According to MMA Fighting, Strikeforce has now added Marloes Coenen vs. Meisha Tate and Muhammed Lawal vs. Roger Gracie to the card of “Fedor vs. Henderson”. Coenen/Tate will be for Coenen’s Strikeforce Welterweight Women’s Championship.

After losing resoundingly to Cristiane Santos, a drop down in weight led to Marloes Coenen winning a major Strikeforce championship. Coenen looked like a new women at Women’s Welterweight (135 pounds), with her long arms and legs allowing her to put together big combos and lock in tight submissions. Coenen has already defended her belt once, submitting Liz Carmouche after four tough rounds of action.

Her opponent, Meisha Tate, is one of the most popular female fighters in Strikeforce. Tate has been sitting on the sidelines since August 2010, when she won a one-night women’s tournament that put her at the top of the contender’s list. Tate is currently on a five-fight win-streak and has won ten of her last eleven bouts, with seven stoppages and four first-round stoppages.

Over at the men’s side, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal is a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion that is returning after losing his championship and being sidelined for some time with an injury. Lawal is well-known for his exuberant personality, his penchant for trash-talking, and of course, his elaborate entrances that usually involve many female dancers. Lawal started his career going 7-0 with five stoppages.

Meanwhile, Roger Gracie has got people seriously talking about the Gracie name making a comeback for the first time in what feels like forever. Gracie returned to MMA after an absence of almost two years in 2010, and promptly choked out Kevin Randleman. In his next fight, Gracie submitted tough veteran Trevor Prangley in the very first round. While Gracie’s submission skills are as impeccable as the Gracie name would lead you to believe, Gracie has shown an interesting level of improvement in his striking since coming back to MMA and fighting for Strikeforce.

I’m really excited for both of these matches, and I honestly can’t pick which one I like the most. I think Meisha Tate is one of Strikeforce’s best fighters, but I think Marloes Coenen is a very deserving champion. I’m a converted Coenen fan, remember: I was initially very wary of Coenen getting a title shot off of a loss. But Coenen has proven to have tremendous heart and lots of skill now that she’s at a smaller weight class. This should be an all-out war and, like many of Strikeforce’s female fights, it has a good chance of being a sleeper hit and maybe even stealing the show.

In regards to “King Mo” vs. Gracie, I think that’s a hugely interesting match-up. Can Gracie work his submissions against a high-level wrestler like Lawal? Is Lawal’s top game good enough to avoid getting caught in the spider-like grip of a Gracie? Roger Gracie’s striking may be coming along quite well, but is it good enough to stand and trade with a former Strikeforce champion? We’ll soon find out all that and more.

All in all, “Fedor vs. Henderson” is quickly becoming one of my most-anticipated Strikeforce events of the year.

5. Ovince St. Preux

OSP came from humble beginnings (he went 0-2 in his first two fights) but has now emerged as one of Strikeforce’s biggest prospects at 205. He’s won seven straight fights, all of which took place in 2010. He even once competed in Strikeforce three times in three months. OSP is young, hungry, talented, and dedicated. He’s built of the same stuff Mousasi is, although the two have very different styles. This would be OSP’s toughest test to date and a worthy replacement for Mike Kyle.

4. Roger Gracie

The Gracie name is undergoing a bit of a resurgence, and that’s mostly because of this man. Even I can admit that Gracie has begun to win me over: his ground game is what you’d expect of a Gracie, but dare I say it, his stand-up is evolving from “passable” to “good”. In submission fighting, Gracie’s record is 65-7. In MMA, his record is 4-0 with four submissions. Three of those came in the first round, one came in the second. Gracie is on such a hotstreak that not only do I think he deserves a shot at Mousasi, I think the winner of this match fully deserves a title shot.

3. Rafael Cavalcante

What better way to earn a shot at the championship than by beating a former champion? Cavalcante may have stumbled against Henderson, but he’s still one of the best Light Heavyweight fighters in Strikeforce. This would be a very interesting match-up and it would likely end with somebody face-down on the canvas. The big appeal of this match would be to see if Cavalcante’s massive frame and power punching can best Mousasi’s tactical gameplan and crisp counter-striking.

2. Muhammed Lawal

But if there’s one thing bigger than beating a former champion, it’s beating the former champion that became a champion by dethroning you. It’s been almost a year since Muhammed Lawal wrestled his way to a Unanimous Decision win over Mousasi, and since then Mousasi has competed on two separate occasions, winning bout bouts by first-round submission. Lawal has been sitting on the sidelines since August of last year, healing from an injury and his loss to Rafael Cavalcante. I can only think of one bigger match than these two making their Strikeforce returns against each other.

And the number-one opponent I’d like to see Gegard Mousasi face is…

1. Dan Henderson

If it happens, it honestly wouldn’t be the first time a fighter that was supposed to be fighting to crown the next challenger gets bumped up to being the next challenger. It also wouldn’t be the first time Strikeforce has given a title shot to a fighter that’s coming off of a loss. And as I said, Mousasi is coming off of a loss only in Strikeforce, he’s won two bouts overseas. I think this is honestly one of the most interesting fights Strikeforce could make at 205. The young, clever, versatile Mousasi would make a perfect foil to the old lion that’s got dynamite in his hands and a renewed fire in his heart.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Who would you like to see Mousasi face now that Mike Kyle is injured?

In fact, for Lawal, it will be a chance for Muhammed to gain back some of the spotlight that was taken from him in August of last year, when former champ Rafael Cavalcante was able to dethrone the wrestling powerhouse on third-round strikes in Houston, Texas.

Lawal will be returning to familiar territory when he comes back this June after an extended layoff due to a knee injury, when he meets with either Roger Gracie or Ovince St. Preux, two of Strikeforce’s top light heavyweight stars. Muhammed will make his return in Dallas, Texas of all places.

