The rampant injury bug that has decimated the UFC roster and caused entire fight cards to be reshuffled has made its way over to Strikeforce.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was set to battle reigning Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier on November 3 in a bout that would have put the winner close to the front of the line for a UFC tile shot. However, MMAWeekely has reported that Mir sustained an injury during training and was forced to pull out of his main event bout with Cormier.
It is still unclear whether the organization will try to salvage the main event by finding a replacement or if they will simply promote the co-main event between Luke Rockhold and Lorenz Larkin as the feature bout. In any case, this development is the worst case scenario for Daniel Cormier who has an undefeated record of 10-0 and is arguably one of the more recognizable mixed martial artists outside of the UFC, after his impressive performances in the Strikeforce Grand Prix.
If the organization decides to keep Cormier on the sidelines until Mir recovers it will put a definite damper on his momentum. Realistically, the decision makers over at Strikeforce should recognize that they must capitalize on Cormier’s current name value and find another worthy opponent for him within the next week. Otherwise, they risk losing Cormier’s marketability as a potential threat to the UFC heavyweight ranks.
As always, keep it locked on WGTC for all your UFC and MMA news.