5. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson

It’s the last call for a legend, and one of the greatest MMA fighters in MMA history. If Emelianenko can’t beat Dan Henderson, I have a strong feeling that he’ll retire. And Dan Henderson is currently riding a major wave of momentum now that he’s Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight Champion. It’s going to be an awesome showdown between two of the best old-school MMA veterans still actively competing today.

4. Jon Jones vs. Quinton Jackson

It may not have the bitter rivalry of the inevitable showdown between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans… but this is certainly one colossal match-up. I honestly and fully believe that this fight will set the stage for years to come: depending on how Jones does against Jackson, we’ll know for sure whether or not Jones is “the chosen one” that will break the curse of UFC Light Heavyweight Champions losing the belt in their first few fights. I definitely can’t wait to see this fight.

3. Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami

Yushin Okami can’t beat Anderson Silva… right? Of course he can. Anybody can beat anybody, and anything can happen in Mixed Martial Arts. And this is a rematch that’s been years in the making. To a loyal contingent of fans, Okami is one of the most under-rated, under-appreciated fighters currently fighting in the UFC. To a vast majority of people, Anderson Silva is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Any time Anderson Silva fights, you can definitely expect it to chart high on my lists like this. The fact that there’s such an interesting story between Okami and Silva is just icing on the cake.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva

Now this is a fight everyone can really dig their teeth into. Alistair Overeem has been living up to his nickname “Demolition Man” for a long time now, although he didn’t give the best performance against Fabricio Werdum. Meanwhile, Antonio Silva gave arguably the best performance of his life when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko. Whether you’re an Overeem fan, a “Bigfoot” fan, or simply a fan of great fights, this should definitely be the premiere showdown for the rest of Strikeforce’s year.

And my number-one most-anticipated fight for the rest of 2011 is…

1. Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre

The night Nick Diaz faced Paul Daley, I was on the edge of my seat from the moment that fight started. When Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre goes down, I won’t even need a seat. I’ll be too busy pacing back and forth. I’ve followed Nick Diaz for a long, long time, and in that time, he’s changed from one of the fighters I absolutely despise to one of only a handful of fighters I consider my favorites. Even though he’s incredibly controversial and one of the biggest “bad boys” in MMA, I just can’t help but love Diaz’s take-no-prisoners style and his gruff type of “us against the world” affection that he shows to both his fans and his teammates. I know that Nick Diaz is a legitimate “best in the world” athlete, and I want him to prove that against Georges St. Pierre. But to do that, he’ll have to beat a man that I consider one of the greatest Mixed Martial Artists of all time. This isn’t just my most-anticipated fight for the rest of 2011, it’s probably my most-anticipated fight of the last few years. Everything, and I do mean everything, will be on the line when Nick Diaz fights Georges St. Pierre.

5. Conor Heun battling past what could be a broken arm to beat Magno Almeida.

Although Strikeforce’s preliminary card available on HDNet wasn’t as good as the UFC’s preliminary events, this fight in particular stood out as the best the prelims had to offer. Conor Heun is one tough fighter, with serious fighting skill. He was taken to the limit by Magno Almeida, who had him in deep, deep trouble several times with several good submissions. After the end of the fight, it became clear that Heun’s arm was either dislocated badly or perhaps even broken. Yet he struggled on and won the fight, and that’s something you have to both respect and even admire.

4. Chad Griggs dominating Valentijn Overeem.

A lot of people continue to count out Chad Griggs, but he just continues to prove everybody wrong. Griggs basically came out of nowhere, and now he’s finished three straight opponents. With this fight, I think I’m finally ready to start taking Griggs seriously as a “dark horse” Top 10 Heavyweight in Strikeforce. He’s not there yet, but he deserves a high-caliber opponent in his next outing. Seeing Griggs go out and knock somebody senseless once again was a big highlight of the night.

3. Josh Barnett obliterating Brett Rogers.

Brett Rogers was once one of Strikeforce’s biggest attractions, and now he’s lost three of his last four bouts. Even worse, all three of those bouts have seen him controlled and finished, with his flaws becoming clearer and clearer. Against Barnett in particular, it became painfully evident how one-dimensional Rogers really is. The highlight of this fight came when Rogers charged in with a full head of steam… only for Barnett to counter and land in Mount as if it were nothing. That’s pure domination, and it made for an entertaining fight.

2. Jorge Masvidal outclassing KJ Noons.

I don’t like Jorge Masvidal, I’ve made that abundantly clear for some time now. But in this fight with KJ Noons, he earned a measure of respect from me. Who knows? Perhaps Masvidal could one day become one of those fighters I used to hate but then ended up accepting, like Tito Ortiz or Nick Diaz. However, I don’t think he’ll ever fully undergo a Diaz-like transformation, where I used to loathe him and now I can’t wait to see him fight and consider him one of my favorite fighters. But in the end, respect is due: Jorge Masvidal didn’t just beat KJ Noons, he outclassed him. I didn’t think that was possible, but apparently it is.

And my personal pick for the best moment of “Overeem vs. Werdum” is…

1. Josh Barnett’s post-fight speech.

Aside from how the main event went down, this is what’s on everybody’s mind right now. Did Barnett go too far? Is there any place for a “promo” in MMA? Doesn’t that borrow a bit too much from pro wrestling? Or was it an inspiring speech by a controversial man that remains a great fighter and a very entertaining speaker? Does one great fight and one very interesting speech make up for a career defined by a series of steroid scandals? I don’t know, but I do know this: Barnett’s speech was definitely the best moment of this entire event.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from “Overeem vs. Werdum”.

Next for Valentijn Overeem: Strikeforce may or may not decide to keep “the other Overeem” employed. If they do, he’ll serve a decent role as a gatekeeper until he loses a few in a row. If they don’t, he’ll go back overseas and compete in smaller organizations.

Next for Chad Griggs/Brett Rogers: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. I think that Griggs is due for a shot to get into the upper-echelon. Plus, this fight would prove once and for all if Brett Rogers has anything left to give. If Rogers wins he takes the first step on a badly-needed comeback, if Griggs wins he continues his Cinderella story and emerges as a legitimate top Strikeforce Heavyweight. It’s a win-win.

Next for Jeff Monson: If Strikeforce doesn’t keep Monson employed, he’ll drop to Light Heavyweight and go back to demolishing people in smaller promotions and fighting three or four times per month (yes, per month). If they do keep him employed, Monson will likely be dropping to Light Heavyweight anyway, unless Strikeforce wants him to stay at Heavyweight. Either way, I think either division could use a veteran talent like Monson and I hope Strikeforce keeps him employed.

Next for Daniel Cormier: In terms of his immediate future, I think Cormier will be the first man that receives a phone call if any of the remaining Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix participants gets injured. If everyone stays healthy, Cormier may get a Heavyweight like Andrei Arlovski, and it’s possible that a showdown with Chad Griggs could be in his future.

Next for Josh Barnett: A battle with Sergei Kharitonov, who has as much knockout power as Brett Rogers and a whole lot more experience. Barnett put his “catch wrestling” system on display against Brett Rogers, and he showed that his style is still very effective. If Barnett can use his powerful base and ground prowess to get Sergei to the floor, it’ll then just be another waiting game until Sergei slips up and gets himself caught in a submission.

Next for Fabricio Werdum: I honestly don’t know what to think about Fabricio Werdum now. I don’t know how some people are saying that Werdum won against Overeem. For the majority of this fight, Werdum’s only response to Overeem’s striking was to pull guard. Werdum simply looked like he didn’t want to fight. Other than a rematch with Fedor Emelianenko, I have almost zero interest in Fabricio Werdum right now.

Next for Alistair Overeem: Antonio Silva, another tough opponent in a long line of tough opponents that will help Overeem establish his legacy and assert his dominance. Even though Silva is an accomplished grappler, I think both men will come out looking for the KO the moment the cage door closes. With this victory over Werdum, Overeem has got to be the favorite to win the entire tournament. He’s certainly who I’ve got currently pegged to emerge the victor.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

Alistair Overeem defeats Fabricio Werdum via Unanimous Decision. Josh Barnett defeats Brett Rogers via submission (arm triangle choke) at 1:11 round two. Jorge Masvidal defeats K.J. Noons via unanimous decision. Daniel Cormier defeats Jeff Monson via unanimous decision. Chad Griggs defeats Valentijn Overeem via TKO at 2:08 round one.  Gesias Cavalcante vs. Justin Wilcox results in a no contest because of an accidental eye poke in round two. Conor Heun defeats Magno Almeida via unanimous decision. Nah-Shon Burrell defeats Joe Ray via unanimous decision. Isaac Vallie-Flagg defeats Brian Melancon via split decision.

I was able to watch the preliminary card of this event on HDNet, and it’s very apparent that Strikeforce’s prelims are not at the same standard of the UFC’s. Nothing was bad, I did enjoy myself, but nothing came out and stole the show. The preliminary card was about as average as it gets, with some good fights and some decent ones. But “UFC Prelims LIVE” prelims outright steal the show occasionally. Those fighters are the the ones getting more and more post-fight award bonuses, they’re my “dark horse favorite”. The commentary team of Mike Schiavello and Bas Rutten were amazing as always, though.

Although it only took him one round instead of what I predicted, I did predict that Griggs would stop Overeem if he started landing. This fight proved that Valentijn Overeem will continue to be a hit-or-miss fighter until he retires. Chad Griggs is quickly becoming a “dark horse” contender in Strikeforce, and I’m increasingly interested in seeing him fight.

I feel bad for Jeff Monson, I knew he would get dominated but I still held out hope that maybe it wouldn’t happen. But it did, and Daniel Cormier once again proved that he’s an amazing talent. I sincerely hope Jeff Monson gets another shot in Strikeforce, though. Monson is considering a drop down to Light Heavyweight, hopefully that will be enough to get Strikeforce interested in booking Monson again.

As much as I dislike Jorge Masvidal, I have to admit that he impressed me by controlling and dominating KJ Noons, reducing the former champion to a bruised and bloody mess. I don’t want to say much more than that or else I’ll be in danger of starting a rant. I’ll end by saying this: Jorge Masvidal looked great, but I don’t see him beating Gilbert Melendez.

Josh Barnett… what to say about Josh Barnett. He’s a puzzling man. He’s controversial and brash and arrogant and he likes to cut shoot promos like he was back in a pro wrestling ring in Japan… but the man is still a brilliant fighter, he’s always been a brilliant fighter. Josh Barnett dominated Rogers and mounted him so easily that it looked like he was practicing the mount position with a sparring partner. I’m not sure if I’m fully ready to forgive Josh Barnett, but I have no problem giving credit where credit is due and recognizing greatness when it presents itself. And part of me quite frankly loves Josh Barnett, simply because he took the mic away from Gus Johnson for a few seconds.

And in the main event… well, the main event was just plain weird. What was Fabricio Werdum thinking? Honestly, I can’t remember another time when a fighter has pulled guard so many times. It was an incredibly bizarre performance. Overeem couldn’t really get going because whenever he started landing, Werdum would just pull guard again. It bordered on disgraceful. With this loss, I think Werdum’s five minutes of fame for beating Fedor Emelianenko may finally be over.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this event and I’m immensely happy that Strikeforce is putting on shows again. But man… what a weird main event.

5. The return of KJ Noons.

I’ve had my issues with KJ Noons in the past, but I’ve never had anything bad to say about his abilities. Noons is a championship-level fighter, and he’s heading back down to a weight class that is much more natural for him. His opponent, Jorge Masvidal, is a brash-talking all-rounder who’s just begging to be put in his place. Depending on who wins and how they win, the winner of this fight could very well get the next shot at the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.

4. Can Jeff Monson beat Daniel Cormier?

Notice the wording of that sentence, and how it’s not “Can Cormier beat Monson?” As skilled as Jeff Monson is, Daniel Cormier is a huge threat to him. Cormier is a former Olympic-level wrestler, he’s never been submitted, he’s never even been beaten. He also has knockout power in his hands. Monson deserves another shot in a major promotion, but in order to do that he’ll have to find a way to beat one of the biggest, baddest, most “can’t-miss” prospects in the entire world, and not just Strikeforce.

3. What’s left for Josh Barnett and Brett Rogers?

Both men have fallen on very hard times of late: Brett Rogers is 1-2 in his last three with both losses by (T)KO stoppage. Josh Barnett has pretty much vanished from almost everybody’s radar. Can Rogers re-assert himself as the knockout artist that seemed destined to take Strikeforce by storm? Can Barnett remind everyone why he was once consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 best in the world, even Top 5, for several years? Whoever wins this fight will be given a second chance, the loser will only slide further into obscurity. And that kind of incredible motivation tends to result in spectacular fights.

2. Can Fabricio Werdum do the unthinkable… again?

Fabricio Werdum can’t beat Alistair Overeem… right? Of course not, Overeem is just too good… isn’t he? Admit it, fans and friends: when you think of this match and you’re an Overeem fan, you get an uneasy feeling in your gut and you wonder if lightning can strike twice and miracles do give repeat performances. I should know, I’m a gigantic Overeem fanboy and that’s exactly how I feel heading into “Overeem vs. Werdum”. I want to say I have complete and utter faith in Alistair Overeem, but in the back of my head, some part of my brain continues to whisper “anything is possible in MMA”. I don’t think Fabricio Werdum will beat Alistair Overeem… but I don’t know. I just don’t know. And I certainly want to find out.

And the number-one reason to watch this event is…

1. The return of “The Reem”, Alistair Overeem

Fans of Overeem know that despite all the cynics, Alistair Overeem is easily one of the Top 5 Heavyweights in the world. Some people thought  that the only reason he looked so amazing lately was because of the quality (as in, the lack thereof) of the opponents he had been facing, and then Overeem went out and demolished Brett Rogers and made it look easy. And yet Overeem still has his fair share of doubters and cynics. Me, personally? I think Overeem is going to prove everybody wrong once again, he’s going to dominate once again, he’s going to knock someone out once again… and I can’t wait to see it happen.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see Strikeforce: “Overeem vs. Werdum”.

Valentijn  Overeem vs. Chad Griggs: I think this fight is going to be a tough war, and I think it has a good chance of going to a decision. Then again, it has a good chance of ending in the first round, too. I don’t think Overeem can knock Griggs out, Griggs has too tough of a chin. So here’s what I think: if Overeem’s chin holds up and he doesn’t get caught with a vicious counter, he’ll win by Unanimous Decision. But if Griggs starts landing, Griggs will win by TKO in either Round 2 or 3.

Daniel Cormier vs. Jeff Monson: This is a rare moment for me: my heart and my head are in total disagreement. I want Jeff Monson to win very badly, I think he’s sorely under-rated and is long overdue for a big comeback in a major promotion. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that Cormier is the epitome of this recently-emerging new breed of wrestler, with ridiculously good wrestling skills and ridiculously good camps that know how to utilize that skill. And that new breed of wrestler is finding it easier and easier to neutralize anyone on the ground, even really good submission fighters. My heart wants Jeff Monson to win by TKO in Round 2 or Submission in Round 3, my head thinks both situations are far less likely than Daniel Cormier winning by Unanimous Decision. As much as I love being an optimist, I’m a realist first, so I’ll pick Cormier by Unanimous Decision.

KJ Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal: It’d be hard for me to pick against KJ Noons no matter who he was facing, but I’m practically giddy that I get to side with KJ Noons while consequently siding against Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal needs another rude awakening, he needs another “Inverted Triangle Choke” moment, and I think Noons is going to give it to him. Noons has KO power and is fighting in his domain, at Lightweight. KJ Noons wins by KO in Round 1.

Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers: In the end, I think experience will win out and Josh Barnett, for all his flaws, will prove that he’s still a Top 10 fighter. In this fight. I think Barnett is going to pick Rogers apart standing, avoiding any major one-hit KO blows before forcing the fight up against the cage. After that, Barnett will then smother Rogers with tight clinch wrestling and some precise, hard-hitting dirty boxing. Eventually Rogers will weaken and Barnett will take him down, and from there, it’s just a matter of transitioning from one submission or another once Rogers throws his hands up, shifts his weight, and attempts to buck off his opponent. Josh Barnett wins by submission in Round 2.

