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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Fedor Emelianenko [Art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Strikeforce has changed course on the first fight for Fedor Emelianenko, as multiple published reports Thursday have stated that his fight with Brett Rogers will take place on November 7th, and not only that, but it will be on CBS.
That's a change in the initial plan to broadcast the fight on Showtime, and it will be the first event for Strikeforce on CBS. It will also be the first network MMA event since the October 4th EliteXC: Heat event.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said in a statement released by CBS, "It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the Strikeforce brand to CBS. We are looking forward to bringing MMA back to the network and to having the world's No. 1 heavyweight - Fedor - compete for the first time on live network television against one of America's most promising young, undefeated stars - Brett Rogers."
CBS Senior Executive Vice President of Prime Time for CBS Television Kelly Kahl said, "There's no question this is a sport that is fast becoming a force in popularity and as a business. We're excited to be the platform that will enable millions more to see the athlete regarded as the very best in his sport. The Number One heavyweight on the most-watched network has a very nice ring to it."
No venue has been announced yet for the fight, though an announcement for that is expected next week.
Penick's Analysis: This is a somewhat surprising and ballsy move from Strikeforce. They've held off on announcing a date and the fight was expected for Showtime, so unless the UFC does have a network deal in it's back pocket to go head to head with this fight on November 7th Strikeforce is going to get the most they can out of this fight in a big way. With just under two months to go until the fight, the most watched network can hype this up along with Strikeforce for a good amount of time to perhaps draw comparable numbers to the Kimbo and Carano shows on CBS. This is a great, great move by Strikeforce and one that could do wonders for them with this fight. This makes Rogers an even better choice now if he can do well in this bout, as a shocking upset win in front of that type of audience would make him more than a superstar. Of course, he can't get squashed by Fedor because that would be no good to anyone, except of course for M-1 and Fedor who can continue to boast the best heavyweight in the world. November 7th is the new go to date for MMA fans, and it will be free on CBS. Great move.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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