Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov was a mixed martial arts competition organized by Strikeforce, functioning as the semifinals of the Heavyweight Tournament. The event was broadcast live on Showtime on September 10, 2011, hosted at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.

Background

Several alterations affected the fight lineup and tournament progression. A matchup between Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold was rescheduled from Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson to this event. Originally, Alistair Overeem was slated to compete against Antônio Silva in the semifinal round; however, Overeem withdrew because of a toe injury, resulting in his exit from both the tournament and Strikeforce. His spot was filled by Daniel Cormier.

Gegard Mousasi was planned to face Mike Kyle, but was substituted by Strikeforce debutant Marcos Rogério de Lima. The Mousasi versus Kyle contest eventually took place at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine in January 2013, where Mousasi secured victory via first-round submission.

Due to a foot injury, Josh Thomson pulled out from his scheduled fight against Maximo Blanco, with Pat Healy stepping in as his replacement.

The preliminary bouts were broadcast live on HDNet, marking the final Strikeforce event with prelims shown on that channel; future preliminary fights were moved to Showtime Extreme.

Heavyweight Grand Prix Bracket

** = Replacement

Alternates

Reported Payout

The disclosed fighter earnings submitted to the Ohio Athletic Commission do not include bonuses, sponsorship deals, or deductions.

Luke Rockhold: $50,000 ($25,000 win bonus) defeated Ronaldo Souza: $70,000
Josh Barnett: $150,000 (no win bonus) defeated Sergei Kharitonov: $100,000
Daniel Cormier: $100,000 ($50,000 win bonus) defeated Antonio Silva: $100,000
Muhammed Lawal: $85,000 (no win bonus) defeated Roger Gracie: $80,000
Pat Healy: $17,500 ($5,000 win bonus) defeated Maximo Blanco: $13,000
Rafael Cavalcante: $60,000 ($30,000 win bonus) defeated Yoel Romero: $10,000
Jordan Mein: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus) defeated Evangelista Santos: $20,000
Mike Kyle: $44,000 ($22,000 win bonus) defeated Marcos Rogério de Lima: $5,000
Alexis Davis: $6,000 ($3,000 win bonus) defeated Amanda Nunes: $7,500
Dominique Steele: $5,000 ($3,000 win bonus) defeated Chris Mierzwiak: $3,000

References