Prior to their Titan Fighting Championship debut yesterday, both men were coming off of losses–in Phil’s case, consecutive losses–three-in-a-row. However, both men were able to gut out clear-cut decision victories over their respective opponents, however it wasn’t without extenuated efforts put forward by both combatants.

Lashley, a veteran of the Strikeforce cage (who may very well be still signed with the organization) returned to action for the first time since a disappointing loss to the unheralded Chad Griggs last August in Houston, Texas.

Bobby squared off with John Ott under the TFC banner, which aired live on HdNet, and while Bobby was the heavy favorite heading into the heavyweight tilt, someone forgot to tell Ott that the odds were not on his side. John, who in the past has competed as low as 185-pounds, remained vigilante and patient in his bout with Lashley, despite the collegiate Division I wrestling All-American repeatedly dumping him with takedown after takedown for two-rounds. In the final stanza, Ott seemed to be on his way to a come-from-behind win when he made Lashley increasingly uncomfortable on the feet, stinging him with punches in bunches. As fatigued as he was, Lashley managed to earn a final takedown and continue to work the ground-and-pound style that he utilized throughout the bout to eventually earn the decision win.

Baroni, though primarily an aggressive, in-your-face striker in his own right, worked some of his own grappling skills in his bout with the grizzly Nick Nolte–which was something that I’m sure neither man had accounted for, but it went there. At just 3-2 at the time, Nolte was the considerable underdog against the UFC, PRIDE, and Strikeforce veteran–however he played anything but the sort. Nolte took command of the bout early, clinching Baroni and damaging him with short hooks and knees, however it was “The New York Badass” that initiated the the grappling exchanges. Whenever he felt he was in danger on the feet, Phil worked the action to the mat, using some nice trips and singles, peppered in with some ground and pound that inevitably earned him the decision win.

So, MMA peeps, where would you like to see either combatant go from here? Could either man be competitive in the top levels of this sport? Sound off in the comment section below.

We head to Sherdog for some insight into a possible match-up that would see Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem take on Todd Duffee, the man who rolled into the UFC and into the public consciousness with the fastest official KO in UFC history, only to take his sweet time finding his next opponent and ultimately lose out to the seemingly-overmatched Mike Russow. According to the report, Overeem vs. Duffee has a “fifty-fifty” chance of actually happening. However, it was confirmed that Overeem would be competing at the event no matter who his opponent ends up being.

I hate to sound like a broken record here, fans and friends, but once more I feel I have to echo these sentiments: this is a rumor I honestly hope doesn’t happen, because I think this opponent hasn’t done anything to earn a shot at Overeem and has virtually no hope against the man. Todd Duffee is one of the clearest examples in recent MMA history of a fighter being all hype and little-to-no substance. There’s a lot of raw potential in all that Herculean muscle, but it’s clearly going to take a lot of time and effort spent honing it before it ever really pays dividends.

Overeem, however, is one of the rarest specimens in MMA: he’s a hulking behemoth with as many skills as he has muscles. The man just beat three guys in one night in the most competitive, prestigious kickboxing organization in the world. He hasn’t lost in his last nine MMA fights. I’m not just sitting in Overeem’s bandwagon, I’m blowing the horn and leading the charge. And I honestly have every reason to: Overeem is an absolute monster both in the ring and the cage, both in K-1 and MMA, so I don’t see any reason not to become a super-fan of the man.

So, I know the next logical question is: if not Duffee, if not Lashley… then who? In all honesty, fans and friends… I really don’t think I’d be satisfied with anyone DREAM throws at Overeem, because I know that they’d basically all be cannon fodder. Call me crazy, call me greedy, but I want to see Overeem tackle some of the best Heavyweights in the world, because I know he can beat them, rather than just make a quick appearance in DREAM for an easy fight and a fast paycheck. I’ve been a fan of Overeem for a while, but now that he’s fulfilled his dream and is a K-1 champion, it’s “Strikeforce or bust” from here on out.

And what about you, fans and friends? Would you be interested in Alistair Overeem vs. Todd Duffee?

MMA Bay first reported on the possibility of the match-up.The article states that Rich Chou, the Strikeforce matchmaker, recently took to Twitter and tweeted about the Lashley/Overeem fight. After doing a little digging myself, here are the mentioned quotes. Chou was responding to a fan that said “I just saw on the internet overrem vs lashley or you serious ? That’s ridiculous.” Chou’s response was “It’s going down in Dream. Some massive boys in the ring for that one.”

Alistair Overeem, the current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, has become a major star in Japan due to his multiple K-1 excursions. Most recently, Overeem won the K-1 World Grand Prix after competing three times in one night. Overeem’s last MMA fight saw him defend his Heavyweight Championship for the first time ever, in his first American MMA bout in over three years. Overeem, of course, made it look easy, literally tossing Brett Rogers around the Strikeforce cage before TKO’ing him in the first round.

Bobby Lashley’s recent fortunes are a stark contrast to Overeem’s, however. After being spoon-fed a large majority of his fights in Strikeforce in the hopes of building him into a major star, Lashley’s train may have been permanently derailed after a deflating (in every sense of the word) loss to the unheralded and virtually unknown Chad Griggs. Griggs survived Lashley’s usual first-round onslaught, and at one point Lashley gassed himself out so badly that the referee stood the fight up while Lashley had Griggs mounted because Lashley was so inactive.

I won’t lie, fans and friends: I hope this fight doesn’t happen. Aside from the initial report not a lot has been made about this fight, so I think it’s still very much up-in-the-air until someone, somewhere brings us some official confirmation. But in the here and now, I just don’t think Lashley is anywhere close to Overeem’s level, nor has he done anything to warrant such a high-profile match.

I know the potential is there for me to end up eating my words since this is MMA and anything can happen in MMA, but I just don’t see any way Bobby Lashley could beat Alistair Overeem. It’s just not computing. Overeem has an under-rated ground game and he’s a K-1 champion, he’s the best of the best in the biggest and most well-known kickboxing promotion in the world. Lashley is such a sacrificial lamb in this bout, if it does indeed end up happening, that it’s not even funny.

But will I watch this fight if it does end up happening? Of course. How could I not? “DYNAMITE” is already shaping up to be a very interesting show, and I’ve been a huge fan of Alistair Overeem for a long time. Even though I have my reservations, I’d tune in to watch this fight just to see Overeem dominate in classic Overeem fashion.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on this match? Will it happen, will it not happen, and if it does, who do you think will win and why?

Here’s what the man known as “The Dominator” during his days as a pro wrestler had to say over at Sherdog: “I’m so happy to say I will be fighting again December 10 or 11. I will have all the details within the next few days… I’ve started back with my training and there have been a couple of fights come up that I’ve given a thumbs up to, and I’ve tentatively got a fight scheduled. It’s December 10th or 11th, but I have to wait on saying who it’s with. There’s two different organizations that I’m talking to… I asked Strikeforce for a rematch [with Chad Griggs], but I’m not sure if it’s in the works.”

