Fedor vs Werdum targeted for April CBS event plus LW matches

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http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=10314&zoneid=13

Before the dust settled on Saturday night’s Strikeforce: Evolution event, the questions came fast and furious at CEO Scott Coker, prompting him for the direction the promotion is headed... and he had plenty of answers.

Foremost on everyone’s mind is the return of Fedor Emelianenko. Coker confirmed plans for Fedor’s return on the promotion’s next CBS event, slated for sometime in mid-to-late April.

“It’s not confirmed... (but) on that fight card, you’ll most likely see Fedor fighting Fabricio (Werdum),” he revealed. “It’s not guaranteed, but you will see Dan Henderson fighting on that card, and Gina Carano, we’ll invite her if she’s ready.”

Henderson’s opponent hasn’t been finalized yet either, but he is expected to challenge current middleweight champion Jake Shields under the watchful eye of CBS.

Pressed about heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, the CEO said, “We’re probably gonna invite Alistair to fight on the CBS card,” dispelling initial plans for an earlier return.

Coker also has big plans outside of the April fight card, particularly in the lightweight division. He intends to expand on Strikeforce’s relationship with Japanese fight promotion Dream.

First up are bouts for Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson, who had another battle in their rematch on Saturday night.

“(Shinya) Aoki and Gilbert and do (Tatsuya) Kawajiri vs. Thomson,” said Coker, mapping the road for his two top 155ers, intending to pit them against two other top lightweights in the world.

He insists those are plans for Melendez and Thomson, not just hopeful talk. He’s targeting the second quarter of 2010 to make both those fights happen.

“I think we’ve done some really big things in the last eight months. Making that Dream relationship activate, to me, is critical and important, because otherwise we’re just talking. It’s taken a long time to get to this point, but I think we’re on the cusp of making it happen.”

 

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I wish they could make the Fedor/Overeem fight, but I think he has one K1 fight left on his contract and its in April, just strip him and make Fedor vs Werdum for the belt

Great LW match ups, hope they can make them, Aoki vs Melendez and Thomson vs Kawajiri are great fights

 

[EmpireWF]

Well that should be an easy fight for Fedor.

I guess scheduling wise, it won't work out but they need to get Melendez and Thomson on CBS. Those men would become superstars with that kind of exposure.

I wonder what Coker will try to do if Kawajiri beats Aoki on NYE.

 

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I wonder what Coker will try to do if Kawajiri beats Aoki on NYE.

I havent seen any updates on that fight, I'm not sure if it is still on, is it?

 

[EmpireWF]

I havent seen any updates on that fight, I'm not sure if it is still on, is it?

Damn, looking around, it doesn't appear listed on the card.

What happened? Thought it was official.

 

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[EmpireWF]

Somebody has a buttload of man love this afternoon.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I dont understand the facination with Overeem. What has he ever done to gain this great reputation? He beat Vitor Belfort a couple of times a million years ago, and loses to anyone else with a pulse. Nobody should give a shit about his K1 stuff, it dosent translate to MMA, very few of those guys have crossed over with top level success.

Fuck Overeem, strip him, forget about him, and let him throw his faggy kicks with his roided up legs for the rest of his career over in Japan. I couldnt possibly care less if he ever fights MMA again.

 

[Liquidrob]

I dont understand the facination with Overeem. What has he ever done to gain this great reputation? He beat Vitor Belfort a couple of times a million years ago, and loses to anyone else with a pulse. Nobody should give a shit about his K1 stuff, it dosent translate to MMA, very few of those guys have crossed over with top level success.

Fuck Overeem, strip him, forget about him, and let him throw his faggy kicks with his roided up legs for the rest of his career over in Japan. I couldnt possibly care less if he ever fights MMA again.

the facination with Overeem is because of many things, he looks the part, and K-1 translates when you have other skills, it means you can strike on a high level and MMA striking overall is not high quality, also Overeem won the ADCC eurpean trails before so he has a strong grappling game

throw in that he is the recongnized champ of the org Fedor fights in and you have why people want to see Overeem/Fedor, but in reality Werdum has done way more in MMA than Overeem and has a win over him

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

the facination with Overeem is because of many things, one is he looks the part and K-1 translates when you have other skills, it means you can strike on a high level and MMA striking overall is not high quality, also Overeem won the ADCC eurpean trails before so he has a strong grappling game

throw in that he is the recongnized champ of the org Fedor fights in and you have why people want to see Overeem/Fedor, but in reality Werdum has done way more in MMA than Overeem and has a win over him

I can concede all of this, except the bold.

