Fighting Live

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Fighters – Esther Lin/Strikeforce

A little over a year ago, Strikeforce kicked off its inaugural Grand Prix tournament that brought together the best heavyweights in the world.

The Pride-like nostalgia stemming from the return of the tournament format had the MMA world buzzing for months.

Unfortunately, the general interest level in the tournament nosedived after the quarterfinal bouts.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong with the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

With that said, was it a success or failure?

For Strikeforce, it’s hard to call the Grand Prix a success. Fans never really got to see the blockbuster matchups they were hoping for. Strikeforce certainly isn’t to blame for the lack of marquee fights.

Fedor Emelianenko was defeated handily. Alistair Overeem was removed from the tournament and released from Strikeforce due to an alleged scandal involving Golden Glory Gym. Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski were both eliminated in the first round.

From strictly a business perspective, the outcomes of certain fights didn’t go the way the promotion would’ve liked. To top it all off, the tournament was won by Cormier, an alternate for Overeem who was still relatively unknown to the casual viewer in his bout with Barnett.

There are certainly a lot of positives that can be taken away from the tournament.

The Strikeforce Grand Prix served as Cormier’s coming out party as a rising superstar in the heavyweight division. Who would’ve guessed an alternate with only eight professional bouts under his belt would win it all?

The tournament also helped open casual eyes to world class veterans like Barnett, Sergei Kharitonov and Antonio Silva. With Silva already signed to a UFC contract, fans have started expressing interest in seeing Barnett and Kharitonov compete on the big stage.

Things may not have gone according to plan, but thanks to Strikeforce, the heavyweight division has reemerged as arguably the most stacked weight class in the world.

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Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The UFC is loved in part because it’s “real” and has a sense of humor, unlike the other major sports leagues. Case in point, take their newest UFC 146 promo—a hilarious throwback to the UFC’s days in the early ’90s.

The video depicts the typical 1990s colors, the old UFC logo, explosions, cheesy old-school graphics and footage of the old ring girls, and is paired with over-the-top narration that only excuses viewers from buying the PPV if they’re in jail or dead (although the narrator demands that you break out if you’re in jail).

The funny promo comes at the perfect time. The UFC 146 fight card was scheduled to be an epic one, but circumstances had other plans for it.

First, the main event between UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem fell apart, only to be replaced by a less interesting matchup between Dos Santos and Frank Mir.

That caused the whole card to get shuffled around and then there were even more changes because of injuries!

This video is important because it’s sure to garner lots of web traffic and therefore interest in the UFC 146 fight card. Curiously, the video still advertises an appearance by Mark Hunt, yet Hunt was recently confirmed to be injured and therefore out of his fight was Stefan Struve.

Nevertheless, it’s a fun video to watch and is sure to get people talking about the fight, which is always a good thing.

Follow @MattSaccaro

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Valerie Macon/Getty Images

It wasn’t pretty, but Gilbert Melendez retained his lightweight crown.

Melendez bested rival Josh Thomson once again in a hard-fought, split-decision victory.  The bout was the champ’s most difficult since, well, the last time he faced Josh Thomson.

The win, which did little to settle the score in this 75-minute long trilogy, called into question Melendez’s status as a top three lightweight.  But while some pundits might be quick to call El Nino’s title reign overrated, last night’s bout speaks more to Thomson’s grit and his own skills being underrated.

Since the two fighters first squared off in 2008, their back-and-forth battles have yet to yield a definitive winner because they are actually pretty evenly matched.

Thomson has only lost to one other person not named Gilbert Melendez since June of 2006 and has strung together quite a few impressive wins throughout his career.  As a gritty, hard-nosed fighter, it’s no wonder El Nino had problems last night.

Analysts shouldn’t look down on Melendez for the lackluster win because Thomson is a tough opponent.  A former champ and UFC vet himself, Thomson has flown under the radar over the years and deserves more credit for the performance he put on last night.

Regardless, Melendez deserves his placement near the top of the lightweight rankings.

His unique skill set marked by his power punches and wrestling background are unmatched by any other lightweight outside of the UFC.

Owning wins over the likes of Shinya Aoki and Jorge Masvidal, Melendez is the best fighter outside of the world’s largest MMA promotion.  His record number of title defenses and dominance under the Strikeforce banner make him a fighter deserving of the hype.

Despite not being able to take out Thomson, Melendez is far from being overrated.

Be sure to like me on Facebook or follow @MattJuulMMA.

Originally posted here

The hexagon is saying goodbye to its heavyweights this year.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, without a doubt, delivered a thrilling culmination to the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix last night when they fought in its final match at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. There is no doubting, too, the promotion’s heavyweight division—before considered its deepest division—is now officially in limbo.