MMAWeekly.com has been able to confirm with Strikeforce CEO that upon his return, Lawal could face either the aforementioned Gracie or OSP, who have both since become top prospects in the organization.

Particularly St. Preux, who had a banner year in 2010 where he managed to rattle off a six-fight win streak in the year, which included three trips to the Strikeforce cage where he defeated the likes of Chris Hawk, “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran Antwain Britt, and last December capped off the biggest win of his career by dominating UFC veteran Benji Radach from start to finish.

Gracie, meanwhile, has quietly been moving up the ranks inside of Strikeforce’s light heavyweight class. The multiple-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion remains undefeated in his young mixed martial arts career. Since his inception into Strikeforce, he has finished off former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman, as well as fellow UFC vet Trevor Prangley–both by way of rear-naked choke.

Either man will be a tall task for “King Mo”, but with heavy hands and a wrestling background that puts most men to shame, Lawal should be up for the challenge.

So, MMA peeps, who do you think should challenge Lawal upon his return? Sound off in the comment section below.

Before I begin, I’d like to point out that I’d like to see all five of these matches no matter when they happen and no matter who holds what championship in whichever division. Also, this list doesn’t take into account the army of dominoes that would have to fall into place for many of these fights to occur. In a perfect world where there are no such things as contract disputes and everyone can fight everyone else at their best, these are the five fights I want to see the most.

5. Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez

I think of this match and I can’t help but smile. I also can’t even begin to imagine the potential insanity both men could unleash in the cage against each other. Gilbert Melendez is Strikeforce’s best Lightweight by far, while Anthony Pettis has fully and finally reached top-division status after an amazing five-round war with Ben Henderson. This fight would probably set the standard for years to come.

4. Quinton Jackson vs. Muhammed Lawal

It’s two of the best characters in MMA fighting each other… what’s not to love? Also, let’s not forget that both “Rampage” and “King Mo” love to bang and would probably spend every single second of this fight trying to knock each other’s heads off. Plus, I can’t even imagine how awesome the pre-fight trash talk will be between these two. Nothing about this fight or its build-up would be pretty, but entertaining? This fight has that in spades.

3. Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre

Although I don’t have a problem with taking a firm and even controversial stance on important issues, I’m not so rigid in my opinions that a fighter has no chance of winning me over. To this day, Nick Diaz stands out as the clearest example of that rule: I once utterly loathed him, but thanks in no small part to his many brilliant performances, I now consider myself a fan. I’ll go even one step further: he’s one of my favorite fighters, and currently one of the best Welterweights in the business. I’d love to see him fight GSP, who is already regarded as one of the best ever. Both men have a shot at winning this match, and I think Nick Diaz is one of the last, great challengers for GSP at 170.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar

This is the kind of fight where you wouldn’t be surprised if the ground shook the first time these two colossal titans locked horns. And that’s really the best way to describe these two hulking behemoths: they have a physique right out of Roman legends. And let’s not forget that these are two of the top Heavyweights in the business. Despite constant abuse from his cynics, Brock Lesnar is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and one of the highest-drawing UFC stars of all time. Despite constant accusations of chemical enhancement, Alistair Overeem is a K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, and the DREAM Interim Heavyweight Champion. This would be an awesome match no matter where both men are at in their careers when it does finally get around to happening.

And my number-one pick should come as a shock to virtually no one that’s followed me and my musings for any prolonged period of time.

1. Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko

When you talk about a “legacy fight”, this is what you’re talking about. Neither man has anything left to prove, both men will go down as one of the best in the history of the sport. However, I can and will admit that this fight doesn’t have the appeal it did back when Fedor was undefeated and Randy Couture was the UFC Heavyweight Champion. But none of that would matter if these two ever stepped into the Octagon against each other. I can’t think of a better way to end an era, as I think this fight would virtually close the book on Fedor’s and Randy’s careers. This fight still has an incredible amount of appeal, and it’s still easily the number-one “Strikeforce vs. UFC” fight I absolutely want to see.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What fantasy fights do you hope one day to see?

The world class wrestler was last seen in action in a losing effort to current title holder Rafael Cavalcante this past August. The Brazilian striker and training partner of Anderson Silva, was able to connect on a knee in the second round that rocked “King Mo”. Additional blows would later call a halt the bout, and just as quickly as Muhammed had earned the title in April of this year in a five-round war of attrition against then champ Gegard Mousasi, he lost it just as swiftly.

However, Mo may now have the opportunity to add another name to his mantle if he is successful in dispatching long time veteran, Jeff Monson.

MiddleEasy.com first reported the possibility of the match up which will take place under the Strikeforce banner, and apparently in the light heavyweight division.

Monson tried his hand at the 205-pound division in the past, most memorably at UFC 29 opposite of “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell, though he came over the designated weight limit. Since then, Monson has competed against some of the sports top and most notable heavyweight fighters, including Pedro Rizzo, and former UFC champions Ricco Rodriguez, Tim Sylvia, and Josh Barnett.

Monson is currently riding a five-fight winning streak since dropping back-to-back fights to the likes of Travis Wiuff and Shamil Abdurahimov (respectively).

Standing at 5’9 and no more than 230 pounds in his stocky frame, it’s no wonder why Monson may be thinking the path of least resistance in his career may be at light heavyweight, rather then battling Goliath’s in the heavyweight class.

No official word from the Strikeforce has come about this particular bout, but if it is in the works, what do you think MMA peeps? Do you think Monson dropping down to 205 will benefit him enough in order to defeat Mo? Will his elite grappling skills (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt) stack up against Muhammed’s wrestling credentials? Sound off in the comment section below.

Antwain Britt, a former contender in the Strikeforce light heavyweight class and a contestant on season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter” was dominated early by Haitian fighter.

