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Strikeforce- Barnett vs. Cormier: Pre Fight Part I

Josh Barnett (31-5) vs. Daniel Cormier (9-0) The highly anticipated Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, which began almost a year ago meanders to an anticlimactic conclusion this Saturday, May 19th. This was an event that was.

Josh Barnett (31-5) vs. Daniel Cormier (9-0)

The highly anticipated Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, which began almost a year ago meanders to an anticlimactic conclusion this Saturday, May 19th. This was an event that was supposed to bring back the drama and spectacle of the old Pride Grand Prix’s from Japan. It started with both Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem competing along with a strong supporting cast. We were supposed to see eight of the best heavyweights in the world fight for the Strikeforce belt over three exciting events. Instead, we saw Alistair Overeem’s worst performance in years and we watched Fedor have the torch he carried for so long ripped from his hands. This was not what we expected. But as one legend is pushed out of the sport, we may be seeing the arrival of a new star. And before he can be officially established as a top heavyweight in the world, he has one more veteran to dispatch.

Saturday’s main event between Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett is more about Cormier than Barnett. Despite the fact that Cormier is only one year younger than Barnett, he feels like an up and comer while Barnett feels like a grizzled veteran. And in MMA terms, those would be accurate descriptions. Barnett has been competing for fifteen years and has fought in every major organization over his polarizing career. Barnett has had multiple PED and licensing issues but has been clean thus far in his Strikeforce run. His game is a known entity. He’s well-rounded with solid striking and high level submission grappling. His catch wrestling is different than the typical Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu grappling most fighters employ and can be problematic for those who haven’t faced it. But given Cormier’s Olympic background, it seems unlikely that Barnett will be able to get him to the ground. More than likely, this fight will take place on the feet. And if that’s the case, both fighters will be working the less established aspect of their game.

Cormier’s game is less of a known entity than Barnett’s and his skill set is still growing significantly between fights. With only nine fights, Cormier is far less experienced than Barnett but he has shown flashes of athleticism and explosiveness that could pose serious problems for his more established opponent. With his first fight coming at age thirty after a distinguished wrestling career featuring multiple Olympic appearances, many people questioned whether Cormier would be able to develop an MMA skill set quickly enough to have a major impact in the sport. His surprising knockout of the granite-chinned Antonio Silva in his last fight suggested that he may be progressing more quickly than expected. A similar performance against Barnett would thrust Cormier into the upper echelon of the heavyweight division but a decision victory is much more likely than a finish. The only fighters to finish Barnett in his storied career are Mirko Cro-Cop and Pedro Rizzo. If Cormier adds his name to that list, the rest of the heavyweight division will have to take notice.

The bookmakers have this fight listed as basically a pick ‘em with Barnett at -120 and Cormier at -110. That seems appropriate considering that we will likely be looking at a striking match between two fighters who prefer to be on the ground. Based on the growth arc displayed by Cormier over his last few fights, I have to think that he’s going to come out and show us even more than his has in the past. If that’s the case, I expect that he’ll be a little too much for Barnett to handle. However, if Barnett can use his significant reach advantage to keep Cormier on the outside, we could see the end of Cormier’s undefeated record. Barnett will need to use kicks and jabs to keep Cormier from closing the distance and using the power punches he showed against Silva. With such a clear advantage in terms of submission skill on the ground, Barnett should be able to kick freely and that will be the key for him. So while this isn’t the fight we expected to see when this Grand Prix was announced, we will definitely learn something about the future of the heavyweight division.

Strikeforce- Barnett vs. Cormier: Pre Fight Part II

Gilbert Melendez (20-2) vs. Josh Thompson (19-4) Fight fans love trilogies. And while this one has a bit of a foregone conclusion feel to it, the fighters did split their first two fights and Josh.

Gilbert Melendez (20-2) vs. Josh Thompson (19-4)

Fight fans love trilogies. And while this one has a bit of a foregone conclusion feel to it, the fighters did split their first two fights and Josh Thompson earned this title shot by controlling KJ Noons in their March fight. Melendez dominated Thompson in their last fight and since then, Thompson has struggled with injuries while Melendez has continued to develop into one of the best lightweights in the world. But with Strikeforce’s 155 pound division featuring names like Ryan Couture and Pat Healy as the next best options after Thompson, this was really the only fight to be made.