While I highly doubted that he would have the heart and grit to do so in my original article on the subject, it appears that Lashley may indeed be eyeing a return to the minor leagues, where he first got his start, in order to build his credibility back up and establish another streak of dominating wins, the kind that got him a deal with Strikeforce in the first place.

If what Lashley says really is true, if he’s willing to stay active regardless of the promotion he’s fighting in or the number of spotlights on him, then he’s finally gained a measure of respect in my book. I have very little doubt that this rumored December fight will once again be against a throw-away can that Lashley will easily run through, but still, Lashley is at least willing to make the effort to get back on his feet after his humbling loss to Chad Griggs.

Lashley needs two things if he ever wants to be taken seriously in Strikeforce, however. First and foremost, he’s got to beat Griggs. Lashley’s performance against Griggs was downright pitiful- when was the last time you saw a fighter so inactive in the mount position, the most dominant position in the entire MMA ground game, that the referee had no choice but to stand the fight up? If Lashley can beat Griggs and beat him decisively, it will immeasurably help reconstruct his image.

The second thing that needs to happen, and I’ve been talking about this since he made his Strikeforce debut, is that he needs to start facing legitimate competition. The only reason he got a spot on so many televised Strikeforce shows was so Strikeforce could cash in on his crossover appeal with pro wrestling fans. Lashley hasn’t earned his fair share of the spotlight, it’s being gift-wrapped to him because of the name value he established in another field of entertainment. If Lashley really wants to be taken seriously, he needs to start facing serious competition.

Bobby Lashley’s future in MMA still looks quite bleak, but he does seem to still have a future in this sport. If he really is willing to earn his keep and start over at the bottom, then I’ve got no choice but to wish him well and hope that this long climb back to the main stage straightens him out, makes him humble, and unleashes his full potential.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s next for Bobby Lashley? And do you think he’ll ever be truly successful in MMA?

The news first came from Dave Meltzer, with a follow-up report posted on Bloody Elbow. The Meltzer report stated the following: “Bobby Lashley’s contract has expired. Right now he’s in the exclusive negotiating period… although his Strikeforce deal does allow him to do pro wrestling and he always expressed interest in going back. After the exclusive period ends, he can talk with other groups but Strikeforce would have the option to match any offers… Strikeforce hasn’t expressed real interest in him… There has been no talk about Batista coming in of late and that fight only makes sense on CBS or PPV… This is hardly the best time for [Lashley] to be a free agent…”

Some insiders are already predicting that we may as well close the book on Bobby Lashley’s MMA career. If Strikeforce does re-sign him, it will likely be for a substantially lower price point now that Lashley’s aura and marketability has taken such a large hit after losing to the virtually unknown Chad Griggs. Lashley would likely have to work his way up from the lower-end “Strikeforce Challengers” series of shows, and that means diminished paydays and diminished focus on him.

Many are thinking that Lashley won’t be able to deal with that and will call it a career after six professional fights. The only alternatives to Strikeforce are the lower-end promotions, and if Lashley can’t take going down to Strikeforce’s minor leagues he certainly won’t go down to the actual minor leagues. There’s relatively little chance that the UFC would sign Lashley given his uninspiring record of defeating throw-away opponents and his substantial asking price.

I honestly think that Lashley will be swapping careers once again sometime soon, except this time in reverse. It’ll be back to pro wrestling for Bobby Lashley, his future in MMA is too bleak right now. This exclusive negotiating period will prove once and for all if Lashley is serious about becoming a legitimate Mixed Martial Artist, or if he just wanted to jump in and make a quick buck. If Lashley refuses to lower his asking price and opts to return to the land of the squared circle, this will only validate everything I’ve ever said about him- Bobby Lashley was never relevant, he was a glorified Kimbo Slice, and the only reason he ever warranted a spot in Strikeforce in the first place was because of his crossover appeal to pro wrestling fans. Strikeforce wanted their very own Brock Lesnar and all they got was Bobby Lashley.

But if Lashley does re-sign at a deflated price? If he’s really willing to work his way back up from “Challengers” or something similar? Then he’ll have finally gained a measure of respect in my book. I don’t think it’s likely, at all, but if Lashley is indeed willing to take the hit both in decreased pay and decreased focus, he may just have it in him to fully rebound from this loss and, dare I say it, become a credible asset to Strikeforce. It does seem quite unlikely, but as always, anything is possible in MMA.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for the somewhat-controversial Strikeforce star?

Bobby Lashley vs. Dave Bautista: Yes, it’s a freakshow. But it’s a great one, it’s the right kind of freakshow. Dave Bautista may only be good for one big ratings spike, but if it’s on CBS, a fight with Lashley would likely do some huge numbers by attracting a large number of pro wrestling fans. Even as an MMA fan I’d like to see this fight. It has the potential to be utterly atrocious if it goes past the first round and both men gas out, but the first few minutes should be very exciting. It’s a gamble, but a smart one, and it’s far more likely to pay off if it happens on CBS.

Ronaldo Souza vs. Jason Miller: As one of the most charismatic fighters in Strikeforce, Miller should be a big help in bringing in the ratings. Miller attracts a lot of casual fans, and even the hardcore fans would be very interested in this fight, since it’s the third of a trilogy that has seen some very close encounters. If Miller can finally beat “Jacare”, he’d probably put on one of the best performances of his career while doing it. If Souza can beat “Mayhem”, he becomes even more of a star and even more of a valid champion. All parties, including CBS, win with this fight.

Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers: If Josh Barnett really does want to make good on his promise of ripping off heads in Strikeforce, he’ll have ample opportunity to do so against the heavy-handed Brett Rogers. This fight would be a stand-up war through and through, the kind that anyone can really get into, and the added name value of both stars would be a perfect fit for CBS. Someone is going to be adding another epic KO to their highlight reel in this fight, and it would serve as an awesome co-main event.

But of course, my main event for my dream CBS card is…

Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko: I know, I know. I’ve loudly stated in the past that Werdum deserves his shot at Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. But this is the fight that everybody wants to see, and this is the fight that needs to happen if Strikeforce wants to get back on and stay on the CBS network. It’s only the rematch to the biggest upset in MMA history. If CBS wants to set the kind of ratings records they achieved when they had Kimbo Slice headlining EliteXC cards, they and Strikeforce need to make Fedor/Werdum 2 on CBS.

And that’s my card, fans and friends. Now it’s time for you to play fantasy match-maker: what did you think of my picks, and what do you think would be the best card Strikeforce could assemble in order to persuade CBS to hold another event on their network?

“I’m actually out here just training with Cesar [Gracie], but we’re going to take the opportunity to talk with Strikeforce and see if we can get something on paper… It’s a totally different game [compared to pro wrestling]… Above all, and I’ve said it before, professional wrestlers are, if nothing else, durable. I’m as durable as they come… I just want to toss my hat into the ring before I’m too far over the hill… There’s nothing that’s going to happen to me in a cage that hasn’t already happened to me… I love MMA, I want to support it. [Strikeforce] is where I want to be.”

