"Strikeforce: Emelianenko vs. Rogers" on Nov. 7 set for Sears Centre outside of Chicago
by John Morgan on Sep 18, 2009 at 12:55 pm ET
With yesterday's release of a Nov. 7 date for Strikeforce's debut on CBS, the details of Fedor Emelianenko's bout with Brett Rogers began to materialize.
Today, another key component was revealed.
ESPNChicago.com was the first to report that Strikeforce was seeking to hold its event at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., a suburb to the northwest of Chicago. MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed the organization is simply waiting on a formal approval from the Illinois Athletic Commission to make an official announcement.
An 11,000-seat multi-purpose arena, Sears Centre opened in 2006 and hosted a May 2007 International Fight League card.
While Sears Centre lies on the outskirts of Chicago, The 20,000-seat United Center hosts a Chicago Bulls game on Nov. 7, while the near-10,000-seat University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion hosts the American Indian Center of Chicago's 56th Annual Pow Wow.
The 18,000-plus seat Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., which the UFC visited in October 2008 for UFC 90, is also booked on Nov. 7 by the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus.
The heavyweight clash between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers is the only official bout for the card, though Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently told AOL FanHouse that Gegard Mousasi, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller are likely to appear at the event.
For the latest on "Strikeforce: Emelianenko vs. Rogers," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
