[NikosCC]

With Alistair Overeem's return to Strikeforce still 6 weeks away, the promotion has made a decision about the heavyweight belt and the title will indeed be on the line when he faces Brett Rogers in St. Louis on May 15.

The news was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by Strikeforce official Mike Afromowitz on Sunday.

Overeem won the Strikeforce title in 2007 with a win over Paul Buentello, but has been absent from the promotion ever since. The Dutch fighter has also not lost since his last Strikeforce appearance going 6-0-1 over the last few years, while also racking up several impressive wins in K-1.

The title fight will headline the upcoming May 15 show which will broadcast on Showtime, and Overeem will put his belt up for grabs against Brett Rogers, who last competed in Nov 2009 in a loss to Fedor Emelianenko.

Prior to the loss to the Russian, Rogers was undefeated in his career, and even though the defeat put a mark in the loss column, the Chicago born fighter showed tremendous heart and skill against the widely regarded top heavyweight in MMA.

Overeem and Rogers will showcase the heavyweight title fight, and another battle of the big men will serve as the co-main event when former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski takes on Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

Source-http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=11089&zoneid=13

 

[JimmyJames]

WTF?????

Rogers loses to Fedor and gets a title shot out of it?????

Strikeforce deserves this.....

Strikeforce HW belt has been treated like a joke but at least it is being defended, which it hasnt been in a long, long time. So there is a positive out of this.

 

[Danomac]

No there isn't. This is a a negative. Multiplied by 1 million. No logic in this move. We'll sign yuh Fedor but you gotta earn your shot...

This is, quite possibly, one of the most retarded ideas ever. No doubt Dana is going to hear about this and go apeshit on Strikeforce. Rightfully so too.

 

[alizio]

smart business move by Coker as i predicted.

Rogers wins the belt and he will actually defend it and has more drawing power.

Overeem wins and life still sucks.

either way, make overroids defend.

 

[Chileandude]

Meh, i just want to see Overeem pass (or fail) a steroids test already.

 

[Couchwarrior]

Good. Having the champion fight non-title fights is retarded imo.

Especially when you've got a champ that hasn't defended the belt once in 2.5 years.

 

[Rastaman]

Alistair Overeem should have been stripped of the belt two years ago at least.

 

[Machida Karate]

The fact that Brett gets the Title shot BEFORE Fedor is completely stupid.... And sorry but if Brett wins and gets the title after losing to Fedor, its going to be the stupidest thing....

I dont see Brett vs Fedor AGAIN being a very big Draw.... I mean in reality ANY Fedor fight is a big Draw even if he was fighting someone on there Debut, but this whole thing is extremely amateur for SF to do, its just crap especially for how long we have to wait just to see a SF event....

I hope Dana sees this stupid Title fight and puts on a better card the same night, and kills SF so we can see fighters like Mousasi and Fedor fight real competition....

 

[Rastaman]

The fact that Brett gets the Title shot BEFORE Fedor is completely stupid.... And sorry but if Brett wins and gets the title after losing to Fedor, its going to be the stupidest thing....

I dont see Brett vs Fedor AGAIN being a very big Draw.... I mean in reality ANY Fedor fight is a big Draw even if he was fighting someone on there Debut, but this whole thing is extremely amateur for SF to do, its just crap especially for how long we have to wait just to see a SF event....

I hope Dana sees this stupid Title fight and puts on a better card the same night, and kills SF so we can see fighters like Mousasi and Fedor fight real competition....

Your last paragraph says it all.

 

[HitOrGetHit]

It is good to hear that Overeem will be defending his title, but does Strikeforce have a ranking system at all. They are going to stay behind the UFC if they keep this up. Having a good crop of fighters is not enough. Have a ranking system, and don't let the promotion work for the fighters, the fighters work for the promotion.

All in all, it is a good thing that Overeem is coming back. It is just stupid to give Rogers a shot.

 

[TheGrizzlyBear]

Yea, lets give a guy who just lost to Fedor a title shot now... sounds like a great idea...

whatever, Overeem will prolly end up getting "hurt" and pull out of this fight because he won't pass the drug test...

