CHESSNOID

Looks like Strikeforce has worked out a good venue to showcase their biggest fighter to date.  I think it was smart for Showtime (owned by CBS) to air Fedor’s debut on a national network for free.  Kimbo and Gina Carano received good visibility on this format and benefited dramatically.  Unfortunately, they have both lost since then.  Carano is still popular with her new mma fans, but Kimbo is a circus act that UFC picked up to put him on the Spike TUF show.  Dana never respected him as a fighter so it is all about the ratings.

Sherdog:

Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers will face off in a heavyweight main event for Strikeforce on Nov. 7 on CBS. A venue for the event is still to be announced, however ESPN.com and Sherdog.com have both learned from multiple sources that the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago has emerged as the frontrunner for the event. The Sears Centre Arena holds 11,800 seats and has hosted IFL events in the past.

Strikeforce announced the event on Thursday. The CBS Corporation owns premium pay channel Showtime, which has a multi-year broadcast deal with Strikeforce.

The bout will be the first of three for Emelianenko, the world’s top-ranked heavyweight, with the promotion and will mark his first bout in a cage.

The event also marks the return of mixed martial arts to the major television network. CBS broadcasted EliteXC “Heat” in October 2008 and garnered nearly 5 million viewers.

There is always a chance for an upset at these heavyweight fights. Look at Kimbo’s embarrassing knockout to an unknown lower caliber fighter (the punch looked like it barely touched his chin). As far as Fedor getting knocked out, anything is possible but he doesn’t have a glass chin (Arlovski). He has taken many power punches , body slams on his head (Randleman) that usually knocks out fighters, and leg kicks to the head (CroCop) and is still going.

Anyways, good move by CBS.  Hopefully, they will supplement the under card with well known fighters to make it a solid fight night.