Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament
- Thread starter King Spadez
- Start date
Fedor Emelianenko +175
Alistair Overeem +215
Josh Barnett +400
Andrei Arlovski +950
Fabricio Werdum +1200
Sergei Kharitonov +1850
Antonio Silva +1900
Brett Rogers +2300
Shane del Rosario +3200
Any fighter not listed (Chad Griggs, Gian Villante) +3500
Valentijn Overeem +4000
Lavar Johnson +4200
Ray Sefo +5200
might throw $5 on Del Rosario and hope he gets into the finals as an alternate against Rogers or something that probably isn't gonna happen lol
Alistair Overeem +215
Josh Barnett +400
Andrei Arlovski +950
Fabricio Werdum +1200
Sergei Kharitonov +1850
Antonio Silva +1900
Brett Rogers +2300
Shane del Rosario +3200
Any fighter not listed (Chad Griggs, Gian Villante) +3500
Valentijn Overeem +4000
Lavar Johnson +4200
Ray Sefo +5200
might throw $5 on Del Rosario and hope he gets into the finals as an alternate against Rogers or something that probably isn't gonna happen lol
M-1 at it again....
M-1 Global held a press conference in Moscow, Russia, ahead of M-1 Challenge 23 events and Fedor Emelianenko's February 12th bout against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva at the first stage of Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. M-1 CEO Vadim Finkelstein, Fedor Emelianenko, as well as M-1 Welterweight Champion Shamil Zavurov and M-1 Eastern Europe Heavyweight Champion Maxim Grishin all took part at the press conference.
M-1 Challenge XXIII will take place on March 5th at the Crocus City Arena in Moscow, Russia. The event will be headlined by the M-1 Challenge Heavyweight Title fight between Guram Gugenishvili (12-0) and Maxim Grishin (7-4). As always, the event will be aired via a LIVE STREAM on LowKick.com.
Photos: Esther Lin, MixFight.ru
Here's some of the most interesting quotes from Fedor Emelianenko and Vadim Finkelstein
Vadim Finkelstein
Drug Testing at Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament
Two out of eight fighters in the tournament previously failed a drug test. Obviously, I'm talking about Josh Barnett and Antonio Silva. We want fair competition for everyone, so that's why I will ask the commission to perform a strict drug testing. Fedor is not using any kind of substance to enhance his performance, and will be ready for any kind of testing. So if the commission decides to follow our suggestion, we'll be ready.
Our organization paid a heavy price after the cancellation of the fight between Josh Barnett and Fedor. We did a lot of promotion for this fight, which in the end did not take place. That's why as a promoter and manager, I don't want this to happen ever again.
Note: Vadim Finkelstein was asked about Olympic Drug Testing, but never used the term in his answer. In an interview to Sports.ru, Finkelstein says the main goal is to ensure a fair competition for Fedor, and not to push for some sort of specific testing.
Contract Negotiations with Strikeforce and Showtime
Ken Hershman and Showtime did a great job in bringing this tournament together. Our previous deal was only with Strikeforce, but now it's a triple deal between us, Strikeforce and Showtime. We had another deal coming up with Showtime, which is related to our M-1 Challenge shows in the US. We will be looking to promote 4 or 5 M-1 Challenge events on Showtime. The deal is not finalized yet, so it's still unofficial. However, I think that in something like two weeks we'll be ready to make an announcement.
Fedor's Renewed Contract
We have a new contract, which now includes M-1, Strikeforce and Showtime. The contract is for three fights and another as an option. So as for today, the Grand-Prix deal makes the most sense for us. In an interview to Sports.ru Finkelstein adds the following: Fedor has an exit clause in his contract if he gets into a losing streak.
M-1 Global held a press conference in Moscow, Russia, ahead of M-1 Challenge 23 events and Fedor Emelianenko's February 12th bout against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva at the first stage of Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. M-1 CEO Vadim Finkelstein, Fedor Emelianenko, as well as M-1 Welterweight Champion Shamil Zavurov and M-1 Eastern Europe Heavyweight Champion Maxim Grishin all took part at the press conference.
