Written by James Lees
Friday, 03 February 2012 23:37
Strikeforce: 'Tate vs. Rousey' takes place March 3rd from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Today, the promotion announced the full prelim and main card lineup, headlined by the highly anticipated lineup between current bantamweight women's champion Miesha Tate and fast rising star Ronda Rousey.
Check out the rest of the main card below:
Main Event:
135 lbs.: Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey
Main card (Showtime):
205 lbs.: Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi 155 lbs.: K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson 170 lbs.: Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki 185 lbs.: Ronaldo Souza vs. Derek Brunson
Preliminary card (Showtime Extreme):
135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis 155 lbs.: Caros Fodor vs. Pat Healy 185 lbs.: Scott Smith vs. Lumumba Sayers 155 lbs.: Ryan Couture vs. Conor Heun
There is currently no word on where or if this event will air in the United Kingdom.
Written by Craig Devlin
Saturday, 07 January 2012 10:22
Strikeforce ladies 145lb champion has tested positive for the steroid Winstrol following her title defence over Jiroko Yamanaka in December. She will be suspended for a year, fined $2500 and the fight result will be changed to a no contest.
“Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters, anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use.” CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd said in a press release.
Dana White went on to say that the Strikeforce 145lb division only existed for Cyborg to fight in whenever a challenger appeared so it would seem that the weight divisions future is now in jeopardy.
To go slightly editorial for a second, is anyone even remotely surprised by this turn of events? Below is a picture of a woman and then one that has just failed a drugs test.
Written by Craig Devlin
Monday, 12 December 2011 22:17
The Science Behind Alistair
Overeem’s Added
50lbs Of Muscle!
The MMA media is full speculation about how former Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem was able to add an amazing 50lbs of solid muscle to become one of the biggest men in the UFC heavyweight division. The Dutch MMA star has grown from a 205-pound light heavyweight in 2006 to a slim 224-pound heavyweight in 2007 to a 254-pound monster in December 2008 for his fight against Badr Hari. But rumours and hearsay about performance enhancing drugs aside, here we take a scientific look at the known facts surrounding Overeem’s supersized new frame.
Firstly it’s important to look at Overeem’s genetics. Essentially in sports science there are 3 kinds of body types; Ectomorphs, Endomoprhs and Mesomorphs.
Ectomorphs: Are characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim they are not predisposed to store fat or build muscle. Stefan Struve is perhaps the best example of an Ectomorph.
Endomoprhs: Are characterized by increased fat storage, a wide waist and a large bone structure, usually referred to as fat. Endomorphs are predisposed to storing fat. Perhaps the best example of an extreme endomorph is Roy Nelson.
Mesomorphs: Are characterized by medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders with a narrow waist; usually referred to as muscular. Mesomorphs are predisposed to build muscle but not store fat. Overeem is a perfect example of an extreme mesomorph.
This seems to suggest that when Overeem was a light heavyweight, this was down to his conditioning as a kick boxer which was heavily speed, endurance and cardiovascular based, perhaps coupled with a strict, calorie restrictive diet that was predominantly carbohydrates to fuel his intense workouts rather than protein to aid muscle growth. However since he has decided to join the heavyweight ranks, he’s famously been training with Simon Sulaiman (Holland's Strongest Man 2009) undergoing a strength based workout designed to increase muscle mass and power, with a high protein diet. These 3 key factors (genetic makeup, nutritional changes and conditioning changes) are all obviously conducive to adding muscle mass and could explain his added 50lbs of muscle.
