SAN JOSE, Calif. —Twenty-four year old thoroughbred Cory “The One” Devela (9-1) will bid for his eighth consecutive victory when he takes on what is arguably his most dangerous challenge to date, heavy-handed Terry Martin (17-5), in a middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest during Strikeforce’s mixed martial arts (MMA) extravaganza at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on Saturday, September 20th.

“I know he’s a short little brick house and a good wrestler, but I’ll have a lot or reach on him and I don’t think anybody’s wrestling compares to mine,” said a confident Devela, who stands 6’2” compared to the 5’8” Martin. “People underestimate my wrestling. Joe Riggs did and got thrown because of that. I’m going to do the same thing to Terry if he wants to wrestle with me.”

It was his victory over Riggs, a certified MMA star, at Strikeforce’s debut card in Tacoma, Washington on February 23rd that gained Devela national recognition. Locked in close quarters with Riggs, Devela executed a throw that left his opponent on his back, temporarily incapacitated. The injury prompted Riggs to verbally submit at the 1:22 mark of the first round.

Since being armbarred on June 3, 2004 by Ed “Short Fuse” Herman, the eventual runner-up on season three of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Devela has not suffered a defeat. According to the rising star, his surge can be attributed almost entirely to his four years of training under MMA superstar Dennis Hallman.

“Dennis runs practice almost like a wrestling practice and I’ve been a wrestler since elementary school so I learned the same way he teaches,” explained Devela. There’s a lot of live activity whether we’re wrestling or sparring kickboxing.”

Devela’s opponent, Martin, is a testament to human fortitude and one’s ability to overcome a troublesome past. A former gang member, he survived five gun shot wounds that nearly took his life at age 15 on the streets of his native Chicago, Illinois, and has since earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and pursued a dual career in professional boxing and MMA. At 28 years old, he is a candidate for a master’s degree in psychology.

“When I was in the hospital recovering, I was around people who were shot in the same places as me, but who couldn’t walk or who lost their limbs as a result of what happened.,” explained Martin of what drove him to make such drastic changes in his life. “Some of them even passed away. That really made me think twice and start hanging out in a different environment.”

Martin’s determination and spirit caught the eye of another Chicago-based MMA champion in “Mr. International” Shonie Carter while Martin was wrestling competitively for his soon-to-be alma mater. Carter introduced Martin to the local MMA scene and, soon after, a new career was born.

Amongst the notches under Martin’s belt are wins over top contenders Chael Sonnen, Ivan Salaverry, and Jorge Rivera.

“Fighting has always been a part of me. I come from a fightin’ family,” said Martin. “You have to be aggressive to make it in MMA. I’m aggressive and agile and I think I have a very entertaining style.”

“Strikeforce At The Mansion II” will also be highlighted by a showdown between 2006 Pride Fighting Championship Grand Prix winner and world top 10 ranked, Kazuo “Grabaka Hitman” Misaki (20-8-2), and 25-year-old former UFC star, Joe “Diesel “Riggs (28-10).

Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Champion Bobby Southworth (9-5) will face the greatest challenge of his nine-year mixed martial arts (MMA) career when he puts his belt on the line against superstar Renato “Babalu” Sobral (30-7).

Newly crowned Strikeforce World Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson will also return to action against an opponent that has to be named. The event lineup will be comprised of 10 bouts.

In addition to a full night of MMA action, all “Strikeforce At The Mansion II” guests will be entitled to a top-shelf, open bar; buffet-style, gourmet dinner; and wine-tasting party featuring the spirits of various California gold medal wineries.

Strikeforce wrote a new chapter in sports history when it produced the first-ever MMA event at the Playboy Mansion last September. Amongst the host of celebrities who attended the affair were Playboy Enterprises Founder, Hugh Hefner and “The Girls Next Door;” comedians Gary Shandling and Joe Rogan; actress and model Jaime Pressly; actors Michael Duncan Clarke, Christina Fulton, Ethan Suplee, Ernie Hudson, and Page Kennedy; MMA legends Royce Gracie and Bas Rutten; and superstars Cung Le, Frank Shamrock, Josh Barnett, and Andrei Arlovski.

All inquiries regarding tickets for “Strikeforce At The Mansion II” should be directed to Dan Guiterrez at Strikeforce’s corporate headquarters (Ph # 408-998-8232.)

About Strikeforce:
Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, Strikeforce has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” Since then, it has co-produced the first SHOWTIME PPV mixed martial arts event in history with its world championship “Shamrock vs. Baroni” card on June 22nd of this year followed by the first-ever mixed martial arts event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on September 29th.

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