Ambriz out as Lashley opponent, officials at "square one" on replacement
The search for Bobby Lashley's opponent continues.
Strikeforce officials on Tuesday afternoon told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) that journeyman heavyweight Jimmy Ambriz (14-12-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) is not fighting the former pro wrestler at "Strikeforce: Miami," despite a seal of approval from the Florida State Boxing Commission.
"I got a call last night that said I'd definitely be fighting, and [Strikeforce officials] said, 'We want to make sure to have the right opponent for you,'" Lashley told MMAjunkie.com on Tuesday night. "I hope everything works out. I hope they find someone and the fight is good."
Despite the latest setback, officials said they felt confident a replacement opponent would be found in time for the Jan. 30 event, which features a welterweight title bout between Nick Diaz and Marius Zaromskis and will be broadcast live on Showtime.
However, officials said the promotion was "starting from square one" in the search for a heavyweight to face Lashley.
Lashley (4-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) was originally billed to face Yohan Banks (2-1 MMA, 2-0 SF) before the FSBC ruled the bout "not competitive" and declined its approval last Thursday.
A day later, Strikeforce tapped Ambriz as Banks' successor. While the FSBC felt comfortable with the matchup, the bout has now been scratched by the promotion for undisclosed reasons.
Lashley said he had no timeline for when he expects to be given a new opponent.
"It's going to be a little difficult training," Lashley said from his American Top Team affiliate school, ATT Altitude, in Denver. "I have to sharpen all aspects of my game, so regardless if I have an opponent or not, I'm still going to work on every piece of my game going into this fight."
Lashley, who appeared on a TNA wrestling broadcast the day Banks was nixed, has finished all but one of his four professional MMA appearances in the first round. "The Ultimate Fighter 8" washout Jason Guida took Lashley the distance this past March after a pre-fight war of words that resembled a pro wrestling feud.
There were rumblings in the pro wrestling world that Lashley had double-booked himself between wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action and Strikeforce – agreeing to appear on a European TNA tour around the same time as "Strikeforce: Miami" – but Lashley said his TNA contract was non-exclusive and the wrestling promotion supported his fighting career.
"There was something they had a few months ago," Lashley said. "They wanted me to do a tour, but the thing is if I have an opportunity to fight, to sign with Strikeforce, they understand."
Additional sources close to the event said the organization has been supplied with the names of several willing replacements, but a final decision has yet to be made. Any potential opponent will need to be approved by Strikeforce officials, Showtime brass and Lashley, himself.
