Top Prospect 'Pezao' Set for Sept. 10 Strikeforce Debut Versus Kyle

"They just confirmed I'll face Mike Kyle on Sept. 10," de Lima told Sherdog.com Tuesday. The Sept. 10 card has no slated venue or city yet, but will feature the semifinals of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and will air live on Showtime.

Though he represents Sao Paulo's Barbosa Team, Pezao will be training at Brazil's current top gym, Nova Uniao, for his upcoming bout with Kyle.

“[Nova Uniao leader Andre] Pederneiras is a long time friend of my master [Marcos] Barbosa. Barbosa asked him to help me and here I am," said the unbeaten de Lima. "I arrived in Rio de Janeiro yesterday and haven't trained yet, but I can already feel the excellent atmosphere with the team."

Sporting an 8-0 MMA mark with seven stoppages, the native of Ribeirao Pires, Sao Paulo, is expecting an exciting fight with Kyle, a like-minded striker.

“Kyle is a dangerous striker who already defeated tough guys like 'Feijao' [Rafael Cavalcante]," said de Lima. "We have a similar style and I think it's a great choice from the event. I believe we can make a pretty exciting fight for the fans."

Pezao hasn't competed since last October, when he took a unanimous decision over former WEC champion Paulo Filho. It will be the first fight for the 31-year-old Kyle since he faced off with another man nicknamed "Pezao," losing via second-round knockout to heavyweight Antonio Silva in December.