I’ve already voiced my opinion on the whole “pro wrestling vs. MMA” debate several times (to summarize, I respect both sports and used to be a gigantic pro wrestling fan despite the fact that now I’m an MMA fan exclusively), so I’ll shy away from it this time and simply focus on the man himself. My “Pros and Cons: Batista to Strikeforce” article summed everything up on my end pretty well way back when, but two interesting factors have popped up recently that I think favor Bautista signing with Strikeforce.

First and foremost, Bautista has found himself a good camp and seems to be taking all of this very seriously. The man is no Jose Canseco, Team Cesar Gracie is the furthest thing from a cakewalk one could possibly get. This is a camp that at one time held three of the five championships in Strikeforce, and the only reason they now hold two is because Jake Shields is off to the UFC and looking at a possible title shot at their championship if he can win his debut in a big way. Herschel Walker trained with the American Kickboxing Academy and did pretty well in his debut, considering that he was a complete rookie taking on another complete rookie. If Bautista wanted to stack the odds in his favor, he earned himself a lot of credibility by picking Team Cesar Gracie and really trying to make this MMA excursion work.

The second factor is very simple: Bobby Lashley has lost. I’ve been highly critical of Lashley in the past, mostly due to his penchant for beating no-names and yet hyping himself up as a top-tier Heavyweight, and now Lashley has to work his way back up from square one after a loss to Chad Griggs. Who else does Lashley face, really? His marketability took quite a hit when he lost to Griggs, a showdown with Bautista is one of the few marquee attractions Lashley has left.

It’s been three months since my “Pros and Cons” article, and for the most part my opinion remains unchanged. I still think Strikeforce should sign Bautista. He probably won’t be the next Heavyweight destroyer, but he has the potential to make Strikeforce a lot of money and get a lot of eyes centered squarely on the promotion if he signs and takes on Lashley. Dave seems to be taking this all very seriously, so in the end I wish him all the best.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of Dave Bautista, and do you think we’ll see him in a Strikeforce cage before 2011 is over and done with?

The epidemy of strength, speed, and entertainment–these two always delivered. However, Lashley’s foray into his new world, in mixed martial arts, has not gone quite as swimmingly.

Since his inception into MMA, which started on the regional circuit, garnering notable victories over the likes of journeyman Jason Guida (that’s right, the former “The Ultimate Fighter” season 8 hopeful and brother to lightweight fighter Clay Guida) and former K-1 star Bob Sapp.

A 4-fight unbeaten streak helped set him up in the big show of Strikeforce, where on his third fight in the promotion, he lost via TKO against the unheralded Chad Griggs.

Now in need of a gimmick to get Bobby back into the limelight, why wouldn’t this be the best time to bring in “The Animal” to lock horns with “The Dominator”–at least, that’s what Scott Coker thinks.

While a guest on “The MMA Hour” with journalist Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, Coker discussed his desire to bring “Batista” into the show, and why he thinks a match up between him and Lashley would make sense.

“I know there’s ongoing dialogue between (Strikeforce matchmaker) Rich [Chou] and Bautista, and they are trying to come to an agreement of the minds, but right now Bautista has a couple of movie offers and it’s just tying up his time. Let’s see where it goes from there,” Coker said.

“I think that fight should happen. If we sign Bautista, why not make that fight?”

Don’t be confused or upset–Bautista is how his name is really pronounced. I know. I checked. On the internet. And yes, I was just as disappointed as you all must be.

While the former WWE star in “Batista” holds no professional mixed martial arts bouts under his belt, Coker feels like the time to make his inception into Strikeforce, let alone against Bobby Lashley, would be now, considering the set back that Lashley took against an opponent that was not of the “elite” level that Bobby had been hoping to make a push for, towards the top.

“The thing with Bobby is, he’s a great athlete, he wants to be an MMA fighter, I mean, he is an MMA fighter, don’t get me wrong, but he wants to be at that elite level where he can fight the top guys in the world. But after Chad, he’s going to probably have to take, not a step back, but I would recommend to him to go to Challengers, fight three or four fights, and work your way back up.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of this match up, should it come to fruition? Is this just a pipe dream, or somebody smoking a pipe and having a “dream”? Sound off in the comment section below.

In an interview with MMAWeekly.com, Griggs made it know that he plans to stick around in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight division, possibly facing Brett Rogers in December. While his next opponent is still uncertain, Griggs also revealed that Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told him that his win over Lashley was good enough to get him another fight with another big name.

As I said before, I’ll be frank and say that I completely overlooked Chad Griggs. I didn’t have any particular problem with the man per se, the only anger I felt towards his fight with Lashley was directed at Lashley, who I’ve continuously criticized for fighting cans and no-names and then acting like his undefeated streak meant something, saying that he wanted to fight names like Brett Rogers or Andrei Arlovski or even Fedor Emelianenko. I’ll give credit where credit is due: Griggs has certainly earned his moment in the sunshine and he definitely deserves another fight in Strikeforce. But not against a premiere Strikeforce Heavyweight.

Because here’s the thing: I think his fifteen minutes of fame will be up if Griggs does face a premiere Strikeforce Heavyweight. Let’s be honest: Bobby Lashley’s horrible cardio and incredibly weak striking did more damage than any of Chad’s offense. Lashley dominated that fight up until he blew up and gassed out. It wasn’t even close. Griggs deserves a lot of credit for surviving long enough to tire Lashley out and nail his end-of-round salvo to get the (T)KO, but that’s all Griggs did: survive.

That’s something you won’t be able to do against “The Grim”. Even though he looked pretty bad in his fight with Alistair Overeem, Rogers is a great Heavyweight and one of the best Strikeforce has to offer. People can make fun of his past as a Sam’s Club employee all they want, but Rogers is a great athlete and a phenomenal striker. He may be near the tail end of the Strikeforce elite, but even if he is a “bottom of the top” fighter, he’s more than enough for Chad Griggs.

What Griggs needs is a middle-level Heavyweight. When he beat Lashley, he beat a man who was all hype and no heart. There’s no hype with Brett Rogers: yes he’s lost two straight, but up until those two losses he was 10-0 with all wins by stoppage, all of which were due to strikes. Griggs’ victory was impressive simply because Lashley has been built up as a destroyer due to his look and his name value. Brett Rogers is impressive because he’s been built up as a destroyer due to the fact that he KTFO’s people. I think Griggs does deserve a step up in competition, but if he steps up to Brett Rogers, I have little doubt that Rogers is going to knock him down and take him out.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Between Brett Rogers and Chad Griggs, who wins it, how, and why?

Next for Chad Griggs: Even though he was the first man to ever bring Bobby Lashley down to earth, I don’t see “The Grave Digger” being anywhere close to a championship opportunity in the near-future. Lashley had been dominating on Griggs up until that point, and aside from the smartly-timed uppercut to cut Lashley open in Round 1 and the all-out flurry he closed out Round 2 with, Griggs didn’t show that much in the way of offense. Chad Griggs is the next Seth Petruzelli, basically. He may have a few decent undercard/lower-card fights in him, but I see him having major trouble with any of Strikeforce’s elite.

