I remember when I first read about the announcement of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and I thought to myself: “I’m not going to watch that crap.” Well…needless to say I was dead wrong to write off what has been an interesting tournament both inside and outside the cage. Since that first announcement, we’ve seen a variety of situations that I’m willing to guess no one was expert enough to call beforehand.
Initially, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix seemed to be nothing more than a stage to reestablish Fedor Emelianenko as the biggest name among the big men in mixed martial arts. With a bracket that almost ensured he would face off against either Fabricio Werdum or Alistair Overeem in advance of the tournament final, Strikeforce was looking to cash in one way or another. However, that plan was quickly blown up when Antonio Silva sent the Russian home with a swollen eye and broken pride. The man aptly named “Bigfoot” used his massive size advantage to push Fedor around the cage like he was a toddler on his way to scoring the first major upset of the tournament.
Not to be outdone by one of its fighters, Strikeforce sent the other of the two men considered to be favorites to win the whole thing packing when Overeem was released. Yes, this move was made by Strikeforce’s new owners in the Zuffa shirts, but it was still pretty shocking when I first heard the news. Moments later, I gathered myself and expected to hear the announcement of Overeem debuting in the Octagon sometime in January. Instead, he’s set to face Brock Lesnar this December. Business as usual.
Hardcore MMA fans also witnessed Josh Barnett further blurring the lines between pro wrestling and MMA. He not only put on a pro wrestling match during open media workouts before his fight with Brett Rodgers, but after the fight he delivered a “promo” that would have made Ric Flair proud. Now he is essentially one win away from rejoining the UFC, and I remember UFC President Dana White saying that Barnett will never fight in the organization again. Looks like he responded by taking the matter into his own hands.
In addition, we have Daniel Cormier, who, since being signed to a Strikeforce contract, had worked his record to 8-0, and was steadily improving. Due to Overeem’s departure from the promotion, the former Olympian was inserted into his spot in the semifinals against “Bigfoot” Silva. In less than five minutes, the alternate was able to find a way to drop the semifinalist, and finish him in front of all the fans in attendance, and everyone watching at home. Now Cormier finds himself in the finals of a tournament that he wasn’t expected to take part in. Whether it’s a case of divine intervention or being in the right place at the right time, Cormier seems poised to make a leap that many, including myself, thought would take longer in his career.
With one fight left in this tournament, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens. I believe that once the tournament is closed out, Strikeforce will be as well. In the coming months, I expect to hear that more individuals will be brought over to the UFC, like former welterweight champion Nick Diaz and former middleweight champion Cung Le, whose acquisition was announced yesterday. And my excitement, as both a member of the MMA industry and as a fan, continues to grow.
