Strikeforce mini heavyweight tournament kicks off Nov. 7 for title shot against Alistair Overeem in early 2010
by MMAmania.com on Nov 6, 2009 5:20 AM EST
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"We know Alistair (Overeem) will be fighting in the first quarter of next year. Depending on the outcome of this fight and the next, we can work on putting a fight together. You see the match up potential between the winner of the Silva vs. Werdum fight and the winner of the Fedor vs. Rogers fight. I think it would make sense for those two guys to fight each other in the future depending on how things go. Then, Alistair can come in later and fight the winner of that fight. We have some great heavyweight fights upcoming and we are looking forward to promoting them. I believe Alistair will be available in the first quarter. We will get him in the mix as well as some other heavyweights we will announce here in the next week or so."
-- Strikeforce Founder and CEO, Scott Coker, lays out the likely plan for his heavyweight division during a recent press conference to promote the "Fedor vs. Rogers" event this weekend at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Coker and Co. went all in to secure the services of Fedor Emelianenko this summer, who is widely regarded as the top fighter in the division and perhaps in the entire sport. He's taking a relative long road to a potential title shot, however, against reigning Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Emelianenko has to first get past the hard-hitting Brett Rogers on Saturday night (Nov. 7) and then take on the winner of the fight between Fabricio Werdum and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Is the patient strategy with its biggest asset a wise one for Strikeforce or will it prove to be an utter disaster?
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Mania,
Didn’t you post this after the Tito interview?
by jammin on Nov 6, 2009 9:44 AM EST reply actions
put him up against Hendo any time any weight Overeem is OVER-RATED. how did he become Great all of a sudden. Arona and Overeem need to be tested to end their HYPE!
by Mikeybear on Nov 6, 2009 10:29 AM EST up reply actions
SF has signed Arlovski! Its clear to me, but I am curious to see who else they could have signed
by john G on Nov 6, 2009 10:29 AM EST up reply actions
Can’t wait for him and AA to shut up all of you haters.
by Alpha Male on Nov 6, 2009 10:44 AM EST up reply actions
You might be right Alpha sounds like AA is finaly focusing on just MMA the issue with him near then end of his UFC days is he was wanting to get into boxing and his training changed to mainly boxing wich is why he lost to tim twice then had a few easy fights and was on the verge of getting into boxing before he lost twice in a row both in the first round by strikes. I think he has realized the time it would take to get anywere in boxing and has stated he is going to focus on his MMA career and has appeared to I believe he has trained at Jacksons gym as of late. He has talent there is no doubt the only concern about him is his chin.
by Puck Head on Nov 6, 2009 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
I would really like to see AA fight any of Strikeforces top 5 HW’s…rematches with Fedor and Rogers. A fight with Overeem would be a great standup fight. Even Werdum and Bigfoot. You guys think they’re signing Lashley, or have you heard any other rumors?
by Diceman on Nov 6, 2009 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah he got hit with two solid strikes I would like to see if he gets hit again what happens if he falls then I might question his chin but I think it was more of getting hit not only hard but in the right spot Fedors punch was a heavy no look over hook similar to Dan Hendersons besides the no look part and grim caught him dead centre in the middle of the chin I haven’t seen to many fighter take the shots he did and still be standing so I would question his striking defence more than his chin?
by Puck Head on Nov 6, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions
the SF HW division is exciting! All of the guy listed are solid fighters and should make for some really good match ups, looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds!
by brendan on Nov 6, 2009 2:01 PM EST up reply actions
Fedor explained this pretty well actually. AA didn’t allow himself enough time to rest in between his fight and rogers. AA is a tough fighter but his chin is suspect, he is so good at brawling he sometimes gets a little too comfortable and gets caught. When AAs fights get exciting its scary cause you know thats when he’s at his peak for getting caught so its either fight exciting or boring and slow. If he fought cautiously he’d win almost all of his fights because he is hands down one of the best hw strikers if not one of the best strikers in mma. precision. Also Alistar is a great fighter but he couldn’t cut it at lhw… so he went to hw cause he can roid it up. Hes a decent challenge for any fighter but with the roids his a freak and you gotta be careful. I don’t think he has anything for Fedor but any other sf hw he will make them hurt at the very least.
by Cogito Ergo Sum on Nov 6, 2009 2:43 PM EST up reply actions
Diceman: I am almost positive that SF is going to announce arlovski and Lashly as signings. I wouldnt be surprised if they get matched up against each other.
by john G on Nov 6, 2009 8:23 PM EST up reply actions
john, Aoki is said to have just signed with SF. Also off topic but check this out…
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/11/6/1119606/is-brock-lesnar-going-to-walk-away
This was written after our talk about Steroids and Brock. Not so far fetched now is it. If it is true you better believe I am coming for my props. lol. I’m on Crazed now, love it.
by jay on Nov 6, 2009 8:31 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, it’s the links to other sites sorry Mania. John the Brock story is playing out exactly as I called it. Being reported and rumored that Brock is ready for something new again. Gimme my props!
