Marloes Coenen has had an interesting career as one of the top female fighters in Strikeforce. Coenen is a rarity in women’s MMA: a world-class veteran. Coenen has fought over twenty times, has been fighting for over a decade, and has a highly respectable record of 19-4. Her large, long frame has resulted in her claiming fourteen of her nineteen wins by submission. And in recent years, thanks to the Golden Glory camp (which trains the likes of Alistair Overeem), Coenen has displayed some impressive striking ability.

Coenen made her Strikeforce debut in 2009 and won by first-round submission in barely over a minute. The win gave Coenen a title shot against Cristiane Santos… but Cristiane Santos being Cristiane Santos, Coenen was dismantled and brutalized for three straight rounds before “Cyborg” closed the deal and stopped Coenen with a TKO. Coenen then immediately dropped down to 135 and was immediately given a title shot, which was a bit controversial.

Ultimately, Coenen would win the title in her best overall performance in Strikeforce to date, displaying crisp striking and a very good submission game. Coenen then met a major setback in her first defense of her belt when she fought Liz Carmouche. For three rounds, Coenen was more or less at Carmouche’s mercy. But at the start of round four, Coenen was finally able to secure a submission and won the fight.

Carmouche’s opponent, Meisha Tate, is also widely regarded as one of the best female fighters in Strikeforce as well as one of the most attractive. Tate’s record of 11-2 boasts several major victories over tough competition. In what has so far been the crowning achievement of her career, Tate won a special one-night single-elimination 135-pound tournament at Strikeforce’s “Challengers 10” event. Tate wound up beating both Maiju Kujala and Hitomi Akano by Unanimous Decision. And since those two wins in August of 2010, Tate has sat on the sidelines waiting for her opportunity to challenge for a championship.

This is honestly a really tough fight to call, for several reasons. First and foremost, Marloes Coenen looked amazing when she won the title but looked pretty bad in her first defense. So one of the largest factors in this match-up is which Marloes shows up. Another major factor is Tate’s inactivity, it’s been almost a year since she stepped into the cage. And as I keep saying, ring rust is very real.

In the here and now, I will say this: I’m very glad that this fight takes the co-main event slot. I think it’s going to be a very entertaining scrap, and I think it’s going to send the message that women’s MMA is a viable option in any promotion. Hopefully, this fight lives up to all my expectations and becomes a reminder to the Zuffa brass that women’s MMA is here to stay.

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is a veteran of over twenty-five fights and several major promotions. Lawler fought in the UFC from 2002 to 2004 and exited the promotion right on the cusp of “The Ultimate Fighter” exploding the UFC back into mainstream acceptance, after a pair of tough losses to Nick Diaz and Evan Tanner. Lawler then faced some pretty tough competition on the regional circuit before winning the Elite XC Middleweight Championship by knocking out Murilo Rua. Lawler would hold onto that title up until Elite XC self-imploded and shut down.

Since then, Lawler has transitioned to Strikeforce and faced some very tough challenges, walking away with a 2-3 record inside the Strikeforce cage. Of course, since it is Robbie Lawler, both wins were highlight reel KO’s. Most recently, Lawler fought for and lost his chance at the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship when reigning champion Ronaldo Souza submitted him.

His opponent, Tim Kennedy, is a veteran… period. Even while fighting as a professional Mixed Martial Artist, Tim Kennedy was still working full-time for the United States Army. Kennedy has fought fifteen times in over a decade, and has a very respectable record of 12-3. In his time inside cages around the world, Kennedy has competed in the WEC, the IFL, HDNet Fights, and most notably Strikeforce.

In Strikeforce, Kennedy has lost only one time: ironically, it was to the same man Robbie Lawler just lost to. Lawler was Souza’s first defense of the championship, Kennedy was Souza’s opponent in a fight to claim the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship after Jake Shields left the promotion with the title in order to jump ship to the UFC. Kennedy would end up losing a close decision, and when I openly asked if Kennedy deserved an immediate rematch, an overwhelming majority of fans say that they felt he did deserve one.

With the way the Middleweight division is right now, I’m almost certain that the winner of this fight will get a rematch with Souza. But who wins this fight? Well, that’s tough to say. In terms of pure stopping power, you’ve got to give it to Robbie Lawler. If he can catch you, you’re going to get dropped. But can he catch Tim Kennedy? I think that, above all else, will be the deciding factor in this match.

In his entire career, Tim Kennedy has never been properly (T)KO’d before, his only TKO loss was due to a cut. So if Robbie Lawler is going to stop him, he’s going to have to hit him hard and hit him frequently. If he can, Lawler will be able to take the decision and maybe, just maybe, knock Kennedy out. If not, Kennedy will use good grappling and tight clinch work to wear down Lawler during Lawler’s initial rush, and in the later rounds Kennedy will begin to assert himself once Lawler begins to tire and his punches begin to lose their power.

There are many different ways this fight could go, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.

He either wants another run at the title, or Robbie Lawler. Plain and simple.

Kennedy vied for the Strikeforce middleweight title last August against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, however fell short on his goals of becoming champion when the Brazilian edged Tim on all judges score cards after the five-rounds were in the books, as he took home the decision win.

Now that he’s back on the winning track after a dominating performance against K-1 veteran Melvin Manhoef, Kennedy is ready for bigger and better things, whatever they may be.

In his bout with Melvin, which took place last weekend under the Strikeforce banner, Kennedy was able to eventually work the striker to the mat after the Dutchman staved off several takedown attempts, and quickly sunk in a rear-naked choke, recording the submission win inside of the first-round.

Recently, the U.S. Army soldier appeared on “Inside MMA” hosted by the infamous Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice on HdNet, where he made his desired known to the general public of what he expects to happen next in his mixed martial arts career.

“Let me get out there and demonstrate that I deserve the next title shot,” said Tim. “I think I can beat Robbie (Lawler) in a bunch of different ways and do it decisively. Then not only would I think I deserve a title shot, I think everybody else would have to agree.”

Lawler would seem like the most logical choice, since he is just coming off of his own title bid against the aforementioned Souza as of late January. “Ruthless” lived up to his moniker early on, where he was able to drop Ronaldo to the mat in the opening round. However, fatigued quickly set in on Lawler and he eventually succumbed to a rear-naked choke finish in the third-round, after fighting off multiple submission attempts on the mat.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the proposed match-up? Do you think that Kennedy and Lawler should be pitted against one another, or do you think both men should seek different fights in the mean time? Sound off in the comment section below.

The Showtime televised event featured a dual-title headliner, featuring middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza successfully defending his title against veteran Robbie Lawler with a third-round rear-naked choke, as well as Nick Diaz dominating a game Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos en route to a second-round arm bar win.

And for their efforts, these men took home some of the evenings largest paydays, with the Stockton native taking a large portion of the $463,500 payroll.

MMAJunkie.com has reported the following figures which it had successfully obtained from the governing bodies of the California State Athletic Commission, who oversaw the event which was held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Cali.

Champ Nick Diaz: $150,000 (no win bonus)
def. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos: $20,000

Champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza: $85,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Robbie Lawler : $65,000

Herschel Walker: $5,000 (no win bonus)
def. Scott Carson: $5,000

Roger Gracie: $75,000 (no win bonus)
def. Trevor Prangley: $30,000

Nate Moore: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus)
def. Nathan Coy: $3,000

Isaiah Hill: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Bobby Stack: $1,500

Ron Keslar: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Eric Lawson: $1,500

Germaine de Randamie: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Stephanie Webber: $1,000

James Terry: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Lucas Gamaza: $1,500

Jenna Castillo: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Charlene Gellner: $1,000

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here from the figures? Anybody gaining more or less than what you expected? Sound off in the comment section below.

I’ll start off with the obvious: there’s a large section of the fanbase that thinks that Nick Diaz had the best performance at this show. Aside from eating a few leg kicks, Diaz showed nearly no weaknesses and submitted his opponent with ease. Meanwhile, Souza had to recover from some big shots, had to fend off some near-calls, and was unable to lock in several submission attempts before finally getting one to stick.

To which I say: Souza had to work harder against a better opponent in order to get his win, and I think thriving under pressure is more noteworthy than dominating against an opponent many people thought you would dominate.

That’s what this all boils down to in the end, that’s why I’m talking about Souza and not Diaz in this piece: Evangelista Santos wasn’t as big of a threat to Nick Diaz as Robbie Lawler was to Ronaldo Souza. Lawler is a former champion, and possesses vicious knockout power no matter who he’s facing. Santos was an easy pitch for Diaz to nail a home-run with, Lawler was a curveball that could and did cause “Jacare” some problems.

This is why I was so impressed by Souza’s performance. The true measure of a champion is his ability to thrive against top-level competition, and aside from a few other stars, Robbie Lawler is indeed one of the best Middleweight fighters Strikeforce has to offer. Lawler put a lot of pressure on Souza, he even almost turned out Souza’s lights at one point in their bout.

But Souza proved he was a true champion by staying calm, recuperating, and continuing to work his gameplan. The second Souza took Lawler’s back and locked in a body triangle, I knew the fight was as good as over. A few seconds later, Souza fully lived up to that expectation.

Strikeforce has had a bit of a tough time figuring out what to do with their champions. Both Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz are so dominant that the promotion is running out of legitimate challengers to either of their belts. Jake Shields defected to the UFC in a very high-profile fashion, while Alistair Overeem just got back to defending his Heavyweight Championship. And to top it all off, the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship is ricocheting from one champion to the next, with no one holding the belt for long. In short, Strikeforce could use a little stability.

And that’s exactly what Souza brings to the table.

Souza is a good fighter, his stand-up is improving on a fight-by-fight basis and his submission skills are at a master level. He’s also a humble champion, although he’s not afraid to be a showman when the time calls for it, what with his signature “Jacare” dance and such. With hard-fought victories like the one he had over Tim Kennedy to win the belt and the one he now has over Robbie Lawler to keep the belt, the sky’s the limit for Ronaldo Souza. Both Souza and his championship were put on a new level of credibility following this big win over Lawler, so without a doubt in my mind, Ronaldo Souza fully deserves “Best Performance of the Night”.

And what about you, fans and friends? What fighter do you think put on the best performance at Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

5. Herschel Walker steamrolling Scott Carson.

Say what you want about Herschel Walker’s skill level and the skill level of his opponents, but a dominant win is a dominant win. Walker’s performance was one of the best of the night simply because Walker continues to defy people’s expectations. He’s a physical marvel, incredibly humble, and decidedly vicious when it comes time to step into the cage and go to work. Against all odds and despite the harshest cries of his cynics, Walker continues to walk through opponents like it was easy, and that definitely made for a highlight of the night.

