NEW YORK (January 12, 2009)– Twenty-six year old hybrid fighter Greg Nagy will receive the first crack at football legend Herschel Walker in the cage when the two face off at the STRIKEFORCE: Miami mixed martial arts (MMA) event at Sunrise, Florida’s BankAtlantic Center on Saturday, January 30.
Nagy, who hails from Chandler, Arizona, stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. He trains at Rage In The Cage Training Center and boasts a team of five coaches whose expertise range from boxing to Muay Thai to strength and conditioning to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling.
“I fully expect to make this an event that my opponent will not include in his highlight reel,” said Nagy. “I am honored to be able to participate in this incredible event and I am thankful to STRIKEFORCE for giving me the opportunity.”
Walker, the1982 Heisman Trophy winner and a two-time Pro Bowl competitor began an intensive MMA training camp two months ago at San Jose, California’s American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) as part of his venture into the world’s fastest growing sport at the age of 47. AKA is also home to a host of the world’s greatest fighters, including STRIKEFORCE superstars Josh “The Punk” Thomson and Cung Le.
The former running back, who already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo, is being trained by AKA co-owners and renowned trainers Bob Cook and Javier Mendez.
Walker, a 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team that year, has never been one to shy away from the road less traveled.
Following his junior year at the University of Georgia where he had set the NCAA freshman rushing record en route to an undefeated season and Sugar Bowl championship victory over Notre Dame, Walker, a born-again Christian, astonished the sports world by withdrawing from school to play professional ball in the newly formed United States Football League (USFL) rather than wait to enter the NFL draft after the graduation of his collegiate class, a rule maintained by the world’s largest professional football league at the time.
While the vast majority of football players typically follow an intensive weight room regimen, Walker relied on bodyweight exercise, conditioning, and calisthenics while maintaining very little body fat.
Walker was eventually drafted in 1985 by The Dallas Cowboys and established himself as a premiere running back in the league. In 1986, he was the driving force behind a historic trade that sent in to The Minnesota Vikings in exchange for five players and six draft picks.
In 12 NFL seasons with four different teams, he became the only player to gain 4,000 yards three different ways – rushing, receiving, and kickoff returns. He is one of six players to exceed 60 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns receiving and is the only player in NFL history to register a 90 plus yard reception, a 90 plus yard run, and a 90 plus yard kickoff return, all in one season (1994).
Off the gridiron, Walker has achieved a handful of feats, including a seventh place finish in the 1992 Winter Olympics two-man bobsled competition.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE: Miami are on sale at the BankAtlantic Center ticket office and Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 as well as online at www.Ticketmaster.com and www.Strikeforce.com.
In the main event, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Nick Diaz (20-7) of Stockton, California will take on fellow superstar and DREAM welterweight (170 pounds) champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-3) of Siaulial, Lithuania at welterweight.
STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Lightweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg (8-1) of Curitiba, Brazil will put her title on the line against Marloes Coenen (17-3) of Deventer, Holland.
Knockout artists “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5) and Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (24-6-1) will square off with each other in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest.
Joe “Diesel” Riggs (32-10) and Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron (18-4) will face off at welterweight (170 pounds).
Undefeated heavyweight and former WWE champion Bobby Lashley (4-0) will make his STRIKEFORCE debut during the event against an opponent who has not yet been determined.
Doors at BankAtlantic Center will open for the event at 6:30 p.m. The first non-televised, preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m.
The live SHOWTIME® telecast of STRIKEFORCE: Miami will begin at 10 pm ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) and will include as many as five bouts.
STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the
premium cable television network. The promotion made its live, primetime debut on CBS with the “Fedor vs. Rogers” mega-fight that it co-promoted with M-1 Global on Saturday, November 7
and generated 5.46 million viewers for the main event between the world’s number one heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, and superstar Brett “The Grim” Rogers.
