Paul Buentello Reportedly Leaves Strikeforce, Heading To The UFC

posted by J. Andrew Yount

According to a report from Sherdog.com, former UFC heavyweight number one contender Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello has been released from Strikeforce and is working on a deal that would see him return to the UFC. Buentello carries a 3-1 UFC record on his resume with the only loss coming by way of knockout to then champion Andrei Arlovski.

Buentello had been scheduled to fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia who was pulled from the card in favor of Gilbert Yvel after Sylvia suffered a knockout loss to Ray Mercer the month before.

Buentello signed with Strikeforce after Affliction folded but was unable to secure a deal that met both sides' needs. Buentello had been scheduled to fight on the third Affliction card back in July but that didn't come to fruition when Affliction closed its doors.

As a guest on "Inside MMA," Buentello said he was hoping to be the fighter named to replace former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett against Fedor Emelianenko after Barnett wasn't cleared to fight in California due to a positive steroid test. After several fighters were contacted to replace Barnett, Affliction decided that it was best if they canceled the event with no time to promote such an important fight. Days later, Affliction announced they were done promoting MMA events and had agreed to a deal with the UFC that would allow them to once again sponsor fighters in the Octagon.

“We offered Paul a six-figure contract to fight Fedor [Emelianenko], but he turned it down,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told Sherdog.com. “His decision is understandable considering Fedor’s level of skill but, at the same time, Paul didn’t really fit into our plans. He’s been a solid journeyman fighter and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Buentello, who carries a career record of 25-10, last fought in January, where he won a hard fought victory over Kirill Sidelnikov by way of doctor stoppage in the third round. Since leaving the UFC after "UFC 57," he has posted an impressive 5-1 record including wins over Tank Abbott and Gary Goodridge with the only loss coming from current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Allistair Overeem.

“I’ve never been one to get involved in the politics of the sport,” Buentello wrote to Sherdog.com in an e-mail response to Coker's statements. “I have made as little as $1 to fight the UFC champion and been paid as much as six figures to fight an up-and-coming fighter. I’m not insulted at being regarded as a journeyman fighter either since I started my career as one. Training in my garage with no training partners, I started off with a handful of losses. I always wondered what I could do given the chance to train full time, and through a lot of sacrifices and sponsors that took a shot on me, I’m happy with the result. I’ve lost two times in six years with those loses coming to champions. Am I a gatekeeper or a journeyman? Well, if I’m a gatekeeper, any organization I compete in is going to have a thin heavyweight division. I’ve never claimed to be the best in the sport. But to say I turned down Fedor because of his skill level is a slap in the face.”

A UFC return would inject another dose of talent into a once thin heavyweight division. It would instantly add another contender to their ranks and add another imposing figure create some possible matchups with the likes of Cheick Kongo, Heath Herring, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Frank Mir.

A native of Amarillo, Texas, "The Headhunter" has won 17 of his 25 career wins by knockout.

Posted at 09-11-2009
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