Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament
- Thread starter King Spadez
- Start date
They're definitely trying to set up a Barnett-Fedor matchup, and I think they are trying to get all the appealing matchups for sure out of this tournament.. Making sure Fedor, if he wins it, will have to face Silva, Werdum/Overeem, and then probably Barnett. And then they also have the Werdum/Overeem rematch in the first round.
Strikeforce Heavyweight Tourney Is Gutsy, but Is It Smart?
Whatever problems Strikeforce may be forced to confront in 2011, a lack of ambition certainly won't be one of them. Not in the heavyweight division, anyway. Not after Tuesday's big news.
As MMA Fighting's own Mike Chiappetta reported earlier Tuesday, Strikeforce is planning an eight-man, single-elimination heavyweight tournament set to begin in early 2011. If the current plan holds, it should feature everyone from Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum to recent acquisition Josh Barnett and champion Alistair Overeem.
Coming from an organization that has struggled at times to get any two notable heavyweights into the same cage at the same time, it's hard not to wonder if Strikeforce can even pull off something as complicated and prolonged as a high-profile heavyweight tournament. Even if we assume that CEO Scott Coker and his crew can make it happen, does that necessarily make it a good idea?
First, let's start with the pros, and there are many. While Strikeforce has added a lot of big names to its heavyweight division of late, it hasn't been able to squeeze much action out of them. The tournament promptly fixes that problem, putting Fedor, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers, Sergei Kharitonov, Werdum, and Overeem back to work in early 2011.
Not only does that help Strikeforce avoid becoming the organization where heavyweights go for a vacation, it also finally puts the marquee fighters on a collision course with the match-ups fans most want to see.
Let's face it, while Strikeforce put together some notable fights in 2010, none of them were anybody's first choice. Fights like Overeem vs. Rogers and Fedor vs. Werdum were more consolation bouts than anything else, but the tournament would, at least in theory, rectify that.
Strikeforce might set the first-round pairings (and, who knows, perhaps a Pride-style gerrymandering with the resulting winners) but eventually the best will fight the best. That's how tournaments work, and that's why we love them. They are, when done correctly, meritocracy in action.
That's good stuff, right? Big-name fighters facing each other until one man stands atop the heap of broken bodies as the lone survivor. What's not to like about that?
For starters, take a look at the first-round match-up between Overeem and Werdum. It's an interesting fight, and one that, if Strikeforce had made as a stand-alone, main event title fight, we would have applauded them for.
But this is the first round of the tournament? The champion versus the top contender? As much as I hate to be the guy who complains about seeing number one take on number two, isn't that a little anti-climactic? It's like eating your dessert first, or opening a novel and going straight to the last page. Where do you go from there?
There's also the question of what's at stake here. If Werdum beats Overeem in the opening round, does he then become the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, carrying the belt with him through the tournament until he either loses it to someone else or wins the whole thing?
Or say Werdum beats Overeem and then can't continue on to the next round in a timely fashion due to injury? Will Strikeforce strip him of the title and put it back into circulation, or will they hold up the whole tournament to wait for Werdum?
These are questions that need answers, and answers that need some thought put into them. It's one thing to say you're going to corral this many big names, this many egos, and this many moving parts into a nice, orderly tournament, but it's another thing to actually pull it off.
Between the high probability of injury (or, in the case of Barnett, licensing issues) and the negotiation-happy wild card that is M-1 Global, there are about a half-dozen ways this tournament could blow up in Strikeforce's face.
Then again, isn't that the way it is with every bold human endeavor? Imagine if we had let our fear of explosions or crazy space people deter us from walking on the moon. Where would we be then? Well, probably still here on earth just like we are now, only we'd always be wondering what it was like up there.
My point is, yes, there are incredible risks inherent in this thing. And yes, some of the initial matchmaking is a little baffling. And okay, fine, we need Scott Coker to hurry up and tell us exactly what this tournament is intended to determine, and how, and what the back-up plan is if it doesn't work just right.
That's all true. But at the same time, aren't you glad that Strikeforce is finally trying something? Isn't it about time to go all-in and hope for a little luck?
