Author: Andrew Saunders

MMA: Who Enters the UFC Following the Final Strikeforce Fight Card?

The lights are off. The doors are closed. The fat lady is backing her car out of the driveway and wondering what people thought about the song she just sang.Now that Strikeforce has turned off the Open sign, it’s time for the UFC to take a long, hard l…

The lights are off. The doors are closed. The fat lady is backing her car out of the driveway and wondering what people thought about the song she just sang.

Now that Strikeforce has turned off the Open sign, it’s time for the UFC to take a long, hard look at the roster and decide which fighters deserve a contract.

On the promotion’s final card, an unspoken rule permeated the atmosphere: “If you win, you’ll move into the UFC. If you lose, better luck elsewhere.”

Whether that is ultimately going to be the case has yet to be seen, but Bleacher Report MMA is on the scene to help with the guesswork. Here, we will take a look at the fighters who competed on Saturday night and decide who is worthy of a UFC contract.

Despite the stigma that Strikeforce fighters aren’t as talented as stars in the UFC, most of the competitors on Saturday night proved their mettle. Only a few stars showed that they are not worthy of Zuffa contracts, as the in-cage action was either thrilling or competitive for most of the evening.

Here is a look at the Strikeforce fighters who are worthy of moving into the Octagon. Each of the winners earned their place, as did a pair of losers.

 

The Winners


Estevan Payan

Payan kicked off the show with a second-round win over Mike Bravo. Payan has not lost any of his last eight fights, which includes two wins under the Strikeforce banner. Even though the UFC welterweight division is pretty stacked, the momentum Payan has warrants a fight in the organization.

 

Adriano Martins

Martins competed in the only other unaired bout when he defeated The Ultimate Fighter notable Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision. The win marked the 11th for Martins in his last 12 fights, with the sole loss coming by way of majority decision. He will make an excellent addition to the UFC lightweight roster.

 

Roger Gracie

Notable jiu-jitsu practitioner Roger Gracie looked pretty pitiful in the standup portion of his fight against Anthony Smith; however, once the action hit the ground, it didn’t take long for Gracie to choke his way into the UFC with a second-round submission.

 

Pat Healy

Many were concerned that Healy might end up on the wrong end of an upset on Saturday simply due to the cruel nature of the sport. After all, he went from title contender to being on the preliminary card fighting to save his job in one fell swoop. Six straight wins will give him nice momentum to start his UFC career.

 

Tim Kennedy

Kennedy was pressured constantly by Trevor Smith, although the Army Ranger didn’t let it break his will. In the third round, Kennedy scored a guillotine choke that will move him into the Octagon. Would it be friendly fire if he meets fellow military man Brian Stann in the UFC?

Ryan Couture

The son of Randy Couture seemingly picked up his father’s ability to draw a terrible decision win out of the judges. Despite being undeserving of the victory he earned on Saturday, Couture showed tremendous heart and a creative attack that will make him a welcome addition to the lightweight division.

 

Ronaldo Souza

“Jacare” has long been touted as one of the best middleweights on the planet despite being stuck in Strikeforce. After manhandling UFC veteran Ed Herman, there is no question that those thoughts are not misguided. 

 

Gegard Mousasi

The former Strikeforce champion has broken free from his oppressive relationship with M-1 Global and should compete in the UFC sooner rather than later after ravaging Team AKA’s Mike Kyle. Kyle has only one win in his past four fights and shouldn’t prove so lucky.

 

Josh Barnett

Say what you will about Barnett’s colored past, but he is one of the best fighters competing in the heavyweight division. If we can forgive the transgressions of Chael Sonnen and Sean Sherk after they served their punishments, Barnett shouldn’t be treated more harshly.

 

Daniel Cormier

As this list progresses, the names on it become clearer and clearer. Daniel Cormier may not have been in the main event, but he was the most popular star on the card. After the fight, Cormier announced that he has already signed his UFC contract and challenged Frank Mir for an April 20 fight at UFC on Fox 7.

 

Tarec Saffiedine

Heading into Saturday’s event, I really didn’t expect Saffiedine to make it onto this list. However, by using a crippling supply of leg kicks, he was able to slow down Nate Marquardt for five rounds to earn a unanimous-decision victory.

 

The Losers

 

KJ Noons

There is no question in my mind that KJ Noons was absolutely robbed by the judges on Saturday night. Thankfully for the former Elite XC champion, Dana White agrees. 

 

Nate Marquardt

Last but not least on this list is Nate Marquardt. The Tristar fighter didn’t look good on Saturday. He refused to check leg kicks that hobbled him, and he was outworked by a fighter with considerably less experience. 

Instead, Marquardt will move into the UFC based on his name value and history with the organization. It’s not as if Dana White will allow competitors like World Series of Fighting or Bellator to pick up a quality star who was recently a world champion.

 

In the end, a night of mostly predictable outcomes will lead to a series of mostly predictable signings with the UFC. Some stars were able to earn a contract that they otherwise wouldn’t have gained, while others are finally free to compete with the best fighters in the world.

Are these the only fighters from Saturday night who will end up getting signed by the UFC?

