Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson set for July 30th

Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champ Dan Henderson and former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko are now set to go head to head in July.

SBNation.com first reported the finalization of the bout, which is expected to soon be announced by the promotion.

In his latest effort, Emelianenko (31-3) was defeated via TKO (doctor stoppage) by Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.  The loss, which eliminated him from the promotion’s Heavyweight Grand Prix, marked his second in a row after having suffered his first legitimate defeat against Fabricio Werdum several months prior.  Though he openly discussed the idea of retiring following the consecutive losses, Emelianenko reconsidered and resumed training shortly thereafter.

Henderson (27-8), meanwhile, left the UFC to sign with Strikeforce in 2009.  After a disappointing decision loss to Jake Shields in his promotional debut, he rebounded strong with an impressive first-round knockout victory over fellow veteran Renato “Babalu” Sobral.  The win earned him a shot at then-champ Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante this past March, whom Hendo dispatched of via third-round TKO to capture the Light Heavyweight title.

The match-up is set to take place July 30th and will likely be held at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.  Though it is expected to to be promoted as a Heavyweight fight, reports indicate that both competitors have agreed to a catchweight of 220-pounds.

Photo: Fedor Emelianenko before his fight against Tim Sylvia at Affliction’s “Banned”, a mixed martial arts fight at the Honda Center on July 19, 2008 in Anaheim, California. Francis Specker