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EMELIANENKO CONTEST ANNOUNCED
The contest between Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson has just been announced officially. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker discussed the fight, set to air July 30 on Showtime from Hoffman Estates, Ill., during a news conference at the MGM Grand.
According to the Free MMA Bet website, Emelianenko's camp asked for a 216-220 pound cap, partly as a mechanism to ensure the 34-year-old Russian heavyweight great shows up in shape. Henderson, the current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, said from the outset that he would agree to compete anywhere on the scale against the former Pride champion.
More important than negotiations over weight during the past several months was whether the bout would air on pay-per-view. Multiple sources confirmed that Emelianenko's $1.5 million purse combined with Henderson's $800,000 payday ensured the date was a money loser, but in the end pay-per-view was eschewed for a slot on Showtime, which has the option of renewing its television rights deal with the Strikeforce brand early next year.