“Juggernaut” was able to storm back in the final round, however St. Preux’s effectiveness in the early goings with his obvious edge in the striking as well as ground departments had him ahead early on the score cards and it was enough for him to walk away with the unanimous decision victory.

It marks the first time that Ovince has gone the distance in any of his career wins, which are mostly highlighted by either knockout’s or submissions.

Muhammed Lawal, or better known as simply “King Mo” is still waiting on the wings in order to vie for his coveted title shot once again, and hopes to become the Strikeforce 205-pound champion once again.

Lawal won his title in a 5-round unanimous decision victory over the heralded Gegard Mousasi last April at “Strikeforce: Nashville”. Lawal dominated the fight with his world class wrestling skills, en route to the decision win, however quickly lost the title of his first defense. He was pitted against Black House’s own Rafael Cavalcante, and was knocked out by the Brazilian striker in the second round.

MiddleEasy.com reported the potential going’s of the fight, though nothing has been officially announced as of yet.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Likely, the edge will go to Lawal early who has better experience against top flight competition, but St. Preux is no one to be over looked. Who do you think takes the fight and moves one step closer to claiming the title? Sound off in the comment section below.

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.

5. Marius Zaromskis vs. Dan Hardy

It’s a shame that people have mostly forgotten about Marius Zaromskis, since I became a huge fan of his due to his destruction of several people in the Japanese-based DREAM. Zaromskis hasn’t been heard of since he was TKO’d at the hands of Evangelista Santos, but he’s still a very tough fighter with incredibly powerful high kicks. Against Dan Hardy he’d face another strong-willed power-striker, and this one would likely see both men absorb a lot of damage before somebody gets knocked out.

4. Ronaldo Souza vs. Chael Sonnen

Now this is a fight that fans can really sink their teeth into. Souza fights out of the same camp as UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, so you have a guaranteed rivalry right there. Both men have good-but-not-great striking, but since they’re evenly matched, it would be pretty entertaining to see them trade blows. If it goes to the ground, Souza is nicknamed “Jacare” (Alligator) for a reason, while Chael Sonnen’s ability to dominate on the ground needs no introduction, based on his near-total shutout of Anderson Silva at UFC 117. It would simply be a highly, highly competitive match.

3. Shinya Aoki vs. George Sotiropoulos

This one would have to take place in Japan, though, so both men could utilize their magic submission pants. There’s no doubt that George would have the advantage striking, since Aoki’s stand-up has always been atrocious. But if/when it goes to the ground, this has the potential to be one of the most entertaining ground battles in years.

2. Junior dos Santos vs. Antonio Silva

It’s the technical striking of JDS going up against the power of “Bigfoot”, and I think both men would turn in a great performance. Antonio Silva wants to be taken seriously so badly that I think he would show up in great shape and with a great gameplan for this fight, while Junior Dos Santos has quickly become the best pure striker in the Heavyweight division of MMA as a whole, not just the UFC. Someone is going to sleep in this fight, and it would be quite a spectacle to see the super-fast and super-slick JDS trying to cope with Silva’s massive frame, long reach, and serious punching power.

And the #1 spot goes to…

1. Muhammed Lawal vs. Rashad Evans

Both men have awesome wrestling skills, with striking that is good for the most part and great on occasion. As talented as both men are on the ground, I have a feeling that their impressive wrestling backgrounds would basically cancel each other out and force this into a stand-up brawl. Both Lawal and Evans have a lot of power in their hands, and I can see this one getting quite vicious before all is said and done. And if someone does get an advantage on the ground, look for some very harsh Ground and Pound. It’s not a traditional choice by any stretch of the imagination, but I would love to see this fight.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Other than the obvious, what are some UFC vs. Strikeforce fights you’d like to see?

The San Jose, based promotion took its show on the road down south, when Strikeforce visited Texas with two-title fights and some sure crowd pleasers.

Probably the two bouts that stuck out the most come fight night, being King Mo’s first defeat as a mixed martial artist at the hands of challenger Rafael Feijao (for Lawal’s 205-pound strap)–in devastating fashion at that–and K.J. Noons’ one sided beat down of former UFC lightweight competitor Jorge Gurgel.

While both fights shared different outcomes, both have one thing in common: a canned supplement of oxygen, which by most states who govern mixed martial arts contests, is deemed illegal or is largely unmentioned/vague in most regulations.

MMAJunkie.com picked up the beat of the story, when said media source spoke to the Public Information Officer of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Susan Stanford, who deemed that said participants Noons and Lawal were well within the guidelines when the competitors chose to use the “enhancers”, which most athletes believe aid in respiratory recovery between rounds.

“It’s my understanding that the physician did consult with the ringside physician, and it was approved by the physician,” Stanford said while speaking with MMAJunkie. “It was within (the rules).”

And according to MMAJunkie, “Combative Sports Program statutes do not specifically address the use of oxygen; Stanford said banned substances include Monsel’s solution, silver nitrate, ammonium capsules and smelling salts”.

So, do you see an unfair advantage being used for said athletes using canned oxygen, or is it simply another aid that should athletes feel deem a specific purpose, should be used come fight time.

Although not unaccustomed to losing, as he has lost several–though not many–matches in is long and storied wrestling career, that spans from collegiate wrestling to competition overseas.

After his first and only loss to current Strikeforce 205-pound champion Rafael “Feijao” this past Saturday, where the Brazilian Blackhouse stablemate floored the wrestling standout with knee-hook combo before ending the bout with elbows in succession to the head while a prone Muhammed attempted to lock up a single leg, manager Ryan Parsons confirmed with Sherdog.com that his fighter is undergoing some heavy-duty surgery.

With two surgeries being accounted for, Mo will have his left knee operated on, repairing his anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, Parsons believes that his fighter will be sidelined for up to 9 months. Mo, though a true competitor, intended on fighting one more time before the surgery, but his manager insisted.

