Shane Del Rosario vs. Lolohea Mahe officially tabbed as Strikeforce Challengers 9 headliner
by FiveKnuckles.com Staff on June 11, 2010

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Shane Del Rosario (9-0) will attempt to extend his unblemished streak when he faces fellow heavy hitter Lolohea Mahe (4-1-1) in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at Comcast Arena at Everett, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), on Friday, July 23.

Unbeaten STRIKEFORCE Women's World Welterweight (135 pounds) Champion and former ballet dancer Sarah Kaufman (11-0) will put her perfect record as well as her crown on the line against international star Roxanne Modafferi (15-5).

In other featured action, Abongo Humphrey (7-1) will take on Mike "Mak" Kyle (16-7-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event will take place for "STRIKEFORCE Insider" e-newsletter subscribers , beginning at 10 a.m. PT Tomorrow/Friday, June 11, until 10 p.m. PT on Sunday, June 13. STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets for the event go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, June 14 and can be purchased at the Comcast Arena box office (866-332-8499) as well as online at ComcastArenaEverett.com and STRIKEFORCE's official website.

Del Rosario, of Irvine, Calif., hasn't come close to losing since turning pro in August 2006. He has yet to go the distance; in fact, only one of his fights has gone past the first round.

In his last start, Del Rosario, who'll be making his fifth appearance on SHOWTIME, submitted (omoplata) Brandon Cash at 2:57 of the first round on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Nov. 6, 2009. Seven of his previous eight victories came via knockout.

Besides power, the 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Del Rosario possesses excellent movement and quickness. A graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in Psychology, Del Rosario played basketball in high school. He also is an active professional Muay Thai fighter and is 6-1 (six knockouts).

Mahe will be trying to regain his winning ways after suffering the first defeat of his career in his last start to Lavar Johnson during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event last March 26.

An American Samoan who resides and fights out of Kahului Maui, Hawaii, the heavy-handed 6-foot-4, 28-year-old had his fair share of pavement punchouts before turning to MAA in November 2007,

Outside the cage, the married father of three children is very active in the Church. Every Saturday he and his family clean the local church (Ala Lani United Methodist Church).

Kaufman, of Victoria, British Canada, captured the first-ever STRIKEFORCE Women's 135-pound Championship in her last start with a unanimous five-round decision over Takayo Hashi in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers card last Feb. 26.

In her outing before last on June 19, 2009, on SHOWTIME, the 5-feet-5, 24-year-old Kaufman outpointed Shayna Baszler in the historic first five-minute, three-round women's fight.

Regarded as perhaps the most powerful, pure puncher in women's MMA, Kaufman is an avid ballet, jazz and hip hop dancer who only discovered the sport after a martial arts gym opened underneath her dance studio when she was 17. She attended the University of Victoria for two years with the goal of becoming a cardiovascular surgeon before focusing her efforts on MMA.

A pro since 2006, Kaufman knocked out her first eight opponents before earning a hard-fought decision over Miesha Tate during the first-ever STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 15, 2009.

Modafferi, of Wilmington, Del., is coming off the biggest victory...

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