Daniel Cormier Won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix
The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix began on February 12, 2011. It featured Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Andrei Arlovski, Sergei Kharitonov, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett and Brett Rogers. On May 19, 2012, Daniel Cormier won the Grand Prix. If you bet a dollar before the tournament on someone besides the original 8 entrants winning, you’re $5000 richer today.
Strikeforce deserves commendation for completing the tournament. Since the tournament was first announced, all of the favorites lost or were cut from the organization. The organization was purchased by the UFC and the heavyweight roster was cut. Somehow they just kept chugging along, putting together entertaining events and brutal heavyweight bouts.
And now they have a legitimate rising star in the undefeated Cormier (10-0). He will supposedly fight once more in Strikeforce, but against whom? Considering Strikeforce’s heavyweight roster going into last night consisted of Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett, the choices are either slim or infinite. Strikeforce has Zuffa backing them so they have as many or as few options as they want. Cormier could just as easily fight Fedor in a Strikeforce event as move to the UFC tomorrow.