# Overeem/Werdum and Barnett/Rogers OFF of April 9th card



## G8tors (Feb 19, 2011)

Wow this sucks. Guess the Japan venue fell through? Or something?

I was really looking forward to seeing those two fights. Hopefully the Grand Prix still works out.

http://www.fiveknuckles.com/mma-new...t-Grand-Prix-bouts-off-of-April-9th-card.html




> Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett are expected to be pushed back from their originally planned date of April 9th, according to Sherdog.com.
> 
> A Strikeforce event is still planned for the weekend but will now take place in California, as opposed to Japan, like Scott Coker had originally hinted.
> 
> ...


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## Xerxes (Aug 14, 2008)

That would suck if true, but at the same time I dont think lots of us expected the GP to go down as planned.. so kind of expected tbh.


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## anderton46 (Apr 23, 2010)

SF really has a big chance to make a significant impact with this tournament, but if its too seperated wtih long lay off's it won't generate the same ammount of exitement. Coker has his chance and I think he's going to **** it up.


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## Rusty (Apr 13, 2010)

Not surprised at all. This so called "Grand Prix" is gonna be milked for all it's worth.


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## box (Oct 15, 2006)

The "grand prix" is more like any normal fight schedule to me. They should have had all the fights in one night to begin with.


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## Xerxes (Aug 14, 2008)

Update: 


> Josh Gross tweeted the following:
> 
> Sherdog cites unnamed sources that Strikeforce's 2nd leg of HW GP not on April 9 card. Counters what I heard today re: St. Louis or Houston.


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## Machida Karate (Nov 30, 2009)

Xerxes said:


> Update:


I hope this is bullshit


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## Rauno (Nov 20, 2009)

Greatest HW grand Prix my ass.


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## The_Senator (Jun 5, 2008)

I'm not surprised by any of this. Barnett or Overeem (or both) has a good chance to spoil the entire idea by not being able to prove he's 100% clean from steroids, so if it's not in Japan, then it's not in California for sure. It makes sense, but makes the tournament look worse.


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## hixxy (Sep 7, 2007)

Yep, all four fights should have been on the same card, would have made things alot simplier!


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

box said:


> The "grand prix" is more like any normal fight schedule to me.


I don't think to many expected something else, really!
It's a Grand Prix just on paper.
In reality, all the fights are normal fights, with the difference that the winner of one fight knows precisely who he is fighting next.

That's all!


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## Rauno (Nov 20, 2009)

limba said:


> I don't think to many expected something else, really!
> It's a Grand Prix just on paper.
> In reality, all the fights are normal fights, with the difference that the winner of one fight knows precisely who he is fighting next.
> 
> That's all!


And the winner gets an awesome looking trophy at the end. Who knows, this GP can make history - the longest Grand Prix ever.


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

Rauno said:


> And the winner gets an awesome looking trophy at the end. Who knows, this GP can make history - *the longest Grand Prix ever*.


Let's hope not!
Honestly - the trophy means SH*T to these guys!
Everything that matters is their proffesional record after the GP.
That is what brings them money, publicity, sponsorhip deals and so on.

I am happy just to see this fights happening, whether it's a GP or not.

But i will admit, the fact that it's called a GP does bring some nice memories from Pride!

I have a DVD with the Pride Open Weight Gran Prix from 2006.

THAT WAS A F****N AWESOME GRAND PRIX TOURNAMENT! The big regret i have though, fedor was injured at that time.


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## SonOfZion (Feb 14, 2011)

again, ppl laughed when i said its a fake tournament but thats just what it is.


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

SonOfZion said:


> again, ppl laughed when i said its a fake tournament but thats just what it is.



Like i've said: in the end, everything that matters for the fans is that the fights will take place as scheduled.

...........

And that SF won't need 2 years to make these fights happen.


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## edlavis88 (Jul 12, 2009)

Obviously pissed off about this, but can't say i'm surprised.

IF they replace the card with Melendez/Kawajiri, Diaz/Daley and Mousassi/Kyle on it it'd make up for it a little bit i suppose.


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## Yojimbo (Oct 25, 2009)

Sucks Balls.


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## VolcomX311 (Aug 18, 2009)

Shocker, SF may have potential first class fighters, but its definitely a second rate production.


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## vilify (Mar 23, 2010)

if its true then this sucks..but why are people acting like UFC has never had to postpone or reschedule a fight? Shit happens every now and then.


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

Wait. So according to what Toxic posted this might not even be true?



If so, ugh, I HATE Barnett and he should be replaced by Del Rosario or something. I don't care if I never see him fight again and this kind of problem is his fault.


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## joshua7789 (Apr 25, 2009)

Not to much of a shocker if things start to go wrong with this deal. Barnett is gonna have a hard time getting licensed pretty much anywhere he goes. Doing an event in Japan is a terrible idea.


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## JuggNuttz (Oct 5, 2006)

vilify said:


> if its true then this sucks..*but why are people acting like UFC has never had to postpone or reschedule a fight? *Shit happens every now and then.


