Strikeforce is ready to shine tonight as all the fighters are ready to roll.

Main Card Bouts (on CBS)

Fedor Emelianenko (232) vs. Brett Rogers (264)


Jake Shields (184.5) vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (184)


Gegard Mousasi (205) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (204)


Fabricio Werdum (242) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (263)


Preliminary Bouts

Marloes Coenen (145) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (140)


Mark Miller (171) vs. Deray Davis (170.5)


Jeff Curran (145) vs. Dustin Neace (150.5)*

Shamar Bailey (170) vs. John Kolosci (171)


Louis Taylor (185.5) vs. Nate Moore (184)


Christian Uflacker (156) vs. Jonatas Novaes (155.5)


* Neace was given one additional hour to make 146 pounds. After he failed to do so, Curran agreed to a catchweight bout of 149.6 pounds. Neace will forfeit 20% of his purse to Curran due to the foul. (I overheard Neace’s corners saying that he’d stopped sweating during that hour, so I had a feeling he wouldn’t be making the 145.)

Notes:

- Dan Henderson and Shinya Aoki were both in attendance. I spoke with Henderson and he still insists that while he and Strikeforce are in negotiations, nothing has been signed yet. Scott Coker says we can hope to see Aoki fighting for Strikeforce in 2010, after the agreement the promotion reached with DREAM.

- Coker named Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez as possible opponents for Aoki if he does in fact make the trip to Strikeforce.

- Both Henderson and Aoki are also expected to be in attendance during the fights, so be on the lookout for the fighters and a potential announcement during the television broadcast.

- Scott Smith, King Mo, and Sports Illustrated’s Josh Gross were guests on a special on-scene filming of Inside MMA with Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten. Gross made a mention to Smith along the lines of, “You’re next fight against Cung [Le].” Smith said that this was really the first he had heard of it.

- I talked to Scott on Wednesday at the open fighter workouts and he thought he would be fighting on the December Strikeforce card, but he had no idea who it would be against. After the Inside MMA filming I spoke with Scott again, and he said that it was the first he had heard of the rumor from a legitimate source, and he had no idea about it since Le just vacated the title and was presumed to be gone from MMA for awhile.

- Interesting to see what Strikeforce does with Le, who decided to vacate his middleweight belt to be an actor, but now has apparently decided that he wants to come back. Le vs. Smith would definitely be a stand-up war and a fight I won’t complain about if they set it up.

Follow us on Twitter tonight  @MMAMadness for LIVE updates.

StrikeForce ready to shine on CBS

One man is looking to validate his status as the world’s best heavyweight fighter, while the other is looking secure his place as a newly minted Top 10 mixed martial artist.

Brett Rogers (10-0) will take on Fedor Emelianenko tonight in Chicago, which will be broadcast live on CBS at 9 p.m. (EST/PST).

The city and venue couldn’t be more perfect for the fight as Rogers was born in the city, and it boasts a heavy Russian population.

“I understand that a lot of people will come to support Brett Rogers,” Fedor said through a translator. “I do have experience where the audience supports my opponents.”

Added Rogers: “I’m hoping for the fans to cheer me on, since I’m actually from there.”

Rogers, who is coming off of a 22-second destruction of former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, has adopted studying video of Fedor (30-1) along with his usual training methods, hoping to gain some insight on the former PRIDE heavyweight kingpin.

For three months, Rogers has trained non-stop for the moment to take to prepare for this bout. When the cage door closes tonight, Rogers said he feels like he already knows what to expect of Fedor.

“I feel like I know him,” Rogers said. “I haven’t fought him and I feel like I know him. The way I see it, he likes to come out and throw his hands and then take you down. He’s not going to handle me standing up.”

If the fight does go on the ground, Rogers said he is ready for a battle. He even went out to California to sharpen up his ground work.

“I’m not fresh to the game,” Rogers said. “I’ve been studying MMA for six years. … I’m coming in there as the bigger stronger guy and I’m not going to let him control me.”

The win over Arlovski opened up new doors for the man who used to change tires and act as a bouncer for a living.