Firstly we look more specifically at his diet; Overeem’s nutrition resembles that of a strongman competitor, eating huge portions 5-7 times a day. This is not only ideal to ensure his workouts are efficiently fuelled, but it also ensures optimum protein synthesis (protein synthesis is the repair and regrowth of your muscles.) Also famously he has been tucking into kilos of horse meat, and whilst this may appear strange at first, when compared to ground beef, horsemeat has 55% more protein, 25% less fat, 30% less cholesterol and 27% less sodium. So per 100 grams you get 21 grams of protein, 0g of carbohydrates and 0 sugar, ideal if you want to add quality muscle without the addition of unwanted body fat. He also mentions the abundance of protein shakes he’s consuming between meals, this is again particularly important since certain protein shakes contain a higher biological value of protein than other food sources. The Biological Value of protein just identifies the amount of the protein the body is able to use to repair the muscles and ensure they grow bigger and stronger. Whey Concentrate Protein for instance has one of the highest Biological Values of any protein source higher than bacon, beef and chicken. (1kg of Impact Whey Protein is available from Myprotein.com for £12.99)
Next as previously mentioned his training is heavily strength based, performing large, heavy compound movements that are ideal to add muscle mass. They not only recruit a lot of muscle fibres to perform such exercises as deadlifts and farmers walks, but they also send a signal to the endocrine system telling it to release more anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone. So not only does the exercise itself cause the muscles to grow, but because of the nature of the exercise hormonally the body becomes more prone to putting on muscle.
Lastly there is of course the entire controversy about Overeem possibly using performance enhancing drugs. But again, because of developments in sports science, there are products on the market that when taken in conjunction with a well-designed workout routine, can increase muscle strength and power dramatically. For example MP MAX® T Matrix from Myprotein.com contains D Aspartic Acid, an amino acid that is formed principally in the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and testes. It plays an important role in the production of compounds associated with libido, tissue growth and the production of Luteinizing hormone. D Aspartic Acid stimulates the production of signal molecules which in turn enhance the activity in your testes as well as your pituitary gland. From an athletic perspective this allows your body to produce the compounds that help increase lean growth, strength, power and energy. In one particular study, researchers provided a group of males (aged 27-37) a daily dose of 3.12 grams of D Aspartic acid for twelve consecutive days. The growth compound level in the subjects that received the supplement had risen by 33% after the twelve days. The results of this study have massive implications for those looking to improve their athletic potential and also to improve their body shape with lean tissue. (180 tablets are available from Myprotein.com for £39.99.)
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 26 October 2011 19:42
UFC 137 takes place this Saturday night and will no doubt go down as one of the most bizzare pay-per-view events in MMA history - even before the card takes place!
With that in mind, here are a few reasons why you should be watching this weekend.
Expect the Unexpected!
Craig Devlin: UFC 137 is nearly upon us at last and Joe Silva must be breathing a huge sigh of relief, although given the history if this cards gestation I'd imagine he won't allow himself to relax until each fighter actually enters the Octagon. From fighter injuries to fighters skipping out on press conferences and getting cut from the card only to return against someone totally different to their original opponent the actual fight night itself is going to have to go some to match the column inches dedicated to the elaborate game of musical chairs that putting it together has generated!
A short while ago we were approached to put together a preview for UFC 137 a tad earlier than usual as we needed somewhere to incorporate a link to a George St. Pierre training blog link. Salivating at the prospect of seeing one of my favourite fighters in Nick Diaz finally returning to the UC and taking on GSP for his welterweight title I jumped at the chance. Reading it back now it makes for a very amusing read as pretty much every fight that I was writing about in it is now but a distant memory, including the headliner, although Diaz is back headlining but via a frankly bizarre route and against BJ Penn, not GSP! If you want to see just how different this card now is look here for the preview that never was: http://www.fullmount.co.uk/index.php/mma-news/1-latest-news/1454-ufc-137-preview
As we can see GSP was due to fight Nick Diaz, the Strikeforce champion. However Diaz lived up to his reputation of being unable to “play the game” as Dana White put it and missed two press conferences to hype the card. White went ballistic and Diaz was cut from the card altogether, Carlos Condit stepping up from his fight with BJ Penn to face GSP and a shot at the title. BJ, left without an opponent then agreed to face an apologetic Diaz who had been given a second chance after a serious talking to by his coach Cesar Gracie and Gracie also seemingly talking round the UFC brass into giving Diaz another go.
