Tag: Antonio Silva

Strikeforce Overeem vs. Werdum: We Learned That Bigfoot Will Win Grand Prix

So here’s what I learned tonight: Dana White has probably been right all along. This is pretty hard to swallow because I had been a Pride cool-aid drinker and a Strikeforce heavyweight believer. Now it’s all just about exposed isn’t it? The only h…

So here’s what I learned tonight: Dana White has probably been right all along. This is pretty hard to swallow because I had been a Pride cool-aid drinker and a Strikeforce heavyweight believer. Now it’s all just about exposed isn’t it? 

The only heavyweight tonight that didn’t embarrass himself during the fight was Josh Barnett. Brett Rogers’ performance was so bad that we still really don’t know where Barnett stands with his comeback. He simply didn’t need more than the basics to put that fight away. Oh, and did I say Barnett didn’t embarrass himself?

Well, I meant during the fight itself.

When Barnett doesn’t make a fool of himself inside the fence, it’s all just a matter of time. Just put a mic in front of him and he won’t fail to disappoint in that area. Is the WWE act that Josh is still clinging to like an addict to his needle supposed to convince Dana White that Barnett has become a serious and reliable professional athlete?

Did Barnett cast away the notion that he’s not someone White must worry will embarrass the UFC if Dana ever let’s his guard down and gives Barnett a third-second chance not to abuse steroids?

Barnett’s physique was even more lumpy than usual tonight, lending even more credence to the belief of most that he has been a habitual steroid abuser. A little tip Josh…Dana’s not a huge pro wrestling fan.

Tonight, I also learned that the only Strikeforce heavyweight that has any shot against Velasquez, Dos Santos, Lesnar or Carwin is Bigfoot. Yes, I’m serious.

Naturally, the earlier Werdum vs. Dos Santos bout would just repeat itself, and all of the other top three UFC heavies would destroy Werdum just as easily.

As for the extra 40 lbs. of supposed whoop-ass that ‘Reem put on… it doesn’t seem like that will do him any good against any of the UFC top four, as his wind is substantially worse than all four guys. Also, his hands are just absolutely empty compared to Cain, Junior and Carwin.

Despite his kickboxing resume (which they say is stellar…hmm) ‘Reem doesn’t seem to have an ounce of pain in his hands. At the same time, ‘Reem’s been knocked out several few times, and each of the top four UFC heavies have proven chins.

Yes, that includes Lesnar. Brock doesn’t survive Round 1 vs. Carwin with a glass jaw.

Did Overeem hurt Werdum on Saturday? Even once? According the fight stats, Werdum actually landed on ‘Reem more…a full 30 percent more, as pathetic as he looked falling down for 15 minutes.

I mean, did the K1 champ ‘Reem land a single big shot that hurt Werdum? No way. Not once. Not even close.

So tell me, who’s left in this thing that can take Bigfoot out? Think about that question a bit before you answer. Because Antonio Silva accomplished something against Fedor that none of the guys left in this tourney have come close to doing…he beat the absolute crap out of Fedor on the feet, and on the ground. On the feet…AND on the ground. 

Not only have the rest of the field never accomplished that, there’s not one of them that could ever possibly do it.

Have any of you, my dear readers, ever seen a guy sitting cage-side that literally wanted to get in the cage and fight on the spot the way Silva genuinely wanted to tonight? All over Silva’s face it said “both of you guys are an appetizer to me.” He had every reason not to be impressed.

Bigfoot will easily win this Heavyweight Grand Prix. That’s the one important thing I learned tonight. What does that say about how “done” Fedor is at heavyweight if Silva wins the tourney? He won’t look nearly so cooked.

I also think I learned that the majority of Strikeforce commentators will be getting a pink slip the very day that the Showtime deal expires…especially the idiotic Aussie on the undercard.

My God, does Joe Rogan look like a savant next to these clowns (except Bas of course). Can we just have a combination of Rogan, Bas, Florian, Couture, Bonnar and Mir do all the commentating. Can we please?

