Golden Glory says Alistair Overeem will fight 3 or 4 times in Strikeforce this year:
"But this year, I've been promised by Golden Glory that he's going to fight three or four times for us here before the end of the year, and we're going to hold him to it." Coker said.
"[Overeem] is going to have to come in and take the necessary tests and prove that he's like every other athlete," Coker said.
"The playing field should be even for everyone, including Alistair, who's our world champion."
Coker declines comment on title talk,
says Overeem vs. Rogers news might provide surprise
While the California-based Strikeforce organization has spent the past year building its roster of athletes, one of the most burning questions on MMA fans' minds regarding the promotion has been, "When will heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem return?"
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed on Thursday's edition of ESPN.com's "MMA Live" that Overeem's (32-11 MMA, 2-0 SF) return will indeed be on the promotion's as-yet-unannounced May event (believed to take place in St. Louis) in a fight with power-puncher Brett Rogers (10-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) as had been previously reported, but one simple question remains: Will the "Demolition Man's" title be on the line?
Coker refused to answer that question when he recently spoke with MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com
), but he did say that fans could expect some surprises in forthcoming news.
"We're going to make an announcement next week, so I don't want to say anything about [the title implications of the fight], but it might be something that people are not expecting," Coker said.
Overeem earned Strikeforce's heavyweight title in a November 2007 win over UFC veteran Paul Buentello. The victory was the first in Overeem's current seven-fight win streak, but none of following six contests took place under the Strikeforce banner.
Many MMA observers have often questioned how Strikeforce officials could allow their heavyweight champion to fight outside of the organization. Coker said the Dutch striker has been anything but missing in action, and he has been in constant communication with Overeem's Golden Glory team.
"Golden Glory and Strikeforce have a very good relationship; I met (Overeem's manager) Bas Boon 10 years ago when I started working in Japan for K-1," Coker said. "They let me know last year that they were going to need to fight in Japan on these dates starting in October (of 2009). We had a window of opportunity to have [Overeem] fight, and then he got hurt. He had that fistfight in the nightclub, which is not something we advocate, but it is what it is. He was protecting his brother, and he got in a fight, and he broke his hand. Then he had an infection in there. We missed the window of opportunity.
"But this year, I've been promised by Golden Glory that he's going to fight three or four times for us here before the end of the year, and we're going to hold him to it."
Of course, as it seems with nearly any story in MMA, Overeem's return to competition in the U.S. doesn't come without rampant speculation. Many MMA observers have pointed to Overeem's chiseled physique and nearly 30-pound weight gain since his Strikeforce title win as a possible reason to accuse the heavyweight of steroid use.
Coker said he's aware of the speculation, but he is unconcerned about any baggage his champion could potentially bring to the cage.
"[Overeem] is going to have to come in and take the necessary tests and prove that he's like every other athlete," Coker said. "The playing field should be even for everyone, including Alistair, who's our world champion."
So it appears Overeem will finally defend his title after a 30-month absence from the promotion, and while the champ's disappearing act has been a bit of concern for many MMA pundits, Coker said he's simply looking forward to showcasing a talented mixed martial artist in his promotion's cage.
"Honestly, Alistair Overeem is an amazing fighter, and to get him back in the cage and competing against our best heavyweights, I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome."
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