Fedor, Henderson Cleared for Strikeforce

Two of the most decorated fighters in mixed martial arts history moved one step closer to duking it out in the flesh.

Fedor Emelianenko hit the scales at 223 pounds for his showdown with Dan Henderson (207) in the Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Henderson” main event on Saturday at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The eight other fighters spotlighted on the main card -- including women’s welterweight champion Marloes Coenen (135) and her challenger, Miesha Tate (135) -- also met their mandatory weight requirements at Friday’s official weigh-in.

Emelianenko (Pictured, File Photo) will enter the cage on a two-fight losing streak. The 34-year-old Russian last appeared in February, when he lost to former EliteXC champion Antonio Silva by second-round technical knockout at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. A devastating offensive fighter, Emelianenko has secured 24 of his 31 career victories by knockout, TKO or submission, a staggering 21 of them inside one round. He has not gone the distance in nearly six years. Wins against former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia and Kevin Randleman, 2006 Pride Fighting Championships open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman (twice) and onetime Pride heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice) anchor the resume for one of the sport’s transcendent figures. Prior to his June 2010 defeat to Fabricio Werdum, Emelianenko had gone 27 consecutive appearances without a loss.

A two-time Olympian, Henderson will carry a two-fight winning streak into the bout. He last fought in March, when he stopped Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante on third-round punches to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight crown at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Henderson, who has paired world-class Greco-Roman wrestling skills with a devastating right hand, has delivered 12 of his 27 professional wins by KO or TKO. The 40-year-old Downey, Calif., native owns notable victories against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, onetime UFC light heavyweight titleholder Vitor Belfort and Brazilian icon Wanderlei Silva. Henderson remains the only fighter to ever hold major titles in two weight classes simultaneously.

Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Henderson” -- which airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime -- will also feature a welterweight title eliminator pairing the undefeated Tyron Woodley (170) with British striker Paul Daley (171), a middleweight clash pitting former EliteXC champion Robbie Lawler (185) against Tim Kennedy (185) and a 170-pound duel matching Tarec Saffiedine (170) with Scott Smith (171).

Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Henderson”
Saturday, July 30
Sears Centre
Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Main Event
Fedor Emelianenko (223) vs. Dan Henderson (207)

Women’s Welterweight Championship
Marloes Coenen (135) vs. Miesha Tate (135)

Robbie Lawler (185) vs. Tim Kennedy (185)
Paul Daley (171) vs. Tyron Woodley (170)
Scott Smith (171) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (170)
Gesias Cavalcante (155) vs. Bobby Green (155)
Eduardo Pamplona (170) vs. Tyler Stinson (171)
Alexis Davis (136) vs. Julie Kedzie (135)
Derek Brunson (186) vs. Lumumba Sayers (184)
Bryan Humes (266) vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones (260)