Frank Mir, the Strikeforce Crossover, and Who Should Be Next

Former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir has done us all a great service by agreeing to meet Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix winner Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce cage this fall.  After all, the other opponents rumored to have been under consideration ? Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett (again), KJ Noons sitting on Ryan Couture's shoulders ? weren't really options at all, and who else is there on the Strikeforce roster to challenge Cormier?  The answer is no one, and with Mir shucking the bonds of the UFC for a one-time-only crossover bout, we get to have a match-up that's compelling on paper and will likely be very fun to watch. 

However, the move doesn't address the other glaring holes that need to be filled in the roster of the House That Scott Coker Built.  Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez has beaten everyone that matters in his division, middleweight champ Luke Rockhold is without a worthy foe, and gosh darn it, you can only spread Keith Jardine so thin.  So who else should the UFC send over to fill Strikeforce's ranks?  Sure, the dough and exposure is nowhere near as great compared to what you get for fighting in the Octagon, but look at Nate Marquardt.  The ex-UFC welterweight waltzed in, put up a heck of a fight against Tyron Woodley, and is now the owner of a shiny new belt.  For the fighters, there is certainly value in crossing over.  Here, then, is a list of fighters on the UFC roster who could be prime candidates for taking the Strikeforce fieldtrip.  It is by no means complete ? please, feel free to add to them in the comments.  And if you disagree with my suggestions? picture me sad.  So very sad.

 

  • Evan Dunham ? At one time, the word on the street was that the brass wanted B.J. Penn to take on Melendez in Strikeforce.  But Penn is too much of a viable pay-per-view commodity, and it would've been senseless to waste him on the subscription-based channel Showtime.  Evan Dunham, though, is another story entirely.  The jiu-jitsu specialist had a pretty good win streak going before he was outpointed by Sean Sherk at UFC 119 and smashed by Melvin Guillard at UFC: Fight for the Troops 2, and his well-rounded skills could conceivably give Melendez fits no matter where the fight goes.

 

  • Clay Guida ? Fast, frenetic, and fun when he wants to be (i.e., when he's not running away for five rounds), Clay Guida could definitely make Melendez miserable in the cage.  Besides, what's left for him in the UFC?  It would take Ben Henderson, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz all slipping on banana peels and breaking their legs before Guida could come close to tasting championship glory.

  • Gray Maynard ? As a former "wrestling man-blanket" turned "dangerous slugger", Gray Maynard could stuff Melendez's takedowns, squash his jiu-jitsu, and hit "El Nino" so hard his pet parrot dies.  Also, what else is the UFC going to do with Maynard?  If Edgar reclaims the lightweight championship from Henderson, watching Maynard and Edgar go at it once more is about as palatable as a plate of dirt. 

 

  • Thiago Alves ? Once upon a time, Thiago Alves was in contention for the UFC welterweight title.  Those days are gone now, but that doesn't mean that Alves isn't skilled and dangerous enough to make waves among Strikeforce's welterweights.  Maybe, maybe Woodley could hold Alves down for three rounds.  Maybe not, though, and Alves is just capable enough to beat him and beat Marquardt and take the belt.

 

  • Jon Fitch ? UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre mauled him, Johny Hendricks KO'd him, and he drew with Penn.  However, other than that, Jon Fitch's run in the Octagon has been flawless.  Boring, but flawless.  Do you think Marquardt can prevent Fitch from hugging him to death?  I don't.  And I'd wager that once Fitch stepped into the cage to face Woodley, the two would stare at each other for a full fifteen minutes, unsure of what to do.

 

  • Chris Leben ? UFC middleweight stud Chris Leben is good for about two or three fights a year before his annual steroid suspension forces him to sit on the sidelines, so why not let him do those bouts in Strikeforce?  In terms of skill set, he's got enough grappling to keep Rockhold from really hurting him.  As for his striking? yeah, no way could Rockhold eat one of those concrete fists and survive.

