’S WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT FIGHTERS AND MORE WEIGHTS & QUOTES
STRIKEFORCE Challengers, Friday, Aug. 13, from Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.; Five-Fight Telecast Live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT
The fighters who will compete in the STRIKEFORCE Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) event on Friday, Aug. 13, weighed in on Thursday at the Dodge Theatre, and the draws were set for the first-ever single-elimination STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight Tournament.
In an unveiling of the queens from a deck of cards, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano and Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm picked the red heart and diamonds, respectively, meaning they will fight in the first semifinal and Miesha “Takedown” Tate and Maiju Kujala picked the black spade and clubs, respectively, meaning their 135-pound matchup will follow. After the pro debuts for Ryan Couture and Lucas Stark in a three-round lightweight (155 pounds) bout, the semifinal winners will meet for the first STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight Championship belt, which was on display Thursday.
In the main event, Joe “Diesel” Riggs (32-12) meets Louis Taylor (6-1) at a catch weight of 182 pounds and it all happens live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
“Our game plan is to go back to the hotel and plan a game plan,” said Tate, who said she will confer with her boyfriend, fellow MMA fighter Bryan Caraway. “We will go over (Kujala’s) weaknesses and make them fresh in my mind. I don’t feel stressed. I feel great. I’ll get a little nervous but I came here to do a job so it’s all business right now.”
Kujala was also happy to finally settle in on an opponent. “It’s going to be nice to have to just think and plan for one fighter now. I’m just so confident and so excited about this opportunity.”
Damm said she loved the matchup she drew fighting Akano first. “We have the same style so it should be a good one,” she said. “I didn’t really care who I fight. Now that I know, I can focus more. The next 24 hours I will think only of fighting Akano.”
Said Akano: “I need only two wins to be the tournament champion. First I must get past Damm and then I will see who I face. The tournament is an exciting format and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Current STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight Champion Sarah Kaufman made her first-round picks immediately after the draw was announced. “I think Miesha’s ground game is too strong and that she gets past Kujala,” Kaufman said. “In the first match I think it’s a toss-up but I think Akano has a little bit more experience so I think I’ll pick her.
“In the final it just really depends on what they do in their first fights. If it’s Akano vs. Tate it’s a tough fight to call. It’s just too tough to call.”
Brazilain Cris Cyborg, the STRIKEFORCE Women’s Middleweight (145 pounds) champion, was also on hand to sign autographs for fans. “I want my fellow countrywoman (Damm) to win the whole thing,” she said “They will all be good matchups. I’m rooting for Carina all the way.”
The opening rounds of the tournament will be contested over two three-minute rounds with the final round featuring a three-round contest consisting of three-minute rounds. The judges will be required to determine an outright winner in the opening round bouts, regardless of whether the women each win a round, and draws are not allowed.
Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Dodge Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (800) 745-3000, and online at http://www.livenation.com and http://www.strikeforce.com.
Dodge Theatre doors will open at 5 p.m. local time. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8.
The SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.)
STRIKEFORCE Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.
OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS:
Joe Riggs – 181.6 pounds vs. Louis Taylor – 181.2 pounds
Ryan Couture – 155.6 pounds vs. Lucas Stark – 153.2 pounds
Miesha Tate – 134.2 pounds vs. Maiju Kujala – 134.4 pounds
Carina Damm – 134.8 pounds vs. Hitomi Akano – 135.0 pounds
ADDITIONAL QUOTES:
JOE RIGGS:
“I want to stay active and I want to string a couple of fights together. I’m only 27 years old and I don’t want to be doing this forever. I want to make another run and put it all together. Some guys hold onto that dream and tarnish what name they had and that’s not going to be me. I’ve lost every way you can lose and I’ve won every way I can win. What’s left to happen to me? Of course I want to win but regardless of the outcome I have my wife and kids who love me."
“I’ll always stay in this sport. I love this sport. I will always have some contact in this sport.”
LOUIS TAYLOR:
“I’m looking to make Riggs’ hometown fans mourn. It’s going to be a night of bad luck for him. That’s all I’ve got to say. There ain’t nothing I can do that he hasn’t seen. I’m going to show him that inexperience is going to step up and win out this time. I’m definitely going to turn the fans’ heads and turn this night into a W."
“He’s got hundreds of hours of footage and I’ve got next to none. That’s probably to his advantage because he didn’t have to prepare for me. He doesn’t know what I’ve got. Tomorrow’s my chance to show America what I got!”
RYAN COUTURE:
“My first weigh-in (as a pro) and I made weight so I have to be happy about that. That was the first order of business. Now I just have to get some food in me and be ready to go tomorrow. I’ll go into the cage between 165 and 170 (pounds). It might take me a little while to get to sleep. It always takes awhile to get my mind to shut off the night before a fight.”
LUCAS STARK:
“I’ve got a chip on my shoulder and a lot to prove. This is my first pro fight and it’s on SHOWTIME so I have to leave it all out there. I don’t see him taking me to the ground; my wrestling is too good even if he does."
“I want to play the spoiler. I don’t care what his last name is.”
MIESHA TATE:
“I’m going to win this tournament because I have experience with tournaments and I had an excellent training camp. Plus, I want a shot at the title. I have a lot riding on this and this is my opportunity to shine. I believe that things happen for a reason and I’ve been put in this situation at this time in my life and I will succeed. The one thing I learned from my loss to Sarah Kaufman was courage. When I went out there I really doubted myself and I wasn’t sure how I was going to compete against someone of her caliber having never tested myself."
“I walked away from that fight knowing that was a mistake I can never make again.”
CARINA DAMM:
“I’ve won 10 fights in a row and I’m going for 12. I’m coming up in weight and will be faster than all the other girls. This is my first tournament and I’m very curious how I will do. I will fight the first fight like there is no other fight. I have to take it one fight at a time. I think Akano has unbelievable grappling and just never gives up. And Maiju probably has the best standup. But I’m done talking about the other fighters. Just put me in the cage and we can talk after the fights."
“Cris Cyborg is a friend of mine and an inspiration. We’re both Brazilian and I know she will be rooting for me on Friday night.”
Photos Courtesy of Esther Lin:
Son of MMA legend Randy Couture, Ryan Couture, of Las Vegas meets Lucas Stark of Chandler, Ariz., in both fighters’ professional debut.
Louis Taylor takes on local fighter Joe “Diesel” Riggs, who will have the hometown fans on his side in the main event of STRIKEFORCE Challengers on Friday, LIVE on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
From left to right, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano, Miesha “Takedown” Tate, Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm and Maiju Kujala each picked queen cards to determine who they would fight on Friday night.
Akano is 15-7 and from Tokyo, Japan, while Damm comes in with a record of 15-3 and is from Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil.
The 9-2 Tate grew up in the state of Washington but is now training and residing in Sacramento, Calif. Her first-round opponent Kujala is 4-1 and hails from Imatra, Finland.
From left to right, Damm, Akano, Sarah Kaufman, Cris Cyborg, Tate and Kujala pose with Kaufman’s STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight Championship belt.
The first STRIKEFORCE Women’s Tournament Welterweight Championship belt will be given out after two wins Friday night. Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Dodge Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (800) 745-3000, and online at http://www.livenation.com and http://www.strikeforce.com.
The beautiful ROCKSTAR girls were a fan favorite during Thursday’s weigh-in. Dodge Theatre doors will open at 5 p.m. local time. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8.
