Author: Matthew Roth

Strikeforce Barnett vs Cormier Results: Questions Answered and Lessons Learned

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix has come to a conclusion with Daniel Cormier defeating Josh Barnett for the grand prix title. In what was the best performance of his career, Saturday night was the coming out party for Daniel Cormier. In the…

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix has come to a conclusion with Daniel Cormier defeating Josh Barnett for the grand prix title. In what was the best performance of his career, Saturday night was the coming out party for Daniel Cormier. 

In the co-main event Gilbert Melendez defended his lightweight belt against Josh Thomson, putting their in-ring rivalry to rest. It wasn’t the best performance of Gilbert’s career but he got the job done and held onto his belt. 

With a lazy Sunday ahead of us, let’s take a look at the questions answered and the lessons learned following Strikeforce: Barnett vs Cormier. 

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Strikeforce Barnett vs. Cormier Results: Grades for All Main Card Fighters

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix has finally come to a close. From a field of eight, only one man remains to take home the belt: Daniel Cormier. The main event lived up to the expectations as Daniel Cormier put on a career-defining performance ag…

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix has finally come to a close. From a field of eight, only one man remains to take home the belt: Daniel Cormier. The main event lived up to the expectations as Daniel Cormier put on a career-defining performance against perennial top 10 heavyweight, Josh Barnett.

In the co-main event of the night, Gilbert Melendez took a split decision over Josh Thomson. After 15 rounds of fighting, Melendez is able to walk away with not only the lightweight gold but also two wins over his nemesis. 

The rest of the card will have divisional consequences within Strikeforce so let’s break down and grade the performances of all the main card fighters. 

 

A+

Daniel Cormier: Welcome to the elite of the heavyweight division, Daniel. That was a masterful performance and the best of your short MMA career. I could talk about how awesome that high-crotch single was or how crisp your boxing looked. But I won’t.

Instead, I just want to say that if Zuffa was smart they wouldn’t bother wasting your time with that final Strikeforce fight. It’s stupid and I want to see you in the UFC now.

 

A

Rafael Cavalcante: Things Rafael Cavalcante did today: avenged a loss and got a fast submission from Mike Kyle. There’s nothing else to say because that’s all that happened, but damn. Have fun in that title fight against someone at a future date. 

 

B+

Chris Spang: His brother Andreas lost last night at Bellator in the main event against Maiquel Falcao. Chris didn’t fight like his brother and instead put Nah-Shon Burrell out with punches and knees.

It almost seemed like the fight could have been stopped a bit sooner, but I’m not one for complaining when a fighter is demonstrating fantastic technique.

I’m actually excited to see this kid fight again in the near future. Judging by how long Jason High has been on the shelf, it could be a year. 

 

B

Gilbert Melendez: Gilbert was totally correct when he said that he had everything to lose and nothing to gain in his fight with Josh Thomson. The eyes of the MMA world were upon him and he needed to deliver in order to stay in the lightweight conversation.

He fought a good fight but his fading in the third is a concern. Congrats on the win. Hopefully this was just a rare poor showing. 

Josh Thomson: I didn’t think Josh Thomson had anything for GIlbert Melendez following the KJ Noons fight. He proved me wrong and looked great in the championship rounds against Melendez. He walks away with a split-decision loss but he definitely raised his stock in the division with this performance.

 

C

Josh Barnett: I’m kind of disappointed in Barnett’s performance tonight. He showed a lot of heart and a great chin but that was such a one-sided fight.

I’ve never seen anyone body Barnett like that before and his face showed the wounds of a battle. Hopefully he joins the UFC roster, he deserves a shot after tonight. 

 

D

Nah-Shon Burrell: Man you know you were out. Why complain to the ref? He looked good early on, but once Spang started landing with accuracy, the fight was over. It was only time until Burrell faded and fell to the mat in defeat. 

 

F

Mike Kyle: What was all that talk about deserving a title shot?

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Strikeforce: Barnett vs Cormier Live Results and Play-by-Play

Tonight, Strikeforce returns to its former home at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Headlined by the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals and also featuring a lightweight title fight between Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson, the night pr…

Tonight, Strikeforce returns to its former home at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Headlined by the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals and also featuring a lightweight title fight between Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson, the night promises to have consequences for their respective divisions. 

The night kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Showtime Extreme for five preliminary bouts. Upon the conclusion, switch over to Showtime at 10:00 p.m. ET for the main card.

