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The Strikeforce Challengers series was created with the goal of taking deserving fighters with potential and giving them experience and exposure.

The opportunity presents a potential career break for fighters like Mike Aina, a 28-year-old Hawaiian who has amassed a strong 11-6-1 record, and once fought Nick Diaz to a close, split-decision loss. Aina is part of MMA's middle class -- good enough to get quality fights, but not a big enough name to fight full-time. In fact, Aina's real job as a welder/fabricator in some ways works against his fighting; he works at elevation, at 14,000 feet, so his body is constantly adjusting and re-adjusting to the oxygen differential.

He hopes to jump-start his MMA career on May 15 when he takes on undefeated lightweight Billy Evangelista.