(Smile, and the whole world smiles with you. Except for Scott Coker, who might be throwing himself off a bridge at this point. / Photo courtesy of sports.sho.com)

With his left elbow healthy again following surgery, you’d figure that Fabricio Werdum would be itching to get back in action and challenge Alistair Overeem for Strikeforce’s heavyweight title, or take that rematch with Fedor Emelianenko that he wanted for some reason. Well, yes and no. Yes, he wants to fight. But no, he’s not going to fight any of those dudes in Strikeforce — mainly because he doesn’t have to. Werdum laid out the situation to Sherdog in an article about his recent BJJ seminar world tour:

“I used this trip to make a couple of good contacts in Abu Dhabi and Japan. Strikeforce want me to return in March against Fedor [Emelianenko] or [Alistair] Overeem, but I’m looking forward to having a fight before that one. I don’t have an exclusive contract with Strikeforce, only for the U.S., and I got a nice proposal in Abu Dhabi and another one in Japan…My arm is 100 percent now and I feel that by February, I’ll be ready to fight in Abu Dhabi or Japan."


Of course, we’re reminded of Scott Coker’s optimistic claim that all of Strikeforce’s heavyweights are going to fight each other in 2011. Maybe they will, but arranging that will be easier said than done, considering Fedor’s meddling management, Overeem’s list of obligations, and the fact that all of these guys can seemingly fight for whatever promotion they want to at any time, as long as those fights take place outside of the United States.

Still, taking a tune-up fight after a major surgery is probably a wise move for Werdum. And if having a safer rebound is his motivation, Strikeforce needs to spin it that way. Because right now, all we’re hearing is "Abu Dhabi and Japan made me a better offer, so I’m going to fight there first." Come on, son/Strikeforce. You guys at least have Kevin Casey under an exclusive contract, right?