4. Souza’s constant submission attempts and Lawler’s uncanny ability to stave them off.

Ronaldo Souza defending his Strikeforce Middleweight Championship against Robbie Lawler was a great fight in general, but one of its best moments came late in the fight. Souza flawlessly and expertly applied a series of submission attempts, transitioning from one to the next with a speed that can only be described as lightning-fast. Somehow, someway, Lawler found a way to get out of each and every one. It made for some incredibly tense moments, and it was definitely a highlight of the night.

3. Roger Gracie giving the Gracie name hope for a new generation.

When was the last time you could truly consider a Gracie fighter as a top-ranked Mixed Martial Artist? The pioneers of the sport haven’t had a lot of luck adapting to the new generation: some have been successful only to falter in the end, others have had outright embarrassing performances before vanishing from the major MMA landscape entirely. Not true for Roger Gracie. Despite my early protests, Gracie is giving the family name hope for a new generation as he continues to face and defeat some of Strikeforce’s best mid-level Light Heavyweights. Gracie made it look almost too easy when he submitted Trevor Prangley. We may finally be seeing the rebirth of the Gracie name, and that definitely made for one of the best moments of the night.

2. Ronaldo Souza becoming a true Strikeforce champion.

I think Souza’s performance against Lawler was so great that he deserves two spots on this list. This performance signaled a change in my outlook on “Jacare”: I’ve gone from a respectful middle-of-the-road semi-follower to an outright fan of the man. Souza showed incredible heart and fortitude  when he staved off a Lawler blitzkrieg, he remained calm and collected throughout the bout and even kept the fight standing for awhile after coming so close to going out. Then to top it all off, he snatches up another submission victory. Souza is a true champion, and I’m proud to say that his fantastic performance at “Diaz vs. Cyborg” won me over as a fan.

And my top best moment of Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg” is…

1. This is why you don’t take Nick Diaz to the ground.

The official time of this bout’s end was listed at 4:50 of Round 2, meaning that Nick Diaz and Evangelista Santos had officially fought for nine minutes and fifty seconds. I want to say that roughly 9:40 of that 9:50 was fought standing up, with Diaz more-or-less dominating even though Santos threw up some good leg kicks. Then the fight went to the ground and it was over almost before I could blink. Everyone, including me, always talks about how Diaz is evolving into one of the best strikers in the game. This fight reminded us that Diaz’s submission skills have been and always will be as sharp or even sharper than his stand-up. It was a classic Nick Diaz performance, and it easily takes the top spot.

And what about you, fans and friends? What were your top 5 moments of the night for “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

Next for Roger Gracie: Gracie isn’t ready for top-tier competition just yet, but he might be before 2011 is through. Gracie ran through a pretty talented veteran in the form of Trevor Prangley, I think Gracie should now take on a Light Heavyweight that, like himself, is a fast-rising relative newcomer that is on a good win-streak. In that regard, Ovince St. Preux fits the bill quite nicely. I think this would be an excellent test for both men and would truly test how multidimensional both men are. Even if it’s not OSP, I think big things are in store for Roger Gracie in 2011.

Next for Herschel Walker: Walker will fight at least one more time, you don’t completely run through two opponents just to call it quits no matter how old you are. Furthermore, Walker’s competitive nature will get the better of him once again: he’s had a taste, he wants more, and he’ll be back. For Walker’s third fight, Strikeforce may finally give him a somewhat-credible opponent. I’m a fan of the man and even I can admit that his name value has got him on Strikeforce shows, not the quality of the opposition he’s faced. In 2011, Walker will continue to be an interesting double-edged sword: many MMA diehards will still consider him a joke, but those willing to give him a chance will take what he’s done in stride and warm up to the idea of Walker being a great ambassador for the sport.

Next for Robbie Lawler: Lawler will bounce back from this as he so often has bounced back from other deflating losses. Strikeforce knows what they have in Robbie Lawler: an entertaining striker that’s not afraid to engage and enters the cage with the sole intention of either finishing or being finished. Even though he may never reach the top of anyone’s rankings, Lawler is an effective tool in Strikeforce’s arsenal and I see Strikeforce letting Lawler fight as many times as he wants to in 2011. Look for Lawler’s next fight to be against another heavy-handed striker, though, that’s usually where he shines brightest and that’s the kind of fight Strikeforce will use to help rebuild his reputation following his deflating loss to Ronaldo Souza.

Next for Ronaldo Souza: With this victory over Lawler, Souza is now a reigning and defending champion. “Jacare” proved that he can swim and not sink when Strikeforce throws their best Middleweights at him, so expect Souza to continue to be matched up in interesting fights against worthwhile competition. Maybe even a high-profile Light Heavyweight will drop down to challenge Souza. No matter who he faces next, look for Souza to continue to build his credibility with exciting fights which will one day help transform him into a real Strikeforce star.

Next for Evangelista Santos: I really hate to say this, but I think it’s my obligation to say what I mean and mean what I say. Santos never deserved a shot at the championship in the first place, and he’ll continue to plod along at or around the middle of the division for the foreseeable future. Santos is a good fighter overall and can look dominating at times, but he’s simply not at a high enough level to ever pose a serious threat to a top-ranked opponent. It’s all downhill from here for Evangelista Santos in 2011.

Next for Nick Diaz: Most likely it’ll be Paul Daley, which should be an amazing match-up so long as it stays standing. It’ll certainly be an incredibly short one if Diaz is able to take Daley to the ground. As I’ve so often been saying, Nick Diaz once again proved he’s one of the best Welterweights in the world. His reign as champion won’t be ending anytime soon, and look for 2011 to be The Year of Diaz. It’s Nick’s time now, and all Strikeforce welterweights need to know that the King isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

Nick Diaz defeats Evangelista Santos by Submission (Armbar) at 4:50 of Round 2. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza defeats Robbie Lawler by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:00 of Round 3. Herschel Walker defeats Scott Caron by TKO (Strikes) at 3:13 of Round 1. Roger Gracie defeats Trevor Prangley by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:19 of Round 1. Nate Moore defeats Nathan Coy by TKO (Strikes) at 0:25 of Round 2. Isaiah Hill defeats Bobby Stack by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:02 of Round 1. Ron Keslar defeats Eric Lawson by Submission (Triangle/Armbar) at 1:57 of Round 1. Germaine De Randamie defeats Stephanie Webber by KO (Knees) at 4:25 of Round 1. James Terry defeats Lucas Gamaza by TKO (Strikes) at 3:26 of Round 1. Jenna Castillo defeats Charlene Gellner by KO (Knees) at 3:57 of Round 2.

I’ll start out by admitting that I was wrong in thinking that Trevor Prangley would beat Roger Gracie. It’s not the first time I was wrong, it certainly wasn’t the most high-profile time I was wrong, but I’ll eat my humble pie nonetheless and I have no problem admitting that Gracie obliterated my preconceived notions. I look forward to seeing what’s next for Roger Gracie, he seems to be a new Gracie for a new generation and I think that’s been a long time coming in modern-day Mixed Martial Arts.

I’m very glad Herschel Walker won again, and I hope he continues to fight for as long as he considers himself healthy enough to do so. I don’t know what the future holds for Walker, but I certainly wish him nothing but the best and I sincerely hope that this second fight was enough to change some of the naysayer’s opinions. Herschel Walker is the real deal, and while he may never hold a championship, tonight he fully and wholly earned the right to call himself a Mixed Martial Artist.

I’m very happy that Ronaldo Souza won, I think he’s a perfect fit for the Strikeforce Middleweight division and I think he’s definitely a worthy champion. A true champion doesn’t just survive under pressure, he thrives, and Souza came back from a Robbie Lawler blitzkrieg that has stopped so many of Lawler’s previous opponents. “Jacare” is much more than just submissions, even if he keeps living up to his “Alligator” nickname. With a tremendous amount of heart, a tough chin, some constantly-improving stand-up and some incredibly deadly submission skills, Souza has all the makings of a dominant champion.

The night ended with Nick Diaz proving once again why I think he’ll rule the Strikeforce Welterweight roster for years to come. There seemed to be very few holes in Diaz’s gameplan, he did eat some good leg kicks but he always answered back with punches. His ducking and dodging has never been better, and it was Diaz who had “Cyborg” backing up with those patented “punches in bunches” fists that hurt far more than they look. Diaz finishing the fight by submission was just icing on the cake, it proved that Diaz hasn’t forgotten his expert ground game in the midst of this new resurgence that’s seen him evolve into one of the best strikers in the game. If you’ll allow me one simple moment of fanboy bliss… I believe the saying goes “WAR DIAZ”, fans and friends.

As a Strikeforce fan, I really enjoyed this show. Every single fight ended with a finish! Fans were in for a real treat with this show, and Strikeforce is off to an awesome 2011. With the Grand Prix soon upon us, I think Strikeforce will have a banner year in 2011. It’s going to be an amazing ride, fans and friends. I’m certain of it.

And what about you? What did you think of “Cyborg vs. Diaz”?

However, the multiple-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion was able to retain his title where he used a stifling ground game en route to a third-round submission win over the former three-time middleweight titleholder.

In the first-round of the middleweight title fight, Souza’s game plan was evident early on. Use kicks to keep the distance, close the gap quickly and bring the fight to the mat. And how could blame the Brazilian, who was pitted against one of the best pound-for-pound punchers in the sport in Lawler. Ronaldo worked the fight to the ground early, however Lawler remained patient on the ground and eventually worked his way back to the feet.

A flying knee followed up by hooks in succession had rattled the Brazilian who was on survival mode for the remainder of the round. Lawler settled in “Jacare’s” guard, peppering the champion with short punches, claiming the round for the H.I.T Squad co-founder.

The second round however, was a wash for “Ruthless”, as Souza was able to control the entire fight on the ground. Multiple submission attempts from Ronaldo were stifled by the savvy Lawler, who due to his last few opponents has trained plenty of ground-skills (Jake Shields, Renato Sobral, and Matt Lindland are just three of his last four opponents).