“Mo wanted to take one more fight, but we decided that this injury should be attended to first,” said Parsons after King Mo was observed by his physician just yesterday.

Some may remember Mo having had ACL surgery not all that long ago. After opening up his career with three consecutive TKO finishes under the Sengoku banner, Mo went to his first decision against Japanese veteran Ryo Kawamura in March of 2009.

It was later learned that Lawal tore his ACL during the contest and was later operated on, and made his return just five months later against Mark Kerr under the M-1 banner.

So, what does Lawal’s absence do to the 205 pound picture for Strikeforce? Immediately, Gegard Mousasi looks like the next logical step, since he is a draw with the fans of Strikeforce, relevant, and back on his winning ways since his loss to Mo, where he recently earned a first round submission win over UFC veteran Jake O’Brien.

Mike Kyle could also be up next for the Brazilian, who will undoubtedly want to exact revenge on the only man to legitimately defeat him convincingly.

So, who deserves the next crack at the title, and is Lawal’s injury hurting him or Strikeforce more in the long run?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In his fight with Tim Kennedy, the man who got the nickname “Alligator” due to his penchant for trapping opponents in unbreakable submission holds found himself unable to get his opponent to the ground. In fact, it was Kennedy who landed the takedowns and scored the Ground and Pound, however brief it was. For nearly five full rounds, Souza had nothing to fall back on except his ever-improving stand-up game. While it’s true that Kennedy landed more strikes throughout their five-round war, it was very apparent that Souza hit harder and did more damage. At least, that must have been how the judges saw it, since Jacare clinched a Unanimous Decision victory.

Against King Mo, Rafael Cavalcante would do everything in his power not to let his fight go to the judges. The first round was a back-and-forth affair that saw Cavalcante get the better of Mo in the stand-up, and all but completely avoid Mo’s takedowns. Aside from a few impressive slams that Feijaio immediately got up from, the man lauded as one of the most decorated collegiate wrestlers to ever transition to MMA seemed unable to implement his ground game on the Brazilian Jui Jitsu black belt. The second round saw Mo get the better of Cavalcante utilizing some very powerful body punches. Heading into the third round, Mo’s renewed sense of confidence proved to be his undoing, as Cavalcante was able to nail a mammoth knee from the Muay Thai clinch position, which was followed up by a barrage of strikes that ultimately led to King Mo being dead on his feet, prompting famous MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy to step in and save Mo from any more punishment.

Looking forward, both men have several good fights lined up for them. Souza could take his rivalry with the enigmatic Jason Miller to new heights with a third fight, this time with the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship on the line. After promising to make several changes, King Mo could find himself in a position to rematch Rafael Cavalcante very soon. Fights with Dan Henderson and Gegard Mousasi would also be great fights I’d love to see.

But no matter what happens next, these two wins give Strikeforce two champions that they can be very proud of. Even though he struggled with Tim Kennedy, Ronaldo Souza is still a wizard on the ground, and his stand-up is improving with every single fight. Rafael Cavalcante was once thought of as a sure-fire prodigy, and despite having a few setbacks that he has now overcome, the impossibility of taking him down combined with his very powerful striking should be enough for him to break the chain of Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champions losing their belt in their first few fights. Both men are humble fighters with loads of skill, and their future in Strikeforce has never looked brighter. “Houston” was a night for new beginnings, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

And how about you, fans and friends? How impressed were you by Ronaldo Souza and Rafael Cavalcante? What (or more likely who) do you think is next for the two new champions?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First off, Mo is biting the hand (hands, more like it) that feed him. Fans are the people that show up to watch you perform; they pay for tickets and buy your merchandise. The entire Mixed Martial Arts industry, and for that matter, just about all entertainment/sports industries known to man, live and die on fan interest and attendance. It’s not like King Mo has hurt anybody’s feelings, we’re all big boys here, but if a professional athlete tells me that he couldn’t care less about my support, I’m going to rethink supporting him. If he shuns us, the least we could do would be to shun him right back, whether it be through not buying his merchandise or not paying to see a card that he is headlining. I realize that Mo may draw a lot of unnecessary criticism due to his cocky attitude and his status as a relative newcomer. But by telling everybody to go screw themselves, Mo is ostracizing the loyalists as well as the doubters.

And you know what? It’s a shame that this latest tirade seems so half-hearted, coming from a guy whose mouth can run a mile a minute on any given day. King Mo has given us some great trash-talking antics in the few fights he has had, but it seems like he’s just phoning this one in. The whole “uneducated fan” thing has been done to death. The “hardcore fan vs. casual fan” debate has been both killed and revived so many times that it’s almost like Dracula in all the Castlevania games:  it just won’t die. I enjoy some good trash-talk, I even called Chael Sonnen “The Man I Love to Hate”, but Mo hasn’t said anything I haven’t heard before. So not only is he alienating a large portion of his fanbase, he’s not even all that entertaining while doing it.

To be honest, I’m still a fan of “King Mo”. I’m just going to roll my eyes, shrug my shoulders, sigh, and chalk this all up to a failed attempt at being controversial. At the end of the day, it’s very possible that King Mo could become one of Strikeforce’s major players, and a very dominant Light Heavyweight Champion. All the right ingredients are there: he’s got phenomenal wrestling, very impressive cardio, and good stand-up. And if he can keep the trash-talked centered in squarely on his opponent and not the fans, he could be one of Strikeforce’s most entertaining fighters ever.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Do you think King Mo spoke out of line, or do you think he’s just “playing the game” in order to increase interest in his upcoming fight? And speaking of that fight, do you have Mo or Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante winning?

