The Bobby Lashley/Strikeforce lottery is still being held -- unless the well-traveled Jimmy Ambriz is given the winning ticket by the suddenly-stingy Florida State Boxing Commission (FSBC).
According to a report from Five Ounces of Pain, "The Titan" has been asked to replace Yohan Banks after the California pugilist was denied a license by the FSBC to compete at "Miami" on Jan. 30, likely due to his recent inactivity inside the cage.
That left "The Dominator" high and dry for the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida; however, the ball is back in the FSBC court and the situation could be resolved almost as quickly as it started.
Strikeforce officials have not yet confirmed the published report.
Ambriz (14-12-1) has competed just about everywhere not named UFC and Strikeforce. In addition to a run under the WEC banner back in 2005-2006, he's also appeared in DREAM, King of the Cage, Pancrase, K-1 and most recently Maximum Fighting Championships.
He last fought on August 29 at Midwest Fighting Championships, stopping Chris Clark via technical knockout just one minute into the first round of their heavyweight tilt. That win snapped a two fight losing streak that was a result of back-to-back submission losses to Jeff Monson.
While obviously not part of the master plan, a win over Lashley would be a tremendous boost to his fighting career, which dates back to April 2001.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on the pending changes to the Strikeforce: "Miami" card as they develop.