The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix was set to be the jumping off point for the promotion to compete with the UFC. Comprised of seven of the best heavyweights in the world plus Brett Rogers, the winner of the tournament would have a real claim to being the best heavyweight in the world.
This weekend the Grand Prix comes to a close with Josh Barnett facing Daniel Cormier in the finals. The winner of the bout will hang around in the promotion for one more fight against a yet-to-be named UFC heavyweight. The loser is likely to be directly transferred over to the UFC.
In the co-main event, Gilbert Melendez faces Josh Thomson for the third time in his career. The bout is for Gilbert’s lightweight belt. With a win, it’s arguable to say that Gilbert will have cleaned out the Strikeforce lightweight division.
The undercard airs Saturday night on Showtime Extreme at 8:00 pm ET. Switch over to Showtime at 10:00 pm ET for the main card. Sorry West Coast, but it’ll be delayed for you guys.