This past weekend news surfaced that Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (31-3, 1NC) and Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Dan Henderson (27-8) would meet in July. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has stated that it’s a fight that the promotion is working on and that nothing has been finalized at this point.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com has word from Fedor’s management on Saturday that the Russian has accepted this fight.
So it appears that the only thing standing in the way is the paperwork.
M-1 Global’s Apy Echteld, who represents Emelianenko and is in San Diego as part of Gegard Mousasi’s camp for a Strikeforce bout against Keith Jardine at the Valley View Casino Center, said it could be completed as soon as Sunday.
“He agreed. He’s ready to fight,” Echteld said of Emelianenko…
“With his progress from training, I can only think he’ll be back the way he was,” Echteld said of the former Pride champion, who’s fallen in consecutive fights for the first time in his storied career. “If he doesn’t win, he’ll make his own decisions like he does now. If he stops, he stops. But if he wins, I think he’ll continue fighting.”
Emelianenko has lost his last two fights, having been knocked out of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinals after a TKO loss to Antonio Silva, and a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum last Summer.
Henderson, meanwhile has won his last two bouts, earning his first Strikeforce title by defeating Rafael Cavalcante last month in Columbus by knockout, and KOing Renato “Babalu” Sobral last December.