His 2010 Strikeforce run started in Nashville and he will start 2011 the same way. Former University of Tennessee linebacker turned one of the fastest rising light heavyweights in MMA, Ovince St. Preux will step back in the cage for the third time in seven weeks to face Ron “Abongo” Humphrey.
The two will face off on Strikeforce’s Challengers 13 which will take place at “Music City’s” Municipal Auditorium and will air live on Showtime on Friday, Jan. 7 at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
Other bouts on the televised card include Tyron Woodley vs. Tarec Saffiedine in the main event, Daniel Cormier vs. Devin Cole and Julia Budd vs. Amanda Nunes.
St. Preux vs. Humphrey will replace the originally scheduled John Salter vs. Yancy Medeiros, which was scrapped due to a Medeiros knee injury according to Sherdog.
St. Preux (9-4) will be looking to add to his six fight win streak. After dominating Benji Radach in a short notice bout at “Henderson vs. Babalu” earlier this month, St. Preux said he would be willing to fight again as soon as Strikeforce needed him. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said he would be happy to oblige.
St. Preux commented on taking this fight:
“I always thought I was fighting Jan. 7, but when I had a chance to take the fight (with Radach), I took it,’’ said Saint Preux, a member of Knoxville Martial Arts Academy who passed what most expected to be his toughest test in impressive fashion. “That was a good fight and a hard fight that we both took on short notice but there was no way I could turn down fighting in Tennessee.
“I like to stay busy and I’m in the gym training, working out and trying to improve all the time anyway. So why not fight again? Besides, this is like a home game for me.’’
Humphrey (7-2) has gone 1-2 in his last three Strikeforce fights. He was last in the cage in July when he lost via second round rear-naked choke submission to Mike Kyle at Strikeforce Challengers 9. Prior to that he scored a first round guillotine choke submission over George Bush at Challengers 7 in March.
Incidentally, St. Preux is up for Strikeforce’s “Rising Star of the Year” in their “Best of 2010” fan-voted awards. If you think his six wins with four first-round stoppages, all in 2010, is something to get excited about, you can vote for him HERE.