Then, just as Condit must have thought he was sailing under a lucky star having secured a title shot without first having to negotiate the always dangerous Penn had the rug pulled from under him. GSP pulled out of the fight with an injury. The main event was scratched and although the GSP vs Cindit fight is expected to go ahead at a later date, we now have Diaz and Gracie demanding their title shot back should he finish BJ Penn in what is now the cards main event! It's just as well Joe Silva gets paid the big bucks because he must have one heck of a headache after all that lot and it's not over yet!
A highly anticipated main event
James Lees: BJ Penn has claimed that he has no plans of retiring from MMA until he's had at least one more title shot, but does a win over Nick Diaz on Saturday night put him in line for a shot at George St-Pierre?
Dana White recently mentioned that should Nick Diaz defeat Penn (and not disappear off of the face of the earth again) that it would be hard to deny him a title shot, but the same was not said for Penn, who is coming off a hard fought draw against fellow top ranked contender Jon Fitch.
The Welterweight title picture is a confusing one at the moment. We've got an injured champion, Carlos Condit waiting in the wings for the shot that was granted to him, Nick Diaz looking for a shot with a win this weekend. Then there's Jon Fitch, who many believe to be the second best Welterweight in the world also waiting for another shot at the champion. With a possible win over Nick Diaz this weekend, where does BJ Penn fit into this picture? Many want to see Penn drop back to lightweight, however with Frankie Edgar still holding the belt and two previous wins over BJ, that scenario doesn't seem likely.
Whether BJ receives a title shot following this fight will not only depend on whether he wins the fight, but also how he gets there. One thing is for sure - the former champion will be out to prove a point to the UFC brass and secure another shot at the champion this Saturday night.
Craig Devlin: This is a very intriguing fight, mainly as the last time we saw BJ he displayed something I wasn't expecting from him at all really, top class wrestling ability. He fought to a deserved draw with perennial welterweight number 2, John Fitch, stuffing a lot of his takedown's and securing a few of his own. BJ for so long happy to rely on his striking and BJJ ability had evolved! Almost as stunning was the fact he seemed to have some cardio for once.
While BJ had been dominating the UFC lightweight division, then losing to Frankie Edgar twice before returning to Welterweight Diaz was on an odyssey that took him from the UFC to Strikeforce via Pride, Dream and EliteXC. Fighting under those other promotions banners has given him something of a mythical property, especially as barring one loss to KJ Noons that he has since avenged he won every single one of his fights. That his win over Takonori Gomi via Gogoplata was changed to a no contest due to Diaz penchant for a spliff only added to his appeal for many.
With Zufa purchasing Strikeforce it became somewhat inevitable that we would see the return of Nick to the Octagon and while he blew his shot at GSP seeing him take on BJ is a fantastic prospect in itself. Both have outstanding boxing, I used to think BJ had some of the best in MMA until Edgar punched his face off twice but Nicks boxing is simply on another level again. It;s strange to watch, it doesn't look like it hurts at all, I watch a Nick Diaz fight and find myself thinking “just damn well hit him!” but I know that I'm wrong, the pitter patter punches mount up and then eventually the opponent falls, even renowned striker Paul Daley ended up TKO'd by the onslaught of well timed and perfectly placed punches of Diaz. So on the feet Diaz wins this for me.
On the deck it is more interesting, BJ Penn is a former BJJ world champion and has stunning flexibility and if he manoeuvres himself onto someone's back it is over, which, given his ability to get himself into that position with relative ease against most opponents is a very worrying proposition for his opponents should they end up on the floor. Diaz is different though, not a top class wrestler like GSP or even in the same class as BJ for that matter but what he does have is a Cesar Gracie black belt. Now if you;re not familiar with such things, there are black belts and there are black belts. Cesar Gracie does not hand out black belts as if they are candy, indeed he doesn't even hand them out as if they are gold bars, to get one from him you have to be that damn good. Assuming BJ will secure a takedown at some point, watching Diaz from the bottom will be as exciting for me and any other grappling aficionados as a Chuck Liddell KO back in the day.
