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“We know Alistair (Overeem) will be fighting in the first quarter of next year. Depending on the outcome of this fight and the next, we can work on putting a fight together. You see the match up potential between the winner of the Silva vs. Werdum fight and the winner of the Fedor vs. Rogers fight.  I think it would make sense for those two guys to fight each other in the future depending on how things go. Then, Alistair can come in later and fight the winner of that fight.  We have some great heavyweight fights upcoming and we are looking forward to promoting them. I believe Alistair will be available in the first quarter.  We will get him in the mix as well as some other heavyweights we will announce here in the next week or so.”

– Strikeforce Founder and CEO, Scott Coker, lays out the likely plan for his heavyweight division during a recent press conference to promote the “Fedor vs. Rogers” event this weekend at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Coker and Co. went all in to secure the services of Fedor Emelianenko this summer, who is widely regarded as the top fighter in the division and perhaps in the entire sport. He’s taking a relative long road to a potential title shot, however, against reigning Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Emelianenko has to first get past the hard-hitting Brett Rogers on Saturday night (Nov. 7) and then take on the winner of the fight between Fabricio Werdum and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Is the patient strategy with its biggest asset a wise one for Strikeforce or will it prove to be an utter disaster?

“I want you to write this down: Alistair Overeem wants to fight Fedor, April 2010. So write that down. (Asked where he wants the fight to take place) I don’t care. Maybe in DREAM, maybe in Strikeforce. I don’t care — rather in DREAM but Strikeforce is also OK.”

Strikeforce World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem, calls out the promotion’s most recent free agent acquisition — and arguably the top heavyweight fighter on the planet — Fedor Emelianenko, after dispatching of James Thompson in 33 seconds at DREAM 12. “The Demolition Man” hasn’t lost in nearly two years — a win streak that actually began when he submitted Paul Buentello to capture the title back in 2007. The only problem is he hasn’t even attempted to defend his title once since that time. Is 2010 the year Overeem returns to the states to defend his crown or will he continue to holdout overseas? Check out Overeem’s “colossal” beatdown of Thompson after the jump.

Props: MMAWeekly

Quoteworthy:

“We’ll be seeing him (in Strikeforce) next year, 100 percent. Whatever they want, if they want to put Alistair against Fedor, it’s fine, depending on how we can make good terms. Obviously, if it was a build-up, there were the first two fights if (Alistair) would win, and then he would go for a bigger fight and the money would be better, but if Fedor challenges him for the title, (Alistair) still has the title and he wants to defend it, it’s not a problem. Then the fight is on. I can tell you one thing, man, Alistair’s going to be ready. He’s going to (expletive) Fedor up.”

Bas Boon, manager for Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, insists his star pupil will indeed return to the United States to defend the title he’s held hostage for almost two years. There has been speculation that “Demolition Man” was hiding out in the far East to escape stateside drug testing — and the heavy hands of Brett Rogers. Will Overeem return as promised? Or have we seen the last of the Dutch behemoth on US soil?

Strikeforce heavyweight champion (cough) Alistair Overeem (30-11) will make his previously scheduled appearance at DREAM 12 on Oct. 25 against former PRIDE heavyweight bruiser James Thompson (14-10), according to MMA Fanhouse.

Yes, the same James Thompson who was stopped by Kimbo Slice at Elite XC: “Prime Time” in 2008 and yes, the same James Thompson who’s dropped four straight and eight of his last ten.

Looks like another quick pit-stop on the Overeem World Tour. Pull the bus over, recycle a few cans, continue heading East.

Rinse and repeat.

Following a hand injury that booted him from two summer events, Strikeforce officials informed MMAmania.com last month that “Demolition Man” was expected to make separate appearances outside of the San Jose-based promotion prior to defending his belt.

One of those stints involved a trip to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009, the other was for Golden Glory in his native Amsterdam, where he bulldozed the hapless Tony Sylvester on Oct. 17.

Following his bout with “The Colossus,” as well as the remaining fights in K-1, Overeem is expected to return to Strikeforce to defend his heavyweight title (cough).

And with Brett Rogers, Fabricio Werdum and Fedor Emelianenko all gunning for first dibs, don’t expect him to receive a very warm welcome.

Michael David Smith of AOL Fanhouse is reporting that Alistair Overeem will fight James Thompson on this weekends DREAM.12 fight card in Japan.

The fight has not been announced by DREAM, but Smith is citing a “source with knowledge of the situation.”

If you hop on over to DREAM’s website and look at their DREAM.12 page, you can indeed see that Overeem has been ever so easily (and rather badly) Photoshopped into the DREAM.12 banner.

Overeem just competed this past weekend in a Golden Glory fight card in Amsterdam. Alistair easily defeated an overmatched Tony Sylvester in the first round via submission.

A fight against Thompson is another cream puff fight. While “The Colossus” is a favorite in Japan, he has lost four fights in a row and eight of his last ten.

Two things are certain: first, Thompson will begin the fight with his traditional bull charge, and two, Overeem will easily win the fight via KO.

Overeem is also scheduled to compete in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final at the end of the year. All this while he has still not defended his Strikeforce heavyweight title since winning the belt in 2007.

Check out Anderson “Braddock” Silva vs. Stefan Leko video after the jump.

“I will not comment on [Brett Rogers], I am very busy with K-1 right now, with all the fight I have there. When there will be time to meet in the ring he will see. For now, I will not comment. I am very busy these days, I have a fight in Glory, then in DREAM.12 and after that I’ll fight in the K-1 Finals so I am very busy with training and fighting and I don’t have time for this bullshit.”

MIA Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem tells MMARocks.pl that his busy schedule does not permit him the time to respond to recent criticisms from Brett Rogers, who claims that “Demolition Man” is hiding from American drug tests by continually fighting overseas instead of returning to San Jose to defend the title he’s held hostage since 2007. Is Overeem simply fulfilling his International duties? Or does “The Grim” have him all figured out?

Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (29-11) will make his previously scheduled appearance for Golden Glory on Oct. 17 against Tony Sylvester (11-2) — not Sam Hoger, despite a statement we reported from Hoger’s camp that indicated a deal with the former TUF star was being finalized.

The bout is among the 14 announced for the upcoming hybrid card, which will feature both MMA and K-1 rules.

Sylvester, who trains out of Midwest Training Center, had been riding a seven-fight winning streak before losing to current UFC prospect, Chris Tuscherer, at the YAMMA Pit Fighting event held last year. He has since bounced back with a victory over Roger Minton via first-round TKO last December.

Overeem comes off his dominant performance over Dutch K-1 legend, Peter Aerts, in K-1 World Grand Prix Final Sixteen. To the chagrin of the weary fans, his first appearance in Strikeforce in more than two years likely will not take place until early 2010. He could likely defend his belt for the first time against the winner of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers, who will hook ‘em up on Nov. 7.

He will keep himself busy, however, as he is scheduled to participate in DREAM 12, the promotion’s first caged fight card, merely a week after the Golden Glory 11 bout.

His opponent for the DREAM fight has yet to be confirmed.