1. Diego Sanchez breaks his hand and pulls out of his UFC 135 fight with Matt Hughes. He is subsequently replaced by Josh Koshcheck.
2. Nick Diaz does not show up for the UFC 137 press conference in Toronto. Dana White is annoyed.
3. Alistair Overeem signs a contract with the UFC. Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar will be the main event of UFC 141 on December 30th.
4. Nick Diaz no shows his second consecutive UFC 137 press conference. This time in Las Vegas. Dana White is now furious.
5. Dana White pulls Nick Diaz from the main event of UFC 137 and promotes Carlos Condit to #1 contender status. UFC 137 is now billed as Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit.
6. B.J. Penn is left without an opponent for UFC 137.
7. The rumor mill begins to churn about who Dana White will find to fight B.J.
8. The UFC announces that the main event for UFC 140 will be Frank Mir vs Minotauro II.
9. Dana White finally announces who will replace Carlos Condit and fight B.J. Penn. It’s Nick Diaz……….. wait…….what?
That’s right boy and girls, Dana White pulled the ole switcharoo. I don’t understand exactly how or why it happened, but I’m oh so glad it did. Carlos Condit was the true #1 contender in the UFC Welterweight division anyway and should have gotten the nod for a title shot way before Nick Diaz did. Diaz is a great fighter in his own right, but it takes more than being the champion in another promotion to merit a title shot in the UFC. I was excited to watch him fight GSP, but I’m way more excited to see him fight The Prodigy. What a stylistic matchup that will be. Diaz now has to prove himself and fight a legend before he can go after the champ. What can I say? All is right in the world. As if that wasn’t enough, pretty much every marquis fighter in the promotion is scheduled to fight before the end of the year. Good lord what a week it’s been!!
Well…..Now that we’re all caught up, it’s time for my pre-fight analysis and predictions for the StrikeForce Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov. As usual, the standard disclaimer applies:
(*disclaimer* - Please do not use my picks for betting purposes. I am not now nor have I ever been an MMA analyst. If you do however turn a profit from using my picks for sports betting……I want a cut)
The Main Card:
Unlike UFC events, StrikeForce does not offer pre-main event fights as part of the programming package. Therefore, I will only be analyzing the five fights that will be broadcast on the Main Card. These fights will air live on Showtime. I advise you to find your friends who have the channel and bring a six pack to their house. It should be a good night of fights.
This is one of the deepest cards StrikeForce has put together in a long time. Unfortunately for the promotion, there has been so much breaking news this week that the event has been all but swept under the rug. Even so, this is about as noteworthy a card as you can get outside the UFC……
This is one of the deepest cards StrikeForce has put together in a long time. Unfortunately for the promotion, there has been so much breaking news this week that the event has been all but swept under the rug. Even so, this is about as noteworthy a card as you can get outside the UFC……
Maximo Blanco vs. Pat Healy
The long awaited debut of Maximo Blanco is finally here! Blanco is the Venezuelan wrecking machine that has been dominating the Japanese circuit for just over two years. His last few fights have been under the World Victory Road / Sengoku banner, and he is making not only his Strikeforce but his American MMA debut. Blanco is a standout wrestler as well as an accomplished Muay Thai practitioner and has won five of his last six fights by KO or TKO. He was originally booked to face Josh Thompson but a foot injury left Thompson unable to fight. Blanco will now face veteran and all around solid fighter Pat Healy. Healy is coming in to this fight on a two fight win streak and will be fighting on less than four weeks rest. Here’s a fun fact, Maximo Blanco and Pat Healy are almost the same age with Healy being slightly older by less than 3 months. Here’s another fun fact, Pat Healy has over 3 times as many fights as Maximo Blanco.
