» Fighter: Rafael Cavalcante

Strikeforce welterweight prospect “T-Wood” Tyron Woodley (6-0) will headline Strikeforce’s Challenger Series 5 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City November 20 versus local star Rudy Bears (10-3), Strikeforce officially announced Thursday.

Read More About Tyron Woodley, “Feijao” Cavalcante Announced For Strikefore in Kansas City…

Light heavyweights “Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante (7-2) and Aaron Rosa (10-3) have agreed to fight at Strikeforce Challenger Series 5 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City November 20, Fighters.com has confirmed with a source close to one of the fighters.

No contract has been signed, but the fighters have agreed to the matchup.

Read More About “Feijao” Cavalcante Versus Aaron Rosa at Strikeforce in Kansas City…

“Snake” Cyrille Diabate (12-6-1) has declined a match with “Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante (7-1) at EliteXC’s 8 November event in Reno, EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen told MMA Junkie this week.

“Cyrille Diabate is not going to fight (Rafael) ‘Feijao’ for the title. We offered him the fight, but he felt like he didn’t have enough time to get ready,” Lappen said.

“We’re still looking for an opponent for ‘Feijao.’”

Lappen said that Diabate is interested in facing Cavalcante, and “wants to do that fight in the future.”

EliteXC: A Night of Champions will feature Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) and Joey Villasenor (26-6) in a title match, and a fight for the vacant 160-pound title between third-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and Nick Diaz (18-7).

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw has confirmed that the organization’s 8 November event will take place in Reno, reported MMA Junkie Friday.

Shaw said, “We’re going to have a huge card in November.  We’re going to be in Reno, Nevada.  It’s going to be fantastic.”

Shaw also confirmed that “Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante (7-1) will be on the card and may face “Snake” Cyrille Diabate (12-6-1), although whether it will be a title fight is yet to be determined.

“[We've] spoken about Cyrille Diabate, but it’s not definitive that that’s going to be his opponent,” Shaw said.

“Until we have a definitive opponent, we do not know if we will introduce the light-heavyweight title.  When we are ready to introduce the light heavyweight title, there is no doubt that ‘Feijao’ will be in a fight for that title.  He’s without a doubt the No. 1 fighter that we have in the light heavyweight division.”

Cavalcante last fought in July, TKO’ing “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-6) in round one.

Diabate won a unanimous decision over Jaime Fletcher (6-4) in August.

Another bout under consideration is “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) versus “Shango” Hector Lombard (17-2-1).

Shaw said, “We have a tentative agreement for Scott Smith to take on Hector Lombard.  I think that would be a fantastic fight.”

Smith is coming off a second-round TKO loss to Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) in July.

Lombard last fought in September versus Brian Ebersole (36-15), who verbally tapped in the fourth round.

One fighter who may not make it onto the card is “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0).

“Brett Rogers hasn’t been decided yet,” Shaw said.  “We’re still talking with his camp.  He had a couple of personal issues, and we’re just making sure that he has enough time to be prepared.  We spoke, and it’s nothing else.  It’s not contracts, it’s just a couple personal issues.

“We want to make sure we get the best possible Brett Rogers at all times.  If we’re able to go with him, then he’ll be there.”

Rogers TKO’d Jon Murphy (4-3) in 1:01 in May.

The event will be headlined by Lawler in a title fight with Joey Villasenor (26-6) and also features a 160-pound title bout between Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and Nick Diaz (18-7).  It airs on Showtime.

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-4) TKO’d “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) at 2:35 of round two to retain his EliteXC Middleweight Championship.

Nick Diaz (18-7) TKO’d “Wildman” Thomas Denny (26-17) at :30 of round two.

Jake Shields (21-4-1) defeats “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) by guillotine submission at 1:03 of the first round for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship.

“Big Foot” Antonio Silva (11-1) TKO’d Justin Eilers (20-8-1) at :19 of round two for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship.

“Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante TKO’d “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-6) at 3:01 of round one.

Wilson Reis (5-0) won a unanimous decision over Bryan Caraway (10-3).

Carl Seumanutafa (4-0) KO’d Mike Cook (5-2) by slam at 1:21 of round one.

Drew Montgomery (5-3) TKO’d Brandon Tarns (1-2) by doctor stoppage at 4:23 of round three.

“Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante (6-1) and “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-5) will meet 26 July in a light heavyweight match-up at EliteXC’s Unfinished Business as part of the Showtime card.

Touted Cavalcante is 2-0 at EliteXC, most recently defeating Wayne Cole (11-7) with a first-round TKO on 14 June.

“Feijao” trains with UFC and Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4).

King of the Cage Canada champion Galbraith is coming off two consecutive wins, most recently submitting Martin Desilets (7-2; 1NC) with a first-round triangle choke at Raw Combat last month in Calgary.

Galbraith also fought at PRIDE 32, but was TKO’d in round two by “Kaz” Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8).

EliteXC’s one-hour Showtime telecast airing before the CBS show also includes a featherweight bout between Wilson Reis (4-0) and Brian Caraway (9-2), and a title match between “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (10-1) and Justin Eilers (19-6-1) for the new EliteXC heavyweight belt.