The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix is close to coming to a conclusion before the entire division will be sent to the UFC.
Before that happens though, the tournament champion, either Josh Barnett or Daniel Cormier, will get one more Strikeforce fight against an opponent that has yet to be determined.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker says that some of the options were eliminated when the UFC gobbled up a handful of Strikeforce heavyweights, although one famous Russian remains a possibility.
After this past Saturday’s Strikeforce: “Rockhold vs. Jardine” event, Coker discussed the upcoming conclusion of the heavyweight tornament and the possible return of elimated tourney fighter Fedor Emelianenko. The tournament began nearly a year ago and as long as Cormier’s hand is healed in time it should conclude at an upcoming event in March.
But when Coker was asked if Emelianenko could possibly fight the tourney winner in the aforementioned final heavyweight fight in Strikeforce, he gave no definitive answer.
“That’s interesting,” Coker said. “I’m not sure what Fedor has planned. I haven’t spoken to M-1. I know (M-1 executive) Steve Bash was in the audience tonight, but we haven’t had that conversation yet.”