In a third fight like this, pre-fight discussion and analysis is generally rendered moot. We have seen this fight before. We know exactly what to expect. Melendez will use his boxing to set up takedowns and try to maintain top control. From there, he will use his ground striking to wear down Thompson and hopefully finish the fight in the later rounds.

Thompson will use his kicks to keep Melendez on the outside. He will look to stuff Melendez’ takedown attempts and create scrambles. Out of the scrambles, he will look to find his way to top position and show his own ground and pound skills as well as try to lock on to a submission if Melendez leaves him an opening.

A finish to this fight before the twenty five minutes have passed is unlikely. Melendez goes into the fight as a huge favorite at -445 with Thompson the underdog at +345. Based on the previous fights and what we have seen from both fighters since those fights, Melendez is the obvious choice to win this fight. But everyone, even Melendez, knows that. And that’s the biggest danger for the champion in this fight. Josh Thompson is still an elite fighter and Melendez cannot afford to take him lightly. Thompson will be coming out to prove that he is fully recovered from his injuries and ready to reclaim his title. And if Melendez has had anything other than a championship caliber training camp, Thompson could score the upset.

Rafael Cavalcante (11-3) vs. Mike Kyle (19-8)

In another rematch, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante tries to avenge a 2009 loss to well-traveled veteran Mike Kyle. Feijao was expected to win the first fight but tired in the second round and suffered an upset TKO loss. Kyle will be looking to prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke and put together back to back wins.

Feijao has the unique history of never having been involved in a decision and I wouldn’t expect this fight to be the first. Both fighters have power in their hands and both have a history of either finishing fights or being finished. Feijao’s biggest asset is his muay thai and he will look to keep the fight on the feet. He will try to pull Kyle into the clinch where he can utilize his versatile striking skill set. His knees are the most dangerous part of his arsenal but his punches and elbows are dangerous as well. Expect Feijao to close the distance, push Kyle against the cage and look to attack in the clinch from there. Kyle is not averse to fighting in close and he will look to counter Feijao’s muay thai with dirty boxing. Considering his opponent’s history of cardio issues, I would expect Kyle to attack the body early and try to tire Feijao. Kyle would also be smart to try to wrestle Feijao to the ground and wear on him with ground and pound.

Feijao is the favorite going in to the fight at -205 with Kyle at +165. If Feijao is in shape and motivated, he should finish Kyle by the end of the second round. But if Kyle can push the pace early and keep the fight on the ground, he could grind out a late stoppage or decision.

-Alan Wells

[VIDEO] What Will Hopefully Be the Final Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Preview

(From the moment Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier awoke cuffed to drain pipes on opposite ends of a dirty bathroom, they knew that a showdown was inevitable.)

Oh, Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, how you’ve managed to elude us. Like that of Tim Sylvia’s UFC campaign, there were times, more often than not, that we laughed at the idea of you ever being taken seriously. Let’s just say that if your story were to be committed to paper, it would undoubtedly surpass that of Homer’s Illiad & Odyssey combined, and although it turns out we were correct to chuckle at “The Maine-iac’s” unfortunate plight, it seems that you are finally going to follow through on what you promised us so long ago. Yes, after teasing us with an original finale date of March 3rd (an event that was quickly changed to support the Tate vs. Rousey fight), you managed to make us wait yet another two and a half months before setting a final date of May 19th. Nearly one year after you began.

But we’re not here to complain, we’re here to celebrate your conclusion. Luckily, Hanuman Productions shares our somewhat-subdued-but-still-present excitement, and have created a sweet trailer to try and get us fully amped for Josh Barnett‘s clash with Daniel Cormier once again.

Check out the trailer after the jump.

(From the moment Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier awoke cuffed to drain pipes on opposite ends of a dirty bathroom, they knew that a showdown was inevitable.)

So there you have it, the final trailer for the the final relevant heavyweight fight of Strikeforce’s career. We’ve probably asked you this before, but it’s been so long that we’ve definitely forgotten: who do you got for this one?

-J. Jones

Josh Barnett is All But Guaranteed a UFC Contract if He Beats Daniel Cormier

(Be warned, Dana, Barnett only comes as a package deal.)

Well, you can add Josh Barnett to the small list of people that Dana White has said will never fight in the UFC again, but will now likely fight in the UFC again. Money does strange things to people, doesn’t it?

Believe it or not, the man who once offered to urinate in DW’s mouth for a steroid test, and stated that he believed “a trained monkey” could do the UFC President’s job will almost definitely be getting a call from the UFC if he is able to walk away victorious from his upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament final match with Daniel Cormier on May 19th. Here’s what The Baldfather had to say:

The way that Showtime wants to do it is when that fight finally happens, whoever wins it, they wanna do another fight on Showtime, so that guy would probably come to the UFC. We’ll see what happens, you know? Josh and I have been playing nice with each other for a little while, since he got into the UFC. It’s more than just, ‘Does he win? Does he do this?’ You gotta be able to come to terms with the guy and be able to deal with him. If he wins the fight, I can’t see why he wouldn’t come here, unless we weren’t able to make a deal with him.

(Be warned, Dana, Barnett only comes as a package deal.)

The way that Showtime wants to do it is when that fight finally happens, whoever wins it, they wanna do another fight on Showtime, so that guy would probably come to the UFC. We’ll see what happens, you know? Josh and I have been playing nice with each other for a little while, since he got into the UFC. It’s more than just, ‘Does he win? Does he do this?’ You gotta be able to come to terms with the guy and be able to deal with him. If he wins the fight, I can’t see why he wouldn’t come here, unless we weren’t able to make a deal with him.

Truly shocking to hear from a man who once said that he didn’t care if Paul Daley was “…the best 170 pounder in the world. He’ll never come back here again,” before stating that he was open to the idea of Daley coming back again.

Dan Henderson is seriously LOL’ing at us right now.

To be fair, Barnett did make it easier for Zuffa to axe Brett Rogers, and has passed every test put in front of him since pissing hot and subsequently crushing Affliction three years ago, so perhaps he has earned the right to fight in the sport’s highest promotion once again. The fact that he has made mincemeat out of his last eight opponents surely helps push forward this notion, but what do you think? Will we be seeing Josh Barnett in the UFC by the end of 2012?

A word to the wise, Dana: Be wary of outsiders with a history, either speculated or proven, of steroid usage. It can really come back and bite you in the arse.

-J. Jones

Barnett Granted Conditional California License, Paving Way for StrikeForce Heavyweight GP Final in May

By Elias Cepeda

(The California State Athletic Commission’s methods may have not been considered normal, but at least now no one can say they just gave Barnett a slap on the wrist.)

Current Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix participant and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett was issued a conditional license to fight in the state of California once again by the California State Athletic Commission Monday during a special meeting called to consider his case. Barnett failed a pre-fight drug test for steroids in 2009 as he readied to fight Fedor Emlianenko in the now defunct Affliction fight promotion. His license to fight in California was subsequently suspended and a later appeal for it to be lifted was denied.

Since that time, Barnett has been licensed and fought in both Ohio and Texas. However, Strikeforce has the next round of their heavyweight tournament scheduled to take place in California in mid-May, and Barnett is slated to face off against Dan Cormier. The commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for April but, as they explained today, that would not have been enough time to allow Strikeforce to effectively promote the card. So a special meeting was requested and approved for Barnett. Before today’s meeting, Barnett was subjected to, and passed, another drug test.

By Elias Cepeda

(The California State Athletic Commission’s methods may have not been considered normal, but at least now no one can say they just gave Barnett a slap on the wrist.)

According to California statutes, the burden to show fitness for licensure fell on Barnett. He made his case by emphasizing time passed since his last positive test (he also tested positive for anabolic steroids in Nevada in 2002), the tests he has subsequently passed, and his charitable and coaching work. Barnett mentioned everything from his organizing with the Red Cross a benefit concert for victims of the recent Japanese tsunami, to his support of women’s MMA to his coaching of youth wrestling, but still denied ever having “intentionally or knowingly” taken steroids.

After opening remarks from California Deputy Attorney General Karen Chappelle and Barnett’s attorney, “The Baby-Faced Assassin” made his own. “This is truly an international sport. I can fight anywhere in the world but I want to fight in California…. Hopefully I can convince you to allow me back in this great state and do what I love,” Barnett told the commission.

