Strikeforce Moving Forward with Plans for 185lb. Tournament
by Anthony Pace on Jul 15, 2010 5:56 PM EDT
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Strikeforce is moving forward with plans to launch an eight-man, two-night middleweight tournament at a Showtime-televised event in October, said CEO Scott Coker on Wednesday.
Coker said recent reports that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation had rejected Strikeforce's request to hold a four-man tournament on Aug. 21 -- thus forcing the promotion to move to a single championship bout -- weren't correct.
As reported by Sherdog.com throughout June, Coker said the promotion always had its eye on hosting both a championship bout and a tournament from the start.
"We always felt that crowning a champion would be the first priority," said Coker. "We will host a tournament in October. It looks like the first round will take place then, which will lead to the final four in December."
Coker said the promotion has initial plans to run the semi-finals and finals in one evening this December.
California is a possibility for one or both events, said Coker; the California State Athletic Commission regulated a four-man, one-night tournament with Strikeforce in 2007.
In Texas, Coker said he only inquired about the tournament format with the commission, but was told it wouldn't be allowed.
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (12-2) is currently set to face Tim Kennedy (12-2) on August 21 for the Strikeforce middleweight title left vacant by Jake Shields.
If they can fill out the tournament with some of their bigger "name" fighters such as Dan Henderson, Nick Diaz, and Mayhem Miller, with Luke Rockhold thrown in for potential and Melvin Manhoef thrown in for excitement, it has potential to be the best business move they've yet made. Also, with Herschel Walker declaring his intention to fight again this fall, it'd be the perfect card to attach his name to and bring attention to the tournament. Let's hope they don't mess this up.
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I throw raps that attack like the Japs on Pearl Harbor/MC's be out like bank robbers/Fleeing the scene, to be a sole survivor/DJ the getaway driver/Tried to dip but he dive, I socialize on vocal vibes/On tracks stabbed up with razor sharp knives
by Anthony Pace on Jul 15, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
i have faith!
I like the feeling of hunting down what I feed my family. If there’s a beast out there capable of hunting down Brock Lesnar, he would do it and make me the trophy on his den wall. But the laws of nature dictate that I’m going to be the one who goes into the wild and comes home with the evening’s bounty. - The #1 ranked HW in the world...
by DrewMoney$$$ on Jul 15, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
mayhem, hendo, manhoef and some others would have my interest. there’s fights that are interesting that aren’t in the UFC. period. besides, upsets happen in tournaments, period.
and that makes it interesting.
Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei. Basillio. Harry Greb.
by theworldsoldestsport on Jul 16, 2010 3:29 PM EDT reply actions
Why would you want to see Manhoef in the tournament, other than giving someone an easy bye into the next round? The man is incredibly chinny and has no ground game. He was nearly KO’ed last weekend by Mizuno and then tapped out. If you’re getting worked by that level of competition, a Strikeforce middleweight tourney ain’t for you.
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I like to think Manhoef is a lot like my character in UFC 2010
All points in stand-up, whatever is left into takedown defense. Everything else.. well, odds are I can rip off a KO first. But then again, this same character also went 1-2 against Chris Leben, of all people, so I guess that also says a lot.
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The problem with Manhoef though, is that he has no chin………like at all. If you’re getting lamped by Mizuno, chances are that any grown man who can throw a decent punch is going to put you on your ass too.
Manhoef’s only hope is to go out and flurry on a dude in the opening thirty seconds and pray the guy goes down and doesn’t swing back in the process.
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I'd liken his chin to Ken Shamrock, or Wanderlei
A good pop on it will drop him hard and fast, but he recovers fairly quick. I think that’s why he’s had so much (relative) success in K-1, with the standing 10’s. In MMA though, you’re spot on. If he can’t drop his opponent in that flurry.. well, I don’t know if we need to re-hash the “NO BETTING ON MAHOEF” rule.
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Wanderlei’s chin is much,much stronger than Manhoef’s at this point. Wanderlei has only been put down with legit kill shots from some of the hardest power punchers in the sport, and has recently gone the distance with Liddell and Franklin, two guys with good power who hit him clean a number of times.
By contrast,I don’t know if Manhoef would survive a clean shot to the nogging from Michael Bisping at this point. For God’s sake, he was nearly put on ice by Mizuno, a guy who can hardly fight at all. No way on earth Wanderlei Silva is ever knocked down by Mizuno, or even put in the slightest danger against him.
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This "tournament" will do a lot of things for Strikeforce
Some publicity.. some cred.. and also burn through most of any relevant matchups they can do at 185. Let’s face it, there isn’t exactly a TON of talent over there, and running through a bunch of matchups like this will gobble up a bunch of them in short time.
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by -Neil- on Jul 16, 2010 4:56 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
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