The card features a light heavyweight title fight against newly crowned champion “King Mo” Lawal against top contender Rafael “Feijao”, out of Team Blackhouse, who trains alongside the likes of the Nogueria brothers, Anderson Silva, and Junior dos Santos.

The preliminary card, which can easily headline any challenger series with it’s depth, will go as such.

Strikeforce: Houston Preliminary Bouts:

Daniel Cormier vs Jason Riley
Andre Galvao vs Nate Moore
Vinicius Magalhaes vs Rocky Long
Adam Schindler vs Kier Gooch
Jose Santibanez vs Reynaldo Trujillo
Chad Robichaux vs Humberto Deleon
Chad Cook vs Arteneus Young

Some notables there include Daniel Cormier, who has been anything short of impressive since his inception into the sport. He’s recently picked up two new heavyweight titles in his last two outings outside of the promotion, with a TKO win over seas against Lucas Brown in Australia, and then last Saturday at King of the Cage against former heavyweight champion Tony Johnson. Both men were undefeated before they tangled with the former wrestling olympian and American Kickboxing Academy standout.

Cormier will be in action against Jason Riley, who some might remember was on the losing side of things against former UFC champion Tim Sylvia in September of last year. He has since split his last two contests, with a TKO win over Joel Wyatt, and a loss to Devin Cole in his most recent performance.

Vinicius Magalhaes, though, should not be confused with season 8 competitor of “The Ultimate Fighter”–not the same guy.

Andre Galvao, a DREAM veteran who submitted long time veteran John Alessio in his debut with the Japan-based promotion last year, will look for his second win under the Strikeforce banner. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion also trains with the aforementioned Blackhouse team.

The card is set for the Toyota Center, which at full capacity, can hold up to 19,000 at a time.

Traveling to the land down under, Cormier made his third mixed martial arts appearance when he took on native Aussie, Lucas Browne. A true heavyweight, who stood at a staggering 6’6 and weighed in at the limit of 265 pounds, Cormier put his wrestling to the test, taking down his much larger opponent, before opening up a ground and pound assault that would halt the contest, inside of the first round.

After winning his bout against the previously undefeated Browne on July 31st, Cormier was unsure of his next move, though he was hoping to be able to return to his home in Strikeforce, which saw him debut in September of last year in a win over Gary Frazier, finishing him with strikes in the second round.

Possibly sooner then he anticipated, Cormier will be making his fourth appearance inside a cage, when he will face Jason Riley on August 21., in Houston, Tex., on the preliminary card underneath headliner and friend, “King” Mo, who defends his light heavyweight title for the first time against challenger Rafael Feijao.

Daniel, who has honed his skills along side UFC heavyweight number one contender Cain Velasquez out of AKA, will look to keep his undefeated record intact against the man who is probably more recognized for his bout against former UFC champ Tim Sylvia, losing by first round strikes.

Can Cormier past the test, and keep his winning streak alive, and make his way up the ranks of Strikeforce’s heavyweight division?

I’ll start with what is quickly becoming one of Strikeforce’s biggest advantages: their Women’s division. In short, Strikeforce’s women’s division has consistently given us some of the best fights of the night. Given the fact that Women’s MMA is a relatively new phenomenon, nothing really needs to be changed. There’s already some growing dissatisfaction among MMA purists that Strikeforce’s Middleweight wrecking machine Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has no real competition to truly measure herself up against, but that’s hardly Strikeforce’s fault. While it may shine a harsh light on the fact that all other Middleweights are playing catch-up to Cris Cyborg, seeing Santos dominate again and again has yet to lose its appeal.

With his recent thrashing of Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez has quickly earned the rank of “Best Lightweight Not in the UFC”. Many are pointing to an epic showdown with Bellator Fighting Championships Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez as a dream-match that would go a long way towards cementing the legitimacy of the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. While I also believe that Melendez vs. Alvarez would be a fantastic match, I think Strikeforce should go one step further and forge an actual alliance with Bellator in the same vein as their alliance with the Japanese-based DREAM promotion. This would give Strikeforce a considerably deeper pool of talent while also showcasing Bellator FC, which has gained a cult following due to its penchant for highlight-reel knockouts and submissions but lacks true mainstream exposure.

For Strikeforce’s Welterweight Division, it is in Strikeforce’s best interest to build up Welterweight champion Nick Diaz, despite the fact that he remains one of the sport’s most polarizing fighters. For all his faults, Nick Diaz stands out as arguably the greatest Welterweight not named Georges St-Pierre. Diaz’s unorthodox but highly effective “punches in bunches” strategy combined with his vastly underappreciated ground game has resulted in seven straight wins since 2007, with seemingly no end in sight. Diaz is a rare exception to the rule: a controversial fighter that’s actually worth the trouble.

With the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship now vacated, a Middleweight Tournament is a no-brainer. With no names or format revealed as of yet, I’ll wait to see how this all turns out before giving my opinion on how Strikeforce should move forward with their Middleweight division.

While not as earth-shattering as Fedor Emelianenko’s recent loss, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal’s victory over former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi did cast the future of Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight Division in doubt. Even with his bad boy attitude and strong wrestling skills, “King Mo” remains a relative newcomer. Strikeforce’s best option is to keep “King Mo” active against the stiffest competition possible. If Mo is able to weather the storm and beat several tough opponents either by highlight-reel stoppage or hard-fought decision, he will bring credibility both to himself and to his championship.

The future of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight division is far from uncertain. Despite calls for an immediate Fedor/Werdum rematch, Fabricio Werdum deserves his shot at Heavyweight gold. It may never generate as much interest or make as much money as an Alistair Overeem vs. Fedor Emelianenko dream match, but Overeem/Werdum needs to happen. As for Fedor Emelianenko, it doesn’t matter who his next opponent is. Fans will be so interested in seeing how Emelianenko rebounds from his first-ever legitimate loss that they will tune in no matter what.

