Bob Sapp v. Alistair Overeem - Arm Wrestle!

Here is Alistair Overeem fighting Bob Sapp in an arm wrestling contest as part of a 2012 Japanese TV show.

Overeem (39-14, 4-3 UFC) fights Junior Dos Santos at UFC on Fox 17 this Saturday.

Sergei Kharitonov v. Alistair Overeem 2

Here is Sergei Kharitonov fighting Alistair Overeem at K1 - Hero's which took place on 9/17/07 in Yokohama, Japan.

Overeem (37-14) next meets Stefan Struve at UFC on Fox 13 on 12/13/14. Kharitonov (21-5) will next fight Satoshi Ishii at M-1 Challenge 53 on 11/11/14 in Beijing, China.

Video of the Day - Sahinbas v. Overeem

Here is a bout between Alistair Overeem and Can Sahinbas from a 2 Hot 2 Handle event in Holland circa 3/5/2000.

Overeem (37-13, 2-2 UFC) will next fight Ben Rothwell (33-9, 3-3 UFC) at UFN 50. The fight starts at the 2 minute mark.

Video of the Day - Overeem v. Saki

Here is Alistair Overeem's second fight of the night in the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix against Gohkan Saki.

Overeem (36-12) next fights Travis Browne at UFC Fight Night 26, which takes place on the all new Fox Sports 1 this Saturday.

Video of the Day - Overeem v. Aerts

Here is the finale of the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix featuring Alistair Overeem against Peter Aerts.

Overeem will fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on December 30th with the winner getting a title shot against Junior Dos Santos.

Strikeforce - Overeem v. Werdum

Strikeforce - "Overeem v. Werdum" will air live this Saturday night on Showtime from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event will include the 2nd half of the 1st round of the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix.

The headlining bout pits K-1, Dream and Strikeforce HW title holder Alistair Overeem (34-11) against ADCC champ Fabricio Werdum (14-4). The game plans are obvious in this fight, as Overeem will do his best to strike and keep the fight standing. Conversly, Werdum will do his best to bring the fight to the ground, where Werdum submitted Overeem in 2006 with a kimura in Pride.

Since becoming a full-time heavyweight, Overeem's career has shot off the charts. He is 9-0 in MMA since a September 2007 KO loss to fellow tourney competitor Sergei Kharitonov. Even more impressive, Alistair was able to capture the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix World Championship, defeating kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in the final.

(Overeem KO's Fujita)

Werdum sent shockwaves through the MMA world in his last fight, a one minute long bout with Fedor Emelianenko which saw the Russian tapping. As the bout unfolded, Werdum was punched, went to the canvas, and then baited an aggressive Fedor into the fight ending triangle/armbar choke. The submission won MMA Blaster's submission of the year.

(Werdum submits Fedor)

In other action, former UFC champ Josh Barnett (29-5) meets former Elite XC and Strikeforce contender Brett Rogers. Rogers has slimmed down since his last bout, but will still be looking to use his powerful hands. The smart thing for Barnett to do would be to get the fight to the ground as quick as possible, but he may look to strike first standing.

Josh Barnett fought twice in Japan in 2010, winning via TKO over Geronimo dos Santos and submitting Mighty Mo Siliga. Barnett rose to fame in the early UFC, defeating Semmy Schilt and Bobby Hoffman to earn a title shot against Randy Couture. Barnett would defeat Couture via TKO at UFC 36, but tested positive for three banned substances. Barnett would go on to acheive success in Pride, going to the finals of the 2006 HW Grand Prix.

(Josh Barnett Pride picture)

The hard hitting Rogers rose to fame in the Elite XC when he rattled off four straight wins to earn a fight against Andrei Arlovski. Rogers would go on to knock out Arlovski with a clean shot, catapulting him into a match with Fedor Emelianenko. Unfortunately, Rogers would be TKO'd by Fedor and next to Alistair Overeem. He has since rebounded with a win over Ruben "Warpath" Villareal.