I will be very surprised if this fight actually happens...

 

[Thelegend]

No there isn't. This is a a negative. Multiplied by 1 million. No logic in this move. We'll sign yuh Fedor but you gotta earn your shot...

This is, quite possibly, one of the most retarded ideas ever. No doubt Dana is going to hear about this and go apeshit on Strikeforce. Rightfully so too.

but there is logic in having the champ not striped of his title after a two year hiatus and come back and fight a non-title match?

The fact that Brett gets the Title shot BEFORE Fedor is completely stupid.... And sorry but if Brett wins and gets the title after losing to Fedor, its going to be the stupidest thing....

I dont see Brett vs Fedor AGAIN being a very big Draw.... I mean in reality ANY Fedor fight is a big Draw even if he was fighting someone on there Debut, but this whole thing is extremely amateur for SF to do, its just crap especially for how long we have to wait just to see a SF event....

I hope Dana sees this stupid Title fight and puts on a better card the same night, and kills SF so we can see fighters like Mousasi and Fedor fight real competition....

well M-1 would rather fight barnett than overeem:sarcastic12:. in all honesty i think that might be even more retarded......overeem did not want to fight fedor on his first mma fight in years and wanted a lesser opponent. rogers arguably would have gotten the shot after his run before fedor anyway. if the fight was non title and overeem lost-then what? a champ who lost his first mma fight in two years?

let overeem lose and hype up the rematch for the title-if you think it wont be a bigger draw you are mistaken. title fights sell tickets and you already know Russian fans will tune in. American fans can get behind rogers or root against him and want to see him lose. at least he has some highlights and recent fights for fans to look at and strikeforce to use to promote.

great decision and probably the best decision considering the circumstances.

 

[jonnyg4508]

Have been pleased with Strikeforce thus far. Feel like they aren't trying to out do the UFC and put on good shows when they have them.

But this is pathetic. Not only do you have a HW champ that is on roids, hasn't defended the belt since winning it years ago, and fights in other promotions more than yours. But now you are giving a guy who just lost a title shot.

Classic.

 

[xeberus]

wait... overeem.. fighting...a legit fighter...

 

[joe davola]

The fact that Brett gets the Title shot BEFORE Fedor is completely stupid.... And sorry but if Brett wins and gets the title after losing to Fedor, its going to be the stupidest thing....

I dont see Brett vs Fedor AGAIN being a very big Draw.... I mean in reality ANY Fedor fight is a big Draw even if he was fighting someone on there Debut, but this whole thing is extremely amateur for SF to do, its just crap especially for how long we have to wait just to see a SF event....

I hope Dana sees this stupid Title fight and puts on a better card the same night, and kills SF so we can see fighters like Mousasi and Fedor fight real competition....

i think rogers/fedor 2 would be a pretty good draw because it was a close fight until he landed that shot

 

[arkanoydz]

I totally agree that it doesn't make sense to give a title shot to a guy coming off a loss.

Coker's decision to turn this into a title defense feels like he was compelled to react to the sheer success of the UFC heavyweight division especially after UFC 111.

...However, I can't help but be happy that we'll get to see Overeem vs Rogers, looking forward to the fight itself

 

[Mckeever]

I have a feeling that fedor will be heading to the ufc very soon.

 

[Term]

I have a feeling that fedor will be heading to the ufc very soon.

I don't know about this, but I think there must be some kind of contract negotiations going on here. Your two top heavyweights fight and then you give the title shot to the loser. This just makes no sense.

 

[hellholming]

I'll be shocked if Overeem actually fights. If he does, then he should be able to put Rogers to sleep either by a KO or his wicked guillotine.

 

[_RIVAL_]

Champions fighting non title fights is a joke unless his opponents misses weight... IMO.

Glad it's for the belt. And glad that Rogers gets the chance... If there weren't so many issues with Fedor competing or not he may have been given an opportunity here... we don't really know what is going on behind the scenes here...