Strikeforce Signs Vitor Shaolin, Makes Deal With the AFN, Herschel Walker Must Prove Himself First, and Did Trigg Get Shortly Dropped Due To EA Sports MMA?

Strikeforce has signed a deal with the American Forces Network. The Fight Network has the press release:

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Sept. 24, 2009)–Premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promoter STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME Sports, have teamed up with the American Forces Network to deliver live MMA events to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces serving overseas via AFN, the worldwide television broadcast network. The deal calls for all STRIKEFORCE events for the remainder of 2009 to be distributed on AFN including the Nov. 7 M-1 Global co-promotion of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers, airing live on CBS Television Network.

The debut offering—this Friday’s Strikeforce Challengers event on SHOWTIME—features American military hero Tim Kennedy, the 29-year-old Special Forces soldier who has served tours of duty in Middle East, versus undefeated middleweight Zak Cummings in the main event from Tulsa, Okla.

"We are proud to be able to bring live Strikeforce events to the men and women of The United States Armed Forces," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said. "These are people that have dedicated their lives to protecting our country so it’s great to be able to give something back to them. And the timing couldn’t be better. Having Army Ranger Tim Kennedy headline a terrific Challengers event is the perfect start." 

"Special thanks to Scott Coker for providing the AFN Broadcast Center with the approval," says AFN's Executive Director, Jeffrey White.  "Without his initiative and clear understanding of our worldwide military broadcasting mission, delivery of Strikeforce to our well-deserving audience overseas would not be possible."

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"We are delighted to add Strikeforce mixed martial arts programs to our AFN schedule," said Corey Slutsky, Sports Director at the American Forces Network.  "We provide a touch of home to U.S. military service members and their families deployed around the world and we salute the Strikeforce team for their support of the troops."

An elated Kennedy said: "This is freaking fantastic news. Right now, the Special Forces group that I recently left are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every single friend of mine is over there and I was planning on emailing every one of them the results of my fight right after it finished on Friday, but instead they get to watch it. I’ll be emailing everyone tonight and telling them and letting them know."

You have to feel good for a guy like Kennedy to get this opportunity.  You can tell in his comments how happy he is that his fellow soldiers and friends will get the opportunity to watch him fight on TV.   This is a real "feel good" story here for those soldiers that are overseas, protecting our country, and for those like Kennedy who go beyond their duties.   This is a good deal and a no brainer from Striekforce.  Kennedy stated:

Kennedy spoke to the popularity of MMA amongst his fellow soldiers, "It attracts the same kind of people: Intense, excited, aggressive, athletic type people. Also, the skills that guys use in MMA are skills that guys use to stay alive in combat. Boxing, wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, that’s stuff that soldiers use to survive. Some of the Special Forces guys train in that stuff everyday. And for them to get to watch some of the guys that are the best in the world at it is exciting."

Kennedy, (10-2) recently accepted an offer to serve in the Texas National Guard after spending six years in The United States Army, the last three as a sniper in the Seventh Special Forces Group.

He feels no pressure whatsoever being the main event Friday. "If I’m not getting blown up or getting shot at then it only means it’s going to be fun for me," he said. "This is not life threatening. This is me going out and doing something that I enjoy and I enjoy fighting."

In his last start, on June 19 at ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., on Strikeforce Challengers, Kennedy dominated Nick "The Goat" Thompson, stopping him on the ground with an onslaught of punches in the second round (2:37).

"After 9/11 happened, I wanted to do something for my country," he explained. Kennedy’s new job will allow him to remain in the armed services while maintaining enough flexibility to take his MMA career to the next level.

"The military is my life," said Kennedy.  "I am going to serve as long as they’ll let me. I’d love to retire in uniform."

Strikeforce Signs Shaolin

MMAJunkie has the scoop:

Strikeforce today added some depth to its lightweight division with the signing of Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy and MMA standout Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (20-3).

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The 30-year-old's only career losses have come to Kawajiri, Gesias "GZ" Calvancante and (in his most recent bout) Shinya Aoki. All are or have been ranked among the lightweight division's very best fighters.

Trigg Shortly Dropped From UFC Due To His Appearance In EA Sports MMA?

Jonathan Snowden has the report:

Trigg Tragedy

The real reason Frank Trigg was dropped from his UFC contract and then quickly undropped? Dana White was furious when he found out Trigg was a part of the upcoming EA Sports MMA video game. White had decreed no one who had signed with EA, in competition with his own UFC games, would ever fight for his promotion.

When he found out about Trigg, White was livid. Cooler heads prevailed, but look for Trigg to get another tough fight. If he loses again, he's gone.

My question is why did the UFC sign him in the first place when Trigg was rumored to be in the game for about a year?  How could they be so anti- EA Sports MMA yet not find out that the fighters they are signing are associated with the game? Sounds odd to me.

Herschel Walker Must Prove Himself First Before Fighting For Strikeforce

Josh Gross has some news on the Herschel Walker signing by Strikeforce:

Yet the reaction Strikeforce received for the signing was largely positive. It generated a good deal of press for the burgeoning fight promotion, earning mentions in places MMA might usually not. Strikeforce vice-president Mike Afromowitz was pleasantly surprised to hear Walker's signing discussed Monday on New York's hip-hop radio home, Hot 97. It's that kind of exposure -- off the Internet and beyond the reach of MMA media -- that made the deal well worth their time and effort, even if the concept of a man Walker's age jumping into MMA is hard to swallow.

Now the work begins. Though the 1982 Heisman Trophy Award winner at the University of Georgia signed a deal to fight, there's no guarantee he will.

Walker will live in San Jose, Calif., for eight to 12 weeks like any other pro fighter plying his craft at the American Kickboxing Academy. If his body holds up, if he proves capable of fighting, then a bout will come. But not before then.

"We're going to plug him into our fight training," said "Crazy" Bob Cook, one of the chief trainers at AKA who also serves in talent evaluator and matchmaking capacities for Strikeforce. "I told him I want him out at our gym for a 12-week camp. He's going to be in there with all the boys."

Despite his advanced years and limited fighting experience, Cook sees Walker as "an athlete that's beyond a lot of guys that are in their early 20s."

Walker underwent a mini tryout with Cook before signing the deal with Strikeforce, and he did well enough to earn the opportunity. He showed himself to be more of a striker than grappler, though Cook noted Walker's "great natural balance and wrestling ability."

"He's a tremendous athlete," Cook said. "It is something he's committed to wanting to do.