(Yeah, we’d miss this kind of thing too. Photo via Getty Images.)
Alright, this is getting ri-goddamn-diculous.
Less than a fortnight ago, we dropped the official ban hammer on fighters announcing their retirement from the sport, then immediately unretiring. Aside from the fact that most of these so-called “retirements” last less time than the average hangover, the fighters who usually pull this bait-and-switch tend to look anything but “revitalized” or “renewed” upon returning. In most cases, it is quite the opposite.
And the latest offender of our ban? Former Strikeforce light heavyweight and semi-rehabilitated former bastard Mike Kyle, who announced his retirement from the sport following a first round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi in January. As in January of this year. One would think it would take a mighty fine offer against a well known opponent to draw Kyle out of retirement so quickly. One would be wrong, as it was announced recently that Kyle will be squaring off against fellow Strikeforce vet Valentijn Overeem in a heavyweight contest in May. Details via MMAJunkie:
A heavyweight bout between former Strikeforce fighters Mike Kyle (19-9-1) and Valentijn Overeem (32-30) is set for Championship Fighting Alliance’s 11th event, which is slated for May 24 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
(Yeah, we’d miss this kind of thing too. Photo via Getty Images.)
Alright, this is getting ri-goddamn-diculous.
Less than a fortnight ago, we dropped the official ban hammer on fighters announcing their retirement from the sport, then immediately unretiring. Aside from the fact that most of these so-called “retirements” last less time than the average hangover, the fighters who usually pull this bait-and-switch tend to look anything but “revitalized” or “renewed” upon returning. In most cases, it is quite the opposite.
And the latest offender of our ban? Former Strikeforce light heavyweight and semi-rehabilitated former bastard Mike Kyle, who announced his retirement from the sport following a first round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi in January. As in January of this year. One would think it would take a mighty fine offer against a well known opponent to draw Kyle out of retirement so quickly. One would be wrong, as it was announced recently that Kyle will be squaring off against fellow Strikeforce vet Valentijn Overeem in a heavyweight contest in May. Details via MMAJunkie:
A heavyweight bout between former Strikeforce fighters Mike Kyle (19-9-1) and Valentijn Overeem (32-30) is set for Championship Fighting Alliance’s 11th event, which is slated for May 24 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
Although Kyle’s decision is a little frustrating from a fan’s perspective at first, it’s not hard to see what “MAK’s” endgame is here. In case you lack the astute observational skills of the average MMA blogger, it goes like this: Kyle never really wanted to retire, but realized following his loss to Mousasi (and given his general reputation in the MMA community) that he would not be heading (back) to the UFC with some of his fellow Strikeforce cohorts. Not wanting to be left standing out in the rain, so to speak, Kyle figured he would save his dignity and retire, then unretire, crush a total can, and declare that “he is back” before starting a #RallyforKyle campaign to finally get back in the UFC.
Nice try, you snake in the grass.
But if you ask us, the real shame here is that — barring the possibility that Kyle has been training at Jackson’s MMA, Black House, and Tristar simultaneously since retiring — there is zero chance that we will see a better version of the 33 year-old in his next appearance. Then again, he will be fighting the other Overeem known for turtling at the first signs of resistance in Valentijn, who is just 1-3 in his last 4 fights including a loss in Russia last December that has yet to even be acknowledged by his Sherdog profile…
Filed under: UFC, StrikeforceChad Griggs was just starting to get comfortable in Strikeforce when the UFC came calling. Or rather, maybe it was Strikeforce that was finally getting comfortable with Griggs.
Chad Griggs was just starting to get comfortable in Strikeforce when the UFC came calling. Or rather, maybe it was Strikeforce that was finally getting comfortable with Griggs.
“I think after the last fight I started to feel good there,” Griggs told MMA Fighting on Thursday. “They were kind of like, okay, fine. You’re here. We’re giving you some credit now.”
But with Strikeforce’s heavyweight division now going the way of the WEC — and with Griggs’ contract expiring not long after his third consecutive victory in the organization — Griggs and his management were ecstatic about the chance to sign a new deal with the UFC, especially now that his stock is higher than ever.