Let's make two lists. On one, list all of the high level K1 guys who have gone on to have top level MMA careers. You'll start to struggle before you hit #5.

On the second list, come up with high level K1 guys who either bombed at MMA, or are strictly Manhoef types who cant beat anyone unless they stand there for him like a rock 'n sock 'em robot.

But yeah, I do get it, I just think he's severly overated.

 

[Liquidrob]

I can concede all of this, except the bold.

Let's make two lists. On one, list all of the high level K1 guys who have gone on to have top level MMA careers. You'll start to struggle before you hit #5.

On the second list, come up with high level K1 guys who either bombed at MMA, or are strictly Manhoef types who cant beat anyone unless they stand there for him like a rock 'n sock 'em robot.

But yeah, I do get it, I just think he's severly overated.

All the K-1 guys that have had success adapted some, the others only tried to strike and got worked, plus they have come in older, so you wont see a high success rate, Overeem is just as much of a 'MMA fighter' as a K-1 guy so thats why the hype is there

Cro Cop was the most successful because he actually stopped doing K-1 and focused on MMA completely, not many others have because of the K-1 pay check

Anyway, He is overrated, its all on potential and skill set, he has done nothing great in MMA and even less at the HW level, its just he has been excelling in aspects outside of MMA, K-1 and ADCC, but he never has put it togther at a high level

You can see where he is a nightmare match up for anyone in MMA on paper

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

We can make a third list titled "MMA fighters who aren't top level K-1 fighters" who have gone on to have top level MMA careers.

This point is moot. Overeem is an MMA fighter first, K-1 fighter second.

Are you sure he feels that way?

Anyway, the point is, everyone points to his K1 resume to validate the guy, when to me, it means nothing. He's had a nice little MMA career, but has really done nothing to justify his reputation.

 

[CrimsonGhost56]

werdum? more like boredum...

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

werdum? more like boredum...

He has been Boredum to me for a while...Fedor by RUTHLESSNESS.

I hope Fedor shoots Boredum with one of the missiles he has.

 

[Liquidrob]

Some of Werdums wins at HW

Big Foot Silva
Vera
Gonzaga X 2
Aleksander Emelianenko
Overeem

11 of his 13 wins were finishes, yeah, the guy is a snoozer

 

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Oh, and Fedor crushes him, but thats not the point, Werdum is a legit top 10 HW and a good match up, the question is where is Overeem and why hasnt he been stripped yet if he doesnt fight Fedor next

 

[CrimsonGhost56]

werdum-arvloski - one of the most boring fights EVA. nice how you just left that out. if your gonna sit there and tell me you find werdum to be an exciting fighter then your just lying. honestly i could watch fedor fight a bum off the streets and be happy but boredum is no where near the top of the list of guys i would would want to see him fight.

 

[Liquidrob]

werdum-arvloski - one of the most boring fights EVA. nice how you just left that out. if your gonna sit there and tell me you find werdum to be an exciting fighter then your just lying. honestly i could watch fedor fight a bum off the streets and be happy but boredum is no where near the top of the list of guys i would would want to see him fight.

I didnt leave if off, I said what some of his wins were, he lost to AA, so 1 fight makes him boring?

 

[CrimsonGhost56]

I didnt leave if off, I said what some of his wins were, he lost to AA, so 1 fight makes him boring?

no but when he puts on one of the most awful boring fights ever its hard to get excited to watch him fight.

 

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no but when he puts on one of the most awful boring fights ever its hard to get excited to watch him fight.

AA was as much as fault if not more than Werdum, AA never wanted to engage, why doesnt AA catch all that heat Werdum gets?

It was so bad that Werdum had to slap him