A fight sure... but having to rearrange an entire card cuz you were an idiot and signed a steriod user who cant get licensed and then threw him into your much publicized Gran Prix Tournament and may destroy yet another promotion...... yes i dislike Barnett very much.

ive said it before and ill say it again... Strikeforce may be entertaining to watch, and have some good fighters. But as a whole, they are a bush league second rate promotion..... look at Inside MMA when they did the weigh-ins. Bas was even in awe of what the UFC did for its weigh-ins.... the Strikeforce? oh they had to delay the start cuz a couple fighters hadnt shown up yet... and had the production values of a cell phone sex tape.


but im an mma junkie and ill still watch it reguardless... but its still no where near being a top promotion.


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## vilify (Mar 23, 2010)

UFC has plenty of steroid users. just look at whats happening with UFC 130 and 129. Thiago Silva is turning the whole thing upside down.


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## The_Senator (Jun 5, 2008)

vilify said:


> UFC has plenty of steroid users. just look at whats happening with UFC 130 and 129. Thiago Silva is turning the whole thing upside down.


But it's not like Thiago has been doing it for years (has he?). Now Barnett is known for it and doesn't even try to prove that he isn't. It's pretty stupid to promote this guy knowing his reputation.


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## SonOfZion (Feb 14, 2011)

JuggNuttz said:


> A fight sure... but having to rearrange an entire card cuz you were an idiot and signed a steriod user who cant get licensed and then threw him into your much publicized Gran Prix Tournament and may destroy yet another promotion...... yes i dislike Barnett very much.
> 
> ive said it before and ill say it again... Strikeforce may be entertaining to watch, and have some good fighters. But as a whole, they are a bush league second rate promotion..... look at Inside MMA when they did the weigh-ins. Bas was even in awe of what the UFC did for its weigh-ins.... the Strikeforce? oh they had to delay the start cuz a couple fighters hadnt shown up yet... and had the production values of a cell phone sex tape.
> 
> ...


 lol, spot on!!! raise01:

but at least they arent bush league enough to have its champions fight on short notice and not name the official opponent only 5 weeks out from the fight...... oh wait....



> Now for the April card, Melendez is expected to defend his belt against Tatsuya Kawajiri. Diaz is also expected to comprise one of the two fights on the card facing off against Paul Daley or Tyron Woodley to defend his Strikeforce welterweight belt.
> 
> “I don’t know if [Daley] is willing to take the fight,” said Diaz's manager and trainer, Cesar Gracie to Sherdog.com. “I know Strikeforce is hoping to do the fight but he has to win his fight, come out healthy and then he has to accept the fight.”


 nvm


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## jonnyg4508 (Jan 30, 2010)

box said:


> The "grand prix" is more like any normal fight schedule to me.


Agree. 

Only difference is there is no belt on the line. Whole thing has never made sense to me, when they had a title fight lined up and a #1 contender fight in Fedor/Silva. 

If they had these fights in Japan would they get tested? What would be the point in these fights if Barnett or Overeem won't get tested?


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## JuggNuttz (Oct 5, 2006)

vilify said:


> UFC has plenty of steroid users. just look at whats happening with UFC 130 and 129. Thiago Silva is turning the whole thing upside down.


but the UFC didnt sign a guy who was on suspension for pissing hot, and then while still being unsanctioned threw him in a tournament..... the smart thing would have been to wait to see if he could get sanctioned THEN sign him and put him in our tourny.... this is why Coker and Strikeforce as a whole look like idiots. and then getting bullied by M-1 before that just to get Fedor? 2nd rate promotion.


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## FrodoFraggins (Oct 25, 2009)

I don't want to say too much until I get more info. But like others I'm not surprised at all. SF seems incapable of making the leap to the big leagues though.


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## slapshot (May 4, 2007)

This has sh!t to do with Barnett and everything to do with Fedor losing. They knew Josh was going to be hard to license, everyone on the planet knew he comes in with baggage so even if that's their excuse its flimsy and Strikeforce has made a big mistake by pulling the plug.


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## Johnni G (Dec 2, 2009)

Xerxes said:


> That would suck if true, but at the same time I dont think lots of us expected the GP to go down as planned.. so kind of expected tbh.


Its still on at the SF website?


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## osmium (Mar 6, 2007)

Coker is an idiot and never should have put Barnett in this. Just replace him with Rosario already if you can't book him anywhere with a commission.


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## Buakaw_GSP (Jan 9, 2011)

Is it just me or that the hype and interest for the StrikeForce HW GP died down considerably? Well I kind of expected this to happen. People said this Tourney rocks because it has all the best HW's in the World. But I had a feeling that if Overeem or Fedor wasent fighting, very little people care.


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## Rauno (Nov 20, 2009)

Wait, is the tournament really off? I can they still have it up in Strikeforce's homepage and it say's April 9th.
*
Edit: Not the tourney but the April 9th card.*


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## VolcomX311 (Aug 18, 2009)

Rauno said:


> Wait, is the tournament really off? I can they still have it up in Strikeforce's homepage and it say's April 9th.
> *
> Edit: Not the tourney but the April 9th card.*


Is the whole HW GP Tourney off or postponed? :confused02:


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## Rauno (Nov 20, 2009)

VolcomX311 said:


> Is the whole HW GP Tourney off or postponed? :confused02:


Well the tournament is still on but as i remember they took the date off from the Reem-Werdum card and it's unclear when and where the card takes place. 

I seriously don't know what's happening though, since SF still has it in April 9th on their homepage.


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