Eight heavyweights. One tournament. Three steps to glory.
Not since the 2006 PRIDE open-weight grand prix have so many top-level heavyweights been in one place. The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that kicks off Saturday at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., could arguably crown the baddest man in the planet.
Two quarterfinal matchups feature a David vs. Goliath matchup (at least on paper) when Fedor Emelianenko (32-2 MMA, 1-1 SF) meets Antonio Silva (15-2 MMA, 2-1 SF), and Andrei Arlovski (15-8 MMA, 0-2 SF) looks for redemption against Sergei Kharitonov (17-4 MMA, 0-0 SF).
Additionally, three heavyweight reserve matchups are on tap for the event's main card: Shane Del Rosario (10-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) vs. Lavar Johnson (15-3 MMA, 3-0 SF), Ray Sefo (2-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) vs. Valentijn Overeem (28-25 MMA, 0-0 SF), Chad Griggs (9-1 MMA, 1-0 SF) vs. Gian Villante (7-1 MMA, 0-0 SF).
Showtime airs the all-heavyweight main card while HDNet airs the preliminary proceedings.
A quick rundown of Saturday's quarterfinal competitors:
Fedor Emelianenko: The heavyweight who needs no introduction. The former PRIDE heavyweight champion held a win streak unparalleled in MMA and for 10 years went virtually unbeaten in professional competition. That streak came to an end this past June when Fabricio Werdum submitted him. He then lay dormant for the remainder of the year as his management, M-1 Global, renegotiated his contract with Strikeforce. Emelianenko made his promotional debut in November 2009 with a second-round TKO victory over Brett Rogers.
Antonio Silva: Nicknamed "Bigfoot," Silva, who suffers from a condition known as acromegaly (or gigantism), is a six-year veteran of the sport who made his first splash on the American MMA scene with a 4-0 run in EliteXC that saw him win the now-defunct promotion's heavyweight title. He shortly afterward found himself in hot water when he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone and was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. He was unsuccessful in appealing the decision he admitted to using an over-the-counter testosterone booster to treat his acromegaly and fought overseas until the term of his one-year suspension expired. He met disappointment in his return to the U.S. when Werdum outpointed him in his Strikeforce debut, which came at the same time of Emelianenko's debut. He rebounded with two consecutive wins over former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski and, most recently, a come-from-behind TKO of Mike Kyle.
Andrei Arlovski: Once the face of the UFC's heavyweight division, Arlovski went on a six-fight win streak in the mid-2000s that saw him win the interim (and later undisputed) heavyweight title and defend it once before back-to-back losses to Tim Sylvia forced him to rebuild his standing. He left the UFC for greener pastures in mid-2008 and racked up wins over Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson. He then hit the most difficult skid of his career: three consecutive losses, which came to Emelianenko, Rogers and Silva.
Sergei Kharitonov: A former training partner of Emelianenko, Kharitonov perked up ears in the 2004 PRIDE heavyweight grand prix with victories over Murilo "Ninja" Rua and Semmy Schilt before losing in the semifinals to former champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Back-to-back losses in 2006 to current Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem and Aleksander Emelianenko put him back to the career drawing board, and after the death of PRIDE, his appearances became more sporadic, and injuries hampered a consistent schedule. He made an unsuccessful run at the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix kickboxing title, though he earned an impressive knockout win over Tatsuya Mizuno in his most recent MMA appearance this past New Year's Eve at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010."
The quarterfinal matchups:
Emelianenko vs. Silva: Betting lines have given little weight to Emelianenko's high-profile setback, and he's a huge favorite going into the bout. In fact, separate betting lines give the fight an increasing improbability of continuing after the first round, and Emelianenko is favored every step of the way. Silva thus finds himself in the position of proving fans and pundits wrong, and he plans to do that by putting Emelianenko on his back and pounding out a TKO win. But he's got to get the Russian there first, and he has to avoid the scythe-like right hand that's bound to come his way as he closes distance. If and when he gets the fight to the ground, Silva must avoid the armbar that Emelianenko has used to submit many an opponent who thought along the lines of the Brazilian. It's a steep uphill battle for the underdog. But if he can cut Emelianenko with an elbow or a punch (and why is there no betting line on that?) things could go his way quickly. Otherwise, the Russian just has too many ways to win.
Arlovski vs. Kharitonov: Betting lines have Kharitonov as a slim favorite, and that's mostly because he's not bearing the same cross as Arlovski. The former UFC champ is coming off three consecutive losses and still is facing critics who say he doesn't have the jaw for combat sports (though that jaw held up just fine in a decision loss to Silva). Kharitonov, though, has fallen short to heavy-handed strikers such as Overeem and Aleksander Emelianenko, and he's just as liable to get caught by Arlovski's fast right hand. That is, of course, if Arlovski can let them go. The former UFC champ's confidence is at an all-time low, and he's often waited for opportunity inside the cage rather than chase it. A loss in the tournament could signal a trip back to the minor leagues or even a major career change. Nevertheless, it's all but certain these two will stand in the pocket initially until one draws first blood. As of now, it's looking better for Kharitonov to be that guy. From there, he easily could take down Arlovski and grind him out, if his punches don't end it first.
In other main-card action, up-and-comer Del Rosario gets his first shot at the big time against fellow prospect Johnson, who battled his way back into MMA this past year after a shooting incident left him fighting for his life. Both fighters have terrorized the competition in regional competition, and both have a laundry list of first-round stoppages. Someone is likely going to sleep soon in this fight, and the winner will be high on the list should one of the tournament competitors fall due to injury.
Additionally, Griggs, who picked up his highest-profile victory to date with a win this past August over former WWE star Bobby Lashley, attempts to build on that momentum against Villante (7-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), an unheralded regional standout who's earned six of his eight professional wins in the first round.
Longtime combat sports veterans Sefo and Valentijn Overeem clash in the first main-card bout of the evening. Overeem, the older brother of Alistair Overeem, attempts to build on two recent knockout wins on the European circuit. He has an ocean of MMA experience on Sefo, a longtime K-1 favorite who transitioned back to MMA in late 2009 after flirting with the sport in 2005. If the fight stays on its feet, it's night-night for Overeem. Otherwise, it will be a string of clinches and takedown attempts from the MMA veteran.
MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov (heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals)Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)Chad Griggs vs. Gian Villante (heavyweight-tournament reserve fight)PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet) John Cholish vs. Marc StevensIgor Gracie vs. John SalgadoDon Carlo-Clauss vs. Sam OropezaJosh LaBerge vs. Anthony LeoneJason McLean vs. Kevin RoddyFor the latest on "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.