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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
In addition to Keith Jardine, Texas based promotion Shark Fights has signed two more UFC light heavyweight veterans to face off against each other, as they have announced a bout between Houston Alexander and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou as the co-main event for Shark Fights 13 on September 11.
"We are very excited to have Sokoudjou vs. Houston Alexander as our co-main event on the Shark Fights 13 card," said Shark Fight Promotions president Brent Medley in today's release. "Both fighters have impressive knockouts on their records and have thrown down with a long list of tough, notable opponents. This will be no different.
"This is a very important fight for both fighters and a great opportunity for them to prove to the fans that they are still top contenders in the sport. Be prepared for a full on battle between Sokoudjou and Alexander on Sept. 11!"
Alexander burst into the Octagon with a knockout victory over Jardine in 2007, and followed it up with a first round KO over Alessio Sakara just a few months later.
Since then, however, he's been on a major downward slide. Losing three consecutive fights in the Octagon, including an eight second knockout loss to James Irvin, Alexander was cut for the first time. He picked up a win outside of the organization, and then got another opportunity when he was brought in to face Kimbo Slice at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale.
He lost that bout and a subsequent fight against current UFC heavyweight Joey Beltran before finally picking up a win in June.
Sokoudjou himself has had a very up and down career himself, and has gone 4-3 since his 1-2 stint in the UFC in 2007-2008. He's on a two fight win streak heading into this fight, though one of those was a disqualification win over Dave "Peewee" Herman from illegal knees.
Shark Fights 13 is taking place from the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas.
Penick's Analysis: For a light heavyweight bout outside of the UFC, this isn't a bad matchup for either fighter. At this point, Sokoudjou would have to be favored with his KO ability and the fact that Alexander's gas tank isn't any better than his. This is a good co-main event for Shark Fights, and it should be a good card for the fans in Texas.
RELATED STORY: OTHER NEWS: Keith Jardine to meet Trevor Prangley in September at Shark Fights 13: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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