5. “Bad” Apple beaten by a great Triangle.

Despite nearly getting caught in a few submissions towards the end of the first round, Ryan Larson was well on his way to a dominating decision victory after dismantling his opponent, Erik Apple, throughout the majority of the first. Things went from bad to worse for Apple when Larson got Back Mount and locked in a Body Triangle, and the situation went from worse to fight-ending when Apple tried to buck Larson off and instead found himself half-caught in a Triangle Choke. After a super-smooth transition from Back Mount to Guard in order to fully lock in the Triangle, Larson won the fight with an awesome submission that capped off a pretty entertaining performance.

4. “Tarzan” angry! “Tarzan” maul opponent!

I always respect a fighter that comes in looking to finish from the start of the fight. The purist in me knows that this isn’t the way to consistently win, inevitably you’ll meet a counter-puncher that either takes your head off because you rushed in or a wrestler/grappler that lets you punch yourself out before trapping you in an easy submission or vicious Ground and Pound. But none of that mattered to David Douglas, also known as “Tarzan”, who came in with a head of steam and proceeded to throw and land bombs at a shocking pace. His opponent, Nick Gonzalez, basically had no other choice but to turtle up, making him easy prey for a Rear Naked Choke. It was a dominating performance to say the very least, and definitely a highlight of the night.

3. He’s got him… he’s got him… he doesn’t have him!

Those are my exact words, more or less, when Ryan Couture constantly went submission hunting against his opponent, Lee Higgins. Several times I felt almost positive that Higgins would either tap or be choked unconscious within the next few seconds, but somehow Higgins always found the strength to fight on and persevere. Although he would end up finally succumbing to a Rear Naked Choke with barely thirty seconds left before the final bell, Higgins more than proved his toughness while Couture more than proved his growing versatility and skyrocketing potential.

2. This should be fun to- wait, it’s already over?

Those are also my exact words, more or less, when it came time to see Carlo Prater take on Bryan Travers. I remember watching Prater compete at the under-appreciated SHINE Fights Lightweight Grand Prix, and I was ready for a good fight. What I got was complete and total domination by Carlo Prater, who almost-immediately locked in a choke before I could blink and proceeded to choke his opponent unconscious. Prater’s lightning-fast win combined with his sincere honesty in his post-fight interview, which included him tearing up, was definitely one of the best moments of the night.

But of course, my favorite moment of “Challengers 14” just had to be…

1. Lyle Beerbohm and Pat Healy are both Gumby.

That’s really the only way I can describe this match. Both men flowed through so many intricate positions that even the announcers had trouble keeping up with the action. Neither one of them was in a dominant position for long, and the second these two locked up you just knew that something crazy was about to happen. From gigantic slams to rolling leg lock attempts, Beerbohm and Healy put on an intense grappling war that was filled with just as much excitement as a non-stop brawl. It was a great fight and clearly the best moment of the night.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? How do you rank the memorable moments of Strikeforce: “Challengers 14”?

Next for David Douglas: After two strong showings on two back-to-back “Challengers” cards, Douglas may be ready to be called up to the big stage again. It’s hard to ignore “Tarzan” when he’s so entertaining and comes out to finish from the second the first bell rings. If not a main Strikeforce show, expect Douglas to play a big role in his next “Challengers” event, possibly competing at or near the main event. If he keeps winning in dramatic fashion, big things are in store for David Douglas.

Next for Ryan Couture: I also think it’s time for Ryan Couture to get his call-up to the big leagues and join the cast of a major Strikeforce show. Couture still has a lot of room to grow, but in the here and now, he’s filled with potential and has pretty much proven that he’s far more than just a legendary last name. Also like David Douglas, I think Couture will play a major part in the next “Challengers” show he takes part in, if it’s decided that he still needs one more fight before getting the bump. Couture still has rough edges, but with a mix of real skill and sincere humility, we could be talking a whole lot more about Ryan Couture within the next few years.

