Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu” was a Christmas treat come early. Fans were treated to not one, not two, not even three, but four straight (T)KO victories, at least two of which will probably stay on their respective fighter’s highlight reels for the rest of their career. I was proud to be a Strikeforce fan on December 4, and I absolutely can’t wait to see what’s next for the promotion. In that vein, here’s the latest “What’s Next” featuring Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu 2”. ...

What a way to end the year! Strikeforce “Henderson vs. Babalu” is now a thing of the past, and trust me fans and friends, this is the event that everyone should have seen. Does it get much better than four straight, dramatic finishes featuring some of the best talent Strikeforce has to offer? In the main event, Dan Henderson firmly set himself up for a big comeback by KO’ing former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Renato Sobral. Without a doubt, Strikeforce ended 2010 with a roar and not a whimper. Here are the full results to Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu”. ...

Today, all but one of the competitors competing under the Strikeforce banner for tomorrow's event, made the required weight limit for their respective bouts. Headliner's Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral were green lighted for the event when the two light heavyweights came in under the required 205-pound limit. Strikeforce debutant Paul Daley successfully made the 170-pound limit, which in the past he has notoriously struggled with weighty issues however came in at 169 pounds for the welterweight contest. And Scott Smith, who spent nearly his entire career as a middleweight, easily made the transition to the welterweight class when he came in at 170-pounds on the nose. ...

When Robbie Lawler is tasked with fighting another standup specialist, he usually works his way to a knockout win with his own world class fists as he did against Melvin Manhoef.  When tasked with facing a wrestling or multi level skilled fighter he has struggled in comparison, as witnessed in his loses to Renato Sobral and Jake Shields.  His opponent Saturday night in St. Louis on the Strikeforce card falls in the latter category.  Matt Lindland has Olympic level wrestling in his tool box and has Lawler ready to fight on his feet or off his back. “I don’t know how he thinks it is going to be but I have been working on my skills, my wrestling and I have been working on everything.  I think you have to ask Matt how easy he thinks it will be. I think he thinks it will be tough and it will be.” ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another edition of “Crash Course”. For those unaware, “Crash Course” is an ongoing series where I take an upcoming MMA event and give a quick rundown on why you should care about it. The goal of “Crash Course” is pretty simple: by the time you’re done reading you should know everything you need to know in order to fully enjoy some good, upcoming MMA action. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, which focuses on the upcoming Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu 2” event. ...

Who hasn’t Matt Lindland fought in the cage?  His career fight bio is a list of MMA 1.0 and 2.0 greats from Pat Miletich to Ricardo Almeida, to Fedor Emelianenko and Vitor Belfort.  Now 40, and seeking one more title belt run, he has his hands full with one of the biggest punchers in the game in Robbie Lawler in the Strikeforce cage come Saturday night in St. Louis. ...

Strikeforce will look to end its remarkable 2010 run with the upcoming December 4 “Henderson vs. Babalu” event. Featuring the return of multi-promotion star and veteran Dan Henderson, as well as the return of former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Renato Sobral, the event will compete head-to-head with the UFC’s outing on December 4, their “Ultimate Finale” event for the twelfth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. As is customary for a big card, here are my official picks and predictions for Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu”. ...

What an interesting career it’s been for Matt Lindland. 2011 will be Lindland’s fourteenth year spent competing as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. He’s traveled the world and fought fighters the likes of Vitor Belfort, Quinton Jackson, and even the one and only Fedor Emelianenko. He’s a UFC, WFA, Strikeforce, IFL, and Affliction veteran. And Lindland’s chief goal in 2011 is to capture the one thing that has eluded him throughout his long career: championship gold. He’ll have to get through Robbie Lawler in order to start the build towards contender status, but according to a recent interview, Lindland is more than up for the challenge. ...

The world’s #2 MMA promotion looks to end the year in a big way when Strikeforce holds its upcoming “Henderson vs. Babalu 2” event, scheduled to take place December 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. While all eyes are obviously on the main event, which sees PRIDE FC legend Dan Henderson face former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Renato Sobral, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently commented that two of the other main card bouts will most likely have serious championship implications: a Middleweight showdown between Matt Lindland and Robbie Lawler, and the fight that will see the Strikeforce debut of controversial striker and UFC exile Paul Daley, who will meet heavy-handed "Comeback King" Scott Smith. Here are my thoughts on both these match-ups, which look to impress. ...