Showtime Extreme Preliminary Card

Lightweight – James Terry vs. Bobby Green
Welterweight – Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort
Light Heavyweight – Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen
Light Heavyweight – Virgil Zwicker vs. Guto Inocente
Lightweight – Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg

Showtime Main Card 

Welterweight – Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang
Light Heavyweight – Rafael Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle
Lightweight Championship – Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson
Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals – Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier

Be sure to join us on Bleacher Report at 8:00 p.m. ET for a live discussion. 

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UFC Heavyweights Give Predictions for Daniel Cormier vs Josh Barnett

On Saturday night, Josh Barnett faces Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals. The tournament was originally designed to crown a No. 1 contender for the heavyweight strap, but now the winner will fight a yet-to-be-named UFC heav…

On Saturday night, Josh Barnett faces Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals. The tournament was originally designed to crown a No. 1 contender for the heavyweight strap, but now the winner will fight a yet-to-be-named UFC heavyweight sometime in the future.

The matchup between Cormier and Barnett is interesting, as they’re both very good wrestlers with punching power. While Cormier would have the advantage in wrestling, Barnett would have the clear advantage in submissions. 

While the MMA world waits for the Grand Prix to reach a conclusion, fighters from the UFC’s heavyweight division have given their thoughts and predictions for tomorrow’s main event.


Junior dos Santos

“They are both great fighters and this is a fight that could end very quickly for each guy. But Cormier is more explosive and has the better chances to end this early. It could be very exciting, but I think Cormier wins.”

As the UFC heavyweight champion, Junior Dos Santos will likely have to face the winner of the heavyweight Grand Prix at some point in his reign on top. I agree with his assessment that Cormier‘s punching power could bring this fight to an early conclusion. 


Frank Mir

“I think Cormier takes this. I can’t see Barnett getting him to the ground, his wrestling is too strong. And on the feet I think Cormier has the power to end things. But with two top heavyweights, anything can happen. That’s why this division is so exciting – anyone who is world class can beat anyone else with one punch. You can’t say that about the lighter weight classes and that’s why heavyweight fights are so cool to watch.”

Frank Mir may be underestimating Barnett’s wrestling if he thinks that he won’t get the fight to the ground. While Barnett doesn’t have the pedigree that Cormier has, he’s still one of the strongest fighters when wrestling from the clinch. 


Cain Velasquez

“I pick Daniel Cormier. Number one, because I train with him but also because he’s so hungry in this sport, I don’t think he will be denied. He was really raw when he came into our gym the first time a couple of years ago but he picked up everything a lot faster than most. He has dangerous strikes and I can’t see Josh getting him to the ground. Daniel’s wrestling is too good; I think he takes this fight and makes a statement about his future in the division.”

Cain Velasquez is one of Daniel Cormier‘s main training partners at American Kickboxing Academy, and they have been working together in the lead up to their respective fights. I can appreciate him backing his teammate and also believe he’s correct in Cormier‘s potential within the heavyweight division. 


Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva

“I think Cormier will win this fight and be the Grand Prix Champion. I was very surprised by him in our fight. I think he is too strong, too powerful in this fight. He punches very hard and his wrestling is very good. I think he will win inside the distance unless Josh Barnett gets this to the ground quickly.”

One-time Daniel Cormier opponent and soon to be UFC heavyweight Antonio Silva may have the best prediction for the fight since he’s been in the cage with one of this weekend’s fighters. If Cormier surprised him with his strength, it’s possible that Josh Barnett will have trouble dealing with Cormier as well. 

With all four UFC heavyweights picking Cormier, they may be setting themselves up for failure should Barnett come in and run through Daniel. Either way the fight promises to be exciting and will have real consequences for the heavyweight division. 

All quotes were obtained from the UFC.

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Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier Info and Predictions for the Main Card

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 be…

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. 

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UFC on Fuel 3 Results: Questions Answered and Lessons Learned

It was kind of weird watching the UFC on a Tuesday night, but when UFC on Fuel 3 was all said in done, I was happy to have stayed in on a weeknight. The card was the first in years that UFC President Dana White missed and one that saw multiple fighters…

It was kind of weird watching the UFC on a Tuesday night, but when UFC on Fuel 3 was all said in done, I was happy to have stayed in on a weeknight. The card was the first in years that UFC President Dana White missed and one that saw multiple fighters reestablish themselves in their divisions. 

Chan Sung Jung earned a title shot with his win over Dustin Poirier and Donald Cerrone showed that he’s still a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division. 

With such a solid event, it’s time to go over the questions answered and lessons learned from UFC on Fuel 3. 

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