This week has been like a giant wake for our beloved Strikeforce. Once the little MMA promotion that could, it’s been terminally ill for some time now. That doesn’t make it any less hard to say goodbye.
At its best, Strikeforce was amazing. From Frank Shamrock’s incredible win over Cesar Gracie to launch the promotion’s MMA shows to the unthinkable submission losses by Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce left fans with plenty of tremendous memories.
Its final show didn’t have any moments like that. Most of the guys were either carefully protecting themselves for their UFC future or auditioning for a run in the big show. No one was prepared to do anything reckless or wild, a Strikeforce staple.
It was still a perfectly acceptable night of fighting. Some fighters won, some lost. But the real winners and losers aren’t always properly judged by looking at the results. A fighter can sometimes lose, in the hearts of the fans or the mind of his promoter, by winning a boring fight. And a loser, if he fights with passion, can win plenty without getting his hand raised in the end.
So who were the real winners and losers of Strikeforce’s final show? Let’s have a look. Disagree? Let me know in the comments.