Next for Bobby Lashley: Relative obscurity, plain and simple. Now that the hype train has derailed, Lashley is just another jacked-up Heavyweight that has above-average looks and below-average fighting skills. Lashley looks awesome on a poster due to his hulking physique, but as well all know, and as Lashley learned in his fight with Griggs, that physique comes at a price. Lashley needs better cardio, better striking, any sort of submission offense…he’s a work in progress and there’s a lot of work to be done. In the here and now, I see the Strikeforce promoters as well as his management trying to play damage-control and giving Lashley more cans, and unfortunately for Lashley, I see them beating him just like Griggs beat him.

Next for KJ Noons: A shot at Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez. Noons has serious boxing skill and has no love for Team Cesar Gracie. With Strikeforce’s relatively weak Lightweight division, Noons/Melendez is one of the few matches I’m actually looking forward to in the near future. A rematch with arch-rival Nick Diaz will happen eventually, but only after either Noons beats Melendez or Diaz loses his Welterweight Championship.

Next for Jorge Gurgel: Not a whole lot. Gurgel has stated that he’s only in it to have fun nowadays, meaning that he wants to stand and trade rather than fall back on his extensive Brazilian Jui Jitsu credentials. Unless he goes back to what made him a player in the game in the first place, he’ll continue to get (T)KO’d. If he does switch back to being a predominantly ground-based fighter, he’ll hover around the mid-level.

Next for Ronaldo Souza: Dan Henderson, Jason Miller, or Cung Le. Souza needs a tough test to prove that he’s a legitimate champion, which I personally think he is, and all three men pose some very interesting threats to “Jacare”. It’s also very possible that he’ll be faced with an immediate rematch with Tim Kennedy.

Next for Tim Kennedy: If it’s not an immediate rematch with Souza, Kennedy will get fights with people like Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, or maybe even Melvin Manhoef: all good strikers that Kennedy could either strike or grapple with. And while none are at championship-level, a string of victories over mid-level opponents is really all you need in Strikeforce’s generally-limited weight divisions in order to get a shot at the title.

Next for Muhammed Lawal: A rematch with Gegard Mousasi. Mo looked excellent against Mousasi but floundered against “Feijaio”. Mo would prove that he’s here to stay with another victory over the man people were calling the future of the business up until Mo defeated him.

Next for Rafael Cavalcante: Most likely Renato Sobral, maybe Dan Henderson. It’s too soon for Gegard Mousasi or a rematch with King Mo, so it’ll be slim pickings for Cavalcante unless Strikeforce signs away a big-name star. Look for “Feijao” to continue his winning ways regardless.

And what do you think, fans and friends? What does the future hold for these fighters?

The first round looked like a mirror image of all his other fights: Lashley achieved a takedown fairly early and controlled his opponent on the ground for several minutes, and despite Griggs getting to his feet several times, Lashley was always able to bring the fight to the ground. The only solace Griggs had throughout the first round was the surprise uppercut he was able to nail Lashley with, which opened Lashley up very badly. The cut appeared below the eye, and though deep and very bloody, Lashley went into round 2 ahead on the score cards and ready for more of the same.

And more of the same is what he got, for the most part. Griggs was in serious danger when Lashley achieved full mount for a prolonged period of time, but perhaps due to his inexperience, Lashley was unable to either TKO or submit Griggs. Even the announcers were quick to point out that Griggs was wide open to several submissions at several points during the fight. In fact, Lashley was so inactive with full mount that the referee in charge stood the fighters up in what must have been one of the only occasions in MMA history when a fighter has been forced to stand up while having by far the most dominant position in the MMA ground game. After Lashley’s cut was checked on once again, Lashley restarted on the feet seemingly without strength. His powerful takedowns were finally blocked, and Griggs unloaded with everything he possibly had to finish the second round. When Lashley had trouble getting to his feet, the referee called off the fight and gave Lashley the first loss of his professional career.

And in all honesty, it was going to happen sooner rather than later. For all the domination he displayed in Round 1, this fight clearly showed that Lashley still has many, many things still left to learn if he wants to be taken seriously as a Mixed Martial Artist, and not just as a former pro wrestling that has bandwagon-jumped into MMA after seeing the success of current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. The future can still be bright for Bobby Lashley…if he checks his ego at the door and focuses on becoming a complete fighter. Until then, Lashley will have to grapple with the knowledge that sometimes even spoon-fed cans can do the near-impossible.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How big of a setback is this for Bobby Lashley’s career?

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (203.75) vs. Rafael Cavalcante (203.5)

Tim Kennedy (185) vs. Ronaldo Souza (184.75)

Karl James Noons (156.25) vs. Jorge Gurgel (154.75)

Bobby Lashley (246) vs. Chad Griggs (228.5)

Daniel Cormier (249) vs. Jason Riley (256.5)

Andre Galvao (170.75) vs. Jorge Patino (170.8)

Rocky Long (146.25) vs. Vinicius Magalhaes (144.5)

Kier Gooch (155.5) vs. Adam Schindler (155.5)

Jose Santibanez (154.25) vs. Reynaldo Trujillo (155.25)

Humberto DeLeon (127.25) vs. Chad Robichaux (131)

Chad Cook (205.25) vs. Arteneus Young (204)

As you can see, many fighters took generous use of the one-pound-over allowance given to non-title fights. And still, several fighters couldn’t make the weight. To his credit, Gurgel immediately forfeited his right to decline the match after “KJ” Noons weighed in over the weight limit; the fight will go on as planned. Vinicius Magalhaes also accepted a fight with his opponent that also weighed in over the weight-limit, except his bout with Rocky Long has now been changed to a catchweight fight. Chad Robichaux also missed the mark the first time around, but he was given an extra hour to cut the weight and allowed to try again. He did manage to make the weight the second time around, so his fight with Humberto DeLeon will go forward as planned.

In regards to three Strikeforce fighters missing weight, I don’t think this is all that abnormal, or that it paints Strikeforce in a negative light. MMA fighters seem to miss weight more and more often nowadays. For whatever reason, more and more people are struggling to make their weight class, and the only thing that’s saving them is the one-pound-over rule. I’m not criticizing Strikeforce in particular, but the MMA band of brothers as a whole. Fight in your natural weight class, guys.

Considering all of that, I’m still looking forward to “Houston”. King Mo and Cavalcante should put on a great match. King Mo has some awesome wrestling, but “Feijao” belongs to the prestigious Black House team, home to the Nogueira brothers, two of the best ground wizards you could ever hope to have as training partners. Both Mo and Cavalcante have serious punching power, too, so this one might end early and end brutally.

I’m also excited for the Middleweight Championship fight, even though I generally think that just throwing two guys into a title fight devalues the significance of the championship. However, I think you couldn’t ask for a better Middleweight Champion than Ronaldo Souza. He’s very energetic, has a great ground game, and his striking continues to improve. Plus, he could always face Jason Miller again, the two have quite a rivalry going ever since Souza beat Miller at DREAM 4 and Miller cracked Souza’s skull open at DREAM 9 with an illegal (though inadvertent) soccer kick to the dome. I’m even excited to see Bobby Lashley, on the off chance that Chad Griggs will beat him or, at the very least, make the fight competitive.

And what about you, fans and friends? Now that the fights are official and there’s nothing holding this card back, how excited are you for Strikeforce: “Houston”?