However, those valuable experiences were not enough, as a fatigued Lawler came out for the third-round with a defeated stare on his face. Robbie was laboring kicks early on, and the athlete that Ronaldo is, he capitalized on the opportunity and took Lawler to the mat yet again. This time was different, as the Jiu-Jitsu black belt and product of the famed Black House team, was able to latch onto the 28-year-old American’s back early. It was just a matter of time, as Ronaldo slithered his body into position, secured a body-triangle, and then sneaked in the rear-naked choke, which Robbie submitted to at two-minutes in the third round.

The win extends Souza’s streak to now four in a row, and remains undefeated under the Strikeforce banner. Lawler now falls to 2-3 over his last five outings.

So, MMA peeps, who do you think is next for the middleweight champ? The bout pitting Tim Kennedy and Jason “Mayhem” Miller against one another next March should provide a clearer picture for the number one contender’s spot. Sound off in the comment section below.

Nick Diaz will be defending his welterweight crown against the resurgent Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos while Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza takes on former 3-time middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler.

All participants for tonight’s Saturday event, which takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, all successfully made weight–but it wasn’t without it’s problems.

The weigh-ins ceremony, as far as the main-card is concerned, went off without a hitch. Both Diaz and “Cyborg” came in under the required welterweight limit, both weighing in at a svelte 169.5-pounds. Both men gave an intense stare down, which helped solidify that the main-event of the evening will be fireworks as these two-dynamic strikers enter the cage.

Much like his usually stoic self, Lawler offered up a subdued stare down with his Brazilian foe, as the H.I.T Squad co-founder weighed in at 184-pounds while the Jiu-Jitsu specialist came in at 184.25 for the middleweight title affair.

Both Nate Coy and Jenna Castillo came in just over their respective weigh-limit, however had the chance to retry and just a few hours later hit their marks.

The rest of the weigh-ins are as follows, courtesy of MMAJunkie.com:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Nick Diaz (169.5) vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (169.5)
* Champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (184.25) vs. Robbie Lawler (184)
* Herschel Walker (220.75) vs. Scott Carson (214)
* Roger Gracie (206) vs. Trevor Prangley (205.25)

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Nate Coy (170.5)* vs. Nate Moore (171)
* Isaiah Hill (155.5) vs. Bobby Stack (154.75)
* Ron Keslar (179.5) vs. Eric Lawson (180)
* Germaine de Randamie (135.5) vs. Stephanie Webber (135.75)
* Lucas Gamaza (171) vs. James Terry (170.5)
* Jenna Castillo (121) vs. Charlene Gellner (118)^
* Anthony Dariano (149.5) vs. Alan Perez (151) (a)
* Niko Jackson (166) vs. Ricky Jackson (164.5) (a)
* Sam Bracamonte (168) vs. Armin Safiari (169.5) (a)

* – Coy made weight on his second attempt after initially weighing one-quarter pound heavy
* – Castillo made weight on her second attempt after initially weighing one-half pound heavy

(a) – Amaetur bout

5. Two championships are on the line.

It’s always a special occasion when a championship is on the line. All the best fighters want one, all the best events are built around one. This card has two. A show with a championship on the line always seems to have a certain special aura, and this show should be no different. Everything seems and feels a little bit bigger when there’s gold on the line, and this show features gold going on the line twice in one evening. It should certainly make for some dramatic television.

4. Herschel Walker is controversial, but entertaining.

Whether you like him or loathe him, few people don’t have an opinion on former NFL great Herschel Walker. What will Walker do next as he continues this MMA excursion? Doesn’t part of you want to find out, even if it’s the morbidly curious part of you? Walker is an interesting man, and that’s made him into an interesting fighter, which should make his upcoming bout at “Diaz vs. Cyborg” against Scott Carson a (you guessed it) interesting encounter.

3. You can watch all the prelims online for free.

For those wondering where they can get all the details, please click here. In short: you could watch this entire fight card from beginning to end, from top to bottom, every single fight… if you were of the mind to do so. It’s not often that we get to see every single fight of a major MMA show, and to tell you the truth, I’m happy if all we get is two free prelims. Instead, we’re getting six. And six free fights online mixed in with four free fights on cable is a powerful one-two blow.

2. Robbie Lawler vs. Ronaldo Souza should be an awesome match.

While it’s undoubtedly one of the most basic match types in the entirety of MMA, the “striker vs. grappler” fight continues to be one of the ones that MMA fans look forward to the most. And while it’s unfair to say Robbie Lawler is purely a striker and Ronaldo Souza is purely a grappler, that is what this fight boils down to at its simplest and also at its most appealing. Can Lawler land that big punch? Can Souza lock in that big submission? This clash of styles is what MMA as a whole was built upon, and since both men are high-level fighters, this should be a very good encounter.

And the number one reason to look forward to this show is because…

1. Diaz vs. Cyborg should be a great war.

Leading up to this fight I’ve made two things clear: one is that I’m a big fan of Nick Diaz, the other is that I don’t think Evangelista Santos poses any great threat to the current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. However, that doesn’t mean that I think the fight will be boring. In actuality, I see Cyborg fighting Diaz tooth-and-nail and giving us a great scrap between two gifted strikers. Even though I think “Cyborg” will be outmatched and outplayed, I’m very excited about this match and I think it’ll be a vastly entertaining brawl.

That’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What are some of the reasons you’re looking forward to Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos: The best thing I can say about Evangelista Santos is that he’s the husband of my favorite female fighter, Cristiane Santos, who is also one of my favorite fighters period. Without an ounce of hyperbole on my part, I truly believe that Nick Diaz has Evangelista Santos beat in all facets of the game. From striking to tactics to pacing to cardio to ground prowess to everything in-between, this will be a classic Nick Diaz performance and the bad-boy we all either love or love to hate will give us another reason to keep actively discussing him. Diaz wins by second-round TKO.

Ronaldo Souza vs. Robbie Lawler: I think both men pose some very interesting threats to each other, which is why I gave this fight the “5 Reasons Why” treatment. Check out part 1 here and part 2 here. Now that I have to make an official prediction, here’s what I think will happen: I think Lawler will come out guns blazing and he may even score a big shot or two, but Souza will survive, take this fight to the ground, and work his game. That’s what I see this entire fight boiling down to: Souza will be able to survive Lawler’s onslaughts, but Lawler won’t be able to survive on the ground with “Jacare”. Ronaldo Souza wins by submission in the second, maybe third round.

Roger Gracie vs. Trevor Prangley: I think Gracie only has a passing interest in MMA, his flirtation with the sport seems to come and go. Trevor Prangley, meanwhile, is a very active veteran MMA fighter who’s coming off of a big win over former UFC star Keith Jardine. While Gracie will always hold the advantage on the ground, Prangley is too skilled in all major areas of the game. He won’t finish Gracie, and he may lose a round, but I see Trevor Prangley fighting a smart fight and winning via Split Decision.

Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson: I’ve got a lot of respect for Herschel Walker, and I honestly think everyone else should too. He’s the first one to admit how inexperienced he is, but he trains like an animal and he trains at one of the best MMA camps on the planet. Walker will never be a big MMA superstar, and he knows it. Beneath all that humble attitude lies an MMA fighter with some rough edges, but with the raw power and surprising speed to overcome his hindrances. It wouldn’t surprise me if Walker was still greener than a forest when he steps into the Strikeforce cage for the second time, but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see the man win again. I’m picking Herschel Walker by first-round TKO.

And there you have it, fans and friends: what I think will happen (and why) for all the big fights of Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”. But what about you? Who do you think will win at the event, and why?

5. Lawler has made a habit out of proving people wrong.

The cynics didn’t think Lawler stood a chance against Murilo Rua… then Lawler KO’d “Ninja”, brother to current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio Rua, to claim the EliteXC Middleweight Championship. The cynics also believed that Lawler was going to be reduced to a walking punching bag when it was announced that he would fight Melvin Manhoef… and while he was reduced to just that during the beginning minutes of the fight, the end result saw Lawler KO Manhoef in the first round. Lawler likes to prove people wrong, he practically thrives on it. And that confidence will play a key part in his fight against Souza.

4. Lawler knows what it takes to be a champion and stay champion.

It wasn’t that long ago that Robbie Lawler headlined the second CBS outing of the now-defunct EliteXC promotion. Lawler was the reigning and defending EliteXC Middleweight Champion up until the promotion’s close, and he was also an ICON Sport Middleweight Champion. Lawler knows what it’s like to hold gold around his waist, and he’ll need that kind of championship drive against a competitor the caliber of Ronaldo Souza.

3. Even though it’s a cliché… every fight starts standing.

This is also known as the “puncher’s chance”. The advocates of the ground game scoff at this term, and I can admit that its effectiveness and usefulness is sketchy at best. But the simple fact of the matter is that every fight starts standing, and it’s Souza that will be the one leaving himself open when he shoots for the takedown. Will Lawler be able to land a significant strike or strikes before he’s inevitably taken down? Can he catch Souza with a big shot when “Jacare” shoots in? These are two important questions centered around an equally important fact: when you’ve got the kind of power that Robbie Lawler has, all you need is one opening. If Lawler can find that opening and exploit it to its fullest, we may have a new champion on our hands.

2. Lawler is riding into this fight on the heels of one of the strongest performances of his career.

Lawler has arguably never looked more dominant than he did in his recent fight with Matt Lindland. Lawler practically steamrolled the wily MMA veteran and left him in a broken heap in such a heinous fashion that many of us felt outright concern for Lindland’s well-being. It was exactly the kind of fighter Lawler needed, and as he heads into this fight with “Jacare”, he’s riding a huge wave of momentum from a fight whose outcome will most likely remain on his highlight reel for the rest of his career. And not only is that a big confidence booster, it’s also proof positive that no one should take Robbie Lawler lightly.

And the number one reason Robbie Lawler could beat Ronaldo Souza and become the new Strikeforce Middleweight Champion is…

1. You don’t get the nickname “Ruthless” without reason, and Lawler has fully earned it.

Robbie Lawler has won an overwhelming majority of his fights by (T)KO. You can literally count on one hand the times he hasn’t finished someone in debilitating fashion. A remarkable seventeen of his twenty career wins have come by way of (T)KO, in fact, the last time Robbie Lawler didn’t win a fight by (T)KO was in 2005. Lawler is by far one of the best strikers in the Strikeforce Middleweight division, and his fists are a threat that no serious champion should take lightly. Even though Souza has a tough chin, he’ll go down and stay down if he’s not fully prepared for Lawler’s massive punching power.

And that wraps up today’s “5 Reasons Why”, fans and friends. So, did you agree or disagree? Who do you think wins this match-up, and why?