I could go on for days about how I think this fight is going to play out, but unfortunately I have to account for the fast decreasing attention span of the general population. I will almost always pick experience over hype. With that being said, this is a terrible stylistic matchup for Healy. He has trouble with wrestlers and grapplers who can work themselves in to dominant positions and pound away at him. Being that Blanco is a pretty accomplished wrestler, I see him taking this one either by KO/TKO or a Unanimous Decision. I guess I’ll have to jump on the Maximo Blanco band wagon for now.
The long awaited debut of Maximo Blanco is finally here! Blanco is the Venezuelan wrecking machine that has been dominating the Japanese circuit for just over two years. His last few fights have been under the World Victory Road / Sengoku banner, and he is making not only his Strikeforce but his American MMA debut. Blanco is a standout wrestler as well as an accomplished Muay Thai practitioner and has won five of his last six fights by KO or TKO. He was originally booked to face Josh Thompson but a foot injury left Thompson unable to fight. Blanco will now face veteran and all around solid fighter Pat Healy. Healy is coming in to this fight on a two fight win streak and will be fighting on less than four weeks rest. Here’s a fun fact, Maximo Blanco and Pat Healy are almost the same age with Healy being slightly older by less than 3 months. Here’s another fun fact, Pat Healy has over 3 times as many fights as Maximo Blanco.
I could go on for days about how I think this fight is going to play out, but unfortunately I have to account for the fast decreasing attention span of the general population. I will almost always pick experience over hype. With that being said, this is a terrible stylistic matchup for Healy. He has trouble with wrestlers and grapplers who can work themselves in to dominant positions and pound away at him. Being that Blanco is a pretty accomplished wrestler, I see him taking this one either by KO/TKO or a Unanimous Decision. I guess I’ll have to jump on the Maximo Blanco band wagon for now.
Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs. Roger Gracie
Do I smell a classic Wrestling vs. Jiu Jitsu matchup? For me, this is the fight I’m most looking forward to on this card. I’ve been wondering what would happen if Roger Gracie were to fight a dominant wrestler such as King Mo. For those of you unfamiliar with Roger Gracie, let me introduce you. Gracie is arguably the greatest BJJ practitioner in the world today. There isn’t a BJJ or submission grappling event in existence that he hasn’t won in dominant fashion. The crazy thing about Gracie is his style of Jiu-Jitsu. He uses a style that I like to call “Advanced Fundamentals.” It’s the same kind of technical brilliance other dominant members of the Gracie family, most notably Rickson Gracie, have successfully used in the past. There’s very little creativity or flashiness. It’s literally bare bones Jiu-Jitsu at its finest. He has a professional MMA record of 4 – 0 with all four fights ending in either the first or second round by submission. Check out this Roger Gracie BJJ highlight reel if you’re not convinced of how good he is.
Do I smell a classic Wrestling vs. Jiu Jitsu matchup? For me, this is the fight I’m most looking forward to on this card. I’ve been wondering what would happen if Roger Gracie were to fight a dominant wrestler such as King Mo. For those of you unfamiliar with Roger Gracie, let me introduce you. Gracie is arguably the greatest BJJ practitioner in the world today. There isn’t a BJJ or submission grappling event in existence that he hasn’t won in dominant fashion. The crazy thing about Gracie is his style of Jiu-Jitsu. He uses a style that I like to call “Advanced Fundamentals.” It’s the same kind of technical brilliance other dominant members of the Gracie family, most notably Rickson Gracie, have successfully used in the past. There’s very little creativity or flashiness. It’s literally bare bones Jiu-Jitsu at its finest. He has a professional MMA record of 4 – 0 with all four fights ending in either the first or second round by submission. Check out this Roger Gracie BJJ highlight reel if you’re not convinced of how good he is.
King Mo is the former StrikeForce Light Heavyweight Champion who was undefeated until his most recent bout which he lost by TKO to Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. Lawal is an accomplished amateur wrestler who has been known to stand and bang when the situation calls for it. His standup has improved exponentially from fight to fight and the power he packs in his hands can give anyone trouble. Lawal has had a long layoff because of injuries so this will be his first fight in more than a year. He’s been somewhat of a nomad while in recovery and has traveled the world training with everyone and anyone who is willing to teach him something. His training camp for this fight was completed AKA along side of guys like Josh Koshcheck and Cain Velasquez.