Who knows?

Anthony Smith looked pretty good before getting taken down, and Mike Kyle has powerful friends at AKA, so they could be brought over too.

Who are you most excited to see in the UFC? What fights are you looking forward to in 2013 now that Strikeforce’s biggest stars are coming over?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Strikeforce Results: 5 Fights for Josh Barnett in the UFC

On Saturday night, former UFC champion Josh Barnett quickly dispatched opponent Nandor Guelmino in a fight that helped us wave goodbye to the Strikeforce organization.With an unspoken belief that fighters successful on the card would receive UFC c…

On Saturday night, former UFC champion Josh Barnett quickly dispatched opponent Nandor Guelmino in a fight that helped us wave goodbye to the Strikeforce organization.

With an unspoken belief that fighters successful on the card would receive UFC contracts, many assume that Barnett will kiss and make up with UFC president Dana White in hopes of mutually making a lot of money in the future.

Considering that White has allowed other “banned” fighters to reenter the Octagon, it’s hard to imagine “The Warmaster” finding himself without a UFC contract in the near future.

Here is a look at five fights that are waiting for Barnett in the UFC.

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Strikeforce Results: What We Learned from Nate Marquardt vs. Tarec Saffiedine

Strikeforce has delivered plenty of action to fans over the course of their seven-year run and on Saturday night, the welterweight division was on display in the promotion’s final fight.Although oddsmakers didn’t seem to give much hope to the underdogs…

Strikeforce has delivered plenty of action to fans over the course of their seven-year run and on Saturday night, the welterweight division was on display in the promotion’s final fight.

Although oddsmakers didn’t seem to give much hope to the underdogs on Saturday night, title contender Tarec Saffiedine showed fans why you can’t put too much stock in what Las Vegas thinks.

Through five rounds of action, Saffiedine used superior speed and conditioning to produce an all-out assault on champion Nate Marquardt.

With his conditioning failing him, Marquardt wasn’t quick enough to avoid the seemingly endless supply of leg kicks that Saffiedine delivered round after round.

It was a much-deserved exclamation point in the final chapter of Strikeforce.

 

What we’ll remember about this fight
 

The emergence of Tarec Saffiedine as a new star in MMA. Spending much of the fight chopping down Marquardt with devastating leg kicks, Saffiedine painted a red and purple canvas on the thigh of “Nate the Great.”

 

What we learned about Nate Marquardt

That the weight cut might be too much for the former middleweight contender. In the third round, Marquardt continued to breathe deeply as he continued slowing down.

Additionally, we learned that Marquardt apparently forgot how to defend leg kicks. When he was eating 15 of them in Round 4, it became easy to confuse Marquardt‘s thigh with ground beef.

 

What we learned about Tarec Saffiedine

Despite his lack of notoriety and underdog status, he is deserving of competing with the best welterweights on the planet. The fact that he was able to pick apart a seasoned veteran like Marquardt is impressive enough, but getting to enter the UFC as the final Strikeforce welterweight champion puts that statement in bold.

 

What’s next for Nate Marquardt

With connections to Tristar Gym and a quality name, Marquardt will likely be offered a UFC contract. However, that is far from a given considering the unceremonious release that Nate suffered in 2011.

If he arrives in the UFC later this year, Marquardt should not be awarded a bout against a contender. This loss drops Nate considerably in the ranks. Perhaps the ill-fated Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story fight could see the light of day after all.  

 

What’s next for Tarec Saffiedine

Entering the UFC as the reigning Strikeforce champion is a major feather in his cap, although Saffiedine should not be thrust immediately into the title scene. After all, champion Georges St-Pierre is currently scheduled to meet Nick Diaz before likely defending his belt against the winner of Johny Hendricks vs. Jake Ellenberger.

A fight with a ranked opponent is a must. Although I don’t care for his chances, perhaps a fight against the winner of Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia is in order.

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Daniel Cormier Announces Fight with Frank Mir; Challenges Jon Jones in Fall

Some fighters are hesitant to call out an opponent in their post-fight interview. Strikeforce heavyweight Daniel Cormier took it upon himself to call out two.Immediately after pummeling Dion Staring at the final Strikeforce event, the AKA fighter addre…

Some fighters are hesitant to call out an opponent in their post-fight interview. Strikeforce heavyweight Daniel Cormier took it upon himself to call out two.

Immediately after pummeling Dion Staring at the final Strikeforce event, the AKA fighter addressed a long-rumored fight with Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7.

“Right now, I’m telling you. April 20 on Fox, I signed my UFC contract. Frank Mir, you and me. Let’s do it.”

However, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner wasn’t done there.

Former UFC champion Pat Miletich entered the cage and asked Cormier about a potential drop to light heavyweight.

“I’m gonna let Jon defend his belt April 27 and I’m gonna kick his ass in the Fall!” 

This call-out is quite presumptuous. By calling out Jones for his second UFC appearance, Cormier is discounting Frank Mir as an opponent.

While few would suggest that Mir would be the betting favorite in that matchup, the fact remains that he is a two-time UFC champion who holds wins over some of the best heavyweights in history.