“We’ve been talking for a while,” said Griggs. “We’ve been throwing numbers back and forth for a little while because my contract was coming close to an end, so we were trying to figure out where I was going from here. I knew they were interested, and it was just a matter of if we could get the numbers right. I think we’re both going to be happy. …I’m excited about it, but now I’ve got to get in there and prove that I deserve to be there. It’s time to put the work in and hopefully it pays off here in a few months.”
Before getting the call to face Bobby Lashley in his Strikeforce debut in August of 2010, Griggs had been toying with the idea of dropping to light heavyweight. He was a bit on the small side for the heavyweight division, he figured, but the chance to face a big name like Lashley was too great an opportunity to turn down, even if he knew what Strikeforce was expecting out of the bout.
“Obviously Strikeforce doesn’t want me to win,” he told us before that fight. “But hey, they gave me the chance and now they’ve got to pay the consequences.”
Griggs not only won that bout, but also notched first-round stoppages in two subsequent fights, including a TKO win in a thrilling brawl with Gian Villante in a Grand Prix reserve bout in February of this year, followed by another quick win over Valentijn Overeem in June. Now that he’s signed a new contract with the UFC, he’s planning to stay at heavyweight for the foreseeable future, he said.
“I’m not going to try and fix anything that’s not broke. If I don’t do well we may try something else…but for now I’ll stay with what I know, and that’s fighting the big boys.”
He has no official date or opponent for his UFC debut, Griggs said, but there have been discussions about slotting him in for an event in March of 2012. Most importantly, he finally feels like he’s in an organization that is interested in him as a fighter rather than as a sacrificial lamb, he said.
“But it’s a plus and a minus. I’m going to a new league, so you’ve got to reestablish yourself and prove that you deserve to be there. It’s like going to a new school, I guess. You want to fit in and do well, but at the same time I think they want to see me do well and they know I put on some good shows, so they’re not sending me into the slaughter. They’re giving me some respect.”
Griggs said he hopes to be able to announce an opponent and date for his first UFC fight in the next couple weeks, and urged fans to “keep an eye out for me.”
“I’m going to try and make some waves,” he added. “Just put my head down and swing.”
And why not? It’s worked out well so far, even if the people signing his checks didn’t always expect it to.
Dana White broke Ariel Helwani off a few minutes of his precious time to talk about a myriad of subjects, most interesting of which was his reaction to Golden Glory manager Bas Boon‘s public desire to meet all of Zuffa’s concerns, including direct payments to fighters and an exclusive contract with Alistair Overeem: “Well that’s awesome. If that’s the true story and that’s what he said, sounds like we can make a deal then…If Bas Boon is saying that this is the way we can do it, then we can absolutely, positively make a deal and we can get this ball rolling again.”
Though he appeared willing to move beyond whatever was behind the mass-firing, Dana didn’t relent from his position that the cuts were simply a matter of different business practices between the parties and nothing more: “I don’t give a shit what they tweet, what they take pictures of, or what they say, they fucking know exactly how it worked and we would not do it that way.”
After the jump, it turns out that Overeem has not been officially released by Strikeforce after all.
Dana White broke Ariel Helwani off a few minutes of his precious time to talk about a myriad of subjects, most interesting of which was his reaction to Golden Glory manager Bas Boon‘s public desire to meet all of Zuffa’s concerns, including direct payments to fighters and an exclusive contract with Alistair Overeem: “Well that’s awesome. If that’s the true story and that’s what he said, sounds like we can make a deal then…If Bas Boon is saying that this is the way we can do it, then we can absolutely, positively make a deal and we can get this ball rolling again.”
Though he appeared willing to move beyond whatever was behind the mass-firing, Dana didn’t relent from his position that the cuts were simply a matter of different business practices between the parties and nothing more: “I don’t give a shit what they tweet, what they take pictures of, or what they say, they fucking know exactly how it worked and we would not do it that way.”
Dana does come across as candid in this interview, but he strains credulity by stating that “one thing that I don’t do, I wouldn’t go [out] there and lie to all you guys.” In case you’ve forgotten his fondness for fibs, historical revisions, and stretches of the truth, keep watching the video. Not a minute later White responds to Ariel’s question about his having been in contact with Bas Boon since the termination with a pause, a gulp, and a barely audible “Yup”, similar to how you answer your girlfriend when she asks if any of your exes were at Steve’s party last night. You want to say, “No, I hate those skanks”, but the way she asks the question it almost seems like she already knows the answer, so you can’t risk the lie. I know that “Yup”; I’ve given that “Yup”; it’s the “Yup” of a man reluctant to tell the truth.
In other Golden Glory news, ESPN’s Josh Gross reports that Alistair is technically still very much the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. Rather than cut Overeem directly, Zuffa exercised a clause in in his contract which essentially allowed them to deduct the last fight from his deal for turning down a September fight in the Grand Prix Tournament semi finals. The two parties have entered into a 120 day exclusive negotiation period; if they fail to come to terms, Zuffa will have another 120 days to match any potential offers from outside promotions. A “Champion’s Clause” will prevent the Dutch fighter’s participation in a bout scheduled for October. Even if Overeem stays within the Zuffa umbrella, it’s not entirely clear which organization he’d end up fighting for. Dana asked, “To be in a position where Alistar can come over and fight in the UFC- why would I not do it?” It’s a good question. Let’s hope we get the answer soon.
Yeah, we were praying for something to happen in that fight, too.
Heading into last night’s Strikeforce card, there were a lot of potential storylines. There was Werdum continuing to clean out Strikeforce’s heavyweight division. There was Overeem avenging his loss to Werdum five years ago in devastating fashion. There were the returns to relevance of Josh Barnett and Jeff Monson, the rise of Daniel Cormier and “Othereem” getting the fans to learn his name. Yet after the event was over, the most compelling thing we can take from it is that Dallas has some educated MMA fans. While your average Affliction clad meathead was booing from the start of Cormier vs. Monson until the end of the night, Dallas fans only booed during Overeem vs. Werdum.
Normally I hate when fans boo fighters, but to say Overeem vs. Werdum was boo-worthy doesn’t begin to capture what a disappointment the main event was. We expected fireworks, and instead were given an even less relevant version of Silva vs. Leites (at least that fight was for a title). If that fight was under the UFC banner, Dana White would have immediately issued an apology to the fans and a threat to fire Werdum over another performance like that. To say the least, Werdum’s chances of getting back into the UFC were more than likely squashed by that fight three round Thales Leites impression.
Yeah, we were praying for something to happen in that fight, too.
Heading into last night’s Strikeforce card, there were a lot of potential storylines. There was Werdum continuing to clean out Strikeforce’s heavyweight division. There was Overeem avenging his loss to Werdum five years ago in devastating fashion. There were the returns to relevance of Josh Barnett and Jeff Monson, the rise of Daniel Cormier and “Othereem” getting the fans to learn his name. Yet after the event was over, the most compelling thing we can take from it is that Dallas has some educated MMA fans. While your average Affliction clad meathead was booing from the start of Cormier vs. Monson until the end of the night, Dallas fans only booed during Overeem vs. Werdum.
Normally I hate when fans boo fighters, but to say Overeem vs. Werdum was boo-worthy doesn’t begin to capture what a disappointment the main event was. We expected fireworks, and instead were given an even less relevant version of Silva vs. Leites (at least that fight was for a title). If that fight was under the UFC banner, Dana White would have immediately issued an apology to the fans and a threat to fire Werdum over another performance like that. To say the least, Werdum’s chances of getting back into the UFC were more than likely squashed by that fight three round Thales Leites impression.
