Shane Del Rosario
Unbeaten heavyweight latest roster switch
Strikeforce heavyweight Shane Del Rosario has signed with the UFC and will make his debut with the promotion sometime in 2012.
Del Rosario’s manager broke the news of the signing via his Twitter account Thursday night and included a photo of his client signing the contract.
Del Rosario (11-0, 3-0 Strikeforce) has all 11 of his wins by stoppage, including his 3-0 run in Strikeforce. The King of the Cage, ShoXC and M-1 Challenge veteran has only been past the first round once in that stretch.
After two wins on Strikeforce’s Challengers Series, Del Rosario submitted LaVar Johnson in February in a reserve bout in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament. But he has been out of action since then, and his next fight now will be under the UFC banner.
Two weeks ago, Strikeforce and broadcast partner Showtime announced a new deal extension for 2012 – but also announced the promotion would eliminate the heavyweight division some time after the conclusion of its grand prix tournament. Because of that decision, Strikeforce heavyweights have slowly been migrating over to the UFC, including the recent announcements of Fabricio Werdum, Chad Griggs and Johnson. Del Rosario is the latest to join that group.