Touted Brazilian
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante will face fellow Pro Elite veteran
Jared Hamman in a featured light heavyweight bout for Strikeforce “Lawler vs. Shields” on June 6 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Representatives from both fighters’ camps confirmed the bout to Sherdog.com on Thursday.
The matchup replaces a previously announced tilt for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title between champion
Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Feijao. Sobral withdrew from the bout last week to prepare for the birth of his second daughter in late May.
Sobral will defend his title against the winner of the June contender’s bout.
Cavalcante (7-1) notched three straight victories in EliteXC and was on his way to coronation as the promotion’s first 205-pound champion when the organization all but ceased operations last October.
A student under UFC and IFL staple
Vladimir Matyushenko, Hamman (10-1) avenged his only blemish to
Poai Suganuma with a firm TKO in 2:34 for ShoXC last August. Suganama had taken their first match by a controversial 15-second knockout.
The June 6 event will be headlined by a middleweight matchup between former EliteXC 185-pound champ
Robbie Lawler and 170-pound kingpin
Jake Shields.
Strikeforce “Shields vs. Lawler” airs live on Showtime at 10 p.m. EST.
