Odds and Ends: July 14

Marius Zaromskis

Today In MMA News

Bobby Green signs with Strikeforce

King of the Cage lightweight champion Bobby Green has a new promotion to call home.

The 155 lb. fighter has signed a contract with Strikeforce, according to MMAjunkie.com, who learned of the news from Jason House of Iridium Sports Agency.

Green earned the lightweight title of King of the Cage against Dominic O’Grady last April, earning a unanimous decision victory. The victory was his fourth in five fights, all of which happened under the KOTC banner.

While Green now takes a step up in terms of competition, his Strikeforce debut will not be the first time he fought on the main stage. He had the opportunity to fight at “Affliction: Day of Reckoning,” but failed to earn the win, as he was defeated by Dan Lauzon via submission.

The 15-4 fighter will debut against Milton Vieira at Strikeforce Challengers 18.

Sakurai withdraws from “DREAM: Japan GP Final”

Marius Zaromskis will no longer be fighting Hayato Sakurai at “DREAM: Japan GP Final.”

Earlier today, the promotion announced that Sakurai was out due to a leg injury, and Eiji Ishikawa is in against the welterweight champion, though Zaromskis’ belt is not going to be on the line.

Ishikawa has fought back-to-back bouts under the Pancrase banner, earning a pair of victories. While he has not fought any notable fighters lately, he has competed against Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, and Hector Lombard, though he was winnless against the three middleweights.

Meanwhile, Zaromskis enters this contest with one win in his last five fights. During that time span, he was defeated by Nick Diaz, Evangelista Santos, and, most recently Jordan Mein, while his bout against Waachiim Spiritwolf ended as a no contest. His lone win during this stint came against Kazushi Sakuraba in Japan.

“DREAM: Japan GP Final” is set for July 16 in Tokyo.

Kazuo Misaki also signs with Strikeforce

Former Pride Champion Kazuo Misaki has joined the Strikeforce welterweight roster.

At 24-11-2, Misaki has put together a solid career, including his Pride title, which he won back in November of 2006. His career includes wins over the likes of Dan Henderson, Joe Riggs, and Denis Kang. However, he also has been defeated by the likes of Frank Trigg, the Henderson (in their first match), and Jorge Santiago twice.

In his last bout, the Sengoku veteran earned a stoppage victory over Akira Shoji, moving his winning streak to two. He will look to build upon that streak in his Strikeforce debut, though a date and opponent are yet to be named.