With Challengers 13 Fighters Like St. Preux, Woodley, Cormier, and Nunes, Strikeforce Is Starting To Build From The Ground Up

Well-financed, upstart MMA organizations tend to chase the UFC by trying to lure established stars with wads of money.  Ask EliteXC, who had more problems than just that, and Affliction.  They’ll both tell you that method doesn’t work.  Thankfully, Strikeforce has been different since day one.  CEO Scott Coker and the gang started off as a San Jose regional show, mostly bringing in names from that area.  Then, of course, came the Showtime and CBS deals, which led to some of that big name fighter luring- Fedor Emelianenko, anyone?  But after watching Friday night’s Strikeforce Challengers 13 event, it became obvious that they have some pretty impressive up and coming talent.  Tyron Woodley, Daniel Cormier, Ovince St. Preux, and Amanda Nunes, for example.  

A few years from now, if Strikeforce is able to keep most of these fighters, watch out; they may actually begin to truly rival the UFC.  Regardless, here’s a little something on why Strikeforce should be stoked about building from the ground up with each of them.

Tyron Woodley: Right now, Woodley is 8-0.  His last three fights have come against tough fighters like Nathan Coy (decision victory), Andre Galvao (KO), and Tarec Saffiedine (decision).  Though two of those decisions weren’t exactly dominant performances, he still has the pedigree to be a great MMA fighter.  Woodley has an excellent wrestling background, having finished his high school wrestling career with a 48-0 season and state title.  He also was also an All American at Missouri and the first Big XII wrestling champion in school history. The fact that Pat Miletich believes he’s the best athlete in MMA only serves to reinforce the notion that he’s an up and comer worth mentioning.

Daniel Cormier: Cormier, a heavyweight, also holds an undefeated MMA record at 7-0.  And if you want to talk wrestling background, he’s the guy to start with.  We’re talking about a high school All American and state champion in wrestling from Louisiana, who was also an All State football player.  After high school, Cormier cleaned up at Colby Community College, where he became a two time junior college national champion.  This led to Oklahoma State University, where he was an NCAA runner-up.  Usually, that’s where the accolades end for wrestlers turned mixed martial artists.  Not for Cormier, though.  Since graduation, he was on the last five United States world wrestling teams and was a member of the 2004 and 2008 Olympic wrestling teams.  He was named captain of the Olympic team in 2008, but kidney failure kept him from competing.  Finally, Cormier was also a champion in the Real Pro Wrestling League.

So the fact that this AKA fighter has also looked good on his feet in recent fights tells you something.  He’s got everything he needs to become one of the best in the sport.

Ovince St. Preux: St. Preux was a standout high school wrestler.  We’re also talking about a former high level college football player at the University of Tennessee. 

With St. Preux, it’s not about his record (10-4), nor necessarily his fighting background.  Rather, it’s about potential.  St. Preux’s speed, power, and explosiveness are just amazing.  His heart is also something to be impressed by, having won three fights in less than two months against the likes of Antwain Britt, Benji Radach, and Abongo Humphrey.

Amanda Nunes: Nunes lost her first MMA fight to Ana Maria by submission.  Since then, she’s taken six in a row by (T)KO.  Her aggressive nature hasn’t allowed her to see round three yet in a fight.  Speaking of fights, in her last one against Julia Budd, Nunes looked like the kind of striker that might give Cris “Cyborg” Santos some trouble.   

In the end, these aren’t the only up and coming fighters Strikeforce has.  Depending on your vantage, even fighters like Mo Lawal and Rafael Feijao might be considered up and coming.  Regardless, with Strikeforce Challengers 13 competitors like Cormier, Woodley, St. Preux, and Nunes on their roster, the organization definitely has a future building from the ground up.