(Brett Rogers pictured)

Here is a look at the card:

SHOWTIME MAIN CARD

Alistair Overeem v. Fabricio Werdum - HW GP
Josh Barnett v. Brett Rogers - HW GP
Daniel Cormier v. Jeff Monson
Chad Griggs v. Valentijn Overeem
Jorge Masvidal v. K.J. Noons

HDNET CARD

Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante v. Justin Wilcox
Magno Almeida v. Conor Heun
Nah-Shon Burrell v. Joe Ray
Mike Bronzoulis v. Todd Moore
Brian Melancon v. Isaac Vallie-Flagg

Strikeforce HW GP Recap Video

Strikeforce Epic Heavyweight Tournament

The MMA world is buzzing after the opening bouts of Strikeforce's Heavyweight Grand Prix style tournament involving eight top 25 heavyweights. The next round will take place on April 9th somewhere on planet Earth. Japan, Canada and many locations in the United States have been rumored, but the status of Josh Barnett's fight license will likely force Strikeforce's hand.

The opening bouts saw MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko get crushed in the second round by the notably bigger Antonio Silva. In addition, Andrei Arlovski will likely be out of the game for a long time following a dramatic knock-out loss to the hands of Russian slugger Sergei Kharitonov.

The next round will see K-1, Dream and Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem fighting ADCC champion Fabricio Werdum in a mega fight. In addition, former UFC champ Josh Barnett will face hard hitting Brett Rogers.

Alistair Overeem's Strikeforce HW belt will not be on the line, as the tournament will crown an independent Grand Prix Champion. Look for Werdum to try to force the floor at all times to avoid Alistair's destructive stand-up game.

Round 1 Results:

Antonio Silva def Fedor Emelianenko via TKO, R2, 5:00
Sergei Kharitonov def Andrei Arlovski via KO, R1, 2:49

Reserve Bout Winners:

Shane Del Rosario def Lavar Johnson via Sub(armbar) R1, 4:31
Chad Griggs def Gian Villante via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:49
Valentijn Overeem def Ray Sefo via Sub (neck crank) R1, 1:37

Remaining Round 1 bouts:

Alistair Overeem v. Fabricio Werdum (April 9th)
Brett Rogers v. Josh Barnett (April 9th)


Final Four Qualifiers:

Antonio Silva (16-2)- "Pezao" or "Bigfoot" is a strong heavyweight that meets the top end of the 265 pound limit. A lifelong martial artist, Silva has black belts in Karate, Judo and BJJ. Silva rose to fame by winning the heavyweight title in Elite XC, though he later tested positive for steroids. Silva blamed the test on a testosterone-booster that he uses to counteract the low testosterone levels caused by his acromegaly.

In the opening round of the tournament, Bigfoot had a very close 1st round matching the stand-up skills of Fedor Emelienenko. However in the second round, Bigfoot took advantage of Fedor utilizing his ground skills establishing dominant position, then crushing his foe with his massive fists.

Silva will go as far as his big time power and ground game will take him. Silva has TKO wins over Tom Erikson, Mike Kyle and Wesley Correira. He has decision wins over Andrei Arlovski and Ricco Rodriguez.


Sergei Kharitonov (18-4)- This Russian Airborne soldier gained notierity in the MMA world with his entertaining bouts in the Pride organization. A former training partner with Fedor Emelianenko, Kharitonov emerged in the 2004 Pride HW GP when he KO'd Ninja Rua and kickboxing legend Semmy Schilt.

Expect Kharitonov went toe to toe with Andrei Arlovski in his opening round bout, and despite taking some shots eventually got the better of Arlovski. Kharitonov used nasty uppercuts and punches to the body, eventually sending Arlovski to the canvas and finishing him off with strong ground and pound. Kharitonov has other victories over tournament front runners Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum.


Remaining 1st Round Fighters:

Alistair Overeem (34-11)- Since becoming a full-time heavyweight, Overeem's career has shot off the charts. He is 9-0 since a September 2007 KO loss to fellow tourney competitor Sergei Kharitonov. Even more impressive, Alistair was able to capture the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix World Championship, defeating kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in the final.

Overeem is the defending Strikeforce HW champion, having won the title against Paul Buentello and defending against Brett Rogers. A powerful kickboxer with upper level submission skills, Overeem has other victories against Vitor Belfort, Todd Duffee and Igor Vovchanchyn.  Overeem will look to keep the fight standing against Werdum.


Fabricio Werdum (14-4)- Werdum sent shockwaves through the MMA world in his last fight, a one minute long bout with Fedor Emelianenko which saw the Russian tapping. As the bout unfolded, Werdum was punched, went to the canvas, and then baited an aggressive Fedor into the fight ending triangle/armbar choke. The submission won MMA Blaster's submission of the year.

