Jorge Gurgel was released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship following his loss to Aaron Riley in the Fight of the Night, but promptly put pen to paper with the Strikeforce organization who picked up the Jiu Jitsu ace only minutes following his release from the UFC.

“I am very very excited to part of Strikeforce and given a chance to fight new blood and capture a belt,” said Gurgel. “[The] UFC has been my family for a few years now but I am ready for the next chapter. There are some amazing contenders in my weight class including Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez. I will do whatever it takes to climb to the top of this league.”

Gurgel is a seven-time UFC veteran with a record of 3-4 in the Octagon and a is also a veteran of the Ultimate Fighter TV show. He recently underwent a surgical procedure to remove a bone spur and expects to get back into training in the coming weeks and is rumored to be looking to get back into action in the first quarter of 2009.