It appears that the undefeated Strikeforce Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier will be fighting under the Strikeforce banner one last time as well as the man he just beat in the finals the impressive grappling specialist Josh Barnett. Their opponents at this time are unknown but the news shows that both are likely to make their way to the UFC octagon with a win.

It was long known that the winner of the Grand Prix would be granted another shot under Zuffa and possibly in the UFC as the Strikeforce heavyweight roster has been combined with the UFC. Many had speculations to whether or not Barnett would be granted a chance to fight under Zuffa again as UFC president Dana White once stated that the submission artist would never fight in the UFC again, but that doesn't seem to be the current thought process as he can add some much needed depth to the division.

Cormier, who wasn't in the tournament to began with, made a statement with a quick first round knockout over Antonio "Big Foot" Silva when he replaced the former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem in the simi-finals of the tournament. After that Cormier further showed of his improved striking game as he dominated Josh Barnett winning a clear unanimous decision improving his MMA record to 10-0.

Barnett was on an eight fight win streak before losing to Cormier in the finals with dominant tournament wins over knockout puncher Brett Rogers and notable striker Sergei Kharitonov. Now getting another shot to prove himself under the Zuffa banner Barnett will be looking to make a statement in his return to the Strikeforce cage.

It will be interesting to see who the great mind of Sean Shelby will bring in to compete against the two top 15 heavyweight fighters as they are on the cusps of a chance for a UFC bout. For more information on this and other news, updates, and rumors stay connected with www.MMAMATRIX.com.

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