Fabricio Werdum will be looking to get the fight with Overeem to the ground early and often to utilize his world renown jiu-jitsu skills. The task will be difficult, but Werdum has defeated many top fighters, including Brandon Vera, Junior Silva, Gabriel Gonzaga, Aleks Emelianenko and Fedor Emelianenko. Werdum is the 2007 and 2009 ADCC HW champ.


Josh Barnett (26-5)- The submission wizard and pro wrestling fanatic, Josh Barnett is an interesting character in the martial arts world. Barnett is still a wild card in the tournament, still not having cleared up a positive steroid test in California. If troubles persist, look for an alternate to take Barnett's place.

With the positive test looming in the United States, Barnett fought twice in Japan in 2010, winning via TKO over Geronimo dos Santos and submitting Mighty Mo Siliga. Barnett rose to fame in the early UFC, defeating Semmy Schilt and Bobby Hoffman to earn a title shot against Randy Couture. Barnett would defeat Couture via TKO at UFC 36, but tested positive for three banned substances. Barnett would go on to acheive success in Pride, going to the finals of the 2006 HW Grand Prix.


Brett Rogers (11-2)- The hard hitting Rogers rose to fame in the Elite XC when he rattled off four straight wins to earn a fight against Andrei Arlovski. Rogers would go on to knock out Arlovski with a clean shot, catapulting him into a match with Fedor Emelianenko.

Rogers would fight Fedor at Strikeforce, Chicago and battle the Russian to a close first round. In the second, Rogers ate a big shot and his night was finished. Rogers next fought Alistair Overeem to disappointing results. Since, Rogers rebounded with a win over Warpath Villareal.

K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Recap

The K-1 Grand Prix played out over two events featuring 16 of the worlds best heavyweight kickboxers. There were some big time KO's during the tournament, especially from the 2010 champ, Alistair Overeem.

1st Round K-1 World GP Tournament Results:

Semmy Schilt def Hesdy Gerges- Split Dec
Mighty Mo def Raul Catinas- Unanimous Dec
Peter Aerts def Ewerton Teixeira- Split Dec
Kyotaro def Jerome LeBanner- DQ (Abandonment)
Daniel Ghita def Errol Zimmerman- KO, 0:18 R2
Gokhan Saki def Freddy Kemayo- TKO, 1:30 R1
Tyrone Spong def Ray Sefo- Unanimous Decision
Alistair Overeem def Ben Edwards- KO, R1

K-1 Results Round of 8:

Peter Aerts def Mighty Mo via KO, R1
Semmy Schilt def Kyotaro via Dec
Gokhan Saki def Daniel Ghita via Dec
Alistair Overeem def Tyrone Spong via Dec

Final 4:

Peter Aerts def Semmy Schilt via Dec
Alistair Overeem def Gokhan Saki via TKO, R1

Final:

Alistair Overeem def Peter Aerts via KO, R1

(Overeem v. Aerts)

Video of the Day - Overeem v. Poturak

Here is Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem fighting Dzevad Poturak in the K-1 Grand Prix 2010 which took place on 4/3/2010.

Strikeforce - St. Louis

Alistair Overeem will make his return to the United States this weekend when he takes on Brett Rogers at Strikeforce - Heavy Artillery in St. Louis. Overeem has been very busy lately, taking multiple oversees MMA fights and K-1 bouts.

The last time Overeem was fighting in the US, he was beating up Paul Buentello to defend his Strikeforce title. Overeem's only other United States fight was decision victory over Vitor Belfort. Overeem's other career wins have come over Igor Vovchanchyn, Mark Hunt, Roman Zentsov and Sergei Kharitonov.

(Overeem KO of Fujita)

In other action former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski will be fighting former Elite XC champ Junior "Bigfoot" Silva. Arlovski desparetly needs a win since his two straight KO losses to Fedor and Brett Rogers.

Here is a look at other fights that will be shown live on Showtime:

MAIN CARD

Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers
Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Joey Villasenor
Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman
Antwain Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante

UNDERCARD (un-aired)

Justin DeMoney vs. Jesse Finney
Lyle Beerbohm vs. Vitor Ribeiro
Lee Brousseau vs. Fransisco France
Mike Chandler vs. Sal Woods
Tom Aaron vs. Erik Steenberg
Matt Ricehouse vs. Greg Wilson
Darryl Cobb vs. Booker DeRousse
(Back to MMA Rumors)

Strikeforce Forecast - Overeem v. Fedor

With Alistair Overeem's dismantling of Brett Rogers at Strikeforce - St. Louis this past weekend, the stars are aligning for an Overeem versus Fedor megafight. If Fedor can get past Fabricio Werdum the title fight should set up perfectly.