 

  • Vladimir Matyushenko ? Look, it's not like any of the Strikeforce light-heavyweights can hold onto the belt for any length of time, but it's boring watching the same three guys fight for it over and over again.  Put Vladimir Matyushenko in there against Mike Kyle, Gegard Mousasi and Rafael Cavalcante and let's see where it goes. 

 

Jim Genia gets his tweet on here.  Giddyup.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/frank-mir-strikeforce-crossover-next-191308784--mma.html

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah 

Who?s next for Anderson Silva? A solution to the middleweight mess

There seems to be absolutely no consensus on who should get the next middleweight title shot. Current champion Anderson Silva easily dispatched of Chael Sonnen, one of the few fighters who has challenged him in recent years, and the talent pool after Sonnen is thin. Several fighters have said they deserve the chance to stop Silva record-breaking title defense streak, but no one has distinguished himself.

As MMA is a head-to-head sport, isn't there an easy way to settle this discussion? Say, a tournament? It's not a novel idea, as the UFC is in the midst of a tournament to decide their first flyweight champion. Bellator's whole promotion is based on a tournament. Strikeforce learned with their heavyweight grand prix that surprises sometimes emerge.

To help the UFC out -- because I'm so kind -- here is a basic, eight-man tournament. The rules:

1. The tournament has already started. With several important middleweight fights having already happened this month or scheduled for a bout soon, it was the best way to include every deserving fighter and keep the division moving.
2. Three-round fights. If a bout ends in a draw, the fight will go to a fourth and decisive round.
3. If you're injured, you're out. Fights have to happen every three or four months to make this work. It's not exactly fair, but neither is life.
4. There is no seeding. Draws are decided on when fighters could most easily face each other. Without an official ranking system, seeding would be silly.

Here's the bracket:

The whole thing could take place over the next year, with the final fight happening at the UFC's Fourth of July show. The winner would face the middleweight champ in a show in early autumn.

And what could Silva do as the tournament unfolds? There's a simple -- if nearly impossible -- solution. He should fight Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. In Strikeforce, Rockhold has little else but rematches in front of him. He and Silva have both said they want to fight each other. Sure, iron clad contract rules will keep the fight from happening, and UFC president Dana White nixed the idea. However, contracts can be broken and White has changed his mind in the past.

Could this work? Too crazy to work? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/next-anderson-silva-solution-middleweight-mess-212338364--mma.html

Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade 

Before he defends his belt, some Luke Rockhold highlights to start your day

Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold will get a second chance to defend his belt in Portland on Saturday night. Before you tune into the fights on Showtime, here's a handy dandy reminder of Rockhold's capabilities.

He's undefeated in Strikeforce and 9-1 overall. Only one of Rockhold's fights have gone to the judges; the rest were first-round stoppages. Will Rockhold keep a hold of his belt on Saturday night, or will Tim Kennedy walk away the champion? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/defends-belt-luke-rockhold-highlights-start-day-133704258--mma.html

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Frank Mir, the Strikeforce Crossover, and Who Should Be Next

Former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir has done us all a great service by agreeing to meet Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix winner Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce cage this fall.  After all, the other opponents rumored to have been under consideration ? Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett (again), KJ Noons sitting on Ryan Couture's shoulders ? weren't really options at all, and who else is there on the Strikeforce roster to challenge Cormier?  The answer is no one, and with Mir shucking the bonds of the UFC for a one-time-only crossover bout, we get to have a match-up that's compelling on paper and will likely be very fun to watch. 

However, the move doesn't address the other glaring holes that need to be filled in the roster of the House That Scott Coker Built.  Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez has beaten everyone that matters in his division, middleweight champ Luke Rockhold is without a worthy foe, and gosh darn it, you can only spread Keith Jardine so thin.  So who else should the UFC send over to fill Strikeforce's ranks?  Sure, the dough and exposure is nowhere near as great compared to what you get for fighting in the Octagon, but look at Nate Marquardt.  The ex-UFC welterweight waltzed in, put up a heck of a fight against Tyron Woodley, and is now the owner of a shiny new belt.  For the fighters, there is certainly value in crossing over.  Here, then, is a list of fighters on the UFC roster who could be prime candidates for taking the Strikeforce fieldtrip.  It is by no means complete ? please, feel free to add to them in the comments.  And if you disagree with my suggestions? picture me sad.  So very sad.

