Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament

[AE14]

Striekforce has announced a HW tournament. The Quarterfinals take place in February and March. No further dates are available. Here are the QF matchups

Fedor v. Big Foot Silva (Feb)
Arlovsky v. Kharitonov (Feb)
Overeem v. Werdum (March)
Rogers v. Barnett (March)

If I had to pick, I would say Fedor, Kharitonov, Overeem and Barnett.

My semifinals look like
Barnett v. Fedor
Overeem v. Kharitonov

Leaving Fedor and Overeem in the finals.

Thoughts????

[Aleksandar37]

I don't know how it will play up to the final, but I agree that it will be Fedor and Overeem, with Overeem taking it all

[Rodja]

I cannot state how excited I am for this, especially given the current state of the UFC HW division (Carwin, Cain out with injury, Nelson in contract dispute, Lesnar is an unknown). Not sure how the brackets will breakdown after the quarters, but I really, really hope that Werdum can end the Overeem hype-train. Or, I'd love to see Sergei return to form and beat Overeem (again).

[AE14]

Here are the brackets. Looks like Fedor and Reem (possibly) could go at it in round 2. Hype would end, one way or the other

[Rodja]

I didn't even think about this until now: it's already been almost 7 years since the last real HWGP in Pride.

[AE14]

if all the fighters actually participate (big if in Strikeforce) this could be a great year for them, and really put SF on the map

[amidoinitrite]

Andre versus Fabricio, my pick for the finals.

[Rodja]

Andre versus Fabricio, my pick for the finals.

You have seen AA recently, right? 3 straight losses and a clear lack of confidence right now? I'd have him as the 7 seed right now ahead of only Kharitonov.

[OnTheRoadTo]

God, I hope SF doesn't **** this up.

Prepare for Overeem hype train, full speed ahead.

[Rodja]

God, I hope SF doesn't **** this up.

Prepare for Overeem hype train, full speed ahead.

The only hurdle is the Barnett licensing, but his nationwide suspension ended last July. From what I've read, the second quarter-final event will not be in either Vegas or in California.

The favorites are clear: Fedor and Overeem. The two darkhorses are Barnett and Kharitonov. They both have great skill, but haven't been consistently active in awhile (FYI, Kharitonov is the last person the beat Overeem in MMA).

[mh625]

I dont think anyone can stop the Reem I've been trying to call him all hype but everytime I watch him fight he just abuses his opponent. I really think Fedors management has been ducking him and why would he even be in the tournament he is the SF heavyweight champ shouldn't the tourny be for the number 1 contender I just feel that all the SF heavyweights are intimidated by Overeem and they really should be the guy gets better and better every fight.

[Rodja]

What about this record is exactly impressive?

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alistair-Overeem-461

His best wins at HW are Rogers, Buentello, and Kharitonov. Anytime he has faced truly top competition, he's lost and that includes his run at LHW. He couldn't take a punch at 205; how the hell is that going to change at HW?

[AE14]

By the same token, who has Fedor beat recently? Not dismissig his pride days, but the recent Fedor years are far from inspiring. Losing to Werdum does not illicit confidence either.

[Rodja]

By the same token, who has Fedor beat recently? Not dismissig his pride days, but the recent Fedor years are far from inspiring. Losing to Werdum does not illicit confidence either.

With Fedor, you at least know how he responds to top competition. Until the submission against Werdum, there was only 1 fight that he did not win convincingly and that was against Arona in RINGS with a set of funky rules. I also wouldn't exactly say getting caught in an early sub against a multiple ADCC champ losing to a can. With Fedor, it's not about hype or potential; it's about past performances and being a proven fighter at HW. Overeem, however, has neither part. Yes, he has a great skill set along with a massive frame (BTW, why are people on his sack, but call Lesnar a chump?), but he has yet to show that he can translate this into a HW run. I still question his heart after seeing him practically give up against Shogun, Arona, Rog Nog, Chuck, etc. and highly doubt that his cardio has improved with an extra 35+ lbs of LBM on his frame.

[AE14]

I never said Werdum was a can, just not an impressive heavyweight. He is another one with a questionable work ethic. I agree about his past, but I don't think he is anywhere near where he was. His most recent fights are what I use as my example.

I think a Reem/Fedor fight will tell a lot. I just hope we get to see it.

[Rodja]

I never said Werdum was a can, just not an impressive heavyweight. He is another one with a questionable work ethic. I agree about his past, but I don't think he is anywhere near where he was. His most recent fights are what I use as my example.

I think a Reem/Fedor fight will tell a lot. I just hope we get to see it.

Never said you said Werdum was a can, but he's been a consensus top-10 fighter for close to 5 years now. Fedor got caught; it happens to everyone in MMA. While I do agree with you that it's hard to say where Fedor is at this stage in his career, the slower frequency of fights may have actually helped. People forget how many injuries the guy has had over the years, especially to his hands. Plus, he hasn't really been through many "wars" in his career; the only fighters to ever really cause some damage were a prime CC and Fujita's hail mary right hand.

[ken22]

Striekforce has announced a HW tournament. The Quarterfinals take place in February and March. No further dates are available. Here are the QF matchups

Fedor v. Big Foot Silva (Feb)
Arlovsky v. Kharitonov (Feb)
Overeem v. Werdum (March)
Rogers v. Barnett (March)

If I had to pick, I would say Fedor, Kharitonov, Overeem and Barnett.

My semifinals look like
Barnett v. Fedor
Overeem v. Kharitonov

Leaving Fedor and Overeem in the finals.

Thoughts????

Werdum beats overeem on the ground

[rugger48]

Andre versus Fabricio, my pick for the finals.

Crack dont smoke itself.

[Aleksandar37]

I admit that Fedor and Overeem get a lot of hype, but I don't see how anybody can argue that it isn't earned. Arlovsky on the other hand doesn't even really deserve a shot at this.

[OnTheRoadTo]

He couldn't take a punch at 205; how the hell is that going to change at HW?

You know, by the end he was cutting nearly 30 lbs to make 205 - that affects both cardio and chin. I don't think his chin is worse than average, although admittedly the question of cardio is out there.