Oh, I learned one other thing…the older ‘Reem should have hung ’em up years ago. Like before he went pro. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Alistair Overeem Victorious, but Frustrated by Fabricio Werdum’s Strategy

Filed under:

DALLAS — Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum couldn’t agree where their Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix fight would be contested on Saturday night. Overeem voted in favor of the feet. Werdum wanted it on the mat. In the end, neither man got exactly what he was hoping for, and neither did the fans.

Overeem, the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion, won a unanimous decision after three rounds at the American Airlines Arena. He mostly dominated the striking portions of the fight early on and easily stuffed Werdum’s takedown attempts in the first round, but the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Werdum continually flopped to his back in an attempt to turn the bout into a ground battle, frustrating Overeem down the stretch.

“I think he didn’t really come to fight,” Overeem told MMA Fighting after the bout. “He was stalling a lot. In the beginning he opened up his guard, so I could stand up. Later on he kept his guard closed, so I couldn’t stand up. Then he was just stalling the fight.”


Werdum wasn’t wholly outclassed in the striking game when he did deign to stay on his feet, however. He peppered Overeem with punch combinations and knees throughout the fight, but Overeem insisted he was never hurt by any of the blows, and said he was disappointed that Werdum opted to spend so much time on his back throughout the fight.

“Basically I think that’s all he can do,” Overeem said. “I think he didn’t really come to fight. He just set-up his strikes to get the takedown. He wasn’t striking to knock me out. What can I say? It takes two to tango.”

With the decision victory, Overeem advances into the semi-final round of the Strikeforce Grand Prix, where he’ll face Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in an event that Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said would most likely take place some time this fall.

And while Coker admitted that Saturday’s main event wasn’t exactly the biggest hit with the fans, who showered Overeem and Werdum with boos throughout the fight, he refused to lay blame on either party for it.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=1002668&pid=1002667&uts=1308464987
http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Photos
Alistair Overeem knees Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

UFC 131 Photos

Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos trade shots at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Shane Carwin attempts to take down Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Junior dos Santos tries to finish Shane Carwin late in the first at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Junior dos Santos (right) rocks Shane Carwin at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Junior dos Santos kicks Shane Carwin at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Shane Carwin is bloodied up at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Junior dos Santos punches Shane Carwin at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Junior dos Santos lands a left hand against Shane Carwin at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Blood drips down the face of Shane Carwin at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos

Shane Carwin makes a last ditch effort late in the third round at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

UFC 131 Photos


“I think it was a tactical fight on Werdum’s part,” Coker said. “I think that after a point…Josh [Barnett] said Alistair got frustrated, I think Fabricio got frustrated as well. I think that it was a tactical fight. Fabricio wanted to come down to the ground; Alistair didn’t want to do that. It turned out to be a tactical strategy fight.”

Overeem landed heavy right hands and knees to Werdum’s head at several points in the fight, but it was difficult to tell just how badly Werdum was hurt, since he was always willing to fall to his back after any exchange in the hopes that Overeem would follow him down. On more than one occasion he beckoned the 260-pound Dutchman down, even putting his hands together in a pleading motion at times. Overeem, however, refused to take the bait, remaining on his feet and taunting Werdum for his unwillingness to engage.

For his part, Overeem blamed Werdum’s strategy for making both men look bad in front of the fans in attendance and those watching at home on Showtime, but said it wasn’t indicative of his abilities, as people will soon realize.

“I can tell you, there’s a lot more that I can show to the fans,” said Overeem. “When the fans look at my previous fights, they will know that. It’s hard when somebody comes to not fight. I knew that that chance was there with Fabricio Werdum. He is a character. But I did expect him to put more of a fight against me. He was talking a lot of crap before the fight, but yeah, I believe he was not there to fight.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under:

DALLAS — Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum couldn’t agree where their Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix fight would be contested on Saturday night. Overeem voted in favor of the feet. Werdum wanted it on the mat. In the end, neither man got exactly what he was hoping for, and neither did the fans.

Overeem, the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion, won a unanimous decision after three rounds at the American Airlines Arena. He mostly dominated the striking portions of the fight early on and easily stuffed Werdum’s takedown attempts in the first round, but the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Werdum continually flopped to his back in an attempt to turn the bout into a ground battle, frustrating Overeem down the stretch.