Because the alternative is sitting back and trying to make these fights happen one at a time, hoping that eventually the two best heavyweights at any given moment will simply decide to punch each other in the face for money all of their own volition. But you know something? Strikeforce already tried that. It didn't work so well. Now it's time to try something else, and like it or not, this tournament is that something else.
It might go down as the most successful gamble in MMA history or one of its worst failures, but at least it's an effort. At least it's a sign of life, an attempt to make the most of what they've got while they've still got it.
After a year of underachieving from an overgrown roster, I'll take it. Whether the tournament soars to the heavens, or explodes into a million flaming pieces, at least it ought to be interesting.
Whatever problems Strikeforce may be forced to confront in 2011, a lack of ambition certainly won't be one of them. Not in the heavyweight division, anyway. Not after Tuesday's big news.
As MMA Fighting's own Mike Chiappetta reported earlier Tuesday, Strikeforce is planning an eight-man, single-elimination heavyweight tournament set to begin in early 2011. If the current plan holds, it should feature everyone from Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum to recent acquisition Josh Barnett and champion Alistair Overeem.
Coming from an organization that has struggled at times to get any two notable heavyweights into the same cage at the same time, it's hard not to wonder if Strikeforce can even pull off something as complicated and prolonged as a high-profile heavyweight tournament. Even if we assume that CEO Scott Coker and his crew can make it happen, does that necessarily make it a good idea?
First, let's start with the pros, and there are many. While Strikeforce has added a lot of big names to its heavyweight division of late, it hasn't been able to squeeze much action out of them. The tournament promptly fixes that problem, putting Fedor, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers, Sergei Kharitonov, Werdum, and Overeem back to work in early 2011.
Not only does that help Strikeforce avoid becoming the organization where heavyweights go for a vacation, it also finally puts the marquee fighters on a collision course with the match-ups fans most want to see.
Let's face it, while Strikeforce put together some notable fights in 2010, none of them were anybody's first choice. Fights like Overeem vs. Rogers and Fedor vs. Werdum were more consolation bouts than anything else, but the tournament would, at least in theory, rectify that.
Strikeforce might set the first-round pairings (and, who knows, perhaps a Pride-style gerrymandering with the resulting winners) but eventually the best will fight the best. That's how tournaments work, and that's why we love them. They are, when done correctly, meritocracy in action.
That's good stuff, right? Big-name fighters facing each other until one man stands atop the heap of broken bodies as the lone survivor. What's not to like about that?
For starters, take a look at the first-round match-up between Overeem and Werdum. It's an interesting fight, and one that, if Strikeforce had made as a stand-alone, main event title fight, we would have applauded them for.
But this is the first round of the tournament? The champion versus the top contender? As much as I hate to be the guy who complains about seeing number one take on number two, isn't that a little anti-climactic? It's like eating your dessert first, or opening a novel and going straight to the last page. Where do you go from there?
There's also the question of what's at stake here. If Werdum beats Overeem in the opening round, does he then become the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, carrying the belt with him through the tournament until he either loses it to someone else or wins the whole thing?
Or say Werdum beats Overeem and then can't continue on to the next round in a timely fashion due to injury? Will Strikeforce strip him of the title and put it back into circulation, or will they hold up the whole tournament to wait for Werdum?
These are questions that need answers, and answers that need some thought put into them. It's one thing to say you're going to corral this many big names, this many egos, and this many moving parts into a nice, orderly tournament, but it's another thing to actually pull it off.
Between the high probability of injury (or, in the case of Barnett, licensing issues) and the negotiation-happy wild card that is M-1 Global, there are about a half-dozen ways this tournament could blow up in Strikeforce's face.
Then again, isn't that the way it is with every bold human endeavor? Imagine if we had let our fear of explosions or crazy space people deter us from walking on the moon. Where would we be then? Well, probably still here on earth just like we are now, only we'd always be wondering what it was like up there.
My point is, yes, there are incredible risks inherent in this thing. And yes, some of the initial matchmaking is a little baffling. And okay, fine, we need Scott Coker to hurry up and tell us exactly what this tournament is intended to determine, and how, and what the back-up plan is if it doesn't work just right.
