Gracie: Canseco and Strikeforce CEO Coker meet to discuss potential MMA future
Despite several reports to the contrary, it appears Strikeforce is at least giving Jose Canseco (0-1) the time of day.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and Canseco gathered today in a San Jose, Calif.-area restaurant along with esteemed trainer Cesar Gracie to discuss the possibility of the former baseball star fighting for Strikeforce, according to Gracie, who spoke with MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) Friday before the group met.
After pictures surfaced Thursday of Canseco palling around with Gracie and Diaz brothers Nick and Nate, Gracie confirmed he had worked with the former baseball star and was impressed.
"Jose says baseball's better than football, Gracie jiu-jitsu is better than AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) and he's better than Herschel (Walker)," Gracie said. "Three strikes and you're out.
"People will be amazed what kind of shape this guy is in. He throws a head kick like Cung Le."
There's no doubt Canseco is fighting an uphill battle with mixed martial arts fans.
The former baseball star and controversial figure drew ample ridicule for his mixed martial arts debut this past May when he fought 7-foot-2 giant Hong Man Choi and tapped out to punches in just 77 seconds.
Canseco made headlines again this past week when he called out Walker after the former NFL running back made his MMA debut in January at "Strikeforce: Miami."
"I guess I may have to show Herschel Walker who the real bad boy of the sports industry is," Canseco wrote on his Twitter feed. "If the powers that be are reading, I want in."
Walker responded in kind shortly thereafter in a radio interview with "The Bob and Dan Show" on Dallas radio station 1310AM.
"Jose wants to do this for money," Walker said. "My thing is, if he wants to fight me and he thinks it's going to be a circus, I will hurt him. This is not a joke, I will hurt him, because I don't do things as a joke. I don't do this as entertainment.
"If we go out and play a flag football game, that's entertainment. We're having fun. But this MMA fighting, is real. You can get hurt, and he doesn't understand it. I do this as an MMA fighter, not as a joke."
Gracie's enthusiasm apparently is not shared by the rest of the Strikeforce organization.
Another freak show
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