I’ll give him this: Chad Griggs may be the toughest test Lashley has faced so far. Griggs is 8-1, has seven (T)KO’s to his name, he’s never once been to a decision, and all but two of his wins have occurred before the end of the first round of action. He’s on a three-fight first-round TKO streak. I admit that I haven’t seen all that much of him, but his status as an unknown may work in his favor. If Bobby Lashley underestimates and/or overlooks Chad Griggs, which Griggs himself claims Lashley will do, it’s quite possible that Griggs could land a good, clean shot that knocks Lashley out.

So fans may be wondering why Strikeforce and Lashley’s management team, both of whom have grown increasingly notorious due to their insistent need to coddle Lashley, would agree to a fight with a heavy-handed striker with undeniable KO power. The reasoning is simple: it’s all smoke and mirrors. If Lashley beats Griggs, it will give his team somebody to point to as a legitimate opponent, a knockout artist that couldn’t stand up against the man known as “The Dominator”. It will certainly look like Lashley is finally ready to step it up and become a serious threat in Strikeforce. If you dig just an inch below the surface, however, that reasoning begins to fall apart. Chad Griggs is not world-tested, he’s not elite-caliber. He’s 8-1 with seven knockouts, but he’s not a battle-scarred veteran used to the spotlight. If nerves don’t get the better of Griggs, his undoing will be due to the simple fact that he hasn’t competed in a professional Mixed Martial Arts fight in over a year.

It’s been proven time and time again that ring rust is very real and very prevalent in MMA fighters that take prolonged absences from the sport. It’s become the exception, not the rule, for a fighter to win his first fight back after a prolonged period of inactivity. And despite all the crap I give him, Lashley is a tough opponent even on a fighter’s best day. His power is undeniable and he has very prestigious amateur wrestling credentials. Ring rust has affected some of the biggest names in this sport: Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira…the list goes on. Chad Griggs won’t be immune to it, and Lashley will have no problem taking him out. That’s why Lashley defeating Chad Griggs won’t raise his status one single iota in my book.

If Lashley really wants to prove himself as an MMA fighter, I think the time is right to throw him to the sharks and see if he survives or gets eaten alive. Give him Shane Del Rosario and see which one is really ready for Strikeforce’s Heavyweight elite. Put him against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and let’s see just how far Silva has come from his freakshow beginnings. Hell, give him Andrei Arlovski and let’s see if “The Pitbull” can prove once and for all that he still deserves a place among the elite-level Heavyweights. But give him somebody of actual worth. Anybody.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How successful do you think Bobby Lashley has been and will be in Strikeforce?

The first is a no-brainer: a rematch with the first man to ever legitimately defeat Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum. I’m not going to call Werdum’s win a “fluke” or “luck”, as I’m one of the ones that think there’s no such thing as luck in MMA, only skill and the ability to use it. But it seems like everyone wants to see this match: Fedor fans want it in order to prove that Fedor’s loss was a momentary lapse in judgment, while Fedor haters will look to this fight as further proof that Fedor was always all hype and no substance. Me, I just think this would be a very different fight between a very different Werdum and a very different Fedor. Even if it ends quickly once again, I don’t see anything happening in the rematch that happened in the first match. And that’s as good a reason to book a rematch as any.

The second fight is also a no-brainer: “The Demolition Man”, Alistair Overeem. Before Werdum shocked the world, it seemed that both M-1 Global and Strikeforce were banking on Fedor vs. Overeem on Pay-Per-View. For his part, Overeem has been vocal in wanting to fight Fedor, even going as far as to say that Fedor was “ducking” him. Also, Overeem returned to Strikeforce in a big way, re-introducing himself to North American fans by completely demolishing Brett “The Grim” Rogers, tossing him about as if he were a child and then ultimately punching him into submission. I would love to see how Fedor’s striking would match-up against Overeem’s, whose striking has never looked crisper and deadlier. Also, both men possess some vastly under-rated ground games (even when you consider Fedor’s loss via Triangle Choke), so I think this one would be entertaining no matter where it went.

The last fight I have in mind would put Fedor against Antonio Silva, who has finally emerged as one of the non-UFC Heavyweight elite. Silva is coming off of the biggest win of his career, a three-round out-boxing of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. Fedor has faced giants before, and not only has he always won, his fights against giants have always been entertaining. It could be argued that Fedor has never faced a giant with actual skill, and he’d get all that and more against “Bigfoot”.

And that’s about it. I guess you could make a case that all three of those fights could have rematches (that includes a third match against Werdum), but fighting rematch after rematch is something hardly befitting a man who once ruled the Pound-for-Pound rankings with an iron fist. Who else does Strikeforce have for Fedor? He’s already beaten Andrei Arlovski. Herschel Walker or Bobby Lashley would be nothing more than freak show attractions. Strikeforce could always bring in Josh Barnett, but it’s been over eight years since he was in the UFC (and thus on the mainstream’s radar), and with his penchant for testing positive for steroids, there’s a very real argument to make concerning him being more trouble than he’s worth. Bottom line: even the most hardcore Fedor fans (see: the author of this article) are beginning to believe that Fedor belongs in the UFC and nowhere else.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Do 4-6 more Fedor fights in Strikeforce sound interesting to you, and if so, who would you like to see him face?

There’s no easy way to put this: Bobby Lashley hasn’t fought a single person that’s worth a damn in Mixed Martial Arts, and his inflated ego is beginning to wear thin. Lashley has beaten fellow rookies (Joshua Franklin), aging relics (Wes Sims, Bob Sapp), and one crafty veteran that put a serious dent in Lashley’s former aura as the next Brock Lesnar (Jason Guida). Next up for “The Dominator” is Chad Griggs, who hasn’t fought in over a year. It’s not even up for debate at this point: the only reason Bobby Lashley finds himself on posters and on television is because of his name value. He’s done absolutely nothing of note in Strikeforce, and I’ll go one step further and say that Strikeforce’s marketing of Lashley is almost an exact clone of the way the horrendously corrupt Elite XC booked Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. Strikeforce is trying to promote Lashley as a destroyer, a possible be-all end-all in their Heavyweight division, when in truth he hasn’t done anything to warrant that type of exposure and instead is relying on the fame he gained in a world vastly different from Mixed Martial Arts. The only thing separating Lashley from Slice is his very real and very impressive amateur wrestling credentials.

Lashley’s statement that this would be a step backwards for him rings true…if Dave Batista was any other rookie trying to land his first fight. But Batista sat atop the WWE for years, headlining countless Pay-Per-Views, and his name value in the WWE was bigger than Bobby Lashley’s ever was. This fight would do massive ratings, bring in countless numbers of casual viewers, and most importantly, it would be the rare “freak show fight” that actually pays off in the end, overcoming its stigma as a spectacle by producing lots and lots of cold, hard cash. It doesn’t even matter that Lashley would likely overwhelm and completely dominate Batista, given that Lashley is a legitimate amateur wrestler with a laundry list of accolades and awards, whereas Batista has virtually no combat experience outside of the world of professional wrestling. It’s a fight people have been talking about, it’s a fight people want to see, and Bobby Lashley’s stock would only go up in this fight, since it would expose him and his admittedly dominant wrestling to even more fans.