Dec. 4 in St. Louis will hold a lot of implications for four men. The main event of the evening on said card will feature a special attraction pitting legends and former champions Dan Henderson and Renato "Babalu" Sobral against one another. While this bout has already been promised an immediate title shot against current light heavyweight kingpin Rafael Cavalcante (who defeated Muhammed Lawal last August for the promotion's title), two more title shots may be waiting on the wings for two men. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently revealed that the winners of Robbie Lawler/Matt Lindland and Paul Daley/Scott Smith could be in line for a title shot in their respective weight classes. ...

For someone who once approached the upcoming video game “EA Sports MMA” with an incredible amount of hesitation, now more and more I’m thinking that October 19 can’t get here soon enough. In order to generate interest and encourage fans to open their wallets and put down a pre-order, EA Sports is revealing the entire roster of the game on a week-by-week, division-by-division basis. The Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight roster has already been revealed, and recently the Middleweights took center stage. EA Sports also recently revealed a teaser image of a famous venue that has yet to see a Mixed Martial Arts event. ...

Former UFC light heavyweight champion and current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort will be returning to action in November, but against who--who knows. The news, which was highlighted previously on Fighters.com , where according to Vitor himself on Twitter, “this year I am not going to fight for the title because the champion (UFC Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva) is hurt but November we will be in action for sure that is what I can say.” ...

With Strikeforce: “Houston” now a done deal, the San Jose, California-based promotion is once more looking to the future. Their next event will take place live on the Showtime network on October 9, and will be held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The venue is traditionally where Strikeforce brings all of its big events, much in the same way that the Ultimate Fighting Championship books big shows in the Mandalay Bay Events Center, and the HP Pavilion was even the home of the very first Strikeforce card ever put on. So Strikeforce fans should be treated to a good event, and some of the headline bouts have already been confirmed. Both the male and female Strikeforce Welterweight Championships will be on the line, as the controversial Nick Diaz and the energetic Sarah Kaufman are set to headline the card. Here’s what’s known about the as-yet-unnamed event so far. ...

Tonight we finally get to see a fight many have waited for since June of 2009 when "Sugar" Rashad Evans (14-1-1) takes on "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (28-7) in the main event at UFC 114. ...

Fighters.com seventh-ranked middleweight Chael Sonnen (24-10-1) has announced that he is running for Oregon State Representative. I love the fact that he is looking to venture into politics. This could lead to some positive press for the sport of mixed martial arts, if only he was not hiding the fact that he fights. ...

Strikeforce middleweight "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza (9-2) climbed a rung to to number eight in December with a first-round submission of “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-7) at Evolution in San Jose December 19. ...

Light heavyweight prospect “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (4-0), DREAM veteran middleweight “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (8-2), and UFC veteran middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-6) are set for Strikeforce Evolution in San Jose December 19, Strikeforce has announced. ...

Heavyweights Josh Queen (2-1) and Mike Hayes (6-2-1) and featherweights "Animal" Enoch Wilson (11-6-1) and "Brooklyn Night" Chanti Johnson (4-0) will duke it out for titles at Sportfight 26 at Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde, Oregon 2 October.

Queen is 2-0 in "The Law" Matt Lindland's (21-6) Sportfight promotion, but enters his first title fight after suffering a 12-second TKO to Matt Kovacs (2-4) at Professional Fighting Association in Couer d'Alene 27 March.

Hayes will make his Sportfight debut challenging for the heavyweight title. He TKO'd Daniel Krug (0-1) at CageSport in Tacoma 25 July.
...

Sportfight 26 will occur Friday, 2 October, UFC vet "The Law" Matt Lindland (21-6) told Fighters.com this afternoon. Sportfight is Lindland's Oregon-based promotion which has featured former UFC lightweight champion "Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk (33-4-1), UFC middleweights Chael Sonnen (22-10-1), "Crippler" Chris Leben (18-6), and "Short Fuse" Ed Herman (15-7), heavyweight "Snowman" Jeff Monson (27-8), DREAM lightweight "JZ" Gesias Cavalcante (12-2-1), and Sengoku lightweight "Lion" Ryan Schultz (20-11-1). Lindland's promotion debuted in 2004. Sportfight 25 Wildcard took place at Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde, Oregon last April. Matchups for Sportfight 26 will be announced soon. ...

New Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion “Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-8) has been pulled from his bout with middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5) at Affliction: Day of Reckoning 24 January in Anaheim, according to MMA Weekly Monday. Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio made the decision to match Lindland against fellow middleweight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (16-8), rather than have the fight with Sobral at a catchweight between 190-195 pounds. Sobral defeated Bobby Southworth (9-5) over a week ago via TKO due to a cut to win the light heavyweight title. Sobral’s agent Richard Wilner told Five Ounces of Pain that “Babalu” is still expected to fight on the card. Lindland last fought at Affliction: Banned in July, defeating “Negao” Fabio Nascimento (16-8) via unanimous decision. Belfort’s most recent fight was also at Banned.  He KO’d Terry Martin (18-6) in round two. ...

Fighters.com's sixth-ranked light heavyweight "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-6-0) will teach striking techniques for MMA at a three-hour American Top Team-hosted training seminar in Cocount Creek, north of Miami, 7 December. Liddell's lead trainer at The Pit in San Luis Obispo, John Hackleman, will join Liddell. ...

Six more bouts were made official Monday for Affliction Day of Reckoning 24 January in Anaheim. “Babalu” Renato Sobral (29-8) will fight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5). “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) will fight “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3). “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (26-9) will face “Baby Fedor” Kiril Sidelnikov (3-1). “Machine” Mark Hominick (14-7) will face LC Davis (9-1). “Thorobred” Jay Hieron (13-4) will fight Jason High (6-0). Albert Rios (6-2) will face “Tigre” Antonio Duarte (7-1). Brett Cooper will also fight, although no opponent was named. ...

Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion and WAMMA Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) and third-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-5) will headline Affliction: Day of Reckoning, which will take place 24 January at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, the organization confirmed on their official website. Emelianenko versus Arlovski had been reported previously, as well as the date of the event, but Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio last week would confirm neither the main event, the date, nor the venue for their second show. Other fighters on the card are sixth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (23-5), “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3), “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), “Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-7), “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8), “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5), and the IFL’s Jay Hieron (16-4) and Chris Horodecki (12-1). The match-ups have not yet been announced. ...

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio announced Thursday in New York City that both Fighters.com's third-ranked heavyweight "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (14-5) and sixth-ranked "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (23-5) are being considered as opponents for Heavyweight Champion "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) at Affliction's yet to be re-scheduled second event. However, Atencio had already confirmed Arlovski as Emelianenko's opponent to MMA Rated 10 October, according to that website. Additionally, Barnett has announced that he won't fight Emelianenko, according to MMA Weekly. "It’s just not a fight that’s going to happen in January.  And I think that the feeling is actually mutual," Barnett told that website 2 October. Atencio also wouldn't commit on a date or location of Affliction's second event, originally scheduled for Las Vegas 11 October. Atencio said Affliction: Day of Reckoning would "take place in the first quarter of ‘09." ...

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio confirmed Thursday on MMA Weekly Radio that “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) has pulled out of his upcoming middleweight match with “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5) due to a hand injury. “Vitor is out, I spoke with him I think yesterday and he told me,” Atencio said. “Actually, it was on Tuesday we had a conversation for aboutan hour or so, and yeah, I guess he broke his hand in two places is what he told me and he had been having 2, 3 and 4 opinions on it. He finally got the opinion that he wanted I guess and they told him to step out for a while.” Atencio is currently looking for new opponent for Lindland, and hopes to finalize the card by the end of next week. ...