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum: I’m not counting out Fabricio Werdum, I’d like to make that very clear before making this prediction. I just think Overeem is unstoppable and would be supremely shocked if Werdum beat him again. So, can Werdum defy the odds and make us all eat some humble pie once again? Certainly. But I think it’s far, far more likely that the second “Ubereem” starts letting the “Reem Hammers” go, Werdum isn’t going to get stunned and dropped, he’s going to get stone-cold KTFO’d. And unlike the fight against Fedor Emelianenko, Werdum won’t be able to stay conscious long enough to scramble and trap Overeem in a submission. Alistair Overeem wins by KO in Round 1.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

The Event: Strikeforce “Overeem vs. Werdum”, currently scheduled for June 18, 2011 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Five free preliminary fights will be shown live on HDNet starting at 8:00 PM ET. The five-fight main card will be broadcasted live on the Showtime network starting at 10 PM ET/PT.

Why You Should Care: This fight is packed with great Heavyweight talent, from young up-and-comers like Daniel Cormier to grizzled veterans like Jeff Monson. You’ve got former UFC fighters, former UFC champions, knockout artists, and submission specialists. And you’ve also got the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion competing in one of the two final quarterfinal bouts of the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Don’t blink. Alistair Overeem is a juggernaut, a hulking behemoth, and virtually no one has been able to withstand his incredible blend of speed, technique, and massive punching power. But Fabricio Werdum is a submission wizard and has beaten Overeem once before. Whoever wins this fight will likely emerge as the favorite to win the entire tournament. It’s a fight that absolutely should not be missed.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Josh Barnett is a master of catch-wrestling, and his many years of experience means that he’ll know how to do with the awesome power of Brett Rogers. Brett Rogers has been outclassed and dismantled recently, but even if he is just a one-dimensional power-puncher, the power he packs into his punches is still phenomenal. Barnett has the technique, the savvy, and the mind to not only beat Brett Rogers, but possibly dominate him. But that all goes right out the window the second that Brett Rogers lands a good, solid punch to the chin. It’s just a matter of not giving “The Grim” that opportunity.

Why You Should Watch This Card: There’s just so much potential in all five of these main card fights. Plus you get several more fights for free if you’ve got an HDTV and are subscribed to HDNet. I encourage anyone wanting to know why to watch this card to take a look at my “A Closer Look” series, which gives a lot of detail on all five main card bouts and why you should be excited for them. To summarize: it’s the best of both worlds and all five of these fights should be vastly entertaining.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I can’t think of one, and that’s not the Strikeforce fanboy in me talking. Strikeforce has been on an incredible roll as of late, putting on amazing events back and forth and, to be honest, outright outshining the UFC on several occasions. If Strikeforce and the UFC were still separate promotions right now, I think this would be the type of show that turns a lot of heads and would have taken a huge step towards legitimizing Strikeforce as a very real, very powerful, very worthy alternative to the UFC. It’s one of the best-looking cards of the season, perhaps of the year, and it simply shouldn’t be missed.

Closing Thoughts: I can’t wait for this event, and I honestly feel like I’ve waited too long as it is. Strikeforce took a month off last month, and I’m ready for more Strikeforce. They’ve had so many awesome shows lately that my anticipation for their upcoming events has never been higher. Even though they now belong to Zuffa, for the time being Strikeforce is still Strikeforce, and Strikeforce is an amazing promotion that gets better on a per-show basis.

From the moment he first stepped into cages and rings around the world to compete as a Mixed Martial Artist, Fabricio Werdum took his exceptional gifts on the ground and used them to carve a path of twisted limbs and unconscious foes. Far from a one-dimensional submission specialist, Werdum quickly asserted his punching power in MMA as well: he scored his first (T)KO win and his first KO win in his third and fourth fights, respectively.

Werdum would eventually have a successful run in the legendary PRIDE FC promotion before being signed to the UFC. After losing his UFC debut to former champion Andrei Arlovski, Werdum established himself as a championship contender with back-to-back TKO victories over Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga. However, Werdum would end up leaving the UFC after only his second loss in the promotion. The man who beat him? A little-known Brazilian upstart named Junior dos Santos, who would later destroy everyone else in his path and emerge as one of the best Heavyweight fighters in the world.

But of course, Werdum bounced back. He landed in Strikeforce, and won back-to-back fights against Mike Kyle and Antonio Silva. And then, in one of the most-shocking upsets in the history of Mixed Martial Arts, Fabricio Werdum defeated Fedor Emelianenko in the first round. It took Werdum barely over a minute to trap Emelianenko in a Triangle Choke and force the stoic Russian to admit defeat. Werdum has been on the sidelines ever since, healing an injury.

His opponent, Alistair Overeem, requires virtually no introduction. It’d be easier to list off the championships he currently holds, because there’s three of them. Alistair Overeem is the current Heavyweight Champion of both Strikeforce and the Japanese-based DREAM promotion. He is also a K-1 World Grand Prix Champion.

After struggling to realize his potential for quite some time, after a series of tough defeats saw him bounce back and forth between Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight, Alistair Overeem has finally become the unstoppable wrecking machine many people thought he would eventually transform into. His recent return to Strikeforce saw him dominate and destroy Brett Rogers, at one point easily grabbing the formidable bulk of “The Grim” and tossing him aside as if it were nothing. Currently, Overeem is 9-0 in his last ten fights, with one bout being ruled a No Contest. He has finished all nine of those opponents, with eight first-round stoppages.

Heading into this fight, it’s hard to not see Alistair Overeem as an unstoppable, almost inhuman force of nature. I’m a huge fan of “The Reem” and I find it quite easy to buy into his hype, because it’s the kind of hype that is justly deserved. But I just don’t think I’ll ever fully count out Fabricio Werdum ever again.

If there’s a way to beat Alistair Overeem, Werdum is one of the few fighters best-suited to finding it out. He’s got a great submission game, but he also has formidable power in his hands. He’s also got a tremendous heart and a brilliant tactical mind. Werdum’s strategy may give him the keys to defeating Overeem and giving fans another monumental upset. But if Werdum doesn’t show up as the best fighter he’s ever been? “The Reem” is going to give his fans another dramatic, brutal first-round KO.

5. Fabricio Werdum has faced and beaten better competition in recent years.

This is something that a lot of Overeem’s cynics love to throw out there, but to be brutally honest… there’s some truth here. Aside from Brett Rogers, let’s look at some of the names Overeem has beaten recently: Todd Duffee? Kazuyuki Fujita? James Thompson? Gary Goodridge? Compare this to some of Werdum’s recent conquests: Antonio Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, even Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga in the UFC. Overeem may be a K-1 champion, but the hiatus he took from the sport to pursue that dream weighs heavily on the mind of many an Overeem cynic. And it honestly should.

4. Overeem hasn’t been out of the first round in almost four years, so Werdum may end up having a significant cardio advantage.

The last time a fight involving Alistair Overeem went to the second round occurred in 2007. The last time Alistair Overeem fought to a decision was all the way back in 2006. And as so many fight fans love to rightfully point out, with big muscles comes big power, but it also takes a whole lot of energy to move those muscles. Overeem is a physical specimen right now, he looks like a Greek statue. But what happens when/if this fight goes into deep waters? If anyone can truly test Overeem’s cardio, it’d be a fighter like Werdum. And Werdum just might be able to tire out his mammoth opponent.

3. Fabricio Werdum has already beaten (and finished) Alistair Overeem.

I cannot possibly understate the value of going into a fight knowing you’ve already beaten your opponent. It’s a monumental mental advantage, and it helped several fighters dominate a rematch when the first fight had them winning out narrowly (see Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn 2 and Frank Edgar vs. BJ Penn 2). Even better for Werdum, he didn’t just beat Overeem: he submitted him. It won’t be easy to do it again, but the simple fact that he’s already done it is a huge feather in Werdum’s cap.

2. Fabricio Werdum has one of the best ground games in any Heavyweight division in MMA.

As I’ve pointed out before, I tend to keep the term “ground wizard” close to my chest and only use it to describe the best in the game. And there can be no mistaking that Fabricio Werdum is a ground wizard. Of his fourteen wins, eight have come by submission. That’s double the amount of (T)KO victories he has and four times the number of his decision wins. Alistair Overeem may have incredible Ground and Pound, but you can simply never count out Fabricio Werdum when the fight hits the floor. Which brings me to my final point, in fact…

And the number-one reason Fabricio Werdum could beat Alistair Overeem is…

1. Fabricio Werdum has already done the impossible and achieved the unthinkable. He should never be counted out of a fight again.

If a fighter does the impossible and unthinkable, how can you ever again count them out of a fight? The phrase “anything can happen in MMA” has taken on an entirely new significance in just the past few years, and one of the chief contributing factors to that was Werdum’s surprise submission of Fedor Emelianenko, the first legitimate loss of Emelianenko’s career. Werdum knows what it takes to win when everyone else thinks he’ll be easy pickings, and that’s the biggest weapon he’ll have in his arsenal against Alistair Overeem.

5. Even with all he’s accomplished, Alistair Overeem is still hungry to prove himself.

As stated previously, Overeem is a champion in three separate promotions, one of which is part of an entirely different sport. But that’s not enough for Overeem: he just doesn’t want to stay champion and win this tournament. He wants to go on and unify his Strikeforce title with the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He wants to go down as one of the best Heavyweight fighters of all time. And when you set your sights that high and are as skilled as Overeem, the impossible becomes possible very quickly.

4. Fabricio Werdum has been out of active competition for very, very close to a year.

The last time Fabricio Werdum stepped into a Strikeforce cage, he did the unthinkable and submitted Fedor Emelianenko. That was then, this is now. And Werdum’s last fight was that fight, which took place on June 28, 2010. That’s about as close to a year-long layoff as it gets, and as I keep saying, ring rust is very real. Several notable fighters have proven me very right recently, the most-notable being Mauricio Rua. If Werdum shows up even a bit rusty, which is a real possibility, then Overeem may end up running away with this fight.

3. Alistair Overeem has a very, very smothering top game.

Alistair Overeem doesn’t like to posture up when he’s in your guard, he likes to keep things tight and land short, compact punches. He does this for two reasons: to avoid submission attempts, and because he can knock a man out at any distance, including ultra-short range. Even chest-to-chest, Alistair Overeem could probably knock out Fabricio Werdum with one shot. Overeem will have to constantly be on the lookout for submission attempts, yes, but if Overeem lands a solid punch on the ground, this fight has a high chance of being over in an instant.

2. Overeem hasn’t lost in almost four years, and hasn’t been properly submitted in over five.

The last person to officially submit Alistair Overeem was Ricardo Arona, but that was due to strikes. The last person to properly submit Overeem was… Fabricio Werdum. And that was quite a while ago. Overeem hasn’t lost since 2007, and his opponents haven’t gotten past the second round with him since 2007. Other than one No Contest, Overeem has finished all of his opponents since 2007 in the first round. His last victory saw him finish his opponent in a mere 19 seconds. To say that Alistair Overeem is coming into this fight riding a wave of momentum is a vast understatement.

And the number-one reason Alistair Overeem could beat Fabricio Werdum is…

1. There are good strikers, and then there are great strikers. And then, above that, there’s Alistair Overeem.

I’ve made my thoughts known on the whole “K-1 Level” debate, but in a nutshell: I think a good striker is a good striker and saying a fighter’s striking is at a “K-1 Level” doesn’t mean anything. What matters is that Alistair Overeem is a champion kickboxer in the world’s most famous and most prestigious kickboxing organization. The man has muscles on top of muscles which are on top of other muscles, and he’s got hands of solid concrete. No one, absolutely no one, has shown an ability to take Overeem’s punches for a prolonged period of time. Pound-for-pound, Overeem is one of the best strikers in all of MMA right now. And that’s definitely the number-one advantage he has over the submission-based Fabricio Werdum.

5. Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers

Both men have an avalanche of questions surrounding their careers right now. Is Brett Rogers just a flash in the pan? Is Josh Barnett worth the risk, given his many scandals? The fight between these two should answer all that and more. If Brett Rogers can knock out a skilled wrestler like Josh Barnett, he’ll have given his career the shot in the arm that it so very desperately needs. The same goes for Josh Barnett if he’s able to beat the man who became famous as a wrecking ball on legs.

4. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo

A lot of people don’t like Cheick Kongo, considering him a journeyman and one-dimensional. Both of those statements are not without merit, but when in his element and when against a certain caliber of opponent, Cheick Kongo is a great and very entertaining fighter. He’ll be in his element against Pat Barry, and Barry is the right kind of opponent for Kongo. Win or lose, it’s going to be a great war of attrition between two powerful strikers.

3. Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin

Something tells me that this fight won’t go past the first round. I would only be slightly, slightly surprised if it went past the third minute. I’d be utterly flabbergasted if it went to a decision. These two men swing with bad, bad intentions, and they’ve left a trail of cracked chins in their wake. Junior dos Santos is an expert striker with smart timing, pacing, and laser precision. Shane Carwin can throw a whole lot of punches in a short amount of time (even if he gasses out immediately afterward), and any single one of them can knock a man out. It should be very violent and it will probably end very quickly, but it’s definitely one of the biggest can’t-miss fights of the month.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum

I truly believe that Alistair Overeem is unstoppable. He’s a champion in Strikeforce, in the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, and in K-1, which is the largest and most prestigious kickboxing organization in the world. But if anyone could stop him, it’d be someone like Fabricio Werdum, who possesses a tremendous heart, an iron will, and one of the best ground games in MMA, regardless of weight division. Whoever wins this fight has got to be the favorite to win the entire Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

And my personal pick for the number-one can’t-miss fight of June 2011 is…

1. Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida

A lot of people, even Clay Guida himself, are already calling this a Fight of the Year contender. Not only am I in that bandwagon, I’m up in front and leading the charge. Clay Guida may be a journeyman, but he’s one of the most entertaining journeyman fighters I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Anthony Pettis is an amazing fighter that has already given me a fight that I consider one of the best of all time. No matter who wins this fight, it’s a perfect match-up between two fantastic fighters. You absolutely must not miss this fight.

In fact, after Werdum’s PRIDE days were over once the organization had been purchased by the UFC, he eventually made his way to the Zuffa owned promotion in April of 2007, however succumbed to a lackluster decision defeat to former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at UFC 70 upon his entry.

Afterwards, the Brazilian would go on to compile an overall record of 2-2, with wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera later besmirched by a devastating knockout loss to current top contender Junior dos Santos. After the loss, the two parties couldn’t come to terms on a new deal, and Werdum made his own elsewhere, and found his way to Strikeforce. However, now with the acquisition of the San Jose based promotion, Werdum has now become one of the top prizes of the organization.

In April of 2010, Fabricio Werdum became the first man to submit the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, who long reigned as the premier heavyweight fighter on the planet and is often heralded as the greatest fighter of all time.

The win for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion caught the eye of many, including the UFC head honchos. In a conversation with TATAME.com, Werdum recollects on a talk he had with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva where the executive expressed interest in the Brazilian again.

“Strikeforce was doing well, growing strongly, but let’s face the facts, the UFC is the best of the world, a stronger brand… You have to unit with the best”, said Werdum, who later confirmed that the UFC was in fact interested in hsi serviced again after the win over Emelianenko.

“Now I can say, right? (laughs) Joe Silva told me to call him as soon as I was ‘free’, to call him to negotiate, but now we’re at the same home again (laughs) [sic]“.

With the acquisition of Strikeforce under the Zuffa banner, we could very well see the absorption of many of the Strikeforce talent, and depending on how the rest of the heavyweight grand-prix plays out, Werdum’s assertions of reentering the octagon could become a very real reality.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Should the UFC have tried to acquire Werdum immediately when he defeated “The Last Emperor”? Well, better late than never. Sound off in the comment section below.

Werdum, who shocked the mixed martial arts world last year with a 69-second submission win over the seemingly unbeatable Fedor Emelianenko, has invested interest in the upcoming title fight between champ Nick Diaz as he defends his title for the second time against veteran Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos.

And while the Brazilian has long lauded Diaz as one of his favorite fighters to watch, he’s going with the home team in picking Santos for the upset.

Aaron Tru of MMAPrime.tv, who was recently nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2010 World MMA Award hosted by Fighters Only, caught up with the former UFC and PRIDE star who gave his thoughts on the welterweight affair.

“I like Nick Diaz”, began the two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion.