Simply put, Strikeforce deserves to be where it is: despite some stumbling blocks, the promotion always tries to put together the best cards possible. When all is said and done, the future of Strikeforce is actually quite bright.

So what do you think, fans and friends? What does Strikeforce need to do to hold or even re-gain your attention?

Lawal claimed the matchup nearly occurred twice before.  Lawal turned down the fight at M-1 Global Breakthrough in Kansas City last August due to a freshly fixed ACL.  Lawal claims he would’ve fought Mousasi at Dynamtite!! 2009 in Tokyo New Year’s Eve, but that Mousasi or his camp turned the fight down.

But, the matchup between two of the biggest young MMA stars is ripe for Strikeforce on CBS in April.

Mousasi TKO’d “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-19-1) at Dynamtite!! 2009 in a ridiculous matchup.

Lawal impressively stopped “Iron” Mike Whitehead (24-7) at Strikeforce in San Jose December 19.

Mousasi recently claimed to Sherdog that the fight was to his advantage in everything by Lawal’s base martial art: wrestling.

Lawal told MMA Junkie, “”He can say this and that, but we’ll find out come fight time.”

Lindland and Souza are set to clash, while Lawal will make his Strikeforce debut versus an opponent to be determined.

Lindland signed a three-fight deal with Strikeforce in August on the heels of Affliction’s announcement to close-up shop. The former Olympian is coming back from a brutal knockout at the hands of UFC middleweight title challenger “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) at Affliction in Anaheim in January 2009.

Souza, the 2005 Abu Dhabi submission grappling champ, signed with Strikeforce at the same time as Lindland following a five-fight run in Japan’s DREAM promotion.  Similar to Lindland, Souza is also coming off a September 2008 knockout loss to Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (23-2-1). Most recently, Souza experienced a no contest against “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-7) in May 2009 at DREAM.

Lawal experienced success within the Japanese Sengoku promotion following a respectable collegiate wrestling career. A former NCAA Division II champion, “King Mo” was in consideration to fight Mousasi at Strikeforce in Chicago Friday, but chose to make his debut later in December.

Also announced are former UFC heavyweight champion “Monster” Kevin Randleman (17-13), who now competes at 185 pounds, and former UFC lightweight Michihiro Omigawa (3-7).

No opponents were announced for any of the fighters.

A report Thursday claimed that Randleman could fight “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (4-0), but Fighters.com has not confirmed that report.

Lawal had crouched low out of his corner; and, Kerr threw a low kick. Lawal caught Kerr’s low kick and dumped Kerr on his stomach, beginning the onslaught of punches that ended the fight.

For Lawal, the “W” is Pyrrhic as the talented light heavyweight wastes time versus opponents, like Kerr, who don’t develop his talent.

French middleweight “Psycho” Karl Amoussou (12-2-1) dominated late replacement for “Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1), American wrestler John Doyle (7-8), tapping Doyle in a rear naked choke at 3:15 of round one. Amassou tripped Doyle to the ground with a hard leg kick to start the fight; but, Doyle hugged Amoussou’s leg and crawled into the Frenchman’s full guard. Amoussou swept into full mount and tagged Doyle’s head with punches as Doyle went into the desperation roll, back-to-stomach, back-to-stomach. One roll too many and Doyle found himself wrapped in Amoussou’s rear naked choke.

Middleweight “Spartan” Lucio Linhares (12-3) avenged his loss to Mikhail Zayats (8-4) when he tapped him in a rear naked choke at 1:00 of round one. Linhares staggered Zayats with a right hook to the ear. Zayats crumbled; and, Linhares pounced into the choke hold to end the fight.

Lightweight Daisuke Nakamura (18-9) defeated Frenchman “Hurricane” Ferrid Kheder (11-3) by three-round unanimous decision. Nakamura popped Kheder’s proboscis with a rising left jab and lunging straight right rounds one through three, first etching a crease in the bridge of Kheder’s nose, then leaving him snorting blood from both nostrils. In round three, the referee paused the fight unnecessarily to have the doctor look at the bloody mess. In round two, however, “Hurricane” spun a three-four combo over the straight shots from Nakamura, tagging the Japanese veteran in the head. But, Kheder longed for a brawl that Nakamura danced around. When Kheder closed in to exchange, Nakamura either landed a knee to the short rib or pulled guard, which Kheder pulled out of. At the end of round three, Nakamura pulled guard and Kheder finally played along, falling into an arm triangle as the final bell rang. Too little, too late.

Heavyweights Alexey Oleinik (6-4-1) and Rogent Lloret (6-1-1) fought to a draw. Llorent consummated the contest with a left high kick that opened a slit on Oleinik’s right eye brow early in round one. But, Oleinik answered with a slam, swept near the end of the round by Llorent. Oleinik consistently put Llorent on his back hard throughout the fight, but Llorent fed Oleinik uppercuts and knees during the in-coming and had a sweep to answer most of Oleinik’s slams. Whether Oleinik or Lloret was in top position on the mat, they played paddy-cake, neither doing damage to the other. A draw is about right.

Dutchman Jessie Gibbs (5-0) won a unanimous decision over heavyweight Brit Rob Broughton (9-4-1) in a snoozer that drew the boo-birds for both fighters. Gibbs had a nifty telegraphed-right-kick-into-straight-right technique that caught Broughton flush twice in the second round and again in the third, but Broughton walked through the punches. Gibbs also landed a hard right elbow to Broughton’s liver while in half mount in the first round. If much else landed, it must’ve been while I was dosing off; but, Gibbs earned the decision.

Polish heavyweight Michal Kita (6-2) won a first-round submission by G’n’P at 1:50 when American Lloyd Marshbanks (12-8) tapped out with a dislocated right shoulder with Kita on his back wailing right hooks into Marshbanks’s noggin. Marshbanks had shot and ate a left. Kita sprawled and tagged Marshbanks again, then swiveled to his back and punished Marshbanks until Marshbanks called it quits.