That's all true. But at the same time, aren't you glad that Strikeforce is finally trying something? Isn't it about time to go all-in and hope for a little luck?
Because the alternative is sitting back and trying to make these fights happen one at a time, hoping that eventually the two best heavyweights at any given moment will simply decide to punch each other in the face for money all of their own volition. But you know something? Strikeforce already tried that. It didn't work so well. Now it's time to try something else, and like it or not, this tournament is that something else.
It might go down as the most successful gamble in MMA history or one of its worst failures, but at least it's an effort. At least it's a sign of life, an attempt to make the most of what they've got while they've still got it.
After a year of underachieving from an overgrown roster, I'll take it. Whether the tournament soars to the heavens, or explodes into a million flaming pieces, at least it ought to be interesting.
it's basically how the HWs were going to pan out, but they're calling it a tournament to make it interesting. Overeem vs. Werdum was going to be the next title fight, and they're fighting in the first round. Fedor vs. Bigfoot was going to be for the #1 contender, and they face the winner of the title fight. Then whoever wins the other bracket will be the new #1 contender.
I got Fedor winning it, but I'm rooting for Sergei always.
I got Fedor winning it, but I'm rooting for Sergei always.
Only thing is, if Fedor wins the tourny in that bracket set up, he does not even get the belt. Unless Overeem will be putting up the belt in every fight he fights in the tourny, which would be 3 times if he goes the distance. I can't see Overeem defending the belt 3 times in any scenario. I like the idea but, they should replace Overeem with someone else and save him to face the tourny winner.
Along with Barnett having licensing issues, I sure hope this works out but for some reason i see it going bad.
Along with Barnett having licensing issues, I sure hope this works out but for some reason i see it going bad.
http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=5989025
Following months of speculation, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker's desire to promote a single-elimination heavyweight tournament in 2011 has come to fruition. Showtime, which expects to televise each of the event's three legs, revealed opening-round matches and the tournament bracket Tuesday.
"It's a long, grueling process as we know with these tournaments, and whoever comes out on top will be the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion," said Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports.
Beginning Feb. 12 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., four of the eight fighters signed up for the main draw will compete in first-round matchups.
Fedor Emelianenko (31-2) fights Antonio Silva (15-2) and Andrei Arlovski (15-8) is matched against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4).
The remaining quarterfinal fights will likely take place in April, Showtime and Strikeforce officials said. The event's date and location are yet to be determined. Current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (33-11) will meet Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), and Brett Rogers (11-2) tangles with Josh Barnett (29-5).
Four alternates are part of the field. Coker confirmed that the Feb. 12 card will include a televised fight between Shane Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson. He expects the second alternate bout to become official next week.
Key to completing the tournament field was Emelianenko, the consensus top heavyweight in MMA for seven years before he tapped to a triangle choke in 69 seconds against Werdum last June.
Completing arduous contract talks between Emelianenko's promoter, M-1 Global, Strikeforce and Showtime that kept the Russian out of action for the second half of 2010, the 34-year-old fighter signed a four-event extension with Showtime and Strikeforce just before the new year, his manager Vadim Finkelstein confirmed to ESPN.com.
"The deal took so long and there was so much beating of the deal that I think at one point I was numb to the whole thing ...," Finkelstien said.
"I think early on there was a little doubt in my mind [that we could complete an extension with M-1 and Emelianenko]," Coker said. "But over the last two months I started feeling really good about it. We had to wait, but a fighter like Fedor is worth it."
Several sources close to the talks told ESPN.com that Showtime took the lead in negotiations, though Hershman said that characterization wasn't accurate.
"This is just three parties coming together trying to work a deal that made sense for everyone," said the Showtime Sports boss. "This wasn't us leading anything. I do think we've had a lot of experience with talent at that level working with [Mike] Tyson and [Evander] Holyfield, and some of the other guys we've worked with over the years. We hoped to bring that to the table and use that experience to make sure everybody comes away feeling pretty good about the process. I think in this case they did and we certainly did."
