Heavyweight Roster - Strikeforce or UFC?

Hi guys,

Just been thinking recently about the strength of the fight rosters between UFC and Strikeforce. In almost all categories I think UFC is stronger, however i'm not sure when it comes to heavyweight.

I think i'd personally slight favour UFC, however there are 3 or 4 of the heavyweights in Strikeforce that i'd love to see come over to the UFC, some for a second time.

Who do you guys think has the better selection of fighters? And who would you say is currently the best heavyweight in the world?

I prefer to watch strikeforce heavy weights, but the UFC has two fighters that will dominate the sports division for the next few years... I couldn't pick one fighter as the best Cain is prob the best, Overeem is a force and could beat anyone on his day, Fedor is Fedor, Brock can still beat anyone no matter how much you hate him, JDS is a great prospect, Barrnett is a factor, Werdum is a great finisher on his day too...

The GP in strikeforce will explain alot once its finished but Cain and JDS are my two picks.

Think that Strikeforce still has the better roster, even with Fedors fall.
Would say that Strikeforce edges it, with the likes of Overoid, Werdum, Silva, Kharatinov and Del Rosario all looking good of late.


I'd say that Cain and Overoid are the best accross the two bodies, with Cain just edging it.

Without a doubt the SF HW division is the strongest division outside the UFC. All the other divisions the UFC practically have a monopoly on them. There are some good FW's in Japan rankings wise but none that people will be interested in seeing coming to UFC, and UFC over the next year or so will strenghten their FW division by having LW's cut down like Florian, Oliviera, Tyson Griffin etc....


Back to the topic, i think because of strenght of SF HW division people were desperate to claim that they had a by far better divison than UFC because its the only divison where UFC dont have major control over,and it coincided with the fact that UFC kept putting on big HW fights and their fighters kept beating each other last year. Look at when SF finally started putting on some HW fights last weekend, suddenly their roster didnt look as strong as it did to everyone post-UFC121 NOW DOES IT?? Thats how things go nowadays unfortuantly....


I think its dead even between UFC and SF. And i would favour the Cain-JDS winner to be the best HW in the world.

SF's heavyweight division has the better fighters at the top of it but isnt quite as deep and doesnt have many gatekeepers or journeymen to build their prospects up on like the UFC does

Strikeforce has a better HW division. What would a UFC heavyweight tournament look like?

JDS vs Brock
Carwin vs Nog
Big country vs Mir
Cain vs Mitrione (or Randy, but not sure if that counts...)

Alternates
Schuab vs Cro Cop
Pat Barry vs Struve
Kongo vs Madsen

Something like that? Don't think it's too much weaker than that SF one, and definately has better alternates....

efils_god wrote:JDS vs Brock
Carwin vs Nog
Big country vs Mir
Cain vs Mitrione (or Randy, but not sure if that counts...)

Alternates
Schuab vs Cro Cop
Pat Barry vs Struve
Kongo vs Madsen

Something like that? Don't think it's too much weaker than that SF one, and definately has better alternates....

Im sure its weaker lol

Yeah i agree, it is weaker, but not massively.

I'm not sure if it is weaker. If you look at Rudeboy's HW rankings, it's got more UFC fighters in there than Strikeforce (if you include the fighters that "just missed out".

Also, if Fedor decides to retire, does that put a big dent in the strength of SF's heavyweight roster?

If he retires it does, if he doesn't retire, he has to drop down the rankings a fair bit anyway.

Was bigfoot considered top 10...?

With Overeem and Werdum, Strikeforce have got two of the top 5 HW's out there, but overall the UFC's division is much more stacked and has a lot more depth.

Just looking at efils tournament makes me want UFC to have a knockout competition.

This is how I'd roughly rank both HW divisions

I think if even ranks from each side fought,the UFC would win the most match ups from the top 10


#----UFC--------#----Strikeforce--------

1---Cain--------1----Reem
2---JDS---------2----Werdum
3---Brock-------3----Bigfoot
4---Carwin------4----Barnett
5---Mir-----------5----Sergei
6---Big Nog-----6----Rogers
7---Nelson------7----Del Rosario
8---Cro-cop-----8----Arlovski
9---Rothwell----9----Cormier
10--Kongo------10----Johnson

Struve---------------V Reem
Schaub---------------Griggs
Mitrione-------------Lashley
Browne---------------Sefo
Russow---------------Hershal

Barry
Madsen
Broughton
Tuchscherer
Hunt
Beltran
McCorkle
Hardonk
Morecroft

Crocop-Arlovski would actually be a really interesting matchup right now.

I can't believe I actually put Cro-cop in the top 10

Yeah thinking about it,my list of rankings is probably aload of shite,If I've put him that high up in the UFC rankings

IMO opinion, Strikeforces top 3 (REEM, Werdum, Silva) defeat their UFC equivalents. (So long as Werdum doesn't show up over 260 and takes it seriously)

I also see Barnett beating Carwin.

from that list posted earlier Id only see Kongo and JDS (again) winning their bouts in those top 10s. Everyone else Id pick SF, but nelson-rosario is 50/50. Fedor hasnt retired yet either.

With the GG connection, Einemo would be a great addition to the SF HW div.

This tournament might actually have an adverse affect on Strikeforce's heavyweight roster. Quite feasibly Fedor and Arlovski could both retire now and I also wouldn't be surprised if that was the last time we see Sefo compete for the promotion. Barnett is one indiscretion away from ending his career as it is, however I fully expect him to expose Rogers as nothing more than a heavy hitting slugger. Although there would be no shame in losing to Fedor, Overeem and Barnett it would raise more doubts about his ability to challenge at the top level.

Furthermore, you've got to imagine that the UFC will be looking to reward the winner with a generous contract offer at the first opportunity.

Arlovski has said he wants to get back in the cage ASAP

Hopefully he gets put in with a feather fisted can.

he still looks good in there though, he just loses concentration far to easily... hes still a great kick boxer

he should fight someone like whitehead imo. Good name to have on your record who doesnt really hit nearly as hard as Kharitonov/Fedor/Rogers that he can hopefully blitz

Give Arlovski Griggs,it'll either get a win back in the column for andrei,or Strikeforce can over hype another fighter off the back of beating Arlovski.(this brings me perfectly to the first hype job )

I've said Rogers is the most over rated HW out there for ages now.

Ranked highly due to one quick KO over a chinny Arlovski.

Everyone seemed to instantly forget that he struggled to get past Abongo the fight before Arlovski.

He has a list of quick wins over terrible opposition,struggles to get past a much smaller guy in Abongo,then he scores a quick KO of Arlovski and people start talking about him as a top 10 HW
He takes a crazy step up in fighter,(a sacrificial lamb to hype up Fedor for Strikeforce)he does reasonably well against fedor to start with,before getting his head knocked off,gets absolutely humiliated by Reem,then struggles to get past Villereal(just check out Rubens record and you can see how bad he is and Rogers actually lost a rd to him)

Not even a top 20 HW for me.(complete hype job based off one big name win that most HW strikers would KO now)

to be fair to rogers, aa had just KOd two of the guys you ranked as top 10 in the ufc


but I also think he is overrated, 15-20 in talent imo