http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/players/Dan_Henderson/58630 Recent articles about Dan Henderson en-us On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Scott Coker, the CEO and founder of the Strikeforce mixed martial arts promotion. There has been much said and written about the next events which Strikeforce will be having, and not all of it is based on fact. Some of it is downright misleading and hopelessly biased. So we decided to speak to the man himself about what Strikeforce is planning in order to get the truth. After a Strikeforce Challengers event on Showtime on March 26 in Fresno, California, Strikeforce will return to CBS Saturday, April 17, with three title fights on a card at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Headlining that card will be the Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields taking on the former Pride two-division champion and a two-time U.S. Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling, Dan Henderson. Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi will defend his belt against the unbeaten "King" Mo Lawal. And Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will fight the Dream champion and submission master, Shinya Aoki of Japan, for the Strikeforce belt. We spoke with Scott Coker not only about the importance of this loaded card, but also how it will definitely take place April 17 in Nashville and be shown live in the U.S. on CBS. We discussed their plans for their next major show, which will be May 15 from St. Louis, Missouri, and shown on Showtime, headlined by Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem fighting Brett Rogers, with more details on the title situation in that fight to be announced shortly. We also discussed when he expects the top heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, to return to action in Strikeforce, and the status of the co-promotion arrangement between Strikeforce and M-1 Global, of which Fedor is a partner. We talked about the overall importance of co-promotion in mixed martial arts, and the branding situation, where M-1 Global wanted it made clearer than it had been that they were co-promoting events with Strikeforce. And we discussed possible opponents for Fedor, including the colorful but controversial Josh Barnett, who is currently under suspension for a doping violation, and much more. So you need not waste time with the rumor-mongers or purveyors of misinformation, because once we again we have the truth for you, right here on No Holds Barred. You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download. The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter. Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum. 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Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:47:00 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/No_Holds_Barred_Scott_Coker_CEO_of_Strikeforce/2240041 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/No_Holds_Barred_Scott_Coker_CEO_of_Strikeforce/2240041 No Holds Barred: Scott Coker, CEO of Strikeforce http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/No_Holds_Barred_Scott_Coker_CEO_of_Strikeforce/2240041 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/f/e/fea634b63f484f14f9d4aadcae2d89eb73f6d149/mini/5c.jpg Strikeforce standing ground on April 17: [CEO Scott] Coker said he wasn’t surprised to hear of the UFC’s rumored efforts to create a rival April 17 event. "Was it done to create some confusion in the marketplace in Nashville? Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not sure," said Coker. "Is it good for mixed martial arts? I’m not sure. I don’t think so. I don’t think that when a company’s trying to counter-program you just to impact your ratings, it’s-- and this could go back and forth. One day, when CBS says, ‘Alright, we’re going to go head-to-head against your pay-per-view date and you can watch Fedor (Emelianenko) or Dan Henderson for free on TV or buy a pay-per-view,’ people are going to have choices at that point. But that’s something they’d never do. CBS went out of its way to make sure there was nothing else on April 17." "The irony of it all was that even for the WEC, we all said, ‘Let’s not have the fight on that date with (WEC general manager) Reed Harris. Let’s support him and move it to the 17th," said Coker. Full interview at sherdog.com -- photo via sports.sho.com Strikeforce: Nashville on CBS coverage Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:47:16 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_standing_ground_on_April_17_Coker_said_he_wasnt_surprised_to_hear_of_t/2239685 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_standing_ground_on_April_17_Coker_said_he_wasnt_surprised_to_hear_of_t/2239685 WHO: STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez MMA Superstar & MTV “Bully Beatdown” Host Jason “Mayhem” Miller [...] Related Content:Strikeforce MMA Stars To Appear On MTV2’s “Rock N Jock” This Saturday, March 6 Dan Henderson To Challenge Jake Shields For Strikeforce Middleweight Title In Nashville, Tennesse, On April 17 Dan Hardy Talks Tough In Premiere Episode Of UFC Primetime On March 10 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:11:35 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/MTV2s_Rock_N_Jock_Coverage_Of_Strikeforce_Continues_This_Saturday_March_13/2235578 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/MTV2s_Rock_N_Jock_Coverage_Of_Strikeforce_Continues_This_Saturday_March_13/2235578 WHO: MMA Star & MTV “Bully Beatdown” Host Jason “Mayhem” Miller Former STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champ Josh “The Punk” Thomson [...] Related Content:Lavar Johnson Making Return On March 26 At Strikeforce