“He’s a very good fighter, too. But ‘Cyborg’ is very nice. Very nice kicks, very good Muay Thai. Everybody don’t believe in the ground, but he has very good Jiu-Jitsu now. 100%, ‘Cyborg’ wins this fight.”

It’s not a stretch for Werdum to pick Evangelista, who came off the biggest win of his career last June when he knocked out DREAM welterweight champion and former Strikeforce title contender Marius Zaromskis inside of the first-round.

But, Santos being a protege of Rafael Cordeiro who now is one of the head trainers of Werdum might make things all the more complicated.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Do you think ‘Cyborg’ could pull of the upset and prove Werdum correct? Or will Diaz be able to take out the knockout artist with his repertoire of skills? Sound off in the comment section below.

Among Werdum and Alistair, Antonio Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, Sergei Kharitonov, Brett Rogers, Josh Barnett, and Andrei Arlovski are among the competitors in the upcoming tournament, three of which Fabricio has beaten in recent competition.

And for trainer Rafael Cordeiro, he believes that Werdum can shock the world once again, much like what the Brazilian did when he submitted the seemingly unbeatable Fedor Emelianenko last April.

“We’ve started his preparation as soon as he got better from his surgery. He’s super motivated for this fight, we have great training partners. Werdum will shock you once again”, said head trainer Cordeiro who spoke with TATAME.com recently about his student’s upcoming bout with the champ.

“The level of difficulty they’ll have to face in each fight will show us who the best in the world is. We’ll give our best to make Werdum proves he’s the best of this championship.

Though the match-up in of itself will not be contested for the promotion’s title, participating in this tournament, and winning no less will be a huge accomplishment for any one man. For Fabricio, he holds victories over the likes of Emelianenko, Antonio Silva, and another win over “The Reem” would be a great way to start his inception into the infamous Grand Prix, which has received lots of positive attention since it has been announced. It’s really a PRIDE-like throwback for most of the hardcore fans, and the fighters assembled for such a tourney make it that much more special, with former champions and top-10 talent riddled all over.

Werdum has the daunting task of finding a way to defeat the surging Overeem once again. The two met previously in 2006, with the multiple time Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion submitting the Dutch striker with a kimura in the second round. Now, over 4 years have passed and both men have improved dramatically, with most of the spotlight dawning Alistair as of late, since the goliath heavyweight has since been able to nab the DREAM interim title as well as the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 belt, defeating the likes of Tyrone Sponge, Gokhan Saki, and legend Peter Aerts all in one night to reign as king over the kickboxing world.

It will be pitted as a classic “Striker vs. Grappler” match, where it should be no surprise where either man would like the fight to play out.

So, MMA peeps, what do you like about Werdum’s chances against the Holland native? Will he be able to pull another submission out of his bag of tricks, or will Overeem crush the challenger with one of his lethal dose of knees and punches? Sound off in the comment section below.

Let’s start with the meat of this post: what follows is a listing of all fourteen parts of the “Heavy Wait” series, and below that, individual links to each and every article. So without further ado…

Heavy Wait Part 1: What Will Happen If The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Lives Up To Its Potential

Heavy Wait Part 2: What I Like The Most About The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Heavy Wait Part 3: What I Dislike About The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Heavy Wait Part 4: What Fedor Emelianenko Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 5: What Antonio Silva Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 6: What Alistair Overeem Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 7: What Fabricio Werdum Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 8: What Andrei Arlovski Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 9: What Sergei Kharitonov Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 10: What Josh Barnett Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 11: What Brett Rogers Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Heavy Wait Part 12: Top 5 Dream Matches For The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Heavy Wait Part 13: Why Alistair Overeem Will Win The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Heavy Wait Part 14: My Final Thoughts On The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

And now, for a few final comments.

It’s recently been announced that each tournament bout will have three five-minute rounds, and that the winner is effectively competing for a shot at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship. So, in a nutshell, Alistair Overeem is competing to win his own championship, and if he loses, whoever beats him will have to beat him again. I know some fans are already shouting “typical Strikeforce” at this rather confusing turn of events, but to be completely honest, I’d rather have a tournament with some slightly confusing rules and some unfair possible outcomes rather than no tournament at all. I can’t say this is the most ideal situation, but I’m not going to pretend like it’s the end of the world either. I’m still going to watch this one with vested interested, and I’m still really looking forward to seeing all of Strikeforce’s best Heavyweights fight each other.

If I could pick one Strikeforce Heavyweight that’s in the reserves to make it into the official tournament, it’d be Shane del Rosario. Of course, I hope no one gets injured so that we, the MMA fans, can get the dream matches we all want to see. But if it has to be anybody, I’d like it to be him. I’m very impressed with the man and I think he has the potential to be a real threat in the Strikeforce Heavyweight division in the next few years. He probably wouldn’t win the tournament, but if he did get into the main tournament he’d fight tooth and nail and with every fiber of his being, and that would surely make for some very interesting and entertaining bouts.

So, that’s it fans and friends! One final time, I’d like to thank all of you who gave “Heavy Wait” a read. As always, I just have to ask: what about you? Any last opinions?

Alistair Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, through a monkey wrench into the whole scheme of things when he proclaimed that he would also like to participate in the tournament which features a who’s who of mixed martial arts talent: Fedor Emelianenko, Sergei Kharitonov, Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers, Josh Barnett, Antonio Silva and Overeem’s next opponent, Fabricio Werdum.

While Scott Coker, the CEO of the San Jose based promotion, stated that since Overeem would be fighting Werdum in the quarter-finals, he had hoped that the fight could be contested for the promotion’s heavyweight strap, however those plans have since been nixed.

“All quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be scheduled for three, five-minute rounds,” said Coker who recently clarified the format of the heavy-heavyweight schedule in 2011 . “The tournament final will be five, five-minute rounds for the Strikeforce world grand prix championship.”

The winner of the heavyweight grand prix is set to get the first shot at Alistair Overeem for the division’s title, though the lines become blurry since “The Demolition Man” is now part of the tournament. If Alistair loses in the grand prix, he will still retain his title–but what if he loses in the quarter or even in the semi-finals and the person that beat him doesn’t win the grand prix?

Overeem, you certainly made a mess of things, though the addition of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 champion is certainly an added bonus to an already star-studded line up.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? How would you have formatted the Grand Prix should your champion chose to partake in it as well? Sound off in the comment section below.

I’ll start off with this: I’m a Strikeforce fan for several reasons, and I wish them nothing but the best when it comes to this tournament. Writing so much about this tournament has really helped me figure out just why I’m looking forward to it so much, because as I’ve said in the past, I’m incredibly hopeful about this tournament. If I had to narrow it down to one single sentence, it’d be this: I love the idea of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix because it’s wonderfully simplistic.

It’s as simple as this: Strikeforce has a fantastic roster of Heavyweight fighters, and now they’re all going to fight each other. It sounds so simple on paper, but anyone with even a small knowledge of how promoting works knows that the simplest ideas are usually the hardest ones to put together. I know some fans are thinking the following: everyone wants to see these guys fight each other, why is it so difficult to get them to fight each other? To which I say: there are a lot of reasons, and in fact, the situation is far more complicated than most can even imagine.

I absolutely do not believe that this tournament was easy to put together. I think it took a lot of careful negotiating, I think Strikeforce had to navigate some very difficult political waters to put this all together. But they did, it’s happening, and I couldn’t be happier. We’re getting what we want, we’re practically guaranteed some of the best, most interesting Heavyweight fights since the fall of the legendary PRICE FC promotion, and for that we should all be both incredibly thankful and incredibly hopeful. I sure am.

I know I could be criticized of sugar-coating this tournament and blowing its appeal out of proportion, but is it really so bad to get my hopes up? In a medium filled with journalists and fans that routinely and almost-exclusively focus on the negative, shouldn’t someone out there bring a little positivity to the mix? I’m not saying that we should be all “sugar and rainbows” when it comes to everything, since controversial topics do need to be examined and critical thinking can lead to progress. But negativity for the sake of negativity just leaves everyone feeling like crap.

If you’ve followed me at all during my time writing for fighters.com, you know that I absolutely do not shy away from a controversial topic, and that I’ve had a strong negative reaction to several stories and/or controversies in the past. But that’s more about me not having a problem loudly stating and vigorously defending my opinion, rather than me being a negative person. You can call me an aspiring journalist, an opinion columnist, a blogger, or any number of other terms that describe a person that does what I do, and many of you have called me all manner of four-letter words, but first and foremost, I consider myself an MMA fan.

And the MMA fan in me knows that this will be an amazing tournament.

So I think it’s time we all live a little, fans and friends. Let’s get our hopes up and believe that this tournament will fully live up to its potential. There’s always the chance that it won’t, but just this once, let’s all remember what brought us here in the first place: amazing fights that feature incredibly gifted individuals. I love the idea of this tournament. I can’t wait to see it happen. I believe in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. And so should you.

And finally, I’d simply like to thank everyone that’s followed “Heavy Wait”. I’ve had a lot of fun writing this fourteen-part “maxi-series”, and I’m very thankful that it’s gotten the kind of attention and reaction that it has. So whether you agree or disagree with anything I’ve said throughout these long articles, I’d just like to say: thanks for reading.

And that’s it, fans and friends! “Heavy Wait: The Hunt For Strikeforce Gold” has reached its official conclusion. So, for one last time, here’s my question: what about you? What are your feelings on the Heavyweight Grand Prix? And now that it’s all over, what did you think of “Heavy Wait”?

Although only some of you know how I feel on the matter, I’d like to point out that I’ve never believed in the whole “K-1 Striking” thing. For those that don’t know what I’m talking about, the gist of it goes like this: whenever people compare and contrast the striking games of fighters, certain fans will always bring up that an MMA fighter has “K-1 Level” striking. This generally means that they’ve competed and won in K-1, which is considered the highest level of kickboxing and the best kickboxing promotion in the world.

My main problem with that method of thinking is the following: just having competed in K-1 doesn’t make you an excellent striker. Think of it this way: I believe that being successful in K-1 doesn’t make you an amazing striker, instead, being an amazing striker means that you’ll be successful in K-1. That’s my outlook in a nutshell, and I bring this up because many people believe that Alistair Overeem’s “K-1 Level” striking will be too much for many Heavyweight participants to handle.

To which I say: I fully agree that Overeem’s striking will be one of the major reasons why he’ll win it all. Overeem is a K-1 World Grand Prix champion, meaning that he’s such an amazing striker that he’s now unquestionably one of the best kickboxers in the world. And unlike some K-1 kickboxers that try to transition to MMA only to fizzle out, Overeem was first and foremost an MMA fighter that tried K-1, and not vice versa.

Overeem’s striking is downright scary no matter where he competes, and that’s the main reason why I think he’ll win this tournament. He has the ability to one-hit KO practically anybody in this tournament, and if he begins to lose an engagement, his amazing size and musculature means that he can muscle his way out of almost any compromising position. He also has an amazing array of deadly strikes, from knees to the gut to knees to the head, from straight punches and jabs to looping hooks and monstrous uppercuts. I just don’t think any of the other seven Heavyweight Grand Prix participants have such a diverse array of killer strikes and crippling blows.

And if the fight gets to the ground, Overeem’s gigantic frame and years of experience have allowed him to outright dominate and smother opponents almost as large as he is. His Ground and Pound is vicious, and he can power his way out of virtually any disadvantageous ground position. The only real threats to Overeem on the ground are Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum, and even then, a smart and calculating Overeem should be able to find a way to combat their high level of ground game prowess.

There’s no stopping Alistair Overeem. There, I’ve said it. It’s what I believe wholeheartedly, and this is coming from a massive Fedor Emelianenko fan. Overeem has all the tools, and he’s been implementing them the right way for so long that he hasn’t lost an MMA bout in over three years. He currently holds three Heavyweight championships, one of which is in an entirely different sport, all of which are a testament to his ability to finally and fully put all the pieces of the puzzle together and realize the potential he’s been chasing since he moved up to Heavyweight full-time. It’s Overeem’s time now, and that fact will be solidified when he wins the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

At least, that’s how I see it all going down, fans and friends. What about you? Who do you think will win it all, and why?

5. Sergei Kharitonov vs. Brett Rogers

Just imagine the potential of this match if it turns into a brawl. Brett has a good chin, even though he’s been TKO’d twice recently. Once was due to a huge counter, another was due to some dominant ground control. A close-quarters brawl favors neither outcome, instead, slugging it out is where Brett seems to shine brightest. This one would be bloody and brutal, neither man would give an inch and eventually someone would fall face-first to the mat. But not before we got an incredibly wild brawl that would probably end up being a highlight of entire tournament.

4. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett

It’s the match that pretty much killed a promotion, and for several reasons I’d love to see Fedor take on Barnett. These two have a long history that spans all the way back to the PRIDE FC promotion, and after the beating Fedor gave Andrei Arlovski back in 2009, many at the time thought that Josh Barnett was one of the last credible threats to Fedor Emelianenko’s unquestioned dominance. Even though it was one of the chief contributing factors to the fall of the short-lived Affliction promotion, this is one fight I’d thoroughly enjoy seeing even with its somewhat morbid backstory.

3. Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett

This is another Affliction-inspired match that I hope sees the light of day. Before Barnett/Fedor there was Barnett/Arlovski, the fight was scrapped due to low ticket sales for the planned Affliction event this fight was supposed to headline. Still, this fight has a lot of potential for many different reasons. First and foremost, it should end up being a wildly entertaining brawl between two veterans that are known for their fierce determination and heart. For that reason alone, I’m already looking forward to this match and really hoping that it ends up happening.

2. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum

I’m trying to think of a bigger rematch in MMA that could possibly be put together, and nothing comes close to Emelianenko/Werdum 2. It doesn’t get much better than seeing the second chapter of the most unexpected rivalry in MMA history. Can Werdum do the seemingly-impossible once again? Or will Fedor’s previous years of flawless performances return in full force? It’s the rematch that everyone wants to see, and that definitely includes me.

But my top pick simply has go to go to…

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Alistair Overeem

It seems as if this is the one bout that just about everyone is universally looking forward to, and I just can’t help but join in on the festivities. In this bout, we see someone who I consider the greatest Heavyweight fighter of all time (and the greatest MMA fighter of all time, period) face the man that I and many others are predicting will dominate the Heavyweight rankings for years to come. There’s just too much to look forward to in this match: how will Fedor’s chin hold up to Overeem’s hands? Will Overeem’s K-1 prestige keep Fedor’s deceptively deadly striking at bay? Who wins this one on the ground? Without a doubt in my mind and without an ounce of hyperbole, I think this fight could end up being one of the greatest MMA fights of all time. It takes the number one spot quite easily.

So that’s one part down and two to go as we count down to the finale of “Heavy Wait”, fans and friends. As always, I just have to ask: what about you? Play matchmaker for a bit and let me know: what fights do you hope to see happen?

And don’t forget, this section of “Heavy Wait” follows a modified “Top 5” format.

Fedor Emelianenko: Don’t even try to throw haymakers, Fedor’s counter-striking is too good. Don’t take it to the ground, either, Fedor has too many submission options. Brett’s best bet is to smother Fedor against the cage, and when that happens, Brett needs to knee Fedor’s gut and try to bust him open with short-arm punches, even elbows. I just don’t see Brett KO’ing Fedor, so Brett would be best served to “embrace the grind”, as the saying goes.

Antonio Silva: The giant likes to brawl, I say: give him that brawl. Dig those heels in, load up with the power punches, and have at it. Silva’s long arms mean that his punches hurt no matter where they’re thrown, but they hurt the most when he swings them from afar. Brett needs to close the distance and dirty-box with Silva. He should try to take Silva to the ground at least once, just to see if he can control the big man and dish out some Ground and Pound. It’s going to be a down-and-dirty fight, Rogers will do best if he embraces that fact.

Alistair Overeem: Do not, absolutely do not allow Alistair Overeem the chance to close the distance and grapple. Overeem is a monster Heavyweight, but his chin is not made of granite. Rogers needs room to throw, because if it becomes a close-quarters brawl, Overeem’s K-1 background will be too much to handle. “The Grim” should use jabs to create distance, he shouldn’t leg kick because he doesn’t want to risk being taken down, and when Overeem tries to rush in and engage, Rogers needs to counter quickly and move away if Overeem’s chin holds up. If he keeps this strategy in mind, eventually Rogers can clip Overeem in an exchange and get the TKO.

