Strikeforce understudy

With Affliction falling apart after Josh Barnett’s failed drug test, and multiple fight changes on August 15’s Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg main card, it’s no surprise that Strikeforce has assigned Erin Toughill as a replacement should either of the headliners get injured during training (or fail to make weight).

Toughill is 10-2-1 in MMA and riding a four-fight winning streak. She also has an 8-2-1 boxing record, having lost to Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali, in 2005 and she fought Joe Frazier’s daughter, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, to a no-contest in 2002. She also appeared on the second season of American Gladiators as Steel.

The most-recent switch-up on the Strikeforce card is Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1) replacing injured lightweight champ Josh Thomson (16-2) in a five-round bout with interim titleholder Gilbert Melendez (15-2). Thomson, who defeated Melendez for the title in mid-2008, initially was slated to rematch his former training partner earlier this year. However, Thomson broke his leg during a training session in April, which forced the cancellation of the bout and led to Melendez vs. Rodrigo Damm for the interim belt. Melendez won the April fight via second-round knockout. Thomson’s leg break still isn’t sufficiently healed to clear medicals, apparently.