After over two decades of supplying combat sports Strikeforce finally got a lethal dose of arsenic and mercifully went to sleep.
If I were to summarize Strikeforce in a handful of words, I would say it’s a story of a promotion that struggled with excessive growth – They become too big to be small and too small to be big and eventually Zuffa,LLC came charging like Pacman to eat up that Pac-dot.
It wasn’t a heartfelt goodbye for the final night in Strikeforce’s storied history. It was just a final event that gave us a handful of competitive fights and a plethora of washouts. As I always do I’ll play armchair matchmaker with the fighters on this card with a slight twist. This time, I’ll make the big matches that will take place inside the UFC.
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Demian Maia-Jon Fitch winner
A three-to-one underdog didn’t steal a decision away from former three-time King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt – Tarec Saffeidine punished the well-travelled veteran with a series of leg kicks to win every round on my unofficial score card. After that intelligent performance the Belgium welterweight isn’t at the top of the 170-pound pecking order but the door is wide open for him to make a real impact in the UFC’s Octagon, matching the final Strikeforce welterweight champion with the winner of former title-challengers Demian Maia and Jon Fitch would be a perfect test to see if he can cut it with the cream of the crop.
Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story
Marquardt was shut down over 25 minutes as he didn’t check leg kicks and paid dearly for it. Despite this one-sided defeat and his troubles with the UFC in the past I would expect the Jackson-Winkeljohn trained fighter to get another crack at the UFC welterweight division that he never got a chance to compete in. Before his second positive drug test he was scheduled to meet Rick Story, I don’t see how it would be a bad move to put these two former dance partners together again.
Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir
Daniel Cormier was in a lose-lose situation. Coming into the UFC, if he won a narrow decision over Dion Staring that would hurt him, if he got rocked for a minute that would hurt him, essentially if he did anything but dominate the Dutchman it would be curtains. Luckily for the two-time Olympian, he did exactly that, winning every minute before putting the final nail in the coffin. His next opponent seems simple enough as he asked for it in his post-fight speech with Pat Miletich, his former scheduled opponent Frank Mir.
Josh Barnett vs. Mark Hunt-Stefan Struve winner
Just like Cormier, Barnett has nothing to gain but a fatter wallet and an extra win on his record but the flu-induced former UFC champ punched his ticket and went to work as the no-nonsense fighter submitted Nandor Guelmino. The former baby-faced assassin should be a welcome addition to the UFC’s growing heavyweight division and pitting him against the winner of Mark Hunt & Stefan Struve set for UFC on FX 8 would be a fitting opening test, either a rematch with a greatly improved Hunt or sky scraping heavyweight prospect, Struve.
Ronaldo Souza vs. Brian Stann-Wanderlei Silva winner
‘Jacare’ showed against UFC veteran Ed Herman that he is more than a world-class submission grappler but also a well-rounded mixed martial artist. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion isn’t going to be tussling with the top of the division right away but he needs a prominent opponent so pitting him against the winner of Brian Stann & Wanderlei Silva on March 3 in Japan would be a fine introduction for the highly touted Brazilian.
That wraps us up for another edition, check back next week following UFC on FX 7 with Michael Bisping meeting Vitor Belfort for the next instalment.
