EA Sports MMA: New Roster Additions, Could Lashley/Walker Be Far Behind?

Now that Strikeforce has been announced as a premier league in EA Sports' upcoming mixed martial arts game, EA Sports MMA, the stream of roster additions have become a bit more predictable. Consider today's most recent announcement of seven new fighters who will lend their likenesses and fighting styles to the game, all of whom will be involved in this Saturday's Strikeforce: Evolution event in San Jose, CA:

- Cung Le
- Scott Smith
- Matt Lindland
- Ronaldo Souza
- Gilbert Melendez
- Josh Thomson
- Robbie Lawler

All of the above fighters will be fighting on this Saturday's card (Le vs. Smith, Lindland vs. Souza, Melendez vs. Thomson). Robbie Lawler will be fighting Trevor Prangley, who has not yet been announced for the game.

Considering the Strikeforce-heavy nature of this most recent announcement (as well as the rest of the game's roster), it doesn't seem to be that big of a stretch to imagine that some of the big names from Strikeforce's next promotion--Strikeforce: Miami on January 30, 2010--might make their way into the game as well. Signing the likes of Nick Diaz, Bobby Lashley, or even former college football great Herschel Walker--all of whom have been announced to be fighting at the event--would be a coup for the game's roster. I know I wouldn't mind punching Herschel Walker a few hundred times.

Strikeforce is the only currently announced league tied to EA Sports MMA, and more could (and presumably will) be added in the future. In fact, it seems like the developers are still actively working on adding other promotions and their subsequent regulations to the game. Speaking in the EA Sports MMA live chat announcing today's roster additions, poster EA_Rocky (Hedrick Rivero, a designer on the game) had this to say:

"Just to clarify we're EXPLORING other rule sets. Those are the things available to us because we're not limited by a certain license…ahem."

Gee, I wonder who that could be aimed at?

Check out the full roster for EA Sports MMA here.