M-1 Challenge XXIII will take place on March 5th at the Crocus City Arena in Moscow, Russia. The event will be headlined by the M-1 Challenge Heavyweight Title fight between Guram Gugenishvili (12-0) and Maxim Grishin (7-4). As always, the event will be aired via a LIVE STREAM on LowKick.com.
Photos: Esther Lin, MixFight.ru
Here's some of the most interesting quotes from Fedor Emelianenko and Vadim Finkelstein
Vadim Finkelstein
Drug Testing at Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament
Two out of eight fighters in the tournament previously failed a drug test. Obviously, I'm talking about Josh Barnett and Antonio Silva. We want fair competition for everyone, so that's why I will ask the commission to perform a strict drug testing. Fedor is not using any kind of substance to enhance his performance, and will be ready for any kind of testing. So if the commission decides to follow our suggestion, we'll be ready.
Our organization paid a heavy price after the cancellation of the fight between Josh Barnett and Fedor. We did a lot of promotion for this fight, which in the end did not take place. That's why as a promoter and manager, I don't want this to happen ever again.
Note: Vadim Finkelstein was asked about Olympic Drug Testing, but never used the term in his answer. In an interview to Sports.ru, Finkelstein says the main goal is to ensure a fair competition for Fedor, and not to push for some sort of specific testing.
Contract Negotiations with Strikeforce and Showtime
Ken Hershman and Showtime did a great job in bringing this tournament together. Our previous deal was only with Strikeforce, but now it's a triple deal between us, Strikeforce and Showtime. We had another deal coming up with Showtime, which is related to our M-1 Challenge shows in the US. We will be looking to promote 4 or 5 M-1 Challenge events on Showtime. The deal is not finalized yet, so it's still unofficial. However, I think that in something like two weeks we'll be ready to make an announcement.
Fedor's Renewed Contract
We have a new contract, which now includes M-1, Strikeforce and Showtime. The contract is for three fights and another as an option. So as for today, the Grand-Prix deal makes the most sense for us. In an interview to Sports.ru Finkelstein adds the following: Fedor has an exit clause in his contract if he gets into a losing streak.
Exclusive: Sergei Kharitonov Will Break Tournament Foes
http://blog.tapology.com/2011/01/exclusive-sergei-kharitonov-will-break-tournament-foes/
Just a few weeks ahead of his opening round bout in the upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Sergei Kharitonov spoke with Tapology to detail what he has planned for his opponents and to voice his thoughts on the UFC.
Kharitonov participated in the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix, but he has been relatively inactive in MMA over the last few years, competing in the sport just once each year from 2008-10. The Russian heavyweight cited a shoulder injury, which occurred in a fight against Alistair Overeem, as his reason for focusing on his kickboxing career. He said it gives him less pain to compete in kickboxing than in MMA. Recently, however, Kharitonov said his shoulder is “100% better,” and he is “ready to fight MMA again.”
The timing of Kharitonov’s recovery could not be better, as he will be one of eight world-class heavyweight fighters participating in the upcoming Strikeforce tournament. In the minds of many pundits, fans, and fighters, the winner of the tournament will have a legitimate claim to being the best heavyweight fighter in the sport.
Asked for his assessment of his chances in the tournament, Kharitonov was characteristically brazen.
“Anything can happen in a fight, but I am very well prepared. I feel the best in years,” Kharitonov said. “ trained my stand-up and ground and [have] no injuries; I am ready to break some bones.”
In addition to Kharitonov and Andrei Arlovski, other big-name heavyweights such as Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Overeem and former Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko will compete. While Overeem is a teammate of Kharitonov’s out of the Golden Glory Gym, the two have fought twice before and have no qualms about doing so again.
“I train with Alistair and we are 1-1,” Kharitonov said. “We could meet in the finals and again we will have a brawl. Its not really that much different [than] how we train and do sparring in the gym.”
To most, Kharitonov is a heavy underdog to come out on top of such a stacked tournament field. Unfortunately for his opponents, he refuses to subscribe to the talk.
“People like to think they are experts on things they think they know,” Kharitonov said. “I beat Alistair and [Fabricio] Werdrum and [did] that at a time when my stand-up skills were not 25% [of] what [they are] now. You do the math.”
