“Fedor vs. Monson,” presented by M-1 Global, is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 7:30 AM/ET – 4:30 AM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH Network and Avail-TVN, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.Check listings for same-day replays.

Fedor, who is fighting at home in Russia for the first time in four years, is coming off of three straight losses in the United States to Dan Henderson, Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum. He’s fighting Monson because that’s who he is, not for his already secure legacy in MMA history.

“I’m really happy to be fighting in Russia because most of my fights have been overseas,” Fedor recently said from training camp in Holland. “The only time I’ve fought in Russia was four years ago in St. Petersburg. I feel good and I’m looking forward to this fight.

“This is my job. I always try to win each fight. I’m not fighting to prove anything to anyone. I fight; that’s what I do. What happened – happened. I felt I could win each of those fights but something went wrong. Anything can happen and I prepare for each fight very seriously.”

Monson, fighting out of Miami, Florida, is a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist. The battle-tested veteran is looking at this fight as an opportunity of a lifetime in terms of his MMA legacy.

“This fight (versus Monson) has been talked about since my PRIDE days,” Fedor noted. “I am familiar with his career. I think Jeff is a very respected and tough opponent. I am looking forward to fighting him. Each fighter is different in his own way. I have had to fight various great guys. Jeff and I will offer an entertaining fight.”

Emelianenko has fought and defeated a virtual Who’s Who of MMA heavyweights during his 11 ½ year pro career: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Filipovic, Heath Herring, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman (twice), Renato Sobral, Matt Lindland, Andrei Arlovski, Hong Man Chio, Brett Rogers and Tim Sylvia.

“I’m very happy with the way training camp went, Fedor conclude. “I trained with my brother, Alexander, most of the time.

“I want to thank all of my fans. I know there are a lot in America. I truly appreciate fans that have supported me in America and I’m glad they will have a chance to watch this fight live. I truly appreciate their support.”

In the co-feature, M-1 Challenge Lightweight Champion Jose Figueroa (10-4, 4 KOs, 5 Submissions), also fighting out of Florida, defends against German challenger Daniel Weichel (27-7, 4 KOs, 16 Submissions).

Scheduled to fight on the PPV undercard is Russian welterweight Aleksander Yakovlev (12-3, 4 KOs, 7 Submissions) vs. undefeated Spanish prospect Juan Manuel “Juanma” Suarez (8-0, 1 KO, 3 Submissions), Austrian welterweight Mairbek “Beckan” Taisumov (15-3, 8 KOs, 6 Submissions) vs. Josh Thorpe (10-6, 3 KOs), from Alabama, and Russian middleweight Arthur Guseinov (9-2, 6 KOs, 2 Submissions) vs. French veteran Xavier “Professor X” Foupa-Pokam (21-16, 11 KOs, 7 Submissions). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

For more information about the Emelianenko-Monson PPV event go to www.integratedsportsnet.comor www.M-1Global.com. Follow Integrated Sports Media on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.

M-1 Global: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged over 70 events worldwide including the M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States. Captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 events have boasted some of the sport’s top names including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Stephan Struve and rising stars Shamil Zavurov, Guram Gugenishvili, Alexander Sarnavskiy and Vinny Magalhaes.

Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. Also World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Real Madrid,Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.

Photo Courtesy of Strikeforce

It was not to happen, as Henderson knocked out Fedor at 4:12 of the first round to retain his light heavyweight championship and improve his overall record to 28-8. A quick start by both fighters set the pace and potential finishing punches were being thrown one after the other. Henderson appeared to get the better of the early exchange and “The Last Emperor” countered with some strong right hands, eventually putting the champ down.

The Fedor of yesterday would have been able to finish the job right there and then, but Henderson was able to gain the advantage after surviving from the canvas. “Hendo” was able to get Fedor’s back and reverse the position, throw a barrage of punches before being waved off by referee Herb Dean.

Fedor’s comments after the fight were not sugar-coated and he felt that Dean jumped the gun. Using words like “early” twice made it obvious how he felt, but he may have a point. “I was ready to continue fighting,” Fedor (31-4) said at the post-fight press conference.