Whether or not anybody involved wants to admit this, the fact stands that this fight is a pretty blatant attempt to draw in the wrestling fans for one night and one fight. However, it would be infinitely more blatant if it’s booked once Bobby Lashley gets a few losses on his record (which is highly likely once he starts facing legitimate threats) and Dave Batista ends up struggling to make his MMA excursion worthwhile (which is also highly likely given that he’ll have to learn practically everything from the ground up).Whether it happens on a Pay-Per-View, on Showtime, or on CBS, I think it’s inevitable that Bobby Lashley will fight Dave Batista. Strikeforce’s best chance at capitalizing on this match-up is to make this fight happen as quickly as possible, before Lashley has a few losses on his record and while Dave Batista is still untested.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Would this “freak show fight” be worth the trouble, and who do you think would win it?

Now, let’s clear the air right off the bat: I’m not saying that because he’s a former professional wrestler. For the longest time I considered myself a hardcore wrestling fan, so I have a huge amount of respect for the physical trauma pro wrestlers put themselves through on a daily basis. And if you look a little further back than current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, there’s actually a long history of pro wrestlers turning to MMA and even MMA stars turning to pro wrestling. No less than Josh Barnett, Ken Shamrock, Don Frye, and a host of others have all dabbled in the world of pro wrestling.

There are several non-wrestling reasons why Batista just won’t cut it in the sport’s second-best promotion. One of Batista’s main stumbling blocks will be his age. Even though Batista has the look of a 30-something, the man is actually 41 years old. It’s become a bit of an urban legend amongst MMA fans and journalists that 40 is the cut-off date for professional Mixed Martial Artists. Once an MMA star reaches forty, it’s practically assumed that his attributes will begin to fail and that he’s only a few years from retirement. Batista would enter the sport at an age where most are leaving it, and unless your name is Randy Couture, few pro MMA athletes have proven that they can still hang past that dreaded fortieth birthday.

But the biggest reason Batista would fail in Strikeforce is the simple fact that he has no prior combat experience outside of the WWE. As many have stated in the past, Brock Lesnar was a highly successful amateur wrestler before he went into the WWE. Even fellow pro wrestling cast-off Bobby Lashley was a decorated “real” wrestler before he turned to pro wrestling. Batista’s credentials are non-existent; he would have to learn MMA from the ground up with no prior experience in any sort of real-life combat sport whatsoever.

With all that said, the following statement may shock my readers: I think Strikeforce should sign Batista. They’ll get eaten alive by the press and MMA faithful, but I can see legions of pro wrestling fans turning on their televisions in droves and setting the channel to Showtime or CBS to get a glimpse of a former world champion competing in MMA. Batista may never be successful in Strikeforce, but he’s good for one big ratings boost before someone utterly destroys him. A fight with Lashley has dollar signs written all over it. Batista’s stint in Strikeforce would probably only last for that one fight, but it would be a guilty pleasure that I think many fans (both of MMA and of pro wrestling) would not be able to pass up.

So what do you think, fans and friends? Is Batista doomed to failure if he signs with Strikeforce? Should he even sign with them at all? And how do you feel about more and more professional wrestlers considering MMA as an alternative once they leave pro wrestling?

Lashley was supposed to fight in both April and May events for Strikeforce but scheduling issues kept him from fighting. Verbal agreements have been reached and the contracts are expected to be signed shortly.

Ron Sparks,a massive heavyweight at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, was last seen in Revolution Fight League:Maximum Impact this past June. His opponent was “Big”Jonathan Ivey (29-42) who he bested in a unanimous decision victory.

Ron will have a big challenge when he steps inside the cage against Lashley.

Lashley is a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion who also competed for the U.S. Army. Now he trains with American Top Team and has even opened his own ATT affiliate in Aurora, Colorado.

His last fight was in January where he fought “The Whole Show” Wes Sims (22-14-1) who he beat via TKO in the first round.

He was given Sims just eight days prior to the fight after having two other opponents dangled before him only to see the Florida State Boxing Commission say no to both opponents.

Ron Sparks is a relatively unknown and this fight is one the hardcore fans will likely be upset with upon hearing of it. Many have called for Lashley to step up in competition even with only five fights under his belt. I’m playing the catch-up game,” Lashley told MMA Junkie. “Some of these guys have 10, 20, 30 fights under their belts. I have a mere five fights. So, of course, any opportunity I have to take a fight, I want to jump on it.”

If Lashley wins this fight I believe Strikeforce will be forced to give Lashley a much tougher opponent and Fighters.com and all the hardcore fans will be excited to see how he performs in the upper echelons of the division.

E3 is a trade show for the computer and video-game industries that drew 41,000 peope last year.

The announcement was made during a lunch promoting Electronic Art’ MMA game, EA Sports MMA. Strikeforce is the main league in the game appearing as the “premier league” in which the fighters compete. The game is expected to be in stores sometime near the end of this year and will go head to head with “UFC Undisputed” from the UFC and THQ.

The E3 trade show is from June 15-17 at the Los Angeles Convention center and Strikeforce takes place on Wednesday.

The fights will be inside the 7,100 seat Nokia Theatre which is quite the popular destination for national music acts as well as awards shows.

Currently no fights have been confirmed but rumor is “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-6) will be facing “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-5). Also rumored to be on the card is women’s 145-pound champion “Cyborg” Cris Santos (9-1) and much talked about heavyweight prospect “The Dominator” Bobby Lashley (5-0).

MMA Gospel will be live at this event so make sure to follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mmagospel.

The Miller-Stout matchup will replace the slot originally pegged for heavyweight prospect “Dominator” Bobby Lashley (5-0) who will not appear on the card.

Miller lost a five-round unanimous decision to Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight and Strikeforce champion Jake Shields (23-4-1) at Strikeforce in Chicago last November.

Stout enters the fight versus the former top ten 185-pounder off a loss to Roger Carroll (6-2) by rear naked choke at Clash of the Kings in Atlanta last October.

MMA Junkie reported that no opponent has been chosen and the fight is unlikely to air live on CBS, but could air on taped delay if time permits.

Lashley TKO’d SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 10 contestant “Whole Show’ Wes Sims (22-14-1) at Strikeforce: Miami January 30.

Like UFC champion and second-ranked heavyweight Brock Lesnar (4-1), Lashley is a collegiate wrestling champion and WWE wrestler.

Diaz weighed 169.5 pounds while his opponent “Whitemare” Marius Zaromskis (12-2) weighed 169 pounds.

Lashley weighed 253.25 pounds while his opponent “Whole Show’ Wes Sims (22-13-1) outweighed him at 258.25 pounds.

Former NFL Pro Bowler Herschel Walker (0-0) weighed 214.25 for his MMA debut while his opponent Greg Nagy weighed 210.5 pounds.

Rounding out the main card, middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5) weighed 185.75 pounds and “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (23-5-1) weighed the same.

Lashley is coming off a three-minute beatdown of “Beast” Bob Sapp (10-5-1) at Fight Force International in Biloxi last June and making his Strikeforce debut.

