Category: Strikeforce (Page 8 of 14)

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Preview: Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum

June 16, 2011 / Drew Ellis

So just how far along has Alistair Overeem come over the last few years?

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion looks to prove he deserves to be in the discussion for top heavyweight in the world on Saturday when he takes on Fabricio Werdum in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Werdum holds a submission win over Overeem back in 2006 as part of PRIDE. Since then, both men have had highs and lows, and both seem to be at a peak in their careers.

Here is a look at both fighters and my pick for this contest.

Alistair Overeem (34-11) – The Strikeforce kingpin has looked unbeatable in recent years due to his overwhelming kickboxing skills. Standing 6-foot-5 and beefed up to 253 pounds, Overeem brings thunderous power to every kick and punch he throws. He has won his last three fights by knockout, all coming in the first round. Prior to that, he scored three-straight submission victories, and he actually has 19 submission wins to his credit in his lengthy career. Overeem’s last loss came in 2007 to fellow Grand Prix fighter, Sergei Kharitonov. His biggest weakness in this bout will be his submission defense against a fighter with the skills of Werdum, but his striking will be far superior.

Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) – Werdum broke into the top heavyweight discussion after being the man to end Fedor Emelianenko’s lengthy winning streak last June. Now, Werdum looks to prove that his win was for real as he hopes to beat Overeem for a second time. Werdum is a grappling specialist with mediocre striking. In this fight, he will be facing a much larger Overeem than he faced years ago. Getting his opponent to the ground this time may be a great challenge. Werdum can’t possibly win this fight on his feet either, so pulling guard may have to be an option for him.

Who Will Win: I think both men are different fighters than they were years ago, and Overeem has advanced further than Werdum. I look for Overeem to stay off his back on keep the fight standing, where he should be able to pick apart Werdum and earn a second round TKO.

Events, Fighters, Strikeforce

Alistair Overeem Fabricio Werdum Heavyweight Grand Prix Sergei Kharitonov

Top 10 Middleweight Rankings

June 15, 2011 / Drew Ellis

This week the rankings move back to the middleweight division.

The 185-pound weight class had some interesting developments over the last few months as Chael Sonnen has had his return to the UFC pushed back and one of the top fighters, Nate Marquardt, is moving down to 170 pounds.

Nonetheless, here is what the top 10 in this weight class looks like.

1. Anderson Silva (28-4) – Silva is not only No. 1 on this list, but also on my pound-for-pound list. I think he has a tough test ahead of him in Yushin Okami at UFC 134, as Silva has shown a weakness against big wrestlers. Still, many of Silva’s opponents show him too much respect, which plays right into his hands.

2. Yushin Okami (26-5) – I am moving Okami up to number two because Sonnen’s future is in question and he seems to be losing steam with each passing day. Okami has beaten many of the best in the UFC, but he now has a chance to face the very best in Silva. Okami is a grinder, and that is what will be the most dangerous opponent for Silva to face.

3. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen has a good skill set, but his mouth and his poor choices have caused him to have a questionable future. Despite the fact that he pushed Silva to his limit, Sonnen still was unable to come through with a win. Sonnen has a clear weakness against submission specialists, but he has easily handled some of the top fighters in this division.

Events, Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC

Alan Belcher Anderson Silva Brian Stann Chael Sonnen Mark Munoz Michael Bisping Ronaldo Souza Vitor Belfort Wanderlei Silva Yushin Okami

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Early Odds

June 13, 2011 / Drew Ellis

The second half of the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix takes place on Saturday night and the odds have been released for the two contests.

The featured bout of Saturday’s Grand Prix is Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem, taking on Fabricio Werdum. Overeem opens as the heavy favorite with odds of -500 while Werdum has odds of +300. This is somewhat surprising since Werdum has a submission win over Overeem already in his career. Both men seem to be fighting the best they have in their career, but this will be the striker vs. grappler contest, where the winner will likely be decided by where the fight ends up.

In the second contest, Josh Barnett opens as a -340 favorite over Brett Rogers, who has odds of +260. Both men hit hard, but Barnett is also a world class wrestler, which should give him a clear edge over Rogers, who is mostly a power puncher. Both men are fighting for the first time this year, with Barnett nearly having a year off since his last bout.

Events, Fighters, News, Strikeforce

Alistair Overeem Brett Rogers Fabricio Werdum Josh Barnett Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Your weekly MMA TV Schedule update

June 12, 2011 / Drew Ellis

It’s another Sunday night, which means we have another MMA on TV update.

Following another UFC PPV event, the middle of the week is lacking in programming, but we have another exciting event coming up on Saturday.

– On Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, Strikeforce presents the second half of the Heavyweight Grand Prix as heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem takes on Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett squares off with Brett Rogers. K.J. Noons, Jorge Masvidal, Jeff Monson, Daniel Cormier, and Valentijn Overeem will also be in action on the night. The main card will air on Showtime from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

That is all for this week. Next week features three events with UFC, Bellator, and Strikeforce all in action.

Events, Fighters, News, Strikeforce

Alistair Overeem Brett Rogers Fabricio Werdum Josh Barnett

Top 10 Light-Heavyweight Rankings

June 9, 2011 / Drew Ellis

The Light Heavyweight Division is currently led by a young phenom with a bunch of hungry sharks ready to take a bite out of him.

Here is a look at how I see the top 10 in the 205-pound division in MMA. (Click here to see other weight class rankings)

1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones is still the leader of the pack but now seems to finally have his next opponent finalized. It looks to be Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in what will be a very tough fight. Jones may struggle to move the large Jackson and in punch-for-punch power, he probably doesn’t have the edge against his veteran opponent.

2. Rashad Evans (15-1-1): Rashad Evans is still the No. 1 contender in my eyes as he disposed of Jackson in his last fight and was set to challenge for the title before suffering a minor knee injury. Now set to face rising star, Phil Davis, Evans will have to prove that he can still hang with the best after more than a year away form action.

3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8): Rampage looked good but not great in his decision win over Matt Hamill. He landed some good punches on Hamill and stuffed each of his takedown attempts. While Hamill has a good wrestling background, he lacked the explosive takedown attempts that Jackson will see against the likes of Evans, Jones, or even a Ryan Bader.

Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Dan Henderson Forrest Griffin Jon Jones Lyoto Machida Mauricio “Shogun” Rua Phil Davis Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Rashad Evans Ryan Bader