Things like, movie roles, TV shows and, most importantly, the ability to train full time.

And while he doesn’t present, on paper, the well-known abilities of an Andrei Arlovski or a Josh Barnett, Rogers remains confident that he can shock the world by defeating the man considered by some as the world’s best fighter.

His reason? The desire to keep his star rising rather than having it fall.

“I’m coming from nothing and wanting to be something, that’s where I get my confidence from,” Rogers said. “This is my life.”

As for Fedor, the fight is more of a case of proving to the fans that he still the world’s best heavyweight fighter.

By not signing with the UFC, Fedor might have forfeited a shot at fighting a great group of heavyweights, but a convincing win over Rogers would get people talking about him as the best fighter again.

He expects some backlash from fans who wanted him in the UFC, but he wants fans to understand that he did it because he wanted a better deal from the world’s biggest promotion.

“I think it would be good that I could not such a one-sided contract with the UFC,” Fedor said. “We (Me and my management) deserved a little bit more.”

The fight on CBS is another opportunity for Fedor to be exposed to the mainstream audience. The past events with Fedor haven’t necessarily drawn well, but Strikeforce president Scott Coker is expecting a sellout.

Fedor admits he doesn’t think about being a marketable fighter in the United States. He has one focus.

“I want to show interesting and beautiful fights, so the audience learns more about us,” Fedor said.

StrikeForce ready to shine on CBS

The series offers fight fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the lives of the world’s Number One ranked MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and his opponent, undefeated, American Brett Rogers, who will square off in Saturday night’s primetime main event.

FIGHT CAMP 360°: FEDOR VS. ROGERS originally premiered on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 9:30 PM ET/PT on Showtime and is now being made available for broadcast on CBS affiliates nationwide.

StrikeForce fighters, including Daniel Cormier, start working with kids to reduce bullying.

Founded by Kickin’ It Apparel Co. President GinaMarie Raimondo in May 2009, the “Bullying…We’re Kickin’ It” campaign aims to stop bullying amongst youth and the resulting psychological and emotional wounds often left on victims.  Raimondo’s outfit aggressively engages students, their guardians, and school faculty in useful dialogue and activities, including workshops led by the organization’s spokespeople in order to encourage positive behavior.  

Smith and Cormier will pay visits to several Chicago schools and youth centers this week while Miller readies for his highly-anticipated, live network television debut on CBS this Saturday, November 7 when he will face off with fellow superstar Jake Shields during the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promoted “Fedor vs. Rogers” event at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena.

 ”I’m enthused to be a part of something like this that’s bigger than just fighting and bigger than just a TV show,” said the 28-year-old Miller, who has already recorded a number of public service announcements on behalf of Kickin It’s campaign.  The messages are being broadcast nationally courtesy of Premiere Radio, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Worldwide.   ”I want to bring about positive change amongst the youth in this country and this is a way to do that.”

Cormier, a two-time member of The United States Olympic wrestling team who placed fourth in the 2004 Games held in Athens, Greece, was inspired to join the group as a result of his personal experiences.  
 
“I was bullied as a kid so I know what it’s like to be belittled and humiliated in front of my peers,” said the 30-year-old Cormier. “I want to make a difference in the lives of kids who are facing the same things I did when I was their age.”

Smith’s status as a father of two boys, ages 12 and 6, has heightened his sensitivity to the problem.  “It hasn’t happened to either of my kids yet, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen in the future.  It’s something that concerns me and I want to do whatever I can to influence kids in a positive way.”

 ”Bullying is a very serious problem in every school across America that has long lasting, detrimental effects on your youth,” said Raimondo.  “This problem requires an integrated approach involving the entire community to unite against this kind of behavior.  Kickin It’s campaign offers that and hopes others will follow the example of the STRIKEFORCE athletes who should be admired for their passion and determination to address this issue.”

Fans will get a glimpse of life with Fedor.

FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will feature unrestricted access to one of the most enigmatic professional athletes of today, Fedor Emelianenko and his next opponent, the undefeated Brett Rogers, as they prepare to headline “Strikeforce/M-1 Global Saturday Night Fights” to be broadcast live on Nov. 7 on the CBS Television Network.

FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will premiere on Showtime on Nov. 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.  The CBS Television Network will also make the show available to its 203 affiliated stations for broadcast in advance of the fight.

“Fedor is beyond captivating as a fighter, and more so, as a man,” director Ron Yassen said in a press release. “It’s a pure joy to film him so intimately as he strives for perfection in life and sport with grace and charm.  While training for this most important match, he kindly opened up his life to us in and out of the ring, without the ego that often comes with being the very best at one’s craft.”

Mousasi will be fighting Sokoujdou at Nov. 7 Strikeforce card. (Photo Courtesy of Chris Gerhardt)

Gegard Mousasi, who recently pulled out of the Super Hulk tournament in DREAM due to an injury, will take on Sokoujdou as part of the Nov. 7 Strikeforce on CBS card, MMA Junkie reported.

The two were supposed to meet in the Super Hulk semifinals at DREAM 11, but Mousasi suffered an injury during his high-profile sparring match with heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko at the M-1 Breakthrough show.

Mousasi’s popularity has skyrocketed in the past month, after he secured the Strikeforce light heavyweight title as part of the Aug. 15 Cyborg and Carano card.

Sokoujdou is coming off a quick destruction of Mousasi’s replacement Bob Sapp at DREAM 11. He is riding a two fight win streak.

MMA Junkie is also reporting that Marloes Coenen and Erin Toughill are slated to fight on the card as a reserve bout, if one of the original planned CBS main card matches fall through. It would be a rematch of their 2004 tilt, where Toughill knocked out Coenen, handing Coenen her first loss.

The winner of the rumored bout would put themselves in prime position to fight 145-pound women’s champion Cyborg Santos, who is sidelined due to an injury suffered at the recent ADCC.

Strikeforce signed a distribution deal with Shine International.

Strikeforce announced that a deal was made with Shine International to distribute and sell Strikeforce’s entire library, including 70 hours of fights from various live events.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring Strikeforce fights to the homes of MMA fans throughout the world,” said Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker through a press release. “Shine International is a world renowned leader in the international television business and, with their support, we are confident that we will be able to greatly expand the scope of the Strikeforce brand.”

The Strikeforce library of programming includes 30 episodes of previously recorded fights that have aired on NBC and more than 56 hours of fights that have aired on Showtime. The deal between Strikeforce and Shine International also encompasses new, upcoming live fights through February 2012 as well as Strikeforce Challengers fights, pitting Strikeforce up-and-comers against each other. Strikeforce recently announced its first broadcast on CBS to air live fights on the U.S. network, further increasing the leagues exposure, with the first event slated for Nov. 7 in Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena.

Brett Rogers is next in line for a shot at Fedor's title.

Fedor and Rogers will fight on CBS

Strikeforce is going to bring a live card to CBS on Nov. 7, which will feature the heavyweight battle between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers.

Fedor (30-1 1 NC) is making his Strikeforce debut. His last appearance in the U.S. wasn’t really a fight, but rather a sparring match with Gegard Mousasi at M-1 Breakthrough.

Rogers (10-0) has finished all of his bouts by knockout, and is coming off of a lighting quick destruction of former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Spike TV's telecast of UFC 100 dominates the competition

Spike TV’s telecast of UFC 100 (originally airing on pay-per-view July 11) drew more Men 18-34 (513,000) than anything else on television on Saturday, August 15.  Airing from 10:00pm-12:30am ET/PT, the telecast drew 2 million viewers, a 1.8 rating in Men 18-34, a 1.7 rating (950,000) in Men 18-49, and a 1.5 household rating.

The telecast bested heavy sports competition during the day in the advertiser-coveted demographic of Men 18-34:

UFC 100 (Spike TV) – 513,000
PGA Championship (CBS) – 479,000
MLB Baseball (FOX) – 242,000
Strikeforce (Showtime) – 181,000