I really don’t know if there’s an accurate way to predict how this fight is going to end. I think it’s really going to be decided by who comes in with the better game plan. Lawal has the advantage in the striking department so if he can use his wrestling to avoid being taken down by Gracie, he should be able to win fairly easily. No one knows how good his submission defense is because it’s never truly been tested, but if you watch his fight against Gegard Mousasi you’ll see that his top control is pretty dominant. Mousasi had multiple opportunities for submissions from the bottom though and didn’t capitalize on them. With Gracie, that will not be that case. If he has an opportunity, he’ll finish the fight as long as it ends up on the ground. Still, I think Lawal will be able to use his sheer power and athleticism to take this fight. Gracie, for all his Jiu-Jitsu brilliance, is still a novice in MMA. His striking still has ways to go and this is one of those fights where he won’t be able to rely solely on his Jiu-Jitsu to win. This might be another case of a Gracie unwilling to evolve with the rest of the MMA world and learn how to throw a punch correctly. Even so, this fight is 50/50 on who wins. If I had to make a choice, gun to my head, I’d pick Lawal.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Luke Rockhold (Middleweight Championship Fight)
Talk about a mismatch. When this fight was first announced, my initial reaction was to check the calendar and make sure it wasn’t April 1st. Is the Strikeforce Middleweight division that depleted that they couldn’t find a legitimate contender for the Middleweight title? I feel like Scott Coker needed to fill a spot on this card and picked a name out of a hat. I would prefer Jacare not have an opponent than this mess. In case you’re not following, I don’t think Luke Rockhold has a chance here. Sorry if it seems like I’m bashing his skills because that’s not my intention. He’s a very good fighter in his own right but still has a long way to go before he develops the skills necessary to pose a threat to a guy like Jacare. Let me explain something to you, in the world of BJJ, there are maybe three or four guys whom are always mentioned in the debate of who the best is. One of them you already know is Roger Gracie. Another is Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. As if it wasn’t enough that his Jiu-Jitsu is, as Joe Rogan would say, “Top of the Food Chain,” he’s been training stand up with the likes of Anderson Silva and the rest of the BlackHouse crew. Add in the fact that he’s a naturally gifted athlete and you have yourself what heretofore will be referred to as “A BEAST.” Oh, did I mention that Luke Rockhold hasn’t fought in 19 months? I think we all know how I feel about this fight……….Moving on!
Antonio “BigFoot” Silva vs. Daniel Cormier
"If they can't defend the take down, they deserve to be on their back."
Them are mighty strong words for a relative new comer to MMA who is fighting on the main card of a major event for only the second time in his career. “But Daniel Cormier is a former Division 1 All-American wrestler,” you say? Big deal!! Those grow on trees in MMA these days. “He was the captain of 2008 Olympic Wrestling team and trains at AKA where his training partners include UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez too?” Oh.... Well.... Maybe he's saying that for a reason then. If you haven't gotten it yet, let me say it in plain English for you. Daniel Cormier is a really good wrestler. He’s not only a really good wrestler, he may very well be the most decorated wrestler fighting in MMA today (Ben Askren not withstanding).