It did appear that Dean was cowering over the fighters and made his move hastily, but that is tough to say when you are not the one seeing exactly what the referee is. Dean has been around the sport long enough and his decision should be respected.

Fedor was coy about his future plans, saying things like it is “God’s will” if he fights again and “life goes on.” He has certainly lost more than a step in the past year and should seriously think about hanging ‘em up.

Fedor’s legacy amy be more important than a few wins late in his career. He may be Strikeforce/M-1 Global’s main draw, but that will only go so far as his performances get worse. With Dana White and the UFC pulling the strings, the questions only broaden.

The affiliation with its umbrella company may give Strikeforce some leeway, as their overhead is not as much of a concern as it was when they were footing their own bill. But they still want their own identity, and Fedor has been ‘the man’ in that promotion.

White has always had something for Fedor and may want to see him stick around. But losing is not going to make things better. Sure, Silva and Henderson are big-time fighters, so Fedor has nothing to hang his head about.

Perhaps a few wins against lesser opponents can clear the picture up for all involved.

The date originally reserved for continuation of the three-stage, single-elimination tournament comprised of eight of the world’s top heavyweights, April 9, will now feature a terrific STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader from Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., formerly the San Diego Sports Arena.

In the second event of the tournament, STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out MMA legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) and the heavy-handed Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will take on former UFC World Champion Josh Barnett (29-5).

“STRIKEFORCE is coming off a record presale and impressive attendance for the kickoff of the Grand Prix at IZOD Center in New Jersey that also drew a record viewership on SHOWTIME for live MMA,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker.  “To build on the tremendous momentum from New Jersey we needed the proper time to promote an event of this magnitude, which is why we have decided to continue the Tournament on June 18 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, a venue that has been identified as one of the premier sports and entertainment venues in the U.S.”

Coker continued: “We have a great relationship with the Texas State Athletic Commission, who, along with the American Airlines Center, is enthused to host the Grand Prix.”

STRIKEFORCE Welterweight World Champion Nick Diaz (24-1, 1 NC) will defend his title in a highly anticipated grudge match against the brawling Paul “Semtex” Daley (26-9-2) in the April 9 main event.  Gilbert Melendez (18-2) will make the second defense of his STRIKEFORCE Lightweight World Title against the powerful Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2).  Also on the April 9 card is a bitter showdown between current DREAM Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle.

“We are fortunate to replace the April 9 date with a tremendous World Championship Doubleheader featuring the eagerly awaited showdown between Nick and Paul and the sensational matchup between Gilbert and Tatsuya,” Coker said.  “This is a fight everyone has been waiting for and I’d like to thank DREAM for allowing Tatsuya to come to the U.S. to take on our Lightweight World Champion.”

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com<http://sports.sho.com/>.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com<http://www.strikeforce.com/>) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™  XTRA.  SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®.  SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution.  All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

In addition, STRIKEFORCE has assembled eight of the world’s top ranked heavyweights to compete in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that will take place over several events in 2011.  The first two quarterfinal fights begin on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J. In the main event, the 34-year-old Emelianenko will face the towering Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event.  Co-featured on Feb. 12, former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) will face Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat current STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

The other two quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), while the heavy-handed Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will meet a hungry Josh Barnett (29-5). The location and date for these quarterfinal tournament fights are to be announced.

“We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 GLOBAL,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world.”

“I’m very pleased to be working with SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE and Mr. Coker and Mr. Hershman personally. Thanks to their interest and efforts, we’ve created what will go down in history as MMA’s greatest heavyweight tournament of all time,” said Vadim Finkelchtein, co-founder of M-1 Global. “M-1, STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME have built a partnership committed to the future growth of MMA—a sport where organizations represent a working collaborative that enable the best fighters in the world to fight each other. This agreement benefits everyone, especially the fans who’ll see Fedor in action more often.

“With SHOWTIME’s significance in the U.S. and M-1’s development of the European and Asian MMA markets, the cooperation will also deliver a global roster of talented fighters to viewers,” Finkelchtein continued. “During the coming year, we’ll be showcasing spectacular Grand Prix events using the same M-1 Selection tournament format, a series of events generating enthusiastic spectator interest keeping fans glued to their screens.”

