The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix is now more than half finished, with just three bouts left to decide a champion. The Final Four of Silva, Kharitonov, Barnett and Overeem isn't exactly what was expected, but every great tournament needs a few wrenches thrown in to make it compelling. Take a look at the first four matches.
Emelianenko gets overpowered by Silva: In his first fight after sustaining his first loss in nearly a decade, Emelianenko had to fight the much larger Antonio "Big Foot" Silva. He couldn't hold off attacks from Silva, and took several hammer fists when Silva was able to gain full mount. The fight was stopped before the third round could start.
Kharitonov makes quick work of Arlovski: A veteran of PRIDE and DREAM, the Russian fighter had no problem with the Belarussian Arlovski. A knee and an uppercut ended the bout in the first round, advancing Kharitonov to the semifinals.
Barnett smothers his way to submission of Rogers: Like Kharitonov, Barnett made his Strikeforce debut in the GP. He had no problem with Rogers, a fighter who has one-punch knockout power, but hasn't shown it in two years. Barnett barely let Rogers move in the first round before submitting him with an arm triangle early in the second round.
Overeem wins weirdly over Werdum: The match-up between Overeem, someone with unbelievable strength and striking, and Werdum, a world-class jiu-jitsu practitioner, should have made an interesting fight. Instead, it featured a frustrated Overeem, who couldn't land the shots he wanted to because Werdum spent much of the bout daring him to fight on the ground.
Now, having watched the four quarterfinal bouts, are your predictions on who will win the GP the same as when it started? Tell us who you think will win.
Murilo Bustamante Grant Campbell Gesias JZ Calvancante Luiz Cane Dos Caras Jr
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