ZUFFA set to eliminate Strikeforce Heavyweight Division in 2012
Posted on December 15, 2011, 04:49 PM by Trent ReinsmithThe announcement that Showtime and Strikeforce had inked a new deal to present six to eight fight cards on the cable network was not a real surprise as UFC President Dana White had all but officially announced the deal was done earlier in the week. What did come as a surprise was the announcement that the Strikeforce Heavyweight division would cease to exist at some point in 2012.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had this to say about the division, which currently sits without a champion and awaits the conclusion of the promotions Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament, "What you'll see after the event with the tournament finals between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, you'll see one more fight where the winner will fight a top-rated heavyweight and then we're going to go back to focusing on our other weight classes." And with those words the Strikeforce Heavyweight division effectively came to an end.
Coker did say that the goal would be to present the Heavyweight Grand Prix final bout before the end of the first quarter in 2012.
What do you think LowKick’ers, which Strikforce Heavyweights should make the leap to the UFC in 2012?
Further Reading: OFFICIAL: Showtime and ZUFFA sign a new deal for Strikeforce
Comments
What a circus this HW GP turned into, a few of us said there is no way this goes off without a hitch when they first announced it.
I view this as good news. After the UFC cherry picked most of the names from Strikeforce, the only weight division that could compete with the equivalent UFC weight division was the HW division.
The UFC HW division needs Cormier, Barnett, Werdum and Bigfoot. With those fighters acquired, the HW division has a number of excellent matchups.
Hard luck for Melendez, Rockhold, Jacare and a few others, but we will probably see then in the big show eventually.
With the Challenger series eliminated, Strikeforce becomes the feeder league for the UFC. Those fighters who lose 3 in a row in the UFC can still compete on a national stage, and try to earn their way back to the UFC. Sometimes a fighter can have a run of hard luck, yet still be a great fighter, and come back--Strikeforce will give them a second chance.
Dont forget about Chad Griggs ;D
I refer you to http://lowkick.blitzcorner.com/UFC/Division-1-and-2-12174
Maybe not such a bad concept after all..... never know, maybe Dana is listening...lol
@KingJoffi
I shall read that article now, my Liege....
I'm not sure what to think about that but it look like Zuffa is trying to make Strikeforce an organization for lighter men and females. But I don't understand what is Gilbert Melendez going to do now that he has to stay in Strikeforce. When is contract is over will he change organization to fight someone like Bellator's champ or something like that?
The Heavies I'd like to see move from Strikeforce to the UFC are: Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett, Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov and Fabricio Werdum. There is also Chad Griggs and Shane Del Rosario who could join the UFC. For the others, I simply hope they can make weight at 205 because if they can't they will probably need to fight under a non-zuffa organization.
Strikeforce still has good fighters even tough their top fighters left. I'm talking about guys like Keith Jardine, Rafael Cavalcante, Gerard Mousasi, Roger Gracie, Renato Sobral, Mo Lawal, Luke Rockhold, Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler, Evangelista Santos, Tim Kennedy, Tyron Woodley, Ryan Couture, Jorge Masvidal, KJ Noons, Gilbert Melendez, and lots of good female fighters.
With 8 events this years, you can be guaranteed to have a couple of them on each card which makes Strikeforce a "new" organization. Now they just need to keep recruiting fighters and when they seem very good in Strikeforce, send them in the UFC and when the UFC fighters aren't good enough for the biggest organization, just let them a second chance to perform in Strikeforce. (Exactly what the guy above me said)
Looking forward to 2012 especially to see how Strikeforce will change now that it's under the Zuffa banner.
Yep Dana has it all figured out.
its NOT good that dana is buing up and shutting off all other promotions.
there should be a few organisations for the fighters to choose so that dana doesnt run a dictaorship...
because thats what he wants...
there are other promotions M1, Bellator, MFC.. Zuffa is doing the right thing for the sport. if they let there fighters fight in other organizations then it turns into boxing and you don't really know what belt is important. look at the state of boxing right now the fighters run the sport and fight who they please if they don't want to fight a mandatory opponent they just vacate their belt for that organization so they can fight who they choose. Zuffa knows what there are doing. you don't see NBA playing the european basketball league or the NFL playing the CFL. and theres a reason for that. they have established themselves as the elite leagues which is exactly what Zuffa is doing
All it takes is someone NOT selling to Dana. Money talks.
Coker took the weight off his shoulders and Im sure now gets a nice check. "Oh well life in MMA on Executive Day."
UFC gona ruin this sport in the end.I love MMA UFC and Dana suck.SF is making better card's than UFC.UFC puts one or two good fights and the rest suck i hoppe MMA gets big in Japan like Pride was and we watch some great turnaments like befor
MMA actually needs this the same thing happened to the NFL and the NBA both of them had two leagues competing for the top spot and once the joined together and consolidated the talent they became the powerhouses they are today where the top athletes face each other and there is no questions across the globe about which leagues are the best or have the best athletes.
You must be seeing different events then the ones on ppv because the UFC has been putting it together for a while now. Don't get me wrong I prefer Striceforce pre-zuffa but saying UFC only has one or two good fights????
Errr Strikeforce not sure what Striceforce is
Your being nice, I thought you were gonna "weak" him there for a second 8P
Zuffa is doing all of this for money not for the sport.I hoppe all fighters move to Japan again away from UFC.UFC is like prison camp if you lose a fight they kick you out fighters got no rights axept you name is Randy or GSP
Making money and what's "good for the sport" are not mutually exclusive. We should want them to make money so they can put on more fights and expand their rosters . . . which is what they're doing.
Put the coolaid and your "occupy UFC" sign down and relax.
I actually think this is a bad move for Zuffa. The HW division is pretty thin. They should be taking the top talent from SF into the UFC but they should keep the SF HW division as a proving ground. What I personally would like to see is SF turn into a tournament that could be held once a month or so with the tourni winners getting a shot in the UFC. Dana said he wanted to make the UFC big enough to do multiple events at the same time. This is a way to get the number of fighters to do that,
That's what they plan on doing, the 2 winners have 1 more fight against unnamed opponents, that's going to see whos promoted in to UFC
2 finalists i mean
Yes! Arlovski's coming home!!
or Barnett is ;)
Dana HATES Barnett. If I didnt know better, I'd think Dana shut it down just to slam Josh.