Imagine if UFC and strikeforce got together to create a big push of MMA onto the world media/ fans. They agreed to do a cross competition tournament. I dont want any well it would not happen because UFC would not allow it. All I want from you guys is to make a prediction of how the tournament would go based on CURRENT rankings of fighters in each org, taking into account their current form and how it could progress over an 18 month period. Also if you could provide a summary of what you think it would do for the sport, fighters etc if this were to happen. Here are the following top 8 in each org. 1. Cain Velasquez UFC 2. Junior Dos Santos UFC 3. Brock Lesnar UFC 4. Shane Carwin UFC 5. Frank Mir UFC 6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira UFC 7. Mirko Cro Cop UFC 8. Roy Nelson UFC 1. Fabricio Werdum Strikeforce 2. Fedor Emelianenko Srikeforce 3. Alistair Overeem Strikeforce 4. Josh Barnett Strikeforce 5. Antonio Silva Strikeforce 6. Brett Rogers Strikeforce 7. Andrei Arlovski Strikeforce 8. S. Kharitonov strikeforce Now I did the matchups via a random selection process picking numbers out of a hat. The only stipulation would be that each fighter could not face a fighter of his own organisation in the first round matchups. Also the 1st round sets up the format for the rest of tournament. Fight No/Each fighters rank/Actual Matchup 1. 2 7 J. Dos Santos vs A. Arlovski 2. 1 5 C. Velasquez vs A. Silva 3. 7 3 Mirko Cro Cop Vs A. Overeem 4. 8 4 R. Nelson vs J. Barnett 5. 6 2 A. R. Nogueria vs F. Emelianenko 6. 3 8 B. Lesnar vs S. Kharitonov 7. 5 1 F. Mir vs F. Werdum 8. 4 6 S. Carwin vs B. Rogers Quarter Finals- 1. Match 1 vs Match 3 2. Match 2 vs match 4 3. Match 5 vs Match 7 4. Match 6 vs Match 8 Semin Finals Match 1 vs Match 3 Match 2 vs Match 4 Final Summary of tournament.
Note copy the format properly via this method brackets and bold show your predications Fight No/Each fighters rank/Actual Matchup 1. 2 7 J. Dos Santos vs A. Arlovski (Dos Santos win knockout 1st round) 2. 1 5 C. Velasquez vs A. Silva (Velasquez win knockout 3rd round) 3. 7 3 Mirko Cro Cop Vs A. Overeem (Overeem win knockout 1st round) 4. 8 4 R. Nelson vs J. Barnett (Barnett wins submission 4th round) 5. 6 2 A. R. Nogueria vs F. Emelianenko (Emelianko wins knockout 2nd round) 6. 3 8 B. Lesnar vs S. Kharitonov (Kharitonov wins knockout 2nd round) 7. 5 1 F. Mir vs F. Werdum (Werdum wins decision 5 rounds) 8. 4 6 S. Carwin vs B. Rogers (Carwin wins knockout 1st round) Quarter Finals- 1. Match 1 Dos Santos vs Match 3 Overeem (Overeem wins knockout 1st round) 2. Match 2 Velasquez vs match 4 J. Barnett (Velasquez wins decision 5 rounds) 3. Match 5 Emelianeko vs Match 7 Werdum (Emelianeko wins knockout 2nd round) 4. Match 6 Kharitonov vs Match 8 Carwin (Kharitonov submission 1st round) Semin Finals Match 1 Overeem vs Match 3 Emelianeko (Overeem wins knockout 2nd round) Match 2 Velaquez vs Match 4 Kharitonov ( Velasquez wins knockout 1st round) Final A. Overeem vs C. Velasquez ( Overeem wins knockout 4th round) Summary of tournament. The tournament has a world wide impact, creating extra tv revenue and making cross over stars in Overeem , Velaquez and Fedor. Fedor starts well but over the 18 months we see his prime erode and the immortal fighter age. Overeem, Velasquez, Dos Santos show the world excitement and high standard of mma fighting. Kharitonov proves the surprise of the tournemant and shows excellent abilty along with Barnett showing how dangerous he can be losing a controversial decision to Velaqez.
Strikeforce has the better heavyweights and it isn't even close. I say that as a big admirer of Velasquez (check my post history, even called him upsetting Lesnar). The winner of a UFC HW Grand Prix would still be miles behind the SF HW Grand Prix winner. Combing the two talent pools would just dilute the stronger one. Cain and JDS are the only UFC guys who even belong in the same breath with the SF guys (half a dozen of them, anyway).
Both promotions would make a killing and it would be great for the fans and for MMA in general. Exactly why it will never happen.
SF isnt the problem. They cross promote already. The UFC though are completely anti. They have no interest in it whatsoever.
the only hope for cross promotion is if strikeforce continues to grow and finds itself on a somewhat equal playing field as the ufc. If that were to ever happen it wont be for some time.
Yeah and mabye after the tournament all fighters return to the cage and take turns kicking the tapout guys.
The UFC demands to have total automony over everything from not only the promotion itself but what brand of clothing their fighters wear, etc. I really think that Overeem would have signed with the UFC if he also would have been allowed to participate in Dream and K-1 events. If they had allowed M-1 to co-promote then Fedor would have been in the UFC too.
It is disingenous, to say the least, for Dana White to say he cares about the fans and the sport of MMA. What he wants is for the UFC to have a monopoly of the sport, fighters, advertising, etc. He spouts what he knows is nonsense about Strikeforce having mostly UFC rejects in their heavyweight ranks. This is just a smokescreen he fabricates in order to try and brainwash the average to casual fan into thinking the UFC is the only relevant promotion. In doing so many fans are seeing through this and becoming fed up with the unending BS.
It will be a while before this happens as it would be the UFC conceeding SF are their equal. It could only happen if people thought SF were their equal and the UFC had to take the gamble to have their roster of champs, destroy SFs but that might not happen.