Fedor Emelianenko has signed a contract with Strikeforce and will make his debut for the promotion in a Fall fight on Showtime. His first opponent hasn’t been named, but I’d be shocked if they matched him up with anyone other than Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in his first fight.
I believe this was inevitable, considering Scott Coker’s willingness to co-promote with M-1 where Zuffa would not. People are calling it a game-changer, and while I wouldn’t go that far (because Emelianenko is still a virtual unknown in the United States), it certainly will help the Strikeforce cards on Showtime. This will be the first non-PPV fight for Fedor in the United States and his first-ever fight in a cage as well.
Strikeforce declined to comment on the signing until a Thursday press conference.
