NFL great Herschel Walker signs with Strikeforce

One step forward one step back. Strikeforce steals Fedor Emelianenko out from under the UFC’s nose now it beefs up its heavyweight division by signing 47-year-old NFL legend Herschel Walker to a multi-fight deal.

Walker has a martial arts background – he’s a sixth-degree black belt in tae kwon do and also trained in Muay Thai and Kenpo karate – and was supposed to be a part of an EliteXC/Mark Burnett reality show that never got off the ground.

“I’ve been training for several years,” Walker tells MMA Junkie. “I would play college football games on Saturday and then compete in martial arts tournaments on Sunday after church. I’m now looking forward to opening up another chapter in my life and to competing in MMA.”

No date has been given for his debut although he is starting a 12-week training camp with California’s American Kickboxing Academy next month.

If Strikeforce signs Jose Canseco next then I’m giving up hope that the promotion is at all serious about MMA.