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<h3><a href="/go=news.detail&gid=292696" target="_blank">
Alistair Overeem risks belt In SF Grand Prix
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<a href="/go=news.detail&gid=292696" ><img class="photo" src="http://img.mixedmartialarts.com/method=get&rs=100&q=75&x=50&y=103&w=310&h=165&ro=0&s=alistair-overeem-12-30-10-8-56-44-71.jpg" /></a>
<strong class="ArticleSource">[mmaweekly.com]</strong>
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The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.won’t narrow down the contenders to Alistair Overeem’s heavyweight belt. Overeem, in fact, will participate in the tournament, his belt on the line.
“It’ll be four nights over a period of eight months, then we’ll have one champion,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMAWeekly.com.
“The goal is to have Alistair put up his belt against Fabricio Werdum. If Werdum wins, then he will have to put up the belt, but at the end, you will have one champion.”
That is the goal, but it’s not yet a done deal. Strikeforce still has to work out the details with the athletic commissions in the states where it plans to hold Grand Prix bouts.
“We’re working with the athletic commissions because of the round issue,” said Coker. Most commissions deem title fights five-round bouts; non-title fights are typically three rounds.
To make the tournament format fair to all eight fighters, plus the alternates, Strikeforce would like to make all tournament bouts five rounds.
If he manages to beat the likes of Werdum, Fedor and Barnett and come out of that tournament with the belt still around his waste. I will be super impressed. And he will have definitely earned all the viral marketing hype.
I have to agree, whoever wins this thing. Is the #1 guy at HW. I just hope this thing plays out without any shady shit or controversy or other weird shit happening. I want it to go down smooth and may the best man win.
Haole - so say Werdum beats Overeem in the opening round and is injured, or vice versa (Overeem wins and cant fight two months later)
they may very well finish the first round without the title being in the picture anymore for the rest of the tourney
sounds feasable, but surely there'll be a tourney champ. Maybe then the tourney champ can fight for it when/if that hypothetically happens.
In the Overeeem beats Werdum and can not continue scenario that would leave their HW belt in his closet for another whole year minimum.
That scenario, after played out, would mean Overeem defended that belt twice in 4 years
AND if that happens, does anyone really think The Fink will leave Fedor in a year long tourney to be a '#1 contender'?
Furthermore, if he gets in a plane crash, the belt will be on hold till they figure that out. They may even wait to find the little black box to find out the reason for the plane crash before handing out another belt. Then SF will have to attract audiences by other means.
This is terrible. I've got to go write up my will.
Hey , I like him as much as the next guy, but be real. It's quite possible he gets his arse handed to him by half the guys in the Grand Prix. Did he even get an invite ?
Oh that's right. He fights in the UFC, where if you leave to fight the true competition, you get sued.
To all the Zuffanites, just be greatful your idol will keep your chumpions protected from the rest of the worlds fighters, and from fighting 3 times in eight months, let alone 1.