Next for Carlo Prater: Job security, which is something Prater hasn’t been able to say for a while now. Prater leaped back onto the comeback trail in a big way at “Challengers 14”, so expect Strikeforce to lock Prater down for at least two or three fights. Whether or not Prater lives up to the potential he showed both at “Challengers 14” and at the start of his career is anyone’s guess, but I’m certainly pulling for him.

Next for Lyle Beerbohm/Pat Healy: Each other, which is why they’re being grouped together. This was an awesome match, and I sincerely tell all of my fans that even if you’ve got no interest in these two or even in the “Challengers” series as a whole, you owe it to yourself to track this one down and give it a watch. There’s no shame in losing this kind of match, even if it was the first loss of Beerbohm’s career, and I think Beerbohm deserves his shot at revenge. Healy would also benefit from beating Beerbohm twice, and if he won the rematch in dominating fashion, he’d likely emerge as a possible championship contender. It’s always possible that these two men may go their separate ways, but a rematch definitely makes the most sense right now.

And what about you, fans and friends? For those of you who tuned in and watched, what do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of Strikeforce: “Challengers 14”?

Pat Healy defeats Lyle Beerbohm by Unanimous Decision. Carlo Prater defeats Bryan Travers by Submission (Anaconda Choke) 0:38 of Round 1. Ryan Couture defeats Lee Higgins by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 4:41 of Round 3. David Douglas defeats Nick Gonzalez by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:05 of Round 1. Ryan Larson defeats Erik Apple by Submission (Triangle Choke) 3:14 of Round 1. Aaron Lan Franco defeats Thomas Diagne by TKO (GNP) 4:22 of Round 1. Drew Pendleton defeats Dennis Dombrow by Submission (Guillotine) 2:38 of Round 1.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this card. I was actually quite pleasantly surprised at how many of the “Challengers 14” fights ended in dramatic fashion. The televised broadcast began with a sick Triangle by Ryan Larson, immediately followed by an all-out beatdown on Nick Gonzalez courtesy of the fiery David Douglas. Ryan Couture then showcased just how focused he is on getting out of his father’s shadow through his own merits and not his famous last name; Couture has now won two straight by submission and his fight with Lee Higgins was definitely a growing experience for him.

Seeing Carlo Prater tear up after finishing his opponent within the first forty seconds was honestly one of the highlights of the night. I really respect Prater’s honesty and his willingness to both admit and work through the problems he’s faced in the past. This could be the start of a pretty big resurgence for Carlo Prater, I’ll certainly be paying attention to him now and I’d love to see what happens next for him.

And in the main event, we got a grappling clinic that puts most grappling clinics to shame. Beerbohm and Healy fought a fantastic “blink and you’ll miss it” fight filled with reversals, reversals of reversals, and reversals of reversals of reversals. Both men flowed in and out of intricate ground positions like it was easy, and it was undoubtedly the best fight of the night. Not only that, it was also a very close fight, and I echo the sentiments shared by the “Challengers 14” announce team: I want a rematch! Beerbohm may have lost his first fight, but he’s really got nothing to be ashamed of. This was a great fight, and I don’t mean “a great fight by ‘Challengers’ standards”. I mean that this fight could have been one of the best fights of the night even if it had been put on a major Strikeforce show.

I’m honestly a bit blown away by how much I enjoyed this show. To be honest, this show just about completely restored the faith I had in “Challengers” that was lost after the underwhelming “Challengers 13” event. While that event looked awesome on paper but ultimately didn’t measure up to my expectations, I headed into “Challengers 14” with relatively low expectations and was greeted by a very, very fun night of fights. I’ll need at least one more good event like this in order to offer my official proclamation, but if that does happen, then I’m calling it now: “Challengers” is on the fast track towards replacing the WEC as my “dark horse favorite”.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on Strikeforce: “Challengers 14”?

