Heavy Wait Part 9: What Sergei Kharitonov Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Welcome back fans and friends to another edition of “Heavy Wait”. My little “maxi-series” focusing on the upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix will soon be entering double digits, but not before we focus on Sergei Kharitonov. As before, today’s entry will look at what Sergei has to do in order to beat all seven of his possible opponents. While Kharitonov does seem to be the darkest “dark horse” of the tournament, as the saying goes, anything is possible in MMA. So let’s dive right into “Heavy Wait Part 9: What Sergei Kharitonov Has To Do In Order To Win It All”.

As always, today’s entry will follow a restructured “Top 5” format.

Fedor Emelianenko: Sergei’s best chance against Fedor is standing up, on the ground Fedor is too controlling. The key here is finding out what Fedor does and doing the opposite. If Fedor wants to get into a striking exchange, Sergei should fight defensively and counter-strike. If Fedor wants to pick his shots, Sergei should try to lure Fedor into striking exchanges. By forcing Emelianenko to constantly change his gameplan while attacking “The Last Emperor” throughout with hard and smartly-timed shots, Sergei just might have it in him to beat Emelianenko.

Antonio Silva: Sergei has fought giants before, so he’s definitely got some experience fighting an athlete like Silva. Kharitonov may have the best shot at finishing the fight if he takes Silva down and starts hunting for a ligament. Don’t forget, Kharitonov has as many wins by submission as he does by (T)KO, and he’s submitted some big giants. If Sergei can work his way into mount, he may be able to finish Silva with some brutal ground and pound, and if he can’t, he should work for an armbar.

Alistair Overeem: Even though Sergei is a very credible threat standing up, Overeem is just too good on his feet. He hits too hard, his precision and technique is too good, and he requires virtually no room to throw a KO strike, whether it be a knee or a fist. It’ll definitely be a hard-fought war on the ground that Kharitonov may or may not win, but even that is better than a one-sided thrashing, which Sergei will more than likely receive if he tries to beat Overeem standing up.

Fabricio Werdum: Werdum will inevitably shoot for a takedown, and when that happens, Sergei needs to make him pay. The key here will be to block the takedown and then grapple with Werdum very briefly in order to set up a dirty-boxing exchange. Sergei should avoid the leg kick as well: if he wants to use his legs, he needs to either utilize the high kick or attempt to knee Werdum in the face while they exchange in the pocket. Sergei’s best bet is to grind away with Werdum and look for a lucky shot, because even if it doesn’t come, Sergei could win on points alone so long as he makes Werdum play his game and doesn’t get lured into playing Werdum’s.

Andrei Arlovski: Sergei is going to need room to strike, because Arlovski’s chin held up to Antonio Silva’s fists when Silva attacked from short range. Sergei needs to try and constantly create distance, but he should also try hard not to telegraph his punches. It’s all about finding the sweet spot and catching Arlovski at the right time, with the right strike, utilizing the right momentum. Sergei needs to pick his shots, but the second an opportunity presents itself, he should let loose full-force and look for the stoppage.

Josh Barnett: Sergei needs to counteract Barnett’s brawling style by focusing on tact rather than brawling right back. If Sergei picks his shots, he probably will lose a few stand-up encounters but stands a better chance at landing that one big shot right on the sweet spot. If Sergei lures Barnett into thinking he’s winning, eventually Sergei can clip Barnett with the shot that matters most, and then follow it up for the TKO.

Brett Rogers: Sergei needs to dig in and brawl with Rogers for several reasons. For one, Sergei’s chin is very tough and should hold up to repeated blows in the pocket. Second, Rogers punches hard period, but he punches hardest when he has room to throw. If Sergei forces Rogers to dirty-box, he may end up getting the better of him. In particular, Sergei should look to stuff Rogers against the cage, and when Rogers attempts to shove Sergei off of him, Sergei should look for the counter-KO.

And that’s the end to part 9, fans and friends. But what do you think? What does Sergei Kharitonov need to do in order to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix?