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08-06-2010, 11:27
Strikeforce inks Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante, August debut possible
Strikeforce has signed lightweight Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante to a one-year, four-fight deal.
http://k-1sport.de/gallery/fighters/1093b.jpg
confirmed the news today with a source close to the fighter, who said the Brazilian could make his promotional debut in August. Fighthype.com was the first to report the Strikeforce acquisition.
Cavalcante (14-3-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), who turns 27 today, was once considered one of the world's top lightweights before injuries put the brakes on his career.
The American Top Team product's most recent fight was in May 2009, when he lost a unanimous decision to Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM.9. Cavalcante was due to fight Daisuke Nakamura this past October at DREAM.11, but he injured his knee and was forced to withdraw from the bout.
Cavalcante shot up the ranks in the now-defunct K-1 HERO'S organization and solidified his top-10 spot when he capped a spotless two-year run by winning the Japanese promotion's 2007 middleweight grand prix.
However, the Brazilian fighter has often struggled with knee injuries in his six-plus years of professional fighting.
When the promoters behind K-1 HERO'S formed DREAM, Cavalcante was one of the first fighters on their roster. He fought a highly publicized pair of battles with Japanese star Shinya Aoki – he losing the first due to a controversial illegal elbow and the second by unanimous decision – and was due to fight at the year-end "Dynamite!! 2008" event before the fight was canceled (opponent Joachim Hansen was not medically cleared the day of the event).
Cavalcante is reportedly healthy now and wants to regain his footing in the lightweight division. In addition to continued fights with DREAM, the source said the fighter is angling to appear on a Strikeforce card planned for Aug. 21 in Houston. As recently reported, that event may feature the start of a middleweight grand prix to determine the promotion's new 185-pound champion (should current champ and free agent Jake Shields sign elsewhere), and light-heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal is expected to fight a to-be-announced opponent
Strikeforce has signed lightweight Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante to a one-year, four-fight deal.
http://k-1sport.de/gallery/fighters/1093b.jpg
confirmed the news today with a source close to the fighter, who said the Brazilian could make his promotional debut in August. Fighthype.com was the first to report the Strikeforce acquisition.
Cavalcante (14-3-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), who turns 27 today, was once considered one of the world's top lightweights before injuries put the brakes on his career.
The American Top Team product's most recent fight was in May 2009, when he lost a unanimous decision to Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM.9. Cavalcante was due to fight Daisuke Nakamura this past October at DREAM.11, but he injured his knee and was forced to withdraw from the bout.
Cavalcante shot up the ranks in the now-defunct K-1 HERO'S organization and solidified his top-10 spot when he capped a spotless two-year run by winning the Japanese promotion's 2007 middleweight grand prix.
However, the Brazilian fighter has often struggled with knee injuries in his six-plus years of professional fighting.
When the promoters behind K-1 HERO'S formed DREAM, Cavalcante was one of the first fighters on their roster. He fought a highly publicized pair of battles with Japanese star Shinya Aoki – he losing the first due to a controversial illegal elbow and the second by unanimous decision – and was due to fight at the year-end "Dynamite!! 2008" event before the fight was canceled (opponent Joachim Hansen was not medically cleared the day of the event).
Cavalcante is reportedly healthy now and wants to regain his footing in the lightweight division. In addition to continued fights with DREAM, the source said the fighter is angling to appear on a Strikeforce card planned for Aug. 21 in Houston. As recently reported, that event may feature the start of a middleweight grand prix to determine the promotion's new 185-pound champion (should current champ and free agent Jake Shields sign elsewhere), and light-heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal is expected to fight a to-be-announced opponent