5. Souza trains at Black House, so he learns from the masters.

Robbie Lawler is a great striker, but Ronaldo Souza trains at the same gym as Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, two masters of elusiveness. With sparring partners like Junior dos Santos, Souza’s striking continues to improve. Souza’s ground game has always been good, but he still finds ways of improving it too, thanks in no small part to the guidance of the Nogueira brothers. Putting it plainly: Black House has nearly every single championship-caliber Brazilian in the UFC and in Strikeforce on lockdown, and as we all know, steel sharpens steel. Souza’s best can always be better, and it’s that kind of drive that has kept Black House and its fighters in such prominent positions.

4. Souza has become increasingly comfortable against top-level competition.

Strikeforce seems to have a problem with young champions that probably aren’t ready for the burdens that comes with being a champion. Both Gegard Mousasi and Muhammed Lawal stand out as the clearest examples: both men won their championships with dominating victories, only to be humbled in their first defense of the belt. While this could prove to be the case for Souza, it remains unlikely. “Jacare” has hit the ground running and emerged as a legitimate top-level athlete in Strikeforce, and he’s never once cracked under the pressure despite high-profile runs in both Strikeforce and the Japanese-based DREAM. Confidence is key when you’re a defending champion, and Souza has a lot of it.

3. Jacare’s chin is pretty solid.

Souza has faced a varied cast of strikers in his sixteen professional MMA fights, and while he’s lost twice by KO, once was at the beginning of his career (his very first pro MMA fight, in fact) and the other was over two years ago. And it took a lot for that KO to happen: Gegard Mousasi delivered a full-force upkick at the exact moment Souza was diving in for a punch. It was one of those blows where anyone would have been KO’d by it. Lawler has a lot of power in his hands, but Souza absolutely does not have a glass chin.

2. Souza has shown noticeable improvement in his stand-up.

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and think that Souza is a better striker than Lawler. I’ve got no problem admitting that the stand-up game is Lawler’s domain. But Souza is prepared now more than ever for a brawl, and his recent fight with Tim Kennedy, the one where he won the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship, was won primarily through his improved striking. Tim Kennedy does not have the KO power of Robbie Lawler, but Souza hung with Kennedy for five whole rounds and won the fight in the area he’s admittedly weakest in. Souza may be at a disadvantage standing up, but he’s definitely not being fed to the wolves like Matt Lindland was.

And the number one reason why Ronaldo Souza could beat Robbie Lawler and retain his Strikeforce Middleweight Championship is…

1. You don’t get the nickname “Alligator” without reason, and Souza has fully earned it.

An overwhelming majority of Souza’s wins are by submission: ten of his thirteen victories. He’s a highly-established Brazilian Jui Jitsu competitor, taking first place in countless BJJ competitions. To make matters worse, four of Lawler’s six losses have been by submission. While I do respect Robbie Lawler, I’m not lying or embellishing when I say the following: the second this thing gets to the ground, it’s Souza’s fight for the taking.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five reasons why Ronaldo Souza could beat Robbie Lawler. What about you? What’s your opinion on this fight and who do you see winning it?

The Event: Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”, scheduled for January 29, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The four-fight main card will be broadcast live on the Showtime network starting at 10PM ET/PT.

Why You Should Care: Two championships will be on the line during the main televised broadcast, both the Strikeforce Middleweight and Welterweight Championships will be defended. The always-controversial Nick Diaz defends his 170-pound strap, while Ronaldo Souza defends his 185-pound belt against the hard-hitting Robbie Lawler. Former NFL great Herschel Walker will also make an appearance on the card, fighting in his second professional MMA bout.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Look for leather to start flying the second the first bell rings. Both men are technically brawlers, although their styles and methods of inflicting damage are vastly different. Nevertheless, both men are going to come out swinging, hoping to influence the pace of the fight and force their opponent into their world. It may not be long, but it’ll probably be bloody, and it’ll certainly be exciting.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Although Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza is primarily famous as a submission expert, his stand-up has shown some good improvement in his recent fights. But has it improved enough to where he can hang with a dangerous striker with vicious one-hit KO power? Robbie Lawler finds himself in a similar dilemma: does he go in throwing wildly, hoping that something hits? Is it worth it to risk being taken down if it means throwing with the reckless abandon that got him this title shot in the first place? There are several different ways this match could turn out, but since both men are high-level fighters, we’re practically guaranteed an interesting fight.

Why You Should Watch This Card: It’s two title fights, plus Herschel Walker, plus Roger Gracie. Both championship fights have the potential to last five rounds or five minutes, and that always makes for edge-of-your-seat television. Strikeforce seems to be amping up for a major 2011 in general, and this card should be a great indicator on what the future holds for the surging MMA promotion.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: It’s a pretty solid card for Strikeforce, but it’s clear that the A-Game is being reserved for the upcoming Heavyweight Grand Prix. If you wanted to, you could make a case that neither Evangelista Santos nor Robbie Lawler have done enough and beaten enough quality competition to deserve a shot at the title. And of course, many MMA fans still have their doubts and prejudices towards Herschel Walker. Those that do intend to watch the show will most likely be entertained, but I’ll be frank and admit that the show doesn’t have the kind of universal appeal that fuels a “must-watch” event.

Closing Thoughts: As a huge fan of Nick Diaz, I’ll tune in to watch him no matter who he’s fighting. I’m also a moderate fan of Ronaldo Souza, who I think has a tremendous ground game and has shown a lot of improvement in his stand-up recently. I also like Herschel Walker, so that’s another reason to tune in. This show probably won’t capture my imagination or dazzle my senses like the upcoming cards booked around the amazing Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, but it looks like a solid event from top to bottom and, at the end of the day, I’ve got a good feeling about this card.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

The one and only Sherdog recently reported that Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz has signed a new contract with the promotion and will fight within the Strikeforce cage for the foreseeable future. According to the report, the Stockton-bred bad-boy has signed a multi-year extension of his current Strikeforce contract, and had this to say regarding the deal: “I’m looking forward to continuing my career with Strikeforce… There’s a lot of really good fighters in the division now, and I’m ready to fight anyone who thinks they can beat me.”

In addition to that report, Strikeforce itself recently issued a press release confirming that “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler has also signed a contract extension. Lawler will soon face Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza on January 29 and had this to say regarding his new deal: “”Strikeforce has treated me good and I am happy to re-sign with them… They have given me an opportunity to fight for the title and I’m looking forward to that and to fighting any and all of the top 185-pounders.”

As a fan of both men, I’m glad that Strikeforce pulled the trigger and locked these two down in exclusive contracts for the foreseeable future. Robbie Lawler has always struck me as that special kind of up-and-down fighter that always entertains no matter who he’s fighting or even whether or not he wins. While I can’t say I’ve seen every Robbie Lawler fight, he’s never bored me in the handful of times I have seen him compete. And he’s also got serious power in his hands, so when he wins, he usually wins in dramatic, amazing fashion. Seeing him KO Matt Lindland so harshly that Lindland looked like a corpse on the mat was one of the best and also one of the most frightening moments of the latter half of 2010.

I’m also glad that Strikeforce went ahead and locked Nick Diaz down, because I think one of Strikeforce’s biggest blunders in 2010 was not locking down Jake Shields before they basically made him out to be a sacrificial lamb in the weeks leading up to his fight against Dan Henderson. And as we all know, Jake Shields would defeat Dan Henderson to remain Strikeforce’s Middleweight Champion, at which point he proceeded to promptly take his belt with him and defect to the UFC, leaving Strikeforce scrambling to find a suitable replacement. And while Ronaldo Souza fits the bill quite nicely, he’s got his work cut out for him if he wants to legitimize a belt that was vacated in such a high-profile manner.

All in all, I look forward to seeing what 2011 holds for Lawler and Diaz, especially Diaz. I’m a big fan of the man and I think 2011 will see him emerge once and for all as one of the top welterweights on the planet. But what about you, fans and friends? What’s your reaction to Lawler and Diaz signing new contracts and calling Strikeforce home for the foreseeable future?

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?

A few days ago MMA Junkie reported on the possibility that Jason Miller could meet Tim Kennedy at Strikeforce’s January event. This would be the third time that these two have fought, Kennedy defeated “Mayhem” back in 2003 and Miller avenged that loss in 2007. Jason Miller is currently on a two-fight win-streak, but hasn’t competed in Strikeforce in over eight months. In that time, he’s continued to host the popular MTV show “Bully Beatdown” while starting up and actively engaging in an intense verbal war with current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. Tim Kennedy most recently lost a hard-fought five-round war to Ronaldo Souza in a fight that saw Souza claim the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Many fighters.com fans and readers would go on to agree with me in my sentiment that Kennedy did more than enough in the Souza fight to earn an immediate rematch.

And speaking of “Jacare”, MMA Weekly recently revealed that it’s looking more and more likely that Ronaldo Souza will be making the first defense of his championship at the January 29 show. His opponent is rumored to be Robbie Lawler. Lawler just got done sending MMA veteran Matt Lindland into a near-catatonic state at the recent Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu 2” event. The dramatic, thundering knockout will almost certainly remain on Lawler’s highlight reel for the rest of his career. Meanwhile, Ronaldo Souza is on a three-fight win-streak and hasn’t lost in over two years.

I hope both of these fights do indeed happen, because I think there’s a lot to look forward to in both bouts. I think Tim Kennedy has progressed by leaps and bounds lately, and is undoubtedly one of Strikeforce’s top middleweights. Jason Miller has an excellent shot at also achieving top-division status, he just needs to stay active, even if it means prolonging his feud with Nick Diaz and Diaz’s camp. As much as I like Jason Miller, I’ve said several times that I agree with Diaz’s camp: Nick gains nothing from a fight with “Mayhem” because Jason Miller hasn’t beaten anybody in Strikeforce. Beating Tim Kenney would be a gigantic step in the right direction.

In regards to Lawler/Souza, this is going to be a great grappler vs. striker fight. It’s true that Souza has relied on his much-improved striking to win some of his recent fights, but the fact of the matter is that none of Souza’s recent opponents have had the kind of crushing one-hit KO power that Robbie Lawler has. Some of them come close, sure. But none of them can rock Souza the way Lawler can rock Souza. Look for the “Alligator” to make his return against Lawler, Souza is going to try to keep this one on the ground while Lawler goes headhunting from the first second to the last. It has all the makings of an awesome fight.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about these two match-ups?

