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Monday, November 2, 2009
Strikeforce CEO: Fedor vs. Rogers Tix 85% Sold Out
 On a media teleconference Monday promoting Strikeforce's CBS network debut, CEO Scott Coker said ticket sales are brisk.
So far, the 12,000-seat Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. is 85% percent sold for the Nov. 7 event, Coker said.
"I would expect us to be totally sold out by Saturday," he added.
Coker said CBS was doing a good job at promoting the event and exposing it to new audiences, but ultimately, Emelianenko's status as the number one heavyweight was the primary selling point.
If Coker had one gripe, it would be his wish that Emelianenko was local.
"If Fedor was living in America, we'd take him on a lot more shows, but that's not the case," he said. "He's here now and we're going to make the best of it for the rest of the week."
For naysayers who believed Strikeforce was a flash in the pan, Coker said comparisons to other failed MMA companies wasn't fair.
"I don’t think it’s justice, because these other companies, that wasn’t their core business," he said. "We're not a t-shirt company, we're not a comic book company, we're not a gambling company. This is our core competency and this is what we’ve been doing for over two decades now. To take it to this level, we're very proud and honored to have Fedor fight and do the co-promotion with M-1 and be on CBS."
Coker will soon leave San Jose, Calif for Chicago to begin the final stages of promoting the event.Labels: Brett Rogers, Fedor Emelianenko, Scott Coker, Strikeforce
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:02 PM
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Cyborg vs. Carano Headlines Strikeforce on Aug. 15
 For the first time in the short history of women's MMA, two females will be front and center at a mixed martial arts card in the US.
On Aug. 15, "Carano vs. Cyborg" will headline HP Pavilion in San Jose as the third major Showtime-televised event held by Strikeforce.
Strikeforce officials, including CEO Scott Coker, confirmed the news on a Thursday media teleconference.
Check back with MMAWeekly.com for further details on the call.Labels: Cristiane Cyborg Santos, Gina Carano, Scott Coker, Strikeforce
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:39 PM
Friday, May 8, 2009
"Changing of the Guard" Imminent for Japan?
It's been a persistent question in 2009: can Japanese MMA survive?
All signs point to desperate times for the sport in the Land of the Rising Sun, and with recent news of a "Super Hulk Tournament" at Dream 9 featuring novice Jose Canseco against kickboxing giant Hong Man Choi, many fans are asking, what in the world is going on over there?
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker worked with K-1 promoters Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) for seven years as the promotion's kickboxing connection, and has maintained close contact with the higher-ups at Dream.
The air to Pride's throne has not met ratings expectations with broadcaster Fuji TV and has been moved to a late night spot for its last two events. Though Dream 9 is scheduled for a primetime spot, it may be the network's last-gasp effort to revive the promotion.
In a conference call promoting his upcoming Strikeforce Challenger Series on May 15, Coker addressed his understanding of the situation in Japan. And from the sound of it, major changes are on the horizon.
"I think that they're in a situation where I think there's going to be a transition period soon," he said. "What that means, I'm not sure, as far as who's going to end up, but I think there's going to be some re-branding to another league. There's going to be some changes coming down the pipe; I've heard a lot of different rumors.
"I believe they will be continuing -- I don't think they're going out of business -- but I think there will be a changing of the guard (in FEG)."
Coker is currently working to get his favorite Japanese fighters into Strikeforce: Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Hayato Sakurai. Pride vets Mitsuhiro Ishida and Kazuo Misaki have successfully made the transition to the promotion, and by year's end, Coker wants them in America.
Regardless of the shake-ups that are on the horizon, he says the relationship with FEG will stay strong.
"We have a good relationship with them, and we're still working on some of the fighter relationships going back and forth, which will be great for everybody," said Coker. "Other than that, I don't think it really impacts us. They do some great fights and they do some that I call the circus fights. We're not going to be in that business, but they do have a couple of guys that we really like that we'd like to fight on Showtime and the Strikeforce series."
