Strikeforce’s highly anticipated heavyweight grand prix started off with a bang on Feb. 12 in front of 11,200 fans in East Rutherford, N.J., but the remaining two first round bouts originally targeted for April 9 will have to wait, according to Sherdog.com.
Although the promotion previously announced that Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers would happen on April 9, Strikeforce has yet to confirm a location for the event. Barnett is coming off of a suspension for a positive drug test prior to a bout against Fedor Emelianenko, which helped lead to the cancellation of the now-defunct Affliction event.
The winner of Overeem vs. Werdum would face Antonio Silva — who scored a TKO win over Emelianenko — and the Barnett vs. Rogers bout would determine the opponent for Sergei Kharitonov, who knocked out former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski.
With Barnett yet to resolve his licensing issues with the California State Athletic Commission — and other states typically honoring suspensions upheld by other commissions — there had been speculation that Strikeforce would look to hold the remaining first round grand prix bouts in Japan.
Sherdog is reporting that Strikeforce still plans to hold a card on the April 9 date, possibly in California, but the event will not include the Overeem-Werdum and Barnett-Rogers fights. Instead, a lightweight bout between lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and Japanese veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri is in the works, as well as a bout featuring welterweight titleholder Nick Diaz, the report says.
Barnett told Sherdog the following:
“I don’t really have anything to say about it. I have not heard anything from the promotion yet.”
ProMMAnow.com has contacted Strikeforce for comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.
See…just when SF gets on a mini-roll….they always find a way to screw it up it seems…smh.
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Take a bow Josh [as you wreck another promotion].
Lol, there’s a reason Dana hasn’t signed him, he’s a black sheep ;)
Coker’s an idiot. Barnett isn’t a draw outside of Japan, and can’t fight in the US. Now the Tourney is working around his schedule (he won’t mind much though, he’ll go take a prowrestling match in Japan for the time being).
To my knowledge this is only a rumor, first of all. Second of all, even if it’s true, I’m still excited for the tourney, no matter when the next round of fights is. They want to get Barnett in it no matter what, and right now Cali is giving him problems. So, I get that, and I expect this to work out somewhere else.
@Phill – California is not giving Barnett problems. He gave himself problems and has not dealt with them like a responsible adult. He has to show up for his hearings prepared and not give interviews saying things like “I will fight anywhere” or “I will pee in Dana’s mouth.”
@ edub – I wouldn’t even say Barnett is a big draw in Japan. Watch some of those wrestling matches and there are a large number of empty seats.
Richard- True. I should have clarified that as “the only place where Barnett is somewhat of a draw…”