Josh Barnett Also To Get One More Fight In Strikeforce

[No More Sorrow]

Both finalists in the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix will have another fight in the organization.

By winning the heavyweight tournament this past weekend in San Jose, Calif., Daniel Cormier moves to a fight that Strikeforce parent Zuffa previously promised to broadcaster Showtime, to highlight the grand-prix winner.


But it turns out that the other tourney finalist, Josh Barnett (31-6 MMA, 2-1 SF), also will have one more bout in Strikeforce, parent company Zuffa told USA TODAY on Monday.


Whoever faces them will have to come from outside Strikeforce's current ranks. Cormier and Barnett are the last two heavyweights left in the organization; Zuffa has already moved Strikeforce's other prominent heavyweights to the UFC.


UFC's next show might provide a pool of potential candidates. The promotion has an all-heavyweight main card planned for Saturday in Las Vegas. Three of the top four heavyweights in the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings are scheduled for the card, along with three others in the top 21.


Weeks before the tournament final, Barnett said the identity of his opponents no longer matters.


"I stopped a long time ago caring about specifically who I fought, and only gave a damn if they were willing enough to sign their name to the dotted line," Barnett said. "Because I've had plenty of people not be willing to face me in the ring, in the cage, whatever; Japan, United States.


"You can't make fights happen. The only way you can make a fight happen is if you go and track the guy down in the bathroom and say, 'Alright, it's going to happen,' and start swinging on somebody.


"Otherwise you've got management, you've got the promoters; you've got all these different factors that can come in and nix a matchup. So why care anymore?"


Regardless of who they face, neither Barnett nor Cormier will be fighting for awhile because of broken hands incurred during their bout. Cormier expects to undergo surgery after re-injuring a right hand that was first fractured in September during his victory against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Barnett hurt in his left hand, with the X-ray seeming to show a complete break just above the point where the index finger joins to the thumb and wrist bones.

Would much rather see him just jump back to the UFC, but I do like how they're talking about potential opponents for each guy coming from the UFC though.

 

[The Cork]

See this really pisses me off, if they can rope in a couple of UFC heavys for Cormier and Barnett then why can't they do the same for Melendez?

This is bullshitttttttt

Not sure who I'd like to see Barnett fight. Mir would be brilliant but I doubt that'll happen on a Strikeforce card because it's a money fight. Rothwell? Gonzaga? Carwin? IDK.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Cormier said he wanted a shot at Carwin not sure about Barnett, honestly think it would just be best if he just went to the UFC. I'm not really sure why they'd want both of these guys to fight once more, especially considering in the Showtime deal it was only required for the Winner of the Grand Prix to have the one other fight after the tournament was over.

 

[Troy]

Does anyone else think that if Barnett won, that Cormier would have been brought straight into UFC? Seems to me that UFC just want to keep Barnett out for one more fight before bringing him back into the organisation. I can see Strikeforce booking both guys for the same Showtime event to add more star power to the show. Carwin would be a good opponent for either guy, what about Mark Hunt as another option?

 

[No More Sorrow]

No doubt Cormier would've been brought right in. Watched an interview and Dana says the plan is for both to come over to the UFC before the end of the year though. Says he wants too see Cormier at 205, but is saying he'd be inline for a title shot if he stayed at heavyweight.

Mark hunt would be a good opponent, they're going to have to use UFC guys for Barnett and Cormier's last fights. Maybe Gonzaga, Werdum, Hunt, Struve.

 

[Troy]

I wouldn't want to see Gonzaga going over there, I don't think that he is a big enough name or high enough in the rankings to fight either guy. I wouldn't mind Struve getting a shot against Barnett, would be a good match-up.

 

[No More Sorrow]

And of course there's not even any indication of who Barnett/Corimer will fight. Dana has said he has no involvement with Strikeforce anymore winch is true. Scott Coker is making the fights, so that makes me think we're going to end up seeing Tim Syliva in for a fight.