Join Bleacher Report cageside for live Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum results, analysis and commentary.There is a strong chorus of voices out there that will tell you Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum features the two hottest heavyweights that mixed mar…
Join Bleacher Report cageside for live Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum results, analysis and commentary.
There is a strong chorus of voices out there that will tell you Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum features the two hottest heavyweights that mixed martial arts has to offer at the moment.
Given the injury to UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and the demise of Brock Lesnar, that chorus can make a pretty persuasive argument for Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem and Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum.
Granted, the UFC’s new top contender at 265 pounds, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos, slammed his name into the discussion with his decisive win over Shane Carwin at UFC 131, but you get the point.
Overeem and Werdum are both scorching at the moment.
That fact has given the second installment of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal bouts a considerable buzz.
The Demolition Man has, well, demolished his last three opponents and hasn’t lost since suffering a 2007 knockout at the hands of Sergei “The Russian Mercenary” Kharitonov (who lurks on the other side of the bracket). Meanwhile, his Brazilian counterpart is “The Man Who Beat Fedor” and who, one fight before that, also defeated the behemoth awaiting the Overeem/Werdum winner in the semifinals (Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva).
Not to mention the victory Werdum already boasts over Overeem from 2006.
And that’s just the main event.
The card also features Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” vs. Brett “The Grim” Rogers in the other heavyweight quarterfinal bout, K.J. “King” Noons in a lightweight match with Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal and everyone’s favorite anarchist, Jeff “The Snowman” Monson making his return to the bright lights of a big event.
So join Bleacher Report at cageside in the heart of the Lone Star State and get up-to-the-minute results for each fight listed below:
The UFC will return to Las Vegas later this fall to feature one of the most anticipated title bouts of the year, as Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, will challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137. MMAJunkie.com …
The UFC will return to Las Vegas later this fall to feature one of the most anticipated title bouts of the year, as Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, will challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137.
MMAJunkie.com confirms the Nevada Athletic State Commission has approved the bout, and has targeted the Mandalay Bay to host the event on Oct. 29.
Along with the official announcement, UFC president Dana White added that Diaz will vacate his title in order to challenge St-Pierre, a clause in his contract that has granted him the opportunity, as well as having the option to return to Strikeforce should he not defeat the champion.
Diaz will enter the bout on a ten-fight win streak, capturing victories over such competitors as Paul Daley and Evengelista “Cyborg” Santos. The appearance will be Diaz’s first time inside the Octagon since 2006, after he was released by from the organization after posting a 6-4 record, and has gone 11-1 since then.
St-Pierre is arguably the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighter, and he will be making his seventh title defense against Diaz. The French-Canadian has also enjoyed an impressive streak of his own, going on a nine-fight win streak after losing the welterweight title to Matt Serra in 2007. Since his loss to Serra, St-Pierre has won 16 of his last 17 bouts, earning wins over the likes of BJ Penn, Jon Fitch and most recently, Jake Shields.
Both competitors have essentially cleaned out their respective divisions, and will finally meet each other at UFC 137, with the winner undoubtedly emerging as the top welterweight in mixed martial arts.
Love him or hate him, Nick Diaz is one of the best fighters in MMA today. Diaz is currently on a ten fight winning streak, which includes wins over Frank Shamrock, K.J. Noons, and Paul Daley.Diaz recently followed in the footsteps of his teammate Jake …
Love him or hate him, Nick Diaz is one of the best fighters in MMA today.
Diaz is currently on a ten fight winning streak, which includes wins over Frank Shamrock, K.J. Noons, and Paul Daley.
Diaz recently followed in the footsteps of his teammate Jake Shields, dropping his Strikeforce title to challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Although many may not give the former Strikeforce welterweight champ much of a chance against St-Pierre, he may actually be his biggest threat.
Here are 5 Reasons why the former Strikeforce Welterweight champion should not be underestimated.
The dream of every MMA fan is to see the best fights possible. In every professional sport, we get to see the best in the world compete against one another on a consistent basis. Unfortunately for MMA, there has always been a line in the sand when it c…
The dream of every MMA fan is to see the best fights possible.
In every professional sport, we get to see the best in the world compete against one another on a consistent basis.
Unfortunately for MMA, there has always been a line in the sand when it comes to delivering fans the dream match-ups they want to see.
While the UFC boasts the biggest stable of upper-echelon talent, there are a multitude of organizations around the world that harbor world class fighters.
A prime example is the San Jose based Strikeforce promotion, which rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the highly ridiculed EliteXC organization.
There are a plethora of major names in the promotion including Fedor Emelianenko, Nick Diaz, Alistair Overeem, and Gilbert Melendez.