Breakthrough gets started at 7:30 PM local time at Memorial Hall in KC and the meat of the of the card will be broadcast on HDNet at 10:00 PM EST. Outside of the United States, the entire card will be streamed via the Internet. Details are available at M-1 Global’s website. Tickets starting at $25 can be purchased at Ticketmaster and there’s a buy-one-get-one-free offer.

Fighters.com asked Mousasi to explain the exhibition sparring format last Thursday. “It’s just like a light sparring,” he said, and added that the exhibition won’t turn competitive in front of thousands in Kansas City. “We are not animals. We can control ourselves.”

Coming off a unanimous decision over Pancrase veteran Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) at Sengoku Seventh Battle in Tokyo last March, Lawal will fight late replacement forty-year old “Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr (14-10).

Kerr replaced Lawal’s original opponent, forty-three year old former UFC champion “Predator” Don Frye (20-7-1).

Frye told MMA Junkie Sunday, “I didn’t drop out; I walked away. Here’s the deal: [The event] didn’t just move from LA. It went from the Staples Center to the LA Convention Center. From the LA convention center to the Hilton in Las Vegas. From the Hilton in Las Vegas to an Indian casino on the Oklahoma-Texas border. From the Indian casino on the Oklahoma-Texas border to an Indian casino up in Tulsa, which is North Oklahoma. And from there up to Kansas City.

“So you know, after four or five times changing the venue, and then we asked [M-1 Global Chief Operating Officer Joost Raimond] ‘Hey, what are you doing for advertising? Are you sending a photographer out to Don’s house?’ He says, ‘No, we’re just going to use stock photos off the Internet.’”

“So at that point we said, ‘You know what? You just ain’t got your shit together. We’re walking away.’”

Raimond had released a statement saying, “Don Frye had a signed contract with M-1 and part of that signed commitment allowed us to change the venue if needed. From our perspective, Don should still be in this fight. However, for reasons that we aren’t exactly sure of, he has backed out. Don still has not provided us with a clear reason as to why he is refusing to fight. It just doesn’t make sense because the old Don Frye was willing to fight anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. Perhaps the fire is gone and he underestimated the challenge that ‘King Mo’ presents?”

Kerr will bring his four-fight losing streak into the ring in Kansas City. He was tapped out in a rear naked choke by “Snowman” Jeff Monson (28-8) at Vengeance Fighting Championship in Concord, North Carolina last September. He’s 2-9 in the last nine years.

Linhares will rematch Red Devil Sport Club’s Mikhail Zayats (8-3). Zayats won the original two-round contest by UD in St. Petersburg at M-1 Challenge 4 in June 2008.

Linhares comes off a 1:25 KO of countryman “BBMonstro” Valdir Araujo (1-1) at M-1 Challenge 16 in Kansas City last June.

Zayats lost a unanimous decision to Alexander Machado (3-1) at M-1 Challenge 15 in Sau Paulo last May.

“Finding an opponent for [Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1)] in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor and I’m thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this challenge,” said Tom Atencio, vice president of Affliction Entertainment. “But in the end, we just didn’t have enough time to promote a new fight to our standards.”

Emelianenko was left without an opponent after ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) tested positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, and was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission to fight.

Barnett denies using steroids.

Both Xtreme Couture middleweight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) and heavyweight “Snowman” Jeff Monson (27-8) had verbally agreed to replace Barnett, and “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (3-0) lobbied hard for the matchup via the Internet.

Emelianenko called out fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0), who declined the fight on short notice to focus on an October Strikeforce fight.

But, none of the available fighters made a compelling matchup for Emelianenko. The result would’ve only made news if the icon Emelianenko lost, and even that would’ve left a sour taste in MMA fans’ mouths.

What was one of the most anticipated and stacked fight cards of 2009, Trilogy has quickly become a travesty and Barnett might take the brunt of the blame.

A charming, popular fighter, Barnett could quickly replace UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (3-1) as MMA’s heavyweight heel for canning such a huge fight for the sport, himself, Emelianenko, and Affliction.

It’s been widely speculated that the future of Affliction, a clumsy but able competitor to the UFC, was resting on the success of Trilogy, and therefore squarely on the shoulders of Emelianenko and Barnett.

If his eventual appeal to the CSAC fails to clear his name, Barnett’s mistake could ripple through mixed martial arts for years, knocking out an alternative to the UFC for both top fighters and fans, denying Emelianenko the last proven elite heavyweight matchup outside of the UFC, and tarnishing Barnett’s own legacy with the label of “cheater” and denying him the realistic shot of defeating an icon in the sport.

Also announced was a middleweight matchup between “Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1) and Frenchman “Psycho” Karl Amoussou (11-1-1).

Ostentatious former NCAA wrestling champion “King Mo” won a unanimous decision over Pancrase veteran Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) at Sengoku Seventh Battle in Tokyo last March. He’ll fight for the first time in his home nation at Breakthrough.

Certain MMA Hall-of-Famer Frye tapped Richard Moss (7-4) in a rear naked choke at Shark Fights 4 in Lubbock last May.

Both Lawal and Frye are former Oklahoma State University wrestlers, though not on the same squads.

Former BodogFight welterweight champion Thompson will continue his run at 185 pounds after submitting to punches to The Pit’s Timothy Kennedy (11-2) at Strikeforce in Kent, south of Seattle, 19 June.

Kickboxer Amoussou knocked out Kazuhiro Hamanaka (3-6-1) with a flying knee in twenty-three seconds at M-1 Challenge 14 in Tokyo last April.

WVR also announced that Fighter of the Month “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (1-0) will face Chute Boxe’s Fabio Silva (11-4).

