Days after Strikeforce held its final event; the UFC announced that several of the promotions fighters have joined the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Not all of the fighters are coming over but this also wasn’t the complete and final list, expect a few more to be announced in the coming weeks.
As the finals days dwindle for Strikeforce, you cannot help but head down memory lane. We’ve already taken a look at the future and the present so now it’s time to past of Strikeforce and what they did good, bad and the things we all want to forget.
In 1967, Murray Woroner had an idea for a program, where the greatest heavyweight boxers in history would fight each other to the delight of radio audiences. Considering boxing had been around, in various forms of rule-sets and legality, for a hundred years, this was a colossal undertaking. With the aid of 250 boxing experts, sixteen of the greatest pugilists in history were selected and given scores in 128 attributes ranging from punching power, to footwork, to confidence. These numbers were then fed into a state-of-the-art computer, very similar to the Spike TV series The Deadliest Warrior, and each fight was virtually simulated. When the dust settled at the end of several weeks of prime time programming, Rocky Marciano defeated Muhammad Ali to become the Greatest Heavyweight Boxer Ever. The problem was, basically no one, including the boxing experts involved in the project, agreed with this.
Last night the trilogy between Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson came to an end with the champion retaining his belt by the narrowest of margins. Inside the cage directly after the fight, Melendez would say he had a hard time getting motivated for the fight and that he was in a no win situation against the former champion, Thomson.
The day has finally arrived. Tonight the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix will come to an end and Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett take to the cage in the finals. Not only that but the often talked about Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson III will conclude the trilogy while inhabiting the night’s co-main event.
The fighters competing on Saturdays Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix finale all step on the scales today from the concourse inside the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California. All but one fighter made weight and lightweight James Terry only missed weight by a quarter pound as the athletic commission attempted to figure out the scale.
As this train wreck of a Heavyweight Grand Prix comes to a close, it really helps you appreciate that Bellator can put on so many snag-free tournaments. Through a slew of injuries, both real and painfully fake, and a great deal of completely random alternates, we arrive at Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier, with the winner being locked in the forever stasis of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Division.
All eyes in the MMA community will be on Strikeforce this Saturday night as they crown their Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion, when Daniel Cormier squares off with Josh Barnett. What people will be seeing in three of the four main card bouts, are American Kickboxing Academy fighters trying to win a Grand Prix, a Lightweight Championship and a Number One contender-ship. It’s a big night in the south bay.
UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez Weigh-in Pictures
Due to a previously scheduled Arena Football game at the HP Pavilion, today’s UFC on FOX 7 weigh-ins were held less than a mile away at the California Theater. The small theater was completely filled with cheering fans and all the fighters they came to see made weight.
The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale Weigh-in Pictures
Amidst everything else going on, the UFC has themselves a busy day today with the UFC on FX 6 taking place in Australia and The Ultimate Fighter 16 finale weigh-ins. All 24 fighters made weight today for tomorrow’s event that will crown The Ultimate Fighter 16 welterweight winner.
UFC on FUEL TV 4 Weigh-in Results and Photos
SAN JOSE, Cal. – Still recovering from Saturday’s UFC 148, MMAValor.com was inside the HP Pavilion for today’s UFC on FUEL TV 4 weigh-ins. A few of the fighters would need to step onto the scale behind a towel but all 22 fighters on the UFC on FUEL TV 4 fight card made weight.
TUF Live Finale Live Results and Event Pictures
The long grind of the first live version of The Ultimate Fighter ends tonight at the TUF Live Finale in Las Vegas. Featuring 12 of the 16 TUF Live contestants, the 10 bout card will be headlined by an important match-up in the welterweight division between Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann.
TUF Live Finale Weigh-in Results and Pictures
All the fighters for tomorrow’s TUF Live Finale were on weight as they stepped onto the scales inside the Pearl at the Palms. The 20 fighters, including 12 of the 16 TUF Live fighters will begin entering the Octagon tomorrow starting at 2:45pm PT / 5:45pm ET.