Perhaps we can compare Cormier’s beatdown on Barnett with the fate of the division the fight belongs to. The most significant difference being that the heavyweight division is now moribund, while winner Cormier and even loser Barnett’s respective careers are still very much alive and kicking.

The exciting and courageous battle shown by both heavyweight fighters is a fitting tribute to Strikeforce’s heavyweight division. Sadly, that fight is also the final nail on its coffin—well, almost.

According to Mike Chiappetta of MMAFighting.com, the promotion’s president, Scott Coker, said last December that we’ll “see one more fight where the winner [between Barnett and Cormier] will fight a top-rated heavyweight, and then we’re going to go back to focusing on our other weight classes.”

It’s anybody’s guess on who that other top-rated heavyweight is.

In hindsight, credit should be given to Strikeforce’s heavyweight division for hosting Fedor Emelianenko’s fourth fight in the USA (which resulted in a win over Brett Rogers). Though, it should also be blamed for initiating The Last Emperor’s first series of losses, causing him to contemplate retirement.

It seems that Fedor and Strikeforce’s heavyweight division are retiring at the same time.

Do you think Daniel Cormier will still fight in Strikeforce’s last HW match?

Yes, I believe that match will still push through. Yes, but I prefer that Cormier already debuts in the UFC for his next fight. No, I think even Scott Coker has already disregarded that so-called last HW match! No, because Dana White will sign up Cormier for the UFC anytime soon! Submit Vote vote to see results

Do you think Daniel Cormier will still fight in Strikeforce’s last HW match?

Yes, I believe that match will still push through.

25.0%

Yes, but I prefer that Cormier already debuts in the UFC for his next fight.

12.5%

No, I think even Scott Coker has already disregarded that so-called last HW match!

0.0%

No, because Dana White will sign up Cormier for the UFC anytime soon!

62.5%

Total votes: 8

Also, kudos to the division for bringing in Alistair Overeem to fight in the States for the first time, where he recorded another win over Vitor Belfort.

Here’s hoping that Strikeforce’s heavyweight division also serves as a springboard into the UFC for Cormier and Barnett.

If Strikeforce’s last heavyweight match will actualize as stated by Coker, hopefully Cormier will fight again with guns blazing. May he light up the fireworks for his heavyweight division one last time, before Zuffa finally extinguishes it.

Previous article: Jon Jones May Lift Opponents Off Their Feet, But He Ain’t Raising Your Kids.

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Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Garrett Derr: You were pretty keen on Jon Jones falling to Rashad Evans. How surprised were you that Jones was able to pick him apart and defeat him so easily? 

Mike Ciesnolevicz: “I think Rashad just needed to pull the trigger more. I think he is capable of beating Jones but he was too passive. He might have bought into all the talk about Jon Jones being invincible.  Rashad has the skill set to win that fight but he played a game instead of making it a fight and he paid for it.” 

GD: What happens in the matchup with “Bones” and Dan Henderson? Will Henderson be the first man to defeat him since becoming the 205-pound champion?

MC: “On paper, it seems everything is against Dan Henderson in this matchup. Jones has the youth, the size, the reach, but Hendo has an X-factor in this fight. He doesn’t give a crap about the hype or what people think.”

“He is going to get right in Jon Jones’ face and try to knock his head off and he isn’t worried about ending up in a clinch because he wrestled his whole life. Hendo very possibly shocks the world at 42 years old and humbles Jon Jones with a first-round TKO.”

GD: You’re set to take on Brandon Anderson. How did this fight develop?

MC: “I was supposed to fight this guy eight months ago before I had surgery. He pulled out of the fight last minute. I came to fight and he got cold feet. Ever since that time, he was making comments about how he could knock me out. He makes his name off of me. He was just basically talking to convince himself. “

“An opportunity was presented to me recently to headline a show in North Dakota in a 10,000-seat arena with him as the opponent and I was told he already signed the contract. I agreed and also signed my contract. At first I was skeptical since he pulled out of the fight before.”

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

“But if he does it again, he is only hurting himself as far as reputation and anyone ever signing this guy to fight in their show again. I’m going to train like the fight is going to happen, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they can’t find the guy come fight time. Chances are he will be under his bed with the lights off and door locked.”

GD: I understand he’s been running his mouth for a couple of months now. What do you have to say in return?

MC: “The truth will come out in the cage. If he can beat me and back up his words then good for him.  He signed a contract, I signed a contract, all I expect is for him to honor that and show up and compete. No matter what happens, I can respect him at the end of the day if he does that.”

GD: How do you see this bout playing out? TKO, Sub or Decision? What round?

MC: “I want to standup with this guy. He is more of a standup fighter and I want to beat him at his own game. I used to be more of a grappler when I started MMA, but now I’m 50/50 in terms of my skill set. I gravitated a lot towards the standup game the past two years to really balance my game out.”

