In a fight that will bring the winner one step closer to challenging for a world title, undefeated rising prospect Lyle Beerbohm will face dangerous veteran Pat Healy in the main event of a Strikeforce Challengers fight card at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Tex. suburb of Cedar Park on Friday, Feb. 18.

Beerbohm, of Spokane, Wash., will enter what will be a dangerous-for-both-fighters lightweight (155 pounds) scrap with a record of 15-0. Healy, of St. Louis, is 25-17.

The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.

Both Beerbohm and Healy are highly skilled 155-pounders who are trying to position themselves to contend for a possible shot at Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.

The experienced Healy has faced top quality opposition and is no stranger to a big fight. He showed his ability and tremendous determination in his last start, pushing former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson to the limit before getting submitted (rear-naked choke) at 4:27 of the third and final scheduled round on June 26.

All Beerbohm has done is win.

Beerbohm will be making his forth appearance for Strikeforce and his main event debut. In his last outing Beerbohm won a split-decision over four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro on May 15, 2010. It was only the second time one of Beerbohm's fights went the distance.

A 5-foot-10, three-year pro, Beerbohm, who turns 32 on Feb. 5, is coming off a 2:48, first-round submission (guillotine choke) over Talon Hoffman on Dec. 4, 2010.

Beerbohm literally began his pro career after serving 366 days at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla as a result of felony convictions, all related to a crystal meth addiction. The day he was freed from prison, he visited a Jiu-Jitsu gym. He had his first amateur fight eight days after being released.

Since entering MMA, Beerbohm has found a discipline and determination that was missing in his life.

"If I didn't go to prison, I probably would be dead today," he said. "Because I wouldn't get cleaned up. I wouldn't go to rehab. I wouldn't get off the drugs. I didn't want to get off the drugs. (Finally) I traded one addiction for the other. I traded meth for MMA."

A top wrestler in high school, Beerbohm is a brawler who can switch between southpaw and orthodox stances. He went 12-0 in the amateurs, in spite of the obstacles he had to overcome. Although the vast majority of his fights have ended early and he's recorded more KO's than submissions, he still considers himself a grappler.

Beerbohm, whose nickname is derived from the custom-made, multi-colored trunks sewn by his mother, owns wins over former world Muay Thai champion and Strikeforce and UFC veteran Duane "Bang'' Ludwig as well as UFC vet Rafaello Oliveira. Beerbohm submitted (bulldog choke) Ludwig in the first round of a non-televised fight at a Strikeforce Challengers event on June 19, 2009.

"I want to fight the best, I want to fight for the Strikeforce title,'' said Beerbohm, the head of Washington's Fancy Pants Fight Team. "All I can do is continue to work hard and beat who they put in front of me. This is going to be a very difficult fight for both of us, but I'm confident of winning and moving up the ranks.

"I am very anxious to fight on Showtime and show the fans and Strikeforce what I can do," he continued....