Strikeforce Makes Moves

There were several significant developments on the Strikeforce front this week.

The promotion finalized its Nov. 7 fight card on CBS. In addition to the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers headliner, also added are Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum. Jake Shields vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller for the middleweight title had previously been announced.

The Werdum bout will be Silva’s first in the United States since he was suspended for a year in July 2008 by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for a steroid. Mousasi’s fight will not be for his light heavyweight title. Women’s champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos will not be competing due to a shoulder injury suffered in the Abu Dhabi submission wrestling tournament last week. Her expected opponent, Marloes Coenen, will face Erin Toughill in a bout that likely won’t make the air.

CBS is expected to begin rolling out its ad campaign for the Nov. 7 event this weekend, with ads hyping Emelianenko airing during the network’s coverage of NFL and college football.

Also this week, Strikeforce further bolstered its schedule for the last two months of 2009, announcing that a Nov. 20 “Challengers” card has been booked for Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. It will be the third Strikeforce card in November; a Nov. 6 “Challengers” event on Showtime will precede the Nov. 7 CBS event.

Rumors also circulated that a Dec. 12 Showtime card was in the offing emanating from San Jose, Calif. If finalized, the show would mark a salvo in the developing UFC/Strikeforce war. Dec. 12 is the same night as the UFC 107 pay-per-view, headlined by B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez for the lightweight title. The MMA debut of NFL retiree Herschel Walker is expected to take place at the event. Scott Smith, who has been campaigning for a fight against Benji Radach or Frank Shamrock, is expected to compete on the card as well.

Strikeforce also announced an international television distribution deal this week and the hiring of Rich Chou as the promotion's new matchmaker.

Chou was a former referee and matchmaker for the "Rumble on the Rock" promotion in Hawaii, headed by J.D. Penn. He also worked in a similar capacity for the defunct EliteXC group. Chou will be the sole person making fights for Strikeforce, replacing a committee led by CEO Scott Coker. Chou once competed in a pro MMA bout, losing a 2002 fight in the Hawaiian promotion Superbrawl via decision.