Is there really much at stake in Strikeforce fight cards in 2012? There's certainly something up for grabs. The fighters are prominent enough as is the stage. More often than not, though, the relevancy of the action in today's Strikeforce exists closer to the margins of the fight game, not the center.
There are carved out spaces Strikeforce has held onto that still matter to the larger mixed martial arts world. Mercifully, many of them that escaped UFC gerrymandering are on display tonight. There is a very important heavyweight bout, a top-tier lightweight defending his title and a few others notable figures plying their trade. All of that is worth underscoring and appreciating.
Yet, Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier can't help but be compared to the state of Strikeforce at the beginning of the heavyweight grand prix. Tonight's event and the tournament opener from February of 2011 serve as book ends in the study of Strikeforce's diminished state. This evening and the beginning of the grand prix are supposed to be married in the minds of fight fans as a reminder of the stature and significance of both the moment and what brought us to our present position. I cannot speak for the MMA fan base, but the opening of this heavyweight tournament feels much more like a disconnected footnote in prize fighting history.
There's plenty on the line this evening, particularly in the main and co-main events. We should not lose sight of that. Relative to what could've been or what sixteen months ago Strikeforce was placing at stake and on display, though, it's hard to not notice the difference.
