Unofficial "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva" Awards: Fight of the Night, Gian Villante vs. Chad Griggs

While last Saturday provided a lot of gems for the hardcore mixed martial arts fans, one bout in particular caught the eye of many after it was all said and done with.

New Yorker Gian Villante and Chad Griggs engaged in an exciting back-and-forth battle that saw both men have their moments during the bout, however ultimately the grizzly veteran in “The Grave Digger” was able to properly close out the show when he knocked down the resilient Villante twice before finishing him off with strikes, where referee Yves Lavigne eventually stepped in to call a halt to the bout.

And while the bout lasted for less than three-minutes, it’s safe to say that it secured the evenings superficial and completely unofficial “Fight of the Night” award.

Villante came into the bout last Saturday as a slight favorite over Griggs, who proved his mettle in his Strikeforce debut last August when he defeated Bobby Lashley. Prior to the bout, the former WWE star was poised as one of the next “big things” in the heavyweight division, thanks in large to his collegiate wrestling pedigree and obvious amount of potential.

However Chad put a halt to the hype-train of Lashley last year, and did the same this time around when he weathered an early storm by Gian before planting him with two right hooks that helped him close the show.

The bout wasn’t without of it’s fair share of controversy, as referee Yves Lavigne halted the contest midway through the action when Gian lost his mouth piece during a flurry. In the exchange, the Bellmore Kickboxing Academy product rocked Griggs with successive head kicks before Lavigne stepped in to temporarily halt the contest. Bad timing. Who knows how the bout could have turned out, but regardless, it became most likely the highlight of the night, and everyone in attendance and the fans watching at home were all in for a treat.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the bout? Any other fight in mind do you think should have earned “Fight of the Night” honors? For fanboy value, certainly the Fedor/Silva bout could have taken the cake, but it was more heart breaking then FOTN worthy. Sound off in the comment section below.