Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, OK Saturday, January 12, 2013 Strikeforce Heavyweight Contender Josh Barnett (-1550) Profile: A legend in the sport of MMA and long known as one of the best and most controversial heavyweights in the sport, Josh Barnett (31-6) is a Pancrase champion, a Pride GP semifinalist, a UFC champion and a man who will forever carry the stigma of failing multiple drug tests for PEDs. A mainstay during the Pride era, Barnett has dominated the sport for over a decade with his catch wrestling style used to submit his opponents. He was stripped of his UFC championship despite beating Hall of Famer Randy Couture after testing positive for banned substances and made his most recent title run in Strikeforce, where he would go to the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, only to lose to Daniel Cormier. Strikeforce Heavyweight Contender Nandor Guelmino (+850) Profile: Not much is known about Nandor Guelmino (11-3). The 37-year-old Tae Kwon Do practitioner has had a brief but successful MMA career beginning in 2007 with most of his fights taking place in Europe. Aside from his stand-up, he has demonstrated a solid Jiu-Jitsu skill-set when he’s taken to the ground, able to finish six fights via submission, two off his back. Guelmino is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak, catching the eye of Strikeforce and drawing Barnett as his opponent in the organization’s final card ever. Opening Strikeforce Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Barnett a giant -1550 favorite (bet $1550 to win $100) while Guelmino opened as a +850 underdog (bet $100 to win $850) according to the MMA odds. One of two heavyweight mismatches on the main card, Barnett hopes to state his case for another opportunity in the UFC against a fighter who has never battled an opponent of this caliber in a major organization. About the only thing close to even between these two men is their age, although Barnett still is two years younger than Guelmino despite participating in 23 more fights. There’s not much more to say about this bout other than mentioning that Barnett will likely need to start preparing his retirement papers if he happens to suffer a stunning upset at the hands of Guelmino and kiss his chance of making it back to the UFC goodbye.
