There has been a lot of talk lately about whether the UFC or Strikeforce has the best group of heavyweights in MMA. If you were booking a HW tournament right now, of all fighters, who would be in it?
First Bracket: JDS vs Overeem Fedor vs Carwin Second Bracket: Werdum vs Velasquez Lesnar vs Minotauro
Went with Cain, JDS, Brock, Mir, Carwin, Overeem, Fedor, Werdum Couldn't pick Josh-pissing hot-Barnett cause I don't believe he's clean. Left off Cro-Cop and Nog cause I think they're on the downward slope of their careers. Love AA, but his chin is brittle to be polite. Would love to have Kharitonov and Aleks E on there but they've both barely fought and fought no one's when they did scrap since PRIDE fell. Closest call was Mir over Rogers. Pat Barry, Mitrone, Schaub, Nelson and Struve need to fight better comp and or develop a bit more to make the tourney IMO.
Cain, JDS, Fedor, Overeem, Lesnar,Barnett, Nelson, and Carwin Cain, JDS, Fedor, and Overeem are obvious. Lesnar, I think he was exposed in the Velasquez fight but I had to include him in there because was the champ before Cain. Barnett, he's a juicer and probably always will be, but the dude has skills and is probably the 3rd most dangerous HW outside the UFC (Fedor, Overeem, Barnett). Nelson, an up and comer, got some nice skills, and I enjoy watching him so that was more a personal preference thing more than anything. Carwin is still as dangerous as any HW out there and he'll probably fight his way to another title shot soon enough.
JDS, Cain, Overeem, Lesnar, Carwin, Emelianenko, Barnett, and Werdum were my choices. If I had to bracket them, it could go like this: (1) Velasquez (8) Barnett (4) Overeem (5) Werdum (2) Emelianenko (7) Carwin (3) dos Santos (6) Lesnar
I guess the exercise was intended to try and figure out if anyone thought much of the guys in the Strikeforce tournament outside the top four. Kharitonov, Arlovski, Rogers, and Silva have zero votes combined so I suppose the answer is no. It would seem both promotions have a few good heavyweights, perhaps four each, and the rest are pretty much regarded as middling fighters.
Most of my picks were the same as you guys... but I picked Bobby Lashley just cause I loved him in the WWE haha.
1- Cain Velasquez 2 - Fedor Emelianenko 3 - Fabricio Werdum 4 - Alistair Overeem 5 - Junior Dos Santos 6 - Josh Barnett 7 - Brock Lesnar 8 - Shane Carwin 1 Cain Velasquez 8 Shane Carwin 4 Alistair Overeem 5 Junior Dos Santos 2 Fedor Emelianenko 7 Brock Lesnar 3 Fabricio Werdum 6 Josh Barnett
Seems like everyone's got 3 or 4 SF guys in their bracket though, thats pretty good for SF. Think about doing this with any other division vs. the UFC. Mine is: 1 Cain 8 Barnett 4 JDS 5 Carwin 2 Fedor 7 Mir 3 Overeem 6 Lesnar
