Confira, no vídeo abaixo, o que Pettis acha do golpe que lançou sua fama no MMA e os resquícios do WEC na sua vida.

Jacare has new opponent at Strikeforce’s January 12 event. Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images

And now it’s official.

Strikeforce will hold their Jan. 12 event, Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine, and it will be the final event by the company on Showtime, the MMA promotion announced today.

“Since 2009, Showtime has been a great partner and we appreciate its support of Strikeforce and our athletes,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said in the release. “For our final event, we’ve loaded the card with some outstanding fights. This is going to be a memorable night for the sport of mixed martial arts.”

Reports of Strikeforce’s demise began to surface over a month ago, but representatives from Showtime have continued to say MMA will continue on the cable company. Today’s announcement means that Showtime may carry on with the sport, but it will not include Strikeforce.

The Jan. 12 card is finalized with 11 fights, and is headlined by welterweight champion Nate Marquardt defending his title against Tarec Saffiedine. In the co-main event, Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier will face Dion Staring.

One of the previously reported matches, Lorenz Larkin vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, was removed from the card, but the release did not stipulate why. GRACIEMAG.com confirmed with Larkin’s manager, Arnold DeWitt, that the fighter sustained a knee injury in training and won’t be able to return for several weeks.

According to Strikeforce’s official website, Jacare’s new opponent will be Ed Herman.

The final Strikeforce event will take place at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla.

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Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Veteran MMA heavyweight Josh Barnett will compete in what many believe will be Strikeforce’s final show on Jan. 12, according to industry sources.

The fighter formerly known as “The Babyface Assassin” will meet relatively unknown Austrian heavyweight Nandor Guelmino, and the two are expected to fight on the evening’s main card.

Barnett (31-6) hasn’t competed since dropping a one-sided fight to Daniel Cormier at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix final in May. Prior to that fight, however, Barnett won several consecutive bouts, including tournament wins over veteran Sergei Kharitonov and former Strikeforce heavyweight title contender Brett Rogers.

The event named Strikeforce: Champions at one time was announced to feature three title fights. A recent flash of injuries, however, have changed the card’s fate several times over.

Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez was scheduled to defend his title against Pat Healy, but had to withdraw after aggravating and old injury, one that forced him out of a  fight with the same opponent months prior. Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was going to defend his title against Lorenz Larkin, but he also sustained an injury that forced him off the card.

As of now, there are no plans for Strikeforce to continue doing shows after the Jan. 12 card, and many anticipate these and a few other fighters to make the transition to the UFC. It is unknown at this time if Barnett, who’s had a rough relationship with the UFC in the past, will be part of that migration.

MMAjunkie.com first reported Barnett’s scheduled appearance on the upcoming Strikeforce card.

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Daniel Cormier, oponente de Barnett no GP do Strikeforce, não deve ficar desempregado. Foto: Esther Lin.

O anúncio do fim da categoria dos pesos pesados no Strikeforce, na última quinta-feira, deixou alguns lutadores órfãos. Nomes como Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Shane Del Rosário, Sergei Kharitonov, além de Fedor Emelianenko, sem contrato, por enquanto estão sem um grande evento para lutarem nos EUA.

Outros, como Josh Barnett e Daniel Cormier, que disputam a final do GP dos pesos pesados, em março, estão cotados para engrossarem o caldo da divisão dos pesados no Ultimate – caminho que tomou, por exemplo, Fabricio Werdum.

Segundo os cartolas, o término da categoria se deveu à falta de lutadores talentosos entre os mais pesados. O UFC comprou o Strikeforce em março e já renovou contrato com o canal de televisão Showtime, que vai transmitir oito etapas do evento em 2012.

E você leitor, o que achou da extinção da categoria dos pesados? E quais lutadores merecem ir para o UFC? Veja a galeria dos pesos pesados que atuavam pelo Strikeforce:

Herschel Walker

Bryan Humes

Shawn Jordan

Devin Cole

Daniel Comier

Shane Del Rosário

Josh Barnett

Antonio Pezão

Gabriel Salinas-Jones

Mike Kyle

Fabricio werdum

Lavar Jonhson

Chad Griggs

Sergei Kharitonov

Daniel Cormier, Barnett's opponent in Strikeforce GP final, won't likely go unemployed. Photo: Esther Lin.

