Strikeforce and HDNet have struck a deal.
Officials today announced that the cable station will air both the preliminary card and the official weigh-ins for next month's "Strikeforce Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov" event.
The show takes place Sept. 10 at Cincinnati U.S. Bank Arena, and the main card airs on Showtime.
With the HDNet deal, which also will include preliminary-card and weigh-in broadcasts for the currently announced grand-prix finale, four solid Sept. 10 bouts now will be televised.
Slated for the preliminary-card broadcast are light heavyweights Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (10-3 MMA, 3-2 SF) vs. Yoel Romero (4-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), light heavyweights Mike Kyle (18-8-1 MMA, 2-3-1 SF) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (8-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), and welterweights Jordan Mein (22-7 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (18-14 MMA, 1-2 SF). Additionally, today's announcement confirmed a rumored 135-pound fight between Amanda Nunes (6-1 MMA, 1-0 SF) and Alexis Davis (10-4 MMA, 1-0 SF).
"As we continue to showcase some of the sport's up-and-coming talent on our prelims, we're excited to be able to air them live on HDNet," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker stated. "We're excited to give Strikeforce fans even more access to great fights."
HDNet, which has aired past Strikeforce events, also will air a special edition of "Inside MMA" in conjunction with the event, which features heavyweight grand-prix semifinal fights of Daniel Cormier (8-0 MMA, 5-0 SF) vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (16-2 MMA, 3-1 SF) and Sergei Kharitonov (18-4 MMA, 1-0 SF) vs. Josh Barnett (30-5 MMA, 1-0 SF).
The full card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight grand prix semifinal)
Daniel Cormier vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight grand prix semifinal)
Champ Ronaldo Souza vs. Luke Rockhold (for middleweight title)
Roger Gracie vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
Maximo Blanco vs. Josh Thomson
PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet)
Mike Kyle vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Yoel Romero
Jordan Mein vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos
Alexis Davis vs. Amanda Nunes
Source: HDNet to air "Strikeforce Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov" prelims and weigh-ins