Antonio “Big Foot” Silva is no slouch by any means. He’s a giant of a man who has been developing his skills at a steady pace year after year. His stand up is solid and he has a black belt in BJJ. In his last fight, he beat the previously mythological creature known as “The Last Emperor” in to a swollen mess and has a lot of momentum coming in to this fight. Many considered that fight to be Big Foot’s coming out party and it thrust him in to the ranks of the elite heavyweights. So what does all of this mean for this fight, you might ask? Actually, nothing…… Big Foot Silva is as tough as they come. But I don’t know how ready I am to call him elite. Yeah, he beat Fedor. So did Dan Henderson, who is a Middleweight. The fight before that he beat Mike Kyle (a light heavyweight), but almost got knocked out in the process. Before that, he beat a rapidly declining Andrei Arlovski. I don’t know about you, but in my book that’s not exactly a strong resume. Factor in the fact Cormier was not his original opponent and is strong in all the areas he is weak and what you have is a recipe for an upset. You heard it here folks! Daniel Cormier will defeat Antonio Silva. Cormier has a long and bright future in MMA and this will be the fight that gives him a top ten ranking. Mark my words.
"If they can't defend the take down, they deserve to be on their back."
Them are mighty strong words for a relative new comer to MMA who is fighting on the main card of a major event for only the second time in his career. “But Daniel Cormier is a former Division 1 All-American wrestler,” you say? Big deal!! Those grow on trees in MMA these days. “He was the captain of 2008 Olympic Wrestling team and trains at AKA where his training partners include UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez too?” Oh.... Well.... Maybe he's saying that for a reason then. If you haven't gotten it yet, let me say it in plain English for you. Daniel Cormier is a really good wrestler. He’s not only a really good wrestler, he may very well be the most decorated wrestler fighting in MMA today (Ben Askren not withstanding).
Antonio “Big Foot” Silva is no slouch by any means. He’s a giant of a man who has been developing his skills at a steady pace year after year. His stand up is solid and he has a black belt in BJJ. In his last fight, he beat the previously mythological creature known as “The Last Emperor” in to a swollen mess and has a lot of momentum coming in to this fight. Many considered that fight to be Big Foot’s coming out party and it thrust him in to the ranks of the elite heavyweights. So what does all of this mean for this fight, you might ask? Actually, nothing…… Big Foot Silva is as tough as they come. But I don’t know how ready I am to call him elite. Yeah, he beat Fedor. So did Dan Henderson, who is a Middleweight. The fight before that he beat Mike Kyle (a light heavyweight), but almost got knocked out in the process. Before that, he beat a rapidly declining Andrei Arlovski. I don’t know about you, but in my book that’s not exactly a strong resume. Factor in the fact Cormier was not his original opponent and is strong in all the areas he is weak and what you have is a recipe for an upset. You heard it here folks! Daniel Cormier will defeat Antonio Silva. Cormier has a long and bright future in MMA and this will be the fight that gives him a top ten ranking. Mark my words.
The Main Event
Josh “The Baby-Faced Assassin” Barnett vs. Sergei “The Other Russian Sambo Guy” Kharitonov
(Just to be clear, that’s not really his nickname)
Here it is, the main event. I don’t want to be the one to say it but since no one else will, I’ll take the lead on this. Josh Barnett should not have been licensed to fight in this event. As far as I’m concerned, he shouldn’t be licensed to fight in any event. I will be the first to say that he is an amazingly talented fighter. His blend of Catch Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu is unlike anything else in the game today. There’s no denying his talent. There’s also no denying the fact that he’s failed more drug tests for P.E.D’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs) than all of Major League Baseball combined. I’m of the opinion that MMA is too young of a sport to be associating itself with that kind of controversy. Even so, he’s still fighting Sergei Kharitonov on the 10th of September. Who is Sergei Kharitonov you might ask? He’s only the last guy to knock out Alistair Overeem and the only one to ever have done so at heavyweight. I actually heard that there’s not a hand under Kharitonov’s glove. There’s just Chuck Norris doing spinning round house kicks. He used those hands in Pride like a one man wrecking crew who never really made a name for himself because of how inconsistent he was. He would win the fights he wasn’t supposed to win and lose the ones he was supposed to dominate in. In all fairness though, he was fighting injured for a long time and it hindered many of his performances in those fights.
