by Loretta Hunt of sherdog.com
Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers will face off in a heavyweight main event for Strikeforce on Nov. 7 on CBS, according to sources close to the event. A venue for the event is still to be announced.
An official announcement from CBS and Strikeforce is expected 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's no question this is a sport that is fast becoming a force in popularity and as a business," said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, Prime Time, CBS Television. "We're excited to be the platform that will enable millions more to see the athlete regarded as the very best in his sport. The Number One heavyweight on the most-watched network has a very nice ring to it."
Emelianenko, 33, headlined two U.S. events for Affliction Entertainment in July 2008 and January 2009 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif, where he bested former UFC champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski.
Rogers, 29, knocked out then top-three heavyweight Arlovski in a shocking 22 seconds at a Strikeforce event last June.
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