Couture off Strikeforce card

MMAWeekly.com has learned that Kim Couture has withdrawn from a scheduled fight with Meisha Tate at SHO MMA: Strikeforce Challenger Series on May 15 in Fresno, Calif. The two were set to meet in a 135-pound contest on the main card of the event featuring the promotion's up-and-comers.

Multiple sources close to the situation confirmed the news Tuesday evening, and a subsequent post from Tate's Myspace blog echoed the change.

In the post, Tate claims Couture pulled out of the fight because of marital problems between her and husband Randy Couture.

Couture, 1-1 as a professional mixed martial artist, was to face her toughest test in the ground-savvy Tate, who's resume stands at 7-1.

Couture battered previous opponent Lina Kvokov last November at Strikeforce: Destruction in her first appearance since sustaining a broken jaw during her professional debut at Banner Promotion's "Night of Combat" in June.

Tate was victorious in her last appearance at Atlas Fights: USA vs. Brazil in February, submitting Dora Baptiste inside two minutes.

Strikeforce officials were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.