Next for Antonio Silva: A champion is made by scoring a big win, but the mark of a true champion is the ability to survive and even thrive under pressure. In his fight with Mike Kyle, Antonio Silva proved once and for all that he’s ready for the best Heavyweights in the game. He remained calm under pressure, he absorbed a massive amount of damage, and he came back to emphatically put an end to Kyle. By the end of 2011 we’re going to see Antonio Silva challenge for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship.

Next for Mike Kyle: A quick trip back down to the land of the Light Heavyweights. Mike Kyle showed a lot of potential against “Bigfoot”, so I’m hopeful for his future. In Strikeforce’s increasingly-stacked Light Heavyweight division, I think Kyle could be an important test for many of Strikeforce’s best. Expect him to get an opponent the caliber of Gegard Mousasi or Muhammed Lawal sooner rather than later.

Next for Robbie Lawler: Somebody big, that’s for sure. Lawler has certainly earned his spot at the top of the division with his crushing KO of Matt Lindland. I don’t honestly have any particular opponent in mind, just a general feeling that 2011 will see Lawler emerge as a true top-division athlete and even a potential title challenger.

Next for Paul Daley: If Strikeforce wants to get the most out of their investment, if they want to keep duplicating the great performance Daley gave against Scott Smith, then Paul Daley needs to dine on a steady diet of striking-based fighters for the foreseeable future. The good thing about that is that there’s no shortage of those in Strikeforce’s welterweight division. If Strikeforce can convince KJ Noons to stay at Welterweight, Noons/Daley is the obvious move going forward. If not, Daley may even get an immediate title shot.

Next for Scott Smith: Smith will be a perennial gatekeeper until one of two things happen. The first and more unlikely situation is that Smith goes on a prolonged losing streak and/or abandons his entertaining fighting style and gets fired. That’s unlikely because Smith always entertains and he has beaten some good competition in his day. The second and most likely scenario is that Smith gets a chain of wins going, gets another shot at the top of the division, but is ultimately cast back down after another humbling (T)KO loss. I know that outlook seems a bit bleak, and as a sorta-kinda Scott Smith fan, I do hope that “The Comeback King” ends up proving me wrong.

Next for Dan Henderson: 2011 will be a banner year for “Hendo”. I’ve got some pretty high hopes for the man. With his mind set and his body healthy, Hendo should quickly become a force to be reckoned with in Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight division. Before 2011 is through, I have a strong feeling that we’ll see Dan Henderson challenge for the championship or win it outright.

So that’s what I see when I gaze into the crystal ball, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and even some of the losers of Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu”?

Dan Henderson defeats Renato Sobral via KO (strikes) at 1:53 of Round One. Paul Daley defeats Scott Smith via KO (strikes) at 2:09 of Round One. Robbie Lawler defeats Matt Lindland via KO (strikes) at 0:50 of Round One. Antonio Silva defeats Mike Kyle via TKO (strikes) at 2:49 of Round Two. Ovince St. Preux defeats Benji Radach via Unanimous Decision. Fernando Bettega defeats Wayne Phillips via Split Decision. Justin Lawrence defeats Max Martytniouk via Technical (accidental illegal kick) Unanimous Decision. Patrick Cummins defeats Terrell Brown via TKO (strikes) at 2:44 of Round One. Cortez Coleman defeats Lucas Lopes via Submission (guillotine choke) at 2:04 of Round One. Matt Ricehouse defeats Tom Aaron via Unanimous Decision. Mike Glenn defeats Lee Brousseau via TKO (strikes) at 2:00 of Round One. Booker DeRousse defeats Colton Cole via TKO (strikes) at 3:04 of Round Two. J.W. Wright defeats Josh Epps via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:29 of Round One.

This was an awesome, awesome event. Ovince St. Preux vs. Benji Radach was the worst fight on the card, and the worst thing about that fight? It was average. For this event, “average” just wasn’t good enough. I was out of my seat the second Mike Kyle landed a big right that nearly finished Antonio Silva, and I didn’t leave the edge of my seat for the rest of the evening.

As an MMA fan first and foremost, I can’t help but vault onto the Strikeforce bandwagon and even lead the charge into 2011 after an event of this caliber. Every single fight lived up to its potential. Antonio Silva came back from the brink of defeat and cemented his status as a top-level Strikeforce Heavyweight. In this fight, Silva proved that he can take a huge amount of punishment and still fight back to not only win, but finish his opponent.

Things just got crazier from that moment on. Robbie Lawler taking out Matt Lindland with a beautiful diving strike was fantastic. What wasn’t so great, however, was the fact that Lindland looked like a corpse after Lawler got through with him. I’m a sucker for the epic KO’s, but I’m not a bloodthirsty savage, so rest assured, I breathed a big sigh of relief when Lindland regained his faculties.

That sigh was quickly turned into a gasp as I was greeted with another epic KO courtesy of the one and only “Semtex”. To be honest, Paul Daley has got to be the absolute worst opponent Scott Smith could have faced: Daley has one-hit KO power no matter how hard your chin is or how many comebacks you’ve made. So long as Daley can keep the fight standing, the world may be his oyster in Strikeforce.

And finally, we had the triumphant return of Dan Henderson: to the Light Heavyweight division, to Strikeforce, to MMA relevancy as a whole. I had a lot of faith in “Hendo” heading into this fight, and I’m honestly not surprised that he came through in a big way when his situation looked so bleak. 2011 has the potential to be a huge year for Dan Henderson.

And what about you, fans and friends? Were you as impressed with this show as I was?

Headliner’s Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral were green lighted for the event when the two light heavyweights came in under the required 205-pound limit.

Strikeforce debutant Paul Daley successfully made the 170-pound limit, which in the past he has notoriously struggled with weighty issues however came in at 169 pounds for the welterweight contest.

And Scott Smith, who spent nearly his entire career as a middleweight, easily made the transition to the welterweight class when he came in at 170-pounds on the nose.

Here are the entire weigh-in results in full, thanks to MMAJunkie.com who was on scene when the fighters hit the scale.

MAIN CARD

* Dan Henderson (204.5) vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral (202)
* Paul Daley (169) vs. Scott Smith (170)
* Robbie Lawler (186) vs. Matt Lindland (185.5)
* Mike Kyle (219) vs. Antonio Silva (263)
* Benji Radach (205.5) vs. Ovince St. Preux (205.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Fernando Bettega (170.25) vs. Wayne Phillips (171)
* Justin Lawrence (155.5) vs. Max Martytnuk (154.5)
* Terrell Brown (208.25)* vs. Patrick Dummins (205.5)
* Cortez Coleman (184.75) vs. Lucas Lopes (185)
* Tom Aaron (155.5) vs. Matt Ricehouse (156)
* Lee Brousseau (204) vs. Mike Glenn (207.25)
* Booker DeRousse (185) vs. Coltin Cole (185.5)
* Josh Epps (127.5) vs. J.W. Wright (130.5)

* – Missed weight on initial attempt; has two hours to make 206-pound limit

“Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu” takes place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri and marks the promotions last event before we head into the new year.

“I don’t know how he thinks it is going to be but I have been working on my skills, my wrestling and I have been working on everything.  I think you have to ask Matt how easy he thinks it will be. I think he thinks it will be tough and it will be.”

Lawler would likely prefer, if history is a guide, to keep this fight in the boxing phase.  And, when-if the time comes to seal the victory over LIndland, “Ruthless” Robbie has no trouble finishing off a damaged opponent.

“It feels good. When you hurt someone you just have to go in there and look for the finish and get it done.”

But, first Lawler will have to navigate around Lindland’s world-class takedowns and ground n’ pound.

“I except Matt to come out and be in my face and me to have a chance to hit him.  I think he is a smart fighter.  I don’t think he is just going to go in there and wrestle from the start.  He’s been working on all his skills, so I am ready for a little bit of standup before he closes the distance.”

A win for Lawler, could set up two possible major fights.  One would require Nick Diaz to leave the Welterwieght division to give Lawler a rematch from their 2004 UFC battle.  The second would be a Lawler title shot against current Middleweight Champion, Ronaldo Souza.  Both would be marquee matchups and keep Lawler’s long MMA career in high gear.  But, Lawler first has to stop Lindland.

“I am not too worried about what is happening after this fight. I am worried about training for Matt and going to get in there and doing my best.”

—

What are your thoughts about Lawler / Lindland?  Who will win and why?  Sound off.

The Event: Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu 2”, also known as Strikeforce: “St. Louis”. It takes place December 4, 2010 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis Missouri. The five-fight main card will be broadcast on the Showtime network.

Why You Should Care: This event has a little something for everyone. If you’re a fan of old-school MMA, you’ve got two great veterans fighting in the main event, Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral. You’ve also got Matt Lindland trying to get a big comeback going by taking on the heavy-handed Robbie Lawler. And if you love seeing a great brawl, you’ve got Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith. If you’re a fan of the big men, they don’t get much bigger than “Bigfoot”, Antonio Silva, and he’ll be taking on rising star Mike Kyle.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Renato Sobral vs. Dan Henderson is a rematch that’s been over a decade in the making. Both men are at a crossroads in their career: recent losses have called into question their ability to compete at a championship level, and a big win here could eliminate any doubts and firmly put the winner “into the mix”. Both men will more than likely look to finish this fight quickly and in dominating fashion in order to stay afloat in the increasingly-competitive Strikeforce Light Heavyweight division.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: I’m not sure what main card fight will officially be given co-main event status, but either way, there are some great fights on this card besides the main event. Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith will be an all-out war and I’d be surprised if it made it out of the first round. Daley, the controversial knockout artist who famously got a lifetime ban from the UFC when he attacked Josh Koscheck after their fight, will be looking to make his debut one to remember. Then you’ve got Matt Lindland vs. Robbie Lawler, which also has all the makings of a fantastic brawl.

Why You Should Watch This Card: You’re in for a fun night of fights if you decide to watch Strikeforce. Every main card fight has the potential to end quickly, and just about all the main card fighters are known to put on exciting performances. They may not be the biggest stars that Strikeforce could bring to the table, but they’ve all set a great precedent of entertaining fans time and time again.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: There’s only one major reason you should possibly skip this card, and it has nothing to do with Strikeforce itself. The UFC will be holding its own event on December 4, “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale”, a live night of fights that closes out the latest season of the popular UFC reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter” and crowns the season’s champion. In the battle of UFC vs. Strikeforce, Strikeforce ultimately has the bigger names, but the UFC does have several great-sounding fights lined up for their event.

