Fedor Emelianenko and a broadcast deal with the CBS network are two of the most important assets Strikeforce can boast, but right now, they are in holding patterns as respective talks and deliberations continue on both fronts.
Of the two, it appears that a decision on Emelianenko’s future is more likely to come first.
During a Monday conference call, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker mentioned that the promotion has engaged in recent, productive talks with the Russian fighter’s representatives.
“We have ongoing dialogue even as recent as last weekend, and it’s an ongoing process,” he said. “I feel we’ll come to when Fedor fights and who Fedor fights … we’ll probably have that put together in the next couple weeks.”
Emelianenko would be making his return after losing his first match in nearly 10 years. On June 26, he was defeated after tapping out to a triangle/armbar combination at the hands of Fabricio Werdum.
The Russian is 32-2 with one no contest overall. Though his camp has stated a preference for a rematch with Werdum, a heavyweight championship match with Alistair Overeem remains another possibility.
Meanwhile, the future of Strikeforce on CBS remains in flux. The organization’s last show on the “Tiffany Network” was the Strikeforce: Nashville show in April that featured three title bouts. That event drew an average of around 3 million viewers, but ended in controversy after a post-fight brawl following the Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson match.
“We have dialogue but there’s nothing definite,” Coker said.
One other Strikeforce show has aired on CBS. A Nov. 2009 event featuring Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers in the main event drew an average of around 4 million viewers.
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