April Strikeforce Event Still Set To Air On CBSDespite the loss of top-ranked heavyweight “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko from the card, Strikeforce’s April event will still air on CBS. MMAWeekly.com is reporting that the CBS event will go ahead as planned and will be headlined by a Strikeforce Middleweight Championship bout between Jake Shields and Dan “Hendo” Henderson.

Speculation arose yesterday after M-1 officials confirmed that Emelianenko would not be fighting until May. He is set to fight former PRIDE star Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum in his next Strikeforce appearance.

Details of the CBS event remain largely unknown, but Strikeforce is said to be targeting April 17th for their return to the network. The newly-renamed Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee is the likely venue for the event, though this has not yet been officially confirmed. Henderson and Shields will clash for the promotion’s 185-pound title, while Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi is also expected to defend his Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

Emelianenko is currently set to face Werdum in May, but no details of the proposed card have been announced. It is not known whether the May event will air on CBS or Showtime, but Emelianenko is free to compete on either network. Should a bout with Werdum not materialise, Emelianenko could potentially face Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem at a DREAM event in Japan.

Further information has not been released and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has stated that the promotion is currently focused on its sixth Challengers event, which airs live tonight on Showtime and Super Channel. The card is headlined by a Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Championship bout between Sarah Kaufman and Takayo Hashi. MMARising.com will have live play-by-play of the event.

 

Note: This article was updated to clarify earlier incorrect reports that Emelianenko’s contract requires his fights to air on CBS.

 

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)