Strikeforce HW Champ Alistair Overeem (33-11, 3-0 SF) was a fixture in Pride, before switching to Dream and K-1 kickboxing. He has benefitted from the move to heavyweight after having difficult weight cuts to 205. The move has seen him increase his weight lifting, and the ripped Alistair has speed and big time power in his knees, kicks and punches.

Overeem first fought in Strikeforce with a decision win over Vitor Belfort to earn a title shot against Paul Buentello. Overeem crushed Buentello with a vicious array of knees to the body in the second frame. Overeem's other career wins have come over Igor Vovchanchyn, Mark Hunt, Roman Zentsov and a split with Sergei Kharitonov. The devastating striker also has K-1 wins over legends Badr Hari and Peter Aerts.

(Alistair Overeem Pictured)

There is no denying that Fedor Emelianenko (33-1, 1-0 SF) has beaten some of the best mixed martial artists the world has ever seen. Fedor's transition game from striking to takedowns to submissions is remarkable. He is a master out of the scramble and nailing the big punch.

Fedor holds two decision wins over Pride HW Champ Antonio Nogueria, decision wins over Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, K1 legend Semmy Schilt and Ricardo Arona. Fedor has KO victories over UFC HW Champ Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers, Heath Herring, Gary Goodridge, and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. He has submission victories over UFC HW Champ Tim Sylvia, UFC HW Champ Mark Coleman 2X, Mark Hunt, Matt Lindland, Naoya Ogawa, UFC HW Champ Kevin Randleman and Kazuyuki Fujita.

(Fedor KO'ing Arlovski in Affliction)

K-1 Dynamite Results

K-1 Dynamite: Dream v. Sengoku was an awesome, epic show which went full throttle for nearly 7 hours on HDNet, airing live from Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The annual event featured stars such as Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gegard Mousasi and Alistair Overeem.

MMA RESULTS

Hidehiko Yoshida def Satoshi Ishii via unanimous dec- The debut of gold medal judo player Satoshi Ishii followed in the tradition of many Japanese MMA fighters. Throw the inexperienced fighter in with a veteran and see what happens. What happened in this one was Ishii being very tense, eating punches, and not going for a takedown.

Shinya Aoki def Mizuto Hirota via sub (hammerlock) R1, 1:17- This fight ended with the most brutal submission in 2009 and one of the nastiest in MMA history. Allegedly, Hirota had talked smack about Aoki pre-fight. During the fight, Aoki trapped Hirota's arm behind his back as he got a takedown against the ropes.

As Hirota tried to escape, Aoki hit him with mild punches while continuing to work the hammerlock. Aoki cranked the arm more and more before supposedly breaking Hirota's humerus bone. It looked as if Hirota's shoulder was dislocated as well. After the ref jumped in, Aoki added insult to injury by flipping him and the audience the bird.

(Aoki cranking the hammerlock)

Gegard Mousasi def Gary Goodridge via TKO (punches) R1, 1:34- As expected, rising star Gegard Mousasi made quick work of long time MMA vet Gary Goodridge. Gegard quickly went for a double leg takedown, then threw rapid ground and pound until the fight was called.

Alistair Overeem def Kazuyuki Fujita via KO (knee) R1, 1:15- Dutch heavyweight Alistair Overeem made quick work of the mismatched Fujita. A big time knee landed flush to Fujita's eye socket, crumpling him to the canvas. Hopefully, Fujita is ok as the strike looked absolutely brutal.

Ikuhisa Minowa def Sokoudjou via TKO (punch) R3, 3:29- The Minowaman won the Super Hulk tournament with a surprising upset victory over the larger and more athletic Sokoudjou. Minowa looked for takedowns early and often, and when they failed, Minowa fell to guard, then looked for his signature leg locks. In the third round, both fighters seemed a little fatigued and were awarded yellow cards for inactivity. After the second card, Minowa threw a crushing overhand punch which sent Sokoudjou to the floor.

(Minowaman fist pump)

Masanori Kanehara def Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto via unanimous dec- This was a very close fight as both fighters traded punches and kicks from the clinch. Yamamoto gave up a takedown or two which probably gave the fight to Kanehara.

