Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals head to U.S. Bank Arena Sept. 10

SAN JOSE, Calif. – STRIKEFORCE® will make its second trip to the Buckeye State this year when it brings the STRIKEFORCE WORLD GRAND PRIX: HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT semi-finals to U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 10., live on Primetime. The World Heavyweight Grand Prix finalists will be determined when former UFC® heavyweight champion “The Baby Faced Assassin” Josh Barnett takes on Russian sensation Sergei Kharitonov, and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva battles tournament alternate Daniel “DC” Cormier.
The card will also feature STRIKEFORCE middleweight champ Ronald “Jacare” Souza defending his title against top contender Luke Rockhold, as well as a light heavyweight collision between Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal and Roger Gracie. A fifth yet-to-be announced fight will air on the Primetime portion of the event.
“Cincinnati is an incredible sports town and we’re excited to bring the World Grand Prix: Heavyweight Tournament to the great fans here,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “We’re going to see who advances to the tournament finals. Barnett vs. Kharitonov pits two incredible finishers against one another, and ‘Big Foot’ is looking to keep the momentum rolling after his big win over Fedor when he meets unbeaten Daniel Cormier. When you add in the middleweight title fight and the other great bouts, you can see that we’ve pulled out all the stops for our return to Ohio.”
Having defeated seven straight opponents, including a slick submission win over Brett Rogers in the previous round of the Grand Prix, Josh Barnett (30-5) feels he is the only man that has what it takes to win this tournament. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, who holds career victories over legends Randy Couture, Dan Severn and Minotauro Nogueira, looks to advance and book a spot in the finals when he takes on Golden Glory product, Sergei Kharitonov (18-4). Born in Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, Kharitonov still serves active duty for the Russian Airborne Troops while training full time. Though he most recently defeated Andrei Arlovski to earn this fight, he also holds notable wins over Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum.
Brazilian-born heavyweight Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (16-2) is on a tear through the division thanks to recent wins over Fedor Emelianenko, Arlovski and Mike Kyle. Silva, who holds black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo and karate, will need everything he’s got when he matches up with American Kickboxing Academy’s top heavyweight prospect, Daniel Cormier (8-0). The former Oklahoma State University wrestler, who was also a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, steps in as an alternate for the injured Alistair Overeem, and hopes to make the most of this massive opportunity.
Team Black House fighter and current STRIKEFORCE middleweight champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-2, 1 NC) is currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes victories over Tim Kennedy and Robbie Lawler. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo black belt looks to successfully defend his belt for the second time when he takes on Santa Cruz’s Luke Rockhold (7-1). An American Kickboxing Academy standout and Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, Rockhold seeks his seventh consecutive victory and the STRIKEFORCE 185-pound crown.
Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (7-1) is looking to make his way back up the light heavyweight ladder and reclaim his throne. The former champ had won seven straight before running into Rafael Cavalcante last August, but he’s now back hungrier than ever to return to the win column. Having wrestled at Oklahoma State University, Lawal will have to rely on his takedowns and heavy hands when he squares off against second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Roger Gracie (4-0). A member of the famed Gracie family, Roger is undefeated and recently scored a victory over former UFC and PRIDE® star Kevin Randlem
You can order the card for only £9.95 by calling 08712004444*, visiting the 606v2 link Primetime Website or Virgin Media customers can purchase using the ‘On Demand’ menu. Customers on Sky must register the first time they use Primetime and once registered can purchase using the ‘box office’ menu.

Loads of news on Strikforce available ahead of this weekends Heavyweaight Tournament semis

http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/strikeforce/king-mo-on-fight-with-gracie-%e2%80%9cit-won%e2%80%99t-be-pretty%e2%80%9d/
http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/strikeforce/gracie-mma-is-my-no-1-priority/
http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/strikeforce/the-shoot-%e2%80%93-daniel-cormier/
http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/strikeforce/barnett-wants-to-win-%e2%80%93-and-finish/
http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/strikeforce/cormier%e2%80%99s-message-to-wrestling-critics-learn-takedown-defense/

Enjoy!

