Strikeforce Heavy Artillery Post-Fight Analysis: Alistair Overeem Earns Shot at Fedor Emelianenko
by Nate Wilcox on May 16, 2010 2:44 PM EDT
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Some quick thoughts as I cope with my morning after aches and pains:
- Alistair Overeem silenced this doubter. I never expected him to bully Brett Rogers around the cage like that. Overeem has definitively earned a shot at the world's #1 heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko.
- Antonio Silva looked remarkably improved in his deconstruction of former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski.
- As for Arlovski, he's entered the kind of career death spiral that will be impossible to pull out of and reattain his previous heights. He's liable to continue to pick up wins at a fairly high level, but he won't be regarded as a top 10 heavyweight again without an amazing resurgence. If Fedor beats Werdum, a rematch between Arlovski and Werdum would make sense for Strikeforce, but I was managing Arlovski I'd hold out for a pure tune up fight instead.
- Jacare Souza needs to beef up his conditioning. It appears he's making remarkable strides in his striking and wrestling games, but this is leaving his submission game at less than its most dangerous. In fairness, Villesenor is an infamously tough tap-out. Jacare should challenge for Jake Shields' title soon, whether Shields bothers to stay around to defend it or not.
- Feijao Calvancante has remerged as a credible light heavyeight on the rise. He'll likely get his chance against Strikeforce champ Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal in his next fight. It's a great fight, but both fighters will be penalized because neither gets the respect their merit from MMA fans and analysts.
- Roger Gracie needs to dramatically improve his game. From the dramatic shift in his pre- and post-fight talk about his training (pre-fight: I work 80% of my time on my jiu jitsu; post-fight: I train the jab three hours a day) I think he was trying to snow Randleman into expecting him to have no game on his feet. Instead he has a very weak and limited game on his feet. Gracie has potential because of his height and BJJ skills but he will need to be brought along slowly. Strikeforce is a good place for him because of their weak 205lb division.
- This was a much much more entertaining card than Strikeforce's ill-fated CBS event last month.
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for some reason. the only thing preventing me from being an Overeem fan is that stupid hair tuft. i can’t help but get irritated every time i see it. it just doesnt fit.
it also just feels kind of dirty watching him ragdoll Rogers like that. pretty unbelievable…
If you add chin pubes he is a darker Mir.
"Hit me up on Twitter @ IDontHaveATwitterBecauseIhaveAFuckingLifeAndDontCareWhatEveryoneElseIsDoingOrThinkingEverySecondOfEveryFuckingDaySeriouslyKnockItOff
by Earl Montclair on May 16, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
was just adding to the stupid hair comment above me. It is clear everyone is still riding Alistair nuts like they were Secretariat so just so everyone knows, that was not a skillz comment. It was a shitty boy band hairstyle comment.
"Hit me up on Twitter @ IDontHaveATwitterBecauseIhaveAFuckingLifeAndDontCareWhatEveryoneElseIsDoingOrThinkingEverySecondOfEveryFuckingDaySeriouslyKnockItOff
by Earl Montclair on May 16, 2010 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Megareem is basically just a better Mir. They are the only fighters who can give an entire interview with a smug smirk.
"I am a man who pisses largely and frequently, which they say is a sign of great mental activity" -Henry Miller-
A better Mir?
Perhaps on the ground he is a better Mir, but on the feet, he is more like a better JDS or a more powerful Rua….
by BigDNotDallas on May 16, 2010 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I didn’t mean it stylistically, I meant it based on personality. The smirk, the hair…
"I am a man who pisses largely and frequently, which they say is a sign of great mental activity" -Henry Miller-
My bad...and you're right
I should have paid more attention to the context of your comment.
by BigDNotDallas on May 16, 2010 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, AA is in bad shape after that fight – and with his confidence undoubtedly shaken, I think Werdum would be to much for him (provided he loses to Fedor).
When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail." - Jack Burton
When I heard Roger Gracie only trained 20% striking I got really annoyed. His striking was horrid. He threw some of the laziest jabs and knees I’ve ever seen. If he went up against a somewhat competent striker, he would get thoroughly abused. It’s clear that MMA isn’t a top priority in his life, and I think he should stop while he’s ahead.
Lemonade was a popular drink, and it still is. I get more stunts and props than Bruce Willis- Guru
What a weird comment. The best heavyweight jiu-jitsu artist in the world wins his third pro fight, first in a new weight class, dares to look inexpert in the phase of the game he’s new to, and your honest-to-god reaction is QUIT WHILE YR AHEAD, DUDE. Wow!
