A 140-pound female bout between Shayna "The Queen of Spades" Baszler (9-4) and Cristiane "Cris" Cyborg (4-0) will be the fourth and final fight to air on CBS during Elite XC's "Saturday Night Fights" event in Stockton, Calif., on July 26 titled "Unfinished Business."
And it appears that the showdown could have championship implications on the line.
In fact, Elite XC Live Events President Gary Shaw stated before the May 31 "Saturday Night Fights" event that he planned to introduce a female title into the picture sometime before the end of 2008. The match between Gina Carano and Kaitlin Young more than likely decided one participant for that title bout (Carano), and this one looks to be the fight to determine the other.
Baszler -- a submission whiz with each of her nine wins coming by tap out -- trains out of Sioux Falls, S.D. She has competed in mixed martial arts since 2003 and has tested herself against some of the best in the world, including Tara LaRosa, Julie Kedzie and Kelly Kobald.
She comes into this fight on a four match win streak, with three straight first round submissions under the Elite XC banner.
Cristiane Cyborg -- a Chute Box fighter -- has not competed in nearly two years, but was dominant back in 2006 when she was in action with three first round technical knockout wins (albeit against less than stellar competition). Therefore, this fight seems to be a step up for her in terms of experience, but it's a huge opportunity to get that high profile match against Carano.
The showdown between Carano and Baszler is the fight Elite XC wants for its inaugural female championship, but Cyborg is certainly capable of taking the place of "The Queen of Spades." This could be a fun fight.
To check out the three other fights confirmed for the CBS portion of the co-telecast, as well as the portion of the card that will air on Showtime, click here.
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