Kerry Vera Signs With Strikeforce, 135 and 145 GP's To Take Place Early 2010, Cyborg Becoming A Star In Brazil

Kerry Vera Signs With Strikeforce

Sherdog reports that Kerry Vera, wife of UFC fighter Brandon Vera, has signed with Strikeforce:

Kerry Vera has agreed to a four-fight deal with Strikeforce that will see the wife of UFC light heavyweight Brandon join the promotion’s 135-pound women’s division.

Vera is expected to make her Strikeforce debut sometime in November, said her trainer, Eric DelFierro. No opponent or date has been named.

Kerry made her MMA debut in Bellator earlier this year against Leslie Smith after having experienced success in Muay Thai and winning the 2007 season of "Fight Girls" on the Oxygen cable channel.

Vera, 27, made her mixed martial arts debut for Bellator Fighting Championships last May in Chicago, and earned praise for her unanimous decision over Leslie Smith in a gripping slugfest.

She was also the winner of the 2007 season of “Fight Girls,” an Oxygen channel reality series that documented 10 female muay Thai fighters through an elimination competition that culminated in Thailand.

Video of Kerry Vera vs Leslie Smith at Bellator:

More after the jump...

135 and 145 lbs Women GP's To Take Place Early Next Year

Scott Coker also commented on the highly anticipated 135 and 145 lbs GP's that were rumored to take place late this year.  It seems that they have been pushed back until early next year, and they are signing more female fighters to fill up the slots.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker informed Sherdog.com Friday that the promotion has also pushed back plans to host two eight-woman tournaments –- at 135 and 145 pounds –- until early 2010.

DelFierro said Vera, who trains alongside her husband at the Alliance training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., would consider entering the 135-pound bracket, if invited.

Possible Strikeforce 8-Woman 135 lbs Tournament Lineup:

Miesha Tate

Sarah Kaufman

Hitomi Akano

Shayna Baszler

Kerry Vera

Amanda Buckner

Kaitlin Young

Carina Damm

Hopefuls:

Takayo Hashi

Roxanne Modafferi

Tara LaRosa

Kim Couture and Kerry Vera may be too inexperienced to enter this tournament, so they will most likely be fighting fights on the side.  The 145 lb list is much leaner, and at the moment could consist wit fighters such as Erin Toughill, Marloes Coenen, and Cindy Dandois.  I am also sure Gina Carano would add exposure to this GP and redeem herself if she wanted to.

Amanda Buckner Gearing for Strikeforce's 135 lb Tournament

Other top female fighters, such as Amanda Buckner, have expressed interest in joining Strikeforce and their women's divisions and participating in their upcoming tournaments. 

Having already been ranked as highly as #2 in the world, Buckner is no stranger to competing at the highest levels against the toughest challengers. She has held titles in both Ring of Fire and SmackGIRL and was seconds away from defeating Tara LaRosa in an incredible 2006 battle. Much like many other talented female fighters of today, however, Buckner has been left without a promotion to compete for after the demise of BodogFIGHT and SmackGIRL.

Recently receiving her Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and motivated by the upcoming Strikeforce women's 135-pound tournament, Buckner knows that she can be a force in the division and eagerly awaits all Strikeforce challengers.

Here is part of her interview with MMARising:

MMARising.com: Of the promotions that have begun to showcase women's MMA in the past two years – most notably Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships and Palace Fighting Championship in North America, and Jewels, Valkyrie, DEEP and Shooto in Japan – which do you feel has done the most to advance the sport?

Amanda: Strikeforce, for sure. They have had the most high-profile fighters, and the mere fact that the cards are televised advances the sport way more than any other show. You can have the best show in the world, but if nobody sees it, it won't have much impact on the sport overall.

Cyborg Becoming A Star In Brazil, Leading Womens Revolution

Here is an exert from TATAME, claiming Cyborg is leading the women's revolution:

In the 20th century, women rebelled against the male prejudice that used to put them below in every area. With the feminism, women got more and more space, and in MMA wasn’t different. Four years and nine fights after debuting as a professional fighter, Cristiane Cyborg reached her biggest dream, dispute – and win – the first ever female belt in a big organization, the American show Strikeforce. "The first thing I did was to thank God, I couldn’t believe it… I still don’t believe! I didn’t knew if I cry or laugh", reveals Cyborg, who knocked Gina Carano out with one second left to the end of the first round.

In the first time he stepped in a ring, back in 2005, the Chute Boxe athlete wasn’t very well, being submitted by Erica Paes. After that, Cris showed why she’d become, years later, the biggest fighter around the world, winning four Storm editions and heading to the US, where she won more four fights…

Cyborg will most likely take on either Erin Toughill or Marloes Coenen for her first title defense either late this year or early next year.  The winner of the 145 lbs tournament will most likely be the next contender for the 145 lbs belt.  By that time, Strikeforce hopes that Gina Carano can get a few more wins and possibly face the champion.  Either way, it looks like women's MMA will be running on full gears very soon.  The only question now is whether fighters like high-priced Tara LaRosa, or foregin talent such as Japanese stars Mega Megu and Takayo Hashi are willing to come to America and participate.