If he went up against a somewhat competent striker, he would get thoroughly abused
Sure, in a kickboxing match. Good thing he’s allowed to grapple!
You totally missed what I was saying about his striking. Fights don’t start on the ground so you needs some kind of striking in order to set up takedowns. His punches looked limp and he looked sort of awkward, and the fact that he said he only trained his stand up %20 of the time isn’t going improve it. I know Gracie is a grappler, and he always will be, but if Randleman had thrown more flurries at him then Roger probably would have gotten KO’d . The reason I said Roger should quit while he’s ahead is because you can tell he doesn’t really care about being a full-time fighter. He’s more interested in grappling tournaments and running his school. So chill out, dude. I didn’t know you and Roger were tight like that.
Lemonade was a popular drink, and it still is. I get more stunts and props than Bruce Willis- Guru
I got your point about his striking. It’s not good. It doesn’t follow that any ‘somewhat competent striker’ will crush him. Ever heard of Demian Maia? Shinya Aoki?
And I know why you think Roger should quit. It just doesn’t make any sense. What’s wrong with being a part-time MMA fighter? It’s worked fine for him so far.
Hey, I’m willing to accept the fact Roger isn’t interested in fighting full-time, but he needs devote a lot more time to other aspects of his game(striking, wrestling, etc) if he wants to be at least somewhat successful in MMA.
Lemonade was a popular drink, and it still is. I get more stunts and props than Bruce Willis- Guru
Looks like Feijao will be fighting Mike Kyle, according to Coker. To me that just means hes probably gonna do Hendo/King Mo.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: UFC LHW CHAMP! Justice is served, 2-0 against Machida!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
"Overeem earns his shot at Fedor Emelianenko"
Next weeks article “M-1 contract disput derails chances of Overeem vs Fedor”
myspace.com/tbma <--- Give it a listen, let me know what you think.
Hi, My name is II SMASH II, and I am an elitist.
by II SMASH II on May 16, 2010 11:56 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I’m going to blame Strikeforce in advance for the failure of negotiations. If only they would give in to M-1’s perfectly reasonable demands to have seventeen M-1 fighters plus all of Fedor’s camp and extended family fight on the Overeem/Fedor card. Also the card must be held in Russia.
by ricker2005 on May 16, 2010 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yea this is one fight I refuse to get excited about until they are actually in the cage together
myspace.com/tbma <--- Give it a listen, let me know what you think.
Hi, My name is II SMASH II, and I am an elitist.
by II SMASH II on May 16, 2010 12:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I could not disagree more about Roger's performance
I liked what I saw from him. He dominated Randleman and showed he was at least competent in the standing game. That was the biggest question mark for one of the worlds best grapplers. Short of knocking Randleman out with a big shot what more could he have done? He picked his spots, never got in trouble and looked comfortable. On the ground he was absolutely magic.
Frankly I was very impressed. He did exactly what he should against an underwhelming opponent.
exactly, i mean wasnt it his strikes that put randleman on his butt in the first place? and once it was on the ground, it never went back to its feet.
gracie looked just fine.
its funny how a fighters subs out another fighters and takes NO damage, and people are still disappointed.
"I’m not going to stop yelling because that would mean, I lost the fight!"-Kenny Powers
shooter/cutter for AllElbows.com and MMAFighting.com, mma enthusiast
The main problem is that his striking sucked. Because he landed on Randleman doesn’t matter. Most guys aren’t going to be at such a massive height disadvantage and his slow punches where he puts his chin up in the air will be an issue.
I mean, good on him for this fight. He got the job done with no problem. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t see where the problems will be going forward.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on May 16, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Fedor will duck and never, ever fight Overeem...
Overeem, who is the legitimate champ in Fedor’s OWN organization. Whether he does so or not will answer once and for all whether he has been "ducking" quality opponents during his most recent can (comparatively speaking) crushing years.
Fedor and/or his handler’s wanted no part of Overeem before this fight, now there is no chance this fight ever happens, at least not during anything resembling Fedor’s prime. Remember recently when Fink cried steroids about still-clean Overeem, yet in the same breath he wanted to have Fedor fight 2 guys who HAVE tested positive before in Barnett and/or Bigfoot.
Mark my words, Fedor will crush Werdum, then duck Overeem in favor of finishing out his SF contract by crushing Bigfoot, then "retire" (at least from the US market).
All those hanging on to the PRIDE days, great as they usually were, know this to be true in their hearts…Fedor’s handler’s were ducking Overeem even before this, there’s no way they’ll ever fight.
