Riley Kontek | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Despite Losses of Rockhold and Melendez, Final Strikeforce Card Remains Solid

The card that was dubbed Strikeforce: Champions recently lost some of its sparkle because of the injuries suffered by lightweight and middleweight champs Gilbert Melendez and Luke Rockhold.The final card was supposed to see all of the champions defend …

The card that was dubbed Strikeforce: Champions recently lost some of its sparkle because of the injuries suffered by lightweight and middleweight champs Gilbert Melendez and Luke Rockhold.

The final card was supposed to see all of the champions defend their titles, but that is no more. Only Nate Marquardt, the now-headlining welterweight kingpin, remains defending his title on the card.

Despite the outcry of some of MMA‘s fans to scrap the card due to the loss of two championship fights, I guarantee that this last Strikeforce card is going to be great. Therefore, I, like many of you should be, am looking forward to the last Strikeforce card.

Sure, two of the biggest stars of the company are no longer physically involved, but that shouldn’t deter the fact that there are still great fights ready to be watched.

Marquardt headlines against noted striker and exciting Belgian, Tarec Saffiedine. With these two possessing great kickboxing skills, the headliner should be nothing short of a barn burner.

Then, rising star Daniel Cormier is still on the card. Though he is not facing anybody that is top-10 caliber, Dion Staring definitely provides an interesting challenge to Cormier, as he has good striking and speed.

Gegard Mousasi is also on the card, making his long-awaited return from injury hiatus. He takes on a man who has been linked to him several times in Mike Kyle.

That fight should be nothing short of amazing, as both men have great striking skills. Mousasi holds the distinct advantage of the ground game.

Plus, look at the number of former title challengers on the card. KJ Noons, Jorge Masvidal and Tim Kennedy, as well as former 185-lb. champ Ronaldo Souza will all be fighting.

Lorenz Larkin and Pat Healy, two men who were supposed to be fighting on the card, have drawn new opponents for the event. Larkin meets Souza in the biggest fight of his career, while Healy looks to continue his recent dominance in a meeting with Masvidal .

World-class heavyweight Josh Barnett also will fulfill the his last fight with Strikeforce when he meets European prospect Nandor Guelmino. Barnett has a huge fanbase and will give a great grappling display if the fight goes down.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that jiu-jitsu ace Roger Gracie will make another MMA appearance on the card. Roger meets the underrated Anthony Smith in an intriguing matchup on the undercard.

If you think that this last Strikeforce card is a waste of time, you are way wrong. If you miss this card, you will truly be sorry.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Josh Barnett Gets Main Card Opponent for Strikeforce: Champions Card

It appears Josh Barnett will get at least one more fight under the Zuffa banner.According to mmajunkie.com, Barnett will get a main card slot against up-and-coming Austrian heavyweight Nandor Guelmino, a fighter included in an article I wrote yesterday…

It appears Josh Barnett will get at least one more fight under the Zuffa banner.

According to mmajunkie.com, Barnett will get a main card slot against up-and-coming Austrian heavyweight Nandor Guelmino, a fighter included in an article I wrote yesterday.

The event, which features prelims on Showtime Extreme, takes place Jan. 12 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

This card will serve as the final Strikeforce event before the company closes and most of the talent migrates to the UFC. It is unknown if Barnett or his counterpart Guelmino will move over to the company.

Barnett lost his latest outing, a unanimous decision to Daniel Cormier in the finals of the Strikeforce Grand Prix. Previous to that, “The Warmaster” won eight-straight fights dating back to 2008.

Barnett was a former UFC Heavyweight Champion before being stripped of the title for failing a steroid test.

However, Barnett owns recent notable wins over Sergei Kharitonov, Brett Rogers, Gilbert Yvel and Jeff Monson. Barnett is a catch wrestler with a great ground game and submissions.

Guelmino, on the other hand, has spent his career fighting in Europe. “The Hun” has amassed an 11-3-1 record in that time, finishing nine opponents by either knockout or submission.

Guelmino will likely give up about 20 pounds on Barnett in this heavyweight affair. We will see if that affects the outcome of this fight.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 155: Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 155 received a tweak in mid-November when Jim Miller was named as the replacement for an injured Gray Maynard in his fight against Joe Lauzon at the December 29 event.In my eyes, this has now become a closer, more intriguing matchup.Both men are ar…

UFC 155 received a tweak in mid-November when Jim Miller was named as the replacement for an injured Gray Maynard in his fight against Joe Lauzon at the December 29 event.

In my eyes, this has now become a closer, more intriguing matchup.

Both men are arguably top-10 lightweights in the UFC, who are likely a couple of wins away from title contention. A win will likely propel them to a top-five opponent or better.

Here is a head-to-toe breakdown of their impending matchup.

Begin Slideshow

One Fighter Per Country the UFC Should Sign

With the UFC’s continued global expansion, fans must expect to see new and familiar international faces entering the world’s largest MMA promotion.Asia has been a major driving force in the global expansion, but expect that drive to move into Europe mo…

With the UFC’s continued global expansion, fans must expect to see new and familiar international faces entering the world’s largest MMA promotion.

Asia has been a major driving force in the global expansion, but expect that drive to move into Europe more, as well as other major markets.

Here are fighters from 23 different countries that UFC should sign.

Note: Strikeforce fighters will not be included, as they will likely make the jump over to the UFC when Strikeforce folds. Bellator fighters currently under contract were also not considered, as their contracts are tricky due to the matching clause.

Begin Slideshow

10 Non-UFC Fights to Watch for the Month of December

The UFC has plenty of events in the month of December. They will present UFC on Fox 5, UFC on FX 6, TUF 16 Finale and UFC 155.If you are like me, you like to watch MMA every weekend, Friday and Saturday. December may be the most jam-packed month full o…

The UFC has plenty of events in the month of December. They will present UFC on Fox 5, UFC on FX 6, TUF 16 Finale and UFC 155.

If you are like me, you like to watch MMA every weekend, Friday and Saturday. December may be the most jam-packed month full of MMA this year.

Here are 10 non-UFC fights that you need to check out in December.

Begin Slideshow

Best Moments from UFC 120-130

Bleacher Report’s “Best Moments” series continues with a look at some of the biggest moments in UFC history.The UFC’s continued expansion into the mainstream continued during this period, as did its growth in population. New champions were being crowne…

Bleacher Report’s “Best Moments” series continues with a look at some of the biggest moments in UFC history.

The UFC’s continued expansion into the mainstream continued during this period, as did its growth in population. New champions were being crowned and new stars were making their marks in the company.

Here are the best moments from UFC 120-130.

Here are the previous installments in the series.

The Best Moments from UFC 1-10

The Best Moments from UFC 10-20

The Best Moments from UFC 20-30

The Best Moments from UFC 30-40

The Best Moments from UFC 40-50

The Best Moments from UFC 50-60

The Best Moments from UFC 60-70

The Best Moments from UFC 70-80

The Best Moments from UFC 80-90

The Best Moments from UFC 90-100