Closing Thoughts: In the end, I think Strikeforce has the better card when compared to the UFC’s outing for December 4. I don’t mean to say that the UFC card is bad, though, there are actually several fights on that card that I’m really interested in. But Strikeforce simply has more to offer: bigger stars, a better main event, etc. If you could only watch one, I’d suggest watching Strikeforce. It really has all the makings of a great event.

So, that’s it on my end, fans and friends. What about you? Which show will you be watching December 4?

“I think everything about this fight is going to be challenging.  Robbie is a talented, well rounded fighter.  I don’t see a ton of holes in his game.  I just have to go out and impose my strength in the weaker parts of his game.  That is really all it is, and I think there are going to be no surprises in this fight.  It will just come down to who can impose their will.  I don’t think anything about fighting Robbie will be easy, and that is why I have prepared hard and trained great.  Going into this fight I have no excuses, but I am not overlooking any aspect of Robbie’s game.”

After losing to Ronaldo Souza at the end of 2009, Lindland was in the midst of a longer than expected layoff when he agreed to drop down to the Strikeforce Challengers series to fight Kevin Casey in order to stay sharp.

“It has been a little disappointing that I have not been able to compete as much and as frequently as I have in the past.  It’s a change in companies and the irregularity, and there are a lot of fighters on the STRIKEFORCE roster. I have not gotten as many opportunities that I would have liked.  I think that has contributed a lot to me taking the fight in the Challengers show, because there wasn’t a fight in the immediate future. So, I wanted to get back in the ring and compete.”

The third round TKO of Casey was exactly what the doctor ordered and moved Lindland’s career record to 22-7.  It sets up a world class struggle between Lawler’s fists and Lindland’s Olympic level wrestling.

“It is whoever can impose their will.  If I had my way, I would put Robbie on his back and pound a hole in his head and I’m sure Robbie would like to try to keep it on his feet and put me to sleep standing up.  I think it’s really about who can impose their will.”

Lindland went 9-3 in the UFC between 2000 and 2008 and was clearly regarded as one of the best pound for pound players in the game. Post UFC, he has bounced around MMA organizations from the IFL to Affliction to Strikeforce.  If any Strikeforce match-up  would announce he is still right at the top of the sport, it would be a win over the younger Lawler.

“I think I am still one of the top contenders in this sport, a top 10 guy and of course I lost to a champion, Jacare, and I think this is a great path back to that title contention.  A win against Robbie certainly solidifies me in that top 10.  I just need to focus on this fight.  I have been working on all aspects of my game, the standup, the ground, the wrestling, the submissions. Every bit of it.  Robbie is a well-rounded fighter and people categorize him as a big striker and a brawler, he knows how to fight on his feet. But, he knows how to wrestle and he knows how to fight on the ground. So, I have to be prepared for all aspects of the sport.  Right now, I am just focusing on coming in the best shape and being healthy.  I have zero injuries, so no excuses going into this fight. I’m looking forward to it. I am very excited about this opportunity.”

Antonio Silva vs. Mike Kyle: Silva has become quite the controversial figure in the last few months, as he’s repeatedly called out and even at some points tried to discredit huge names like Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, and even Brock Lesnar. And while I absolutely believe that Silva is not up to their level just yet, I also absolutely believe that Mike Kyle isn’t up to Silva’s level. Silva is within shouting distance of the upper-echelon, Kyle’s run to the top never fully materialized. Expect to see “Bigfoot” Silva win by Round 2 TKO.

Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith: Someone’s getting KO’d in the first round, and my money just has to be on the guy that’s never been KO’d before. Daley is an incredibly dangerous striker and Scott Smith is crazy enough (some would say “foolish enough”) to stand and bang with just about anybody in order to try and make the fight exciting and score a big win. Despite the fact that I don’t think Daley will ever be anything other than a dead fish on the ground, “Semtex” has dynamite in both hands and Smith will practically be serving up his chin on a silver platter thanks to his willingness to engage. Paul Daley wins by Round 1 KO.

Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland:  This is another good match featuring some great strikers, but I don’t see this one ending definitively. I can’t really pick out one reason why I feel this way, it’s more like a bunch of small reasons coming together. I think both men are going to absorb a lot of damage, and while there may be some close calls here and there, I think these two are going to grind out a decision. My gut and my head favors Lindland due to his vast experience and his sheer toughness. Matt Lindland wins via Unanimous Decision.

Dan Henderson vs. Renato Sobral: I’ve still got plenty of faith left in Dan Henderson. I won’t say “the best is yet to come”, I think any fan of the man knows that we’re probably past that point. But that doesn’t mean that Henderson is done as an elite-level Mixed Martial Artist. Everything that’s been reported leading up to this card leads me to believe that we’ll see the old, beastly “Hendo” re-emerge against Sobral. Dan Henderson wins by KO in Round 2.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. Now it’s your turn to take the crystal ball out and/or consult your inner Nostradamus. What do you think will happen at Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu”?

Here are some highlights from a recent interview Sherdog conducted with Lindland: “Robbie is a well-rounded fighter… I’ve never seen Robbie in a fight that wasn’t exciting. I’m looking forward not just to performing, but also to kicking the **** out of Robbie… I think I’m still one of the top contenders. I lost to ‘Jacare,’ who is the champion, and I think this is a great path back to title contention… I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. I’ve had zero injuries, and I have no excuses. I’m looking forward to it.”

I’ve got a ton of respect for Matt Lindland. He’s faced some amazing competition, and even though he’s lost to a lot of them, his wins still hold a commanding lead when compared to his losses, and for the most part he’s remained an explosive, entertaining, and dangerous fighter throughout all the long years he’s spent mixing it up in cages and rings across the world. Lindland/Lawler is some very smart booking and should be an amazing fight, and I recently talked at length about it in a previous article.

In regards to what the future holds for “The Law”, now more and more I think that Lindland may have it in him to finally capture the gold that he’s been chasing for so very long. If he can get past Robbie Lawler, he’ll have a firm leg to stand on in Strikeforce’s growing (but, let’s be honest, not exactly star-studded) Middleweight division. If he wins in a big way, Lindland may find himself challenging for the championship outright. He’ll have his hands full against current champion Ronaldo Souza, however.

That may even be an understatement. Lindland and Souza certainly have enough of a rivalry to justify a rematch: Souza spoiled Lindland’s Strikeforce debut and would go on to win one single other fight before fighting for and ultimately winning the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Souza stands poised as the best Middleweight in Strikeforce for several reasons: his ground game has always been amazing, but recently, his striking has shown noticeable improvements. Lindland would still hold the advantage in terms of pure KO power, but if Souza survived long enough in the first round of their first encounter to snatch up a submission win in the dying seconds of Round 1, he’ll likely be able to hold his own if the championship rematch heads into the later rounds.

Nevertheless, I think the future looks quite bright for Matt “The Law” Lindland. I’m eagerly looking forward to his upcoming fight, since I know it’s going to prove once and for all if Lindland is ready for championship gold. It should be a great fight and a great performance, so I wish Matt Lindland all the best.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Matt Lindland, both in the here and now as well as further on down the road?

The major question I have is … how many of the newbie UFC fans have become true followers of MMA at large and now seek out great fights to watch beyond the UFC brand?  To date, it has really been the UFC lapping the next closest competitor in Strikeforce.  Yet, if  “A rising tide lifts all boats,”  has the power of the UFC really spilled over and helped Strikforce or is the UFC such a unique brand that the new fans only connect to the names and faces that Dana White and the Ferttita brothers have built and marketed so well?

If a new fan that has fallen hard for the UFC were really doing some homework, he/she would find that Strikeforce might have the better card on Dec 4^th.  Yes, for the UFC it is “only” an Ultimate Fight night card, which features less established fighters and not the superstars, so understandably they are not competing against Strikeforce with their big guns on Dec. 4^th. However, the UFC has out-rated Strikeforce before with even lesser TV programming, such as repeats of old events going against a new/live Strikeforce event.

So, I wonder, will newbie fans dabble over to Showtime to find one of the potentially great standup affairs of the year in Paul Daley v. Scott Smith?  Will they take a few minutes and flip away from Spike TV to look at Robbie Lawler v. Matt Lindland and how much cache does Dan Henderson v. Babalu Sobral carry – two former big names in the UFC.

I will be juggling both events, as one who normally likes to watch up and coming fighters as well as the proven stars.   On the UFC card, I think Nick Pace has a ton of potential, but can he execute under the bright lights of Las Vegas against Will Campuzano?  Stephan Bonnar is one of the guys I will watch fight anywhere.  Always brings it and he is little nuts. … Always fun.  And, Kendall Grove v. Demain Meia is a fight loaded with talent and technical ability on both sides.  Can Grove keep it standing? Should be fun to watch.

So, on a weekend that will offer a ton of College and Professional football for the sports junkie, hopefully some of the newly minted MMA fans will soak up the great lineup of action from both the UFC and Strikeforce.

—-

Thoughts – c’mon man.  Are you watching both events, or just one? Why?

As a big fan of wild brawls, I can say with certainty that I’m really looking forward to both fights. This is very smart match-making on the part of Strikeforce, and I think everyone matches up really well against everyone else. All four men are known for their awesome punching power. You can never fully count out Robbie Lawler or Scott Smith, but you also have to respect the one-hit KO power of Matt Lindland and Paul Daley.

I think Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland will be the more technical fight of the two. Matt “The Law” Lindland is a very gifted, very wily veteran, so I don’t see him engaging just for the sake of engaging unless he’s absolutely sure that he’ll win the encounter. I see both men pushing the pace, but doing so in a very cerebral fashion. If Lawler wins, it’ll be a big win against a crafty veteran, the kind of victory that really helps set you up as a possible championship challenger. If Matt Lindland wins, he’ll have fully committed himself to a career rebirth that one day just might result in him wearing some Strikeforce gold.

Scott Smith vs. Paul Daley will see fists flying from the second the bell rings, though. I think Smith is honestly one of the best match-ups Strikeforce has for Paul Daley as he makes his way into the promotion. Smith will push the pace with reckless abandon, and he’s made more than one stellar comeback throughout his career. I’d honestly be quite shocked if this fight lasted all three rounds, I’d be even more shocked if it was a boring fight. This fight in particular has all the potential necessary to quite possibly steal the show.

If any of these four men finish their fight in dominating fashion, I think we’ll see them emerge as very worthy championship contenders heading into 2011. In particular, I’d go out of my way to see Paul Daley vs. Nick Diaz. That sounds like an absolutely amazing match on paper. But no matter what the future holds, I’m definitely looking forward to both Smith/Daley and Lawler/Lindland when Strikeforce goes live on December 4.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your predictions and analysis for these two matches, and which two of these four men do you think will soon be challenging for a Strikeforce championship?

