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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Strikeforce will make their debut in Columbus, Ohio on March 5, and two fighters are already expecting to fight on the card.
Heavyweight Fabricio Werdum and welterweight Paul Daley both told MMAJunkie.com on Wednesday that they're planning on fighting on the card, though neither had an opponent set. They did, however, give options for who they could be facing.
For Daley, he said that him and his management have a short list of possible opponents that includes lightweights K.J. Noons and Gilbert Melendez, middleweight Cung Le at a catchweight or the winner of Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos from the January 29 card.
Werdum's list is even shorter, and features just two names: Fedor Emelianenko or Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem.
Both fights represent a rematch for Werdum of fights he has won. He defeated Overeem in Pride in 2006, submitting him by kimura. Of course, the win over Fedor came this June on Showtime, when Werdum pulled off a triangle choke in the first round of their bout in San Jose. He's been out of action since then after undergoing surgery on his elbow this fall.
The March 5 event will take place from the Nationwide Arena, and will coincide with the annual Arnold Sports Festival.
Penick's Analysis: I think with Noons fighting most recently at welterweight, Daley-Noons might make the most sense, but Melendez also called Daley out and that one could work out for this event, too. As for Werdum, it's going to depend on Overeem's health out of this Friday's fight against Todd Duffee, but with Fedor vs. Bigfoot Silva being discussed next for both of them Overeem vs. Werdum is the fight that should happen. But this should shape up to be another good fight card for Strikeforce to kick off 2011.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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