Strikeforce is returning to prime time television on CBS, and they’re bringing friends: Fedor Emelianenko and recent signee Dan Henderson are both expected to be on the card.
A CBS spokesperson informed Fanhouse this afternoon that the show will air during the month of April. Both Henderson and Emelianenko have agreed to participate on the card, but no opponents have been named at this point.
Heavy.com has learned that Henderson is interested in facing Emelianenko in his first bout for the promotion. Emelianenko vs. Henderson is the biggest bout that Strikeforce can possibly make right now, and it’s likely that Henderson will never be more popular than he is right now. His knockout victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 100 instantly made Henderson one of the biggest stars in the company, and he was expected to meet Anderson Silva in a rematch for the middleweight title in the fall.
Silva balked at the idea, however, saying that Henderson wasn’t deserving of a rematch, and the UFC instead gave Vitor Belfort the title shot. Discouraged, Henderson could not come to contract terms with the UFC and signed with Strikeforce earlier this month.
The second Strikeforce on CBS card is expected to air in the same Saturday 9pm ET time slot. No other bouts have been officially announced for the card, but Gegard Mousasi and Frank Shamrock are both rumored to participate.