“I think he didn’t really come to fight,” Overeem told MMA Fighting after the bout. “He was stalling a lot. In the beginning he opened up his guard, so I could stand up. Later on he kept his guard closed, so I couldn’t stand up. Then he was just stalling the fight.”


Werdum wasn’t wholly outclassed in the striking game when he did deign to stay on his feet, however. He peppered Overeem with punch combinations and knees throughout the fight, but Overeem insisted he was never hurt by any of the blows, and said he was disappointed that Werdum opted to spend so much time on his back throughout the fight.

“Basically I think that’s all he can do,” Overeem said. “I think he didn’t really come to fight. He just set-up his strikes to get the takedown. He wasn’t striking to knock me out. What can I say? It takes two to tango.”

With the decision victory, Overeem advances into the semi-final round of the Strikeforce Grand Prix, where he’ll face Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in an event that Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said would most likely take place some time this fall.

And while Coker admitted that Saturday’s main event wasn’t exactly the biggest hit with the fans, who showered Overeem and Werdum with boos throughout the fight, he refused to lay blame on either party for it.


“I think it was a tactical fight on Werdum’s part,” Coker said. “I think that after a point…Josh [Barnett] said Alistair got frustrated, I think Fabricio got frustrated as well. I think that it was a tactical fight. Fabricio wanted to come down to the ground; Alistair didn’t want to do that. It turned out to be a tactical strategy fight.”

Overeem landed heavy right hands and knees to Werdum’s head at several points in the fight, but it was difficult to tell just how badly Werdum was hurt, since he was always willing to fall to his back after any exchange in the hopes that Overeem would follow him down. On more than one occasion he beckoned the 260-pound Dutchman down, even putting his hands together in a pleading motion at times. Overeem, however, refused to take the bait, remaining on his feet and taunting Werdum for his unwillingness to engage.

For his part, Overeem blamed Werdum’s strategy for making both men look bad in front of the fans in attendance and those watching at home on Showtime, but said it wasn’t indicative of his abilities, as people will soon realize.

“I can tell you, there’s a lot more that I can show to the fans,” said Overeem. “When the fans look at my previous fights, they will know that. It’s hard when somebody comes to not fight. I knew that that chance was there with Fabricio Werdum. He is a character. But I did expect him to put more of a fight against me. He was talking a lot of crap before the fight, but yeah, I believe he was not there to fight.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Strikeforce Overeem vs. Werdum: Heavyweight Grand Prix Brackets of Tomorrow

Fight fans are a day away from being treated to Strikeforce’s second installment of their Heavyweight Grand Prix at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.After first round match-ups between Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio “Big Foot” Si…

Fight fans are a day away from being treated to Strikeforce’s second installment of their Heavyweight Grand Prix at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

After first round match-ups between Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and Andre Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov back in February, Saturday night’s heavyweight tournament competitors will want to mimic fellow opening round victors straight into the semifinals.

The rest of this tournament will ultimately produce not only a heavyweight champion, but a divisional pound-for-pound fighter gearing for a shot at the UFC’s heavyweight best.

With numerous implications for future bouts, how will the Heavyweight Grand Prix brackets break down once all the leathers has been thrown, all the blood and sweat has been absorbed into the canvas and the winners’ arms have been raised into the air?

What was once considered the weaker half of the bracket, it’s now being looked upon by fans and pundits as the half that will produce the tournament’s undisputed No. 1 challenger, Josh Barnett.

The other side of the tournament has already been impacted, putting aside speculation and outlining one half of the semifinals after Silva shocked the world by evacuating one of the early favorites from the tournament.

Now Fedor is out of the picture, many find it hard to believe in a finals without Overeem, who recently participated in K-1’s 2010 Grand Prix and won the whole thing.

As a result, Silva and Kharitonov will be sidelined until an unknown date later this year, eagerly preparing for their eventual clashes with tomorrow night’s winners to become the deserving challenger to the belt and have the bragging accolades that await the overall winner of the tournament.

Obviously both the Brazilian and Russian will be watching Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers and Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum with vested interest, waiting for the cards to fall as they will.

