Hello again fans and friends and welcome to the second part of “Heavy Wait”, my in-depth look at the upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. The eight-man tournament featuring eight of Strikeforce’s best Heavyweight fighters should be one of the best things to ever come out of the Strikeforce promotion. But why, exactly, am I so hyped about this tournament? Let’s find out in part 2 of “Heavy Wait”: the five things I like the most about the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. ...

Hello fans and friends and welcome to the start of what I’d like to call a “maxi-series”. Starting today, I’ll be beginning a series of topics called “Heavy Wait: The Hunt for Strikeforce Gold”. The goal of the series is to completely and totally examine the upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix from all sides: what I like about it, what I don’t like, what I think will happen, and much more. I haven’t been this excited for an MMA event in quite some time, and I can’t wait for the Grand Prix to get started. So, to kick off “Heavy Wait”, here are five things (in no particular order) that I think will happen if the Heavyweight Grand Prix lives up to its potential. ...

Fedor Emelianenko will be making his return this February against Antonio Silva, serving as a quarter-final match up in an eight man heavyweight tournament in Strikeforce. The former PRIDE champion was originally rumored to be facing the Brazilian several times, however all signs point to a Feb. 12 meeting at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In addition to Emelianenko and Silva, a proposed match up pitting former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski against DREAM and K-1 veteran Sergei Kharitonov is also slated for the February event. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to Part 3 of my special Christmas Day mini-series “All I want for Christmas”. The first half of the second part of my four-part special features some thoughts on what I think the immediate future holds for the surging Strikeforce promotion, which had an up-and-down 2010 but made some considerable gains in the war for the hearts and minds of the average MMA fan. So let’s get started with the Top 5 things I’m looking forward to for Strikeforce in 2011. ...

We may not be seeing Alistair Overeem defend his strikeforce heavyweight title for some time. Why? Because after "The Demolition Man" tore through this years' K-1 World Grand Prix claiming the promotion's GP heavyweight championship, he'll be right back in action for another tournament of epic proportion's. It's rumored that Overeem, in addition to 7 other high-profile heavyweight stars will be competing in an 8-man heavyweight tournament under the Strikeforce banner. ...

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is in an enviable and yet at the same time not-so-enviable position. As the head of the largest MMA promotion not directly owned by Zuffa and therefore the largest alternative to the juggernaut that is the UFC, Coker is in charge of such big-name talents as Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Dan Henderson, Nick Diaz, and many more. While he can put on major cards on the Showtime network and even CBS, Coker still struggles daily with the growing nature of his promotion and the simple fact that he’s not number one in the game. In a recent interview, the soft-spoken promoter filled us all in on where he stands with some of Strikeforce’s biggest stars and his even bigger plans for the future. ...

Although it took awhile to get his place on the card worked out, it seemed as if former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski was well on his way to a possible rebirth in K-1, the most prestigious kickboxing promotion in the world. Arlovski was set to compete at the upcoming K-1 World Grand Prix event. It was first rumored that he would be competing in a non-tournament fight, but a bit later it was seemingly confirmed that Arlovski would indeed be taking part in the famed tournament to crown the world’s best kickboxer. Apparently it was all for naught, as “The Pitbull” himself recently tweeted that he’s out of the Grand Prix and K-1 entirely. Here are all the details. ...

With the rumor a buzz once again, one bout that was said to be taken place at one point in time in DREAM, looks like it can now come to fruition, however, with a few conditions. Current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who recently defended his title for the first time against knockout artist Brett Rogers last May, was said to be in talks with the Japanese organization in order to vie for the promotion's first ever heavyweight title against none other than Andre Arlovski. ...

From a UFC exile struggling to remain relevant in a rapidly-expanding Heavyweight division to one of the biggest assets of the rapidly-expanding Strikeforce promotion…what a difference a few big wins can make for Fabricio Werdum. Werdum shocked the world and made MMA history when he defeated the heavily-favored Fedor Emelianenko in the first legitimate loss of Emelianenko's career. An injury has sidelined Werdum for the past several months and delayed the obvious rematch, but recently, Werdum filled us in on his condition and also gave us his thoughts on new Strikeforce signee and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett. ...

It’s been an up-and-down couple of years for former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. He would win three straight fights in 2008, extending his winning streak to five. In 2009 he would lose twice, both in dramatic fashion: both Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers came very close to knocking his head off of his shoulders. In 2010, Arlovski would lose to Antonio Silva in a fight where he showed a lot of heart but a seemingly backwards need to abandon all aspects of the MMA game save for striking. And now, as 2010 draws to a close, Arlovski is hoping to re-invent himself in the famed K-1 kickboxing promotion. ...