I can’t wait to read Vadim’s next statement about Overeem and his unworthiness to fight Fedor, it’s likely to be even more out of touch with reality than the last one. At least we’re being entertained by that.
by Polyhedron on May 16, 2010 1:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Exactly
Its true, M-1 is only interested in Fedor’s legacy (read: his profitability), so the only way this fight ever happens is if Fedor himself decides to answer his doubters once and for all. If he nuts up and fights Overeem, I will put most of the blame for his past “ducking” on M-1…but if he doesn’t, its all on him…
by BigDNotDallas on May 16, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
if fedor loses m1 literally has nothing
theres literally no need for a copromotion at that point cause they no longer have the undefeated undisputed heavyweight champion.
fedor just becomes another heavyweight after a loss and i think SF dumps him
on another note though alistair overeem looked scary scary good last night, he tossed rogers around who tossed fedor around, if i was triying to protect my legacy id want absolutely nothing to do with the guy
We have a saying back home that if your coming on, COME ON!!!!
Need to rewatch the Fedor fight...
Fedor tossed Rogers almost the same way Overeem did twice. Rogers has a poor base and bad footwork. I was also impressed with Overeem though. But even if Fedor were to loose, there is no way they let Fedor go without building up a rematch or even a 2 out of 3. With the dept of their HW division, Strikeforce may even prefer this result as it sets up multiple big headline fights for them.
by The Engineer on May 16, 2010 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Jacare Souza needs to beef up his conditioning.
I on the other hand was impressed by Jacare’s conditioning. Even in the third round his hands were never down by his hips and he still had enough energy to pull off two takedowns and control Villasenor during the majority of the round.
Everytime champion!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztX2y9o4Wx4
Roger needs to learn how to kick.
He has a such a long frame, I was screaming at the tv for him to throw some kicks. Even if Randleman caught one and took him down…doesn’t he want to be on the ground?
by HappyLittleTreez on May 16, 2010 1:12 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah...
I was a bit surprised when Randleman started trying to go to the ground and Roger was defending. I assumed he’d just be willing to be taken down and start to work.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on May 16, 2010 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Unfotunately for Arlovski, the fight I’d think would be absolutely fantastic for him right now is in the UFC: Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera
Inhale deep, like the words of my breath—I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death
Agreed
When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail." - Jack Burton
Some fighters have different objectives.
Look, Roger Gracie would probably get destroyed by a fairly high level striker if that striker could keep the action standing. I think Gracie may just be content to fight people who he matches up well against – i.e. not huge striking threats. Wasn’t this the first time he’s fought in like two years? He’s not really full-time like Jacare. He’s there to showcase Gracie jiu-jitsu, and he’s amazing in that respect.
I do like the fact that he’s sticking to his knitting so to speak. He’s not and will never be a great striker. Could he improve? Of course. But given his less than grueling MMA schedule, I don’t really think big leaps in the striking game are in the cards. Roger more or less exceeded my expectations. He didn’t take a lot of abuse and finished Randleman on the ground.
One more thing...
Last night’s card was pretty damn entertaining. It wasn’t event of the year material, but it was very good. This is with the aide of hindsight, of course, but SF needed some of these matchups on CBS. It seemed fairly certain that Overeem/Rogers wasn’t going to be grind. There are probably a lot of reasons why that match couldn’t happen on CBS, but I think it would have been a much better headliner than what we saw, given the need for outreach to a wide fanbase.
If you must have three championship fights on that CBS show
replace this HW tilt with the Aoki/Melendez fight. At least people knew Henderson and both Shields and Mousasi had been on the previous CBS card. I’m sure for a lot of people it was just like they pulled that LW title fight out some dusty closet
Inhale deep, like the words of my breath—I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death
by Anthony Pace on May 16, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
It was a solid card. The fact that it sounded like there was about 7 people in the audience did take some of the energy away from it, but overall the fights were very good. I was actually very impressed with Jacare. He gassed a little bit, but his wrestling looked very good, and he looked fine on the feet. He’s clearly putting the energy into becoming a full-time MMA guy.
that’s unlike a a guy like Roger Gracie, but how can you blame Roger? He’s arguably the best BJJ artist alive in the world today. He’s not forced, not obligated to go into MMA, and I doubt we’ll see him back in very soon. It’s a hobby, but that said, he did what he had to do and got the choke out victory. Hell, I thought for a moment he was going to knock Randleman out, which would have been the greatest thing ever.
interesting title...
kinda reinforces the mess strikeforce is in when their champion “earns” a shot against a guy not the champion :)
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