Fabricio Werdum: I think the key to victory here will be if Rogers can land damaging shots without telegraphing them. If Werdum gets too comfortable with Brett’s rhythm, he’ll be able to counter Brett, and eventually one of those counters will involve a takedown. Rather than headhunt, Rogers should land cumulative damage to all areas of the body, softening Werdum up for a late-round TKO. Going for the brilliant KO may have brought Rogers to the dance, but it opens him up to far too many negative outcomes if he tries it against someone as versatile and tough as Werdum.

Andrei Arlovski: Andrei will be too focused on not letting history repeat itself, so if he shows up in any proper shape to fight, Rogers shouldn’t immediately bull-rush and hope that lightning strikes twice. Not now, not after he’s lost two straight by TKO. What Brett needs to do is pace himself and, although it goes against his nature, look to take this fight to the ground. With Arlovski’s outright abandonment of the ground game in his recent fights, Rogers would be best served taking Arlovski down, controlling him on the ground with his power and bulk, and then dishing out some brutal Ground and Pound until Arlovski’s lights are once again turned out.

Sergei Kharitonov: In a way, my thoughts on Rogers’ strategy against Kharitonov is very similar to the strategy I think he should use against Antonio Silva. If Sergei wants to brawl, Brett should meet him in the middle of the cage and start slugging it out. But if Sergei switches modes and instead tries to tactfully take out “The Grim”, Rogers should also change up his gameplan and focus on the ground game. Even if he’s not successful with his takedown attempts, it’ll bring both men right back into a close-quarters exchange, and that should favor Rogers.

Josh Barnett: The key to victory here is pretty simple: counter often, don’t get taken down, and don’t get lured into a brawl. Make no mistake, Rogers should still look for the (T)KO, but Josh Barnett fights best when he’s in a bloody brawl. It brings out his killer instinct and warrior spirit, so if Rogers wants to make a definitive statement, he needs to try to counter-KO Barnett instead of slugging it out and seeing which one of their chins holds up, because nothing short of a straight KO will take Barnett out after he gets fired up.

And so that wraps up the eleventh entry into the “Heavy Wait” series, fans and friends. Check back tomorrow for the three-part finale! And what do you think? What does Brett Rogers have to do to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix?

As always, this portion of “Heavy Wait” follows a modified “Top 5” format.

Fedor Emelianenko: Damn the consequences and go for broke. If Fedor wants to strike, start striking. If he wants to make it a ground war, follow him to the ground and try to get the best of him. There’s no one perfect way to beat Fedor Emelianenko, but Barnett can afford to take chances and play Fedor’s games until one man comes out with the clear advantage. Barnett has the heart, will, and skill to beat Fedor Emelianenko, so for this fight, it all comes down to Barnett’s physical and mental preparation. If he trains like this is the biggest fight of his life and fights like this is the biggest fight of his life, he’s got a shot.

Antonio Silva: I think effective cage control is Barnett’s best bet for taking out “Bigfoot”. Barnett needs to shove Silva against the cage and keep him there, peppering him with knees and punches until Silva inevitably shoves Barnett off of him. Constantly using his strength to push Barnett away will both tire out and frustrate Silva, and he’ll likely start headhunting. If Barnett can avoid any flurries and continue to close the distance, he should be able to dirty-box his way towards a very convincing Unanimous Decision victory.

Alistair Overeem: I think Barnett’s best shot of winning is to figure out what Overeem wants to do and then counter that. He may lose some points or even a round adopting this reactionary gameplan, but it’s realistically one of the few options Barnett has. Whatever Overeem wants to do, Barnett needs to do the opposite in order to keep Overeem guessing and throw off his timing.

Fabricio Werdum: It’s all about attacking at angles and not letting this one get to the ground, which Barnett should be able to do since he has a good wrestling game. So long as he uses his wrestling in reverse in order to keep it standing, Barnett should be able to beat Werdum. Trading in the clinch or against the cage is a bit iffy, Barnett may want to risk it but he also may be taken down because of it. If Barnett keeps his distance but also keeps active, he should be able to out-strike Werdum and may do enough cumulative damage to score a late-round TKO.

Andrei Arlovski: Don’t give Arlovski a chance to get comfortable, because he’s still a pretty dangerous striker. Barnett should look to land peppering blows to throw Arlovski off his gameplan. Barnett should focus on short, close-quarters engagements and try to get the best of Arlovski when the two start trading. Arlovski is a better technical striker but Barnett is a better brawler, so the key here is to lure Arlovski into his world while not getting lured into Arlovski’s.

Sergei Kharitonov: This is one fight that Barnett can afford to take to the ground, because realistically, Barnett has never been submitted: his first submission loss was an injury, he second was a submission to strikes. Barnett should be able to wrestle Kharitonov to the ground, and he should also be able to nail some good Ground and Pound while also avoiding any submission attempts.

Brett Rogers: Rogers has shown a susceptibility to counter-strikes, so Barnett should focus on that almost exclusively if he faces “The Grim”. It’s been a long time (over four years) since Barnett last lost by TKO, so only a full-on power shot that lands flush stands any chance of wobbling Barnett. Josh should absorb as little damage as possible while counter-striking, but he should also know that eventually Rogers will land something. If Barnett can lure Rogers into continually swinging for the fences, and not get KO’d in the process, eventually Rogers will tire himself out and then Barnett can launch a final counter-striking flurry to get the TKO.

And so, that wraps up the tenth edition of “Heavy Wait”. But as always, fans and friends, I just have to ask: what about you? What do you think Josh Barnett needs to do in order to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix?

As always, today’s entry will follow a restructured “Top 5” format.

Fedor Emelianenko: Sergei’s best chance against Fedor is standing up, on the ground Fedor is too controlling. The key here is finding out what Fedor does and doing the opposite. If Fedor wants to get into a striking exchange, Sergei should fight defensively and counter-strike. If Fedor wants to pick his shots, Sergei should try to lure Fedor into striking exchanges. By forcing Emelianenko to constantly change his gameplan while attacking “The Last Emperor” throughout with hard and smartly-timed shots, Sergei just might have it in him to beat Emelianenko.

Antonio Silva: Sergei has fought giants before, so he’s definitely got some experience fighting an athlete like Silva. Kharitonov may have the best shot at finishing the fight if he takes Silva down and starts hunting for a ligament. Don’t forget, Kharitonov has as many wins by submission as he does by (T)KO, and he’s submitted some big giants. If Sergei can work his way into mount, he may be able to finish Silva with some brutal ground and pound, and if he can’t, he should work for an armbar.

Alistair Overeem: Even though Sergei is a very credible threat standing up, Overeem is just too good on his feet. He hits too hard, his precision and technique is too good, and he requires virtually no room to throw a KO strike, whether it be a knee or a fist. It’ll definitely be a hard-fought war on the ground that Kharitonov may or may not win, but even that is better than a one-sided thrashing, which Sergei will more than likely receive if he tries to beat Overeem standing up.

Fabricio Werdum: Werdum will inevitably shoot for a takedown, and when that happens, Sergei needs to make him pay. The key here will be to block the takedown and then grapple with Werdum very briefly in order to set up a dirty-boxing exchange. Sergei should avoid the leg kick as well: if he wants to use his legs, he needs to either utilize the high kick or attempt to knee Werdum in the face while they exchange in the pocket. Sergei’s best bet is to grind away with Werdum and look for a lucky shot, because even if it doesn’t come, Sergei could win on points alone so long as he makes Werdum play his game and doesn’t get lured into playing Werdum’s.

Andrei Arlovski: Sergei is going to need room to strike, because Arlovski’s chin held up to Antonio Silva’s fists when Silva attacked from short range. Sergei needs to try and constantly create distance, but he should also try hard not to telegraph his punches. It’s all about finding the sweet spot and catching Arlovski at the right time, with the right strike, utilizing the right momentum. Sergei needs to pick his shots, but the second an opportunity presents itself, he should let loose full-force and look for the stoppage.

Josh Barnett: Sergei needs to counteract Barnett’s brawling style by focusing on tact rather than brawling right back. If Sergei picks his shots, he probably will lose a few stand-up encounters but stands a better chance at landing that one big shot right on the sweet spot. If Sergei lures Barnett into thinking he’s winning, eventually Sergei can clip Barnett with the shot that matters most, and then follow it up for the TKO.

Brett Rogers: Sergei needs to dig in and brawl with Rogers for several reasons. For one, Sergei’s chin is very tough and should hold up to repeated blows in the pocket. Second, Rogers punches hard period, but he punches hardest when he has room to throw. If Sergei forces Rogers to dirty-box, he may end up getting the better of him. In particular, Sergei should look to stuff Rogers against the cage, and when Rogers attempts to shove Sergei off of him, Sergei should look for the counter-KO.

And that’s the end to part 9, fans and friends. But what do you think? What does Sergei Kharitonov need to do in order to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix?

Remember, this sub-section of “Heavy Wait” uses a modified “Top 5” format.

Fedor Emelianenko: Never, never ever (and I do mean never) throw another flying knee at Fedor Emelianenko. Just don’t do it. Arlovski looked to be doing a pretty good job against Fedor before he was on the wrong end of what many consider the year’s best KO. Arlovski needs to avoid running into any of Fedor’s power punches period, and that applies to a lot more than just not doing any stupid flying knees. Arlovski needs to circle away constantly from Fedor’s power shots and open him up with peppering strikes. Arlovski’s best chance of beating Fedor is to constantly figure out Fedor’s range and constantly adapt to Fedor’s changes.

Antonio Silva: What does that first “M” in MMA stand for, again? Arlovski’s main fault in his first fight with Silva is that he used an ultra-traditional boxing stance. It’s time to mix it up to bring the big man down, because Arlovski’s chin seems able to withstand Silva’s blows. Arlovski should start taking more chances. He also needs to attack at angles, utilize leg kicks and knee strikes and, for the sake of my sanity, he needs to remember that he’s got a pretty good Sambo background. Even if he pops right back up or forces “Bigfoot” to stand right back up, some good takedowns go a long way.

Alistair Overeem: I hate to say this, but I’m having a hard time picturing Andrei Arlovski beating Alistair Overeem. Arlovski’s best bet may simply be to pull the trigger the second the first bell rings and go for broke. Arlovski shouldn’t give Overeem a chance to get comfortable, and he shouldn’t give Overeem a chance to take the lead. I know this is pretty much a “Hail Mary” as far as fight strategies go, but it’s honestly one of the few ways I think Arlovski could beat Overeem.

Fabricio Werdum: Arlovski needs to keep it standing, but he also should play it smart. Werdum probably won’t KO him, but unless Arlovski is sure that Werdum is a few punches away from going into the land of dreams, he should follow Werdum to the mat with an extreme level of caution. Likewise, Arlovski would be best served stuffing takedowns rather than trying to force Werdum to eat a knee, because there’s always a chance that Werdum will simply absorb that knee, continue to drive through, and score the takedown. As a pure stand-up affair, Arlovski has all the tools necessary to once again beat Fabricio Werdum.

Sergei Kharitonov: It’s all about counter-striking until an opportunity presents itself, and then bull-rushing to get the finish even if he absorbs some damage when doing so. Sergei swings wildly and hits hard, but Arlovski has fought and beat opponents who use that style, so he’s very familiar with what Sergei brings to the table. If Arlovski uses his head and not his heart, he stands a very good chance of beating Sergei.

Josh Barnett: I think Arlovski can afford to slug it out with Barnett if Barnett tries to brawl, but Arlovski needs to back up and adjust the second he feels that he’s not getting the better of the striking game. Barnett is a gamer, he won’t go down easy and he’s not really fighting to his full potential until he tastes his own blood. If Arlovski continues to win exchanges in the pocket, he should stick to engaging and engaging frequently, and if he doesn’t, he may be better suited to adapting frequently and focusing more on counter-striking Barnett.

Brett Rogers: Arlovski needs to not give Rogers one single chance to bum-rush, because if he does “The Grim” can always hit another fast flurry that knocks Arlovski down and puts him out. If Rogers comes in like a bull, Arlovski shouldn’t even try to counter, he should either shoot for a takedown or get out of the way. The key here is to play the matador: Rogers will come in headhunting, hoping for history to repeat itself, and if Arlovski knows what’s good for him he’ll duck, dodge, and land peppering shots until Rogers tires himself out. When that happens, then it’s time to let loose and look to win some rounds or even possibly finish Rogers.

So there you have it, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think Arlovski’s chances are in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix?

When Werdum shocked former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, everyone was left in awe, but also left wondering where the Brazilian would go from there.

Did an impending title fight against Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem loom on the horizon for the Brazilian? Will Werdum rematch Fedor, and if so, be able to defeat him again?

Instead, we were left wanting when the Jiu-Jitsu specialist was sidelined due to injury for the rest of the year, however he will now be returning for arguably one of the greatest tournament’s ever assembled in the realm of mixed martial arts, and he thinks he can take it all.

“From the injury I’m totally recovered, but I still ain’t on my best physically. I’m training enough to get it back”, said Werdum who spoke with TATAME.com regarding his rehabilitation process since after having surgery on a lingering elbow injury.

“Everyday I go to Huntington Beach to train with Rafael (Cordeiro). I train with him from 11am to 1pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I have a special training with Jason Miller and Mark Muñoz. We do a sparring and train Wrestling with Muñoz.”

Now back in the grind of training, “Vai Cavalo” is expected to return as early as March when he is scheduled to take on current Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem. The two men met before, years ago under the PRIDE banner in 2006 in very familiar settings. Both men participated in the organization’s Openweight Grand Prix, where Werdum bested the Dutch striker with a kimura in the second round.

Overeem has evolved a lot since then, winning the European Abu Dhabi Combat Club Qualifier’s a few years ago, submitting all three of his opponents, and recently captured the K-1 World Grand Prix title in December, besting fighters such as Tyrone Spong, Gokhan Saki, and Peter Aerts en route to the prestigious kickboxing title.

With all of his recent accolades though, even Werdum is not impressed and expects a repeat performance of their 2006 meeting.

“The fight will be very tactic, it’ll be like the one of 2006 and I’ll catch him again, you can bet on it”, said Fabricio.

“I’ll beat him with my game plan and smartness. The longer it gets, the better it is for be because he has a background that proves he’s not resistant. I’ll tire him up, bring him to the ground and finish the fight.

Overeem is just the first step in completing a tournament filled with a bevy of ultra-talented heavyweights, those of whom include the aforementioned Emelianenko, former UFC champions Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski, the hard hitting Brett Rogers, K-1 vet Sergei Kharitonov, and finally former EliteXC champ Antonio Silva.

Werdum, though, believes in his obvious Jiu-Jitsu skills (citing the fact that he’s a multiple time ADCC champion) and his ever improved stand up arsenal which has come leaps and bounds thanks to Rafael Cordeiro, the former head trainer of the Chute Boxe academy.

“It’d be a dream come true wining this GP”, said the 33-year-old.

“I’ve fought only one GP, which was Pride’s, in 2006, when I beat Overeem on the first phase and then lost to (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) on the second one. Back than I lacked experience, but today, being trained and more experienced, I have the weapons to win this GP.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Werdum’s comments? His BJJ skills are without question–he submitted “The Last Emperor” so that should be evidence enough. But do you think he has what it takes to make to the finals of one of the greatest tournaments in recent memory? Sound off in the comment section below.

And remember, this sub-section of “Heavy Wait” features a modified “Top 5” format. Let’s dive right in.

Fedor Emelianenko: Werdum stands the best chance of winning if he does his best to make the impossible happen again. Werdum needs to lure Emelianenko into a war of attrition on the ground, because that type of fight simply favors the submission specialist. As great as Emelianenko’s ground game is, if Werdum is given fifteen minutes to work off his back, he can catch Fedor again. The key here will be avoiding Fedor’s hardest shots and most brutal Ground and Pound, in order to have a clear head. If Werdum isn’t rocked early and often, if he’s in full control of his mental faculties as the fight continues to go to the ground, eventually Werdum will force open an opportunity or be presented with one, and that’s when he should explode and go for a submission.

Antonio Silva: Effective grappling is the key to neutralizing many of Silva’s more-obvious advantages, like his crazy reach. Werdum needs to attack at angles and constantly hunt for the takedown, but he should also do his best to switch gears constantly in order to confuse “Bigfoot” and add an element of surprise to his takedown attempts. If Werdum simply shoots and shoots often, it leaves him open to too many possible counter-shots. The key to victory here will be Werdum’s versatility at setting up his takedowns and smothering his opponent.

Alistair Overeem: It’s all about catching Overeem on the ground. Even if it means jumping into guard, Werdum can’t give Overeem a chance to get the better of him standing up. Overeem is a K-1 Champion, and Werdum’s striking has always teetered somewhere between “average with flashes of slightly-above-average” and “slightly underwhelming”. Even if he has to eat some Ground and Pound, Werdum needs to take this one to the floor and constantly hunt for submissions whether he’s on top or on his back.

Andrei Arlovski: Hit smarter, not harder. Arlovski is still a pretty good striker, I just don’t think Werdum can beat him on striking alone. Arlovski has virtually abandoned his ground game, Werdum should utilize that every chance he gets. If it goes to the ground, Werdum should look to Ground and Pound Arlovski and get a dominating Unanimous Decision victory. If Arlovski leaves himself open Werdum should of course try to lock something in, but if Werdum wants to guarantee victory, an active ground game spent mostly on top looks to be the easiest way.

Sergei Kharitonov: Sergei likes to throw bombs; Werdum needs to make him pay for doing so. Werdum needs to close the gap, and when Sergei begins blasting, Werdum needs to smother him against the cage, take him down, and work for a submission. Sergei’s chin is too good, Ground and Pound should only be used to open Kharitonov up for passes. Werdum needs to get Sergei in mount, pound on him a little, and when Sergei tries to buck Werdum off or give up his back, Werdum needs to latch onto an arm or lock in a choke. If Sergei gives Werdum even the slightest opening for a submission, Werdum should pursue it vigorously, because he’ll get it eventually.

Josh Barnett: Werdum should play the striking game only until he figures out Barnett’s methods. Werdum should be able to hold his own against Barnett standing up, he’ll most likely lose a round but I don’t see Barnett being able to straight KO Werdum. Werdum needs to take a round to dodge, counter sparingly, and figure out Barnett’s gameplan. In the later rounds, Werdum needs to pounce, countering Barnett constantly and shooting for a takedown the second Barnett gets a bit too overzealous. Werdum needs to figure out Barnett’s aggressive style and then use it against him, because if he does, he stands a good chance of winning it two rounds to one, or possibly winning via submission if Barnett gets careless enough.

Brett Rogers: The gameplan that Werdum needs to beat Sergei almost-perfectly applies to Brett Rogers as well. I would only caution Werdum not to take as many chances, because Rogers hits a bit harder and he’s shown an ability to get good ground guys off of him so long as they’re not hulking behemoths like Alistair Overeem. Rogers may be able to buck off Werdum a few times, he may even power his way out of a submission or two, but Werdum should still stick to taking the big man down. Eventually, Rogers will tire himself out and practically gift-wrap a ligament to Werdum. And when that opportunity presents itself, that’s when Werdum should try to finish the fight.

So, fans and friends, that wraps up Part 7 of “Heavy Wait”. We’re now four competitors down with four to go. And what about you? What must Fabricio Werdum do in order to win it all?

Remember, this sub-series of “Heavy Wait” follows a modified “Top 5” format.

Fedor Emelianenko: This is the match that everyone wants to see, and believe me, it’s the one I’m most eagerly anticipating. For this fight, Overeem needs to use his size to get the better of Emelianenko and use his brain to know when to switch gears. Overeem is a K-1 Champion, but Fedor could still get the better of him standing up. If that happens, Overeem needs to try and slam Fedor to the ground and implement his Ground and Pound. If Fedor begins working for submissions or blocking most of Overeem’s punches, Overeem needs to stand back up and try the striking game again. It’s going to be a multi-faceted fight, and the winner will be the one who utilizes all facets of the MMA game to their utmost.

Antonio Silva: Overeem needs to close the distance and do it quickly, Silva can’t be given room because he’s become really good at utilizing what is normally a sizable reach advantage. Overeem may be best served taking this one to the ground; he’s shown a lot of skill in maneuvering and even overpowering big men on the ground. Overeem is not Mike Kyle, and that’s said with absolutely no disrespect towards Mike Kyle. But the point stands: if Overeem gets a chance to land a Ground and Pound barrage, he will stop Silva. If subjected to repeated blows, Silva’s impressive chin will falter to Overeem’s gigantic, well-placed fists.

Fabricio Werdum: Going to the ground with Fabricio Werdum is a risky endeavor, no matter how skilled you are. If Overeem tries to implement his Ground and Pound, he’ll have to avoid submission attempts constantly. I honestly think Overeem stands the best chance of winning if he forgoes the ground game entirely and focuses on one-hit KO’ing Werdum. I think Overeem needs to pepper Werdum in order to make Werdum attempt a takedown. And when that takedown comes, Overeem needs to launch a knee right into Werdum’s dome and score a KO. On the feet, Overeem should be able to maul Werdum. On the ground, it’s anybody’s ballgame. I think Overeem is best suited playing it safe and keeping it standing, in order to advance in the tournament and hopefully one day win it all.

Andrei Arlovski: I hate to do this to Arlovski, I’ve actually really enjoyed watching him fight throughout the years. But Overeem needs to headhunt the second the first bell rings, because if he does, he’ll get a first-round KO. Overeem is simply too good of a striker, he’s too powerful, he swings too hard and with too much precision. Arlovski is going to crumble the second Overeem lands a semi-powerful shot, so Overeem’s best bet is to bull-rush and end this before it has a chance of beginning.

Sergei Kharitonov: Counter, counter, counter. And then counter again. One of the reasons Overeem won the K-1 World Grand Prix was his ability to block and/or dodge and then unload with a barrage. Sergei is crazy enough to come out throwing bombs, Overeem needs to play it smart and maybe even play a bit safe, because Sergei will get frustrated and he will tire himself out. And when that happens, Overeem should immediately switch tactics and go for the kill, because he’ll likely get it.

Josh Barnett: It may be time to brawl if Overeem fights Barnett. Barnett has a good ground game, but Overeem’s ground game is very under-rated. Barnett does have KO power, but Overeem’s tactile style has made him a K-1 World Champion. If this turns into a war of attrition, Overeem’s striking game almost eclipses Josh Barnett’s. Overeem should go for the KO, for sure, but if he doesn’t get it, he needs to dig his heels in and switch modes, engaging often and trying his best to get the better of every encounter.

Brett Rogers: It’s all about utilizing his effective grappling and dirty-boxing. Overeem knows how to beat Rogers, he can do it again if he sticks to closing the gap and not giving Rogers a chance to load up, arch back, and try to land some bombs. Overeem needs to take Rogers down with authority and once again utilize his dominant top control to score a TKO victory. Even as a K-1 Champion, Overeem should not get overconfident and engage in a brawl, since Rogers still has dynamite in his hands. Overeem’s best bet is to take it to the ground, smother Rogers, then Ground and Pound him until the ref breaks it up.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What does Overeem have to do in order to win it all?

Fedor Emelianenko: Silva needs to throw bombs, but more importantly, he needs to throw them with precision and accuracy. Fedor knows what it takes to submit a big man on the ground, but he hasn’t faced a big man with the kind of skill that Silva has. If it goes to the ground, Silva needs to be very, very careful. Standing up, Silva needs the confidence to take chances, because he just might get them, and when you’re Antonio Silva, everything you throw is thrown with lots of power and plenty of bad intentions.

Alistair Overeem: Above all else, Silva needs room to throw. If Overeem closes the distance and turns this into a grappling match, Overeem will knee Silva all to hell, plus, Overeem possesses uncanny short-arm KO power: he knocked Todd Duffee out and barely had a few inches to swing. Silva needs to make the absolute most out of his reach advantage, because the last thing “Bigfoot” needs is for Overeem to dirty-box with him.

Fabricio Werdum: It’s all about control. Silva needs to control where this fight goes, he needs to control where he positions himself, and he needs to control his opponent. If Werdum starts advancing, start throwing bombs to back him up. If Silva gets cornered, he needs to immediately switch to “takedown defense” mode, because we all know what’s coming. On the ground, Silva needs to smother Werdum and, above all else, protect his various ligaments at all times.

Andrei Arlovski: With the confidence he gained from beating Arlovski the first time, I think Silva can afford to open up with his striking and really try to KO Arlovski the second time around. Silva knows he can last against Arlovski for three rounds, so he can certainly do the same thing again if he wants to, more than likely it’ll work and he’ll win again. But if he wants to make an emphatic statement, he should hunt for Arlovski’s chin, which remains suspect, and look for the KO that he stands a good chance of getting.

Sergei Kharitonov: It’s a battle of staying power vs. stopping power. Silva needs to tire Sergei out because, let’s be honest, Sergei has one thing and one thing only going for him: his punching power. If Silva can avoid the early-round onslaughts, he should be more than able to tire Sergei out and dominate the next two round with relative ease.

Josh Barnett: Silva needs to prepare for a war of attrition, because I think that’s exactly what this match will be. It’ll be a give-and-take affair with both men really dishing it out and taking it in. The key to Silva’s victory in this fight is that he needs to remain calm and not let the multiple exchanges fluster him and cause him to start getting sloppy. Silva stands the best chance of beating Barnett if he comes in mentally and physically prepared for a tough three-round war.

Brett Rogers: I honestly think “Bigfoot” has the best chance of winning if he takes this fight to the ground. Rogers still has a whole lot to learn when it comes to fighting off of his back, and if the Mike Kyle fight proved anything, it’s that Silva can outright blast through his opponent’s blocks and score a TKO. If Silva can keep Rogers on the ground, he should get him there early and often, and consistently look for the stoppage victory while doing so.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Do you see Antonio Silva winning it all? And if you do, what do you think he’ll have to do in order to beat his many possible opponents?

This eight-part series will feature a restructured “Top 5” format in order to give fans a quick rundown on what I think a Heavyweight Grand Prix participant needs to do in order to beat all seven of his possible opponents. Everything else is pretty much self-explanatory, so let’s get right to it.

Antonio Silva: Fedor needs to avoid Silva’s hands as much as possible. The man is a gargantuan behemoth, any shot he throws hurts simply because of how big he is and how long his arms are. If it goes to the ground, Fedor needs to grab one of those arms quick and get an armbar, or else Silva may be able to finally crack Fedor’s chin with those big fists of his. If Fedor relies on his super-effective counter-striking, it should come through for him.

Alistair Overeem: Fedor needs to find some way to crack Overeem’s chin, and he needs to do it early. If Overeem is caught in the early minutes of the bout, it’s going to be very demoralizing to him even if he survives. If Fedor can test Overeem’s chin and weaken his resolve, he should be able to come through with a Unanimous Decision win. Going for the power KO or submission simply leaves Fedor open to too much, the master strategist must stick to his gameplan or else Overeem stands a good chance of winning.

Fabricio Werdum: Two words: don’t grapple. As hard as this is to say as a Fedor fan, Emelianenko should abandon the ground game entirely and focus on his stand-up, which is far superior to Fabricio Werdum’s. I honestly don’t think Fedor should even risk it if he knocks Werdum down, anything less than a straight KO leaves too much of an opportunity for the impossible to repeat itself. If Fedor plays it safe and stays on his feet, this fight is his to win.

Andrei Arlovski: It’s time to be aggressive, you can’t duplicate magic and Andrei Arlovski will probably never throw another flying knee at Fedor ever again. If Fedor gets one clean opening, Arlovski is as good as KO’d. What Fedor should do is hunt for such an opening, because if the first fight proved anything, it’s that Arlovski could possibly take Fedor to a close decision but lacks the power to outright KO him. With the power clearly in Fedor’s hands, he honestly stands the best chance of winning this fight if he starts headhunting.

Sergei Kharitonov: Kharitonov is the odd man out in this tournament, but he still poses a threat to Fedor as a high-level striker. But Fedor has beaten high-level strikers in the past, and the gameplan he used against them should be the one he uses against Kharitonov. If Fedor can duck, dodge, and counter, Sergei realistically doesn’t stand much of a chance.

Josh Barnett: Again, it all comes down to crafting a good gameplan and sticking to it. These two probably won’t knock each other out, but Fedor should do his best to take a commanding lead by smothering Barnett on the floor and countering him on the feet. If Fedor is able to assert his control on Barnett early and often, Barnett won’t be able to do much to regain the favor of the judges.

Brett Rogers: Just like when he beat him the first time, Fedor Emelianenko needs to fight smarter, not harder. He needs to avoid Brett’s bombs, out-grapple him when he can, and look to land the same sweet counter that nearly knocked Brett’s head off his shoulders in their first encounter.

So, that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What does Fedor have to do to beat the various opponents he may end up facing before all is said and through?

5. The chances of seeing Fedor/Werdum 2 anytime soon look pretty remote.

Quite a lot has to happen before we get to see the rematch to arguably the most shocking upset in MMA of all time. If Fedor Emelianenko beats Antonio Silva (likely), Fabricio Werdum would have to beat Alistair Overeem (not so likely). If Overeem beats Werdum, Silva would have to beat Fedor (again, not so likely). Both Fedor and Werdum would have to be injury-free following their bouts, and with both men’s history with injuries, it’s basically a toss-up. There is potential that we’ll finally get to see this match, but there’s also a strong potential that we’ll have to continue to wait.

4. Who is Sergei Kharitonov, again?

The last time Sergei Kharitonov competed in America was in 2007. While his record and the quality of opponents he’s beaten are certainly good enough to earn him an entry into this tournament, at the end of the day, his name value in America is basically non-existent. This is supposed to be a Heavyweight Grand Prix featuring Strikeforce’s best and brightest, and “brightest” refers to their popularity and relevancy to the fans. And Kharitonov simply isn’t relevant to a vast majority of American MMA fans.

3. It’s clear that Arlovski/Barnett wasn’t made due to the fact that nobody would be interested in Kharitonov/Rogers.

Why do I have to wait a round to see Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett? That’s a great fight and it would have made the Grand Prix feel even more special if it was an opening bout. But Brett Rogers has been dealt two deflating losses recently and, as already stated, many fans simply aren’t familiar with Kharitonov. Rogers and Kharitonov are the odd men out in this Grand Prix, and it’s clear that Strikeforce didn’t want to risk a lack of interest in the tournament by having them fight each other in the first round.

2. The Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship is basically being vacated.

A lot of people are using the term “classic Strikeforce” when it comes to the fact that the Heavyweight Championship is pretty much being vacated at the start of this tournament. Alistair Overeem just got done winning the K-1 World Grand Prix, he should be ready to commit to MMA full-time for the foreseeable future. I was really looking forward to seeing him defend his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship, and now he’ll have to get through several fighters to claim the championship that’s already his.

And the #1 thing I dislike about the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix is…

1. Since anything can happen in MMA, it’s going to take a lot of dominoes falling into place before we get all our dream-matches.

Fedor/Werdum 2 is such a huge match that I had to single it out specifically, but in general, the “anything can happen” nature of a tournament leaves open several very negative possibilities. Let’s not forget, the UFC ran into several massive roadblocks back in their early tournaments: at one point a man won a UFC tournament despite the fact that he had never competed a single time during the event. There’s a lot of veteran talent on this card, and while that should mean great fights, it also means that a lot of these fighters are more susceptible to injuries. And of course, there’s always the potential for an upset. So while I’m looking forward to the Grand Prix with some incredibly high hopes, I have to admit: there’s a lot that could happen before all is said and through, and there’s a lot that could sideline the dream matches I’ve waited years to see.

So, fans and friends, agree or disagree? What don’t you like about Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix?

5. Even the fill-in matches in case someone gets injured look pretty appealing.

Currently, the reserve bouts for this tournament include Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson and Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo. And, to be honest, all four men definitely deserve to be in reserve bouts. They aren’t well-known enough to warrant a slot in the main tournament. Nevertheless, both fights should be very entertaining, especially Shane Del Rosario’s, who could become a major star in the near-future.