“I can’t think of a better way to start 2011 than with this major announcement,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “Fedor is universally known to sports fans throughout the world and it is an honor to continue our work with M-1 GLOBAL and STRIKEFORCE in presenting this legendary fighter to SHOWTIME subscribers.

“SHOWTIME has enjoyed great success with its two most recent boxing tournaments—the Super Six World Boxing Classic and The Bantamweight Tournament,” Hershman continued. “And now, with the breadth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division, we have the privilege of staging one of the biggest tournaments in the history of this growing sport.  With the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix’s single-elimination format and the biggest names in the sport today, this tournament is something that no sports fan will want to miss.”

“I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage,” said the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko, who hails from Stary Oskol, Russia and is promoted by M-1 GLOBAL.  “STRIKEFORCE has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 GLOBAL, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format.”

Fedor’s unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 professional MMA bouts without a defeat has prompted many MMA enthusiasts to label Fedor as the greatest of all time. Since his career began 10 years ago, Fedor has faced and defeated many rival superstars and champions of this era including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

In what ranks among the most watched MMA fights in the United States, Fedor made his live primetime network television debut on Nov. 7, 2009 on CBS, when he defeated unbeaten rising star Brett Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event.  Despite a difficult first round in which he sustained a deep cut above his eye, Fedor turned the tide early in the second round with one vicious right-hand punch and finished Rogers shortly after.

Then, on June 26, 2010, Fedor suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., in one of the most watched MMA bouts on SHOWTIME.  Werdum, who has defeated a host of top rivals including Overeem, Silva and Brandon “The Truth” Vera, trapped Fedor’s arm in a triangle armbar that forced Fedor to tap out at the 1:09 mark of the opening round.

Fedor has only one other official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.  Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first-round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About M-1 Global

Founded in 1998, M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged over 70 events worldwide including the M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States. Captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 events boast some of the sport’s top names including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Stephan Struve and rising stars Shamil Zavurov, Byron Byrd, Alexander Sarnavskiy and Vinny Magalhaes. 2011 marks a breakthrough year with two Selections tournaments across Eastern & Western Europe, North America and Asia and a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport.

M-1 Global’s greatest asset is the number one heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA times and New York Times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to grow MMA in the 21st century.

Source: Mike Afromowitz/Strikeforce

Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce

On Saturday, June 26, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on SHOWTIME®, Smith will attempt to make it two consecutive victories over Cung Le in a middleweight (185 pounds) rematch of one of the most incredible Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) comeback victories of all-time.

The eagerly anticipated return bout between Smith (17-6), of Elk Grove, Calif., and Le (6-1), of San Jose, will take place on an already-stacked STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global fight card that features the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound MMA fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1),against two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in the main event.

The universally recognized No. 1 female fighter in MMA, Cris Cyborg will defend her STRIKEFORCE 145-pound belt against Jan Finney, marking the first time in history that both the No. 1 male and female fighters will compete on the same card.

In another featured fight, former STRIKEFORCE lightweight (155 pounds) champion Josh Thomson (16-3), of San Jose, will try and regain his winning ways against Pat “Bam Bam” Healy (23-15) of Portland, Ore. Thomson lost a five-round decision in his last start to Gilbert Melendez in one of the most wildly exciting, give-and-take slugfests of the year on Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion. Healy is coming off a well-deserved, unanimous three-round decision over Bryan Travers during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21.

Tickets are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> ) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ). For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> .

The SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The hard-hitting, never-say-die Smith is no stranger to dramatic, stirring, come-from-behind victories. He rallied to knock out Benji Radach on April 1, 2009, at HP Pavilion and registered a highlight-reel second-round KO over the UFC’s Pete Sell on Nov. 11, 2006.

Smith, however, may have outdone himself with his courageous performance against Le, coming back from the brink of absolute defeat to triumph by third-round knockout last Dec. 19 at HP Pavilion.

