Las Vegas, Nevada – STRIKEFORCE® heads to theChesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Saturday, Jan. 12 with three championship fights, plus the return of Oklahoma State University star Daniel Cormier, all televised live on SHOWTIME®. With a collection of some of the best fighters in the world today, STRIKEFORCE has put together a memorable and historic card for the fans in the Sooner State.
The action-packed night includes the following bouts:
- Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez(champion) vs. Pat Healy for the STRIKEFORCE lightweight title
- Luke Rockhold (champion) vs. Lorenz Larkinfor the STRIKEFORCE middleweight title
- Nate Marquardt(champion) vs. Tarec Saffiedine for the STRIKEFORCE welterweight title
- Daniel Cormier(Grand Prix champion, OSU All-American) vs.Dion Staring
“We’ve built an absolutely stacked card for Oklahoma City and the SHOWTIME viewers,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “We have three awesome title fights featuring some of the best fighters to ever grace the STRIKEFORCE cage. Plus, we have Daniel Cormier, one of the fastest-rising heavyweight stars today, returning to his roots in Oklahoma to fight Dion Staring. January 12 is going to be a really special night.”
“The biggest stars in STRIKEFORCE are putting their titles on the line in competitive fights,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®, “and that is precisely what fans of STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME have come to expect. We are excited to be part of the event.”
STRIKEFORCE®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 forSTRIKEFORCE® go on sale to the public on Friday, November 16 at 12 p.m. CT and are priced at $150, $100, $70 and $50.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, November 14 at 12 p.m. CT, via the websitewww.UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter and STRIKEFORCE Insider subscribers Thursday, November 15, starting at 12 p.m. CT. To access this pre-sale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.UFC.com and the STRIKEFORCE Insider throughwww.STRIKEFORCE.com.
For more information or the latest STRIKEFORCE news, visitwww.strikeforce.com.All bouts live and subject to change.
About STRIKEFORCE® –www.strikeforce.com
Owned and operated by Forza, LLC, a subsidiary of Zuffa, LLC, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand, STRIKEFORCE® is a world-class mixed martial arts promotion based in Las Vegas, Nev. that currently holds live events annually across the United States. First established as a mixed martial arts entity in 2006, STRIKEFORCE now broadcasts its events live on SHOWTIME® and has produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network. With a growing roster featuring the world’s elite competitors, STRIKEFORCE has cemented its place as a leader in providing quality mixed martial arts action.
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE®and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
Chesapeake Energy Arena:
Chesapeake Energy Arena is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2012 and recently completed a more than $90 million renovation that included a new grand entrance and other significant upgrades. The arena is managed by SMG, which since 1977 has provided management services to more than 220 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, equestrian facilities and convention, congress and exhibition centers.