Gomi’s last fight, in August, went the distance but he won the decision over Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).  His next fight was to have been 4 January at Sengoku 7.

Golyaev last fought in December 2006, winning via decision over Vladimir Soroka (3-1).

Lawal won his MMA debut in September with a first round TKO of “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-12).

Silva most recently KO’d Yoshiki Takahashi (28-24-3) in the second round at Sengoku 3 in June.

The winner of the tournament will face Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) for the first-ever middleweight belt 4 January in Saitama at Sengoku 7.

Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) will face Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1), and Jorge Santiago (18-7) will face “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1).

The event already features a lightweight tournament to determine an opponent for Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) at Sengoku 7 for the title.

The bouts remaining in the lightweight tournament are Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) versus sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) versus Mizuto Hirota (10-2).

WVR also announced that Fighters.com’s Fighter of the Month “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (1-0) will fight, although an opponent has not yet been determined.

“GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) versus Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) is also official.

Joe Doerksen (40-12) revealed through MySpace Tuesday that he has agreed to fight Izuru Takeuchi (25-9-6).

Lawal won his MMA debut in September, TKO’ing the more experienced “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-12) in the first round.

Masvidal defeated “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) with a first-round TKO at the same event.

Bang lost his last fight via unanimous decision to Gomi in August.

UFC veteran Doerksen won a split decision over John Meyer (5-3) in August.

Shooto and Pancrase veteran Takeuchi won his last fight with a heel hook submission over Junior Santos (0-1) in June.

Lawal staggered Wiuff with a right Superman punch, then rushed in with a double-leg takedown at the ropes.  Lawal leapt on Wiuff and finished him off with ground’n’pound.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion “Xande” Alexandre Ribeiro (1-0) TKO’d Takashi Sugiura (1-3) in the last minute of his anticipated MMA debut.

Showing his fatigue in round three, Ribeiro nevertheless made a final attempt to finish the fight, landing several heavy punches and knees that forced the stoppage at 4:18.

Sengoku’s Middleweight Grand Prix got underway with four quarterfinal fights.

Chute Boxe member “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos’s (16-12) bout against “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1) ended in injury after just 22 seconds.

Bahadurzada had double underhooks on Santos as the middleweights battled for position.  Bahadurzada tripped Santos, whose left elbow snapped when he landed, prompting an immediate stoppage.

UFC and WEC veteran “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark had a good first round on his feet, but American Top Team’s Jorge Santiago (18-7) caught him with an arm triangle at 3:35 of round two.

PRIDE veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8), in his debut as a middleweight, won an easy unanimous decision over Manchester’s Paul Cahoon (10-12).

Grabaka fighter Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1) submitted PRIDE and Pancrase veteran Yuki Kondo (49-23-6) via rear naked choke at 1:08 of round two, after an uneventful first round.

In a non-tournament bout, American Top Team member “GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) TKO’d former IFL Lightweight Champion “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) with ground’n’pound at 1:57 of round one, first dropping him with a flying knee.

Kiuma Kunioku (34-22-9) earned a unanimous decision victory over A Sol Kwon (5-4) in their lightweight match.

His original opponent, Roger Gracie (2-0), withdrew due to injury.

Lawal is a new Team Quest member who will make his MMA debut at the event.  He is a former NCAA Division II amateur wrestling champion, and also finished first at the 2006 US Open and 2007 Pan-American Games.

Wiuff KO’d Kazuyuki Fujita (15-7) in 1:24 at Sengoku 3 in June.

Lawal answered a few questions for Fighters.com; and, the first question I always ask wrestlers with MMA aspirations is whether they’ve ever been punched in the face.

“I have been punched and kicked in the face,” Lawal answered.

It’s a silly question until you’ve watched tough bastards who’ve avoided fist fights on reputation and appearance cower after taking a few hard shots to the dome.

No one likes to get punched in the face.  It’s a skill.

Lawal has chosen the right path to pick-up the skills wrestlers before him have learned to be MMA champions.

“I want to be a fighter,” Lawal claimed.  “Not just a wrestler.  I love MMA and I’m an avid student of the MMA game.

“I’ve sparred with Sokoudjou, Cyril Diabate, Dan Hendo’, Chael Sonnen, Matt Lindland, Brian Stann, Alberto Crane, Mark Bocek and a few others.  I’ve trained with Matt and Dan, also GSP and Nathan Marquardt.”

Lawal has a legit’ shot at Olympic gold in Beijing, which would be great for MMA, but could be terrible for Mo.

Entering the sport as the big show could prevent Lawal from touring the small-ball circuits that prepare rookies for the big shows.

See Brock Lesnar (1-1).  The former wrestling champion has all the physical talent to rule MMA’s weak heavyweight division…eventually.  Because of his celebrity, he took only one warm-up versus “Mr. Shark” Min Soo Kim (3-6) before former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir (11-3) taught the rookie what a kneebar is in an anti-climactic minute-and-a-half.  Lesnar already has another former UFC champ on his docket, “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8).

But, Lawal seemed aware of the error in Lesnar’s ways, saying, “I knew Brock would lose due to the inexperience factor with submissions.  It changes my attitude with the fact that I’m going to strive harder to be a well-rounded fighter.”

Lawal has high aspirations.  “I want to do everything Dan [Henderson] has done and more.  I want to fight at middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.  I want to be an MMA legend.”

He may first make himself an Olympic legend.  He’s ranked third in the U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings at 211.5-pounds, but said, “I am dropping back down to [185-pounds] for wrestling.”

Lawal gives MMA fans more reasons to watch the combat sport events at this summer’s Olympics.  Besides Lawal, could there be a future MMA star among the wrestlers?  The judoka?  Beijing has added San Shou to the 2008 exhibition schedule, the base martial art of new Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le (6-0).