Cormier Wins Strikeforce Debut

Whenever Olympic-level grappler Daniel Cormier tied up with Gary Frazier on Friday, Frazier looked helpless. When distance allowed the two to strike, there was plenty of evidence that Cormier has a long, long way to go.

Cormier’s debut was on the undercard of Strikeforce’s Challenger Series event in Tulsa -- capped by Tim Kennedy defeating Zak Cummings in a gift-wrapped bout -- and Cormier paid for his impatience in getting to the ring by committing to film a fairly haphazard debut: wild, looping strikes from both men and long pauses when you could see the wheels turning. It brings questions over how up-and-coming the up-and-comers celebrated on this show should be. Cormier has a wealth of amateur wrestling experience, but only a few months’ worth of cross-training. Wondering whether a fight like that deserves coverage on a major cable station under a major umbrella is like wondering why no one is showing rough cuts of films on pay television.