Fans have dreamed about seeing these guys paired with marquee UFC names for surefire MMA blockbusters.
Earlier this year, the UFC took a giant step in making these dream match-ups a reality when Zuffa purchased Strikeforce.
The reaction from the news was reminiscent of Zuffa’s purchase of Pride in March 2007. Since the announcement, fans eagerly wait as UFC President Dana White works hard to deliver the fights they want to see.
On Oct. 29, the first superfight between the two promotions will occur when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defends his title against Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, who had to relinquish his belt to challenge GSP.
This fight marks the beginning of something special, and fans have every right to be excited for the future. There is nothing wrong with acquiring UFC-ready talent like Diaz, but a full-on merger between the UFC and Strikeforce has its downfalls.
What would happen to women’s MMA?
Since the February 2007 tussle between Gina Carano and Julie Kedzie, women’s MMA has grown considerably, and fans have generally accepted the ladies as viable competitors in the sport.
With Carano serving as the face of women’s MMA, the sport has introduced a multitude of other stars including Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Marloes Coenen, Sarah Kaufman, and Miesha Tate.
The championship bout between Carano and Santos even served as the headliner on a major Strikeforce card in August 2009.
If a merger takes place, it could mean the end of women’s MMA in the mainstream spotlight. It isn’t that White and the UFC aren’t interested, but the amount of quality talent in women’s MMA simply isn’t there yet.
It’s been nearly a year since Santos’ last title defense, and Strikeforce is still searching for an opponent.
Women’s MMA is a growing project, and it will take time to bolster divisions. If you look at things from the other side of the spectrum, the opportunity to fight for the UFC and make more money could encourage more women to get involved in the sport.
Along with the uncertainty of women’s MMA, a merger could make it harder to distribute the spotlight amongst superstars and rising contenders.
With the addition of the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, UFC cards are consistently stacked. Fans used to wait around for maybe two or three big cards per year, but the influx of talent acquired from the WEC has generated an abundance of main card worthy match-ups.
With only five fights guaranteed to make it on pay-per-view, it’s tough to showcase every fighter. The UFC has done a tremendous job of turning to various outlets like Facebook and Youtube to stream the undercard of live events.
According to White, the UFC is close to adding a flyweight division. This is an entire division featuring a new stable of talent. If you add in the vast amount of talent from the Strikeforce roster, could the current UFC setup handle this amount of potential stars?
There could possibly be talk about extending the pay-per-view bouts or putting on more shows, but this decision would certainly require some major changes.
What about the entertaining talent that can’t cut it in the UFC?
The mantra for the UFC is usually three strikes and you’re out. As the divisions continue to grow, we could see fighters cut after one or two losses.
There is a multitude of entertaining talent that may not be able to cut it in the UFC. Diaz was a great example.
Towards the end of his UFC tenure, he lost three straight to Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, and Joe Riggs. Diaz used the EliteXC and Strikeforce promotions to build a name for himself.
He is now one of the biggest stars in the sport, and his success outside the UFC earned him the opportunity to challenge for a world title.
A true fan of the sport enjoys watching quality fights wherever they can be found. As are many others, Diaz is a quality fighter that garnered interest outside the UFC.
Why waste these guys?
As a fan, it’s great to have another medium to get your fill of the sport. If a fighter is cut from the UFC or a deal goes awry, people can still watch their favorite fighters compete in another mainstream promotion. A merger would kill that option for fans.
There are plenty of things the UFC could do to avoid spreading the sport too thin. The promotion could introduce a minor league similar to the Strikeforce Challengers series, or Strikeforce could be left intact as a smaller promotion under the Zuffa umbrella.
As for now, White is firm in his statement that the promotions will continue to work as separate entities.
With Tito Ortiz’s upcoming fight against Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in July and the fact that he is most certainly in the twilight of his career, it seems like an appropriate time to examine whether or not he deserves a spot in the UFC’s hall of…
With Tito Ortiz’s upcoming fight against Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in July and the fact that he is most certainly in the twilight of his career, it seems like an appropriate time to examine whether or not he deserves a spot in the UFC’s hall of fame.
Unlike other sports, there is no national panel to judge whether or not someone’s credentials are worthy of admittance and it is left mostly up to Dana White to decide who is granted entry. This, along with White’s famous temper, makes the process rather arbitrary.
Prominent fighters like Frank Shamrock, who deserve entry, will most likely never be let in. White’s notorious temper and desire to have things done his way have led to unfair treatment of other fighters as well.
When Randy Couture had his issues with Zuffa, the UFC simply stopped mentioning Couture on their broadcasts as if they were trying to erase him from their history. Also, when several AKA fighters like Jon Fitch initially refused to sign over their rights to the UFC, they were cut from the organization albeit temporarily.