The demise of the Strikeforce heavyweight division, announced last Thursday, has left a number of fighters orphans. Names like Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Shane del Rosário, Sergei Kharitonov, not to mention Fedor Emelianko are all contract-less and without a major event to fight at in the USA.

Others, like Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier—the finalists in the heavyweight GP final next March—, are tipped to bolster the UFC heavyweight fray, a route already taken by Fabrício Werdum, for example.

According to promotional upper management, the dissolution of the division comes down to the dearth of top heavyweight talent. The UFC purchased Strikeforce last March and renewed the promotion’s contract with Showtime cable-television channel, which will broadcast eight shows in 2012.

What do you think about the end of Strikeforce’s heavyweight division, dear reader? And who are the fighters deserving of a chance at fighting in the UFC? Check out a list of the fighters on the Strikeforce heavyweight roster:

Herschel Walker

Bryan Humes

Shawn Jordan

Devin Cole

Daniel Comier

Shane Del Rosário

Josh Barnett

Antonio Pezão

Gabriel Salinas-Jones

Mike Kyle

Fabricio werdum

Lavar Johnson

Chad Griggs

Sergei Kharitonov

Prize packs, some of which will also include Strikeforce and/or Rockstar apparel, Rockstar canned beverages and a backstage tour at Scottrade Center during the event, will be awarded each day to a pre-disclosed number of winners who provide a codeword to a designated Strikeforce or Rockstar representative stationed at a specific post in St. Louis at a particular time that day.
Information, including codeword and prizes at stake for each day’s hunt will be posted daily at 8 am CT, beginning Monday, with a follow-up post in the afternoon or evening, containing additional information, online at Strikeforce’s official website, on Strikeforce’s Twitter page, and on Strikeforce’s Facebook page.
In the main event of a stacked card on Strikeforce’s return to Scottrade Center, MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) of Temecula, California, faces former Strikeforce light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Brazil in a rematch between world-class 205-pounders, to be broadcast live on SHOWTIME®.

AKA-trained former bodybuilder ready to take on Ribeiro. Photo: Publicity.

Jackson, Mississippi (Nov. 16, 2010) – Feeling like he wasn’t getting the competition he craved, former college wrestler turned competitive bodybuilder Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox decided to give Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) a try five years ago. He’s been hooked ever since.

Now, Wilcox finds himself in the biggest fight of his career, taking on lightweight (155 pounds) star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro in the headlining fight of a Strikeforce Challengers event on Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi, Live on Showtime® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

Wilcox (9-3), a 31-year-old former NCAA wrestling star, has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March 26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at Strikeforce Challengers in Fresno, California, the city where his family currently resides.

A member of San Jose, Calif.’s Team AKA, one of the most fearsome fight teams in the world that also plays home to Strikeforce superstars Josh Thomson and Cung Le, Wilcox wrestled for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and is from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Wilcox recently fielded six questions from Strikeforce’s director of communications, Mike Afromowitz:

What do you think about Vitor Ribeiro? He thought he beat Lyle Beerbohm (he lost a split decision May 15) in his last fight. What did you think?

I think it could have gone either way. I think he looked good. I know he’s a four-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion and he’s 20-4. I’m not underestimating him in the least. I know people think there won’t be a lot of striking; that we’re both going to want to get it to the ground. Wherever he wants to take it is fine by me. I have faith in my ground game and I’m working with Dave Camarillo at AKA, just an incredible Jiu-Jitsu coach.

What’s it like training at the AKA gym in San Jose?

It’s been awesome. It’s one of the top gyms in the world. I don’t see myself training anywhere else. Going into my fights I don’t get too nervous because I’m training against such high-level guys and some world champions. The gym is so complete. You don’t have to travel to get high-level boxing or high-level wrestling. It’s all right there. That’s why I love it so much.

Who’s the toughest guy you ever fought?

Each opponent has had his strong points. They’ve all been tough. I don’t take any of them lightly. If I had to pick one I would say the (Daisuke) Nakamura fight (which Wilcox won by unanimous decision on Dec. 19, 2009). I had to take the fight on two weeks notice. He was such a high-level opponent.

