Undefeated Middleweight Brunson Returns at ‘Fedor vs. Henderson’

Sherdog.com confirmed the preliminary contest with a source close to the bout on Tuesday. Co-promoted by Strikeforce and M-1 Global, the event will be headlined by the titular heavyweight contest between former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Fedor Emelianenko and reigning Strikeforce 205-pound champion Dan Henderson.

Also showcased will be a women’s 135-pound title tilt, as Marloes Coenen defends her belt against Miesha Tate. The event will emanate from Sears Centre in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Ill., and the evening’s main card will air live on Showtime.

Brunson has been perfect through his first year as a professional, racking up seven victories since his debut in May 2010. Representing Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu as well as Jackson’s MMA, the wrestler made his Strikeforce debut on June 24 at Challengers 16. The 27-year-old continually took down Jeremy Hamilton en route to a unanimous decision victory, the first time Brunson has seen the judges’ scorecards as a pro.

Representing Grapplers Edge, Sayers has tasted defeat only once since turning pro in 2009. The middleweight hit his first speed bump when he was submitted by Preston Snook in May of last year, blemishing his then-perfect 2-0 record. Sayers rebounded from that loss with another set of consecutive wins, most recently besting Edward Banks with an arm-triangle choke in January. Sayers has yet to see the second round as a pro and holds all four of his career wins by submission.