Mixed martial arts veteran Kim Couture will take on the debuting Marianna Kheyfets in the co-main event at XFC 11 The Next Generation hosted by the Tampa-based promotion Xtreme Fighting Championships on July 9 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

Couture, 34, has four professional MMA fights under her belt that resulted in a 2-2 record. Although she is coming off a win against Rosa Vizcarra at Xtreme Fighters Mexico four months ago she does not necessarily have the advantage when facing Kheyfets on Friday since the pendulum of her success has consistently swung back and forth between losses and wins.

Being only 25 years-old, Kheyfets has a huge age advantage over Couture which might translate into more speed and stamina in the cage. In fact, she earned her spot on this fight card by impressing XFC President John Prisco as runner-up at the XFC Fighter Tryouts in Connecticut earlier this year. She makes up for her lack of professional MMA fighting experience with an impressive kickboxing record and her affiliation with one of the best MMA training camps in the U.S., American Top Team.

Naturally, Couture will be the crowd favorite going into this bout since she still benefits from the wisdom and talent of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture as coach (in spite of their recent divorce). Her preference for striking matches Kheyfet's kickboxing skill set, so expect a stand-up slug fest.