FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Roundtables ROUNDTABLE (pt. 1): Which fighters would you be most intrigued to see jump from UFC to Strikeforce? Pelkey, Teal, Matthew, Perez, Walker

Feb 24, 2010 - 6:46:21 PM

Who are the two or three current UFC fighters you'd be most intrigued to see leave UFC for whatever reason (perhaps not being given a fair shake, already fought everyone, hit a ceiling, etc.) and be acquired by Strikeforce. What match-ups would you make from those acquisitions?

ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Strikeforce would have a huge benefit if they were to get Rich Franklin, Mirko Cro Cop, and one lightweight, possibly Clay Guida. For Franklin, he seems to have hit a ceiling as a fighter in the UFC, and since leaving the Middleweight Division, and going back up to the Light-Heavyweight Division, he seems to be lost. He's not at the bottom of the rankings, but he's also not in the picture for a title. He's stuck in a sort of "fighter purgatory." Franklin in Strikeforce could be good, especially if you were to pair him with someone like Gegard Mousasi or Babalu Sobral.

Cro Cop could use a fresh start, and by going to Strikeforce, be able to reclaim a little bit of his legacy. For him, the division is not quite as steep and he could possibly get some quality wins against an Antonio Silva or Brett Rogers. Also, a rematch with Fedor would do wonders as Strikeforce could easily market this their way and make it a spectacle. A quality lightweight would be good, only to add depth to the division in Strikeforce. Guida would be great in that division as he could easily be the litmus test as to test the mettle of the champion there. Either him, or maybe a Sean Sherk, Nate Diaz, or a Joe Stevenson. A quality lightweight would do wonders and either of the ones mentioned would enhance that division greatly.

TOBEN SHELBY, MMATORCH AUDIO COHOST

Since it seems unlikely Fedor will be in the UFC Octagon anytime soon, I’d like to see some top heavyweights from the UFC take him on. Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, and Cain Velasquez would all make fireworks with Fedor in Strikeforce.

SAM MATTHEW, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

The top three lightweight Contenders - Frankie Edgar, Kenny Florian, and Tyson Griffin - would do well in Strikeforce. The real reason is that B.J. Penn is simply unbeatable by any of them. Beyond competing for second place, there’s really no challenge or purpose in simply trying to earn what would merely turn into another loss to the champ. People like to see competitive, back-and-forth fights and these guys could actually show their championship potential without Penn hanging over their heads. How sick would it be to see Florian and Edgar in a five rounder?

WESLEY WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I'd send Keith Jardine, Wanderlei Silva, and B.J. Penn to Strikeforce. Jardine could have fresh fights with King Mo, Gergard Mousais, Dan Henderson. I'd like to see Wanderlei Silva to fight Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler, and Melvin Manhoef. B.J. Penn could fight Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez, and Josh Thompson.

BOB TEAL, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Although both of these releases would likely not happen, I would like to see Clay Guida and Cheick Kongo go over to Strikeforce. They are both very cagey fighters with a lot of talent and experience inside the cage. More importantly, I think they could provide a somewhat interesting litmus test for the fighters in their divisions. I would like to see Clay fight Aoki and Melendez in the Lightweight Division. It would likely give us some evidence of how these fighters might fare in the UFC. If Aoki could not get past Guida, should he even enter a cage against B.J? These debates are what make this sport so interesting. Same goes for Kongo. It would be fun to see him fight Fedor and see how he fares. He would have a huge size and reach advantage and he is a more technical striker as well. Since we will never get to see cross-promotion, most likely these kinds of fights can answer a lot of questions for us.

MATT PELKEY, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

The one name that really stands out to me is Brandon Vera. He was once a top-of-the-line heavyweight prospect who had plans on holding the Heavyweight and Light-Heavyweight Titles simultaneously. Needless to say, it hasn't worked out that way. His confidence has clearly been shaken, but perhaps he just needs a change of scenery. He'd be a big fish in a small pond and could go back and forth between divisions, giving Strikeforce's upper divisions some much needed depth. Fights with Rafael Cavalcante, Gegard Mousasi, and "King" Mo Lawal would be fun at 205, and I wouldn't mind seeing him take on Big Foot Silva or rematching Fabricio Werdum at heavyweight. A guy like Chris Leben would also make sense. He's ten miles from title contention in the UFC, but in Strikeforce he'd go well in their middleweight division full of sluggers. Fights with Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler, and Cung Le would be money makers.

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