“I’m comfortable fighting this whole fight on our feet. If anyone goes for a takedown in this fight, I guarantee it won’t be me. I see him getting frustrated and trying to tie me up and take me down after I hit him a few times.”
   

GD: Is this the first step to getting back inside the UFC Octagon? How many fights until we see you back on the premier stage?

Michael Heiman/Getty Images

MC: “I don’t know really. I’m going to finish 2012 strong and if all goes accordingly, that puts me at 5-0 in my post-UFC career. Of course I would jump at the opportunity to compete in the UFC again, if they don’t call then I will just keep doing what I love and that is training and competing in mixed martial arts.”   

GD: In terms of injury recovery, where are you in your progression?

MC: “Right now it’s just a matter of time keeping up on my rehab, keep running, keep working on my skills. I will be 100 percent September 8th.”   

GD: You’ve been friends with Tim Sylvia for a long time now. You trained with him in Iowa and know him inside and out. Do we ever see him back in the UFC? Why or why not?

MC: “Personally I think the guy deserves another shot. He is trying to get his career back on track. He had a few stumbles outside the UFC where he maybe got overconfident. He’s a former champion and it would be good to see him back in there.”

“I know Tim has a lot of fans rooting for him on Twitter and I would even think the haters would want to see him back in there just for the fact they would hope to see him get beat up. There are a lot of exciting matchups for him in the UFC.”

“Love him or hate him I can tell you that I haven’t seen many guys work harder in the gym than Tim Sylvia did during his UFC title reign. If he gets that determination and work ethic back then he can compete with anyone.”
  

GD: Your college roommate will be taking on Bisping in the upcoming days at UFC 149. Who wins and why?

MC: “I think Bisping is a more technical fighter and is going to try to play a points game. If Boetsch falls into that style of a fight, he’ll lose a decision. Sometimes you have to throw technique of the window and make it a fight.”

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

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Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

On Saturday night, Josh Barnett faced off against Daniel Cormier in the final round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix, and Cormier showed he is a top heavyweight with a unanimous decision victory over Barnett at the end of five rounds.

Here’s what we learned from the bout.

What We’ll Remember about This Fight

In general, Daniel Cormier’s domination of Barnett is the most memorable. Many were torn on which fighter would win, but none thought there would be an easy unanimous decision victory for either combatant.

What We Learned about Barnett

He had gone undefeated in four years, and had a legitimate claim to being one of the top heavyweights in the world. Unfortunately, he found out—the hard way—that he was not one of the top five heavyweights in the world in the tournament final.

What We Learned about Cormier

He is everything—and more—that his fans expected of him. His striking and wrestling were both too much for Barnett, and the two-time Olympic wrestler showed he is one of the best heavyweights on the planet.

What’s Next for Barnett

We’re not sure if he’ll end up in the UFC or not, but Strikeforce will not be the next organization we see Josh Barnett fight in.

What’s Next for Cormier

One more “mystery opponent” in Strikeforce, and then he will move over to the Octagon and the UFC.

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on twitter @TimMcTiernan.

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Melendez struggled against Josh Thomson, in spite of supposedly being among the top three lightweights in the world. Photo c/o Kyle Terada- US PRESSWIRE.

It’s time for everyone to calm down about Gilbert Melendez.

He may be the last man standing for hipster MMA fans. He may be hyped by Strikeforce’s commentators as the best lightweight in the sport. He may be put into many pound-for-pound top-10 lists.

That, though, ignores the fact that there is no foundation to consider Gilbert Melendez one of the top fighters in the sport today. After all these years, the Strikeforce lightweight champion is still an unknown commodity. No matter which way it gets hacked, he is still yet to face serious competition. It is foolhardy to consider him one of the best in the division, never mind in the sport, until that changes.

Josh Thomson, his opponent this past Saturday, was just the latest chapter in the ongoing story of Strikeforce’s flimsy matchmaking.

Recently, I talked at length about the UFC featherweight division’s shallow talent pool and the trouble this results in for both fighters and UFC VP of Talent Relations, Joe Silva. The Strikeforce lightweight division is quite similar, with only a handful of fighters demonstrating any level of skill. This leaves the rankings past its champion in constant flux and results in fighters getting title shots while riding one-fight winning streaks.

Simply put, Gilbert Melendez has not beaten anybody of note. Not only has he not beaten anybody of note, but he has failed to blow away these low-tier fighters as Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo have. He narrowly edged out Josh Thomson, winning a semi-controversial split decision.

Looking deeper, he did not raise many eyebrows with his bout against Jorge Masvidal and has been out-shined by many when it comes to shared opponents, including Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez.

Where does Melendez rank in the lightweight division?

#1 #2-3 #4-6 #7-10 Not a top-ten lightweight. Submit Vote vote to see results

Where does Melendez rank in the lightweight division?

#1

0%

#2-3

0%

#4-6

0%

#7-10

0%

Not a top-ten lightweight.

