Lashley was supposed to fight in both April and May events for Strikeforce but scheduling issues kept him from fighting. Verbal agreements have been reached and the contracts are expected to be signed shortly.

Ron Sparks,a massive heavyweight at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, was last seen in Revolution Fight League:Maximum Impact this past June. His opponent was “Big”Jonathan Ivey (29-42) who he bested in a unanimous decision victory.

Ron will have a big challenge when he steps inside the cage against Lashley.

Lashley is a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion who also competed for the U.S. Army. Now he trains with American Top Team and has even opened his own ATT affiliate in Aurora, Colorado.

His last fight was in January where he fought “The Whole Show” Wes Sims (22-14-1) who he beat via TKO in the first round.

He was given Sims just eight days prior to the fight after having two other opponents dangled before him only to see the Florida State Boxing Commission say no to both opponents.

Ron Sparks is a relatively unknown and this fight is one the hardcore fans will likely be upset with upon hearing of it. Many have called for Lashley to step up in competition even with only five fights under his belt. I’m playing the catch-up game,” Lashley told MMA Junkie. “Some of these guys have 10, 20, 30 fights under their belts. I have a mere five fights. So, of course, any opportunity I have to take a fight, I want to jump on it.”

If Lashley wins this fight I believe Strikeforce will be forced to give Lashley a much tougher opponent and Fighters.com and all the hardcore fans will be excited to see how he performs in the upper echelons of the division.

Sims was TKO’d by “Dominator” Bobby Lashley (5-0) at Strikeforce: Miami January 30.  According to MMA Junkie, Profato called the matchup “non-competitive”

Sylvia’s downward spiral bottomed-out at Adrenaline MMA IV in Omaha last September when he TKO’d Jason Riley (6-2) in the first round.  He had been stopped in three consecutive losses prior to his win, twice respectably to  Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1)  and fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1), but also inexplicably by former boxing champion “Merciless” Ray Mercer (1-1).

Sylvia and Sims actuall fought at Superbrawl 38 in Honolulu in 2004 and, as Profato allegedly described, it was non-competitive as Sylvia TKO’s Sims in 1:32.

Diaz weighed 169.5 pounds while his opponent “Whitemare” Marius Zaromskis (12-2) weighed 169 pounds.

Lashley weighed 253.25 pounds while his opponent “Whole Show’ Wes Sims (22-13-1) outweighed him at 258.25 pounds.

Former NFL Pro Bowler Herschel Walker (0-0) weighed 214.25 for his MMA debut while his opponent Greg Nagy weighed 210.5 pounds.

Rounding out the main card, middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5) weighed 185.75 pounds and “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (23-5-1) weighed the same.

Lashley is coming off a three-minute beatdown of “Beast” Bob Sapp (10-5-1) at Fight Force International in Biloxi last June and making his Strikeforce debut.

Sims knocked out Jason DeAngel in 18 seconds at Full Contact Fight Series 29 in Fort Wayne, Indiana in November 2008, but lost an exhibition fight to Justin Wren (8-1) at SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 10.

UFC President Dana White gave the 6’10″ three-time UFC vet, Sims, the advantage, but neither Sims’s six-inch reach advantage nor his 35-fights worth of experience came into play in the short contest.

Wren, a Greco-Roman wrestler – “Whatever the fuck that is,” as “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-1) put it – shot on Sims to open the fight, then climbed a level to press Sims against the cage with double underhooks.  Sims defended himself well with a body lock and knees to Wren’s gut before Sims rolled away from the cage.

With some distance between him and Wren, Sims extended a long teep kick that he followed into the Thai clinch.  But, Wren muscled Sims to his back, then passed effortlessly from side control to full mount.  Wren wrapped his meaty arm around Sims for an arm triangle then stepped to the side to finish the choke.

Referee Herb Dean shook Sims’s arm three times until it went limp on the final shake and Dean pulled Wren off and revived Sims.

“I underestimated him,” Sims admitted after the fight.  “You saw what happened.  If I could remember, I’d tell you.”

White ate crow, saying, “I don’t know what happened to Wes Sims since he fought in the UFC.”

Wren’s victory gives Team Rashad, coached by Fighters.com’s third-ranked light heavyweight “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1), an astounding 5-0 lead over Team Rampage, coached by now-retired fifth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7).

After the fight, Evans confronted Jackson in a tense exchange about Jackson not entering the Octagon to support his fighters after they lose.  Jackson contended that he supports his fighters in the locker room after their loss.