To Strikeforce’s (pre-Zuffa) credit, their Heavyweight Grand Prix has become the most talent-rich tournament since Pride’s Open Weight tournament back in 2006.

So consider this a prediction of sorts, let’s glance into the future and see how the brackets will look, not only on Sunday morning, but how they will play out for the rest of the tournament.

Remember this is just one genius man’s humble opinion, who was blindsided when his beloved Fedor got stomped out of the tournament at the hands of Silva in the very first round.

So consider yourselves warned….

Begin Slideshow

Strikeforce GP: Ranking the Submissions of All 6 Fighters Left in the Tourney

On Saturday, June18, Strikeforce will continue its Heavyweight Grand Prix live from Dallas, TX. Pride veteran Sergei Kharitonov and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva have already advanced to the next round. Tomorrow night we will find out who their o…

On Saturday, June18, Strikeforce will continue its Heavyweight Grand Prix live from Dallas, TX.

Pride veteran Sergei Kharitonov and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva have already advanced to the next round.

Tomorrow night we will find out who their opponents will be.

Top grappler Josh Barnett will take on Chicago slugger Brett Rodgers . The main event of the night will feature a rematch between Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Fabricio Werdum and Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem.

The first two fights of the tournament ended early thanks to hard striking by Silva and Kharitonov. Tomorrow’s fights may end differently as many of the fighters are known for their submissions just as much as their knockouts.

Here is a ranking of who has the best submission game in the tournament. 

Begin Slideshow

Strikeforce Overeem vs. Werdum: Ranking the Top 10 Strikeforce Heavyweights

The UFC may bolster the thickest stable in every weight class, but Strikeforce more than holds its own in the heavyweight division.
The infusion of guys like Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, and Antonio Silva has turn…

The UFC may bolster the thickest stable in every weight class, but Strikeforce more than holds its own in the heavyweight division.

The infusion of guys like Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, and Antonio Silva has turned a dying division into Strikeforce’s premier weight class.

On June 18, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix continues with two monumental quarterfinal match-ups.

The June outbreak of MMA keeps on rolling, and it’s Strikeforce’s turn to host the festivities. In preparation for the upcoming event, Bleacher Report counts down the top-10 fighters on the Strikeforce heavyweight roster.

Begin Slideshow

Strikeforce Grand Prix Semifinals Likely in Early Fall, Finals Could Be on PPV

Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsIt’s been a wild ride for the Strikeforce promotion over the last few months, launching a Heavyweight Grand Prix to strong fanfare, then getting sold off to UFC parent company Zuffa, and now finding their way in a brave ne…

Filed under: ,

It’s been a wild ride for the Strikeforce promotion over the last few months, launching a Heavyweight Grand Prix to strong fanfare, then getting sold off to UFC parent company Zuffa, and now finding their way in a brave new MMA world.

On June 18 in Dallas, the promotion will present the second set of Grand Prix quarterfinals, finally completing the first round that began back in February. And according to company general manager Scott Coker, after the completion of this set of matches, Strikeforce hopes to host the tournament semifinals sometime in the early fall.

That will come as good news to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Sergei Kharitonov, who have been awaiting the date of their next matchups since beating Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski, respectively, on Feb. 12.

According to Strikeforce bracketing, Silva will meet the winner of June 18’s Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum match, while Kharitonov will face the Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers victor from the same night.

While Strikeforce originally hoped to complete the tournament by the end of 2011, on Tuesday, Coker acknowledged that due to ongoing issues, that might not be possible, though they still hoped to pull it off.

“That was the original plan, but if it carries over into 2012 and we can finish it in a calendar year, that’s sufficient,” he said.

Last weekend, Coker told MMA Fighting’s Matt Erickson that the promotion pushed the semis back for practical reasons, and that they are still considering the possibility of broadcasting the finals on pay-per-view.

“We were originally going to have (the semifinals) in August, but we felt like it’s too close to the June fight,” he said. “So it’ll be sometime in the early fall. And then the finals will be the beginning of next year. We had a conversation with the fight team and Showtime, and they were fine with it. [Doing the finals as a pay-per-view is] the dialogue – there’s definitely a good possibility. But it’s not been decided yet.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments