Tag: Fedor Emelianenko

Werdum Aiming For March Strikeforce Return; Wants Fedor or Overeem and Not Barnett

 (Barnett? Yeah, right. You saw what he did to Affliction, didn’t you?)
Fabricio Werdum revealed to Sherdog today that he is targeting March for his return to the  Hexagontm, but says newly-signed Strikeforce heavyweight Josh Barnett isn’t on…

 
(Barnett? Yeah, right. You saw what he did to Affliction, didn’t you?)

Fabricio Werdum revealed to Sherdog today that he is targeting March for his return to the  Hexagontm, but says newly-signed Strikeforce heavyweight Josh Barnett isn’t on his radar for his first or second fight back.

"The surgery was such a success and I’ve been working so hard with the physical therapy that I’ve already made some movement on the ground a few days ago using 70 percent of my power…I believe that by March, I’ll be back to the ring…My goal now is either a rematch with Fedor or (one) with Overeem for the belt," he said. "But actually the most important thing for me is not who they will choose, but that my body is 100 percent recovered, so I can show to the ones who thought I was lucky that I was actually ready and pretty well-trained to fight Fedor.”

According to Werdum, it’s not that he thinks "The Babyfaced Assassin" is any less of an opponent than "The Last Emperor" or "The Demolition Man," it’s that he hasn’t thought about fighting him at all.

"I thought it was a great acquisition to the event," Werdum explained. "Barnett is a really tough heavyweight. I haven’t thought about facing him yet."

Translation: "I’m waiting to see if Strikeforce is still around after I fight both of those guys and if I get an invite to return to the UFC before I commit to a fight with Josh."

Harbinger of Doom Alert: Barnett Still Talking About Fighting Fedor

(C’mon, what’s the worst that could happen? PicProps: MMA Gear Guide)
If you’re Strikeforce, this ought to make you pretty nervous. I mean, the last time Josh Barnett started angling toward a fight with Fedor Emelianenko it spelled the beginning …


(C’mon, what’s the worst that could happen? PicProps: MMA Gear Guide)

If you’re Strikeforce, this ought to make you pretty nervous. I mean, the last time Josh Barnett started angling toward a fight with Fedor Emelianenko it spelled the beginning of the end for the previous group of jokers who tried to take on the UFC. Nonetheless, the heavyweight fighter the fans love to hate went on MMA Weekly radio this week and said he still intends to make a fight with Emelianenko come to fruition, assumedly inside the Strikeforce cage.

"I’m sure it will happen at some point,” Barnett said during the on-air appearance. “And it will be just as amazing, at least for me anyways, as it would have been."

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Josh Barnett Eyes Strikeforce Debut in 2010 Against ‘Whoever’s Willing to Do It’

Filed under: StrikeforceWith the ink on his Strikeforce contract barely dry, former Pride and UFC heavyweight standout Josh Barnett made his career intentions very clear on Thursday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.”

“My goal is to be the absolute best in t…

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With the ink on his Strikeforce contract barely dry, former Pride and UFC heavyweight standout Josh Barnett made his career intentions very clear on Thursday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.”

“My goal is to be the absolute best in the world and to beat everybody who walks this earth,” Barnett told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. “And you know what? There’s a lot of people out there.”

Barnett said he signed a contract with Strikeforce that is “not perfect,” but good enough to get him back in front of American audiences for the first time since a failed drug test torpedoed his hopes of getting licensed to fight Fedor Emelianenko in an Affliction event back in July of 2009.

While Barnett said he doesn’t yet have an opponent or a date planned for his Strikeforce debut, he expects to have his first fight in the organization “before the end of the year.”

‘Bigfoot’ Silva Wants Fedor Emelianenko Next, Will Also Settle for Josh Barnett

Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsWhen we last spoke to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, it sounded as though he was leaning towards booking Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva for the Strikeforce heavyweight title next.

But with Overeem’s …

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When we last spoke to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, it sounded as though he was leaning towards booking Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva for the Strikeforce heavyweight title next.

But with Overeem’s recent decision to compete in the K-1 Final 16 in October, it appears as though that won’t be happening after all.

As a result, Silva has now turned his attention to Fedor Emelianenko.

Silva, along with his manager Alex Davis, were guests on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, and they let it be known that they were ready and willing to fight “The Last Emperor” next.

“I don’t think that the Overeem fight is going to happen right now because Overeem has already committed to K-1,” Davis said. “We’re hoping to fight Fedor. I think that’s a fight that makes sense. I think everybody wants to see it. We know that there have been historical problems with Fedor’s management, so right now, we’re waiting for Strikeforce to resolve them. I mean, we’d love to fight Fedor, but it’s like Antonio says, he’s not going to pick and choose opponents. He’s going to fight anybody they put in front of him.”

Strikeforce Rolls the Dice, Signs Josh Barnett to Multi-Fight Deal

(Anybody know the heimlich? Josh swallowed one of his little toys again. Photo courtesy of Sherdog.)
Despite the fact that he effectively torched Affliction’s MMA promotion by testing positive for steroids, Strikeforce has agreed to play ball with Jo…

Josh Barnett MMA Strikeforce Affliction
(Anybody know the heimlich? Josh swallowed one of his little toys again. Photo courtesy of Sherdog.)

Despite the fact that he effectively torched Affliction’s MMA promotion by testing positive for steroids, Strikeforce has agreed to play ball with Josh Barnett, signing the former UFC heavyweight champion to a multi-fight contract. Strikeforce announced the news in a press release sent out this morning, but didn’t reveal the date of Barnett’s debut or the name of his first opponent. Said the Babyface Assassin:

“Strikeforce is the home of the best heavyweight division in the world and I’m proud to be able to call it my home now. I’m looking forward to competing amongst the greatest fighters in the world and fighting my way to another world title.”

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Oh, Jesus Christ Alert: Fedor, Overeem Officially Acting Like Third Grade Girls

(Fight Fedor? He’s got a thing that night. PicProps: K-1)
After months of Alistair Overeem publicly blaming M-1 Global for keeping him from fighting Fedor Emelianenko, the “Last Emperor” finally came out this week and said he would fi…


(Fight Fedor? He’s got a thing that night. PicProps: K-1)

After months of Alistair Overeem publicly blaming M-1 Global for keeping him from fighting Fedor Emelianenko, the “Last Emperor” finally came out this week and said he would fight Overeem by the end of the year. Great news, right? Well, it would be, except that Overeem now says he doesn’t want to fight Fedor. At least not until the former consensus No.1-ranked heavyweight gets back on the winning track. Instead, Overeem says he’ll compete in K-1’s 2010 Grand Prix, which could keep him tied up from October to December.

That faint crashing sound you just heard was us throwing our favorite coffee mug – the “I Love Iowa” one we got in grad school – against the wall.

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