Tatsuya Kawajiri def Kazunori Yokota via unanimous dec- Kawajiri dominated this fight from start to finish with takedowns and submission attempts. Kawajiri nearly had numerous arm bars throughout the fight.

Hideo Tokoro def Jong Man Kim via unanimous dec
Melvin Manhoef def Kazuo Misaki via TKO (punches) R1, 1:49
Akihiro Gono def Hayato "Mach" Sakurai via sub (armbar) R2, 2:56
Michihiro Omigawa def Hiroyuki Takaya via TKO (punches) R1, 2:54
Hiroshi Izumi def Katsuyori Shibata via unanimous dec

K-1 RESULTS

Masato def Andy Souwer via unanimous dec
Masaaki Noiri def Shota Shimada via unanimous dec (KOSHIEN final)
Ray Sefo def Yosuke Nishijima via unanimous dec
Shota Shimada def Katsuki Ishida via majority dec (KOSHIEN semi)
Masaaki Noiri def Hiroya via unanimous dec (KOSHIEN semi)

K-1 Fields Dynamite Results

I've been watching the fights on dailymotion.com. Unfortunately, K-1 and HDNet couldn't work out a deal to get the card broadcast in the states. The Joachim Hansen v. JZ Calvancante was scratched as Hansen did not pass his pre-fight physical.

The Melvin Manhoef KO of Mark Hunt is pretty awesome, check that one out. The biggest upset of the night has to go to Alistair Overeem knocking out K-1 Grand Prix runner-up Badr Hari. The best comeback I've seen so far was the surprising effort by Bob Sapp. Sapp was taken down and absorbing light hammerfists on his back before getting out of it and tagging his anime masked foe. Despite having an arm free for the taking, apparently anime characters don't know arm bars.

MMA Bouts
Ikuhisa Minowa def Errol Zimmerman via Sub (Toe Hold) R1, 1:01
Daisuke Nakamura def Hideo Tokoro via Sub (Armbar) R1, 2:23
Andy Ologun def Yukio Sakaguchi via KO (Punches) R1, 3:52
Bob Sapp def Akihito Tanaka via TKO (Punches) R1, 5:22
Semmy Schilt def Siala Siliga via Sub (Triangle Choke) R1, 5:31
Hayato Sakurai def Katsuyori Shibata via TKO (Punches) R1, 7:01
Mirko Filipovic def Hong Man Choi via TKO (Leg Kicks) R1, 6:32
Melvin Manhoef def Mark Hunt via KO (Punches) R1, 0:18
Shinya Aoki def Eddie Alvarez via Sub (Heel Hook) R1, 1:32
Kiyoshi Tamura def Kazushi Sakuraba via Dec(Unanimous)

K1 Bouts
Tatsuya Kawajiri def Kozo Takeda via KO, R1 2:31
Artur Kyshenko def Yoshihiro Sato via majority dec
Gegard Mousasi def Musashi via TKO, R1 2:32
Alistair Overeem defeated Badr Hari via KO, R1 2:07


(Bob Sapp pictured)

Dream 6 Middleweight GP Final

For any of you that have a DVR and HDNet, you may want to record Dream 6 which is airing around 3 AM Eastern. For the rest of us, we will be scouring the internet tomorrow morning for the fights. All fighters have reportedly made weight for the event. The 185 pound tournament is down to the final four, and the last two matches of the tournament will be held.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem- This main event features two of the top heavyweight strikers in the game. The winner will reportedly get a shot at Dream's Heavyweight belt.

Shinya Aoki vs. Todd Moore- Shinya is one of the top mma grapplers in the business. He has a gogoplata victory over Joachim Hansen and Katsuhiko Nagata.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Masanori Tonooka- Akiyama is a legit top ten fighter in the 185 pound weight class.

Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai- Sakurai is an extremely dangerous fighter. Look for a

Masakatsu Funaki vs. Ikuhisa Minowa- A battle between two longtime mma veterans. Funaki better be on the lookout for the kneebar.

Jimmy Ambriz vs. Sergei Kharitonov- Finally we get to see Sergei Kharitonov back in an mma fight. He has been out of the game since September of 07.

Adriano Martins vs. Keita Nakamura- Nak is looking to rebound from a poor showing in the UFC. Nak went 0-3 in the UFC with three decision losses. He is 14-0 outside the octogon.