So as one can see, the process itself may not be the fairest and the longstanding feud between Ortiz and White may preclude Ortiz from being admitted to the hall of fame. However, there is a legitimate question as to whether or not Ortiz possesses the credentials to even be admitted into the hall even if the process was unbiased.
Several journalists, such as Kevin Iole, claim that Ortiz should most certainly be let in based off of the fact that he defended the light heavyweight title five times and held the championship for over three years. However, everyone knows numbers can be deceiving and a closer look at Ortiz’s resume shows why.
Ortiz boasts a career record of 15-8-1 and a UFC record of 14-8-1. He won the UFC light heavyweight belt at UFC 25 in April of 2000 against Wanderlei Silva and then defended it five times until he lost to Randy Couture at UFC 44 in September of 2003. His five defenses were against Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko and Ken Shamrock.
Matyushenko, Sinosic and Kondo are serviceable fighters but really fall under the category of career journeymen and Ken Shamrock was well past his prime. His most impressive title defense was most likely Evan Tanner but even that is somewhat questionable since Tanner eventually dropped down to middleweight.
Iole’s other argument is that Ortiz held the title for over three years. However, this argument is easily debunked when one notes that Ortiz refused to fight Chuck Liddell and the UFC eventually had to create an interim title which Liddell and Couture fought for at UFC 43.
When determining whether or not someone deserves entry into the UFC hall of fame, several things must be evaluated. Whether or not they were able to win a title and how long they defended it, their ability to perform under pressure, longevity and the willingness to challenge themselves and fight any and all contenders.
While Ortiz did win and defend his title, he has failed time after time to deliver in big fights, he does not have the career longevity or the ability to still remain relevant like other fighters such as Couture and Matt Hughes, and his refusal to fight Liddell casts a dark stain on his character and career.
Ortiz’s failure to deliver in big fights is the biggest reason that he doesn’t deserve to go to the hall of fame. Great champions step up in big fights and Ortiz simply hasn’t been up to the challenge. He lost his first title shot to Frank Shamrock at UFC 22, he lost the unification match with Randy Couture at UFC 44, and lost both title fights with Chuck Liddell.
Ortiz’s 14 UFC wins also begin to look less impressive when one notes that three of them came against a washed up Ken Shamrock. He has also failed to remain relevant after losing his title and was never able to successfully rebound.
Fighters like Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre, Randy Couture, and B.J Penn all rebounded to win back their titles or even win titles in other weight classes. Even today Matt Hughes is still able to win fights and even fighters like Rich Franklin are still able to put on good fights and can continue on as gatekeepers.
It should also be noted that Ortiz’s last two victories were both over Ken Shamrock and his win before that was the controversial victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 59. Ortiz’s last clear-cut win was over Vitor Belfort at UFC 51 in 2005.
While Ortiz was charismatic and brought the UFC much needed attention, it is very questionable if his career resume is enough to get him admitted to the hall of fame. He has failed to deliver in the biggest fights of his career, he was so hesitant to fight Chuck Liddell that the UFC needed to create an interim belt to remedy the situation, and he has failed to show the longevity of other great fighters.
While Ortiz may have been very good, he was not great and the hall of fame is for the greatest—not the very good.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Belt Fabricio Werdum appeared to be in over his head when he signed to fight the legendary fighter from Russia, Fedor Emelianenko.Werdum (14-4) didn’t waste any time in locking Emelianenko up in a triangle choke shortly after …
Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Belt Fabricio Werdum appeared to be in over his head when he signed to fight the legendary fighter from Russia, Fedor Emelianenko.
Werdum (14-4) didn’t waste any time in locking Emelianenko up in a triangle choke shortly after he was dropped 30 seconds into Round 1. “The Last Emperor” tried to fight it off but succumbed to the pressure of the two-time ADCC world heavyweight champion’s submission, tapping out 1:09 into the round.
The former UFC and Pride veteran will be fighting this weekend at Strikeforce in Dallas, Texas. His opponent is top-10 heavyweight and current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem (34-11). The three-round bout will not be for the title, but it will be for a spot in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix semifinals.
The quarterfinal bout will be a rematch of their 2006 fight where Werdum submitted the “Demolition Man,” who is the only fighter to have held championship titles in both kickboxing and MMA at the same time. Since that loss, Overeem has gone 11-4, with three of those losses coming within a year of submitting to Werdum.
The other quarterfinal bout includes Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett, which will be broadcast on the same card.
Don’t forget to check out Sal DeRose’s “knockout of the day” article, here!
Join Bleacher Report cageside for live Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum results, analysis and commentary.