Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix to Cincy; Feijao Draws Yoel Romero

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante kicks Dan Henderson

The date for the semifinal round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix was recently confirmed for Sept. 10. Now we have a location. It will take place at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. MMAWeekly.com confirmed the location, first reported by MMAJunkie.com, with independent sources.

One casualty of the card is Alistair Overeem, whose recovery from an injured toe, according to UFC president Dana White, wouldn’t allow the Strikeforce heavyweight champion ample preparatory time. White said the date was scheduled by Strikeforce TV partner Showtime and couldn’t be switched up to accommodate Overeem.

Daniel Cormier will step in and take Overeem’s place against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the semifinal round of the tournament.

Another non-tournament bout has been added to the card as well with Strikeforce light heavyweight Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante taking on Yoel Romero. The bout was first reported by MMAJunkie.com and subsequently confirmed by MMAWeekly.com sources.

Cavalcante (10-3) is one fight removed from losing his title to Dan Henderson. He had been on a three-fight winning streak prior to that bout, and will be looking to resurrect that success against Romero.

Romero (4-0) was an Olympic silver medalist for Cuba in the 2000 freestyle competition. He transitioned to mixed martial arts in late 2009, reeling off four consecutive victories in competitions in Germany and Poland. Feijao is by far the biggest opportunity of his career.

Stay tuned to the MMAWeekly.com Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson rumors page for all the latest updates to the fight card.