In short I can't wait for this one and I break it down like this; Striking: Diaz Grappling: BJ (just and even then I'm not sure) Wrestling: BJ Cardio: Diaz by a mile
So in short if BJ can out wrestle Nick he wins, but I just can't see it, I have Nick by KO and I'm afraid that is biased. But dammit the sport needs more Nick Diaz's and I just hope he can get his head together long enough to get his shot at GSP once he gets through this one.
Mirko Cro Cop's last chance
James Lees:“I must win this fight” were the words that Mirko Cro Cop told MMAFighting.com when asked about Saturday's meeting with Roy Nelson. The once feared Croation has said that he wants to go out and retire on his terms and as the old Mirko. He told MMAFighting that he will “die trying”. Cro Cop is coming off of two brutal knockout losses to Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub. The UFC, the fans and Cro Cop himself all know that he can't take another loss in such brutal fashion. Everyone wants to see the old Mirko once again, however another loss would mean his third straight and if finished via knockout, UFC president Dana Would would most likely force him into retirement in a similar fashion that he did with Chuck Liddell.
Once the most feared man in Mixed Martial Arts, the former Pride superstar enters the Octagon on Saturday night as a man who has lacked passion since entering the UFC back in 2006, but looks to reignite the fire against a tough and durable Roy Nelson.
Craig Devlin:Cro Cop has been making the usual “I'm back” type comments in the lead up to this fight but does anyone really believe it any more? Most MMA fans want nothing more than the Pride Cro Cop to come back and kick peoples heads off but I think it's time to admit those days are gone, Cro Cop in the UFC has looked a shell of his former self, is that because the diet of cans has dried up since leaving Japan? Possibly, in the US Alberto Del Rio “fights” in the WWE, not in MMA. At 0-2 Cro Cop is standing at the edge of a cliff, whilst Dan Hardy was saved from the cut by having exciting fights Cro Cop's bore loss to Frank Mir will still be playing heavily on the minds of the UFC big wigs when deciding his future should he lose to Big Country.
Now I just called Roy Nelson his nick name of “Big Country” there and that's something that we might have to re assess in the near future. Nelson has been training! Proper training and not the lifting of 200lbs worth of Burger Kings finest beef burgers to his mouth as usual. Also standing at 0-2 in his last fights he has found himself in need of some conditioning, especially after Frank Mir easily defeated him as he gassed out horribly. Nelson has said that he will make it to Light heavyweight at some point which is probably where he is best suited given his mass is essentially a lot of fat. Facing Cro Cop is the ideal fight for him to arrest his decline though, Cro Cops striking isn't as good as it used to be, Roy has a great chin anyway and whilst Mirko used to have great take down defence, if BJJ expert Nelson gets him to the floor Big Country will be holding all the cards.
James Lees: 'Meathead' is of the most charismatic (and some would say underutilized) fighters on the UFC roster. When you compare Mitrione from his days on season 10 of the Ultimate Fighter to today, the difference is that of night and day. During his time on the reality show, Mitrione looked sluggish and just about everyone thought that he would last all of two minutes in the Octagon with anyone from the UFC's heavyweight division. Now, the heavyweight is among the most skilled in the division, showing vast improvements in recent fights. Many are tipping Mitrione to be a major star in the UFC over the coming years. He's got the charisma, the skills and the size that make him easily marketable. During a recent interview with ESPN, he claimed that he wasn't afraid to go to the ground with Cheick Kongo this Saturday night and even joked that he may even try to get his opponent pregnant in the Octagon!
Mitrione has heavy hands and devastating leg kicks and his fight this Saturday with Cheick Kongo is sure to provide fireworks. The last time we saw Kongo was his stunning win over Pat Barry after recovering from what many thought was a sure knockout. Mitrone has a better chin that Barry and this fight should be a war.
Will Saturday night be Mitrione's breakout performance?
