Strikeforce has assembled eight of the world's top ranked heavyweights to compete in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix - Heavyweight Tournament, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that will take place over several events in 2011.

The first two quarterfinal fights begin on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on Showtime from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J. In the main event, the 34-year-old Emelianenko will face the towering Antonio "Big Foot" Silva (15-2) in a Strikeforce and M-1 Global co-promoted event. Co-featured on Feb. 12, former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) will face Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem.

The other two quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to truly defeat Emeliananko, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), while the heavy-handed Brett "The Grim" Rogers (11-2) will meet a hungry Josh Barnett (29-5). The location and date for these quarterfinal tournament fights are to be announced.

"Strikeforce is home to the best heavyweight division in the world," Strikeforce president Scott Coker siad. "The athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world."

The man considered to be the best heavyweight in the world for most of the past decade, Fedor Emelianakno, recently reached terms on a new three-fight contract extension with Strikeforce and is looking forward to restoring the luster he lost after his first real defeat.

"I have been training very hard since my last fight and can't wait to get back in the cage," said the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko. "Strikeforce has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 Global, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format."

Emeliananko's unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 professional MMA bouts without a defeat has prompted many MMA enthusiasts to label him the greatest of all time. Since his career began 10 years ago, Fedor has faced and defeated many rival superstars and champions of this era including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, and Andrei Arlovski.

In what ranks among the most watched MMA fights in the United States, Fedor made his live primetime network television debut on Nov. 7, 2009 on CBS, when he defeated unbeaten rising star Brett Rogers. Despite a difficult first round in which he sustained a deep cut above his eye, Fedor turned the tide early in the second round with one vicious right-hand punch and finished Rogers shortly after.

Then, on June 26, 2010, Fedor suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, in one of the most watched MMA bouts on Showtime. Werdum, who has defeated a host of top rivals including Overeem, Silva and Brandon "The Truth" Vera, trapped Fedor's arm in a triangle armbar that forced Fedor to tap out at the 1:09 mark of the opening round.

Fedor has only one other official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan's Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000. Fedor avenged the "TKO" loss with his own first-round TKO over Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.