Meanwhile, a source MMAInsider spoke to on Tuesday said Canseco, initially reported to be weighing the bout despite the promotion's announcement, will take the May 26 fight.Labels: Dream, Jose Canseco, Scott Coker, Strikeforce
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:30 AM
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
3 Main Card Bouts Remain TBA for Strikeforce's Showtime Debut
MMAInsider spoke on Tuesday with night owl Scott Coker on the shape of Strikeforce's Showtime debut on April 11.
As of now, the HP Pavilion event is set for main card bouts, however, three opponents have yet to be determined.
Confirmed for the card:
Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz
Josh Thomson vs. TBA
Scott Smith vs. Benji Radach
Jake Shields vs. Joe Riggs
Gilbert Melendez vs. TBA
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. TBA
In other news:
* Gina Carano's participation in Strikeforce is still not finalized. However, Coker believes the MMA star will grace a May show tentatively planned for the Tacoma Dome in Washington. Robbie Lawler is also expected to participate on the Pacific Northwest card, but an opponent has not been finalized.
* Mitsuhiro Ishida is "definitely a name that's been tossed around" to face lightweight champion Thomson.
* The full undercard for the April event should be finalized tomorrow. One rumored participant is Evangelista Santos, husband and fellow "Cyborg" of Cristiane.
* Japanese stars Shinya Aoki and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai will fight for Strikeforce before the end of the year.
* Negotiations with Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson's representatives are ongoing. While the number of fights on his contract remain static, parties are ironing out "ancillary" items in his deal like scheduling and opponents. Coker expects a face-to-face meeting with Kimbo's team in the coming weeks.Labels: Scott Coker, Strikeforce
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 3:45 AM
Monday, February 9, 2009
Jake Shields Not Aligned With Strikeforce Yet
 As the dust continues to settle from Strikeforce's acquisition of 42 Pro Elite fighters, CEO Scott Coker is beginning the process of scheduling athletes for 16 plus events due in 2009.
Though Coker says most of Elite's "top 12" fighters have given assurances they will fight for Strikeforce, it's former welterweight champion, Jake Shields, is not yet committed to the San Jose-based promotion.
"We're still in negotiations," Shields' manager and father, Jack Shields, told MMAInsider late Sunday night.
In a December interview with MMAWeekly, Shields repeatedly expressed his desire to free himself of his ProElite contract to fight for the UFC.
"I feel like it's been the top show for a while, and I feel like most of the competition at my weight is in the UFC," said Shields. "The guys I need to fight, like GSP, B.J. Penn, Jon Fitch, Diego Sanchez."
As recently as January, UFC president Dana White confirmed his interest in the 30 year-old Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
If he were to return to Elite, Shields said he would want to re-negotiate his contract.
Coker hinted the same might be true for his acquisition of Shields' ProElite deal.
"Out of all the conversations, everything has been positive, except for one athlete that’s I think maybe trying to use this as an opportunity to get a better deal," Coker told MMAInsider.
"Just like with Randy's deal, when he was in the situation with the UFC, to do a declaratory (ruling), it's going to be another six months for these fighters, and then we'll be forced to take them down that path, and the fighter's not going to fight for six months, and the court will rule one way or another.
"My lawyers (who) have looked at the contracts say these are valid contracts, these are contracts that were not going be a problem to be assigned. Either it's a legal resolution, or it’s a business resolution. I'm all about the business resolution. So if we can get these guys going, and put them back to work, then let's do it."
The elder Shields gave no timetable for a possible resolution to the impasse, but said he is committed to finding the best option for his son.
Now, the question appears to be whether Shields will continue their attempts to free himself from the now-Strikeforce contract, or serve its remainder to keep active and bide time for an eventual jump to the UFC.Labels: Jake Shields, ProElite, Scott Coker, Strikeforce
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 8:11 PM
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