On the surface, this may feel like a classic Striker vs. Grappler matchup. But most don’t realize that Kharitonov is actually an accomplished grappler in his own right, having trained Sambo for years and even training with Fedor Emelianenko. He won’t be as easy to take down and submit as you might think, but he has nowhere near the level of grappling prowess that Josh Barnett brings to the table. In a perfect world, Kharitonov will disassemble Barnett piece by piece until the only thing that can save him is a mid-fight steroid cocktail. As we all know, this is not a perfect world. As good and underrated as I think Kharitonov is, he’s just not at the same level as Barnett by any means. If he throws a Chuck Norris round house fist in the direction of Barnett’s chin and it connects, anything can happen. It probably won’t though. Barnett has perfected the art of staying away from big punches and dragging the fight down to his world. This fight will be no different.
My official prediction:
Barnett does enough to get inside and drag Kharitonov to the mat. From there, it’s all over. Whether it’s by decision, submission, or TKO, Barnett will win this fight.
The final of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix will be decided by Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier.
I hope everyone enjoyed today’s pre-fight break down.
(Just to be clear, that’s not really his nickname)
Here it is, the main event. I don’t want to be the one to say it but since no one else will, I’ll take the lead on this. Josh Barnett should not have been licensed to fight in this event. As far as I’m concerned, he shouldn’t be licensed to fight in any event. I will be the first to say that he is an amazingly talented fighter. His blend of Catch Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu is unlike anything else in the game today. There’s no denying his talent. There’s also no denying the fact that he’s failed more drug tests for P.E.D’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs) than all of Major League Baseball combined. I’m of the opinion that MMA is too young of a sport to be associating itself with that kind of controversy. Even so, he’s still fighting Sergei Kharitonov on the 10th of September. Who is Sergei Kharitonov you might ask? He’s only the last guy to knock out Alistair Overeem and the only one to ever have done so at heavyweight. I actually heard that there’s not a hand under Kharitonov’s glove. There’s just Chuck Norris doing spinning round house kicks. He used those hands in Pride like a one man wrecking crew who never really made a name for himself because of how inconsistent he was. He would win the fights he wasn’t supposed to win and lose the ones he was supposed to dominate in. In all fairness though, he was fighting injured for a long time and it hindered many of his performances in those fights.
On the surface, this may feel like a classic Striker vs. Grappler matchup. But most don’t realize that Kharitonov is actually an accomplished grappler in his own right, having trained Sambo for years and even training with Fedor Emelianenko. He won’t be as easy to take down and submit as you might think, but he has nowhere near the level of grappling prowess that Josh Barnett brings to the table. In a perfect world, Kharitonov will disassemble Barnett piece by piece until the only thing that can save him is a mid-fight steroid cocktail. As we all know, this is not a perfect world. As good and underrated as I think Kharitonov is, he’s just not at the same level as Barnett by any means. If he throws a Chuck Norris round house fist in the direction of Barnett’s chin and it connects, anything can happen. It probably won’t though. Barnett has perfected the art of staying away from big punches and dragging the fight down to his world. This fight will be no different.
My official prediction:
Barnett does enough to get inside and drag Kharitonov to the mat. From there, it’s all over. Whether it’s by decision, submission, or TKO, Barnett will win this fight.
The final of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix will be decided by Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier.
I hope everyone enjoyed today’s pre-fight break down.
Please feel free to leave any comments you might have. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or just want me to stop posting this ridiculous jibber jabber.
Don’t forget that if you don’t have Showtime, and don’t have any friends who have it, or just plain don’t have any friends, Bellator 49 is also tomorrow night. It’ll be airing live on MTV 2 and should be a decent card as well.
As always, follow me on Twitter @TheGuardFighter.
Come back on Sunday for more story time with TheGuardFighter. I’ll also be giving you my post fight reactions if you're interested.
I’ll leave you with the new official promo for UFC 137: Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit !
Until next time!!
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