'Strikeforce: Cormier vs. Mir' Official For November 3 In Oklahoma City; Rockhold To Defend Title Against Larkin

Undefeated Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight champ and former Oklahoma State wrestler Daniel Cormier (10-0) takes on former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir (16-6), when Strikeforce heads to Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Saturday, Nov. 3. The event will air live on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

“As a former Oklahoma State wrestler and two-time Olympian, Cormier has used his wrestling background to immediately put himself among the sport’s elite,” said Strikeforce Scott Coker in a release. “On November 3 he faces his toughest opponent to date in former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir, who has beaten legend after legend on his own path to the title. We’ve had a lot of big heavyweight bouts in the history of Strikeforce, but I can tell you, without a doubt, that this is the one that you don’t want to miss.”

The co-main event  will feature current Strikeforce middleweight champ and training partner of Cormier, Luke Rockhold (10-1), who makes his third consecutive title defense against undefeated rising Kung Fu prospect Lorenz Larkin (13-0, 1 NC).

“Rockhold is rapidly approaching his first full year of being middleweight champ and he’s definitely opened a lot of eyes in that time,” said Coker. “He’s beaten three top contenders, successfully defended the belt twice and looked extremely impressive in doing so. This bout could easily be the toughest matchup he’s seen yet due to Larkin’s equally impressive standup.”

Strikeforce: "Cormier vs. Mir" will air live on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while preliminary fights will be shown live on Showtime Extreme at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast). Additional fights scheduled for the event are expected to be released shortly.

In addition to being the current Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier is also a former Oklahoma State University NCAA wrestler and two-time U.S. Olympic wrestler who now trains alongside the likes of former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, Jon Fitch and Mike Swick. On November 3, he takes on his second former UFC titleholder, having most recently defeated Josh Barnett in the finals of the heavyweight tournament last May. Additionally, the undefeated 10-0 AKA-trained fighter owns decisive victories over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Jeff Monson and Devin Cole.

Mir, meanwhile, will look to bounce back after suffering a recent technical knockout loss to reigning UFC heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos. Prior to the defeat, the 11-year veteran linked together a three-fight win streak, including victories over Mirko 'Cro Cop', Roy Nelson, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Also training out of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, Luke Rockhold steps back into the Strikeforce cage for the tenth consecutive time, including his third straight title defense. At 10-1, the Santa Cruz-native has earned recent wins over Tim Kennedy, Keith Jardine and “Jacare” Souza.

Finding continued success after a recent drop to middleweight, Lorenz Larkin recently defeated UFC and Strikeforce veteran Robbie Lawler to earn his shot at the title. At 13-0, 1 NC, “The Monsoon” remains undefeated having survived tough bouts with Gian Villante and Nick Rossborough. A practitioner of Kung Fu, Larkin is known for his intense striking, having finished eight of his opponents via KO.