It would have been cool, but there will be no Strikeforce middleweight tournament to determine a number one contender to battle Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, who recently captured the vacant 185-pound crown after former champion Jake Shields' departure from the promotion.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker debunked those rumors in an interview with MMA Weekly:
"We were hoping it would happen, but it didn't happen, and we're happy with Jacare being our world champion. I think he's a great representative and a great fighter."
Back in July, it was reported that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation put a halt to the tournament because they were outlawed in 2001.
If everything went according to plan, Strikeforce would've had a four-man tournament featuring "Jacare," Tim Kennedy, Robbie Lawler and Matt Lindland.
Instead of a four-man tournament, Strikeforce decided to have Kennedy and Souza battle for the vacant middleweight title that Shields left behind when he ventured into the UFC. Souza defeated Kennedy by unanimous decision to claim Strikeforce gold.
Lawler and Lindland are scheduled to compete against one another on Dec. 4 for Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu."
Whether or not the bout between "Ruthless" and "The Law" has a middleweight title shot hanging in the balance remains to be seen.
Tune in next month to find out.
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