Strikeforce
STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Gegard Mousasi targeting April return to Strikeforce against Mike Kyle
Jan 28, 2011 - 10:30:42 PM STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Gegard Mousasi targeting April return to Strikeforce against Mike Kyle

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi hasn't been seen in the Strikeforce cage since losing that title to Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal last April, but he's aiming to return this April in a bout against Mike Kyle.

According to a report from MMAFighting.com, Strikeforce initially targeted that fight for their March 5 event in Columbus, Ohio, but with Kyle still recovering from injuries he suffered against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in December, the bout is now likely to come on Strikeforce's planned April 9 event.

Mousasi hasn't been sitting idly by for a year, however. The 25-year-old took two fights in DREAM, capturing the Japanese promotion's Light Heavyweight title with wins over Jake O'Brien and Tatsuya Mizuno, both by first-round submission.

Strikeforce's April 9 card could see him back in Japan, as the organization is targeting the country as the host for the event, which is also expected to feature the other two quarterfinal bouts in Strikeforce's Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

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Penick's Analysis: One potential issue with trying to bring this event to Japan with a number of fighters that have drawn there in the past is the fact that it further delays them gaining an audience here in the U.S. Alistair Overeem has fought twice in the U.S. over the last three years, Mousasi just three times. Though the event will still air on Showtime, overseas events have shown to drop in viewership for fans in the U.S., regardless of whether it's on live or not. And if they run Japan there's no guarantee they'll set it up to be live here, either.