Confirmed: Bobby Lashley’s Next MMA Fight Revealed

Strikeforce issued the following press release today announcing Bobby Lashley’s next fight:

FORMER WWE SUPERSTAR BOBBY LASHLEY TO FACE FELLOW UNBEATEN RON SPARKS IN CLASH OF UNBEATEN MMA HEAVYWEIGHTS AT NOKIA THEATRE L.A. LIVE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16

LOS ANGELES (May 15, 2010) – Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (5-0) will square off with fellow undefeated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) heavyweight Ron “The Monster” Sparks (5-0) when STRIKEFORCE hits Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on Wednesday, June 16. DREAM welterweight champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-4) will face Evangelista Cyborg (17-13) in a featured welterweight (170 pounds) contest.

The 33-year-old Lashley, a 6 foot 3, 265-pound native of Junction City, Kan., was overwhelmingly victorious in his STRIKEFORCE debut on Jan. 30, stopping Wes Sims with an onslaught of punches in the first round (2:06) at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The popular Lashley enjoyed success with both the WWE and rival pro wrestling league, TNA, between 2005-07.

In his outing before last on June 27, 2009, Lashley scored an impressive first-round (3:17) TKO over 6-foot-5 inch, 350-plus-pound goliath Bob “The Beast” Sapp in Biloxi, Miss.

A resident of Denver, Colo., Lashley was a collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College and member of The United States Army.

“I’m excited about fighting again,” Lashley said. “I’ve been working very hard and I am continuing to learn. The guy I am fighting is huge. This will be a great fight.”

The 35-year old, 6-foot-5 Sparks, of Louisville, Ky., is a tough guy with freakish girth and power who brings it each and every time. An equally imposing physical specimen who has been pummeling opponents, Sparks is coming off a unanimous four-round decision over Johnathan Ivey in his last effort on June 3, 2009.

Until then, only one of Sparks’ fights had lasted more than a minute. The total elapsed time in Sparks’ previous triumphs, all of which he won by knockout, was 184 seconds. He won in 1:07, 0:36, 0:24 and :17, respectively.

“I like to get in and get the job done,” said the hard-hitting Sparks. “My last fight went all four rounds, but there is nothing I enjoy more than knocking a person out.”

Sparks, who has been seeking a major fight against a “name” opponent, is looking forward to June 16.

“Trust me, we’re going to go down swinging,” he said. “There will be no tap-outs. I am grateful of the opportunity STRIKEFORCE is giving me and I am very confident of a victory.”

You can click here to see a photo of Ron “The Monster” Sparks.

DIRECT LINK: Bobby Lashley’s Next MMA Opponent! (PHOTO)!!