Smith had taken a frightful beating for two-and-a-half-rounds as southpaw Le, making his first start in 21 months, totally dominated. The one-sided proceedings seemed over at least a couple of

times as everything was going Le’s way. His trademark spinning back kicks were connecting with startling frequency and were knocking Smith around the cage.

At one point, while Smith was on the ground after getting dropped, Le seemed to throw more than 50 consecutive punches. He slammed Smith once.

But Smith, a proven finisher who has never turned down a challenge, summoned the energy and heart – again – to twice drop Le. After he connected twice on a downed Le, the referee stepped in and halted the exciting battle at 3:25.

“This was one helluva fight,” said Smith afterward. “He had me the first two-and-a-half rounds, but I’ve got a hard head. On the knockdowns, I faked the right and threw the left. Everyone always looks for my right, but the left hook is my best punch.

“It took me until the third round to close the gap on him, but once I did and he began to drop his hands, I could sense things were starting to go my way. That’s when I feinted with the right and landed the left. It never matters who I fight. I just want these types of tough fights.”

Le, a former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion who relinquished the belt to concentrate on an acting career, offered no excuses but has been clamoring for a rematch since.

“He got the best of me last time with a good punch,” Le said. “We both fought our hearts out that night, but I’ve wanted a chance to turn the tables on him since that fight ended and now my opportunity is here. I am very excited to fight a warrior like Scott again.

“The fans in San Jose and those watching on SHOWTIME are in for a great fight again between Smith and me and a great night of fights.”

Thomson, who shut out Melendez across five rounds to capture the STRIKEFORCE world 155-pound belt on June 27, 2008, dropped a rematch by the scores of 49-46 twice and 49-47.

Like Le, the popular Thomson was coming off a lengthy layoff. It was his first start before a paying audience in 15 months due to injuries (he broke his left leg twice during training).

But Thomson showed against Melendez that he’s healthy again and he is excited about a possible rubber match. First, however, he must get past Healy.

“I’m up for a third fight with Gilbert if that’s what STRIKEFORCE wants,”  said Thomson, who had an eight-fight winning streak end last time out. “I know this is a fight the fans want to see again. But my sole focus now is on winning my next fight. I can’t concern myself with future fights.

“For me, the future is June 26 and beating Healy.”

Healy has defeated quality opponents since turning pro in August 2001. He was impressive outpointing Travers (13-1 going in) by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice. It was a rare points’ victory for the durable, well-conditioned wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.

A winner of three in a row and five out of six outings, Healy is getting an opportunity against one of the fighters he most wanted to fight.

“I’ll fight anyone but there are two guys in the 155-pound as far as I’m concerned and that’s Josh and Melendez,” Healy said. “A win over Thomson, then Melendez could be next for me”

About  STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About M-1 GLOBAL

M-1 GLOBAL (www.m-1global.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> ) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for well over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995. During the last two years, since the inception of M-1 GLOBAL, the organization has promoted events all over the world, in over 20 countries and is shown on television in well over 100. In 2010 M-1 GLOBAL is promoting the Selection tournament, a competition to find the best new talent in MMA the world over. 160 fighters started in February from four global regions, and will be reduced to 20 champions by September. M-1 Breakthrough will be taking place in the U.S. and Europe starting in the fall and will pit MMA’s better known athletes and stars in a one-on-one competition.

The Fedor-Werdum match will headline an event which will feature up to five televised fights on SHOWTIME and several non-televised undercard bouts that will be announced in the coming weeks. A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the event will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://strikeforce.com/insider.html) from 10 a.m. PT Monday, May 10, until 10 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 13.  Insiders will receive an e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, May 14, at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> ) as well as www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> . For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> .

For M-1 GLOBAL’s Fedor, it is a means of gaining revenge three and a half years after the 32-year-old Werdum defeated Fedor’s brother Aleksander Emelianenko, via submission (arm triangle choke) in the first round (3:24) of a bout in Rotterdam, Holland, on Nov. 12, 2006.

The M-1 GLOBAL superstar is simply referred to as “Fedor” by millions of fans around the world.  He stands at 6-foot, 235-pounds and hails from Stary Oskol, Russia.  He has become the most dominant MMA fighter of all-time since he began his professional career 10 years ago.

