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« | Home | »

The storyboard post-UFC 110

By Zach Arnold | February 22, 2010

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Before we touch on the Australia show, let’s take a look at the news regarding Strikeforce’s next big event…

One report states that Strikeforce will run an event in Nashville, Tennessee on 4/17 with Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson as the main event, along with Bobby Lashley (and Herschel Walker?) on the fight card. Fedor is not expected to appear at the event.

Henderson vs. Shields should be fine and I don’t see how Fedor on the fight card would have been a huge plus. Sure, it would be nice to see him fight Alistair Overeem, but I’ve always counted on that fight happening in DREAM because of the amount of money that K-1 could put up to make that fight happen. A suggestion perhaps — have the fight happen in Japan on the same day as a Strikeforce CBS event and just air the taped fight on the CBS telecast that same day.

(BTW, please do not have the comments section devolve in how much Strikeforce or Fedor sucks. I may even delete some comments if it devolves into such a commentating state. Thank you in advance.)

Now, onto the UFC show in Australia…

There are good days and then there are bad days. However, I would hardly characterize this as the golden period lately for Greg Jackson. Clay Guida didn’t look so sharp, Joe Stevenson continues his uneven path to nowhere (not sure what can be done with him), and Keith Jardine is Keith Jardine. Rashad Evans and Georges St. Pierre are natural talents and for as much praise as their trainers have received, you either have it or you don’t when it comes to becoming an elite level fighter like those two gentlemen are. The trainers can only help so much.

I remember when George Sotiropoulos last fought in the states and won, people online were cringing at the prospects of him fighting someone like a Joe Stevenson or higher-level competition… and to have it booked in Australia, no less. I’m glad to see George win in dominant fashion and prove his critics wrong. He’s deserved the good things that he has earned in the fight game.

What’s next for Michael Bisping? Unlike elite fighters like Evans and St. Pierre, Bisping desperately needs help with training and he needs to shake things up. I’m not sure where he will end up, but if he keeps his current situation status quo, he will not benefit from it at all. With the UFC running less cards in the UK, Bisping’s value drops significantly. If they run in the UK twice a year, I’m not sure it’s enough to have him and Dan Hardy as the two British “aces.” Yes, Bisping’s opponent was Wanderlei Silva, but Wanderlei is not nearly as aggressive as a fighter as he was during his PRIDE days. How damaging do you view Bisping’s loss?

It’s been a great week for UFC in terms of business and in terms of fights. Of course, the Aussie big broadsheets will highlight articles like “Smell the blood!” The sickening roar for gore and Final blow silences a crowd wired for blood, but you couldn’t ask for much more if you are Zuffa as far as the Australian debut was concerned.

However, it’s been an ugly week for the Fertittas in the American legal system. Ouch.

Topics: Media, MMA, StrikeForce, UFC, Zach Arnold | 65 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

65 Responses to “The storyboard post-UFC 110”

  1. Dave says:

    I’m sorry, Zach, I know you have an affinity for 45 Huddle, but if you look at the first comment that was Strikeforce related and a rather blatant troll job (for 45, that is), look no further than his first.

    Granted, people need to just ignore him and stop arguing with him, but who wants to listen to that?

  2. Ed says:

    Josh Gross tweeted that Strikeforce is looking at 4/24 for a show in California. If the 4/17 CBS Hendo-Shields show in Nashville rumor is true, then that means Strikeforce is planning on what must be a PPV 1 week following the CBS card. 4/24 is the same date as the Ward-Green and Froch-Kessler fights on Showtime, so it pretty much has to be a PPV. The only Strikeforce fighter that can posibly sell a PPV is Fedor.

  3. Dave says:

    Innnteresting. The plot thickens, yet still doesn’t sound brilliant.

  4. Steve4192 says:

    More CSAC news:

    Josh Barnett just missed his steroid hearing AGAIN. That bring the total of no-shows by Barnett to four.

  5. 45 Huddle says:

    So they are going to try and get people to watch the CBS show on a less then stellar main event…. And then potentially have them buy a PPV then next week to watch Fedor?

    That would work if they had a strong enough roster. They don’t to pull it off.

    and if they put Fedor on Showtime, it kills his momentum to the masses….

  6. 45 Huddle says:

    I should say…. I don’t think Coker is dumb enough to do 2 big shows like that. I really don’t.

    A telling quote:

    Kid Nate wrote this in a recent article….

    “One well known MMA reporter I spoke with today said, “it’s like (Strikeforce) dropped off the planet.””

    Something weird is happening.

  7. Zack says:

    Yep. An above average UFC show and he just wants to talk about how Strikeforce is in peril. Yaaaawwwwn.

  8. Detective Roadblock says:

    I would think a 4/24 show in CA would replace 4/17 in TN.

  9. Claude says:

    Unofficial Poll
    So I have narrowed it down to these two choices; is Wandelai’s new look more like the love child of Matt Serra and Frank Trigg or does he look like Josh Burkman?

  10. Jay says:

    Shields vs Hendo sounds good. Henderson is a legend, ranked #2MW and #4 LHW.
    Shields was the Co-Main in 3 CBS Sat. Night Fights including 2 finishes(Thompson first round,Daley second)and the highest rated Show.(Daley)

    He fought in 6 Showtime Events including Shields vs Lawler last year, Shields finished 8 of the 9 opponents.
    Some people have seen several of his fights & remembers more than the one that went to decision.
    The rumor is Fedor’s hand didn’t heal in time to train…Rumor
    With Mousasi, Big Mo,etc. and SF is pretty deep everywhere but WW.
    If the rumor is true SF has been good at replacing injury fights in the past.

  11. jr says:

    Time for Bisping to leave Wolfslair. Stevenson’s had 42 fights at 27 years old

  12. edub says:

    \”With Mousasi, Big Mo,etc. and SF is pretty deep everywhere but WW.\”

    It may not be UFC deep yet, but with time it will definately get there. With up and comers like Zaromskis, Rockhold, Woodley, Bowling, and Galvao; Champions Diaz, and Shields if he comes back down, and would be journeymen who could make a run also in Riggs, Hieron, and Apple along with a few others the division could be one of the best for the promotion.

  13. Miller says:

    Well it has been 24 hours and nobody has touched the story. Hmmm….Guess somebody was lying again.

  14. […] star Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum were being earmarked for the headline bout, but a recent rumor suggests that Fedor may not even feature on the […]

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