In your first professional fight in 2006 you beat Bobby Voelker, another Cincinnati fighter (who scored a major victory over previously undefeated Roger Bowling last Oct. 22 on Strikeforce Challengers on Showtime). Does that seem like a long time ago?

That was also a tough one. I was just a wrestler back then. Everything he could throw at me he did. People after that fight were like, ‘Wow, wait till you get that chin.’ I don’t know. I just want to keep moving forward. That was my first fight. Bobby’s had some success recently with Strikeforce which is great. We’re kind of on the same path. He’s a great kid. I like Bobby a lot.

Is there any opponent you’d like to face? Where do you see yourself in the sport in a year?

I see myself wearing that belt. Each fight is one step closer to that belt. That’s what I see myself going after and being a world champion. Whoever they put in front of me is fine. Whoever has the belt at the time is who I want to fight and who I want to beat.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

I just really like to hang out with my three-year-old daughter Natalie and being with my family. I’m up here in San Jose training and they are down in Fresno so I go down on weekends and see them a lot. Just being with my little girl and my wife Leslie is what makes me happy. Just hanging out and spending time with the family.

Photos: Esther Lin / Strikeforce

Shane Del Rosario (white & black trunks) scored a first round TKO (strikes) over Lolohea Mahe in the first round of the Strikeforce Challengers main event, Friday on Showtime from Comcast Arena at Everett in Everett, Wash.

Undefeated Sarah Kaufman (yellow) defended her  women’s welterweight world title with an impressive third round body slam knockout of Roxanne Modafferi in Friday’s co-main event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGVx2bpH0to

Bobby Voelker (white) shocked the crowd and local favorite Cory Devela with a hard-fought, split decision victory.

Mike Kyle (black) submitted previously once-beaten Abongo Humphrey (red) with a rear naked choke in the second round of their light heavyweight match.

Fan favorite Caros Fodor (white trunks) defeated Thomas Diagne via unanimous decision in the opening fight of the Challengers telecast.

Friday’s fights will re-air in the United States on Tuesday, July 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHO 2 and will be available On Demand from July 26 until August 8.

Complete STRIKEFORCE Challengers Results:

Shane Del Rosario def. Lolohea Mahe – TKO (strikes) – Round 1 (3:48)

Sarah Kaufman def. Roxanne Modafferi – KO (body slam) – Round 3 (4:45)

Bobby Voelker def. Cory Devela – Split Decision – 29-28 Devela, 29-28
Voelker, 29-28 Voelker

Mike Kyle def. Abongo Humphrey – Submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2
(3:28)

Caros Fodor def. Thomas Diagne – Unanimous Decision (30-27, three times)

Preliminary Card:

Brent “Mankill” Knopp def. Ryan Hayes – TKO (punches) – Round 2 (:55)

CJ March def. Taurean “Black” Washington – Unanimous Decision

Drew “The Eternal Fire” Brokenshire def. Jordan Macklin – Submission
(Guillotine choke) – Round 1 (2:26)

“Psycho” Scott McDonald  def. Doug Kay – Submission – Round 1 (2:09)

Brewster The Rooster” Inman def. Quincy Spruill – Submission – Round 1
(3:57)

Jamen “Chainsaw” Olney def. Jordan Currie – Unanimous Decision

John Elam def. Frankie Orr – Split Decision

Wendel Horton def. Keith Mortuiccio – TKO (1:43)

Roger hits the mitts. Photo: Carlos Ozorio

Two-time absolute world champion of Jiu-Jitsu Roger Gracie could finally make his Strikeforce debut. According to MMAJunkie, he may appear on the card set for May 15 in St Louis, Missouri, to be broadcast live on Showtime.

Roger’s opponent hasn’t yet been named, but it is speculated that Kevin Randleman and Rameau Sokodjou, two veterans of the Pride and UFC events, are on the cards.

Despite his limited MMA experience, Roger won both his outings using pure Jiu-Jitsu. He submitted both Ron Waterman and Yuki Kondo while still in the first round.

On the same day Alistair Overeem is expected to face Brett Rogers and Antonio “Pezao” Silva is set to fight Andrei Arlovski.