NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Scott Coker, the CEO and founder of the Strikeforce mixed martial arts promotion.

There has been much said and written about the next events which Strikeforce will be having, and not all of it is based on fact. Some of it is downright misleading and hopelessly biased. So we decided to speak to the man himself about what Strikeforce is planning in order to get the truth.

After a Strikeforce Challengers event on Showtime on March 26 in Fresno, California, Strikeforce will return to CBS Saturday, April 17, with three title fights on a card at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Headlining that card will be the Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields taking on the former Pride two-division champion and a two-time U.S. Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling, Dan Henderson. Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi will defend his belt against the unbeaten "King" Mo Lawal. And Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will fight the Dream champion and submission master, Shinya Aoki of Japan, for the Strikeforce belt.

We spoke with Scott Coker not only about the importance of this loaded card, but also how it will definitely take place April 17 in Nashville and be shown live in the U.S. on CBS. We discussed their plans for their next major show, which will be May 15 from St. Louis, Missouri, and shown on Showtime, headlined by Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem fighting Brett Rogers, with more details on the title situation in that fight to be announced shortly.

We also discussed when he expects the top heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, to return to action in Strikeforce, and the status of the co-promotion arrangement between Strikeforce and M-1 Global, of which Fedor is a partner. We talked about the overall importance of co-promotion in mixed martial arts, and the branding situation, where M-1 Global wanted it made clearer than it had been that they were co-promoting events with Strikeforce. And we discussed possible opponents for Fedor, including the colorful but controversial Josh Barnett, who is currently under suspension for a doping violation, and much more.

So you need not waste time with the rumor-mongers or purveyors of misinformation, because once we again we have the truth for you, right here on No Holds Barred.

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Labels: Eddie Goldman, Fedor, MMA, No Holds Barred, Scott Coker, Strikeforce