It didn’t take very long for former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett to dispose of his opponent during the weekend’s Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix semifinals.
Barnett became the new favorite to win the tournament when Alistair Overeem dropped out of the tournament due to an injury. “The Warmaster’s” victory over Sergei Kharitonov showed why he is in that position when he submitted the experienced striker with an arm-triangle choke in the very first round.
Barnett improved his extensive record to 32-5 with seven knockouts and 19 submission wins. He is unbeaten in the last five years with his only loss coming against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. His first victory in the tournament came over Brett Rogers, who he submitted in the second round.
His next fight will be in the finals against wrestling standout Daniel Cormier, who defeated Antonio Silva on the same card. Cormier stunned Silva with a first-round knockout victory.
The former Olympic wrestler began his professional MMA career 12 years after Barnett, who made his debut in 1997. Barnett’s 2002 victory over Randy Couture earned him the UFC heavyweight championship belt, but a positive post-fight drug test got him stripped of the title and out of the organization.
The final matchup in the Heavyweight Grand Prix will produce the best heavyweight on the Strikeforce roster and will be a key for one of them getting a chance inside the Octagon. It is one fight you will not want to miss.
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