5. Several experienced veterans and notable prospects highlight the card.

I’ll go into specifics a bit later on down the list, but for the most part, “Challengers 14” has a real “old school vs. new school” feel. You’ve got fighters with lots and lots (and lots) of fights on their pro records, but you’ve also got fighters that have only been competing for a few years. This usually creates a “high stakes” atmosphere where the veterans try their hardest to prove they’re still relevant and the newcomers try their hardest to show that they’re growing as fighters. Combined, that means a night of fun and exciting fights.

4. Pat Healy is an experienced veteran and won’t be going down without a fight.

Pat “Bam Bam” Healy has fought a stunning forty-two times as a professional MMA fighter, with twenty-five wins and seventeen defeats. Healy has won three of his last five, with a submission and a TKO win to his credit. Healy has fought a host of famous names, from Carlos Condit to Paul Daley, from Chris Leben to Chris Lytle, from Denis Kang to Dan Hardy. He’s even beaten a few of them. Healy’s lost seventeen times, but the man is a threat no matter who he’s facing. He’s going to bring out his best and bring out the best in Lyle Beerbohm, even if he gets finished in the process, and that’s definitely going to make for a great fight.

3. Ryan Couture is quickly shaping up to be a can’t-miss fighter.

Ryan Couture could have piggy-backed off of his last name and made himself out to be the second coming. He could have even leveraged that name to make his debut on the main televised card of a major Strikeforce show. Instead, Couture showed an admirable amount of humility both before and after he won his first official pro MMA fight, and when inside the cage, Couture showed flashes of brilliance. It’s going to be very interesting and exciting to see where Ryan Couture goes now that he’s beginning to build some momentum.

2. Lyle Beerbohm looks unstoppable.

“Fancy Pants” is a perfect 15-0 with six wins by (T)KO and seven by submission. Seven of those wins have came inside the first round, and three were inside the second. Beerbohm holds notable victories over Duane Ludwig, Vitor Ribeiro, and Rafaello Oliveira. Beerbohm is on the fast-track to become the next big threat at Lightweight and a major contender to Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez. This is a key fight for Beerbohm, so he should show up at his best, and that’s a big reason to give this card a watch.

And my number one reason to watch this card is…

1. The continually-increasing quality of the “Challengers” series of shows.

If you’ll recall, fans and friends, this is an argument I’ve used before, in order to justify the watching of other “Challengers” shows. I find myself repeating it here because it continues to be true: these shows really are improving on a fight-by-fight basis, and they were never all that bad to begin with. They’re not as good as Strikeforce’s main shows, which all seem to be ending quite dramatically nowadays, but the “Challengers” series is really starting to find and exploit its own niche. I’m pleasantly surprised with the quality of these shows more often than not, and that remains the biggest reason to keep giving “Challengers” a chance.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see Strikeforce: “Challengers 14″. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

Lyle Beerbohm vs.  Pat Healy: Pat Healy is a tough, veteran fighter and I respect him for that. Nevertheless, I think he’s definitely being put into the role of “sacrificial lamb” for this bout. This is Beerbohm’s “gatekeeper” fight: if he wins and wins dramatically, he’ll be on the main stage before long and could even be fighting for the championship before the year is through. Knowing this, Beerbohm should put on an excellent performance and extend his win-streak to sixteen straight fights. Lyle Beerbohm wins by submission in Round 1.

Ryan Couture vs.  Lee Higgins: Standing in the way of Ryan Couture’s second pro MMA win is someone who holds just two pro MMA wins himself. At 2-0 with two submissions, Lee Higgins is just as new and inexperienced as Couture, so this fight should either be a turning point for both men or a clear indication that both should remain on the “Challengers” series for the foreseeable future. I think Ryan Couture will continue to showcase his skills and will snatch up a submission win in Round 2.