by jay on Nov 6, 2009 8:33 PM EST up reply actions
Yup. Just trying to get some stories between the two videos.
by MMAmania on Nov 6, 2009 9:47 AM EST reply actions
Really a tournament to fight a guy who has not defended in what 2 years, 2 and a 1/2 to 3 by the time this mini-tournament is over!!! Strikeforce should have stripped him and had everyone including Overeem in a tournament for this belt. 2 years without a defense is absurd and insane. Let see what hapens when this is all said and done, does he fight in the states or does he avoid the states. I think Fedor is more then man to beat then Overeem. If Rogers wins he is the Srikeforce champ as far as I am concerned, imo…
by Da Monkey on Nov 6, 2009 9:52 AM EST reply actions
who cares man? Just enjoy the match ups! As long as Fedor stays undefeated, a Fedor fight is bigger then any title fight any way! If Fedor was a guy that went to a decision, it would matter that the fights werent 5 rounds…but no one can last with him for longer then 15 minutes anyway, so what exactly are we missing by Fedor fight not being for an official title/piece of metal around his waste?
by john G on Nov 6, 2009 10:29 AM EST up reply actions
because it means more to defeat him as a champion then just to defeat him. it’ll get people interested in “who can dethrone fedor”
by Joe Choad on Nov 6, 2009 11:21 AM EST up reply actions
WTF happened to WAMMA belt – when Fedor loses (as he will get KTFOd) – is he still the WAMMA Heavyweight Champ?
by Prince on Nov 6, 2009 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
No, Scott Coker said yesterday that the Wamma heavyweight championship is going to be on the line. My question is does this mean its 5 rounds instead of 3 now? not like its going past the 1st.
by markie on Nov 6, 2009 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
WAMMA closed shop, how do they still have belts in circulation? I thought they would have been sold in the fire sale?
by jay on Nov 6, 2009 8:34 PM EST up reply actions
JOhn G-I wasn’t all huffy and puffy over the belt, I was just stating how SF has made this belt a joke. I already consider Fedor the champ in SF. Overeem is just keeping it clean for Fedor. With that in mind I will and am excited about this night of fights, but I would be lying if i said I wanted Fedor to win. Something about Rogers just makes me want to cheer for him.
by Da Monkey on Nov 7, 2009 2:02 AM EST up reply actions
strikeforce is gay. Their champs fight once every 5 years.
by elstiko on Nov 6, 2009 9:57 AM EST reply actions
Machida, Silva, Lesnar, are all out and GSP just got better.
by Bill Maher on Nov 6, 2009 10:41 AM EST up reply actions
Cung Le is healthy, so is Overeem so no excuses
by elstiko on Nov 6, 2009 11:25 AM EST up reply actions
markie, don’t think so. He is reportedly fighting in December, the 19th I think.
by jay on Nov 6, 2009 8:58 PM EST up reply actions
your disputing he was striped of the title now?
by markie on Nov 7, 2009 12:49 AM EST up reply actions
Unlike Crock?
The UFC is the cream of the crop when it comes to quality of fighters throughout MMA, but their HW division is the worst it’s ever been.
by OJR Is King (formerly Introvert) on Nov 6, 2009 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
That shitty belt holds absolutely no meaning.
Let that cheating scumbag keep it, and just forget about it.
The way Strikeforce handles the whole Belt thing is what makes them a joke.
We all know who the true HW champ is.
by Lester The Pimp on Nov 6, 2009 10:07 AM EST reply actions
When Alistair had the belt Strikeforce didn’t even have a deal w/ showtime yet…they’re just getting started man. This little tournament will go along way to creating some hype for the title fight.
I wish UFC would do these little tournaments to get clear cut contenders for their champs. I mean look at Silva’s last 2 defenses…Leites and Cote.
by tiger_style on Nov 6, 2009 10:33 AM EST up reply actions
The mini tournament is fine, just not with Overeem being the champ.
They should strip him of the belt and give it to Fedor after he kills Rogers and have Overeem win atleast one fight in strikeforce before fighting Fedor for the belt.
by Lester The Pimp on Nov 6, 2009 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
Disaster. If your champ doesn’t defend the belt, then he’s not YOUR champ. I don’t agree with all of the UFC’s policies, but when you have a champion, he has to be readily available to defend that title or else he risks hurting the promotion and his own credibility. His rank and title means nothing at this point.
by Joe Choad on Nov 6, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions
Hard to agree with you when the UFC hands out “interim titles” like they are nothing.
by OJR Is King (formerly Introvert) on Nov 6, 2009 11:47 AM EST up reply actions
Solid HW fights in Strikeforce.
You guys can hate all you want, but having a UFC logo pasted on your forehead does not = automatically the best HW fighter in the world.