0%

Total votes: 0

Make no mistake, he is a strong fighter. He has solid boxing and his ground game is nothing to shrug at. Unfortunately for Melendez and his fans, that simply is not enough to be a top 10 lightweight anymore. Certainly not enough to be in the top three, as B/R ranks him. Most of all, it is completely out of the question that he is the top lightweight at this time, regardless of Strikeforce’s allegations.

Melendez coming to the UFC still feels inevitable. His disrespectful post-fight interview came just short of announcing that he is looking to pull a Nick Diaz, play the politics game and force his way out of Strikeforce.

Should he succeed, it would be very difficult to favor Melendez over many top UFC lightweights. He should be a huge underdog against champion Ben Henderson or the top contender, Frankie Edgar. Though a fight with Nate Diaz is out of the question (Cesar Gracie fighters openly refuse to fight each other), he would certainly be the riskier bet there as well.

Outside the top three, there is also no real reason to give him the edge against guys like Gray Maynard, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis or Clay Guida. On top of that, there are savvy fighters that match up well against Melendez stylistically like Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon.

Before calling foul on this article, just ask if Josh Thomson is better than any of these fighters. If for some inexplicable reason you would say he is, just look at any of those fighters’ resumes side-by-side with Thomson.

Until Melendez joins the UFC and puts together wins, there is no logical reason to consider him above the fray. While, again, Melendez is a good fighter, there is no shortage of good fighters right now. If the pundits are going to keep claiming he is great, though, I hope they let me in on the secret reason they think this some time soon.  

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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Jon Jones is first and foremost a citizen of the United States of America. He’s an athlete second.

As an adult and responsible individual, athlete or not, he must obey the laws of his country and state. He should not drive under the influence of alcohol or any other prohibited drug.

Having committed that violation, he must pay as the law dictates—whatever his social status, popular athlete or otherwise.

And, like it or not, he remains a role model who should rectify his error and continue in fulfilling that role as a famous athlete. (I’m not going to jump off his bandwagon just yet—unless he chooses to drive it while…)

No one can be blamed for ascribing to Jones a role-model status, someone to be looked upon by just about everyone who follows him and his exploits. It’s a role that befits a popular athlete, and therefore any famous American citizen— regardless if Jones accepts it or not.

“Role model” has become an automatic label and expectation for a society seemingly desperate for at least a few guiding lights—especially to steer youth in the right direction (which is where?).

Buttressing this view, here’s a passage written by Drew A. Hyland from his book Philosophy of Sport:

The fact of the matter is that, particularly in our culture where athletics receive so much media coverage, top-level athletes are extremely charismatic. They will be imitated by young people…Therefore, whether they asked for it or not, athletes do have a social responsibility to conduct themselves as acceptable role models for youth.

I am a parent.

Yes, I am. No, I’m not. Not that I’m aware of… Submit Vote vote to see results

I am a parent.

Yes, I am.

29.2%

No, I’m not.

54.2%

Not that I’m aware of…

16.7%

Total votes: 24

Now is there any MMA fan who doubts that Jones willingly accepted the role of role model and all that entails?

Didn’t he ask us if Rashad Evans was the one we wanted to be our champion, implying instead of himself?

Wasn’t it shown on the official UFC video promo of their title fight how he asked if we prefer Evans, who does this and that “unwholesome” gesture, over him who is, er, more decent and admirable?

Well, now that he successfully remains the champ after beating Evans, his question is rendered moot and academic. He remains our champion, and it’s still a given that Jones has “a social responsibility” to conduct himself as an acceptable role model for our youth—even after the incident.

Still, let us not forget that the main responsibility in raising good children remains on our shoulders as parents, within our very own homes. It is not being done by any champion inside the Octagon or any athlete on the NBA hard court or NFL football field.

We are ultimately responsible.

But…given this article’s topic on parenthood, just how much of MMA’s fanbase from its 18-34 male demographic can actually relate to this? I guess that will be best answered by our embedded poll.

Charles “I Am Not a Role Model” Barkley.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

A note on the title and concept

The phrase “he ain’t raisin’ your kids” is absolutely unoriginal. I first heard it from Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Charles Barkley.

It was in the early 1990s, and I was a teenager watching for the first time Sir Charles’s Nike basketball shoes TV commercial, with a couple of men in a living room. It most likely aired during a break of an NBA game.

It showed Barkley declaring, “I am not a role model” repeatedly, in between clips of “The Round Mound of Rebound” displaying his basketball skills.

Each time Barkley uttered those words, the fathers in the room snidely remarked, “It’s true, it’s true.” They, like true NBA fans, were obviously aware of Barkley’s well-founded notoriety gained on and off the basketball court.

Then, nearing the end of the commercial, Barkley started to say, “Parents should be role models. Just because I can dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”

The fathers fell silent.

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