Bryan Travers vs. Carlo Prater: Even though Travers recently lost to Pat Healy, I’m picking him to win against experienced veteran Carlo Prater. Prater’s career simply seems to be on the decline: he’s won only one of his last four fights. Meanwhile, Travers is 14-2. Due to the fact that both men have a whole lot of wins by decision, I’m going to pick Bryan Travers to win via Unanimous Decision.

Ryan Larson vs.  Erik Apple: Apple has lost two of his last three fights, but those are the only two losses he has on his record. Meanwhile, Larson is also coming off of a loss, but that’s one of only two losses he has on his own record. Both men like to win by submission, but both men have also been submitted. This is one fight that’s going to be too close to call, but in the end, I’ll take Erik Apple to win via Split Decision.

David Douglas vs.  Nick Gonzalez: Nick Gonzalez has had a rough time in Strikeforce: his big moments with the company included losing to Josh Thomson and Yves Edwards, both of whom submitted the 16-8 nine-year veteran. Meanwhile, David “Tarzan” Douglas is 1-1 in Strikeforce, winning his most recent bout with the company by TKO in the second round. This is another fight that’s a bit difficult to call, but in the end I’m siding with the veteran. Nick Gonzalez wins by Unanimous Decision.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Who do you think will win, and why, at Strikeforce: “Challengers 14”?

The bout is rumored to headline Strikeforce Challengers 14, which takes place on Feb. 18 at the Cedar Park Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

Undefeated in his professional career, Beerbohm is looking to add another signature name to his list of victims as he inches closer and closer to top contender status in a thinning lightweight division in Strikeforce, however Healy would be the last man to overlook on your way to the top of the weight-class where only the strong survive.

MMAJunkie.com was able to confirm the 155-pound bout with sources close to the fighters, how it is only speculative now whether or not Healy and Lyle will headline the event, though they are the two best candidates for the position given their track record in the organization.

Beerbohm was last seen in action under the Strikeforce banner when he picked up a highly-controversial split-decision victory over former top-10 lightweight fighter Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, which extended his undefeated streak to 14-0, however he has since picked up two additional victories in outside promotion’s. Now, Lyle will have to redeem himself from his last performance when he takes on Pat Healy.

The former MFC welterweight champion looks to rebound from a disappointing submission loss to former champion Josh Thomson in June of last year. Though it looked like Healy was possibly edging Josh for the majority of the bout with his heavy dose of takedowns and top control, however “The Punk” turned it around in the third-round, locking up a rear-naked choke and took care of business.

Ryan Couture is also set to make his return to the cage on the February card, though no opponent has been named. The son of mixed martial arts legend Randy Couture, Ryan will be making his second-foray into the professional world of MMA in as many appearances in the San Jose based promotion.

Successful in his first outing, Ryan submitted then 1-1 lightweight fighter Lucas Stark with his patented triangle choke, inside of the first round.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Does Lyle have the goods to climb up the ranks and become a contender at 155? Sound off in the comment section below.

The Internet broadcast will cost just $5.95 and can be purchased at Shark Fights’ website beginning at 6:30 PM CST Saturday. Tickets starting at $20 can be purchased at PandhandleTickets.com.

The full card includes:

Nissen Osterneck (5-2) v “Hurricane” Gerald Harris (13-2)
Phil Cardella (8-4) v Ran Weathers (12-5)
“Money” Marcus Sursa (5-4) v Isaac Villanueva (3-1)
“Bam Bam” Pat Healy (17-13) v “TJ” Anthony Waldburger (10-5)
Bryan Humes (5-0) v Lance Friedenstein (2-0)
Lorenzo Borgomeo (4-2) v Anselmo Martinez (5-0)
Karen Darabedyan (7-1) v Estevan Payan (6-2)
Robert Clayton Hantz (3-1) v Tony Castillo (1-0)

Ford said, “I have to stay off it for a bit so there was no way I could have a full training camp which means I couldn’t be fully prepared for the fight.”