Fedor is one of the founders of M-1 GLOBAL and has competed for the organization since its inception more than two years ago.  The 33-year-old has faced and defeated nearly every other rival superstar and champion of this era, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

A master of the Russian military combat system, Sambo, Fedor made his live, primetime network television (CBS) debut in his last start on Nov. 7, 2009, when he faced unbeaten rising star Brett “The Grim” Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promoted event. After a difficult first round in which he sustained a cut and began bleeding profusely, the Russian suddenly turned the tide in the second round, sending Rogers to the canvas with a right hand and finishing him with a series of punches.

While the fight world still regards him as undefeated, Fedor actually has one official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.  Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.

Since joining the ranks of STRIKEFORCE, the 6-foot-4, 240 pound Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and member of Brazil’s vaunted Chute Boxe fight squad, has notched a pair of impressive victories, the first of which came on Aug. 15, 2009 when he quickly submitted Mike “Mak” Kyle with a guillotine choke in the first round (1:24) at HP Pavilion. The following Nov., 7, Werdum battled his way to a close unanimous decision victory over Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in a live CBS primetime televised match-up.

During an eight-year tenure in MMA, Werdum has conquered a number of other superstars, including reigning STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem; and UFC stars Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

About  STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About M-1 GLOBAL

M-1 GLOBAL (www.m-1global.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> ) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for well over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995. During the last two years, since the inception of M-1 GLOBAL, the organization has promoted events all over the world, in over 20 countries and is shown on television in well over 100. In 2010 M-1 GLOBAL is promoting the Selection tournament, a competition to find the best new talent in MMA the world over. 160 fighters started in February from four global regions, and will be reduced to 20 champions by September. M-1 Breakthrough will be taking place in the U.S. and Europe starting in the fall and will pit MMA’s better known athletes and stars in a one-on-one competition.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(tm), SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Source: Mike Afromowitz/StrikeForce

When MuscleSport Mag contacted StrikeForce for a follow-up to our story on April 15 (http://www.musclesportmag.com/2010/04/15/fedor-brock-lesnar-ufc-super-match-may-be-a-reality/), what we received was not very detailed, giving even more credence to the possibility of Fedor coming over to the UFC.

“He is under contract with us right now,” is what was told to us by Mike Afromowitz of StrikeForce. Not exactly something to make it sound as if “The Last Emperor” was exclusive with StrikeForce/M-1 Global for the long term. Fedor will be in action for the promotion on June 26 in San Jose, California versus Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum, a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion.

The way things were shaping up before this announcement was that Lesnar was going to make his comeback on July 3 versus Shane Carwin – unless he fought Fedor. On the official UFC website, the Lesnar-Carwin fight is already listed as the main event at UFC 116 in Las Vegas. Of course things can change, but it is starting to appear that anyone waiting for these two superstars to meet in the Octagon may not get their wish.

STRIKEFORCE PRESS RELEASE

After months of anticipation, the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1), will make his eagerly awaited return to the cage to face two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, June 26,  live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The Fedor-Werdum match will headline an event which will feature up to five televised fights on SHOWTIME and several non-televised undercard bouts that will be announced in the coming weeks. A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the event will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://strikeforce.com/insider.html) from 10 a.m. PT Monday, May 10, until 10 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 13.  Insiders will receive an e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, May 14, at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> ) as well as www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> . For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> .

For M-1 GLOBAL’s Fedor, it is a means of gaining revenge three and a half years after the 32-year-old Werdum defeated Fedor’s brother Aleksander Emelianenko, via submission (arm triangle choke) in the first round (3:24) of a bout in Rotterdam, Holland, on Nov. 12, 2006. The M-1 GLOBAL superstar is simply referred to as “Fedor” by millions of fans around the world.  He stands at 6-foot, 235-pounds and hails from Stary Oskol, Russia.  He has become the most dominant MMA fighter of all-time since he began his professional career 10 years ago.

