Tag: joshbarnett

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…

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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.”

 

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Josh Barnett: I’ve Considered Walking Away From Organized MMA

Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsIt took Josh Barnett a little bit to clear the cobwebs and open up, but when he did on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour,” he had plenty to say.

Barnett, in the studio with host Ariel Helwani for Monday’s show, touched o…

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Josh BarnettIt took Josh Barnett a little bit to clear the cobwebs and open up, but when he did on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour,” he had plenty to say.

Barnett, in the studio with host Ariel Helwani for Monday’s show, touched on a host of subjects, from his current suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for a third positive test for banned substances to his upcoming participation in Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament.

But perhaps most surprisingly, Barnett said he has considered walking away from the sport.

“The thought has crossed my mind to quit even dealing with organized mixed martial arts in general and just fight my own fights, however I feel like,” Barnett said. “The fact of the matter is, I fight because I have to – because it’s a thing that drives me, not because of anything else.”

Tim Sylvia to Compete in Japanese Pro Wrestling

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsFormer UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will try his hands at the professional wrestling game later this month in Japan – and will be joined by fellow heavyweights Josh Barnett, Bobby Lashley and Bob Sapp. B…

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will try his hands at the professional wrestling game later this month in Japan – and will be joined by fellow heavyweights Josh Barnett, Bobby Lashley and Bob Sapp. Barnett and Sapp both have wrestled professionally in Japan; Lashley was a pro wrestler for WWE and TNA before taking up MMA.

A source close to Sylvia’s camp told MMA Fighting on Friday that a deal is in place for Sylvia to take part in two fights, with the first coming in two weeks – and that first bout is likely to come against Barnett. The source also said Lashley and Sapp will compete for the same promotion.