Filed under: Strikeforce
Of all the fighters in the Strikeforce Heayweight Grand Prix field, none might be more unfamiliar to American audiences than Sergei Kharitonov, a Russian airborne trooper who has fought just once in the U.S., a victory over Mike Russow in the penultimate event for the PRIDE promotion.
Kharitonov, though, boasts a long and fairly distinguished record dating back more than a decade. In fact, he has wins over tournament entrants Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum on his resume. Among the eight-man field, however, he is considered a long shot to win, with the second longest odds, ahead of only Brett Rogers.
To Kharitonov (17-4), who faces Andrei Arlovski in a first-round match on Saturday, that’s perfectly acceptable, even preferable.