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Strikeforce’s Middleweight Tournament Could Be All Kinds of Epic


(Jason "Mayhem" Miller, shown here with two of the countless enemies he’s made over the years.)

Losing your middleweight champ to the UFC after his contract runs out? Disaster. But Strikeforce plans to turn their lemons into lemonade with an upcoming eight-man tournament that will crown a new champion in their deepest division. Here’s what King Coker had to say about the MWGP he’ll put together if Jake Shields splits the scene:

Coker told MMAjunkie.com he is considering eight fighters for a potential tournament to begin at an event planned for Aug. 21: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, Dan Henderson, Nick Diaz [Ed. note: Nick's already the Strikeforce welterweight champ, so he'd be trying to scoop up his homey's belt and rule over a second weight class] and "Mayhem" Miller. Additionally, the winner of a June 26 bout between Scott Smith and Cung Le is under consideration for a tourney spot, as is the winner of an upcoming World Victory Road/Sengoku bout between Kazuo Misaki and champ Jorge Santiago. The tournament would take place over two events, the Strikeforce CEO said. Houston is targeted for the first event, though the promotion has not confirmed a city or venue.

A two-event tournament means that the semi-finals and finals could potentially be held on the same night, Japan-style. And looking at that lineup, we see a lot of potential for sick matchups and serious grudge-settling. Think about it…


Jason Miller vs. Nick Diaz: Nashville Justice. Diaz was part of the Cesar Gracie crew that gave Miller an in-ring stomping after Mayhem butted into Jake Shields’s post-fight interview in April, so there’s some history there. Who would come out on top in a fair fight?

Jason Miller vs. Ronaldo Souza: Grudge Match, Part 3. Souza is up 1-0 with 1 no-contest in their series, after winning a decision against Miller in June 2008, then being stopped by an illegal soccer kick at DREAM.9, which spurred Miller to call Souza a "vagina-head Brazilian." 

Jason Miller vs. Tim Kennedy: The Great American Rubber Match. Tim Kennedy won a decision over Miller at an Extreme Challenge tournament in 2003, but Mayhem out-pointed Kennedy in a 2007 rematch for HDNet Fights. 

Dan Henderson vs. Kazuo Misaki: The "PRIDE Never Die" Rubber Match. Each man owns a decision win over the other from a pair of back-to-back PRIDE Bushido meetings in 2006. Misaki took the second one; time to give Hendo a chance to settle the score on his home turf.

Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler: History Repeats Itself. Back in 2004, Diaz shocked fans in his second Octagon appearance by scoring a second-round knockout against Lawler at UFC 47. Could he do it again six years later? 

And of course, Scott Smith may have the chance to avenge losses against Lawler and Diaz. (Or more likely, take additional beatings from them.) Personally, I’m already sold. Everything’s more interesting when you put it in tournament format. Open-Weight In-Law Visit GP 2010! See what I mean?

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fatbellyfrank- June 24, 2010 at 7:42 am
And burn effigy's of Ken Shamrock
Harry Sack- June 24, 2010 at 7:31 am
we should all riot through the streets of Vegas in protest of the Don Frye ommision. This injustice must be corrected!
Clinch-Smash- June 24, 2010 at 2:49 am
BTW how is Don Frye not in the UFC hall of fame he was 10-1 in the UFC only losing to Colman. He has has a great recored compared to any of the current hall of famer's.

Shamrock 7-6-2
Severn 10-4
Coleman 7-5
Gracie 11-2-1
Couture 15-7
Liddell 17-6
Hughes 17-5
Clinch-Smash- June 24, 2010 at 2:30 am
Goat, if you really want that to happen, and it does sound good then you must call to the Frye stache if you really want to make it happen.
Thatsozay- June 23, 2010 at 11:49 pm
LAS is exactly right, however I would still like this tourney to happen.
Douchey McDoucherton- June 23, 2010 at 6:42 pm
I'd still like to see a rematch between Smith and Radach. Luke Rockhold should also get a part in this tournament.
LAS- June 23, 2010 at 4:43 pm
This tournament shit is just a disaster waiting to happen. How many times in Pride/Dream did we see someone get hurt in the semi-final, only to be replaced by a reserve bout fighter or semi-round loser, who ended up winning the finale and thus fucking up the point of a tournament in the first place?

