MMA Gospel

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarter-Final contestants, from left to right, are: "The Russian Mercenary" Sergei Kharitonov, "The Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski, "The Babyfaced Assassin" Josh Barnett, "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko, "The Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem, "Bigfoot" Antonio Silva, "Vai Cavalo" Fabricio Werdum, and "The Grim" Brett Rogers. (Photo courtesy of MMA Fighting)

There are eight men in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.  While there may be some clear favorites, there are no easy outs.  Here’s how MMA Gospel Staff Writer and Guest Columnist Dan Rose expects the Grand Prix to shake out top to bottom. Starting with the favorites and ending with the long-shot, each man has a fighting chance!

“The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-2): Let’s be candid, for those who are familiar with MMA, it’s more or less pointless to try and explain why Fedor has a shot to win an eight-man tournament.  But, in case this is your first involvement with mixed martial arts, here’s how it breaks down.  Fedor Emelianenko is the Babe Ruth of MMA for two reasons: A) He kind of looks like Babe Ruth, and B) He is without a doubt, the best there’s ever been.  In the past Fedor has crushed fellow Grand Prix competitors “The Grim” Brett Rogers (11-2) and “The Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-8) but in June he experienced his first legitimate loss in nearly ten years by the hands, or Arm Triangle Choke, of “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (14-4).  Fedor has remarkable stand-up; his hands are sharp and very powerful.  His ground game is underrated and his submissions top notch.  The thing that makes Fedor the very best is how he melds all facets of MMA into his game and will wait for an adversary to make any mistake and then it’s game over.  Opponents don’t get a chance to make a second blunder with Fedor.  It’s always one-and-done with the greatest heavyweight in the history of combat sports.  So, what’s his likely finish in this Grand Prix?  He’ll win it. Emelianenko’s odds of winning the Grand Prix are 3 to 1. Continue reading »