Craig Devlin: This is it for “Meathead”, the affable TUF 10 competitor who, performed well on the show but lost to James McSweeney in the Quarter finals after having felt unwell in the lead up to the fight. Since then however he has really made the most of his chance with the UFC, winning his fight at the TUF finale then being matched up with Kimbo Slice who he dispatched with relative ease. Joey Beltran, Tim Hague and Christian Morecraft all followed as Matt went 5-0 in the UFC. However, meaning no disrespect to the men he has faced thus far inside the Octagon, Cheick Kongo is a step up. Can Meathead really be one of the UFC's top heavyweights? A win over Kongo would elevate his status and bring him the fights with the top contenders that he craves. Getting that win will be no easy task however, Kongo tend to lose only to the top guys in the division of late, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez being the two that stand out. However Kongo's last fight was not impressive from a performance stand point, impressive for the watching fans however! Kongo faced Matt's friend Pat Barry and was rocked to the core, if the ref had called the fight there might not have been too much for Kongo to complain about, but he let it run. Kongo regained composure and from somewhere found the strength of will to summon up a blow that KO'd the rampant Barry. Joe Rogan and Goldberg went into raptures as did the watching crowd, it was an incredible thing to see.
How will this fight go? Again, it's hard to call, Kongo has great striking and despite being 36, ever improving wrestling ability, Mitrione also has great hands and kicks added to a significant weigh advantage. For Kongo, this fight is about proving he is still a level above the Meatheads of the UFC and could be contender given a decent run, for Matt it's about proving he belongs at the top table and can maybe one day challenge for the title.
UFC 137 takes place live this Saturday night on pay-per-view in the US & Canada / ESPN HD in the UK. Follow the action on Twitter using #UFC137 and talk to us at @FullMountMMA.
Written by Adil Qazi
Friday, 09 September 2011 15:26
Amid more high profile cuts from the MMA umbrella corporation this year, where do newly released fighters go from here?
These days, falling out with Dana White and Zuffa can be hazardous to your career no matter who you are and what you’ve done, as Fedor Emilianenko, Alistair Overeem and other high-profile MMA fighters have found out in the last few months.
Fedor Emilianenko
Regardless of how pleasurable an experience it was for Dana, cutting Fedor after a three fight losing streak was less about personal feelings and more about letting a fighter who simply wasn’t performing anymore go. The Last Emperor looked sloppy and overeager against Dan Henderson, looked much the same against Antonio Silva (although 60lbs of weight might force you to be a little gung-ho) and was so careless against Fabricio Werdum you were almost bemused when the referee stopped the fight.
The obvious course of action would be for the man to retire, given that he simply can’t be competitive against the newer, bigger crop of heavyweights in the upper echelons of the sport.
M-1 Global however has other plans.
Fedor isn’t riding into the sunset following his departure from the American MMA scene, at least that’s what M-1 chief Vadim Finkelstein indicates. A fight in Russia where he is sure to be given a hero’s welcome and then a new-year fight in Japan are on the cards for him. Veteran fighter Jeff Monson has laid claim to be the next opponent for the Russian, although M-1 is holding off on any announcement as of yet.
Whether Monson’s claims are confirmed as accurate or not, the reality that Fedor is done fighting top level opposition is fairly clear. M-1 Global’s business practices and demands prevented a deal with the UFC previously, and now that he is damaged goods, Fedor would need to have a dramatic run of victories to build up any sort of leverage for a UFC contract now. The question is does he still have the hunger, or is he simply fighting for his paymasters?
Would that the man himself spoke on the matter, Emilianenko oft seems puzzled at the idea of speaking for himself and taking control of his own career path. M-1 scuppered his chances of signing for the UFC, and now wishes to continue a path of meaningless, cash-in fights that will most likely damage his reputation by matching him against nameless opponents.
The only intriguing possibility was a fight in Japan, where he could (and should) have faced a man who recently was delivered his proverbial pink-slip from Strikeforce as well, but who’s career path has diverged from The Last Emperor’s entirely:
Alistair Overeem
Showing how much they valued Strikeforce’s championship belts, the Heavyweight Champion Overeem was unceremoniously dumped by Zuffa along with his Golden Glory teammates for what seemed like a multitude of reasons. Contracts, sponsors, fight dates, pay cheques and injuries were all cited in The Reem’s departure from the Strikeforce banner.
This left him with his Dream and K-1 titles intact; with the K-1 championship something Overeem repeatedly stressed he wished to defend next year. He will always be a big draw in Japan, and without Strikeforce or the UFC his best bet for a good payday and a big audience was there.
