UFC® 146 HEAVYWEIGHTS PREDICT
STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL WINNER
Las Vegas, Nevada – While the odds-makers make Josh Barnett the betting favorite to win the STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Grand Prix Saturday night in San Jose and live on SHOWTIME®, Barnett’s peers respectfully disagree.
As a former UFC heavyweight champion and PRIDE® Grand Prix finalist, Barnett has seen it all during his 15-year, 31-5, career as a mixed martial artist. He has defeated the likes of Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mark Hunt and has looked almost unstoppable in the STRIKEFORCE GP thus far, tapping out Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov to reach tomorrow’s final.
However, the main and co-main eventers of next weekend’s UFC 146 event all tip 9-0 Daniel Cormier to make a mockery of the odds and win the Grand Prix after he stormed the field as an alternate, defeating Jeff Monson and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
Junior dos Santos, reigning UFC heavyweight champion, said: “They are both great fighters and this is a fight that could end very quickly for each guy. But Cormier is more explosive and has the better chances to end this early. It could be very exciting, but I think Cormier wins.”
Frank Mir, two-time UFC heavyweight champion, said: “I think Cormier takes this. I can’t see Barnett getting him to the ground, his wrestling is too strong. And on the feet I think Cormier has the power to end things. But with two top heavyweights, anything can happen. That’s why this division is so exciting - anyone who is world class can beat anyone else with one punch. You can’t say that about the lighter weight classes and that’s why heavyweight fights are so cool to watch.”
Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champion said: “I pick Daniel Cormier. Number one, because I train with him but also because he’s so hungry in this sport, I don’t think he will be denied. He was really raw when he came into our gym the first time a couple of years ago but he picked up everything a lot faster than most. He has dangerous strikes and I can’t see Josh getting him to the ground. Daniel’s wrestling is too good; I think he takes this fight and makes a statement about his future in the division.”
Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, who reached the Grand Prix semi-final stage before losing to Cormier, also picked his old rival for the win, saying: “I think Cormier will win this fight and be the Grand Prix Champion. I was very surprised by him in our fight. I think he is too strong, too powerful in this fight. He punches very hard and his wrestling is very good. I think he will win inside the distance unless Josh Barnett gets this to the ground quickly.”
STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL will air live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while four preliminary fights will be shown live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast). In addition to the previously mentioned matchup, the four-fight main card will also feature an exciting trilogy fight between champ Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson for the STRIKEFORCE lightweight title, a light heavyweight grudge match between Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante and Mike Kyle, as well as a welterweight battle between Nah-Shon Burrell and Chris Spang.
For more information or current fight news, visit www.strikeforce.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Owned and operated by Forza, LLC, a subsidiary of Zuffa, LLC, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand, STRIKEFORCE® is a world-class mixed martial arts promotion based in Las Vegas, Nev. that currently holds live events annually across the United States. First established as a mixed martial arts entity in 2006, STRIKEFORCE now broadcasts its events live on Showtime® Networks, Inc. and has produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network. With a growing roster featuring the world’s elite competitors, STRIKEFORCE has cemented its place as a leader in providing quality mixed martial arts action.
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
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