Fedor Emelianenko Returns to Strikeforce on Feb. 12

Strikeforce Heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko

The Legendary Fedor

Russian heavyweight part of eight-man tournament

Fedor Emelianenko returns to Strikeforce on Feb. 12 in a main event bout with Antonio “Big Foot” Silva at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

Sherdog.com first reported the story.

As rumored, Strikeforce will hold an eight-man heavyweight tournament throughout 2011, spanning several events, and Emelianenko vs. Silva will serve as a quarterfinal match up.

Another expected tournament bout is Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov. The remaining participants are not yet determined.

Emelianenko, formerly the top ranked heavyweight in the world, is coming off his first loss in over a decade to Werdum in June while Silva heads into the Feb. 12 match off a knockout victory over Mike Kyle on Dec. 4 in St. Louis.

Barnett will have to be cleared by the California State Athletic Commission and re-licensed after testing positive for a performance enhancing substance prior to a 2009 scheduled match with Emelianenko in the now-defunct Affliction promotion.

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