At this stage of his career, the previous decade's best heavyweight "doesn't know how much longer he's fighting," said Emelianeko's manager. "It's unfortunate that things did take so long, but there were certainly reasons for it and as frustrating as it was for him, he understood. There were points along the way we thought he we had a deal done, then we didn't. For him it's good. It fulfills his main desire, which is to fight and fight as often as he can. That's a very good result."
Emelianenko's signing, which was delayed at the end because he's training in a remote mountain location in his homeland without access to computers or fax machines, allowed the brackets to take shape and the tournament to move forward.
"If there's not any injuries, we think we could wrap it up by the end of September," Coker said.
Emelianenko or Silva will be matched against Overeem or Werdum, with the winner of that fight advancing to the finals. Should Emelianenko defeat Silva, his semifinal bout would garner great interest regardless of the opponent.
On the other side of the bracket, the Barnett-Rogers winner is slated to meet Arlovski or Kharitonov in the second round for the right to advance to the finals and fight for the Strikeforce title.
It appears the bracket featuring Overeem, Werdum, Emelianenko, and Silva -- the four ranked fighters in the field -- is much tougher than what Barnett, Kharitonov, Arlovski, or Rogers have been asked to negotiate.
Barnett is regarded as a threat, but for various reasons he has not regularly competed against high level competition since 2006. Kharitonov and Arlovski are on the down sides of their respective careers. And Rogers has fallen off the map since stoppage losses to Emelianenko and Overeem.
Coker and Hershman, however, expressed satisfaction with the bracket structure.
"Timing is an issue with these fighters," Coker said. "I feel fortunate to have all these guys in the tournament. Fabricio was injured and wouldn't be ready to fight in February. Alistair and Fabricio wanted to fight one another. In Japan, Alistair told me he wanted Werdum."
Said Hershman: "We talked a lot about the brackets. Part of it is the timing of everything, the injuries, and peoples' other obligations. ... We think it's going to present a really compelling scenario. We didn't really think of it any other way."
Neither the semifinal nor final rounds have firm dates or locations.
With Barnett currently unlicensed to fight in the U.S. since the summer of 2009 because of his third positive test for anabolic steroids, questions linger over his ability to compete. However, Coker said Strikeforce has engaged in conversations with multiple regulatory bodies that are apparently willing to license the fighter, presuming he provides a clean drug test. Coker said at this point he doesn't intend to promote Barnett in California, where the heavyweight is scheduled to appear in front of the state's athletic commission in February.
Beginning with Overeem's quarterfinal bout against Werdum, each Strikeforce title fight throughout the tournament will be a five-round contest. All other bouts are relegated to three rounds. Should Overeem win out, he'll have a strong case to be considered the No. 1 heavyweight in MMA. The same could be said for Emelianenko or Werdum.
"What better way to identify who is the greatest heavyweight out there in our division?" Coker said. "We felt this was the best way to put that together. I promised the fans that we would let all these guys fight each other."
Following months of speculation, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker's desire to promote a single-elimination heavyweight tournament in 2011 has come to fruition. Showtime, which expects to televise each of the event's three legs, revealed opening-round matches and the tournament bracket Tuesday.
"It's a long, grueling process as we know with these tournaments, and whoever comes out on top will be the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion," said Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports.
Beginning Feb. 12 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., four of the eight fighters signed up for the main draw will compete in first-round matchups.
Fedor Emelianenko (31-2) fights Antonio Silva (15-2) and Andrei Arlovski (15-8) is matched against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4).
The remaining quarterfinal fights will likely take place in April, Showtime and Strikeforce officials said. The event's date and location are yet to be determined. Current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (33-11) will meet Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), and Brett Rogers (11-2) tangles with Josh Barnett (29-5).
Four alternates are part of the field. Coker confirmed that the Feb. 12 card will include a televised fight between Shane Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson. He expects the second alternate bout to become official next week.
Key to completing the tournament field was Emelianenko, the consensus top heavyweight in MMA for seven years before he tapped to a triangle choke in 69 seconds against Werdum last June.
