The stakes will be high when STRIKEFORCE closes out a spectacular 2009 with the return of one of the most prolific and exciting fighters in Mixed Martial Arts - unbeaten former STRIKEFORCE world middleweight champion Cung Le, who will headline a star-studded lineup at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 19, on SHOWTIME.

Joining the legendary Le (6-0) will be five other outstanding and widely recognized 185-pound stalwarts, Scott "Hands Of Steel'' Smith (16-6), "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (16-5), Matt "The Law" Lindland (21-6) and highly regarded STRIKEFORCE newcomers Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (5-0), who will be making their respective highly anticipated debuts for the organization. Souza will face Lindland. Opponents for Lawler and "King Mo'' will be announced soon.

A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity will take place for "STRIKEFORCE Insider" e-newsletter subscribers (www.strikeforce.com) beginning at 10:00 AM, PT Tuesday, Nov. 10, and ending at 10 PM, PT on Thursday, Nov. 12. "STRIKEFORCE Insiders" will receive a special e-newsletter today with the pre-sale code.

Tickets, priced from $30, go on sale to the general public at 10:00 AM, PT on Friday, Nov. 13 at the HP Pavilion ticket office as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE'S official website (www.strikeforce.com).

A cross-over star who also has made a name for himself in Hollywood, the popular Le has never lost a fight in his decorated career as a professional. He‘s perfect in MMA, kickboxing (22-0) and Sanshou (17-0).

Le, who recently relinquished his STRIKEFORCE belt to concentrate on a movie career - his latest flick, Pandorum, was released recently and another movie, Tekken, is due out soon -- will be making his first start since dismantling the renowned Frank Shamrock on March 29, 2008, at HP Pavilion.

In an impressive performance, Le kicked the daylights out of Shamrock, breaking Shamrock's arm in the process of winning by third-round TKO. Shamrock could not come out for the fourth round.

The 5-foot-10, 37-year-old Le was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, and moved to San Jose when he was 10. In 1994, he had his first amateur fight and turned pro in 1998. His main concentrations were in Sanshou and kickboxing until 2005. His MMA debut came in March 2006. Smith, of Sacramento, Calif., has won two of three and registered 13 knockouts in his 16 victories.

A game, exciting Muay Thai specialist and one of the most dangerous strikers in the business, Smith is a KO artist who comes out throwing bombs with an abandon.

A fighter who detests fights that go that distance, Smith has fought the likes of Nick Diaz and Lawler twice but will forever be remembered most for his dramatic, comeback, highlight-reel victory over Pete "Drago'' Sell in one of the most unexpected, shocking endings to a fight in MMA

Souza, a 2008 Dream Middleweight Grand Prix runner-up, is a submission wizard who signed with STRIKEFORCE earlier this year. "Jacare," which is Portuguese for the species of alligator that inhabit Manaus, the town in Brazil where he was born, took up Jiu Jitsu at the age of 17.

The talented, six-foot-tall, 29-year-old Souza held MMA legend Randy "The Natural" Couture to a draw in a grappling contest in 2006 and, shortly thereafter, began training at Xtreme Couture. He has long since returned to training in his homeland

Souza established his position as a top tier 185-pounder after placing second in the 2008 Dream...