King Mo shoot interview - http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/strikeforce/%e2%80%9cthe-king-is-back%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-the-shoot-interviews-king-mo/

Antonio Silva – On The Verge of Another Breakthrough

Antonio Silva has won 16 of his 18 professional fights, has defeated former UFC champions Ricco Rodriguez and Andrei Arlovski, and in February, he earned his third consecutive victory by stopping the formerly unstoppable Fedor Emelianenko. But the way the man known as “Bigfoot” sees things, the only way he will get the respect he craves in the sport is to be the last man standing in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.



“Winning this tournament would be very good for my career,” said Silva through translator / manager Alex Davis. “I still do not feel I am getting the attention I deserve as a fighter.”

It’s not from a lack of trying, as the 31-year old native of Brasilia, Brazil has been plugging away in the world of professional mixed martial arts since 2005, when he defeated Tengiz Tedoradze. Since then, it’s been a steady rise up the ranks, as he’s fought everywhere from England and Japan to Canada and the United States, with no steady place to call home, making the assessment of his career thus far a realistic one, as he notes that fighting can sometimes be the easiest part of being in this game.

“I do not feel burned out by the training and fighting,” he said. “The business aspects, on the other hand, kill me.”

In 2009, Silva found a steady home in Strikeforce, and though he lost his first fight in the promotion via decision to Fabricio Werdum, his subsequent victories over Arlovski, Mike Kyle, and Emelianenko erased that memory quick, with the win over Fedor, the former PRIDE great, taking him to another level in terms of public perception.

“It was a great night,” said Silva of the February 12 bout in New Jersey, in which he earned a spot in the Grand Prix semifinals via second round TKO.

The bout established the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt as a serious threat in the division, and his profile was expected to rise even higher if he was able to defeat the promotion’s heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem, in the semis this Saturday night in Cincinnati. But when Overeem pulled out of the tournament and was eventually released from his Strikeforce contract, it hit Silva hard.

“I was really disappointed,” he said. “It was a good fight for me I think.”

But there’s still a fight to fight this weekend, and still a final to make it to should he win, so Silva had to change gears quick and get ready for a new foe. Yet in unbeaten two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier, he couldn’t have gotten more of a polar opposite in terms of size and style.

“I had to completely readjust my training,” admitted Silva. “I was going fight a tall, famous striker; now I face a short, world-class, relatively unknown wrestler. It’s a completely different challenge.”

True, but it’s also one that Silva is preparing for and taking very seriously. A recent change in camps to Team Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro is apparently paying benefits, and being in Brazil for the recent UFC 134 event to see his friend and mentor “Minotauro” Nogueira score a huge win over Brendan Schaub was a moment he will never forget. The former PRIDE / UFC heavyweight champion had never fought in his home country before, and it’s the same story for Silva, who says “To fight in Brazil is the dream of every Brazilian.”

The more pressing business is getting through Cormier and then awaiting the winner of the other semifinal this weekend between Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov. Silva believes Barnett-Kharitonov “will be an awesome fight and I think Barnett wins,” but he may be a little biased in that pick considering that when asked if he had a preference for an opponent to face in the final, he responded, “I want to fight Barnettt, he is a #$^#.”

Those are fighting words, but both heavyweights have to win this Saturday night to be able to settle their score in the cage in a Grand Prix final that the Brazilian believes will put the winner in the worldwide top five. And that’s fine with Silva, as he’s paid his dues and is finally beginning to see his patience pay off. He’s built a nice fanbase among the hardcore, and now it’s time to take things even further. But no matter where this road eventually leads him, some things will always remain consistent.

“They (the fans) know I always come to fight, and they will see me in great shape.”

What more can you ask from a heavyweight contender?

Josh Barnett interview in the Daily Star tomorrow, keep an eye out for it!

Full transcript of the Josh Barnett interview here http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/strikeforce/josh-barnett-interview/

So not long to go now, are you going to be watching? Let us know your thoughts on the fights and remember to let us know what you think of the broadcast afterwards!