A few days ago I reported on strikeforce signing former ufc Heavyweight champion, PRIDE FC standout, and top-ranked Heavyweight Josh Barnett to a multi-fight contract. Some new details have emerged about the deal, courtesy of “The Babyfaced Assassin” himself. Never one to sugar-coat his words, Barnett revealed why he chose Strikeforce and why he looks forward to ripping off heads, drinking blood, and punching eyeballs out in the San Diego-based promotion. And no, none of that was a joke. ...

It’s been a back-and-forth roller-coaster ride for the former top-ranked Heavyweight and pound-for-pound legend Fedor Emelianenko following his shocking submission loss to heavy underdog Fabricio Werdum earlier this year. Reports surfaced a few weeks back that Emelianenko was looking for a return fight in December, possibly in Japan or even Russia, and was gunning for current strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Overeem has been a vocal proponent of a match with Emelianenko, even going as far as to consistently accuse Emelianenko of “ducking” him. After the Overeem bout failed to materialize due to scheduling conflicts, it looked as if “The Last Emperor” would be sitting out the rest of 2010 after all. Until now. MMAWeekly.com recently reported that a match-up between Emelianenko and Antonio Silva is a definitive possibility for a December Strikeforce show. ...

It seems like everyone is a critic nowadays. Both Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem have been in the news lately, with Emelianenko finally answering the challenge Overeem has been throwing down for quite some time, only for Overeem to back off, call out Fedor on the timing of his answer, and say that his next fight will be in K-1. For those that don’t know, Overeem has been challenging Fedor for some time now, saying that “The Last Emperor” is afraid to fight the current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. Emelianenko and his management, M-1 Global, recently responded to the challenge, saying that they wanted to make the fight happen by the end of 2010, most likely in a December New Year’s Eve mega-fight in Japan or Russia. After Overeem declined the open invitation to face Fedor, another Strikeforce Heavyweight has recently come out against both men. I guess having one “Bigfoot” in his mouth wasn’t enough (read more about that here), since Antonio Silva recently criticized both Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem for their inability to fight each other. ...

Once again former World Wrestling Entertainment star Bobby Lashley finds himself on the main card of a Strikeforce event. Having gone a perfect 5-0 since debuting in MMA in 2008, Lashley has been subjected to a lot of criticism due to his penchant for fighting newcomers, has-beens, and never-weres. Lashley’s slow build towards legitimate competition seems best served in low-scale regional promotions, but instead, his brick-by-brick ascent to actual credibility has been broadcast on major cards from MMA’s second-largest promotion. Heading into his Strikeforce: Houston match with former IFL fighter Chad Griggs, Lashley is once again seemingly being spoon-fed an opponent. Griggs recently commented on his fight with Lashley, and while I respect the man for taking on the challenge of bringing Bobby Lashley down to earth, I have to say that I don’t like his chances. ...

Hello once more fans and friends, and welcome to another edition of “Infamous Moments in MMA History”. Today’s fight is often brought up in conversations revolving around the most boring MMA fight ever. What’s so ironic, and therefore what makes this article so depressing to me, is that both fighters involved in today’s induction were known, and in fact are still known, as heavy-handed strikers not afraid to engage. Maybe it was the fact that both men had knocked each other senseless in brutal, even humiliating fashion. Maybe it’s because, let’s face it, both men reigned as UFC Heavyweight Champion during the absolute worst and weakest UFC Heavyweight division ever. No matter the reason, today’s induction features the notorious third encounter between Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia. ...

Fedor Emelianenko is not done yet…but he’s not UFC-bound either. M-1 Global, Fedor’s management team, recently released a statement saying that Fedor would like to sign a 4-6 fight contract with Strikeforce once his current deal with them expires. As expected, Fedor detractors have called this latest statement yet another admission that Fedor is ducking the UFC. As one of the biggest Fedor fans walking the planet right now, even I can admit that Strikeforce doesn’t have the kind of roster necessary to give Fedor 4-6 fights that are actually interesting. I’m being honest here: I’m trying to think of six fights involving Fedor against Strikeforce’s Heavyweight division that really interest me, and at the most I’m able to come up with three. ...

It’s recently been announced that the winner of the upcoming fight between Roy Nelson and Junior dos Santos will receive a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship after current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar faces current #1 Contender Cain Velasquez. Whether it’s “Cigano” or “Big Country”, here’s what I think both men will have to do in order to beat both Lesnar and Velasquez. ...

With the July 3 mega-fight between ufc Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin and UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar closer than ever, many fight fans are coming around to the idea that the Heavyweight division is one of the UFC’s strongest, most diverse divisions. Long thought of as the weakest of the UFC’s divisions, barring a few notable exceptions, the Heavyweights have finally taken center stage, and it’s all thanks to several massive men who continue to break and even redefine the mold of a UFC Heavyweight. Looking forward, here are three men that I think will define the UFC’s Heavyweight division for the next several years. ...

