Scott Coker says Strikeforce's January 12 card to be a "really special night"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Strikeforce had a bit of ironic timing tonight, sending out a press release announcing their January 12 event while multiple reports were stating the card would be their last. More information is expected to come out in the next week or so, but the stacked card for the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. will indeed see the organization close up shop after just under seven years.

The card will feature three title fights, with Gilbert Melendez defending his Strikeforce Lightweight Title against Pat Healy, Nate Marquardt defending the Strikeforce Welterweight Title against Tarec Saffiedine, and Luke Rockhold defending his Strikeforce Middleweight Title against Lorenz Larkin. Former Oklahoma State wrestler Daniel Cormier will also return to his former home to take on Dion Staring.

"We've built an absolutely stacked card for Oklahoma City and the Showtime viewers," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said in the press release. "We have three awesome title fights featuring some of the best fighters to ever grace the Strikeforce cage. Plus, we have Daniel Cormier, one of the fastest-rising heavyweight stars today, returning to his roots in Oklahoma to fight Dion Staring. January 12 is going to be a really special night."

"The biggest stars in Strikeforce are putting their titles on the line in competitive fights," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Showtime Sports®, "and that is precisely what fans of Strikeforce on Showtime have come to expect. We are excited to be part of the event."

Penick's Analysis: The wording from Coker in the press release is interesting. Saying it will be a "really special night" can be taken a number of ways, but in the context of today's reports it seems appropriate to assume this will be treated as a farewell event for Strikeforce as an organization on Showtime. These are several of their championships on display for the final time, and then the organization will come to a fairly unceremonious end. They can have a celebration on Showtime of what it was in the past, but it's clearly been on its last legs for some time. They'll go out with one of their better cards in a while, but even the title fights themselves aren't all that intriguing. I'm sure most fans would enjoy seeing Melendez, Marquardt, Rockhold, and Cormier fighting opponents much higher up in the ranks than those they'll meet on this card; so, while it will bring three title fights to one event, the quality of those fights isn't up to what Strikeforce has offered in the past.

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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14940.shtml

Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk