StrikeForce planning for an 8 man Heavyweight Tournament in 2011
 

http://www.lowkick.com/Strikeforce/S...-in-2011-11289

StrikeForce planning for an 8 man Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament in 2011

Californian based MMA Promotion StrikeForce are set to hold an 8 man Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament in 2011. The tournament is set to feature some of StrikeForce's best known talent and will include their reigning Heavyweight Champion Alistair ''The Demolition Man'' Overeem, who won the K-1 World Grand Prix last weekend in Saitama, Japan.

Alongside the Reem, fighters such as Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, Big Foot Silva, Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, and Sergei Kharitonov are all set the feature in the tournament. The fighters are all in negotiations about taking part, it is unknown whether or not the scheduled bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Silva will serve as part of the tournament.

The tournament will take place over three different events, unlike some of the Grand Prix's that take place in just one night. The Athletic commissions in America are very hesitant to approve of one night tournaments, so this shouldn't be a problem for StrikeForce.

This would be awesome, but I'm not so optimistic Strikeforce can make it happen.

No lashley?

LOL, Lashley has would get murdered by everyone of those guys.

I doubt it

Also that's in reference to the tournament, not Lashley getting destroyed (he would absolutely get murdered).

If Overeem is the champion why the fuck are they doing a tournament? Why can't they just put the match ups people want to see together? It's not hard. Alistair vs. Werdum for the heavyweight title since Werdum beat Fedor. Fedor vs. Big Foot for the # 1 contender spot. Winners fight winners. Losers fight losers and let the other guys sort it out.

Because a tournament would be awesome, and give them something to gte noticed by the casual fan.

I don't see how this gets the casual fan interested. A tournament over three events might as well just be separate matches instead.

Their heavyweight champion has defended the belt once in the last three years but now Coker's going to be able to get him to do a tournament? Fedor has renegotiated with Strikeforce after every fight he's had. They're renegotiating with him now... and he's coming off a fucking loss! Plus Fedor hasn't fought more than two times since 2005 so I don't see him participating in a tournament taking place over three events.

Look at the names they're including outside of Overeem and Fedor. CSAC hasn't even reinstated Barnett yet and Barnett is a guy who has failed a steroid test three times. Doubt the fans will be clamoring to see him. Brett Rogers isn't a name people want to see either. He's already lost big time to Fedor and Overeem. Arlovski, while I love him to death, isn't much better because he's lost to Rogers, Silva and Fedor all consecutively, so if you're the casual fan, you've already seen him get beat on t.v.

And again, it's not like all of these fights would be taking place in one night which would mean at least two of the events will be Fedor and Overeem KOing people they've already KOed. Why not just cut the bullshit and have the top four heavyweights, Fedor, Overeem, Silva and Werdum fight each other for the championship and number one contender spots?

Im convinced Barnett will fail another drug test and this whole tournament will fall apart.

Barnett's testosterone is probably so low from the years of steroid abuse that he could get Chael's shady doctor to give him a script.

I think it's more likely that Fedor and Overeem will make it to the finals and the fight will never take place because M1 will demand to renegotiate again. I seriously wouldn't be surprised if Bellator surpasses Strikeforce as the #2 MMA company in the next five years.

James Toney vs. Herschel Walker would probably draw more casual fans than the first two events of that tournament. Hell, a Gina Carano weigh in would probably draw more casual fans than the opening fights of that tournament.

Yeah, that as well. Way too many obstacles to overcome. It would end up like the Showtime Super 6 with fighters pulling out and shit.

If it happens it's gonna be a big deal, the novelty of a tournament alone will attract viewers, and help gain some recognition for Strikeforce.

http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/...ory?id=5989025


Shit starts if feburary, makes me hard to think about it.

Fedor/Silva should be interesting, Silva had trouble with Mike Kyle in the stand up in his last fight, so I hope we get to see Fedor smash his face in.

Overeem/Werdum should also be epic.

Nobody else gives a fuck, really? Come on people, it a heavyweight tournament with some of the best in the world, no anyone?

apparently it is happening. andrei has been training for it

and, i give a fuck

Sounds mint

I'd love to see Arlovski get a win or two,.

^^ Same. Think he'll get smashed by Barnett tho, thats if he makes it out of the first round. Such a disappointment recently.

Wanna see Overeem/Werdum pretty bad tho.

Whoevers comes out of this will have a very strong case for being the #1 ranked heavyweight in the world, especially if it's Werdum, Overeem or Fedor.

I think Arlovski just needs to find a better camp, like Jackson or Xtreme Couture, I don't think it's so much Arlovski has fallen off as everybody else has gotten that much better. He used to be the best boxer at HW, now he's being outstruck by Antonio Silva.