This Saturday Strikeforce is once again presenting us with another event, Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery. The main event is Strikeforce champion "Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem (30-11) versus Fighters.com sixth-ranked heavyweight Brett Rogers (10-1). This fight is a microcosm of the problem the organization has with lack of depth and proper marketing which could bring the end of Strikeforce in the near future. ...

A rumored Strikeforce matchup between newly-signed former UFC heavyweight champion “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) and former EliteXC champion “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (12-2) has been confirmed to Tatame by Alexander Davis, Silva's manager. ...

Former UFC heavyweight champion “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) has signed a 16-month, multi-fight contract to fight for San Jose-based MMA promotion Strikeforce, Arlovski's management announced Monday. ...

Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) will whoop a 6'4", 280-pound bully called "Nathan, the Big Nasty" Thursday night at 9:30 PM EST on "Bully Beatdown" on MTV. ...

Former UFC heavyweight champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-6) agreed to an interview with Fighters.com before his fight versus Jason Riley (6-1) at Adrenaline MMA 4 in Omaha Friday...until he peeped my questions. "Chad, I am not going to do this interview," Sylvia graciously responded.  "I don't like how this whole thing is coming accross.  Sorry." Below are the questions that Sylvia refused to answer along with what Fighters.com could dig-up.  You decide if Fighters.com's questions were out of line.  Of course, Fighters.com would prefer to put Sylvia on the record on the issues fans are chattering about.   And, Fighters.com stands by everything written here as told by reliable sources, but sources can only speak from their point of view.   It's unfortunate Sylvia won't tell his story. Fighters.com: Looking back, was the "Merciless" Ray Mercer (1-1) fight a good decision? ...

Fighters.com's tenth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) has postponed his previously planned professional boxing debut anticipated for the end of September or early October to focus on MMA, Arlovski announced at Arlovski.com Wednesday night. "MMA now is number one priority for me," Arlovski assured fans during a video chat, but he hasn't buried his squared circle aspirations, adding, "Definitely, I want to try [boxing]." Arlovski also announced he's considering competing at a North American Grappling Association event, saying, "I've been working on my jiu-jitsu." "I'm 30 years old. It's not over," Arlovski emphasized about his future in mixed martial arts. "What's happened has happened. I'm ready to go and ready to fight." ...

Fighters.com's eighth-ranked heavyweight “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-9) and tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) support causes close to their heart and their legacies. On 15 August at the Britannia Arms in San Jose, Arlovski will join "Rumble" Anthony Johnson (7-2), Cung Le (6-0), and Jon Fitch (19-3) to "Knock Out Dog Fighting". ...

Fighters.com's tenth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) confessed Wednesday night to playing Russian roulette, a gamble during which a revolver is loaded with a single round, the cylinder spun, and then placed against the temple. The player pulls the trigger, chancing the bullet could end their life.

"First time I was 16, second time I was 30," said the thirty-year old former UFC heavyweight champion. "It's when you don't care about anything."

Keith Gelman, spokesman for Arlovski, contacted Fighters.com to emphasize Arlovski has never contemplated taking his own life.

Arlovski was knocked out in 22 seconds by fourth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0) at Strikeforce in St. Louis 6 June after meeting the same end in the first round by Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) at Affliction M-1 Global in Anaheim 24 January.
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In an analysis posted Friday, Yahoo!Sports MMA and boxing writer Kevin Iole spouted the UFC line, "If the UFC was in the business of giving 50 percent of its company away every time it tried to sign an elite fighter, it would have been in worse shape a lot sooner than Chrysler." The article should've ended with a full disclusore that Yahoo!Sports and the UFC have a business partnership because Iole's cozy nest in the UFC tree has affected his usually uncomprimised reporting. M-1 Global isn't asking for 50 percent of the UFC in exchange for Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko's (29-1) viscerally craved debut inside the Octagon. Fighters.com isn't sure whether that's UFC spin strategized to pressure Emelianenko to surrender his co-promotion demand by persuading fans he's unreasonable or a genuine misunderstanding by White about what Emelianenko is demanding. ...

Did you miss me? The much-anticipated, most thorough rankings in mixed martial arts returns with Fighters.com's July Heavyweight Rankings. Let's get right to it, shall we?

"Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) retains the Fighters.com heavyweight championship, which he's set to defend from ninth-ranked "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (20-5) at Affliction M-1 Global's Trilogy in Anaheim 1 August.

But, with Affliction's run thought to be at its end, Fighters.com worries that whomever wins will return to Japan to fight freaks and middleweights.
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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. ...