# DF: Scott Coker: 'We have a strong roster'



## Clark Kent (Nov 28, 2010)

*Scott Coker: 'We have a strong roster'
By snakerattle79 - 11-28-2010 11:38 AM
Originally Posted at: Deluxe Forums*
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Strikeforce's Scott Coker: 'We have a strong roster' - MMA Fighting Stances: Mixed martial arts intelligence from the cage and ring - USATODAY.com

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is approaching 2011 with optimism.

His promotion has accomplished something that EliteXC and Affliction Entertainment could not: survive as UFC's largest domestic competitor to a third calendar year with a national TV contract. Now it's about more than surviving -- Coker feels confident enough about 2011 to plan for 20 shows, a 33% increase from 15 this year, including the upcoming Dec. 4 card.

USA TODAY spoke with Coker this week about Strikeforce's plans for next year. Excerpts from the conversation:

Q: You're hoping to run 10 Challengers events and 10 on the big circuit next year. How will that break down between networks? Will all the championship series shows be on Showtime, or will you be able to return to something like CBS? 

Coker: We have the Showtime championship series, and we had those two fights on CBS. Next year, I'm going to have another conversation in the beginning of the year with CBS, and basically re-engage to see what the temperature is for another show on broadcast television.

But also, we are putting together a syndication show. We will be having another television platform in the sense that there'll be a Strikeforce syndication show out there, a half hour recap-type show, promoting basically the fights that happened, up-and-coming fights, and building some of our stars.

That's something that's in the works that will be probably be starting in the second quarter of next year.

How similar will it be to the NBC show you used to have?

It'll be a little bit different. The NBC show was a little bit more of, "This is what Strikeforce is about. These are some of the fighters we've had fight in the past."

The syndication show will be a little more current, with the current roster of fighters that are fighting in that month or in the next couple of weeks, and going to the market and promoting it, in conjunction with the live show that's coming into town. Closer to real time is what I'm trying to say.

Will you be paying to air the show? 

Oh, no. No, nothing like that.  The syndication is structured a little bit differently than doing a time buy. We're not interested in doing that.

On the conference call earlier this week, Matt Lindland expressed some disappointment that he hasn't been able to fight more often. Dan Henderson said similar things when I talked to him earlier this week. By adding two more shows to the top series, how much busier can you keep your stars?

We'll probably have a championship fight every month in the first two quarters of 2011, which gives us the ability to keep these guys a little bit busier.

With UFC also adding more shows next year after absorbing WEC, how much harder does it become to find an open date for your events?

That is a good question. Just like the Dec. 4 date, that was the date that Showtime had available, and they (UFC) are fighting on the 4th.

I think that will be something that probably happens more often in the future. But hey, there can be more than one football game on a Sunday afternoon, right? I think there's plenty of room.

I'm not sure your competitor would agree, at least on a national level.

(laughs) It would surprise me if they did, but to me, I look at it like, look, mixed martial arts having a lot of fights and a lot of presence out there is good for everybody.

There have been many reports over the last several months about financial concerns surrounding Dream's parent, Fighting and Entertainment Group. How concerned are you that FEG's problems might prevent you from being able to use their fighters in the future?

You mean, as far as something happens with Dream and they fold?

Or if they just keep their fighters in Japan to save them for their own shows.

Strikeforce has a roster that we like. I think that we have a strong roster. I think the heavyweight division is amazing. I think we have most of the fighters that we want.

I have always enjoyed the relationship with Dream because it's in the spirit of good sportsmanship and good competition. The spirit of sport is to compete, and why not let these guys fight each other?

But from everything I understand, they will be OK for next year. But if that does change, we'll just adjust to it at that time.

You mention the heavyweight division. What heavyweight fights are you looking at for next year?

Here's what I think. This heavyweight division is robust. There are so many great match-ups for a lot of these guys.

I think Alistair Overeem should fight Fabricio Werdum. I think Alistair should fight (Antonio) "Bigfoot" Silva. I think he should fight Fedor (Emelianenko).

I think that Fedor has three or four or five fights in front of him.

There's Kharitonov out there now.

These guys have some amazing fights ahead of them, and the one thing I will promise you, these guys will fight each other next year.

I think by the end of the first quarter, you'll see some big things happening with some of our big guys.

How about Josh Barnett? He has his hearing coming up next week. How optimistic are you about that?

We're hopeful. Josh has been on suspension. He honored that suspension here in California. I think he deserves his license back.

He served his time, is kind of the way I look at it. Let the guy make a living now and judge him by what he does now.

If he tests positive in the future, then he should be punished. But if he tests clean, and he served his suspension penalty, then why not let him fight and earn a living?

Technically he wasn't suspended, but he just couldn't get a license, right?

I'm not exactly sure what the terminology was last time, but I do know he was not allowed to apply because of the test that came back before the Fedor fight last year.

Any fights firmed up yet for your Jan. 29 show? 

We are working on it. We will probably have an announcement at our December show.


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