4. If it all works out, we’ve got some incredible dream-matches to look forward to.

The one thing I hear fans consistently talk about in regards to this tournament is the crazy number of dream-matches we might get because of it. Depending on who wins, we could be looking at anything from Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers 2 to Fedor Emelianenko vs. Alistair Overeem. We might see Fedor Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett, or even Alistair Overeem vs. Josh Barnett. With eight of the best Heavyweight fighters Strikeforce has to offer all possibly fighting each other, the possible dream-matches that could happen are one of the best reasons to watch this tournament.

3. On paper, every single fight has something to offer and has the possibility of being wildly entertaining.

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum is an interesting rematch with both men at very different points in their careers from when they first met. Fedor Emelianenko will face a tough opponent in the iron-chinned Antonio Silva, while “Bigfoot” faces the toughest test of his life when he fights Fedor. Andre Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov should be a fantastic brawl, Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett should be a great brawl too. At least on paper, I wouldn’t miss a single one of these fights even if they weren’t part of a larger tournament, and several could outright headline a stand-alone Strikeforce show.

2. It’s nostalgic as all hell, and as a PRIDE fan it’s basically required viewing.

The hardcore MMA fan in me just can’t resist the possibility of an MMA tournament featuring top competition. After the amazing tournaments held in the PRIDE FC promotion, anything with “Grand Prix” in its title and related to MMA practically becomes required viewing.

And the #1 thing I like the most about the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix is…

1. It’s finally happening.

Let’s not mince words: Strikeforce had a rough 2010. Fedor lost right when he finally looked to be becoming a legitimate American draw. The man that beat him, Fabricio Werdum, was out the rest of the year with an injury. The brawl at Stikeforce’s “Nashville” event got them kicked off of CBS. They brought in Dan Henderson, cast Jake Shields as the sacrificial lamb, and then Shields promptly beat Henderson and left to the UFC with the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. But the past is the past, the puzzle pieces are all finally coming into place, and this long-rumored tournament is now fact, not fiction. As a Strikeforce fan, I sincerely feel that this is the best move Strikeforce has made since acquiring the bulk of the assets of the now-defunct EliteXC promotion.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you like the most about the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix?

5. Strikeforce will be back on national television.

If this tournament lives up to its potential, what we’ll be getting is all the best Strikeforce talent competing against each other in fantastic matches, with several fights getting into Fight of the Year contention. And that’s incredibly appealing to a network like CBS, which has engaged in a prolonged political war with Strikeforce ever seen the notorious post-fight brawl that broke out at Strikeforce “Nashville”. Money talks, and if the Grand Prix delivers big ratings for Showtime, CBS is going to want some of that action, and more than likely we’ll see Strikeforce back on CBS, perhaps even before the tournament is over.

4. The Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship will become the organization’s most prestigious championship.

Strikeforce’s other divisions do have a lot of good talent, but the Heavyweight division is where all the top stars and notable names are. Now that they’re all going to fight each other, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship stands to become a hotly-contested and highly-valued title. It even has the possibility of becoming one of the biggest championships in the entirety of MMA, not just in Strikeforce.

3. Both Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem will be able to shrug off the cynics that say they don’t fight enough.

Fedor has been embroiled in contract negotiations ever since losing to Fabricio Werdum, while Overeem has been off in Japan hunting down a K-1 championship. Now that Fedor and his management team have signed a new contract, Emelianenko should be able to make a deep run in this tournament and compete multiple times in 2010, maybe even multiple times in one night. The same goes for Overeem: now that he’s won the K-1 World Grand Prix, he should also be able to fully commit to MMA and fight several times in 2011. Not only will this give both men a big popularity boost with the casual fans, it’ll rebuild some of their lost credibility with a section of the more hardcore MMA audience.

2. Strikeforce will prove that it has one of the best Heavyweight divisions in the entirety of MMA.

There’s really no effective counter to this argument if the tournament lives up to its potential. You could say that a lot of these fighters used to be in the UFC, but the UFC is the largest and longest-lived organization in the history of this sport. If all eight fighters give their all, what we’ll get is a firm indication that Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Division is one of the best in all of MMA.

1. Strikeforce will take a big step in becoming a viable alternative to the UFC.

Those that thought the battle-lines were already drawn haven’t seen anything yet. If this tournament lives up to its potential, the war over which promotion is better will reach a fevered pitch. Sides will be taken, stances will be declared, and arguments will abound. And that’s a great thing for Strikeforce, because controversy creates cash. Strikeforce still probably won’t be on equal footing with the UFC even if this tournament lives up to all of its potential… but mark my words, they’ll be within shouting distance.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What’s your early opinion on the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix?

5. The continued push to legitimize the various Strikeforce championships.

Strikeforce needs to find its footing in several of its major divisions, and I think 2011 will see a considerable amount of prestige added to a lot of Strikeforce’s championships. Now that Alistair Overeem has lived his dream and became a K-1 champion, he should be back in Strikeforce full-force in 2011. Ronaldo Souza will face Robbie Lawler in what should be an excellent striker vs. grappler match-up. Rafael Cavalcante will have a lot to prove but plenty of time to prove it as he eyes potential fights with Dan Henderson and several other high-profile Strikeforce Light Heavyweights. Then you’ve got Cristiane Santos dominating as always and Marloes Coenen realizing her full potential as a 135-pounder. It’ll be a great year for champions and championship defenses.

4. The continually improving quality of the “Strikeforce Challengers” series of shows.

I need a new underdog, fans and friends. Now that the WEC, my “little promotion that could”, has been folded into the UFC, I’m left without one. Heading into 2011, I think “Strikeforce Challengers” will fill that role quite nicely. The per-fight quality of these events keeps increasing, and the shows continue to showcase entertaining fights featuring up-and-coming fighters. 2011 has a great chance of seeing “Strikeforce Challengers” emerge as the show that everyone loves and not nearly enough people watch. And if they do fill that role, you can definitely expect to see me right back up on the soapbox and urging fans to give them a watch, vocally supporting them just as loudly as I did the WEC.

3. The return of Alistair Overeem.

Overeem has spent the last several years chasing a dream that’s kept him away from MMA for a considerable length of time, and now he’s finally lived that dream. Alistair Overeem is a K-1 champion, and now that he’s knocked that off of his bucket list, it’s very likely that we’ll see him fight a lot more often in Strikeforce. I’ve always been a gargantuan fan of “The Reem”, so his 2011 return to dominance is one thing I can’t wait to watch unfold.

2. The return of Fedor Emelianenko.

The only thing that really comes close to my excitement surrounding the return of Alistair is my excitement over the return of Fedor. I know how just saying the man’s name invites controversy and intense debate, but in the spirit of Christmas, I’m going to say the following: love him or hate him, people want to see Fedor return. I personally can’t wait to see him back in action, and I can guarantee that I’ll be glued to my TV screen from the moment I first hear his entrance music.

And my #1 spot goes to…

1. Several epic match-ups at Heavyweight, with or without the rumored Grand Prix.

This is not to say that I don’t want a Grand Prix, oh no. Rest assured: I want that Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. I want it bad. How could I not? Fighters like the aforementioned Alistair and Fedor, as well as Antonio Silva, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, and Brett Rogers could all end up competing against each other. But my point is this: even if the Grand Prix doesn’t happen, we’ve got an incredible amount of amazing Heavyweight fights to look forward to in 2011.

So there you have it, fans and friends: part 3 is over and done with. Stay tuned for the finale of “All I Want for Christmas”, and until then, what about you? What are you looking forward to for Strikeforce in 2011?

5. Mauricio Rua/Rashad Evans vs. Jon Jones

This is more about the ascension of Jon Jones than it is about Mauricio Rua or Rashad Evans, although both men are great fighters and pose a varied assortment of problems to “Bones”. No matter who ends up wearing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, I can’t wait to see Jon Jones finally get his crack at the most hotly-contested and arguably the most prestigious championship in the UFC. With the title being on the line, and given whom Jones may end up facing, we’d most likely see a brilliant performance by “Bones” that utterly eclipses anything he’s ever done in the Octagon before. And that’s a dream come true for Jon Jones fans.

4. Nick Diaz vs. Jason Miller

At this point I think both men can barely stand to be in a room with each other, and I can only imagine how vicious these two would be if they ever got the opportunity to fight each other. This fight has been talked about at length for a long time, and I have personally done my best to keep both myself and my readers constantly up-to-date on this rivalry. And there’s a good reason for that: outside of the Heavyweight division, I truly believe that this fight is the most marketable and most interesting fight that Strikeforce conceivably has access to. And even though I’ve had a few issues with Jason Miller’s antics in the past, make no mistake: I’d still absolutely love to see this fight.

3. Jon Fitch vs. Georges St. Pierre 2

I’ve been a fan of Jon Fitch for a long, long time. I think he’s an amazing athlete, an incredible wrestler, one of the UFC’s best assets, and the recipient of far more criticism than he deserves and far less recognition than is fair. I’d love to see this fight because I think Jon Fitch has it in him to prove a lot of people wrong. Plus, it would likely bring out the best in Georges St. Pierre, who continues to evolve at an astonishing rate. Both as a Fitch fan and a GSP fan, I’d go out of my way to make sure I watched this fight if it ever ends up happening.

2. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum 2

Be honest, you knew it was coming. And for good reason, too: I think Fedor Emelianenko is the greatest Mixed Martial Artist that has ever fought. I think he made a mistake against Fabricio Werdum after a lifetime of performing flawlessly, and I think he has every intention of correcting that mistake in the most heinous, destructive way possible. The first fight shook the MMA world to its core, the rematch would be talked about for years to come. There’s not a lot I wouldn’t give to see this fight.

But, as if there could be any doubt, my top dream fight as we head towards 2011 is…

1. Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre

Even though it won’t look like it, I’m going to say this without an ounce of hyperbole on my part: I truly believe that Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre is the biggest dream-fight currently conceivable. Pick your poison, it’s all the same to me: it doesn’t matter if it’s Fedor vs. Randy Couture, Fedor vs. Brock Lesnar, Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, or any and all of the rest. I truly believe that this fight would define a generation and go down as the biggest fight in MMA history. In the immediate future, I don’t think anything has a chance of toppling this fight as my top “dream fight”.

And so Part 2 comes to a close, fans and friends. Stay tuned for the final two parts as we head into the second half of “All I Want for Christmas”. And what do you think? What are some big dream matches you’re looking forward to?

Here are the highlights from an interview Silva recently had with MMA Junkie: “… Who wouldn’t want to fight Fedor, a living legend in the sport? …As well as being a great person, [Mike Kyle] showed that he was a very tough opponent… It was the first time (I had been hurt like that), but a fighter has to fight through the good and bad… [Fabricio Werdum] already showed the hole in [Emelianenko's] game, but until you get to the ground, it’s a long [fight] since it starts standing up.”

For those keeping score, this latest interview represents a near-complete 180 from Silva’s earlier, highly controversial statements regarding Emelianenko. In the past, Silva even went as far as to compare the long period of contract negotiations that went on to secure another fight for Fedor in Strikeforce to a soap opera drama. Either absence really does make the heart grow fonder, or nearly being KO’d by a Light Heavyweight really does a number on your ego.

I’m only half-serious, of course. Antonio Silva is a controversial man that has said controversial things in the past, so of course sometimes I agree and sometimes I disagree with him. But he has shown some remarkable improvements in his time with Strikeforce, and I think now more than ever that Antonio Silva is ready for an athlete the caliber of Fedor Emelianenko, or any of the other members of Strikeforce’s increasingly-amazing Heavyweight division. Whether or not he can beat them is something that can only be decided in the middle of the cage, but “Bigfoot” deserves his shot and I look forward to seeing him try to make a serious run to the top.

And I think that Silva may have more of a chance than most people seem to think. It’s true that Mike Kyle nearly KO’d him, but there’s a saying about horseshoes and hand grenades that sums up that fight pretty well. Silva proved that he can still absorb crazy amounts of damage to that thick skull of his, and he proved that you might as well just lay down and accept it if he starts raining down bombs on you, because trying to block them just doesn’t seem to work. If he continues to say controversial things that I don’t agree with, I’ll continue to call him on it. But at the end of the day, I respect Antonio Silva.

With rumors of Silva/Fedor and even the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, I think 2011 will be an amazing year for Strikeforce. Just off the top of my head, we could see Fedor vs. Silva, Silva vs. Josh Barnett, Josh Barnett vs. Alistair Overeem, Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum, and much more. The promotion has slowly and quietly been amassing top-level Heavyweights for some time now, and it looks like 2011 will be the year where the promotion pulls the trigger and unleashes the full force of its acquisitions.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Silva’s recent comments?

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.

MiddleEasy.com picked up the beat from TATAME.com whom first reported the future Grand Prix, which is said to begin with an originally aniticapted fight pitting former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko against the former EliteXC heavyweight title holder in Antonio Silva.

The bout had previously been rumored for January however sources have since pegged the fight to take place in February of next year.

In March, Sergei Kharitonov is rumored to be facing Fabricio Werdum in the quarter-finals. The fight is actually a rematch of an earlier meeting in 2005, which the Russian fighter was able to claim a split-decision victory over the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

Also for the March Strikeforce event, which is rumored to coincide with the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, Brett Rogers is said to be partaking as well. He will be looking to get back in the win column with the San Jose based promotion, since dropping back-to-back fights against Emelianenko and Overeem, respectively. Rogers has since bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over journeyman Ruben “Warpath” Villareal. Brett will meet with top heavyweight star, Josh Barnett. “The Baby Faced Assassin” was in action last against Geronimo dos Santos, a Brazilian who’s faced the likes of UFC veterans Junior dos Santos (no relation) and Assuerio Silva. Barnett finished him in less than three minutes of the opening round via TKO.

And finally, current Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem will meet with former UFC heavyweight title holder Andrei Arlovski. Overeem capped off a perfect 2010 when he captured the K-1 World GP 2010 title, having defeated the likes of Tyrone Spong, Gokhan Saki, and Peter Aerts in a single night. In his lone mixed martial arts bout of the year, “The Reem” soundly defeated the aforementioned Rogers last May by first-round TKO, defending his Strikeforce title for the first time since capturing it in 2007 opposite of Paul Buentello.

Arlovski however, has seen better days. The Belorussian once held UFC gold around his waste, however is now the victim of unfortunate circumstances. The Sambo expert is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, with his most recent loss coming to the hands of top contender Antonio Silva last May, via unanimous decision. Andrei last claimed victory when knocked out UFC star Roy Nelson under the now defunct EliteXC banner, in 2008.

Eight fights with eight great fighters, competing towards—well, who knows what. This wouldn’t be the first time that Scott Coker and the fellow great minds behind the number two mixed martial arts promotion have concocted such a tournament. In 2007, a 4-man one night middleweight field was put together where eventually Jorge Santiago was left the victor, having defeated both Sean Salmon and Trevor Prangley by knockout. The American Top Team product got a shiny belt for his efforts, but nothing else came of it.

Whatever the case may be, we will all still bear witness to some extraordinary fights with a multitude of possible outcomes. A potential ex-teammate grudge match against Sergei and Fedor, Werdum vs. Overeem II, etc.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Who do you think will win their respective quarter final matches? Who do you see standing as the final two? Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Antonio Silva is Ready for Top-Division Competition.

It’s been over a year since Silva lost to Fabricio Werdum. In that year, Silva has shown remarkable improvement in several major areas of his game. Against Andrei Arlovski, Silva beat a famed striker at his own game, and he even made it look easy. Against Mike Kyle, Silva proved that he could absorb a lot of damage, remain calm under pressure, and ultimately come back and win decisively. If thriving under pressure and outperforming a former UFC Heavyweight Champion isn’t good enough to get you a shot against your promotion’s top athletes, what is?

4. Alistair Overeem Needs Time to Heal From His Latest K-1 Excursion.

I won’t even call into question whether or not Emelianenko deserves a shot at the current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. That’s a big enough debate as it is, for now, let’s just focus on a very practical reason why this fight wouldn’t have worked. Alistair Overeem just got done fighting three times in one night, he’d barely have a couple of weeks to both recuperate and train for what will undoubtedly be one of the toughest tests of his entire career. And not only is that not fair, it just doesn’t make sense.

