Strikeforce has officially announced its long-rumored March 5 event at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, adding a pair of intriguing bouts with championship implications. As MMA Fighting first reported, that show will be headlined by a light-heavyweight championship main event pitting recently crowned Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante against challenger Dan Henderson.
That, however, will not be the only title match of the evening, as No. 1 contender Miesha Tate will finally get her shot at the belt when she faces champion Marloes Coenen in a women's lightweight title fight.
Coenen captured the championship with a third-round submission over Sarah Kaufman in October. Tate, meanwhile, became the division's top contender in August, after winning two matches in one night.
The other key addition to the card is a middleweight fight between Tim Kennedy vs. Luke Rockhold.
Kennedy had been expected to face Jason "Mayhem" Miller, only to see Strikeforce switch tracks over the last few days and replace Miller with the 7-1 Rockhold, a 26-year-old AKA product who will be moving up to face his sternest test yet.
Kennedy most recently lost to Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza last August, while Rockhold has won six straight, though at the time of his return, he will have been out for over a year after being knocked out of action with a shoulder injury.
Also added to the card was a lightweight scrap between unbeaten Billy Evangelista (11-0, 1 no contest) and Jorge Masvidal (20-6).
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