Werdum stuck to his “punch punch flop” strategy despite getting the better of Overeem in multiple standup exchanges. For that matter, FightMetric actually gave Werdum the fight, 29-28. So does that mean Werdum got robbed? Of course not. You’re judged by aggression, and Werdum showed absolutely none through his unwillingness to do anything other than flop. Say what you want about Overeem’s performance, but it’s not his fault that he didn’t blindly pounce into Werdum’s guard, especially after Werdum’s victory over Fedor. The bottom line is, if you’re strategy is going to be “beat him on the ground”, then it’s your responsibility to get the fight to the ground. It’s not your opponent’s responsibility to play to your strengths. Perhaps we’ll find out more about Overeem when he’s fighting Antonio Silva. Or when he’s actually fighting in a meaningful fight with Strikeforce. You know, where his title is on the line against a credible opponent. I digress.
It’s hard to get too excited about Josh Barnett’s victory over Brett Rogers as well. Yes, Josh Barnett looked as dominant as ever, slamming Rogers and rendering him an oversized grappling dummy. As we knew he would. It’s not like a victory over Bret Rogers has ever meant too much, especially considering he was coming into this fight on a two fight skid in Strikeforce and most recently lost a round to Warpath. Considering Sergei Kharitonov’s struggles against good wrestlers, it’s doubtful that Barnett’s fight with him will answer any questions we have about Barnett, either. At least we know that Josh Barnett can still be counted on for a ridiculous post fight interview, so there’s that I guess.
If there was one positive, slightly unexpected surprise from last night, it was Jorge Masvidal’s performance against KJ Noons. Jorge Masvidal made KJ Noons ineligible for “matinee idol of this sport”, if that’s even a real thing. Masvidal thoroughly outclassed Noons, taking him down at will and getting the better of most of the standup exchanges. A title shot against Melendez makes sense for Masvidal after a performance like this.
On a final note, Cormier and Griggs were both victorious last night, but neither guy’s victory says as much about them as it does about their opponents. I hate to say it, but Jeff Monson looked absolutely lost in the cage with Daniel Cormier. His striking would spike any boxing coach’s blood pressure, and he couldn’t even attempt to get Cormier in his guard. It’s hard to tell whether this was a testament to Daniel Cormier’s time at AKA, or just the result of Jeff Monson not fighting against elite heavyweights for years. Now might be a good time to think about that drop to 205 for Jeff Monson, especially if he plans on staying in Strikeforce. Likewise, Valentijin Overeem pretty much gave up as soon as Griggs took him down. Give credit to Griggs for getting the stoppage, but it doesn’t exactly show us anything.
Alistair Overeem def. Fabricio Werdum via unanimous decision
Josh Barnett def. Brett Rogers via submission (arm triangle choke) at 1:11 round two
Jorge Masvidal defeats K.J. Noons via unanimous decision
Daniel Cormier def. Jeff Monson via unanimous decision
Chad Griggs def. Valentijn Overeem via TKO at 2:08 round one
Preliminary Card:
Gesias Cavalcante vs. Justin Wilcox results in a no contest because of an accidental eye poke in round two
Conor Heun def. Magno Almeida via unanimous decision
Nah-Shon Burrell def. Joe Ray via unanimous decision
Todd Moore def. Mike Bronzoulis via unanimous decision
Isaac Vallie-Flagg def. Brian Melancon via split decision
The latest installment in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament goes down tonight at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, featuring the long-awaited rematch between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett’s promotional debut against Brett Rogers. Plus, KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal jockey for #1 contendership in the lightweight division, and 14-year veteran Jeff Monson collides with rising heavyweight star Daniel Cormier.
Handling the play-by-play for this evening will be the Shemp Howard of CagePotato’s liveblog-rotation, Matt Kaplan, so let him know you care in the comments section. Live results from the Showtime broadcast of “Overeem vs. Werdum” will be stacking up after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
The latest installment in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament goes down tonight at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, featuring the long-awaited rematch between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett’s promotional debut against Brett Rogers. Plus, KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal jockey for #1 contendership in the lightweight division, and 14-year veteran Jeff Monson collides with rising heavyweight star Daniel Cormier.