3. Fabricio Werdum Remains on the Injured List.

I know, I know: it’s the rematch everyone wants to see. Trust me, I want to see it to. And it’s true that Werdum’s rumored return is sometime in early 2011. But according to reports, “early 2011” is sounding more and more like February or even March. I don’t think Werdum is foolish enough to rush his return, nor do I want him to. He’s coming off the biggest win of his life, he needs to come back at his best in order to fully capitalize on it.

2. Strikeforce Needs a Big Fight to Start 2011.

Strikeforce ended 2011 with the fantastic “Henderson vs. Babalu 2” event. Throughout the course of one night of fights, we got to see four memorable (T)KO’s, two of which (Paul Daley KO’ing Scott Smith and Robbie Lawler KO’ing Matt Lindland) will likely make it onto countless highlight reels for years to come. Strikeforce is riding a great wave of momentum going into 2011, so they need to start the year with a bang. And the return of Fedor Emelianenko would do just that.

But of course, my number one reason why this fight makes sense and should happen is…

1. Fedor Emelianenko Needs to Fight.

I’ve been saying this for a long time, but it’s never been more true: I don’t care who Fedor Emelianenko fights, I just want him to fight. He’s certainly not getting any younger, and while his actual date of retirement is anyone’s guess, let’s not kid ourselves: “The Last Emperor” is nearing the end of the line. And I don’t want to see one of my favorite fighters end his stellar career by sitting on the sidelines, waiting for his management team and Strikeforce to finally come to terms.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What about you? What do you agree/disagree with, and how do you feel about Emelianenko/Silva in general?

Here’s what the PRIDE FC, UFC, and Strikeforce veteran had to say on the matter over at Graciemag: “…Strikeforce really wants me to face Alistair Overeem…They also want a rematch with Fedor. If Fedor game me a chance already, why wouldn’t he give me one now? I feel it’s fair… My contract isn’t exclusive; I can fight outside the United States in other events and I have loads of offers. I can fight in Abu Dhabi. I was also in Japan, which is another market that’s interested. I can fight there too.”

No matter where he goes, I think the future looks quite bright for Fabricio Werdum. As I’ve said before, however, the next fight in his immediate future will go a long way towards predicting exactly what the future holds. The easiest way to return would be to take a fight in Japan or Abu Dhabi against a decent opponent that’s ultimately not on Werdum’s level. It gives Werdum a chance to shake off the ring rust and get some momentum going before he steps back into the Strikeforce shark tank. But if Werdum is ready to sink or swim from the get-go it sends a huge message that he’s back and wants nothing but the best now that people are talking about him again.

Here’s what I think should happen: let’s see Werdum make his immediate return to Strikeforce, but let’s give him a fighter that’s a step or two below a Fedor Emelianenko or an Alistair Overeem. Even with ring rust, there are a lot of good names that Werdum could beat if he immediately came back to Strikeforce. Why not a rematch with Andrei Arlovski? Perhaps a fight with “the other Overeem”, Alistair’s brother Valentijn Overeem? Antonio Silva has vocally called out Werdum in the past, that’s a good fight too. None of those fighters are on the level of Fedor Emelianenko and the like, but they’re all great opponents that you can really build a credible comeback off of.

I honestly don’t want to see Werdum head to Japan or Abu Dhabi to get a win under his belt. If he returns, it should be in Strikeforce. But I also don’t want to see his return and all the hype he’s built up beating Fedor crumble into nothing in Werdum’s first fight back. Werdum doesn’t need a “gimme” fight, but I don’t want to see him thrown to the wolves either.

So let’s see Werdum test his skills against a mid-level Strikeforce Heavyweight. He gets the chance to shake off the rust, he gets a good fight in, and if he wins big he sets himself up for all the high-profile dream matches that so many fans are talking about so often nowadays. 2011 should be a very interesting year for Fabricio Werdum, and I look forward to seeing it get underway.

And what about you, fans and friends? What next step should Werdum take in his newly-rejuvenated career?

In a new interview with Sherdog, Werdum said the following: “Strikeforce want me to return in March against Fedor [Emelianenko] or [Alistair] Overeem, but I’m looking forward to having a fight before that one. I don’t have an exclusive contract with Strikeforce, only for the U.S., and I got a nice proposal in Abu Dhabi and another one in Japan… My arm is 100 percent now and I feel that by February, I’ll be ready to fight in Abu Dhabi or Japan.”

Is Werdum playing it safe and running from the competition by heading to Abu Dhabi or Japan for a glorified throw-away fight, instead of jumping right back into the shark tank? Or is Werdum making a smart strategic move by having a warm-up fight in order to shake off the ring rust so he can immediately take on the best of the best when he does make his Strikeforce return? It’s tough to say, really. There are some convincing arguments for both sides.

Let’s all be honest here: it’s normal for a high-ranked fighter to lose his return match after coming back from a long layoff. “Ring rust” is real, and jumping right back into top-end competition usually isn’t the smartest idea. If Werdum works out the kinks in a match in Japan or Abu Dhabi, this means we’ll get nothing but the best from him when he makes his inevitable return to Strikeforce. We’ll most likely get the best Werdum possible if we’re willing to wait just a little longer and let him get one fight under his belt before facing Strikeforce’s best.

Then again, an overseas fight does sound like a pretty blatant attempt to get an easy win in order to gain back some of the momentum that was lost while Werdum was sitting on the sidelines. A lot of people criticized Fedor Emelianenko when rumors began swirling that his next fight would be in Japan or Russia, this is virtually the same case. No matter how good of a fighter Werdum is, if his next fight isn’t in Strikeforce, that fight can and will be perceived as an utterly transparent attempt to bring his name value back up.

So, which side is right? The truth, as it so often is in these kinds of situations, lies somewhere in between. Werdum taking a “gimme” fight overseas may hurt his credibility, but it’s a smart move. Jumping right back into Strikeforce to take on Emelianenko, or Alistair Overeem, or Brett Rogers, or Josh Barnett, or any number of Strikeforce’s growing list of top-tier Heavyweight talent… it’s not a smart move by any stretch of the imagination, but it sends the message that Werdum wants nothing but the best as he makes his return.

Ultimately the only person that can make this call is Werdum. I’ll side with him either way, and I look forward to seeing him return no matter what. I doubted Fabricio Werdum once before, and then he beat the man I consider to be the best Mixed Martial Artist of all time. There’s simply no chance that I’ll ever doubt him again.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Werdum, and would you rather have him return to Strikeforce immediately or take a one-fight excursion to Japan or Abu Dhabi?

The soft-spoken promotional head had this to say over at MMA Weekly: “I wish I had a simple answer, but it’s an ongoing negotiation… I feel good about the negotiations… There’s just a lot of barriers that will come… We’re trying to navigate through the waters and get a fair deal for everybody… Fedor will be fighting, I want to say sometime in the first quarter of 2011.”

I’m glad to hear that talks with Fedor and his management are progressing. Any news is good news when it comes to that subject, but good news is even better. As I’ve said multiple times in the past, I really don’t care who Fedor returns against so long as he returns. He’s one of the best of all time (many, including myself, consider him the best period) and simply seeing him compete is good enough for me.

In all honesty, I think Fedor’s first fight back will be on CBS, against Fabricio Werdum, in the rematch that everyone has been clamoring for. If you believe the rumors, the Strikeforce/CBS deal is also close to getting worked out after a tricky couple of months stemming from the infamous post-fight brawl that broke out at the last CBS-televised Strikeforce event, Strikeforce: “Nashville”. Werdum should also be healed up near the start of 2011 as well. Even though it took its sweet time, it seems as if everything is falling into place to give fans one of the biggest rematches in the history of MMA.

If not Werdum, Emelianenko will probably be matched up with Antonio Silva. Silva has been an equal-opportunity trash-talker, he’s called out both Fedor Emelianenko and current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem in the past and he seems ready, willing, and able to fight either man on a moment’s notice. I can’t say I would enjoy Fedor/”Bigfoot” as much as I’d enjoy Fedor/Werdum 2, but I do think it would be a very entertaining fight.

But no matter who his opponent is, I think Fedor Emelianenko will win his next fight. I’ve got an incredible amount of confidence in him, and I think that his loss to Werdum will ultimately be remembered as one of the best things that could’ve happened to Fedor as he nears the end of his career. I think Fedor is still the dominant wrecking machine that he always was, and that he’ll return to form when he returns to Strikeforce. I won’t say “the best is yet to come” given Fedor’s advancing age and rumors of retirement, but I will say that I think Fedor Emelianenko isn’t going out with anything less than a colossal bang.

And what about you, fans and friends? How eagerly are you anticipating Fedor’s 2011 return, and who do you want to see him face?

He knows how to win, and he knows how to stir up controversy, better than anyone else in the business, hands down.

Recently Barnett appeared in California for the new “EA Sports: MMA” launch (and by the way, the game is everything and more I could have asked for and I challenge anyone to disagree with me) and his first order of business was to greet his good friend, Fedor Emelianenko.

Yes, thankfully Fedor and Barnett don’t fall into that lump sum of fighter’s who “won’t fight friends”. It’s an example of true comradery, to be able to put friendship aside and handle it just as it is, a business. But, ask Josh would he rather fight..say, Fabricio Werdum over anyone else, and see what he has to say.

The media were all in attendance to catch up on the newest happenings with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, the organization’s fighters (which of course include special guest apperances by UFC fighter Randy Couture, and Strikeforce’s own Josh Barnett and Fedor) and of course, the EA game.

A MiddleEasy cameraman was at the scene and prompted to ask Barnett specifically about some recent allegation’s coming by way of Werdum (and interrupted a bromance moment with pal, Fedor), who recently has come off of the biggest win of his career, a first round submission of the previously undefeated Emelianenko.

MiddleEasy: Josh what do you think about Fabricio’s comments about not wanting to face you?

“I say he’s smart. I’d fuck that guy up.

Pardon “The Baby Face Assassin’s” language…he just doesn’t know better.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of this? Would you like to see a match pitting Barnett against Werdum, or who would you like to see him stack up against in the Strikeforce’s growing heavyweight division?
Sound off in the comment section below.

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?

Courtesy of Sherdog, here’s what Coker had to say: “[Fedor Emelianenko’s] not going to be back this year because the schedule is already full. Who he fights (next), that’s something that we’ll probably have an announcement in the next, I would say, four weeks…. The message that I got from [Fabricio Werdum’s] manager is that he will be available probably late first, early second quarter of next year… One thing I can tell you is all these guys … Alistair [Overeem], Fedor, Fabricio, Josh Barnett, ‘Bigfoot’ (Antonio Silva), (Sergei) Kharitonov, Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers, all those guys are all going to fight each other in 2011. We’re not going to hold anything back.”

If this really is Coker’s plan for 2011, it’s the absolute best one possible. Strikeforce’s divisions are steadily growing in star quality, with some lagging behind others, but their Heavyweight division outright eclipses all their other divisions. Strikeforce has a Heavyweight division that is rightfully the envy of all other promotion’s Heavyweight divisions aside from the UFC’s. If all those dream matches fans have been wanting and waiting for finally go down in 2011, next year should be one of the best in the history of Strikeforce.

For my money, here are some fights that I’d love to see in 2011: Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum vs. Alistair Overeem 2, Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko 2, Brett Rogers vs. Antonio Silva, and Josh Barnett vs. Fedor Emelianenko. Every single one of those fights has marquee value, major-name attraction, and a huge amount of earning potential. If Strikeforce can hammer out the contracts necessary to make these fights a reality, I have little doubt that at least three out of these five fights are good enough to headline a show on CBS.

But let’s not get our hopes up just yet. Or better yet, let’s ground our hopes in reality. Strikeforce could make some of the most interesting fights of 2011 if they get their Heavyweight division in order. But anything could happen: injuries could occur, contract negotiations could go south, other obligations could prevent possible showdowns. Nothing is certain in MMA, and that even applies to the big-money fights that all us MMA fans want to see. While I think that Strikeforce does indeed have amazing potential heading into 2011, I’ll have to see it to believe it. But I’m certainly pulling for them.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for the San Diego-based promotion?

Richard Wilner, Werdum’s manager, said the following: “He’s doing great actually. He’s still undergoing physical therapy, and physical therapy is more intense than one might imagine, and it includes a number of plyometric exercises and weightlifting. He started light training about 10 days ago, so he’s progressing remarkably…. We’ve been training and preparing, mentally and physically to fight again at either the end of February or early March…. We don’t pick our opponents, and I don’t say that to mean it’s only up to Strikeforce who we fight, though there is truth to that. We don’t come from a camp where we hand pick opponents, so whatever fight makes sense, that’s the fight we take.”

I’m really looking forward to Werdum’s return, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I was among the legions of fans and insiders that gave him little-to-no chance against “The Last Emperor”. Now that he’s proven us all wrong, he’s easily one of Strikeforce’s top assets. I think bouts with both Overeem and Emelianenko will happen sooner rather than later, and I think both fights have amazing potential.

It’s true that Werdum holds a victory over both Overeem and Fedor, but the “Demolition Man” Werdum beat in 2006 pales in comparison to the Alistair Overeem of 2010. Today’s Overeem is a total non-stop wrecking ball of destruction, one that hasn’t lost since 2007. Overeem’s ground game has continued to evolve, and while I won’t harbor any thoughts of Overeem holding his own against Werdum’s amazing Brazilian Jui Jitsu game, I do think that Overeem would be able to stave off and power out of the takedown long enough to land some of those ridiculous bombs now that he has that dreaded “K-1 Level” striking.

The rematch with Emelianenko would also be a very different fight. For the first time in forever, Emelianenko has a clear goal: to beat the man that beat him. While Fedor’s ground game has always been one of his strongest assets, I think the first fight proved that it simply isn’t up to Werdum’s level. That anything of Fedor’s is not up to another fighter’s level is an incredibly heated debate, but Werdum proved this when he locked Fedor into the fight-ending Triangle Choke. In the rematch Fedor will  return to his cerebral, coldly calculating ways and more than likely we’d get a standup war. And that honestly favors Emelianenko.

I know it seems like I’m counting Werdum out again. And, in case you need it said plainly, I am indeed picking Overeem and Emelianenko to beat him when/if Werdum faces them in his return bout. But I am absolutely not counting Werdum out, and I have nothing but respect for the man. While his future may have been in doubt following his shocking loss to Junior dos Santos, Werdum is once again a top-level athlete that is a tough challenge for anyone and everyone. I can’t say that I’m pulling for him when he makes his return, but I can’t wait to see what happens when he does return.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you see facing Overeem when he returns, and who do you think will win that fight?

The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States.

While some categories have changed, in order to be politically correct, must stay the same. Voting continues until November 26, where till then you can cast your votes online at All winners are determined by a fan vote, and ballots can be cast through Nov. 26 at www.worldmmaawards.com.

The full list, which was formatted by MMAJunkie.com, of finalists includes:

CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva
* Brock Lesnar
* Frankie Edgar
* Jose Aldo
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
* Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 116
* Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 14

KO OF THE YEAR

* Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki at WEC 45
* Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 113
* Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee at UFC 114
* Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR

* Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon at UFC 108
* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 118
* Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum”

BEST PROMOTION

* Bellator
* DREAM
* Strikeforce
* UFC
* WEC

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR

* Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder and CEO
* Dana White, UFC president
* Joe Silva, UFC VP of talent relations
* Michael Schiavello, HDNet broadcaster
* Scott Coker, Strikeforce founder and CEO

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Alistair Overeem
* Dan Hardy
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Shinya Aoki

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Charles Oliveira
* Evan Dunham
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Jon Jones

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
* Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii
* Miesha Tate
* Sarah Kaufman
* Zoila Frausto

COACH OF THE YEAR

* Cesar Gracie
* Firas Zahabi
* Greg Jackson
* Rafael Cordeiro
* Shawn Tompkins

GYM OF THE YEAR

* American Kickboxing Academy
* American Top Team
* Black House MMA
* Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting
* Wand Fight Team

RING GIRL OF THE YEAR

* Arianny Celeste
* Brittney Palmer
* Chandella Powell
* Natalie Skyy
* Rachelle Leah

BEST LIFESTYLE CLOTHING BRAND

* Affliction
* Fight Chix
* RVCA
* Silverstar
* TapouT

REFEREE OF THE YEAR

* “Big” John McCarthy
* Dan Miragliotta
* Herb Dean
* Josh Rosenthal
* Mario Yamasaki

MOST MEMORABLE RING ENTRANCE

* Anderson Silva
* Clay Guida
* Jason “Mayhem” Miller
* Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal
* Tom Lawlor

BEST TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT BRAND

* Everlast MMA
* Fairtex
* Hayabusa
* TapouT
* Venum

BEST TECHNICAL CLOTHING BRAND

* Bad Boy
* Hayabusa
* Jaco
* TapouT
* Venum

MEDIA SOURCE OF THE YEAR

* “Inside MMA” on HDNet
* MMAjunkie.com
* MMAWeekly.com
* MMAFighting.com
* Sherdog.com

MMA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

* Aaron “Tru” Teweles, Freelance
* Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/Versus.com
* Conner Cordova, MMAReligion.com
* Gareth A. Davies, Telegraph.com
* John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? Anyone you would have liked to seen in some of these categories? Who do you think will take home some of the honors of the night? Sound off in the comments section below.