 

  • Evan Dunham ? At one time, the word on the street was that the brass wanted B.J. Penn to take on Melendez in Strikeforce.  But Penn is too much of a viable pay-per-view commodity, and it would've been senseless to waste him on the subscription-based channel Showtime.  Evan Dunham, though, is another story entirely.  The jiu-jitsu specialist had a pretty good win streak going before he was outpointed by Sean Sherk at UFC 119 and smashed by Melvin Guillard at UFC: Fight for the Troops 2, and his well-rounded skills could conceivably give Melendez fits no matter where the fight goes.

 

  • Clay Guida ? Fast, frenetic, and fun when he wants to be (i.e., when he's not running away for five rounds), Clay Guida could definitely make Melendez miserable in the cage.  Besides, what's left for him in the UFC?  It would take Ben Henderson, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz all slipping on banana peels and breaking their legs before Guida could come close to tasting championship glory.

  • Gray Maynard ? As a former "wrestling man-blanket" turned "dangerous slugger", Gray Maynard could stuff Melendez's takedowns, squash his jiu-jitsu, and hit "El Nino" so hard his pet parrot dies.  Also, what else is the UFC going to do with Maynard?  If Edgar reclaims the lightweight championship from Henderson, watching Maynard and Edgar go at it once more is about as palatable as a plate of dirt. 

 

  • Thiago Alves ? Once upon a time, Thiago Alves was in contention for the UFC welterweight title.  Those days are gone now, but that doesn't mean that Alves isn't skilled and dangerous enough to make waves among Strikeforce's welterweights.  Maybe, maybe Woodley could hold Alves down for three rounds.  Maybe not, though, and Alves is just capable enough to beat him and beat Marquardt and take the belt.

 

  • Jon Fitch ? UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre mauled him, Johny Hendricks KO'd him, and he drew with Penn.  However, other than that, Jon Fitch's run in the Octagon has been flawless.  Boring, but flawless.  Do you think Marquardt can prevent Fitch from hugging him to death?  I don't.  And I'd wager that once Fitch stepped into the cage to face Woodley, the two would stare at each other for a full fifteen minutes, unsure of what to do.

 

  • Chris Leben ? UFC middleweight stud Chris Leben is good for about two or three fights a year before his annual steroid suspension forces him to sit on the sidelines, so why not let him do those bouts in Strikeforce?  In terms of skill set, he's got enough grappling to keep Rockhold from really hurting him.  As for his striking? yeah, no way could Rockhold eat one of those concrete fists and survive.

 

  • Vladimir Matyushenko ? Look, it's not like any of the Strikeforce light-heavyweights can hold onto the belt for any length of time, but it's boring watching the same three guys fight for it over and over again.  Put Vladimir Matyushenko in there against Mike Kyle, Gegard Mousasi and Rafael Cavalcante and let's see where it goes. 

 

Jim Genia gets his tweet on here.  Giddyup.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/frank-mir-strikeforce-crossover-next-191308784--mma.html

Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe

B.J. Penn, Invicta FC and Rousimar Palhares: The Morning News Roundup ? 7.28.12

Other than the announcement from Cesar Gracie that Nick Diaz would like to fight Fedor Emelianenko (or something like that), it seems the Olympics are garnering all the attention, with Quidditch and Battle Royale among today's events (go District 6!  Wahoo!).  But there is some solid MMA news out there, hidden among the headlines and blurbs, and because I like you, I went through the trouble of gathering it in one place for you to read.  You're welcome.

  • B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald have signed up for the more stringent Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) testing ahead of their UFC 152 meeting.  Remember: athletic commissions already screen fighters for banned substances, so what Penn and MacDonald are doing goes above and beyond what's required.  Bravo, guys.