However, other remarks in his statement, describing his “utter shock” at his positive test in 2009 appeared to confuse several members of the commission as well as draw the ire of Ms. Chappelle. When questioned by the commission why he would have been shocked by his 2009 positive test, Barnett said that he had never “intentionally or knowingly” taken steroids. A commissioner followed by asking if Barnett was contending that the 2009 test results were not accurate.

While Barnett said that he “could not speak to the test” he maintained that he had never knowingly taken steroids and that there was a whole host of possibilities that could explain the results, including tainted supplements.

Ms. Chappelle seemed to feel that Barnett’s answers were somehow attempting to call in to question the validity of the 2009 test. She pointed out that her office had subpoenaed drug experts from the testing laboratories to prepare for an appeal process in 2009 but that, when he had the chance, Barnett chose not to appeal the test results. She said it was her understanding that Barnett would simply apologize for the 2009 positive test in this meeting and ask to be licensed once more.

Barnett’s attorney attempted to clarify and save face, stating that Barnett simply wanted to appear to ask to be able to fight on the strength of the fact that he has passed several tests since 2009, and has done community work.

The commission had three main options with Barnett: They could once more deny his application to fight in California. They could grant him an unconditional license to fight, or they could grant him a conditional license to fight, whereupon they could attach particular mandates to his license.

Barnett was grilled for a bit longer on the details of his community work and how, exactly, he feels he is smarter and better prepared to avoid future positive drug test results, but ultimately, the commission decided to go with the third option.

Commission Chair John Frierson explained succinctly, “we need good fighters in the state of California…I speak with the Governor often and he always asks me, ‘why don’t we have more big fights?’,” before entering a motion to grant a conditional license to Barnett.

Eventually, the motion was seconded and voted in favor of and Barnett was granted a license to fight in California, on the condition that he be subjected to random biological fluid tests prior to any fights in the state, with the timing to be at the discretion of the state’s staff.

Strikeforce executive Scott Coker was in attendance at the commission hearing but did not speak.

After the decision was rendered, Barnett once more addressed the commission, saying, “I intend to make everyone on the commission…believers. I hope to see you at fight and I hope to change your opinions.”

Commission Chair Frierson replied, “Please don’t let us down. We need good fights and we need good people.”

The Re-Education of ‘King’ Mo Lawal

Filed under: StrikeforceMo Lawal can admit it now: things didn’t go the way he thought they would when he first walked though the doors of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. in the spring of 2011. What happened was simple, really. He c…

Filed under: Strikeforce

Mo Lawal can admit it now: things didn’t go the way he thought they would when he first walked though the doors of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. in the spring of 2011. What happened was simple, really. He came in with all the swagger you’d expect from a man who goes by the moniker of “King” Mo, and then he found out the hard way that he wasn’t the only MMA royalty on those mats.

Or as he put it: “I got beat up.”

And we’re not talking just normal bumps and bruises, either. We’re talking good old-fashioned butt-whoopings. One right after another, after another, after another.

For the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, a man who had racked up seven straight wins in just a year and a half of professional competition, this wasn’t just a surprise — it was a travesty. It was a challenge to everything he thought he knew about himself and his abilities. It was unacceptable. And he had his best friend and former Oklahoma State wrestling teammate, Daniel Cormier, to thank for it.

Cormier convinced Lawal to come up to the Bay Area gym after he heard that his old friend wasn’t totally satisfied with the training he was getting down in Orange County. Lawal had recently suffered the first loss of his career in a Strikeforce 205-pound title defense against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in August of 2010, and now he was looking for a new home after rehabbing a knee injury.

More Coverage: Strikeforce Fight Card | Rockhold vs. Jardine Results

“I was asking him to come up here,” said Cormier. “I heard he was looking to move and we talked a lot. I told him it was the best place for him.”

After weeks of going back and forth, Lawal finally made the move. But when set foot on the mats after being out of action for a while, he was in for a rough welcome.

“I remember him struggling early on,” Cormier said. “His timing was off. He hadn’t fought in almost a year. He just wasn’t himself.”