Looking forward to see the end result of this “tournament”.
by OJR Is King (formerly Introvert) on Nov 6, 2009 11:26 AM EST reply actions
No more solid than the UFC’s to be fair. Infact i’d have to say that the UFC prob has bigger stock of solid HW’s. Lesnar, Valasquez, Carwin, Mir, Kongo, Gonzaga, Cro Cop, Dos Santos, Big Nog, hell you can even put Captain Paycheck in there. 10 guys whom stack up very solidly @ HW…..
How come UFC’s HW division is ‘the worst it’s ever been?’
by Shoguns Hairy Forearms on Nov 6, 2009 12:27 PM EST up reply actions
I find it interested that every UFC ‘nugger on the planet accuses Alistair Overeem of ’roiding every time his name is mentioned, but as soon as someone mentions Lesnar’s name (or any other UFC fighter for that matter) the same people calling Alistair out defend Lesnar.
Why the double standard?
It would be just as easy to cycle off of ‘roids while competing in the US, as it would be to use ’roids in Japan. The freakin’ tests in the US are a joke. THE FIGHTERS KNOW EXACTLY WHEN AND WHERE THEY ARE GETTING TESTED!!!!!! You would have to be a complete idiot to get caught.
And with that said….at least Alistair is fighting…unlike Crock.
by OJR Is King (formerly Introvert) on Nov 6, 2009 11:45 AM EST reply actions
Intro,
Well then go defend me on the tito/Forrest video thread. I got f*ckin raped on that thread for bringing up roids & Brock in the same paragraph even tho I specifically said I was just speculating & in no way solidifying it.
Lol could use a hand. Low life wwe fans gave me the most genius replies with the always thoughtful “ur an idiot” etc stuff. 3 intelligent words for a rebuttal to prove the innocence of the beloved Brock.
H8 that prick.
by Daniel worby on Nov 6, 2009 1:09 PM EST up reply actions
Well, you already know that anyone in the UFC is not roiding and anyone in Strikeforce that has a muscular build is.
(this is me rolling my eyes)
by OJR Is King (formerly Introvert) on Nov 6, 2009 1:16 PM EST up reply actions
Dude you’re an idiot. Overeem has put on about 40-50 lbs of muscle in the past few years. He won’t fight in the states because there are sanctioning bodies that actually require drug tests unlike the defunct Pride and current Sengoku. And as far as Lesnar goes, he’s been 280+ lbs since he was 20 years old. He didn’t just get huge thelast 2or 3 years. Knucklehead!
by Rich on Nov 6, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions
Intro you have a man crush on dana don’t you LOL.
by Puck Head on Nov 6, 2009 4:29 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe lesnar did roids once in his past, but its not obvious. Reason is because lesnar is a hardcore wrestler, which in comparisent to other combat sports, builds and bulks your body much more. Overeem aint no wrestler but looks like the worlds strongest man, definitely roided the fuck up. Both r dickheads anyway so i couldnt really giv a shit
by Insain on Nov 6, 2009 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
You guys want to talk roided up fighters. How about this match-up? Who you got?
http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/11/former_red_sox_slugger_jose_ca.html
by OJR Is King (formerly Introvert) on Nov 6, 2009 11:52 AM EST reply actions
Where the hell is my post?
by OJR Is King (formerly Introvert) on Nov 6, 2009 12:13 PM EST reply actions
They like to be selective in what they let you say. They won’t post mine many times. I think it’s a little political.
by Rich on Nov 6, 2009 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
I personally think the Wamma Heavyweight title is the most legitiment heavyweight championship between Strikeforce and Wamma right now.
I just wish Strikeforce would of made this fight a 5 rounder since it is a title defense.
by markie on Nov 6, 2009 2:25 PM EST reply actions
Love to know where you are getting that information from? There website is still active and Fedor had the Wamma title with him at the Press Confrence yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ArielHelwani#p/u/5/sYUfQSJ17ZY Ariel Helwani interview with Scott Coker talk about Wamma title being on the line. Dosent sound like a company that has folded to me.
by markie on Nov 6, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
The whole board of governors they had quit. I would call that closing shop. Who is running the show now? Where are their rankings? Who else has one of their belts? What purpose did they ever serve? How where they getting revenue without a product to sell? WAMMA is dead. Jesse would know a lot more about it than any of us and he hasn’t mentioned them in months. WAMMA died the minute Barnett took that cup in the bathroom with his fingers crossed.
by jay on Nov 6, 2009 9:03 PM EST up reply actions
Andrew Falzon is the new head of WAMMA, They were once again promoting that this is a WAMMA title defense on HDNET during the weigh-in. On the Wamma official website they have rankings as of October listed, that would go against your claims that the organization went under in the summer “WAMMA died the minute Barnett took that cup in the bathroom with his fingers crossed.”
I guess my whole point will be proven tommorow night when the WAMMA title is defended on national tv.
by markie on Nov 6, 2009 10:45 PM EST up reply actions
Well better announce ’em in the next week or so Coker, or else!
by The Negation on Nov 6, 2009 5:28 PM EST reply actions
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