Sims knocked out Jason DeAngel in 18 seconds at Full Contact Fight Series 29 in Fort Wayne, Indiana in November 2008, but lost an exhibition fight to Justin Wren (8-1) at SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 10.

Though Ambriz was approved by the Florida State Boxing Comission, Strikeforce has nixed the bout for undisclosed reasons, according to MMA Junkie.  The FSBC had previously refused to santion a fight between Lashley and Yohan Banks (2-1).

“I got a call last night that said I’d definitely be fighting, and [Strikeforce officials] said, ‘We want to make sure to have the right opponent for you.  I hope everything works out. I hope they find someone and the fight is good,” Lashley told MMA Junkie.

Fighters.com is disappointed the matchup between two top five super heavyweight fighters has been cancelled.  It seems Strikeforce is intent on matching Lashley in a heavyweight bout.  MMA Gospel Radio host Reverend Turk Vangel wrote on Fighters.com earlier this week that Lashley won’t be competitive at heavyweight.

 There is no denying that Lashley is an athlete. He is a two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) wrestling champion. He wrestled in the Army and was training to compete in the Olympics in 2003 before being injured. After the injury Bobby went to professional wrestling where he would later become a “world champion” He has natural athletic ability but his wrestling credits are not on par with the likes of another pro wrestler turned MMA fighter, Fighters.com’s second ranked heavyweight and UFC champion Brock Lesnar (4-1). Brock’s success inside the Octagon have come from his massive size advantage accompanied by his elite wrestling abilities. It is tough to compare a NAIA champion to a NCAA National champion but most would agree that the better wrestler would be the NCAA champion. Brock is not someone we can compare Lashley to despite the parallels in their careers. Bobby is not Brock and will not see the success Brock has seen thus far in MMA.

I do like the fact that Bobby is taking things slow and not trying to rush into the largest fights right away. He wants to try and develop his skills the right way however his ability to grasp the finer points of the sport at 33 years of age with minimal training is something that will hamper his future. I have seen all four of his fights and have not seen the progression in his game that I expected to see training with a team like American Top Team.

His last fight against “The Beast” Bob Sapp (10-5-1) was evident of his lack of progression. He talked about showing off his hands in the fight but I think we all knew better. He went in for the shot right away and took Sapp to the spot he did not want to be, on his back. Once there Lashley worked some ground and pound but what stood at to me was that he stayed in Sapps’ half guard. I like half guard for some good ground and pound but passing and going to side control gives you so many more options to finish a fight. Bobby has the hips of a wrestler and can control people with them so I was shocked he never attempted a pass. It leads me to believe that his ground game is not evolving as quick as it needs. Most wrestlers seem to do well from the top and have very little trouble transitioning from dominant position to dominant position.

There are a couple other issues with his development that I have noticed. First would be his inability to take down an opponent like Jason Guida (18-22). Guida is a journeyman fighter that has fought in the WEC, EliteXC, World Victory Road and on The Ultimate Fighter. His submission game is good but I have never been impressed with is take down defense. When this fight started Lashley went for the take down and had it stuffed by Guida. He tried multiple take downs which were unsuccessful. If these were take downs against an accomplished wrestler then I could give him some leeway but I feel he should have been able to get Guida to the ground much quicker. If he continues to have issues taking fighters to the ground then he will need to bring his stand up game along much faster than what we have seen thus far.

Next would be the striking game we have seen from Lashley. His stand up is quite wild and he throws very wide, looping punches. He has only had four fights but I thought we would see little bits of improvement from him from his first fight to his last against Sapp. This however was not the case and this is a major problem considering the aforementioned issue with getting take downs. I will give him credit for some head movement even though it waqs minimal and seemed to fade as his fight went into the second and third rounds. It is tough to get a true indication of his striking game since the fight with Sapp went to the mat right away so his next fight I will be watching closely to see if he is picking up this aspect of the sport. Striking has been a tough aspect for wrestlers to incorporate into their arsenal but as of late we have seen wrestlers make huge strides in that department.

Can Lashley improve fast enough to be a viable star for Strikeforce is the big question. I don’t feel his athleticism is enough to carry him forward and I feel his game must evolve faster than we have seen in order for Strikeforce to be able to market him as a star in the making. Sadly, due to the fact that we have seen very little in the way of improvement from him against sub par fighters, there is nothing that leads me to believe Bobby Lashley will be able to reach the upper echelons of the heavyweight division in Strikeforce.

I could be wrong and if you feel that I am then feel free to join me and New York Gary Freidman on MMA Gospel Radio every Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel. You can register with Blog Talk and join us in the Cageside Chatroom to discuss this and all the other topics we discuss on air. You can also call in to the show and talk to us directly by dialing 347-857-1337.

Lashley is coming off a three-minute beatdown of “Beast” Bob Sapp (10-5-1) at Fight Force International in Biloxi last June and making his Strikeforce debut.

Ambriz TKO’d Chris Clark (7-31) at Midwest Fighting Championships 9 in Iowa August 22 and will replace Yohan Banks (2-1) after the Florida State Boxing Comission deemed Banks unsuitable for Lashley.

The matchup is huge!  Not just in size, but because it means Lashley will remain in the super heavyweight division for at least one more fight.  Fighters.com has been on a campaign to legitimize the over 265-pound division in MMA.  It’s been difficult because super heavyweights rarely square off versus each other.  But, the Lashley-Ambriz matchup is a legitimate fight between top super heavyweights.

Each time top super heavyweights fight it legitimizes the division and creates a market for the fights.  Fighters.com hopes the Lashley-Ambriz fight is exciting and leads to the creation of a super heavyweight division in Strikeforce.  Why not?  The top fighters are usually free agents and Brazil has a yet-to-be tapped stable of highly skilled fighters over 265 pounds.

According to MMA Junkie, Ambriz is awaiting sanctioning by the FSBC to face Lashley, but that seems like a formality considering Ambriz’ size and experience.

Unfortunately, dos Santos’s win doesn’t push him passed “Guigao“, to whom he has a 2008 loss by TKO.

“Giant” Jan Nortje (2-6) remains Fighters.com’s Super Heavyweight Champion.  “Feels good to be number one,” Norje told Fighters.com.

“Dominator” Bobby Lashley (4-0) has signed with Strikeforce and will evidently compete at heavyweight.  Too bad!  Fighters.com would rather see Lashley anchor a Strikeforce play in the super heavyweight division.

Fighters.com’s January Super Heavyweight Rankings

 1. “Giant” Jan Nortje (2-6)

2. “Dominator” Bobby Lashley (4-0)

3. “Guigao” (3-0)

4. “Mondragon” Geronimo dos Santos (4-1)

5. “Titan” Jimmy Ambriz (14-8)

Let’s be brutally straight.  The 185-pound Japanese eccentric, “Minowaman” Ikuhisa Minowa (40-28-8), who regularly meets’n'beats super heavyweights, is as worthy of the top slot as Fighters.com’s first Super Heavyweight Champion “Giant” Jan Nortje (2-6), and I’m not sure a “Minowaman” rolling kneebar wouldn’t clear out the entire top five.