“I have said many times that I have nothing to do with match-making. Right now, Strikeforce are struggling to find me a serious opponent. Alistair Overeem keeps finding all sorts of excuses not to fight me. The remaining stars have lost in their recent fights, so the promotion has no desire to put them up against me. And Fabricio Werdum is still recovering from his surgery…My next fight will be last on the Strikeforce contract. I’m yet to decide whether I’m going to continue my fighting career after this contract expires.”

I think it’s understandable that Strikeforce and M-1 Global (Fedor’s management team) have hit yet another impasse. I don’t agree with it at all, I don’t like it at all, but I can see why it’s happening. Fedor’s reputation has been damaged, let’s all just finally admit it, so of course Strikeforce is wondering if he’s still worth the high amounts they’re paying him. M-1 Global wants big fights for big money, and right now Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Division is barely becoming legitimized. While the division’s future as a whole looks bright, it also remains uncertain for many better-known stars: Alistair Overeem still has ties with K-1, Antonio Silva needs several more fights before he’s taken seriously as a true top-level talent, Josh Barnett has yet to prove if he can bounce back from his latest steroid scandal…the list goes on.

I think Strikeforce has a lot to lose if they don’t give Fedor a good final fight…but I think M-1 Global has just as much at stake, which is why both parties are hitting brick wall after brick wall. I think Fedor is serious when he says that he may retire once he fulfills his final obligation to Strikeforce. While many will decry him for never having competed in the UFC, the man has nothing left to prove to anybody. He was one of the most dominant champions of all time, he’s always shown an incredible amount of humility and class, and he’ll go down as one of the best ever. Fedor retiring is a very real possibility.

It’s a possibility that I absolutely would not agree with, but one that I would fully understand. As a gigantic Fedor fan, I want to see him go out in a blaze of glory. I want to see him beat Werdum again, plow through Overeem, dismantle Barnett, and then, miracle of miracles, I want to see him get into the UFC and take on Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar. I can dream, can’t I? Fedor may have nothing left to prove, but one last run of dominance, including a stint in the UFC, would forever solidify his legacy as the greatest Mixed Martial Artist of all time.

But in the end? I just hope that whatever happens, happens soon. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is accomplished if Fedor continues to sit on the sidelines. If he retires, he retires. Good for him, and it gives his fans closure. If he signs a new contract, he should fight as soon as possible in order to have the best shot at rebuilding his image against the best competition that Strikeforce has to offer. But just having him wait in limbo while Strikeforce and M-1 Global bicker back and forth serves no one and has no purpose. So make up your mind, people. Fedor isn’t getting any younger, and while patience may be a virtue, actions speak louder than words.

In an interview with Sherdog, here’s what “Vai Cavalo” had to say: “I believe that by March, I’ll be back to the ring…I thought [signing Josh Barnett] was a great acquisition to the event. Barnett is a really tough heavyweight. I haven’t thought about facing him yet. My goal now is either a rematch with Fedor or (one) with Overeem for the belt. But actually the most important thing for me is not who they will choose, but that my body is 100 percent recovered, so I can show to the ones who thought I was lucky that I was actually ready and pretty well-trained to fight Fedor.”

I’m glad to see that Werdum has been healing up well from elbow surgery. I have no problem in admitting that I was among the legion of MMA fans that counted out Werdum from the second his fight with Fedor was announced. I remember remarking that Fabricio Werdum had “decent striking” and “a good ground game”. I think he showed us all that night that his ground game is several levels above “good”. I think Werdum is one of the best ground technicians in the game right now.

When Werdum does return, I think he’ll have a huge amount of options in regards to potential opponents. The focus has honestly shifted somewhat: instead of everyone wanting to be the first man to beat Fedor, it now looks like people are lining up to take out the person who took out Fedor. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Emelianenko rematch was the first fight to happen, but in all honesty, I think Werdum has earned his shot against Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. He’s won three in a row, he’s lost four times in his eight-year career, and his popularity and market value have never been higher. Werdum/Emelianenko 2 will likely make more money, but I honestly believe that Werdum/Overeem makes more sense.

But do you know what the really great thing about this situation is? No matter who Werdum faces next, we’re guaranteed some great Heavyweight match-ups in the near future. The UFC’s Heavyweight division has been lauded with near-unending praise for the leaps and bounds it’s taken in recent years in regards to filling its ranks with quality fighters, but Strikeforce deserves a lot of credit too. They’ve got Fedor, Overeem, Werdum, Brett Rogers, Antonio Silva, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett…it’s honestly Strikeforce’s best division right now. I’m looking forward to seeing Werdum compete against the best Strikeforce has to offer, no matter who he faces first, because the best Strikeforce has to offer just keeps getting better.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think is next for Fabricio Werdum once he returns from healing up his injury?

In an interview with MMAWeekly, here’s what Barnett had to say: “Fedor was careless with his offense and his movements and he got caught in a very bad spot… When you put yourself in that kind of position with a guy like Werdum, it’s not by chance that you get put in a triangle or an armbar… People lose, and it doesn’t diminish anything in my eyes about Fedor or the importance of a fight between the two of us. I’m sure it will happen at some point, and it will be just as amazing, at least for me anyways, as it would have been.”

I both agree and disagree with Josh Barnett. I side with him in thinking that a fight with Fedor would still be an amazing fight between two very gifted performers. As I’ve grudgingly admitted in the past, at his best Josh Barnett’s status as a top-ranked Heavyweight is unquestioned. In regards to Fedor, I along with many others consider him the greatest Mixed Martial Artist of all time. It doesn’t matter who wins, it’s going to be an epic fight that brings in loads of money and lots of viewers. No matter what anyone else says, you just can’t convince me that Fedor/Barnett has lost its “dream fight” status.

It just isn’t as big of a dream fight as it once was. That I’ll freely admit, and that’s where Barnett and I disagree. Despite all their flaws, Affliction gave us two great star-studded cards in their brief shelf-life, and “Trilogy” looked to be one the best MMA events of the last several years. Barnett was on a huge hot-streak, he’d won four straight with two wins in Affliction. Emelianenko was the unbeaten champion, the unstoppable destroyer who hadn’t lost in almost a decade and hadn’t legitimately lost ever.

Barnett’s latest steroid scandal and Fedor’s first legitimate loss were two heavy blows to the marketability and entertainment value of this fight. Barnett’s top-of-the-world status isn’t at risk, he lost it when he got caught juicing again. Emelianenko’s aura of indestructibility isn’t at risk, he lost it when he tapped out to Werdum. Even though it remains a very appealing and interesting fight, it’s simply not as appealing as it was when it was first announced.

But will I watch it? Of course I will. I even hope it happens sooner rather than later. I’d love to see Fedor’s cerebral method of attacking matched up with Barnett’s guns-blazing barrages. It would be interesting to see what both men do on the ground and in the clinch. There’s a very high probability that this fight won’t go three rounds. I’m going to give it to Emelianenko simply because I think he’s a better striker than Barnett, even though Barnett possibly has more raw power in his hands. If Fedor doesn’t lose again and Barnett doesn’t get caught juicing again, this could still be the biggest fight in Strikeforce history.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Has Fedor/Barnett lost any of its luster? And who do you see winning the fight?

MMAWeekly recently talked to Alex Davis, the manager of Antonio Silva, and the man had this to say: “Right now, I’m working close with Strikeforce. It looks like it’s possible that it’s going to be Fedor.”

The only man to ever hold the Elite XC Heavyweight Championship, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has seen his credibility as an elite-level Mixed Martial Artist grow by leaps and bounds after a tough loss to Fabricio Werdum and a dominating win over former ufc Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. Silva is at the perfect point in his career for a showdown with Emelianenko, and has in fact called him out in the past, going as far as to say that the drama surrounding the would-be fight with Overeem was nothing more than daytime soap opera nonsense.

Fedor Emelianenko is widely regarded as one of the greatest Mixed Martial Artists of all time, but he’s come under heavy criticism recently for his continued absence from the world’s best MMA promotion, the UFC. Fedor cynics were quick to pounce on the Werdum loss, claiming that Fedor was never all that good to begin with, wouldn’t cut it in the UFC, and couldn’t even stand up to a “UFC reject”. For his part, Emelianenko says that he never wanted to have the image of an undefeated destroyer, and most famously said in a post-fight interview that “a man who does not fall does not stand up.”

This fight sounds like it could be a great match. I still don’t think Antonio Silva is ready or has faced enough elite-level Heavyweights to fully justify getting a fight with Fedor, but he’s a “victim” of circumstance and is the only elite-level Strikeforce Heavyweight that makes sense for Fedor to fight right now: Josh Barnett just barely signed his contract, Overeem is off to K-1 once again, Werdum is sidelined with an injury, and Emelianenko has already beaten Brett Rogers and Andrei Arlovski so decisively that no rematch should be made until both get a solid win-streak going. “Bigfoot” may not be Emelianenko’s toughest test, but he is a test. And coming off the huge loss to Werdum, Emelianenko needs big wins in a big way.

And I honestly think he’ll get one against Antonio Silva. Fedor excels against freak-of-nature athletes. Even if they’re all glorified freak-show fighters, he’s dominated them thoroughly. Against someone like Antonio Silva, who started out as a glorified freak-show fighter but is now being taken seriously due to his increasing skill and prowess, Fedor may not run through him quite as quickly as he did fighters like Hong Man Choi or Zuluzinho. But his skill is still far greater than that of Silva’s. Emelianenko will be more motivated than ever coming into this fight, and with Silva being more or less a striker, I see Emelianenko picking the big man apart with counter-strikes before getting the takedown and locking in one of his trademark Armbar submissions.

This is a pivotal moment in Fedor Emelianenko’s career, and I think this fight with Silva will go a long way towards laying all the rumors and uncertainties to rest. As an Emelianenko super-fan, I’m very hopeful that “The Last Emperor” will return to his winning ways and once again establish himself as the best Heavyweight MMA fighter of all time.

And what about you, fans and friends? If it happens, how do you see Emelianenko/Silva going down?

For those that may not be familiar with the man, here’s a quick crash course on “The Babyfaced Assassin”. He made his name in the UFC due to two things: his pretty-boy good looks and his penchant for finishing opponents. Barnett became the youngest UFC champion in history when he beat Randy Couture at UFC 36 to claim the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He then tested positive for banned substances, was stripped of his title, and was fired from the UFC.

Barnett then headed to Japan where he arguably became even more famous, with several high-profile fights in the now-defunct PRIDE FC promotion. After the fall of PRIDE, Barnett would go on to compete in the short-lived Affliction promotion, and was scheduled to face Fedor Emelianenko in the main event of Affliction’s third card. After testing positive for anabolic steroids in a pre-fight drug test, the fight with Emelianenko was cancelled, which played a huge part in the event itself being cancelled, which played a not-insignificant part in the promotion itself going belly-up.

Even with the controversy and stigma surrounding him, Barnett is on a six-fight win-streak and hasn’t lost since 2006, back when PRIDE was still around. Before he tested positive for banned substances yet again, and before Emelianenko’s shocking submission loss to Fabricio Werdum earlier this year, Barnett was widely regarded (even by me) as one of the last, great, legitimate tests for “The Last Emperor” outside of the UFC. Barnett’s first Strikeforce opponent is as-of-yet unknown, as are the number of fights he will compete in under the promotion.

I think this is a pretty huge gamble for Strikeforce. I understand why they did it, though. Strikeforce needs name-value stars, they need big names and good athletes if they ever want to get back on CBS again. Josh Barnett is still a world-ranked Heavyweight, he still has name-value, the UFC has shown virtually no interest in ever hiring him again, and when he shows up clean and in shape he can still put on some fantastic fights. If it weren’t for the Affliction controversy, I’d support Strikeforce 100% on this decision and I may have even wondered why they didn’t sign him sooner.

But Barnett lost a lot of credibility and burned a lot of bridges when he got popped for juicing yet again. I know that Barnett defenders rush to his side and claim that Affliction’s horrendous mismanagement killed the promotion dead far more than Barnett being pulled from the fight with Fedor, and I honestly agree with that. But don’t think I believe for one second that Barnett’s controversy wasn’t a major nail in Affliction’s coffin. The way they hemorrhaged money was definitely a bigger nail, but that shouldn’t diminish what Barnett did: he cheated to try and get ahead, and far more people than himself would pay the price for Barnett’s actions.

Until he proves that he’s trustworthy again, I’m extremely hesitant about Josh Barnett signing with Strikeforce. If he shows up clean and in top shape, and puts on good fights, then I’m willing to wipe the slate clean and support him once again. But with his track record, that’s a massive “if”. It will be interesting to see if “The Babyfaced Assassin” has finally learned his lesson.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about Josh Barnett signing to Strikeforce?

5. Miguel Torres vs. Urijah Faber

Both men are likely only one fight away from this massive dream match-up. If Torres can beat Charlie Valencia at WEC 51 and Faber makes a successful Bantamweight debut at WEC 52 against Takeya Mizugaki, I think the WEC would immediately make this match. It’s true that both men have fallen on hard times and that the match itself loses some of its luster due to that, but it’s a fight that’s been on people’s minds for a long time and still features two of the best fighters the WEC has ever seen, so it’s definitely good enough to make this list.

4. Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez

I’ve talked about this fight in the past, but it could easily happen in 2011. In fact, it’s only a matter of who wins what. If Brock Lesnar beats Cain Velasquez to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship, a match with Carwin is an immediate possibility. If Velasquez beats Lesnar, then Carwin is only a few fights away from another title shot, perhaps only one fight away if Lesnar/Carwin 2 is booked and Carwin manages to even the score to 1-1. Even though Lesnar is the UFC’s golden boy of PPV ratings, Carwin/Velasquez would do monster business and definitely be a landmark occasion.

3. Randy Couture vs. Mauricio Rua

Of course, this is assuming that Couture keeps winning and Rua remains the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. This would be a huge fight that would pit the unlikely comeback of Mauricio Rua against the Comeback King, Randy Couture. No matter where it’s held, I think the arena that has this fight would explode if Couture somehow beat “Shogun” and became champion once again. Seeing the ageless wonder with gold around his waist once again would go a long way towards outdoing 2010 in terms of can’t-miss happenings.

2. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2

It was one of the most hyped, talked-about, and shocking fights of 2010…and it’s very likely that 2011 will see Chapter 2 written. Everyone wants to see this fight. I’m convinced that those that say Chael Sonnen doesn’t deserve an immediate rematch even want to see this fight. We need to know once and for all: was the first fight a fluke? Is Chael Sonnen really that good, or was Silva’s rib injury the cause for his near-downfall? Will this be the return of the old Anderson Silva or the final coronation of the people’s champion? The first fight made history, the rematch should be even bigger.

And in that regard, my #1 spot goes to…

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum 2

I don’t know when it will happen, how it will happen, or even where it will happen. But it’ll happen in 2011, I have a strong feeling about that. Fedor Emelianenko’s first legitimate loss was the biggest story in years, and the rematch would likely set several records if marketed correctly and promoted heavily. It’s the ultimate test of Emelianenko’s career, it would finally and definitively answer the avalanche of questions surrounding that defeat. Did Emelianenko get careless? Was Werdum just that good? Is Fedor done? Was he ever all that good to begin with? This rematch would settle all the scores, and due to that, it’s number one on my list.

And what about you, fans and friends? As big a year as 2010 was and still is, what fights do you think could happen in 2011 that would make it even bigger?