I know Freddy Roach was his boxing coach, no idea who his MMA coach is.

i care about werdum/overeem and the winner probably fighting fedor. but other than that i don't give a toss. i don't think werdum could beat fedor again anyway, he just overcommitted last time and got caught out.

I'm not sure why, but the brackets have a 'anti climatic' feel to it. I mean if Werdum beats Overeem, then beats Fedor again...I mean it wouldn't matter who came out the other bracket. Barnett and Arlovski are 'names' but c'mon son! I can't see them winning UNLESS this was a one night tourney.

But crazier things have happended.

and I can't wait to watch!

I'm sure we can argue this point down, but Fedor didn't just get 'caught out'.
Werdum put a gorgeous display of jits from his guard. He went for the triangle, transitioned to an armbar, and finished with both! Fedor didn't stand a chance.

And I love you Mask, I just don't want to diminish the beautiful display of Jiu Jitsu that Werdum displayed in closing that fight out.

i'm not saying he did though :'( its more that when you're whooping a world class bjj guy on his feet in the first minute you don't necessarily have to jump into his guard to finish the fight. anderson silva doesn't jump in when he knocks most guys down.

but GOT DAMN!!!! I wanna see Overeem/Werdum! I wanna see Overeem/Fedor! and I wanna see Overeem/Barnett.

The way it plays out this would definitely cement SF's heavy weight champ as the baddest man on the planet

It depends on who wins. If it's Overeem or Fedor then yes. If Werdum wins out then not so much considering how Junior Dos Santos dismantled Werdum when they fought.

Of course, there's no real way we can tell because the UFC guys will never fight the Strikeforce guys, but as of right now... in my humble opinion, Strikeforce has the more appealing heavyweight roster on paper.

Thats not what his problem was in the silva fight. I didnt find out until recently and it will probably come out after his next fight because he wont be able to hide it.

Well now I need to know what it is. Also tell him to fucking shave that ridiculous beard already.

I just read that he actually started training with Jackson after he lost to Rogers. Can't blame him, no way someone with his supposed boxing skill should be getting knocked out by Rogers.

Interesting read here...sounds a lot like Pride, but totally feels like a potential clusterfuck.

Humbly submitted for your reading pleasure:

Contrary to initial reports, Alistair Overeem’s Strikeforce heavyweight title will not be on the line at any point during the promotion’s upcoming heavyweight grand prix.

Since the eight-man, single-elimination tournament was formally announced in early January, word has circulated that Overeem’s title would be up for grabs in each of the champion’s bouts. During a Thursday media conference call, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker clarified both the rules and structure of the tournament.

“The winner of the final match will be crowned Strikeforce World Grand Prix champion, and he’ll receive an opportunity to fight for the Strikeforce heavyweight belt at that time,” Coker explained. If Overeem were to come out on top, Coker said that Strikeforce would look at having the reigning champ fight an opponent whom he did not meet in the tournament.

Along with Overeem, the bracket includes such notable heavyweights as Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski. The tournament is set to begin on Feb. 12 at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Silva,” which takes place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The promotion is still shopping for a location and date for the tournament’s second round. Coker stated that “pending injuries, the semifinals would be late June, July.”

While it was initially thought that each tournament bout would consist of five, five-minute rounds, all quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be scheduled for the standard three five-minute periods. Only the tournament final remains a five-round affair.

“We just didn’t feel that it was fair for one person to fight five rounds, one person to fight three rounds,” said Coker. “There was debate about, well, should the final fight -- which is five rounds -- be a title fight? But then, what if Alistair wasn’t there? It just became very confusing.”

In the case that any of the tournament’s matches are ruled a draw, Coker revealed that a fourth judge will be on hand to score the bout independently and select a winner “based on overall performance.” The rule is similar to that of longtime official Nelson “Doc” Hamilton’s proposed Martial Arts Specific Scoring system.

Of course, with any tournament comes the possibility of a participant being sidelined by injury. While a trio of reserve bouts has been booked for the Feb. 12 event, Coker said that the selection process for a replacement fighter, if needed, would be more involved than a simple swap.

“If a fighter qualifies to advance in the tournament but, for any reason, cannot advance, we’re forming a five-person tournament review committee who will select a fighter to advance in his place,” said Coker. “This fighter will be chosen from a pool of fighters that includes the previous opponent and the winners of the reserve matches.”

Heading the tournament review committee will be Strikeforce rules director Cory Schafer. Names of the other tournament committee members and further tournament rules are expected to be released shortly.

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