Nate Marquardt vs. Tyron Woodley Likely to Face Off for Vacant Strikeforce Title in July

The main event for the upcoming Strikeforce event in July is almost set as Nate Marquardt will make his promotional debut against Tyron Woodley with the vacant welterweight title on the line.

Sources close to the match-up confirmed the fight to MMAWeekly.com on Monday with verbal agreements in place for the July showdown.

Following a rough and tumultuous 2011 that saw him released from the UFC, Nate Marquardt is back in the good graces of Zuffa and fighting under the Strikeforce banner.

The release stemmed from Marquardt’s usage of testosterone replacement therapy and his subsequent removal from a fight against Rick Story that was to headline the UFC on Versus event in Pittsburgh last June.

Due to the situation and the surrounding controversy, Marquardt was released from the UFC, but now finds himself in an enviable position in Strikeforce instead.

The former middleweight will drop to 170lbs for the first time and face former Missouri wrestler Tyron Woodley for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title.

Woodley gets his long awaited shot at the Strikeforce gold after asking for a crack at the title for more than a year.

The Strikeforce welterweight title became vacant after champion Nick Diaz bolted to the UFC, and ever since that time Woodley has been gunning for a chance to get the belt around his waist.

A winner in all ten of his professional bouts, Woodley will look to make it 11 in a row when he faces Marquardt in July.

A date and location have not been determined yet, but current rumors have July 14 as the targeted timeframe for the next major Strikeforce show.

Follow @DamonMartin on Twitter or e-mail Damon Martin.
For more UFC News and UFC Rumors, follow MMAWeekly.com on Twitter and Facebook.