The rematch is rescheduled for MFC 20: Destined for Greatness 20 February, in Edmonton.

Ford is coming off a unanimous decision victory over “Thrill” Nabil Khatib (9-4) at Raw Combat in October.

Ford was submitted via armbar in his fight with Healy for the vacant welterweight title in July.

Ford looked dominant for most of the fight but Healy defended well; Healy attempted submissions, but Ford escaped using brute strength. In the end, Ford left himself vulnerable one too many times as Healy secured the armbar and forced Ford to tap at 3:02 of round three.

One punch was all it took for light heavyweight Aron Lofton (3-0) to defeat Dwayne Lewis (3-5). After faking a jab, Lofton threw an overhand right to knock out his opponent at 0:17 of round one.

Lightweight Benson Henderson (5-1) dominated the first round with strikes, Ricardo Tirloni (3-1) controlled the second, but it was Henderson who jumped on Tirloni, locked in a guillotine, and ended the fight at 3:49 of the second round.

Levi Avera (10-4), a welterweight who moved up for this fight with middleweight Ron Faircloth (31-17), started strong in both rounds. But Faircloth turned Avera’s takedowns to his own advantage and dominated from the top for almost the entire match. He finally sank a rear naked choke and after desperately fighting it, Avera tapped at 2:57 of round two.

Lightweight Jason Maxwell (15-9) controlled Donald Sanchez (13-8) from the beginning. By round two Maxwell had worn himself out and Sanchez, who managed to conserve his energy, locked in a triangle choke to tap out Maxwell at 2:03.

Preliminary fights:

Lightweight Ryan Machan (5-2) TKO’d Ryan Heck (5-2) at 4:19 of round one.

Light heavyweight Jay Whitford (2-0) submitted Jason Kuchera (3-2) via armbar at 4:31 of round two.

Lightweight Gavin Neil (4-0) TKO’d Evan Sanguin (1-2) at 4:11 of the first round.

Welterweight Mike Sorensen (4-1) TKO’d Lemont Davis (1-1) at 2:52 of round one.

Middleweight Elliot Duff (2-1) TKO’d “The Brick” Brandon Curts (3-2) at 4:30 of round one.

Welterweight Jason Zorthian (3-2) won a unanimous decision over Jesse Clarke (0-1).

Ford’s previously-scheduled opponent, Joe Jordan (44-14-2), was removed from the card due to a back injury.

Healy most recently fought in the IFL.  He lost his last fight to Jake Ellenberger (17-4) by unanimous decision in February.

Healy will be cornered by “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (17-7), and Ford will be cornered by “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald (20-9), who submitted Herman in his UFC debut.

Team Quest’s Schultz, 19-9-1, escaped a choke hold applied by 15-6 John Gunderson to grind out a unanimous decision.

Miletich middleweight Ryan McGivern added the IFL 185-pound strap to his belt drawer with a unanimous decision over defending champion “Suave” Matt Horwich of Team Quest.

The back-and-forth rematch was fight of the night ending with the same result as their 2006 fight.

IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson made quick work of debuting “Pega-Leve” Fabiano Scherner with TKO at 3:20 of round one.

On the undercard, 17-3 middleweight Jake Ellenberger won a unanimous decision over “Bam Bam” Pat Healy.

BTT light heavy “Cacareco” Alexandre Ferreira submitted ATT’s Lew Polley in 20 seconds for 16th “W” against five losses.

Late substitution “Bring the Pain” Josh Haynes of Team Quest won a unanimous decision over Brazilian Leopoldo Serao to pull even at 9-9.

ATT lightweight Rafael Dias submitted 11-4 Santino Defranco at 2:03 of round one to raise his record to 10-3-1.

Finally, featherweight “The Barn Owl” Ian Loveland of Team Quest guillotine choked Xtreme Couture’s “Piranha” Dennis Davis 58-seconds into round two for his ninth win against seven losses.