Fedor is one of the founders of M-1 GLOBAL and has competed for the organization since its inception more than two years ago.  The 33-year-old has faced and defeated nearly every other rival superstar and champion of this era, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

A master of the Russian military combat system, Sambo, Fedor made his live, primetime network television (CBS) debut in his last start on Nov. 7, 2009, when he faced unbeaten rising star Brett “The Grim” Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promoted event. After a difficult first round in which he sustained a cut and began bleeding profusely, the Russian suddenly turned the tide in the second round, sending Rogers to the canvas with a right hand and finishing him with a series of punches.

While the fight world still regards him as undefeated, Fedor actually has one official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.  Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.

Since joining the ranks of STRIKEFORCE, the 6-foot-4, 240 pound Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and member of Brazil’s vaunted Chute Boxe fight squad, has notched a pair of impressive victories, the first of which came on Aug. 15, 2009 when he quickly submitted Mike “Mak” Kyle with a guillotine choke in the first round (1:24) at HP Pavilion. The following Nov., 7, Werdum battled his way to a close unanimous decision victory over Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in a live CBS primetime televised matchup.

During an eight-year tenure in MMA, Werdum has conquered a number of other superstars, including reigning STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem; and UFC stars Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

About  STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About M-1 GLOBAL

M-1 GLOBAL (www.m-1global.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> ) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for well over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995. During the last two years, since the inception of M-1 GLOBAL, the organization has promoted events all over the world, in over 20 countries and is shown on television in well over 100. In 2010 M-1 GLOBAL is promoting the Selection tournament, a competition to find the best new talent in MMA the world over. 160 fighters started in February from four global regions, and will be reduced to 20 champions by September. M-1 Breakthrough will be taking place in the U.S. and Europe starting in the fall and will pit MMA’s better known athletes and stars in a one-on-one competition.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(tm), SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Source: Mike Afromowitz/StrikeForce

“We’re looking forward to delivering an explosive night of world class MMA action on CBS,” said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of STRIKEFORCE.  “We have the world’s # 1 fighter, Fedor, making his network primetime debut against an undefeated powerhouse in Brett Rogers and, with the stars lined up for the remainder of the card, it is bound to be an exciting night of television.”

The following four primetime matchups are confirmed for CBS/ STRIKEFORCE/ M-1 GLOBAL SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS on Nov. 7:

* Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko vs. Brett “The Grim” Rogers

* Jake Shields vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (Middleweight Title Fight)

* Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry “The African Assassin” Sokoudjou

* Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum vs. Antonio “Big Foot” Silva

(All bouts are pending approval by the Illinois Athletic Commission.)

FEDOR “THE LAST EMPEROR” EMELIANENKO vs. BRETT “THE GRIM” ROGERS:

Simply referred to as “Fedor” by fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235-pound Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport.  A master of the Russian military combat system, Sambo, he boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions.  His opponent, undefeated American, 28-year-old Brett Rogers (10-0) stands 6-feet, 5-inches tall, weighs 265 pounds and brings two of the heaviest hands in the sport to the cage.  Both Fedor and Rogers’ last victories came against former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

JAKE SHIELDS vs. JASON “MAYHEM” MILLER

In the night’s middleweight title fight (185 pounds), Jake Shields (23-4-1) squares off against Jason “Mayhem” Miller (22-6).  Shields, widely considered one of the best fighters in the world, brings an impressive 12-fight win streak to the cage, six of his last seven coming by way of first round submission.  Most recently, he defeated world-ranked middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in his STRIKEFORCE debut on June 6.  His opponent, Miller, a fellow submission expert, is one of MMA’s most exciting fighters.  The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai specialist is the host of MTV’s reality series “Bully Beatdown” and trains with two of the sport’s most recognizable fighters, Randy “The Natural” Couture and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. He currently has 13 submission victories on his resume.

GEGARD “THE DREAMCATCHER” MOUSASI vs. RAMEAU THIERRY “THE AFRICAN ASSASSIN” SOKOUDJOU

Gegard Mousasi and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou will face one another in the night’s light heavyweight (205 pounds) bout.  Mousasi (26-2-1) of Leiden, Netherlands, recently scored his 13th consecutive victory on August 15, 2009 by winning his US debut and the STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight title in a first round victory over defending champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral on SHOWTIME®.  Sokoudjou (7-4), known to his fans as “The African Assassin,” has scored six of his seven wins by knockouts and brings an impressive striking game to the cage.

