While UFC President Dana White has said in his recent interview with Ariel Helwani of MMAfighting.com that there will not for the time being be a complete or immediate absorption of the Strikeforce roster, that does not mean that the rosters of both promotions will not come into contact with each other. For fighters in Strikeforce who would prefer to fight in the bigger promotion where a bigger payday & legitimate recognition, as most fighters undoubtedly do, their contracts would still have to expire or see if a negotiation between the companies can happen to get to their goal sooner. Obviously there have been super fight match-ups that fans have been demanding over the years between top & recognizable fighters from both promotions, that had previously been impossible to assemble due to White's insistence that the UFC will never be involved in co-promoting a fight with another promotion. Though White is still insistent on this position, the fact that Strikeforce fighters now have an almost assured ticket into signing with the UFC has opened doors for such match-ups that fans have been demanding. In the first installment of this two part piece, we will examine the obvious & more promotable fights that have the more likelihood of happening with champion vs champion should one of the mentioned fighters' contracts reach expiration, or a complete absorption through a merger occurs which would essentially demand unification bouts to declare which of the two promotions truly held the best fighters in the world of the shared divisions.
GSP vs Diaz
The most obvious match-ups would include having a champion vs champion bout with current reigning Strikeforce 170lb champ & former UFC fighter Nick Diaz who has been demanding a shot at longtime UFC 170lb champ & arguably the top pound-for-pound best fighter in the world Georges St. Pierre. Diaz has been fighting outside of the UFC since leaving the promotion willingly to sign with his coach Cesar Gracie's new promotion that never got off the ground with even one event. Since leaving the promotion, Diaz has gone 10-1-0(1) which includes a current running nine fight win streak that includes winning the inaugural Strikeforce Welterweight title & defending it twice, with an upcoming defense in April. While fighting what is considered lower competition compared to the UFC's top 170lb roster, Diaz is considered to be a real challenge for even GSP & even argued to be in the top ten lists for top pound-for-pound best fighters. With a possible third shot in the UFC on the horizon, if Diaz can defend his title to prove he is considerably a top of the list pick to readmit with the promotion, he may get the shot & payday he has been calling for with a fight with GSP. Stylistically, Diaz does have the potential to take on the dominant Canadian fighter, but this dream bout can be stripped from thought with the possibility of his fellow Team Cesar Gracie member Jake Shields defeating GSP in late April.
Edgar vs Melendez
A second champion vs champion super fight that fans have asked for is having fellow Team Cesar Gracie product & 2x Strikeforce 155lb champ Gilbert Melendez face current UFC 155lb champ Frankie Edgar. Melendez has been considered a top level Lightweight that the UFC should keep their eyes on for some time, though his contract with Strikeforce & having resigned with the promotion has kept interest in him to a low. For some time Melendez has claimed to be the #1 lightweight fighter in the world while being ignored as the UFC has always boasted the best stable of ready contenders & elite champions with the likes of BJ Penn. A potential super-fight outside the UFC was spread through rumors among the web as both Melendez & BellatorFC 155lb champ Eddie Alvarez both called for a bout where it would be decided who was the best lightweight outside the UFC, though the bout never manifested. With a shot at the UFC possibly looming in his future, his upcoming title defense against Tatsuya Kawajiri could be his qualification bout to see if he is even worthy of the hype surrounding him. A loss to Kawajiri would see a drop in Melendez's stock as a potential inclusion in the UFC's lightweight roster could be postponed, forcing him to climb back into their sights.
Velasquez vs Overeem
One of the most asked for bouts that fans of both promotions have demanded for some time is another champion vs champion bout with current reigning Strikeforce Heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem fighting current UFC Heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. Actually, the original match-up was against then champ Brock Lesnar before he was dethroned, though Velasquez has proven to be an even greater match to call for. While Overeem has barely defended the title for the first time after winning the title almost three years prior, his sudden burst of size which he accredits his new diet & drive to has drawn the eyes of fans all over to see this "herculean" figure deal devastating punches & knees to all who stand across from him. Overeem's stock has shot through the roof after proving his striking & endurance capabilities after winning the one night K-1 Grand Prix tournament. Currently Overeem is scheduled to take part in a Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout that is also a rematch against the previous victor Fabricio Werdum. Winning both this bout & the entire tournament would be all the proof he needs to demand access to the now stacked top Heavyweight roster that has expanded in the UFC this past year. Velasquez is still on the sidelines due to injury awaiting the victor of the TUF13 coaches bout between former champ Lesnar & #1 contender Junior Dos Santos. Either match up for Overeem against Velasquez, Lesnar, or Dos Santos would produce one of the most tense atmospheres as each heavyweight titan has the power needed to knock the other out with a single strike. Overeem has been hyped up strong by Scott Coker & others at Strikeforce, but all this hype can disappear with a single loss that can remove him from the tournament, & possibly send him back to square one to restart his journey to the big leagues.
Light Heavyweight & Middleweight
Super fights between the respected champions in both the 205lb & 185lb divisions between both promotions are not as called for as match-ups for the other champions. Similar to the UFC's 205lb division, Strikeforce has had their troubles keeping one champion in place without instantly losing hold of the title in their first defense. Since 2007, the UFC has had five champions for the 205lb division, while Strikeforce has had six champions altogether for their own division since 2006. Recently though, former PrideFC two divisional champ & former UFC fighter Dan Henderson claimed the 205lb title for himself just before Zuffa's purchase of the promotion which prompted immediate interviews with the veteran inquiring if he would mind fighting under the Zuffa banner once again. Henderson's response was simply that he has one fight left on his Strikeforce contract which he aims to fulfill by being the first champ of the promotion to defend the title at least once since their first division champ, and would not mind returning to the UFC. Simply put & point blank, it would be difficult to legitimately set a champion vs champion bout for the 205lb division until an absolute champ for each promotion can prove to hold the title probably for at least two or three straight title defenses.
While the UFC's 185lb division has been ruled by a single man with Anderson Silva defending the title since 2006, Strikeforce has not had such luck keeping a champion in place long enough to build up momentum behind them. Strikeforce has only had four champions since their inaugural champ Frank Shamrock first won the title back in 2007, & the only one to defend the title at least once is current champ Ronaldo Souza. Even with his first title defense under his belt, & coming from a gym that has produced champions in multiple promotions, Souza is far from being considered to be near the UFC's elite level fighters. Adding to the impossible chance of being put in a super-fight against the top UFC middleweight, is the fact that he trains at the same gym as Silva, which has a moral code of not having teammates fight each other. Until Silva is dethroned, &/or Souza can earn the respect of die hard UFC-only fans, there is no steam behind a champ vs champ set up, unless a full merger happens & forces it.
These match-ups are purely speculation at this current time, though do have the possibility/probability to happen some time in the future. This may all depend on how Strikeforce & their champions perform under new ownership by Zuffa. All Strikeforce fighters must prove their worth & skill...even those at the top of the heap.
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