Strikeforce: Ranking The Punching Power Of All 6 Fighters Left In The Tourney
One of the many intriguing things about the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix is the unique contrast in styles of each competitor.
The tournament features standout submission fighters as well as hard-punching and technical stand-up fighters.
It arguably includes the most devastating striker in the sport in current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, who is the only fighter to hold titles in both kickboxing and MMA at the same time.
Other standout strikers include Sergei Kharitonov and Brett Rogers, both of whom are in the tournament and looking to take out everyone that steps in front of them. Both have notable knockout victories over Andrei Arlovski.
The other remaining fighters in the tourney include Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva.
These are how the six remaining competitors rank in terms of punching power.
No. 6: Fabricio Werdum
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Heavyweight fighter Fabricio Werdum is primarily a submission fighter, and his record proves it.
With his most notable victory and submission win coming against Fedor Emelianenko in June 2010, he extended his record to 14-4-1 with four knockouts and eight submission victories.
Before leaving the UFC, fans started to see improvement in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black-Belt fighter's aggressiveness and stand-up skills as he started to train out of Chute Boxe in Brazil. It didn’t work out in the end after being knocked out in the very first round by Junior dos Santos.
He makes his fourth appearance in Strikeforce against Alistair Overeem in a quarterfinal matchup to determine the next challenger for Antonio Silva.
No. 5: Josh Barnett
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With a 29-5 record, Josh "The Baby Faced Assassin" Barnett has seven knockout victories and 17 submission wins under his belt.
His most notable knockout victory was against Pedro Rizzo in their 2008 rematch. Other TKO victories include ones over Randy Couture and Gan McGee.
As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Barnett holds an advantage over many of his opponents on the ground and usually doesn't engage too much on the feet. He will be looking to showcase his ground skills when he faces heavy-hitting Brett Rogers in the Strikeforce Grand Prix quarterfinal bout.
It might take another ground fighter to test the striking power of Barnett, and fans probably won't see it tonight.
No. 4: Antonio Silva
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Antonio Silva has 11 knockouts on his record and at 265 pounds, has the size to make many opponents succumb to the power he possesses in his hands. His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo black belts help him take down and control his opponents on the ground.
He showcased his power when he pummeled Fedor Emelianenko to a second-round TKO to claim his latest and biggest win in the opening round of the Strikeforce Grand Prix.
A unanimous decision victory versus Andrei Arlovski can put his punching power into question, as he was not able to finish an opponent that has been knocked out seven times, two of which came against other Strikeforce Grand Prix competitors.
Silva will face the winner of Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum.
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No. 3: Sergei Kharitonov
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Former Pride FC and Dream fighter Sergei Kharitonov made quick work of his last opponent, Andrei Arlovski, knocking him unconscious in the very first round of their bout in February.
Kharitonov arguably has the best hands in the division, and he has knockout victories over Alistair Overeem and Pedro Rizzo to back up that claim. His technical boxing skills are among the very best in the entire sport.
His boxing credentials have earned him silver medals in the 2003 Central Asian Games, 2004 Asian Amateur Championships and 2004 Russian Championships.
Kharitonov's next bout will come against the winner of Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers.
No. 2: Brett Rogers
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Brett "The Grim" Rogers made even quicker work of Andrei Arlovski than Kharitonov, finishing the former UFC Heavyweight Champion 22 seconds into the first round. He swarmed all over him with speed and power, knocking him down after landing a barrage of punches.
Ten of his 11 victories have come by knockout, including one-punch knockouts over Jon Murphy and James Thompson.
He will be looking for the knockout in his bout with Josh Barnett, and it will be a tough task as Barnett will be looking to take him to the ground.
With his only two losses coming against Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko, don't count this power-punching heavyweight out just yet.
No. 1: Alistair Overeem
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It can be hard to measure just how hard current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem's punching power is because he uses a variety of strikes to put his opponents away. He is one of the most devastating strikers in the division and has excellent knees and punches.
He does have a background in kickboxing as well, and that helps put his punching power into perspective. He put world-class kickboxer Badr Hari down and out in the first round of their 2008 kickboxing bout with a vicious left hook.
His latest victory in kickboxing came against Peter Aerts after he finished off the veteran kickboxer with a series of head and body shots to win the K-1 World Grand Prix Final.
In MMA, "The Demolition Man" has notable knockout wins over Brett Rogers, Todd Duffee and Sergei Kharitonov.
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