FABRICIO “VAI CAVALO” WERDUM vs. ANTONIO “JUNIOR” SILVA

Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum will face Antonio “Junior” Silva in a matchup of two promising Brazilian heavyweights.  Werdum is a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and a submission expert while Silva has nine KOs in his 13 victories.  Werdum, a former PRIDE and UFC standout, is coming off an impressive first round submission victory in his STRIKEFORCE debut on Aug. 15 over veteran Mike Kyle.  Silva, a fellow 6-foot-4 Brazilian, will be making his STRIKEFORCE debut after compiling a remarkable 13-1 record since he turned pro in 2005.

SHOWTIME Sports will produce the four-fight event with host Gus Johnson calling the action and MMA legend Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo serving as color analysts.  The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold out record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.

About M-1 Global

M-1 Global (www.m-1global.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> ) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995.  Billed as the “World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts,” the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 90 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge’s international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as STRIKEFORCE.

Emelianenko, known globally as Fedor, will make his premium television debut this Fall when his first fight under the new agreement airs live on SHOWTIME®. Up until now, Emelianenko’s live fights have aired exclusively on pay-per-view in the United States.

“I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level,” said the 33-year-old Emelianenko.  During his nine year professional fight career, which included a four and a half year stay with the world’s former top MMA promotion, the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championship, the Russian native has faced and defeated all comers.

In his last effort, the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko decimated the number two ranked heavyweight at the time Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski with a single punch in the first round (3:14) of the main event of Affliction:  “Day of Reckoning” at Anaheim, California’s Honda Center on January 24.

“STRIKEFORCE is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world,” continued Emelianenko.  “I am prepared to fight any of them.”

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor,” said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker, a martial arts fight promoter of over 25 years.  “Fedor has been the reigning king of MMA’s heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class.”

“With the addition of Fedor and STRIKEFORCE’s new relationship with M-1 Global, SHOWTIME is now the home of the best pound-for-pound male and female fighters in the world,” said Ken Hershman, Senior VP and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “The Aug. 15 Carano-Cyborg matchup on SHOWTIME will clearly determine the best female mixed martial artist on the planet.  Then, come this Fall, our subscribers again will witness history when the universally recognized best male fighter—Fedor Emelianenko—joins the already long list of world-class athletes on the STRIKEFORCE roster, and for the first time ever plies his skills live on SHOWTIME.”

Hershman continued: “We are better positioned now than ever before to deliver on our promise to televise the top fighters in mixed martial arts today.”

“I am very happy and excited about the upcoming collaboration with Strikeforce,” said Vadim Finkelchtein, President of M-1 Global. “We are very pleased that we found a reliable partner and I feel that Strikeforce and M-1 can support each other on many things. This will create big opportunities for both parties to test their fighters against worthy opponents.”

Though his official professional record is 30-1, Emelianenko is considered undefeated.  The only blemish on his record is a December 22, 2000 fight that was stopped after 17 seconds and declared a TKO in favor of his opponent, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, due to a cut Emelianenko sustained in the opening seconds of the matchup in Osaka, Japan.

Amongst those on Emelianenko’s list of impressive conquests are former PRIDE Heavyweight Champions Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic as well as former UFC Heavyweight Champions Kevin “The Monster” Randleman and Tim Sylvia, whom Emelianenko submitted with a rear naked choke only 36 seconds into their main event showdown at Affliction:  “Banned” on July 19, 2008.

Despite his extensive experience, Emelianenko’s debut under the new STRIKEFORCE-M-1 venture will, interestingly enough, mark his first start in a cage.  To date, all of his bouts have taken place in a ring.

After co-promoting two events live on SHOWTIME in 2007 and 2008, STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.

About M-1 Global

M-1 Global (www.m-1global.com) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995.
Billed as the “World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts,” the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 90 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge’s international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as STRIKEFORCE.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.