The main event of the evening on said card will feature a special attraction pitting legends and former champions Dan Henderson and Renato “Babalu” Sobral against one another. While this bout has already been promised an immediate title shot against current light heavyweight kingpin Rafael Cavalcante (who defeated Muhammed Lawal last August for the promotion’s title), two more title shots may be waiting on the wings for two men.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently revealed that the winners of Robbie Lawler/Matt Lindland and Paul Daley/Scott Smith could be in line for a title shot in their respective weight classes.

Robbie Lawler, the former Icon Sport middleweight champion is in desperate need of a win, and an impressive one at that. Since entering the San Jose based promotion in June of last year, “Ruthless” has lost two of his last three bouts, albeit against top flight competition in Jake Shields and Renato Sobral. Sandwiched in between the losses was an impressive come-from-behind knockout victory over K-1 striker, Melvin Manhoef. The native of Holland battered Lawler with leg kicks galore, before releasing his guard and opening him up for a right hook to the jaw, knocking him down before Robbie followed up with some telling ground-and-pound blows.

Lindland is in the twilight of his career. The 40-year-old co-founder of Team Quest, like Lawler, has lost two of his last three matches. A first round knockout loss to current UFC contender Vitor Belfort and submission loss against current Strikeforce champion Ronaldo Souza blemish his record in recent performances. Matt was able to halt the two-fight losing skid with a third-round TKO win over prospect Kevin Casey last May at the Strikeforce Challenger Series 8 show, where the two men served as the main-event of the evening.

The two middleweights, should one win, could face the aforementioned title holder “Jacare” in the foreseeable future, most likely in the early goings of 2011.

Paul Daley, the most well off of the bunch heading into his Strikeforce debut this December. Despite still carrying a trail of controversy following his bout with Josh Koscheck in his final appearance in the worlds largest mixed martial arts organization at UFC 113 last May, he has since gone on to win his next two fights following the decision loss. Wins over PRIDE veteran Daniel Acacio and American Top Team product Jorge Masvidal anchor Daley’s most recent accolades.

Scott Smith, the proverbial comeback kid, will make his welterweight debut when he meets Daley this December. Beginning his career as a heavyweight, Smith eventually pared down to the middleweight division where he has found most of the success in his career. With knockout power in either punch, “Hands of Steel” has made a habit of knockout out his opponents. His victims include former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, as well as UFC veterans Benji Radach and Kyle Noke.

These two welterweights, who have an affinity for punching people in the face, should provide an action packed fight which will produce the next contender for the welterweight title–more so for Daley, who is considered among one of the world’s best in the 170-pound division, and Smith can already account a loss to the champion in Nick Diaz.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the potential title challengers? Who would you rather see each respective champion face next? Would you like to see Diaz vs Smith II? Or would you be in favor for a Daley vs Diaz clash? Or how about Lawler, does his knockout power overcome Lindland’s wrestling pedigree in this middleweight fight? Who will come out victorious? Sound off in the comment section below.

But first, here’s how the Middleweight roster breaks down. Looking at the title picture from left to right, the EA Sports Middleweight roster features Benji Radach, Lyman Good, Matt Lindland, Luke Rockhold, Frank Trigg, Joe Riggs, Kazuo Misaki, Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, Tim Kennedy, Pat Miletich, Jake Shields, Nick Thompson, Melvin Manhoef, Robbie Lawler, Dan Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Jason Miller, Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Frank Shamrock, and Ronaldo Souza.

It should be noted that eight fighters in the Middleweight division are carry-overs from the already-announced Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions. There’s some debate going around the internet gaming forums as to whether or not this is a cheap move in order to cut the time down on coding and creating different fighters, or a good way to ensure quality cross-division super-fights. I personally think it’s a little of both: I think the roster is a little limited, but the fact that you can play as your favorite fighter in several different weight classes mostly balances that out. Plus, with download-a-fighter being included, I think this game’s roster will be massive once people start creating famous MMA fighters are putting them online for anybody and everybody to download.

Much like the UFC including the famous Madison Square Garden in their “UFC Undisputed” games, it’s recently been confirmed that EA Sports MMA will have the Cowboys Stadium as an in-game venue despite the fact that a major Mixed Martial Arts event has never been booked there. An online image has already surfaced, which you can view here. Even as a huge fan of UFC Undisputed 2009, I think Madison Square Garden was really under-played in both UFC 2009 and 2010. Not so with Cowboys Stadium- the images revealed so far look downright amazing. I may actually get goosebumps when my Create-a-Fighter either defends or tries to get at the Strikeforce Championship in that mega-arena.

The last time I was this excited for a sports game, my hopes met quite the rude awakening. So, even with all the hype I’m buying into, I know that there’s still a chance for EA Sports MMA to let me down in much the same way that UFC Undisputed 2010 let me down. But until that day, I have to say…this is shaping up to be a genre-defining game. Every time I hear something new about this game, it’s something I think I could find myself enjoying immensely. When October 19 hits, I’ve got a pretty good feeling that there’s going to be a new Undisputed Champion of Mixed Martial Arts video games.

But what about you, fans and friends? How high would you rate your anticipation of “EA Sports MMA”?

Here is the full fight card:

Main Card
Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral
Evangelista  Santos  vs. Marius Zaramoskis
Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Prangley
Conor Heun vs. K.J. Noons

Preliminary Card

R.J. Clifford  vs. Jeremy Umphries
Marcus Kowal  vs. Hugo Sandoval

Marcus Kowal vs. Hugo Sandoval (135)

Round 1

Hugo comes out testing the distance with strikes and Marcus shoots. Marcus gets side control but Hugo is quick to get back to half guard.  Position battle and Hugo gets back to guard. Marcus stands up and looks to try a standing guard pass but is content to throw a heavy punch as he lands back in guard. Hugo locked up a triangle but Marcus powered out of it only to get an illegal up kick for his efforts.  Crowd unhappy as a point is deducted from Sandoval. Back to standing, and Marcus shoots. They battle for position and Marcus ends up in side control, transitions to back control and round ends.

Round 2

Hugo comes out swinging and drops Marcus with a hard shot. He looked to be out as Hugo went in to finish and Herb Dean steps in to stop it.

Hugo Sandoval by KO at :43 of Round 2

R.J. Clifford  vs. Jeremy Umphries

Round 1

Umphries shoots and ends up in half guard. Clifford working to get back up with Jeremy on his back.  Jeremy takes him back to the mat and sinks in one hook. Clifford doing a great job of fighting off the choke attempt. Works back to his feet and tries to roll out of the back control. Jeremy back with one hook in on the mat but R.J. is right back up. He finally breaks free and puts Umphries on his back and is working punches as the round ends.

Round 2

Both men come out throwing punches until Jeremy shoots, takes Clifford down. R.J. works to his feet to get dropped back to the mat. Much like the first round with Umphries on his back. Finally Umphries locks in the rear naked choke and Big John steps in when he notices RJ is out.

Jeremy Umphries by RNC at 2:27 in Round 2

Conor Huen vs. KJ Noons (160)

Round 1

Both guys come out aggressive Noons changing levels with his strikes and Conor utilizing kicks to keep the distance. KJ opening up a bit with good body shot combos. Crowd seems to love this fight so far. Conor shoots and takes Noons down. They acramble and he gets the back working on the rear naked choke.  Starts unloading punches as Noons scrambles to get free. Swaping from mback to full mount until Noons finally gets to his feet in another scramble. round ends with Noons dropping Huen.  10-9 Conor Huen

Round 2

Conor throwing head kicks to start the round. Both men exchanging combos. A little back and forth with no real significant strikes being landed. Noons lands a solid left as Conor throws a front kick. Noons lands a big body shot followed by a solid left. Conor follows with a big right of his own. The both men start swinging for the fences. Noons stuffs the shot by Conor and both men look to be tiring. Round 2 ends with Conor getting the takedown.  10-9 Noons

Round 3

Conor comes out throwing lots of kicks still. Both men exchange in the center of the cage landing some good shots. Noons is not out boxing Conor like many thought. Blood coming from the cheek of Conor but he comes back and lands a good left.  They both bounce around and Conor goes for a takedown only to be stuffed as he dives across the cage.Both men are exhausted trying to give it their all. Round ends with Noons peppering the jab and going for a flying knee and Conor pushing him against the cage and looking for a choke. 10-9 Noonswins by

30-27 Huen 29-28 Noons 29-28 Noons

Winner by split decision KJ Noons

Tim Kennedy vs Trevor Prangley (185)

Round 1

Kennedy throws a combo at Trevor and then pushes in for the shot. Prangley tosses Tim but Kennedy hops back up and is looking for a double leg. Both men up to their feet and clinched against the cage. Finally Tim gets his takedown and is in half guard. Tim gets full mount on Trevor who gives up his back . Trevor stands up and Tim locks in the rear naked choke and forces Prangley to tap

Tim Kennedy wins vis rear naked choke at 3:35 of Round 1

Marius Zaromski vs “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos

Round 1

Both men start cautious and then Santos unleashes. They separate and Santos rocks Marius and rushes in but Marius circles and recovers. Nice kicks by Marius to the body of Santos followed but a hard right. Santos comes right after him and drops him with a short hard right. He jumps down and starts punching as the ref stops the fight.

Santos wins via KO at 2:38 of round 1

Robbie Lawler vs Babalu Sobral

Round 1

Sobral comes in and locks up Robbie looking to take the fight to the mat fast. Robbie has his back against the cage and is fighting off the takedown until Bog John separates them. Robbie throws a bog punch and Babalu shoots as Lawler throws a flying knee. Both men back toe to toe and the crowd is booing until Sobral slams Lawler down. Robbie bounces right back up. They exchange and Lawler throws a kick and has his leg swept. Sobral follows him down but Lawler is right back up to his feet.  10-9 Sobral

Round 2

Round 3

Nothing much happening  through two minutes in the final round. Robbie needs to turn in on to win this fight. Spinning back fist from Sobral shocks the world…not much to say. One minute left and Robbie is just now stalking but not throwing. Sobral eating a jab or two but not much more. final round is a tough one to score. 10-8  Lawlor

Two former UFC fighters will lock horns at Strikeforce in Los Angeles June 16 in a 195-pound catchweight bout.  Former UFC light heavyweight challenger and Strikeforce champion  “Babalu” Renato Sobral (35-8) and former EliteXC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-5) will matchup at Los Angeles.