Challengers VII Dan Henderson To Challenge Jake Shields For Strikeforce Middleweight Title In Nashville, Tennesse, On April 17 Video: CBS Saturday Night Fights Promo for Strikeforce Fedor vs. Rogers Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:02:37 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_MMA_Stars_To_Appear_On_MTV2_8217s_8220Rock_N_Jock_8221_This_Saturday_March_6/2186055 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_MMA_Stars_To_Appear_On_MTV2_8217s_8220Rock_N_Jock_8221_This_Saturday_March_6/2186055 In this video, Dan Henderson speaks on his middleweight title fight against champ Jake Shields at the Strikeforce event on April 17: Related Content:Dan Henderson To Challenge Jake Shields For Strikeforce Middleweight Title In Nashville, Tennesse, On April 17 Jake Shields Set to Fight For Interim Strikeforce Middleweight Belt in October Jason “Mayhem” Miller Set to Fight Jake [...] Related Content:Dan Henderson To Challenge Jake Shields For Strikeforce Middleweight Title In Nashville, Tennesse, On April 17 Jake Shields Set to Fight For Interim Strikeforce Middleweight Belt in October Jason “Mayhem” Miller Set to Fight Jake Shields for Interim Strikeforce Middleweight Title Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:01:36 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Video_Dan_Henderson_On_Title_Fight_With_Jake_Shields/2184171 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Video_Dan_Henderson_On_Title_Fight_With_Jake_Shields/2184171 Check out the latest Strikeforce: Nashville fight card in MMAFrenzy.com's MMA rumors section, and stay tuned for complete Strikeforce: Nashville coverage, including Strikeforce: Nashville results on April 17. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:15:06 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_Not_Overlooking_Jake_Shields_at_Strikeforce_Nashville_on_April_17_video/2178854 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_Not_Overlooking_Jake_Shields_at_Strikeforce_Nashville_on_April_17_video/2178854 Strikeforce officially announced its return to CBS. Strikeforce is set to hold its next event on April 17 at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will be headlined by the Strikeforce debut of Dan Henderson against middleweight champion Jake Shields. The event will also feature light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed [...] Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:33:50 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_Featuring_3_Title_Fights_For_April_17_Event/2177893 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_Featuring_3_Title_Fights_For_April_17_Event/2177893 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 2, 2010) - Mixed martial arts (MMA) legend and two-time United States Olympic wrestling competitor Dan Henderson (25-7) will challenge STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion Jake Shields (24-4-1) in the main event of a highly anticipated STRIKEFORCE fight card at Bridgestone Arena (formerly known as Sommet Center) in Nashville on Saturday, [...] Related Content:Jason “Mayhem” Miller Set to Fight Jake Shields for Interim Strikeforce Middleweight Title Jake Shields Set to Fight For Interim Strikeforce Middleweight Belt in October Cung Le to Vacate Strikeforce Middleweight Title Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:02:16 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_To_Challenge_Jake_Shields_For_Strikeforce_Middleweight_Title_In_Nashville_Tennesse_On_April_17/2174816 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_To_Challenge_Jake_Shields_For_Strikeforce_Middleweight_Title_In_Nashville_Tennesse_On_April_17/2174816 Dan Henderson To Challenge Jake Shields For Strikeforce Middleweight Title In Nashville, Tennesse, On April 17 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_To_Challenge_Jake_Shields_For_Strikeforce_Middleweight_Title_In_Nashville_Tennesse_On_April_17/2174816 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/9/8/98ae730dc22c41915eae4fa16acb3e17a3e3475f/mini/60.jpg Former UFC heavyweight champ Andre Arlovski announced on Monday he has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. He revealed the news on his official website. “As promised I wanted to tell you all first hand, I have a multi-fight deal for the next 16 months with Strikeforce and I cannot wait to get into the ring and [...] Related Content:Affliction Will Not Offer Andre Arlovski a New Contract Marius Zaromskis Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Strikeforce Dan Henderson Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Strikeforce Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:01:02 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Andre_Arlovski_Signs_Multi_Fight_Deal_With_Strikeforce/2168870 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Andre_Arlovski_Signs_Multi_Fight_Deal_With_Strikeforce/2168870 Strikeforce will be heading to the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee on April 17th. The event will be headlined by a middleweight title match between current champion and former PRIDE and UFC star Dan Henderson — who is making his promotional debut. The Nashville event will become the second fight card to air live on CBS [...] No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:22:49 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_will_return_to_CBS_on_April_17_headlined_by_Jake_Shields_vs_Dan_Henderson/2153796 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_will_return_to_CBS_on_April_17_headlined_by_Jake_Shields_vs_Dan_Henderson/2153796 It was only a matter of time until Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields put title on the line and since the signing of former PRIDE and UFC champion Dan Henderson signed with the organization, he was expected to be the opponent. It is now official. Dan Henderson will make his promotional debut in April in a title [...] Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:09:35 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Jake_Shields_vs_Dan_Henderson_is_now_official/2138974 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Jake_Shields_vs_Dan_Henderson_is_now_official/2138974 Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson is now official http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Jake_Shields_vs_Dan_Henderson_is_now_official/2138974 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/f/e/fea634b63f484f14f9d4aadcae2d89eb73f6d149/mini/5c.jpg Strikeforce has upped the ante for fight fans in Southern Florida who are planning to attend today's (Jan. 29) "Miami" weigh in event from the Chairman's Club at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. In addition to the scheduled weigh ins for tomorrow's highly-anticipated fight card, Strikeforce is bringing in three of its top middleweights for a meet and greet fan session that includes autograph signings. Former PRIDE Champion and UFC star Dan Henderson will join former Strikeforce 185-pound Champion Cung Le and the hard-hitting Scott "Hands of Steel" smith TODAY (Jan. 29) at 5:30 p.m. to dole out a few dozen autographs to the fans in attendance. The weigh in event will begin immediately following the signings at approximately 6:30 p.m. For more information on today's festivities click here. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:58:24 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_autograph_signing_TODAY_Jan_29_with_Cung_Le_and_Scott_Smith_for_Strikeforce_Miami/1998100 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_autograph_signing_TODAY_Jan_29_with_Cung_Le_and_Scott_Smith_for_Strikeforce_Miami/1998100 I never took the possibility of Dan Henderson signing with Strikeforce seriously. To me, it was a ploy to get more money out of the UFC. The side with deeper pockets almost always wins the negotiation battle. You put the Yankees against the Royals and the player is coming to New York. The UFC against Strikeforce should go the same way, but this is the second time in less than six months that a marquee free agent turned down Zuffa in favor of Scott Coker's "regional promotion". Are we seeing a power shift play out before our eyes? Dana White wants the MMA world to believe he passed on Henderson. The price was too high for a fighter who is not a PPV draw. It's as simple as that. While true to a certain extent, there is more to the story. The UFC badly wanted to resign Henderson. There is a serious lack of top talent right now within the organization due to injury problems. Loretta Hunt points out that this past Friday, Henderson was offered a bout at UFC 109 in February to face Nate Marquardt. The UFC did not simply let Henderson go. He chose to sign with Strikeforce. One of the interesting subplots to this story is the UFC's decision to ban Clinch Gear from their events. According to Henderson, the UFC banned his MMA clothing company, because he would not resign with the promotion. When you combine this with Henderson being passed over for a title shot in favor of Vitor Belfort, who he defeated, it's easy to see why he chose to sign with Strikeforce. The UFC did not treat Henderson with the type of respect he felt he deserves. The larger issue here is whether we're beginning to see cracks in the UFC's armor. The recent string of injuries has shown just how vulnerable even they can be. The signing of a 39 year old slightly above average PPV draw may not seem like a huge deal, but it sends a message. The stigma of signing with Strikeforce is gone. They have landed the last two major free agents. While the UFC was busy signing Frank Trigg, Dennis Hallman, and Phil Baroni, Strikeforce snatched up Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson. It does not matter if you offer more, at the end of the day it comes down to where a fighter ends up. Strikeforce is winning the bidding wars. Now the question is whether Strikeforce can transition into a PPV business model to afford the contracts. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:05:55 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_Lands_Another_Major_Free_Agent/1703479 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Strikeforce_Lands_Another_Major_Free_Agent/1703479 Middleweight contender Dan Henderson responded Friday to a Yahoo! Sports report that he was close to finalizing a deal with Strikeforce, telling MMA Weekly that he hopes to return to the UFC but that he's exploring all his options. “I’m still hoping to come to terms with the UFC, until I heard this. And I will be exploring other options for sure, but I definitely need to make sure I get paid." Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:39:41 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_Hoping_to_Return_to_UFC_But_Exploring_All_Options/1385435 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_Hoping_to_Return_to_UFC_But_Exploring_All_Options/1385435 UFC middleweight contender Dan Henderson has stated that he intends to hold out for a financially better deal than the previous one he completed. Henderson is currently a free agent and while he wishes to stay with the UFC, negotiations between the two sides have been stalling. Here is what Henderson had to say: I’m holding [...] Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:48:22 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_Speaks_On_A_New_UFC_Deal_Holding_Out_Anderson_Silva/1175030 http://www.ybnmedia.com/mma/article_external/Dan_Henderson_Speaks_On_A_New_UFC_Deal_Holding_Out_Anderson_Silva/1175030