Affliction on Wednesday confirmed a middleweight bout between “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5) and “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) and announced a heavyweight match between “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (26-10) and Roy Nelson (13-2), and to take place in Las Vegas 11 October. Belfort must first be cleared to fight by a doctor.  He is currently serving a 180-day medical suspension. Buentello won a unanimous decision over “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) at Affliction: Banned in July. Nelson, the IFL Heavyweight Champion, most recently won via first-round TKO over “Hillbilly Heartthrob” Brad Imes (11-5) in May. The Buentello-Nelson match is part of the preliminary card which will air on HDNet before switching to the main card on pay-per-view, according to MMA Junkie. Affliction also announced that IFL lightweight Chris Horodecki (12-1) has signed a three-fight deal with them and will make his Affliction debut at the October event. No opponent has yet been named for Horodecki. Not participating in the event is Fighters.com's tenth-ranked heavyweight Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3), who is still dealing with licensing issues. He was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission for his scheduled fight in July. ...

“The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) and “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) both told Tatame recently that they would fight on Affliction’s 11 October card. Belfort will face middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5), but no opponent was named for light heavyweight Nogueira. “I’ll fight in October 11th, but it’s not certain yet against who. They’re speculating a lot of opponents, but they didn’t say anything yet”, Nogueira said. All three fighters won their matches at the last Affliction show 19 July. Belfort KO’d Terry Martin (17-5) in the second round, Lindland earned a unanimous decision over “Negao” Fabio Nascimento (8-4), and Nogueira pounded out a first-round TKO of “Babyface” Edwin Dewees (35-13). ...

It only took 36 seconds for "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) to leave "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (24-5) laid out on the mat in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, Saturday night. Just thirty-six seconds to answer questions raised by Fighters.com about Emelianenko's two-year hiatus from top competition. At the bell, Sylvia exited his corner in an awkward, low crouch. Obviously...Emelianenko wasted no time blasting Sylvia with a left, right hook combo, followed by an uppercut. "I've never been hit that hard in my life," said Sylvia after the fight.  "He's not human." The "Maine-iac" dismantled to the mat; and, Emelianenko stuck in a rear naked choke that forced Sylvia to tap. After the fight, the Russian was nonchalant, but not arrogant about his destruction of one of the world's top heavyweights. The victory cemented him as the top heavyweight in the world, the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world, and perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist ever. ...

"Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) def. "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (26-6) via submission (rear naked choke), 0:36 of round one. "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (13-5) def. "Big" Ben Rothwell (33-6) via KO, 1:13 of round three. "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (26-5) def. Pedro Rizzo (16-8) via KO, 1:44 of round two. "The Machine" Mark Hominick (16-8) def. Savant Young (9-8) via submission (armbar), 4:25 of round two. "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) def. Mike Whitehead (23-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27) "The Law" Matt Lindland (21-5) def. Fabio Negao (8-4) via unanimous decision (30-26; 30-27; 30-27). "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) def. "Babyface" Edwin Dewees (35-13) via TKO, 4:06 of round one. "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (17-5-1) def. JJ Ambrose (8-2) via submission (rear naked choke), 2:51 of round one. "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort (17-8) def. Terry Martin (17-5) via KO, 3:12 of round two. "Head Hunter" Paul Buentello (26-10) def. "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27). ...

Light heavyweight "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3), twin brother of Fighters.com's top-ranked heavyweight "Minotauro" Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1), will fight "Tiger" Vernon White (26-32-2) on Affliction's Banned card 19 July in Anaheim, outside of Los Angeles, reported MMA Junkie Friday. Nogueira was widely-ranked among the top ten light heavyweights in the world until seventh-ranked light heavyweight "African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) literally knocked him out of the rankings in Soko's PRIDE debut in February 2007. "Minotoro" bounced back in a tough second-round TKO over Canadian Todd Gouwenberg (7-4) in the since-defunct Hardcore Championship Fighting last February. "Tiger" is an MMA original, fighting on the first Pancrase card in 1993.  Since 2003 he's 6-10-1 with fights in the UFC, WEC, IFL, and other promotions. Recently, he picked up a "W" in April when Jeremiah Constant (6-4) was DQ'd, White's first fight since losing to Marcelo Tigre (12-3) due to an injury White suffered in the first round. "Babalu" Renato Sobral (29-7) and "The Law" Matt Lindland (20-5), both also appearing on Affliction's debut card in separate fights, make more compelling matchmaking for Nogueira. Nogueira, Sobral, and Lindland are all matched versus fighters they seemingly hold significant advantages over. ...