For as much as the fighting twice in one night brings with it the nostalgia of MMA's outlaw past, it has been repeatedly shown to have little use in demonstrating who is the best fighter from a large group.
Get Off Me- June 23, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Strikeforce is a departmentally challenged organization.
We all know there is massive work that needs to be done on the Production and Presentation side of the company. I do not believe that they are so second rate as everyone likes to make them out to be on the fight side of the game though. I have recently watched some very goods fights from Strikeforce, I have seen some let downs, but this is the same with the UFC to put things in perspective. If any of those match's above can materialize, I could definitely be entertained.....
Strikeforce will do what Strikforce does...Bad announcers, Ambigious moments before fights, Elevator Trance/Hop entrance music all wrapped up in blanket of general unprofessionalism....with some good(generally) to great fights on top.
Strikeforce programing is like a hot dog, all filler no killer, but put the 'works' on it(good fights) and you got yourself something you can enjoy.
Goat- June 23, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Would be much smarter to have it over 4 events - stretch out their talent more:

1st Event-
Miller vs. Jacare
Misaki vs. Henderson

2nd Event-
Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler
Tim Kennedy vs. Scott Smith

3rd Event- (as I would like to see it)
Nick Diaz vs. Jason Miller
Tim Kennedy vs. Dan Henderson

4th Event- (as I would like to see it)
Nick Diaz vs. Dan Henderson

By Dan Severn's Stache...this would be epic
fatbellyfrank- June 23, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Soda, I think you've uncovered the real villain here, looks like strikeforce had a man on a grassy knoll all along.
And this looks like a great idea from strikeforce, lets hope they can carry it off
nooger- June 23, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I used to like Mayham, then I read his article in Fight Magazine about him talking to his Weiner (his weiner dog) and that article just made me hate him. Read it, it sucks.

They have to add Cung Le to this tournament, how could they add some of these other craptacular fighters and not add him.

I like Cung Le in this tournament, although against any well rounded wrestler he'd probably lose.

WAR LE!
justscrappin- June 23, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Yeah....Strikeforce will fuck this up. In fact they would..and have fucked up a wet dream. My wet dream actually. I was just about to wake up sticky after going 3 rounds with Gina Carano...and then Gina tagged in Cyborg in a strikeforce banana hammock. I mean the "female" Cyborg..but of course I use that term loosely. I then woke up crying in the fetal position...sucking on my thumb and mumbling in between sobs..." why Coker why?"
Soda Popinski- June 23, 2010 at 1:37 pm
$3 to anybody that can identify the guy who is showing his undercover hatred for mayhem by clearly pushing him into Diaz's punch.
Jim Harbaugh Scramble- June 23, 2010 at 1:28 pm
No doubt that this would be epic.

I love the tournament style, but will a fighter really be allowed by the commission to fight twice in a night?

But since this is Strikeforce, I'm just gonna assume they screw this up big time.
TheJuggernaut- June 23, 2010 at 1:17 pm
what really intrigues me is the third possible matchup mentioned in the article of kennedy vs miller. especially the part that says, "but Mayhem out-pointed Miller in a 2007 rematch..." i mean if a fighter out-points himself in a fight when there is another guy in the ring thats gotta be past epic, its borderline superhero.
Old_Bald_and_Irish- June 23, 2010 at 1:15 pm
....omg!

THIS WOULD BE GREAT!

Throw Cung Le into this mix and WATCH OUT!

If they can do the semi-finals and finals on the same night, that would be insane.
El Guapo- June 23, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Good idea. Great matchup potential. But because it's Strikeforce, it's STRAIGHT BULLSHIT, BRO!! UFC RULES, EVERYBODY ELSE DROOLS, DUDE!!

Last time I'll do that. Done dadda. Never again............... Until tmorrow.
jgrant- June 23, 2010 at 1:11 pm
And there's no way they can give Le a spot in this fairly if he beats Smith. If Le wins this match-up, their rubber match should decide who gets the tourney bid or the rubber match should be in the tourneys opening round.
DangadaDang- June 23, 2010 at 1:07 pm
How about Smith v Hendo? That has brutal slugfest written all over it
Nut Puncher 9000- June 23, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Diaz just sent in his forms and fine for his role in the Nashville Brawl, so he wont be able to compete in this tourney unless they work with him and hold off matches until he is cleared.
jgrant- June 23, 2010 at 12:59 pm
The problem is Diaz won't be cleared in time for the start of it due to his suspension.
J Akuma- June 23, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Sounds pretty entertaining, but I feel like it would be closer to making lemonade out of a slurry of blood and teeth.

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