In the days following his Strikeforce exit, Golden Glory co-owner Bas Boon stated Overeem would be happy signing an exclusive UFC deal.
Lo and behold, Overeem and Dana White seemed to bury the hatchet miraculously as he signed a deal with the UFC this week, and enters into a debut contest against Brock Lesnar in a match to decide the new number one contender. This deal raises the suspicion that he was ‘released’ from Strikeforce to simply transplant him into the UFC and generate some buzz after a dismal fight with Fabricio Werdum in the Strikeforce GP, which did little to raise his stock in the eyes of US fans.
Now that allegation is pure speculation on my part, but I wouldn’t put it past Dana, who despite his talk, seems intent of gutting Strikeforce of its top fighters and biding his time until the Showtime deal expires, so he can fold the company in a similar way to WEC and Pride.
With Pride, we heard time and again (including at the infamous takeover press conference) that Zuffa intended on carrying on with Pride shows and keeping two concurrent brands. That patently didn’t happen, the top fighters were transplanted over and the brand was folded, supposedly citing issues that a US company would be prevented from putting on a show in Japan under threats of violence.
Those issues however, won’t stop the UFC from putting on a show in Japan, in Pride’s former home of the Saitama Super Arena, next February. Funny how that worked out…
But I digress, one thing is for sure, despite the somewhat shady circumstances (business is always going to be business) Alistair Overeem has a much more positive feel to his future than Fedor does. He gives up his K-1 dreams and title in exchange for a UFC superfight, with the heavyweight division in an upsurge and with the UFC about to explode onto mainstream television in the next year.
One fighter, a highly regarded competitor in his prime, hungry to fight, the other, a fighter on the down slope of his career, seemingly held hostage by the company he partially owns and the people who he supposedly employs.
High Profile Mentions
Nate Marquardt –
Now headed to the illustrious competition of BAMMA (!), where waiting there for him are fellow UFC alums Frank Trigg and Phil Baroni. Oh and let’s not forget the returning Alex Reid (!) as a possible crossover bout with UCMMA.
Marquardt would be better served using his skills in Bjorn Rebny’s ever expanding Bellator fight league against better opposition, however his decision to fight in the UK may have been influenced by the fuzzy rules on Testosterone Replacement Therapy that Nate ‘The Great’ apparently requires.
Andrei Arlovski –
The former UFC heavyweight champion was released from Strikeforce following yet another knockout loss, and has now signed with the newly reformed Pro Elite in an attempt to resurrect his flagging career. His main advocate for continuing being none other than Greg Jackson, and the Pit Bull walked though his rather non-descript debut opponent Ray Lopez on his way to a late TKO with Jackson in his corner. He’ll keep trying to break back into the big leagues but his options are as limited as Fedor’s – any heavyweight of note is already in either Strikeforce or the UFC.
At 16-9 it seems that perhaps Andrei has missed his chance to fulfil the potential he once showed in the Octagon, which is a shame for one of the more open and interactive MMA fighters. His chances against any top level opponent from now on must be regarded as slim. Tim Sylvia waits for the call…
Marloes Coenen –
The former Strikeforce Women’s Champion at Bantamweight, Coenen will now struggle to find significant fights on any big stage. With Strikeforce being the pinnacle of the fairer fighting sex’s competition, Coenen will probably rely on Golden Glory to stage events for her to fight on, or get back on the road and start working on a grand tour of various smaller organisations again. She has recently announced a non-exclusive deal in that vein, with new upstart promotion Black Eye, and outlined on a recent episode of Inside MMA that she is used to being on the road anyway, but that there may be a Strikeforce return in the offing.
Play the Game and Don’t Be Scared Homie
The outlook for any fighter released from the Zuffa umbrella is grim, and you can’t help but liken Dana White and the Fertitta’s grasp over MMA to Vince McMahon of the WWE’s takeover of his main opposition years ago. White’s apparent friendship with McMahon might show an influence in the way that UFC has adopted an ‘our way or the highway’ mentality now that Zuffa is top dog.
