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View Full Version : Erin Toughill's struggling to cut to 145, fight in jeopardy



Harrie Nak
21-07-2010, 14:27
A planned August 21st bout between Erin “Steel” Toughill and Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen at Strikeforce: Houston could be postponed or possibly even cancelled as Toughill struggles to cut down to 145 pounds. Sources have confirmed with MMARising.com that a catchweight has been proposed.

Toughill has been scheduled to make her long-awaited Strikeforce debut on multiple occasions spanning nearly a year, but injuries and communication breakdowns have kept her off of cards. The outspoken former boxer also threatened to leave the promotion in March, but later reconsidered.

The planned fight between Toughill (10-2-1) and Olsen (4-0-0) was targeted (http://www.mmarising.com/news/2010/07/02/erin-toughill-likely-for-august-21st-in-houston/) for the main card of the Houston event, but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker informed MMARising.com that the fight could be pushed back to September or October. He declined to get into specifics on the record, but additional sources have since indicated that the delay involves Toughill’s inability to cut to the 145-pound level in time for the fight. While a catchweight has been proposed, the same sources state that the fight is unlikely to proceed at a weight higher than 145 pounds.

Negotiations are ongoing and a resolution may be reached.

Toughill, who cuts a significant amount of weight to make 145 and appeared sluggish and dehydrated when competing at the weight, has been a subject of discussion for many months as fans await her Strikeforce debut. With the promotion’s 145-pound champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos appearing to be all but unbeatable, Toughill remains as one of very few credible challengers for the Brazilian striker. However, before she can get a shot at the title, Toughill must first get past Olsen, who voiced her frustrations with the situation on her Facebook account last night.

Having competed primarily in open-weight bouts in Japan, where she held a significant advantage in size and strength over all of her opponents, Toughill will be forced to make the 145-pound limit if she is to ever challenge Santos for the title. Toughill has reportedly stated that she can make 145 pounds if the fight is scheduled for a different date, but a revised timetable has yet to be established.

Should the fight not proceed, Toughill’s status with the promotion could come into question, as Strikeforce does not currently feature a women’s division higher than 145 pounds and has run low on top contenders to face someone of Toughill’s calibre. Toughill’s contract is a seven-fight deal.

Should negotiations lead to a compromise, the bout between Toughill and Olsen will serve as a title eliminator, with the winner going on to face Santos later this year or early in 2011. Santos most recently stopped an overmatched Jan “Cuddles” Finney on June 26th.