Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC. Its live events and competitions are currently shown on CBS and Showtime in the United States, Super Channel in Canada, Primetime in the United Kingdom, SKY PerfecTV! in Japan, HBO Plus in Brazil, Space TV in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on the American Forces Network. The promotion debuted on CBS on November 7, 2009 with Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers.

Strikeforce was founded as a kickboxing organization. It became involved with MMA in 2006 with the Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie event on March 10, 2006, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The event was California's first regulated MMA event and broke the previous record for largest audience at a MMA event in North America, with its 18,265 in attendance. The record was since broken by UFC 129.

In February 2008, Strikeforce held its first event outside California with Strikeforce: At The Dome at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. Since then it has held four additional events outside California: October 2008 in Broomfield, Colorado, two during June 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri and Kent, Washington, and in November 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.

Melvin Manhoef (born May 11, 1976) is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion. Manhoef is known for his aggressive fighting style, speed, and knockout power. He is the only man to knock out current Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Mark Hunt in an professional MMA match.

Robert Glen "Robbie" Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion before EliteXC filed for bankruptcy. Lawler has recently signed with Strikeforce. He is a member of Team Hughes fighting out of H.I.T. Squad, a Granite City, Illinois gym, which he co-owns with teammate and former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes. MMAWeekly ranks Lawler as the #8 middleweight in the world.

On March 31, 2007, he fought Frank Trigg for the ICON Sport middleweight championship and won by KO in the fourth round. On September 15, 2007, he fought PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran Murilo "Ninja" Rua for the EliteXC middleweight championship and won by TKO in the third round.

Lawler was scheduled to fight Hawaii's Kala Hose for the ICON Sport Middleweight Championship on December 15, 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii, he however pulled out of the fight due to an injury. Icon Sport stripped Lawler of the middleweight title on February 9, 2008 for failing to defend the title.

Miesha Tate (pronounced /ˈmiːʃə/; born August 18, 1986) is a professional mixed martial artist. She is the former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion and the current Freestyle Cage Fighting Women's Bantamweight Champion. She has also competed and won a silver medal in the FILA Grappling Championships.

Tate is currently the #6-ranked pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world by MMARising.com and the #3-ranked 135-pound female fighter according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings.

Tate wrestled on the boys' wrestling team in high school. In 2005, she won the high school women's state championship and went on to win nationals at the World Team Trials in the 158 lb division.

While attending Central Washington University Miesha's colleague, Rosalia Watson, encouraged her to attend the mixed martial arts club with her. Soon after attending, Tate officially joined the mixed martial arts sport club at Central Washington University that was run by her current boyfriend and trainer, Bryan Caraway. She amassed a 5-1 amateur record in MMA before turning pro.

Ronda Rousey (born February 1, 1987) is an American judoka and mixed martial artist and the current Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion. She has finished all of her opponents by armbar in the first round. She formerly trained at the Olympic Training Center in Wakefield, Massachusetts under guidance of Jimmy Pedro and is now part of Team Hayastan in Santa Monica, California.

Rousey trains under Gokor Chivichyan and Edmond Tarverdyan of the Glendale Fighting Club in Glendale, CA. Rousey also trains with Leo Frincu and Gene Lebell, along with Team Hayastan fighters such as Manny Gamburyan, Karen Darabedyan, Sako Chivitchian and Sevak Magakian. She is managed by Darin Harvey of Fight Tribe MMA.

Rousey is currently the #1-ranked pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world by MMARising.com, and is ranked #1 at 135 pounds and #2 at 145 pounds according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings.

At just 17, Rousey qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, becoming the youngest judo player in the entire Games. Also in 2004, Rousey won a gold medal at the 2004 World Junior Judo Championships in Budapest, Hungary.