Strikeforce Cancels November Event, Promises January 'Stacked Card'

When Frank Mir went down with an injury, there was a scramble to find an opponent for Daniel Cormier. Fans were excited because after this matchup, Cormier would join the UFC's heavyweight division where it's assumed he will make an immediate impact. 

Names that were thrown out include Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione, but neither ended up getting the call for the bout. There was a proposal sent to Showtime last week, but it was rejected for an undisclosed reason. 

Many saw this cancellation as a sign that Strikeforce would be closing its doors, and that Zuffa would place all of its focus on the continued growth of the UFC. Strikeforce has seen declining gate and viewership numbers, and at some point, it is no longer financially viable to continue running a loss leader. 

Well, those rumors are apparently just that—rumors. In an email sent out late Friday morning, it was announced that the next Strikeforce event will be held in January 2013. 

"Due to a series of injuries, we were forced to cancel the upcoming card on Nov. 3, but are already working to put together a stacked card in January,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said.

Strikeforce's roster still includes such names as Jacare Souza, Luke Rockhold, Gilbert Melendez and Ronda Rousey. A stacked card promises to feature at least a couple of these stars. 

Showtime Sports' Stephen Espinoza weighed in as well.

“While we're disappointed with the cancellation, we are looking forward to an even bigger Strikeforce event on Showtime early next year,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Showtime Sports.

As a fan of the Strikeforce product, I'm happy that we'll at least get one more show. If it is the last one, what better way to go out than with a supercard?

Quotes provided by Zuffa, LLC.