Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has withdrawn from his bout against Fabricio Werdum scheduled to take place at Strikeforce “Carano vs. Cyborg” on Aug. 15 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
The promotion announced the cancellation Tuesday, citing that Overeem had aggravated a previous hand injury.
Overeem (29-11) had been slated to make his first title defense on June 6 against Brett Rogers, but sustained a hand injury during an altercation with security in an Amsterdam nightclub. The hard-hitting Dutchman has not appeared in the Strikeforce cage since his title victory over Paul Buentello in November 2007.
A replacement bout will be announced, said the promotion, although it did not specify if Werdum will remain on the card.
Strikeforce’s Aug. 15 card still boasts three other title bouts. In the main event, Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vie for the first-ever Strikeforce 145-pound women’s championship. Lightweight champion Josh Thomson will also tangle with interim champion Gilbert Melendez in a rematch of their highly regarded June 2008 tilt, while Nick Diaz will rematch Joe Riggs for the recently-introduced welterweight title.
Overeem-Werdum Off Strikeforce
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