Riggs Steps Up To Face Devela At Strikeforce
Ellis Replaces Ludwig In Matchup With Berger
TACOMA, WA.—Middleweight (185 lb. limit) star Joe “Diesel” Riggs (27-9) has been called up to take on Cory “The One” Devela (12-2) during the Bodog Fight Presents: “Strikeforce At The Dome” mixed martial arts mega-card at Tacoma, Washington’s Tacoma Dome on Saturday, February 23rd.
“Fast” Eddy Ellis (12-14-1), meanwhile, will replace Duane “Bang” Ludwig in the 170 lb. limit matchup with Steve “The Red Nosed Pit Bull Berger” (20-17-2).
The addition of the 25-year-old Riggs to the Strikeforce lineup comes after Devela’s original opponent, Cedric Marks, was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a shoulder injury.
In his last effort, which came at Strikeforce’s inaugural event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, California on September 29, 2007, Riggs overpowered ageless warrior Eugene “The Wolf” Jackson early on, mounting and hammering Jackson with a barrage of punches to score a knockout at the 3:56 mark of the bout’s opening round.
Devela has been on fire of late, emerging triumphant in his last five starts. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Lodune Sincaid, a contestant on the original season of Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter reality series.
Tickets for Bodog Fight Presents: “Strikeforce At The Dome,” priced at $150, $75 and $35, are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations (253-627-TIXS), the Tacoma Dome box office, and Ticketmaster.com.
Former NFL lineman turned martial arts fighting sensation, Bob “The Beast” Sapp (8-2-1), will collide with another monstrous specimen of man in 6’10” K-1 star and undefeated professional boxer, Jan “The Giant” Nortje (25-17), in the card’s main event.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and K-1 North America king, Maurice “Big Mo” Smith (73-20-4), will battle six-time world kickboxing champion and former World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas champion, Rick “The Jet” Roufus (57-7), in a featured heavyweight contest.
Bodog Fight sensation Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (13-2) will take on 2004 NCAA National Boxing Champion turned Matt Lindland protégé, “Diamond” Ryan Healy (9-2-1), in a 160 lb. limit catch weight fight.
Bodog Fight Presents: “Strikeforce At The Dome” will feature 10 world-class, professional mixed martial arts bouts. Doors at Tacoma Dome will open at 6 PM PST and the first fight will begin at 7 PM PST.
The live, HDNet telecast of the event will begin at 7:30 PM PST (10:30 PM EST). Strikeforce is promoting the event in conjunction with Brian Halquist Productions.