But, I attempted to rank the division according to the same guidelines used to rank the mainstream weight classes, taking into account only their records from the previous two years and only in fights versus other super heavyweight fighters.  That excludes “Minowaman” and most of the fights on these behemoths’ records.  Quite simply, the division is a joke because super heavyweights rarely fight other super heavyweights.  They’re often either matched-up versus a heavyweight or relegated to spectacles versus much smaller opponents.

Super heavyweights must start picking on fighters their own size to legitimize this division.

 Fighters.com realizes that’s easier said than done and not entirely these fighters’ faults.  Promoters often choose opponents for super heavyweights, and often times the spectacle of a 185-pound fighter versus a 330-pound fighter puts more asses in seats than what’s sure to be a sluggish contest between two 330-pound fighters.  But, if a promotion wanted to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors, establishing a legitimate super heavyweight class and offering a belt to challenge for would create buzz among the core MMA audience.

If you’re like me, for most of our history watching this sport, part of the allure was that it was outside of the mainstream.  You had to work to be an MMA fan until circa 2005.  You had to scour the Internet for fight videos and often only found fellow fans in message boards.  Fighters became legends before you ever saw them fight.  You’d hear whispers on message boards of someone blowing out established fighters in Japan or Iowa and might only actually see them months later when video of the latest UFC event finally made it to your video store.  If you’re nostalgic for those times, the super heavyweight division is the last frontier of MMA.  This is the division for you.

Admittedly, the +265 talent pool is thin.  But,  offering a legitimate super heavyweight belt would attract some of the heavyweight division’s heavier fighters to compete for it, drawing talent up to the division.  The competition would improve everyone in the division, as the same legitimization process has improved the level of talent and athleticism throughout MMA.

 Fighters.com considers these rankings a work in progress and encourages you to post suggestions.  Remember the ranking rules: Only consider a fighter’s record for the previous two years and only versus fellow super heavyweights.

Fighters.com’s November Super Heavyweight Rankings

 1. “Giant” Jan Nortje (2-6)

2. “Dominator” Bobby Lashley (4-0)

3. “Guigao” (3-0)

4. “Mondragon” Geronimo dos Santos (3-1)

5. “Titan” Jimmy Ambriz (14-8)

“We are working on it now,” a source inside “The Snowman’s” camp told Fighters.com Wednesday afternoon. Monson is excited about the possibility, Fighters.com’s source said.

Barnett has been denied a license to fight by the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for “performance-enhancing substance,” according to Affliction Veep Tom Atencio in Sports Illustrated Wednesday morning.

Xtreme Couture middleweight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort‘s (17-8) camp has told several sources the one-time UFC heavyweight champion is willing to return to heavyweight to replace Barnett. He’s already scheduled to fight American Top Team’s Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) at Trilogy. Belfort’s trainer, Shawn Tompkins, told Sports Illustrated making that fight would come down to money.

In response to a text message, management for heavyweight “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (27-9), also already on the card, replied to Fighters.com Wednesday afternoon, “Nothing yet.”

Also rumored, pro-wrestling convert “Dominator” Bobby Lashley (3-0) told Sherdog, “I don’t know if I would want [to fight Emelianenko] right now.”

In response to replacing injured Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (27-10) versus “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) in San Jose 15 August, manager of fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0), Mike Reilly, told Fighters.com Tuesday that Rogers was training for an October fight and wasn’t interested. Fighters.com doubts the rising talent would want to take a fight versus the world’s best over 205 pounds on 10-days notice.

From the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops” on Spike TV Wednesday night in Fayetteville to the debut of Mixed Fighting Alliance in Miami, American Top Team set the pace of champions. ATT fighters scored big as well at CQC “In the Cage” in Charlotte and during the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter Season 8 Finale in Las Vegas Saturday night.

“Snowman” Jeff Monson (25-8) defeated “Suave” Ricco Rodriguez (30-9) via unanimous decision Saturday night during the main event at the Mixed Fighting Alliance debut in Miami.

“I am happy with the win but I was a little sloppy tonight.” Monson told Fighters.com following the fight.

The main event battle at MFA “There Will Be Blood” was a full round war with each fighter going the distance but Monson winning on all cards in the end. Monson, famous for his blunt honesty, had criticism for his performance.

“A win is a win but I need to improve.” The Abu Dhabi and UFC veteran told Fighters.com. “My jiu-jitsu felt good in the fight but my boxing was a little weak.” Monson continued, “I need to spend more time in the American Top Team gym here in Florida. You know, I need to work with more guys down here to prepare for fights.”

When asked what the future holds beyond the World Grappling Championship in Switzerland 20 December and a fight at Sengoku in March 2009, Monson responded, “I’d really like a shot at Affliction eventually. I think I’d do well there.”

Monson’s teammate and former WWE star Bobby Lashley (1-0) won his MMA debut at MFA in Miami as well when he defeated Joshua Franklin (0-1) in devastating fashion with a TKO stoppage due to strikes in the first round. Lashley quickly raced forward scooping Franklin up and slamming him down into the canvas followed by a barrage of ground-and-pound cuing the referee to step in and stop the action.

Saturday night brought another big win for American Top Team when Micah Miller (10-2) defeated Jason Palacios (6-6) via submission at CQC: “In the Cage” in Charlotte to become the featherweight champion.

When asked about the victory, Miller told Fighters.com, “It was a good win but tonight I went out and fought conservatively. In the fight I lost against Josh Grispi (12-1) I was too aggressive. I think in the future I need to find a happy medium between the two.”

The championship bout at CQC was a war where Miller expressed respect for the punching power of Palacios. Miller stated, “Jason [Palacios] hits hard. Tonight he didn’t hit me flush but I could feel the wind and power from his punches.”

Miller powered through himself and defended the attacks of Palacios to score a strong rear naked choke for the win at the 4:23 mark of the second round. Miller revealed, “Eventually Jason [Palacios] slipped on his feet in the second round and as he was getting up, I jumped on his back and got the the choke.”

In other action Saturday night, American Top Team saw additional success during The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 Finale in Las Vegas when Wilson Gouveia (12-5) submitted Canadian middleweight “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald (19-11) with elbow strikes during the opening round.

Although Gouveia missed weight for the fight he vowed to never let it happen again when questioned by Joe Rogan.

“Killa B” Ben Saunders (7-0-2) set the tone of things to come from American Top Team for the second week of December when he defeated Brandon Wolff (5-3-0) via TKO stoppage at 1:49 of round one Wednesday night at Fort Bragg during the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops” event.

Saunders’ performance was brutally efficient and triggered comparisons to UFC middleweight champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4).

American Top Team fighter and Ultimate Fighter alumnus Luigi Fioravanti (14-4) stayed in theme for the week by defeating Brodie Farber (12-5) via unanimous decision on the undercard of UFC’s “Fight for the Troops” event as well.

At minimum, such a streak of wins by one gym in a span of one week speaks to the strength and competitiveness of American Top Team positioning the Coconut Creek institution as one of the best mixed martial arts training centers in the world.