Completing arduous contract talks between Emelianenko's promoter, M-1 Global, Strikeforce and Showtime that kept the Russian out of action for the second half of 2010, the 34-year-old fighter signed a four-event extension with Showtime and Strikeforce just before the new year, his manager Vadim Finkelstein confirmed to ESPN.com.
"The deal took so long and there was so much beating of the deal that I think at one point I was numb to the whole thing ...," Finkelstien said.
"I think early on there was a little doubt in my mind [that we could complete an extension with M-1 and Emelianenko]," Coker said. "But over the last two months I started feeling really good about it. We had to wait, but a fighter like Fedor is worth it."
Several sources close to the talks told ESPN.com that Showtime took the lead in negotiations, though Hershman said that characterization wasn't accurate.
"This is just three parties coming together trying to work a deal that made sense for everyone," said the Showtime Sports boss. "This wasn't us leading anything. I do think we've had a lot of experience with talent at that level working with [Mike] Tyson and [Evander] Holyfield, and some of the other guys we've worked with over the years. We hoped to bring that to the table and use that experience to make sure everybody comes away feeling pretty good about the process. I think in this case they did and we certainly did."
At this stage of his career, the previous decade's best heavyweight "doesn't know how much longer he's fighting," said Emelianeko's manager. "It's unfortunate that things did take so long, but there were certainly reasons for it and as frustrating as it was for him, he understood. There were points along the way we thought he we had a deal done, then we didn't. For him it's good. It fulfills his main desire, which is to fight and fight as often as he can. That's a very good result."
Emelianenko's signing, which was delayed at the end because he's training in a remote mountain location in his homeland without access to computers or fax machines, allowed the brackets to take shape and the tournament to move forward.
"If there's not any injuries, we think we could wrap it up by the end of September," Coker said.
Emelianenko or Silva will be matched against Overeem or Werdum, with the winner of that fight advancing to the finals. Should Emelianenko defeat Silva, his semifinal bout would garner great interest regardless of the opponent.
On the other side of the bracket, the Barnett-Rogers winner is slated to meet Arlovski or Kharitonov in the second round for the right to advance to the finals and fight for the Strikeforce title.
It appears the bracket featuring Overeem, Werdum, Emelianenko, and Silva -- the four ranked fighters in the field -- is much tougher than what Barnett, Kharitonov, Arlovski, or Rogers have been asked to negotiate.
Barnett is regarded as a threat, but for various reasons he has not regularly competed against high level competition since 2006. Kharitonov and Arlovski are on the down sides of their respective careers. And Rogers has fallen off the map since stoppage losses to Emelianenko and Overeem.
Coker and Hershman, however, expressed satisfaction with the bracket structure.
"Timing is an issue with these fighters," Coker said. "I feel fortunate to have all these guys in the tournament. Fabricio was injured and wouldn't be ready to fight in February. Alistair and Fabricio wanted to fight one another. In Japan, Alistair told me he wanted Werdum."
Said Hershman: "We talked a lot about the brackets. Part of it is the timing of everything, the injuries, and peoples' other obligations. ... We think it's going to present a really compelling scenario. We didn't really think of it any other way."
Neither the semifinal nor final rounds have firm dates or locations.
With Barnett currently unlicensed to fight in the U.S. since the summer of 2009 because of his third positive test for anabolic steroids, questions linger over his ability to compete. However, Coker said Strikeforce has engaged in conversations with multiple regulatory bodies that are apparently willing to license the fighter, presuming he provides a clean drug test. Coker said at this point he doesn't intend to promote Barnett in California, where the heavyweight is scheduled to appear in front of the state's athletic commission in February.
Beginning with Overeem's quarterfinal bout against Werdum, each Strikeforce title fight throughout the tournament will be a five-round contest. All other bouts are relegated to three rounds. Should Overeem win out, he'll have a strong case to be considered the No. 1 heavyweight in MMA. The same could be said for Emelianenko or Werdum.
"What better way to identify who is the greatest heavyweight out there in our division?" Coker said. "We felt this was the best way to put that together. I promised the fans that we would let all these guys fight each other."
