It looks like the April 9th date will end up being for a Daley-Diaz championship fight and the 2nd half of the HW Tourney is being moved to June. I was looking forward to Reem-Werdum and Rogers-Barnett, but Diaz versus Daley will be equally fun. I think Melendez will also defend on this card.
What could likely be the first of many delays. Remember, the 2 favorites have a checkered past - one as a confirmed and one as a non-confirmed PED user. My greatest concern for this HW tournament was seeing that it be completed all the way to the finals. I hope this is merely a technicality and not some other BS thats going on behind the scenes with the fighters.
Barnett can't get a license in Ca and the April card was planned in Ca. It's going to land in Texas most likely, they will give anyone a license and they don't test.
I heard that too, but I guess it didn't work out so the second best thing was Texas. Does it surprise anyone that with Barnett and Overeem on the card they are looking at TX and Japan?
I read someone say that they're hoping to give Fedor enough time to heal so he can replace somebody if needed.
Which is bullshit because they have two alternates already standing by THAT won fights on the last card. I know it sucks that the fan favorite Fedor was eliminated in the first round, but Strikeforce needs to suck it up and live with it. There is no way he deserves to get back in the tournament. Period.
It's absolute bull shit if you ask ME. If I'm Brett Rogers, there is no way in hell I fight Barnett anywhere that there isn't testing. I don't think Barnett has fought a single time in his career where he wasn't on the juice. Almost everytime he fights where there is testing, he gets popped. And for Overeem, this does nothing but further fuel speculation about his use. If I was Overeem, and I'm clean, I beg to fight in California so I can get tested and pass.
Maybe they're hoping that Barnett fails a drug test or doesn't get licensed and Fedor steps in takes on Rogers who he would beat like last time and then Fedor would have a really good chance at the Russian Kharktinov and then he meets either Silva,Werdum or Overeem which would all be extremely intriguing match ups.
Of course Strikeforce would love that. But they already have two alternates to step in if someone can't participate for whatever reason. Fedor was beaten. He was eliminated from the competition. That should really be the end of him in THIS tournament. But don't worry, Barnett will be fine. Strikeforce will be holding his fight in Texas so Josh won't have a problem. He can juice away.
Coker already said Fedor is the first sub if someone gets injured. It's stupid though, they should bring in Griggs or Del Rosario, two guys coming off WINS and both were seen on the GP card. The way Fedor has looked lately, I would not put a dime on him against ANYONE in the GP. He looked that bad to me.
Strikeforce labeled 3 bouts as "Grand Prix Reserve" bouts to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd alternates should someone fall out of the tourney. Del Rosario is #1, Valentijn Overeem is #2 and Griggs is #3. And you're right, Coker wants Fedor back in badly. I just think it undermines the little legitimacy the tournament had to begin with.
Coker is full of shit. He's claiming the event was moved to June because they need all this time to promote an event of this magnitude. Which is completely ridiculous considering the total lack of advertising for the Fedor GP card. Um, sorry Coker, that is BS. If you didn't even try to promote the Fedor card, you're not going to promote Barnett and Overeem. I literally forgot about the Fedor vs Silva fight. That has NEVER happened with a UFC event. I always know who is fighting and when. Why? becauuse they market the hell out of it. SF needs a lesson in marketing.
Totally true sir. And as far as live attendance goes, he doesn't need to do anything to sell out a Strikeforce event in California other than putting Diaz, Melendez, Cung Le, etc on the card.
