Strikeforce thinks big minus top star

The biggest name on the Strikeforce roster is noticeably missing as the organization puts on its second prime-time network event tonight.

But heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko's absence hasn't diminished the expectations of Strikeforce chief executive officer Scott Coker, who put together three title fights for the card that will air tape delayed at 9 p.m. from Nashville, Tenn.

Coker thinks the main event of middleweight champion Jake Shields defending his title against newcomer Dan Henderson, together with two other championship bouts, should be able to outperform Strikeforce's first CBS card, which drew an average of just over 4 million viewers.

"Not only would we like to match November, but we would like to exceed November," Coker said on a conference call. "Every one of these fights could be a main event. We're hoping to have a great rating."

The original plan was for Emelianenko to headline tonight's card, but contractual issues left Strikeforce relying largely on former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Henderson and talented but lesser-known Shields to carry the promotion.

"A huge part of why I signed with Strikeforce was to be on CBS," said Henderson, who became a free agent after a victory at UFC 100 in July. "Having fights on network television helps better the sport, and it introduces people to it so they can fall in love with it."

Shields understands the significance of his bout and admits he feels pressure to put on a good show.

"The two things I want to do are win, of course, but I also want to put on an exciting fight," he said. "I know Henderson is a tough fight. ... Stylistically it will probably be an exciting fight."

Shields is no stranger to fighting on CBS. He competed on two of the three EliteXC cards on the network and won the vacant middleweight belt on the card that Emelianenko headlined in November, Shields' 13th straight win.

Shields feels a bit disrespected as an underdog to the two-time Olympic wrestler.

"I may feel a little slighted the way this has played out because I put a lot into becoming champion, but I certainly understand why, and I'm fine with it," he said. "Being the underdog doesn't bother me; it only gives me added motivation."

The 39-year-old Henderson is more experienced and will have a bit of a size advantage. He often fights at light heavyweight, while Shields is more of a natural welterweight.

Shields debuted at 185 pounds when he won the belt in the weight class in November but says he is getting comfortable with the added bulk.

"If Dan is a better fighter, then that has nothing to do with weight," he said. "At this point, he's coming down and I'm coming up, so it's not going to be a big deal. There's probably going to be a 5-pound weight difference, but it's not going to be a factor in the fight."

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2912.