Penn has been one of the more vocal voices when fighters have failed tests, always insisting his brand of fighting is 100 percent natural.  On September 22 he and MacDonald will be totally clean, confirmed by the VADA.

 

  • The Invicta Fighting Championships weigh-ins were last night, and everything is a "go" for the all-female MMA card tonight (broadcast for free on their site).  If you tune in, keep an eye on the main event, which features veteran submission specialist Shayna Baszler (who trains under Josh Barnett and once won a bout with a Twister, which is cool beans) taking on undefeated rising star Sara McMann (who won the Silver Medal in Freestyle wrestling in the 2004 Summer Olympics).  Because of her credentials, comparisons have been made between McMann and Strikeforce champ Ronda Rousey - who took the Bronze Medal in judo in the 2008 Summer Olympics - but I say McMann needs a bit more seasoning.  Watch and judge for yourself, though.  I mean, who the heck am I?

 

  • Rousimar Palhares, a.k.a. "Toquinho", a.k.a. "that crazy guy who tears off legs and will someday go bonkers in the Octagon and have a psychotic break", won't require surgery for that knee injury that forced him out of his UFC 150 bout against Yushin Okami.  Tatame was kind enough to write something in English about it, so props to them. 

 

That's it for now.  If the stream is solid enough, I will be watching tonight's Invicta FC and tweeting about what I see.  Follow or don't.  It doesn't matter to me.  I'm used to talking to myself.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/b-j-penn-invicta-fc-rousimar-palhares-morning-135605977--mma.html

John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves 

Ryan Jimmo, Matthew Riddle and Francisco Rivera are UFC 149?s Three Stars

After the preliminary card, UFC 149 seemed to be headed towards classic status. The momentum from exciting performances early in the night would have to carry over to the main card, right? As we soon found out, wrong. Whether it was injury, short notice or "Octagon jitters," most of the pay-per-view had none of the magic from early in the night.

Who were those fighters who stood out? Here are Cagewriter's Three Stars. Tell yours in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

No. 1 star -- Ryan Jimmo: Two fighters with long careers in other promotions made their UFC debuts at UFC 149. Though Hector Lombard came in a steam-powered locomotive of hype, it was Jimmo who had the memorable fight, knocking out Anthony Perosh in just seven seconds. He tied the UFC record for fastest knockout and won a $65,000 Knockout of the Night bonus.

No. 2 star -- Matthew Riddle: On less than a month notice, Riddle took out Chris Clements with a third round arm-triangle choke after a thrilling bout to kick off the pay-per-view card. (See? Not the entire PPV was terrible.) He pulled off that win after driving from Texas to Calgary so that his pregnant wife could be with him for the fights. Did I mention they also have twins at home? I'm exhausted on his behalf. Hopefully, the $65,000 Submission of the Night bonus will buy Riddle some rest and relaxation.

No. 3 star -- Francisco Rivera: Coming right after Jimmo's knockout, poor Rivera didn't have a chance at the Knockout of the Night bonus. However, he still delivered with a huge left to send Roland Delorme to the canvas with a first-round knockout.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ryan-jimmo-matthew-riddle-francisco-rivera-ufc-149-133810254--mma.html

Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott

Ronda Rousey featured in ESPN the Magazine?s Body Issue

Strikeforce bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is one of six athletes who will appear on different covers of ESPN the Magazine's Body Issue. Rousey is not the first fighter to appear in the yearly issue dedicating to celebrating athletes' bodies. Jon Jones, Gina Carano and the Cyborgs have all appeared in previous issues.

The magazine officially drops on newsstands Tuesday. To see the complete pictures of Rousey and every athlete featured in the magazine, check here. To see more Rousey in the cage, wait until Aug. 18, when she'll attempt to defend her belt for the first time.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Is Anderson Silva the greatest MMA fighter of all time?
? NASCAR power rankings show Kenseth's consistency
? Marc J. Spears: Deron Williams has hoped to play with Dwight Howard for years

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ronda-rousey-featured-espn-magazine-body-issue-182218140--mma.html

Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine AndrèÂ