Strikeforce cancels Nov. 3 show, will return to Showtime in 2013

Daniel Cormier continues to be held hostage.

Strikeforce announced today (Oct. 12, 2012) the cancellation of its Nov. 3 event, which was scheduled for the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, after injuries felled main card combatants Frank Mir and Luke Rockhold.

From Strikeforce/Showtime executives:

"Due to a series of injuries, we were forced to cancel the upcoming card on Nov. 3, but are already working to put together a stacked card in January. While we're disappointed with the cancellation, we are looking forward to an even bigger Strikeforce event on Showtime early next year."

Ticket refunds will be available at the point of sale.

This isn't the first Strikeforce event to get axed this year. Just last month, lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez made the decision to withdraw from his main event match-up opposite number one contender Pat Healy because of a badly separated shoulder.

The timing couldn't have been worse.

The loss of the headlining bout prompted Showtime, Strikeforce's cable broadcasting partner, to cancel the event altogether, stating a lack of interest in airing the card without the marquee fight. Soon after, a report from "Inside MMA" claimed a decaying relationship between the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion and its television host.

Now this.

The real victim here is Cormier, the recent heavyweight grand prix winner. Despite ZUFFA's purchase of Strikeforce in 2011, "DC" is still contractually bound to Showtime for one more fight before being able to sign with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hopefully, he can move on to headline the "bigger" 2013 fight card.

If one ever comes to be.