His first day of sparring, as Lawal remembered it, he went up against his buddy Cormier. He started off getting the worst of it, and things only deteriorated from there as his cardio showed the effects of his injury layoff.

“I was kind of getting beat down,” Lawal said. “I’m not going to lie.”

The next day of sparring, Lawal got matched up with a tall, lanky surfer kid by the name of Luke Rockhold — a middleweight who Lawal took one look at before deciding that his fortunes in the gym were about to change.

“I was like, yes! I’m going to smash him!” Lawal said. The way he saw it, Rockhold was a pretty boy who wasn’t going to like getting hit in the face. He was, in Lawal’s eyes, “a fake Ken doll.”

But before they strapped on the gloves, Cormier tried to warn his friend that it might not be as easy a sparring session as he thought.

“I told him, Luke is a guy you have to watch out for. He goes a thousand percent all the time.”

Lawal wasn’t convinced. This guy? The one who looks like he stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog? He was the one who was going to give a former Strikeforce champ and NCAA All-American a hard time? Please.

“I was like, I can’t wait till I spar with Luke,” Lawal said. “I’m going to put them thangs on him.”

A few rounds later, Lawal found out what Cormier was talking about. Rockhold popped right back up after Lawal took him down. He fired off kicks that seemed to come from odd angles and yet always found an open target. Lawal found himself getting punched, kneed, and kicked in places he thought he’d been defending well.

“I got beat up,” Lawal said. “…I got exposed. Because I came from training in Orange County, which was a good camp, some good guys out there, but the whole level of intensity, I felt like I was in Holland or something. I was like, these guys are trying to knock me out.”

Cormier had tried to tell him what he was in for, but maybe it was something he had to experience for himself to understand. That’s how it was for Cormier when he first joined the team, he said.

“Other guys may train hard and spar hard, but it’s different here, where you have so many top guys and they’re all there every single day. I think that’s probably the biggest thing. There’s a core group of guys who are here every day, and they’re all mostly top ten in the world. It’s a daily grind. You don’t go to the gym and not have to deal with Luke Rockhold, [Josh] Koscheck, [Jon] Fitch, Cain [Velasquez] — they’re all there every time you step on the mat. There’s no easy days.”

Cormier knew his old friend would benefit from those daily battles, but he also had selfish reasons for enlisting him, he admitted.

“I just know that my best years, whether it was wrestling or whatever, Mo was right there close to me. The comfort that I have training with that dude, his ability to talk you up when you’re having bad days, just having a friend around helps so much.”

Still, it wasn’t just himself he was trying to help by bringing Lawal onto the team, Cormier said.

“I knew it would be good for him, but I also knew it would be good for Luke. We didn’t have that many smaller guys for him, so Luke had been sparring me and Cain. That’s not a good day for any [middleweight].”

With Lawal now on the AKA roster, Rockhold had a sparring partner closer to his size who could help him improve his wrestling, and Lawal had one who would force him to work on his stand-up skills. It was a symbiotic relationship that benefited them both, even if it resulted in the two of them showing up places with matching cuts and bruises when they traveled together to promote their respective fights on Saturday night’s Showtime card in Las Vegas.

“I’m going to be real with y’all,” Lawal said while sitting next to Rockhold at a recent media Q&A at the MGM Grand. “This man right here is a top three middleweight in the world. You see my eye? I’ve got a little black eye, that’s because of him. He kneed me in the face and punched me.”

Rockhold just shrugged and smiled before showing off his own battle wounds courtesy of Lawal and explaining that “iron sharpens iron.”

Which is kind of the whole point, as you can tell when you glance around the room at a place like AKA. The mats are crowded with UFC and Strikeforce fighters, former and current champions who make sure that there are no days off inside those walls. And that, Lawal said, is exactly what he needed. That’s why unbeaten prospect Lorenz Larkin is in trouble once the cage door closes on Saturday night, he explained.

“He’s undefeated. He’s a tough, young kid, hungry like me, but I’m starving,” Lawal said. “I’m an Ethiopian right now.”

That’s the good part about taking your beatings in the gym. There, no one’s watching. No one’s keeping score. There, the pounding is intended to make you better, or at the very least tougher. It’s on Saturday night, when the cameras are rolling and the crowd is cheering, that you find out if it worked.

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