*Zelg Galesic vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza- This is the second fight of the 185 pound grand prix. Souza is one of the most impressive grapplers in mma. Souza beat Iam Murphy and Mayhem Miller to get to the top four. Galesic is an impressive muay thai fighter who beat Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Taiei Kin to make the top four.

*Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi- Manhoef is one of the most powerful strikers in the game today. Give him one inch and he will put you on your back seeing stars. Manhoef TKO'd Dae Won Kim and Sakuraba to reach the final four. Mousasi triangle choked Denis Kang and won a unanimous decision over Dong Sik Yoon to make the final four.

+Andrews Nakahara vs. Yoon Dong Sik- This is the alternate bout for the 185 pound tournament in case one of the winners is injured.


*photo of Shinya Aoki

(*) indicates 185 pound tournament bout, (+) alternate match

Paul Buentello v. Alistair Overeem

Profile by the Blaster

Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello (23-9) possesses brutal knockout power and has plenty of KO's on his resume, as does fellow kickboxer Alistair Overeem (25-11). Both have got definate power on their feet. On November 16th the Strikeforce heavyweight title will be up for grabs. All of Paul's 23 wins have come via KO or submission, an he has won four straight. As Alistair is also a kickboxer, don't worry about the fight hitting the ground, check out what Paul said on mmafighting.com,

MMAFighting.com: Do you see any scenario at all where this fight could end up on the ground at some point?

Paul Buentello: I don’t know. I’ve never taken anybody down in over thirty matches so I’m not looking for a takedown.

Don't know about you, but this is a fight that I am excited to see. Paul Buentello has wins over Tank Abbott, a vicious KO of Justin Eilers (18-6), Bobby Hoffman (36-10), Rueben Villareal, Carter Williams (3-2), Mike Kyle (9-5), Kevin "the Shaman" Jordan (9-5), Andy Montana (18-10), and the late Gilbert Aldana (6-2). (3-1) UFC record.

Alistair Overeem is a powerful kickboxer who stands tall at 6'5". He has fought at 205 and heavyweight, probably giving up around 25 pounds to Buentello. He has some notable victories over Bazigit Atajev (16-1), Michael Knaap (14-12), 2 times against Vitor Belfort (16-8), an aging Igor Vovchanchyn (16-9), Roman Zentzov (16-11) and split with Sergei Kharitonov (15-3). The knock on Overeem as that he tires out after the first few minutes. I am pretty sure he will be bringing his A game despite going 4-6 in his last ten fights (all losses to top notch opponents).

Here are some highlights:
Official HL


Scott999 from Sherdog

Strikeforce Tournament Series Picks

Strikeforce Tournament Series Review by the MMA Blaster

You have to give it to Strikeforce for deciding to hold a legit tournament on Friday night, 11-16-07. The United States hasn't had a big tournament in some time due to the UFC's stance that they won't hold tournaments anymore. (Don't tell them that TUF is a tournament). I like the idea of the lottery that Strikeforce is implementing.

They basically will have four balls numbered one to four that will be drawn by the fighters. The fighters will then seed themselves in the bracket. You definately want the first fight so you have extra time to recover, but you probably want to fight someone that you are comfortable with first. Those taking part in the tourney are Yuki Sasaki, Trevor Prangley, Jorge Santiago and Falaniko Vitale. The alternate bout is between Sean Salmon and Dennis Hallman.

This card is also stacked with Cung Le (see previous story) v. TUF alum Sammy Morgan, Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello (23-9) and Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem (25-11). World Light Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion Brian “The Mad Stork” Schwartz will make his MMA debut against Lemont Davis (8-4 according to Strikeforce, 0-0 according to Sherdog) in a 175 lb. catch weight.

Picks

Tournament Victor-- Trevor Prangley. He is riding a five fight win streak which includes wins over vet Yuki Kondo, Andrei Semenov (26-9), and Anthony Ruiz (17-10). I think he will use his wrestling skills to grind out the victory.

Buentello v. Overeem- Buentello. The Head Hunter is bigger than Overeem (who has fought mainly at 205) and I see him using it to his advantage to get the win. This fight will be a stand-up war and could very well be the fight of the night.

Le v. Morgan--I have the Cung Le legend continuing with a brutal KO by high kick in the second. Hey, we can all dream, can't we?

Alt. Bout- Salmon v. Hallman- I really want Salmon to get the victory here. It would give him the momentum running into his fight with Mayhem Miller. I think the younger Salmon will relax and avoid the submissions that will be coming at him.