Regardless of how he feels he would perform against the top names in the tournament, Kharitonov will first have to get past a desperate Arlovski, who is in the midst of the worst slump of his professional career. The Belarusian has not won a fight since October of 2008.
“I do not watch fights from Andrei Arlovski,” Kharitonov said. “For me he is just another obstacle that has to be removed. I do not care what his problems were or if he was a champion or not. I will break him.”
Finally, Kharitonov was asked what he thought about comparisons between Strikeforce’s current heavyweight roster and that of the UFC. The experienced veteran pulled no punches in his analysis.
“Why compare?” Kharitonov asked. “Professional fighters go were the money is. I would fight [Shane] Carwin or [Cain] Valasquez no problem, but the UFC does not allow fighters to fight outside of their organization. If we look at the past we saw Randy Couture losing to Valentijn [Overeem] in Rings and Chuck Liddell [lost] in Pride. I think it shocked the UFC and they do not want anymore of that.
“I know I can beat all these guys, but I think Strikeforce right now has the best heavyweights. They always say you have to fight in the UFC, but why do UFC guys not prove they are the best to fight outside the UFC?”
It seems that the heavyweight division is one that will continue to be debated in terms of its true champion for years to come. The top fighters in the UFC and Strikeforce continue to go back and forth on where the best heavyweights reside. At the end of the day, however, the fans get to watch them try to prove it.
The Strikeforce tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, February 12 on Showtime, may go a long way toward settling the debate once and for all–or not. Irrespective of the outcome, fighters like Kharitonov should guarantee that it will at least be fun to watch.
http://blog.tapology.com/2011/01/exclusive-sergei-kharitonov-will-break-tournament-foes/
Just a few weeks ahead of his opening round bout in the upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Sergei Kharitonov spoke with Tapology to detail what he has planned for his opponents and to voice his thoughts on the UFC.
Kharitonov participated in the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix, but he has been relatively inactive in MMA over the last few years, competing in the sport just once each year from 2008-10. The Russian heavyweight cited a shoulder injury, which occurred in a fight against Alistair Overeem, as his reason for focusing on his kickboxing career. He said it gives him less pain to compete in kickboxing than in MMA. Recently, however, Kharitonov said his shoulder is “100% better,” and he is “ready to fight MMA again.”
The timing of Kharitonov’s recovery could not be better, as he will be one of eight world-class heavyweight fighters participating in the upcoming Strikeforce tournament. In the minds of many pundits, fans, and fighters, the winner of the tournament will have a legitimate claim to being the best heavyweight fighter in the sport.
Asked for his assessment of his chances in the tournament, Kharitonov was characteristically brazen.
“Anything can happen in a fight, but I am very well prepared. I feel the best in years,” Kharitonov said. “ trained my stand-up and ground and [have] no injuries; I am ready to break some bones.”
In addition to Kharitonov and Andrei Arlovski, other big-name heavyweights such as Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Overeem and former Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko will compete. While Overeem is a teammate of Kharitonov’s out of the Golden Glory Gym, the two have fought twice before and have no qualms about doing so again.
“I train with Alistair and we are 1-1,” Kharitonov said. “We could meet in the finals and again we will have a brawl. Its not really that much different [than] how we train and do sparring in the gym.”
To most, Kharitonov is a heavy underdog to come out on top of such a stacked tournament field. Unfortunately for his opponents, he refuses to subscribe to the talk.
“People like to think they are experts on things they think they know,” Kharitonov said. “I beat Alistair and [Fabricio] Werdrum and [did] that at a time when my stand-up skills were not 25% [of] what [they are] now. You do the math.”
Regardless of how he feels he would perform against the top names in the tournament, Kharitonov will first have to get past a desperate Arlovski, who is in the midst of the worst slump of his professional career. The Belarusian has not won a fight since October of 2008.
“I do not watch fights from Andrei Arlovski,” Kharitonov said. “For me he is just another obstacle that has to be removed. I do not care what his problems were or if he was a champion or not. I will break him.”
Finally, Kharitonov was asked what he thought about comparisons between Strikeforce’s current heavyweight roster and that of the UFC. The experienced veteran pulled no punches in his analysis.
“Why compare?” Kharitonov asked. “Professional fighters go were the money is. I would fight [Shane] Carwin or [Cain] Valasquez no problem, but the UFC does not allow fighters to fight outside of their organization. If we look at the past we saw Randy Couture losing to Valentijn [Overeem] in Rings and Chuck Liddell [lost] in Pride. I think it shocked the UFC and they do not want anymore of that.
“I know I can beat all these guys, but I think Strikeforce right now has the best heavyweights. They always say you have to fight in the UFC, but why do UFC guys not prove they are the best to fight outside the UFC?”
It seems that the heavyweight division is one that will continue to be debated in terms of its true champion for years to come. The top fighters in the UFC and Strikeforce continue to go back and forth on where the best heavyweights reside. At the end of the day, however, the fans get to watch them try to prove it.
The Strikeforce tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, February 12 on Showtime, may go a long way toward settling the debate once and for all–or not. Irrespective of the outcome, fighters like Kharitonov should guarantee that it will at least be fun to watch.
"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva" prelims to air live on HDNet on Feb. 12
The preliminary card for next month's "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva" event will air live on HDNet.
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon today confirmed the plans with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). The high-definition cable station added the broadcast to its schedule on Thursday.
The event takes place Feb. 12 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and features the first half of the quarterfinals for the promotion's eight-man heavyweight grand prix, including a Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva headliner.
The night's main card airs on Showtime.
Simon said HDNet and HDNet Fights will amp up their offerings in 2011, and its weekly MMA news show will travel to major events.
"(It) depends on the event, but we are open to airing prelims from Strikeforce, UFC or any major event," Simon said in an email. "You will see 'Inside MMA' on the road quite a bit this year as well coming live from weigh-ins."
Four fights currently are targeted for the event's preliminary card. MMAjunkie.com reported the most recent two – welterweights Igor Gracie (2-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. John Salgado (3-4-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) and lightweights Marc Stevens (12-5 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. John Cholish (5-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) – on Thursday.
The latest card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)
Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)
Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)
Chad Griggs vs. Gian Villante (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)
PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet)
Igor Gracie vs. John Salgado
Marc Stevens vs. John Cholish
Josh LaBerge vs. Anthony Leone*
Jason McLean vs. Kevin Roddy*
The preliminary card for next month's "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva" event will air live on HDNet.
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon today confirmed the plans with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). The high-definition cable station added the broadcast to its schedule on Thursday.
The event takes place Feb. 12 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and features the first half of the quarterfinals for the promotion's eight-man heavyweight grand prix, including a Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva headliner.
The night's main card airs on Showtime.
Simon said HDNet and HDNet Fights will amp up their offerings in 2011, and its weekly MMA news show will travel to major events.
"(It) depends on the event, but we are open to airing prelims from Strikeforce, UFC or any major event," Simon said in an email. "You will see 'Inside MMA' on the road quite a bit this year as well coming live from weigh-ins."
Four fights currently are targeted for the event's preliminary card. MMAjunkie.com reported the most recent two – welterweights Igor Gracie (2-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. John Salgado (3-4-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) and lightweights Marc Stevens (12-5 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. John Cholish (5-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) – on Thursday.
The latest card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)
Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)
Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)
Chad Griggs vs. Gian Villante (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)
PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet)
Igor Gracie vs. John Salgado
Marc Stevens vs. John Cholish
Josh LaBerge vs. Anthony Leone*
Jason McLean vs. Kevin Roddy*
YOU CANT SLEEP ON ANY OF THESE GUYS...ON ANY GIVEN DAY THEY COULD ROCK ANYONE. TO BE HONEST AS MUCH AS I AM A FAN OF CAIN...I DONT THINK HE WOULD DO TOO GOOD AGAINST ANY OF THESE FIGHTERS...
IF KHARITONOV COMES THROUGH ON POINT...HE CAN BE THE DARK HORSE...HE GOTS WINS ON ALISTAIR AND WERDUM...THIS TOURNAMENT IS GONNA BE THE SHIT.
IF KHARITONOV COMES THROUGH ON POINT...HE CAN BE THE DARK HORSE...HE GOTS WINS ON ALISTAIR AND WERDUM...THIS TOURNAMENT IS GONNA BE THE SHIT.