Handling the play-by-play for this evening will be the Shemp Howard of CagePotato’s liveblog-rotation, Matt Kaplan, so let him know you care in the comments section. Live results from the Showtime broadcast of “Overeem vs. Werdum” will be stacking up after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem:
Griggs hits an early takedown after some feeling out and fights from half guard. Overeem lacks mental toughness, according to Mauro. Griggs is pounding away on Overeem, who’s given up his back. Hammer fists…and some more. Here’s the ref. That’ll do it. Griggs wins it early.
(Backstage interview with Heidi and Werdum. Peronaility plus. Let’s get to the next fight already.)
Daniel Cormier and Jeff Monson:
Monson is not an anarchist, says Mauro. Just a guy who wants equality for all. This could be an interesting match-up.
Hig kick from Cormier blocked by Monson. Both guys tentative. Noe they lock up. elbow form Cormier and they separate. Monson kicks the lead leag; Cormier responds with a 1-2 and presses Monson against the cage. Cormier opens up with his fists and bakcs Monson up. Monson’s got some blood under the left eye. Cormier seems to be loading up the right. Left hook. Another 1-2 lands for Cormier, who looks calm and is moving well. More blood on Monson’s face. Straight left from Monson; Cormier counters with both hands. Cormier wins that round easily.
Round 2: Monson looks lost here: swinging wildly, staggering. Cormier presses Monson against the cage. Bog right on the break from Monson. Stiff left from Cormier. More of the clinch. Jab from Monson, but Cormier counters with better shots. Left from Cormier, uppercut, clinch. Still clinched. Body kick from Cormier now. And a right hand. Knees to Mnson’s thighs from Cormier. Another round for Cormier.
Round 3: I’m sure Masvidal is thrilled to have the phrase “like Kombo Slice” attached to his billing. Back to the fight…Monson misses a wild overhand right and Cormier counters with a right uppercut. Laser right hand. Big left hook. Monson is in trouble. Big right. Monson backpedals and falls to his back, inviting Cormier to follow. Nope. Cormier presses Monson against the cage: punches, knees. Left, right from Cormier. Monson tries for a takedown. Stuffed. Cormier again presses Monson against the cage. Frank Shamrock is calling for elbows from Cormier. 1-2 and a leg kick from Cormier. Monson needs the home run here. Time runs out, though. Cormier dominated that fight from the opening bell.
Cormier wins 30-27 from all 3 judges.
Mauro on Cormier: “His toolbox continues to grow.” Gold.
Backstage with Alistair Overeem. Anyone else waiting for him to do something terrible to this chick?
KJ Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal:
I just heard audio of Pat Miletich saying Noons “wants to be the matinee idol of this sport.” That’s adorable. I watched the replay of Noons-Jurgel the other night, and Masvidal better look out for the left hook.
Masvidal kicks the lead leg and misses with a jumping knee. Masvidal jabs. Noons lands a left. These guys are getting after it. Knee from Masvidal. Noons moves in with combos. Another Masvidal knee. Takedown from Masvidal, who has Noons against the cage. Noons looks to get at Masvidal’s left arm and makes it back up to his feet. Knee from Masvidal after a quick shot. Noons is bloodied now. Left-right from Masvidal. More blood. Right from Masvidal. Head kick drops Noons! Ground and pound! Noons is back up but still taking shots, and the bell sounds to end the first. Masvidal is dominating this fight. Let’s keep it going…
Round 2: Noons misses with the right. Masvidal is smiling as Noons tries a knee. Masvidal is proving to be a tough target. Masvidal hit a big takedown, but Noons pops right back up and fires punches…before being taken down again. Masvidal attacks from Noons’s guard. Noons is back up and lands a knee. Nasty left body hook from Masvidal, who’s got Noons pressed against the cage with a little over a minute left. A bloody Noons is back up and finds himself on top of Masvidal for a bit. Back on the feet. Big knee from Masvidal and Noons is hurt. Lots of blood coming from his forehead as the second round concludes.
