Strikeforce “Overeem vs. Werdum”: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 7:25 PM  MMA News, Strikeforce  No Responses »
Jun 192011
 

Chad Griggs' (black trunks) one-sided destruction of Valentijn Overeem (white trunks) set a theme for most of the night at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum (Photo courtesy of Showtime)

Last night, Strikeforce graced the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX with the second installment of its World Heavyweight Grand Prix quarter-finals. The event was perhaps one of the ugliest events in recent MMA history with a fight-ending accidental eye poke and what appeared to be a dislocated elbow or possibly a seriously broken arm in the prelims and a main card that featured one extremely bloody fight and several one-sided beatdowns. To make matters worse, the main event saw “The Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (32-12) channel his inner “The Spider” Anderson Silva (28-4) against Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) who felt a need to emulate Thales Leites (16-4).  The main card itself was lopsided to the point that the match-making would be called into question had the fighters not have stacked so well on paper with “The Snowman” Jeff Monson (37-12), “The Python” Valentijn Overeem (27-22), “The Grim” Brett Rogers (11-3), and KJ Noons (9-4) suffering complete domination at the hands of Daniel Cormier (7-0), “The Grave Digger” Chad Griggs (10-1), “The Babyfaced Assassin” Josh Barnett (22-5), and “Gamebred” Jorge Masvidal (19-6) respectively. MMA Gospel is here with the post-fight shakedown. Continue reading »

Share

Patrick Cote: The Future of “The Predator”

 Posted by at 1:06 AM  MMA News  No Responses »
Jun 192011
 

"The Predator" Patrick Cote fell on hard times after his loss to middleweight king Anderson Silva but has made strides to get his career back on track following his departure from the UFC. (Photo courtesy of Tasos Katopodis and Getty Images)

“The Predator” Patrick Cote (15-7), a man known for his powerful strikes and iron chin, is back to his winning ways with two solid decisions over former UFC fighters Kalib Starless (12-5) and “Bulldog” Todd Brown (15-4) following his release from the UFC last fall following a three-fight skid. Cote has been fighting in his homeland of Quebec, Canada under the promotion Ringside MMA where he is not only making his stock rise, but also putting fans in seats at every show in which he’s featured. Although his long term goal is to fight under the UFC banner once again, there are several other career choices he could take to get back on top, as he may benefit from dominating elsewhere prior to returning to the promotion that made his name.

It is no secret that “The Predator” wants to rejoin the ranks of the UFC’s middleweight roster, but will they even take him back after one or two more wins? With the buyout of Strikeforce, Cote could find himself in the hands of Scott Coker and neck deep in the talent rich 185lbs. division against the likes of Tim Kennedy (14-3), champion “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (13-2), and heavy handed slugger “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-7). Needless to say, the California-based promotion would provide Cote with ample opportunity to shine. However, Cote would likely have to prove his worth against the up-and-comers before being permitted to once again step into the cage with the big dogs. A light heavyweight in his early career days with Canadian promotion TKO, Cote is a sizable middleweight. He has even won titles in both weight classes with the most notable coming at 185lbs. against “Dooms” Jason Day (16-10) and “The Athlete” Jason Macdonald (23-14). While it’s safe to say that “The Predator” is at home in the middleweight division, his frame does suggest that he could seek a new dawn in his career as a welterweight where his sizable stature may offer a distinct advantage. Continue reading »

Share