For fighters who want to eat at the top table and enjoy that ever desirable combination of money and meaningful fights, either fall in line or you have no where else to go. I’m talking to you Nick Diaz; the ‘beauty pageant’ waits.
Written by Craig Devlin
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 23:59
“U wanted it! U GOT IT!!! GSP vs DIAZ Oct 29th UFC 137 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas,” -Dana White on Twitter
So there we have it, UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre is to face Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz towards the end of the year. It's a fight that has been building for a long time and the fans have been clamouring to see with many believeing that Diaz could be the man to end the dominance of GSP in the welterweight division.
With a relentless work ethic - see GSP's work out program - GSP is of course dominant in the UFC, having avenged his only 2 career losses to Matt Hughes and Matt Serra and recently defended his title against Diaz's Cesar Gracie team mate Jake Shields. That fight was interesting in that GSP seemed to have trouble dealing with the stand up of Shields who isn't a fighter noted for his striking ability and the French Canadian was also seemingly reticent to engage on the floor with Shields and his world class BJJ (or AJJ as Shields refers to his grappling game).
Diaz, whilst not being as well a decorated grappler as Shield, is still one of the best BJJ guys in top level MMA, being the owner of a Cesar Gracie black belt confirms that, especially as getting a black belt from Cesar is reportedly like getting blood from a stone. Diaz also has some incredible striking and was until recently considering turning his back on MMA to pursue a boxing career after he KO'd renowned striker Paul Daley in his last bout.
Was Diaz ever serious about his boxing career? was it just an attempt to "troll" his way into the UFC? In the end it doesn't matter and we, the fans, will get to see a fight that boxing can't offer, two of the best pound for pound fighters facing off to find out who really is the best. One wonders if pugilists Pacquiao and Mayweather are taking notes...
UFC Co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta has tweeted the following;
"Overwhelming response for GSP/DIAZ interesting"
He had posed this question earlier in the day;
"GSP vs DIAZ? Or GSP vs. SILVA?"
So, with the UFC stating that Strikeforce would be "business as usual" for the foreseeable future and that any cross promotional super fights would have to wait are we going to see one anyway? After Jake Shields lost a dull title fight to champ GSP at UFC 129 the clamour to see him face Shields Cesar Gracie team mate has grown even larger than it had before.
GSP had is eye damaged and face bloodied by Shields, whose striking isn't renowned for being top class and was seemingly hesitant to take Shields down and spend time in his guard given his top class BJJ (or AJJ as he would have it).
Diaz would offer a similarly dangerous guard to his team mate and striking that is arguably the best in all of MMA, especially after his destruction of renowned striker Paul Daley. Would the combination be too much for GSP? It seems the fans are demanding to find out and the UFC could be ready to give us the fight we seemingly all want to see.
Written by Craig Devlin
Sunday, 10 April 2011 18:22
In news that will excite furtive teenage bedroom dwellers everywhere, Gina Carano is to return to the Strikeforce cage on June 18th in Dallas. Carano hasn't fought since she was battered senseless by Cyborg in 2009 and has instead been focusing on her roles and movies and generally seeming a bit put off by Strikeforce having the temerity to put someone in front of her who could actually fight back...
This seems to suggest that when Overeem was a light heavyweight, this was down to his conditioning as a kick boxer which was heavily speed, endurance and cardiovascular based, perhaps coupled with a strict, calorie restrictive diet that was predominantly carbohydrates to fuel his intense workouts rather than protein to aid muscle growth. However since he has decided to join the heavyweight ranks, he’s famously been training with
Now that allegation is pure speculation on my part, but I wouldn’t put it past Dana, who despite his talk, seems intent of gutting Strikeforce of its top fighters and biding his time until the Showtime deal expires, so he can fold the company in a similar way to WEC and Pride.
So there we have it, UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre is to face Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz towards the end of the year. It's a fight that has been building for a long time and the fans have been clamouring to see with many believeing that Diaz could be the man to end the dominance of GSP in the welterweight division.
Full Mount MMA News