Strikeforce Fedor Emelianenko Vs. Dan Henderson Fight Card: Showtime Line Up Announced

It’s a one-two punch that Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is “proud” to promote:

For the latest news, notes and updates related to the “Fedor vs. Henderson” fight card be sure to check out our event archive right here.

There is no word yet on a replacement for Daley.

The fight card for this event at the time of this writing is as follows:

The full Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson fight card as of the time of this writing:

Follow our Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson StoryStream for real-time updates about this event.

What stands out to me about this entire affair is just how gleeful Henderson appears to be. It’s fairly easy to understand why he has more to gain and few less to lose in this bout. His light heavyweight title isn’t up for grabs, it’s not his natural weightclass and really, just a vanity project. While Fedor needs this fight for redemptive purposes (sort of), should he lose it’d be his third in a row and it’d be to a fighter who has competed at middleweight. Moreover, one gets the sense from watching and listening to Henderson that he firmly believes this is a fight he is more than capable of winning even if the oddsmakers disagree.

Henderson is walking with a grin he can barely contain. It’s as if he’s in on a secret, a birthday surprise or big news that will pleasantly shock everyone. When fighters can’t disguise their poker faces anymore, one must take note. It usually reveals real delusion or real insight. Perhaps Henderson has a better chance than oddsmakers or fans realize.

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Coker also announced a new deal with HDNet that will result in the preliminary fights on Strikeforce cards airing on that network beginning with the June 18th Strikeforce: Werdum vs Overeem event.

Coker also announced that after the July 22nd Strikeforce Challengers event in Washington state, that all future Challengers cards will be held at the Pearl in the Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This makes sense for the parties involved. Henderson performs his best at light heavyweight, not middleweight. Even when he cuts to make 205lbs, he likely rehydrates to 215lbs or more the following day. The bottomline is this: Henderson can make 220lbs effortlessly.

A 220lbs limit will force Emelianenko to make a slight adjustment in weight, notably a loss of approximately 10lbs. While I suspect this will come from a changed diet and not a water weight cut, it arguably benefits the Russian regardless. Emelianenko will need his speed to compete against the naturally smaller Henderson and a regimented reduction of 10lbs provides the Russian that important performance boost.

As Snowden’s Tweet indicates, the event will take place in Chicago (likely Hoffman Estates at the Sears Centre) on the initially proposed date of July 30th. The fight will also air on Showtime, thereby pushing back or eliminating proposed plans for an inaugural Strikeforce pay-per-view event.

Bloody Elbow’s Brent Brookhouse adds some nuance to the potential venue booking:

There’s obviously a strong population of Russian immigrants or those who identify themselves as ethnically and nationally tied to the famed Russian fighter.