Scott Smith
Pair of bouts added to Columbus card
A middleweight bout between former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and prospect Derek Brunson is likely for the promotion’s March 3 show.
MMAjunkie.com confirmed that bout, along with a second middleweight fight between Scott Smith and Lumumba Sayers.
Souza looks to get back on track after losing his belt to Luke Rockhold last September. Prior to that loss, “Jacare” was on a dominant four-fight winning streak, including a submission victory against Robbie Lawler.
Brunson, meanwhile, looks to launch a title run against one of the best in the division. He has competed three times under the Strikeforce banner, winning twice via unanimous decision and once by submission. With an undefeated record of 9-0, Brunson is one of the more promising prospects in a division desperate for contenders.
Smith looks to snap a three-fight losing streak. In his most recent outing, which came last July, he was defeated by Tarec Saffiedine by unanimous decision. Prior to that, he was brutally knocked out by Paul Daley and Cung Le. Smith has not won since December of 2009.
Sayers, after losing to Brunson, defeated Antwain Britt with a vicious first-round knockout in November, evening his Strikeforce record at 1-1.
Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey is official for March 3 in Columbus, Ohio. The card features a highly anticipated women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Miesha Tate and submission ace Ronda Rousey.