Additionally, this presumes that the winner of February’s UFC 157 matchup between Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson does not receive the next shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship. 

In terms of his potential new home at 205 pounds, Cormier has talked about cutting down for much of the last year. After all, Cormier wants to be a world champion and with teammate Cain Velasquez holding the UFC heavyweight championship, a new weight class is the only option.

Is the undefeated Cormier biting off more than he can chew by challenging Jon Jones? After all, Jones also has an impressive wrestling pedigree and possesses a 13.5-inch reach advantage in that matchup.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for more on this story as it breaks.

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Strikeforce Results: What We Learned from Josh Barnett vs. Nandor Guelmino

On Saturday night, Josh Barnett returned to Strikeforce for the organization’s final event. With only two heavyweights on the roster, Strikeforce had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find an opponent for Barnett without borrowing talent from …

On Saturday night, Josh Barnett returned to Strikeforce for the organization’s final event. With only two heavyweights on the roster, Strikeforce had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find an opponent for Barnett without borrowing talent from the UFC.

The man they landed on was completely unheralded Nandor Guelmino. 

Odds makers had Barnett pegged as a 16-to-1 favorite entering this contest and rightfully so. “The Warmaster” completely steamrolled Guelmino and secured a choke to end this fight 2:10 into the first round.

 

What we’ll remember about this fight

The fact that it was a ridiculous mismatch. Barnett was dominant from start to finish, despite having the flu on fight week. There is no excuse for this fight taking place in the first place, let alone when you consider that it’s been on the books for months.

 

What we learned about Josh Barnett

Absolutely nothing. This is a former world champion with nearly 40 professional fights. Taking on a 37-year-old fighter who had never been in a major organization, Barnett did exactly what he was expected to do by steamrolling his opponent.

 

What we learned about Nandor Guelmino

Let’s be honest here. Aside from potentially seeing his name in a fighter database, until Guelmino signed on for this fight, you had probably never heard his name. All that we learned about Guelmino in this fight is the fact that he exists.

 

What’s next for Josh Barnett

The UFC, hopefully. There is no reason to believe that Dana White is going to hold a grudge from more than a decade ago. Barnett has won nine of his last 10 fights which mostly came against notables.

Hopefully, Barnett is matched up up with a fellow grapplers like Big Nog, Fabricio Werdum or Frank Mir in 2013.

 

What’s next for Nandor Guelmino

Back to the independent circuit. It’s fairly obvious that Guelmino was signed on strictly so Barnett could appear on this card without rematching Cormier. 

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Strikeforce Results: What We Learned from Ryan Couture vs. KJ Noons

On a night of predictable prelims, Showtime Extreme concluded their final Strikeforce broadcast with a lightweight battle between former title contender KJ Noons and Ryan Couture.This fight was the biggest in the career of Couture, who had previously s…

On a night of predictable prelims, Showtime Extreme concluded their final Strikeforce broadcast with a lightweight battle between former title contender KJ Noons and Ryan Couture.

This fight was the biggest in the career of Couture, who had previously squared off against other lower-tier fighters. 

This was a war! Although there was quality action in Round 1, the second round was five minutes of highlights, as these lightweights battled in hopes of securing a UFC contract. The final round continued the exciting action before going to the judges’ scorecards.

In his first fight against a former champion, Couture was awarded a split decision against Noons, although it was extremely controversial and immediately debunked by Pat Miletich and Frank Shamrock.

 

What we’ll remember about this fight

The poor decision. KJ Noons deserved the win in this battle, and that should be the take-home lesson from this fight. 

 

What we learned about KJ Noons

Not much. This fight was pretty standard for Noons. He controlled the action and showed exemplary head movement while boxing his way toward a win. Unfortunately, the decision robbed him of a hard-earned victory.

 

What we learned about Ryan Couture

That he is wickedly tough. Couture withstood the onslaught of Noons in the second round. After being rocked, Couture remained upright as the former EliteXC champion delivered unanswered combinations in a fight that appeared to be only seconds away from being stopped.

Aside from the controversy, Couture proved that he is worthy of a UFC contract. With big heart and creative striking, the 30-year-old fared well against a seasoned veteran and former champion. 

 

What’s next for KJ Noons

Undoubtedly, this fight was sink or swim for Noons, who lost three of his last four fights heading into the event. Prior to the skid, Noons had won six straight, which includes wins over Nick Diaz, Yves Edwards and Jorge Gurgel.

It is clear that Noons should have come out with the decision victory, although I’m not sure that the UFC will sign him with only one win in five fights. Hopefully Dana White was watching this closely and awards Noons a contract.

A match against a fellow boxer like Sam Stout would make for an incredible matchup. 

 

What’s next for Ryan Couture

The son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, Ryan made his professional debut under the Strikeforce banner, which has been the home of all of his fights. The win tonight gives him a four-fight winning streak heading into the UFC, even though he didn’t deserve the win tonight.

Couture will likely enter the Octagon sometime this summer, and the UFC should take its time and allow Ryan more time to develop. Perhaps a bout with Mac Danzig or Danny Castillo is in the cards.

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