NAME - Melvin Manhoef
FIGHTING OUT OF - Mike's Gym - Amsterdam, Netherlands
AGE - 33
WEIGHT - 185 LBS
HEIGHT - 5 FT 9 IN
MMA RECORD - 24-8-1

The 33 year old, who hails from Amsterdam, Netherlands, comes to STRIKEFORCE after reaching the semifinal round of the 2008 DREAM Middleweight (185 pounds) Grand Prix tournament by scoring first round TKOs on Dae Won Kim and legendary champion Kazushi Sakuraba on May 11, 2008 and June 15, 2008 respectfully.

His well-known battle cry “When I fight, I am willing to die” has translated into Manhoef’s explosive style of fighting, one that has helped him earn 22 of his 30 career MMA wins and 27 of his 45 career kickboxing victories by way of knockout.

Born in Suriname, Manhoef relocated to Rotterdam with his family when he was three years old. He was introduced to the sport of Muay Thai by his brother and, at age 18, won his first bout.