Round 3: Footage of Michael Irvin watching from the crowd is hilarious. Noons lands (part of) an uppercut but misses the subsequent hook. Masvidal stays tight in his boxing. Blood is streaming down Noons’s face as Masvidal remains in complete control. Takedown by Masvidal, but Noons gets right back to his feet without taking any shots. Again Masvidal dumps Noons to the mat. He’s in a side mount and has a hold of Noons’s left arm. Noons breaks free but Masvidal now has a hold of the right leg. Masvidal keeps throwing punches. Looks like Masvidal vs Melendez. 30-27 (x3) for Masvidal.
I’m Shemp Howard? I just saw that. Could be worse, I guess…
Gus Johnson just called Mauro a legend. Frank Shamrock haunts my dreams. Gus Johnson’s got a perty mouth. In all seriousness, though, Gus has been doing a killer job with the Super 6 boxing tournament. Here comes Brett Rogers and some lady with a mean face on…
Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett:
There’s the comment about Rogers stacking tires. It was only a matter of time…
Barnett looks kinda slim for 256.
Here we go. Brett is jiggling all over the place. Josh presses him against the cage, hoists him into the air, and slams him to his back. Damn. Josh in side control. Releases a shoulder lock; now in half guard…and now mounting Brett. Here come some punches and short ’bows. Brett is trying ot buck off the cage with hsi feet, but that’s a big man on top. Josh looks patient. Brett bucks, but Josh lands back in the mount. Brett is just holding on now. A dominant round for Josh Barnett.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I miss seeing Josh Barnett fight.
Round 2: Big left hook from Josh, who’s again mounting sweaty Brett. Side choke? Arm choke? Got it! Good night. Brett Rogers had nothing for Josh Barnett tonight.
Josh professed his love for Gus and fires up the Dallas crowd. Barnett is now walking the cage and has completely taken over this interview. He’s talking about skulls, piles of bodies, and gold. Sweet Jesus.
Nice little Fedor-Hendo promo for July 30.
Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum:
Overeem comes out to the cage draped in a Dallas Mavs flag. Smart move. Overeem has more submission wins in MMA than he does KO/TKO wins.
Main event time: A sloppy combo from Werdum, but a decent knee. Werdum shoots; nope. And again. He wants Overeem to come into his guard and is waiting on the ground. Boos from the crowd. Overeem wants Werdum to stand the f- up already. Back to the feet. Each man lands a knee. Overeem misses a big right. Werdum clinches, pulls guard, and waits fro Overeem to fall into his guard. This strategy is pissing off Overeem and the Texan crowd. Big left hook from Overeem. Overeem slams Werdum down; Werdum begs Overeem to a ground fight. Not having it. Big knee from Overeem drops the Brazilian. Werdum might need a new strategy because Overeem isn’t taking the bait.
Round 2: Both men hit knees. A few punches from Werdum land on Overeem. Wow. Werdum catches an Overeem kick and drops Overeem. Back up. Overeem stuffs a takedown. Werdum pulls guard. Overeem steps back. Werdum is slow to rise. Overeem is landing some big punches now. Werdum looks fatigued. Knee, uppercuts from Overeem. Werdum pulls him into his guard. Working for a triangle, it seems. Overem is up and free. Werdum is slow. Again pulls guard. Overeem is waiting for Werdum to get up. Overeem falls into Werdum’s guard. The crowd is not loving this.
Round 3: Werdum presses Overeem against the cage after a flurry of strikes from both men. Overeem lands a right to the side of the head; Werdum flops to guard. Again. He’s having some success with his hands and knees, but he’s sticking to his guard. Overeem is standing over Werdum, stalking. Werdum gets up and lands a good right hand. Again Werdum is on his back with Overeem in his guard. Overeem stands with 30 seconds left. Werdum lands 3 good punches, falls to guard, and goes for a knee bar as the round ends. Not an exciting main event. Overeem gets the nod from all 3 judges, as expected.
Up next in the Grand Prix, Overeem-Bigfoot and Barnett-Kharitonov.