“Babalu” comes into the fight off a title defense loss to “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (25-3-1) at Strikeforce in San Jose in August 2009.

Lawler knocked out Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1) at Strikeforce in Miami in January.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I was shocked with the patience Manhoef showed once the bell rang as he is normally and very explosive fighter. I feel he is learning more about the MMA game each and every fight. Lawler’s tactics were quite odd to say the least but in the end it worked and the crowd got what it expected. The highlight reel knock out came after getting his leg battered, bruised and practically kicked off. Manhoef made one mistake by dropping his left while trying to finish the hurt Lawler. Lawler shocked many by winning the fight in the stand up game as many experts, myself included, thought he needed the fight to hit the mat in order to win.

Herschel Walker (1-0) made his media rounds to promote this fight and it had many watching the sport for the first time. It was a good thing that he won and looked as solid as he did. I will admit his stand up was atrocious as he was flat-footed, stiff legged and robotic. However he did get off a few shots and once the fight went to the ground he showed just why the guys at AKA were ranting and raving about him. He had tight control, moved from position to postion effortlessly and defended some submission attempts. His use of the crucifix was impressive as was his cardio. While I am not one to say he will be a force to be reckoned with, there are some interesting fights for him if he decides to keep fighting.

Another one of the positives for Strikeforce last night was the fight between Strikeforce 145 pound woman’s champion “Cyborg” Cristiane Santos (9-1) and Marloes Coenen (14-3). Most people gave Coenen very little chance in this fight so to sit down and end up seeing such an entertaining fight was a real treat. Coenen used leg kicks and straight punches early on to stave off the trademarked rapid fire aggression of Cyborg. Cyborg is a true champion though, found a way to get inside and use her strength to her advantage. This fight was a true highlight for women’s MMA and Strikeforce.

Strikeforce: Miami was not all lollipops and rainbows though as there were some lows to the event starting with the name. How can an organization name an event after a city unless they don’t plan on going back to that city? I think they need to work on a more creative way to name shows but this was a small low point overall.

My next issue was with the commentating during the event, especially during the Cyborg versus Coenen fight. At one point Conenen was using one of my favorite moves from the clinch, the foot stomp. Announcer Mauro Ranallo thought it would be cute to say that “maybe she doesn’t like the color of her nail polish.” Now I know that many announcers use some comedy in their broadcasts but Mauro is no Michael Shiavello. As I stated earlier, many potential new fans were watching thanks to the hype behind Herschel Walker. That being the case you want to put the fights in the best light possible. I thought the comment was demeaning to women’s MMA and to both Coenen and the champion, Cris Santos. The ringside commentators have a duty to be proffesional and to help to keep these new viewers in the sport of MMA.

Two more lows are on my list and the first is the time management of Strikeforce. Many of the main event fights ended early and yet they still had to push back the fight between Michael Byrnes (0-2) and David Zitanick (1-1) due to “time constraints” This has happened before with Strikeforce but at least the fight was not scrapped all together. If they did not interview Rex Ryan of the NFL as well as others, maybe they would have had time to fix the huge mistake I felt was the biggest low.

This would be the “Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (16-4) debacle. Jay has been beaten up by Scott Coker and Strikeforce over and over again. He seems to be in line for a title shot but keeps getting passed over. The they put him on the under-card. Due to fan backlash EASportsMMA.com decided to air his fight against “Diesel” Joe Riggs (31-12) on their site. Sadly and much to the dismay of hardcore MMA fans, the site was ill prepared to handle the number of people trying to view the fight. Many fans could not get the feed to play and for those that did, including myself, the feed had a terrible lag and was grainy at best. This is a slap in the face to MMA fans who flock in mass to purchase video games such as the EA Sports MMA game. Strikeforce and EASportsMMA.com owe Jay an apology and a title shot but it does not seem like that will happen.

According to a report from MMAFight.com, Coker already has plans for title shots for his champions, including new champion Diaz. It seems Coker is looking to his Japanese friends to bring in “Mach” Hayoto Sakurai
(32-8-3). While I think this fight would be a gift to hardcore fans, I have to state that Jay deserves the title shot regardless of his performance last night.

Future Strikeforce events will need to get better if they want to keep fighters and keep ratings. We expect much more and they need to deliver.

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

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

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

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

Melvin is known as more than just a K-1 level striker, he is known as a force of mass destruction. All of his wins but one have come by way of knock out or TKO. He is an aggressive fighter with the power of Zeus in his hands who fights out of the world famous Mike’s Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is very clear what his game plan will be come Saturday night in Miami at the BankAtlantic Center. Manhoef will want to put his fists through the face of Robbie Lawler and everyone on the planet knows this.

Robbie Lawler is gutsy brawler that ends fights with his fists as well. Most of his fights have ended the same way that Melvin has ended his and this is what makes people believe we will see fireworks inside the cage when these two collide. Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion until they went bankrupt and he found a new home in Strikeforce. Once hailing from the Miletech camp, he now trains out of the gym he co-owns with former UFC champion and  Fighters.com eighth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (41-7), the H.I.T. Squad.

Robbie is known as a guy that take a punch with many reffering to his chin as being made of granite. However, training being such an experienced fighter and training with guys like Hughes, you have to think his camp is revolving around wrestling and the ground game, the glaring weakness of Dutch striker, Manhoef.

Robbie will need to avoid the initial onslaught of Melvin and work his way inside to get this fight t the ground where he can easily finish the fight. One thing stands in his way of getting back to his winning ways, his ego.

Men like Lawler are easily swayed from their solid game plans by the crowd noise and the mere anticipation of the fight ending in a KO. Wednesday night I interviewed “Razor” Rob McCullough (17-6) on MMA Gospel Radio and asked him just how easy it was to feel you can KO anyone after doing it a few times. He told us that it was very easy to get away from the game plan and it sometimes leads to disaster. Lawler must avoid this at cost in order to win this fight.

What separates the two fighters is that Manhoef has next to no ground game and while not known for his submissions, Lawler trains with Hughes who is an amazing wrestler. You have to think that after all his time working with his friend and business partner that he has picked up some wrestling knowledge. One thing is for sure, Matt Hughes used to put together good game plans and for this fight I would be shocked if the game plan was anything other than taking the fight to the mat and making it a quick night.

Lawler has the steel chin to stave off the Manhoef Blitzkrieg and should have the wrestling skills to get this fight where he is guaranteed a win. All the tools are there and the only thing getting in the way of his win on Saturday is himself.

Pride and ego can make or break a fighter and Saturday we will see how it works out for Robbie. No matter the outcome the fans are the true winners after this fight.

You can join me and my co-host Gary Friedman each Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST as we talk MMA news, interview the best in the business and discuss the latest combat sports rumors. MMA Gospel Radio can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel as well as available for download on iTunes.

Lawler was supposed to return from a loss to Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight and Strikeforce champ Jake Shields (23-4-1) at Strikeforce in St. Louis June 6 versus “Razor” Benji Radach (19-5), then Shark Fights light heavyweight champion Trevor Prangley (20-4) at at Strikeforce in San Jose December 19, but both Radach and Prangley pulled up lame.

Manhoef upset former Sengoku middleweight champ “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (22-10-2) at Fields Dynamite!! 2009 in Tokyo on New Year’s Eve.

Lawler’s manager, Monte Cox, told MMA Junkie the fight is likely, but no bout agreements have been signed.

This is a matchup of exciting strikers that Fighters.com can get excited about.

Prangley was a replacement for Lawler’s original opponent, “Razor” Benji Radach (19-5), but has suffered an undisclosed injury.

No replacement has been named for Prangley, but Strikeforce is searching for a late substitute.

Lawler was tapped out by Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight and Strikeforce champ Jake Shields (23-4-1) at Strikeforce in St. Louis June 6.

Prangley tapped out Marcus Sursa (6-5) for the Shark Fights 205-pound title in Amarillo November 28.

The fight will broadcast live on Showtime.

ProElite, Inc. is the parent company of the EliteXC promotion that is nationally broadcast in the States on CBS, as well as owner of the MMA brands King of the Cage, CageRage, ICON, and Spirit MC.

ProElite’s website is functioning and has no mention of the company’s bankruptcy.

However, Gracie Fighter, the website of EliteXC fighter Nick Diaz‘s  (18-7) manager, Cesar Gracie, posted Monday evening, “We are confirming that EliteXC has folded.”

The cancelled event was to have taken place in Reno and aired on Showtime featuring title fights in two weight divisions.

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) was scheduled to defend his title from challenger Joey Villasenor (26-6); and, Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and Diaz were to have fought for the vacant 160-pound title.

EliteXC debuted 10 February in Southaven, south of Memphis, and has held 17 events.

Recently, the promotion’s most popular star, “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-1), was knocked out by late replacement “Silverback” Seth Petruzelli (10-4) in 14 seconds in Sunrise, north of Miami, 4 October.

The failed company was the most prominent challenger to the UFC.  It exposed millions to the sport of mixed martial arts via it’s relationship with CBS.

However, CBS EliteXC Fight Night was a production of CBS’s entertainment division, not it’s sports division; and, ProElite was often criticized for heavily promoting Kimbo Slice, a fighter who gained initial fame through videos of backyard fights broadcast on YouTube.

After Slice was KO’d by a UFC castoff, UFC President Dana White remarked to the Boston Herald, “These guys have lost $60 million trying to get this thing off the ground.  They’re building their promotion around a guy who can’t fight.  It’s kind of fucking stupid, isn’t it?  You’re in the fight business and you’re building your business around a guy who can’t fight.”

ProElite, Inc. executives were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

It will take place 8 November and air on Showtime.

Villasenor will look to avenge his KO loss to Lawler in October 2006.  Lawler’s flying knee ended the bout in 22 seconds.

Villasenor won his last fight over “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (12-10) via first-round TKO in May.

Lawler’s win over Villasenor began his current win streak.  He last fought “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) in July, TKO’ing him in the second round and successfully defending his title.

Lawler’s first bout versus Smith in May ended in a No Contest.

Trigg also welcomed a son, Stone, to his family in September.  Congratulations from Fighters.com.

The remainder of the Middleweight Top Ten was on holiday last month…well, at least at middleweight.

Top contender “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) made a successful return to light heavyweight in Atlanta 6 September.  He remains wishy-washy about his future in either division.

But, before Franklin could move-up to 205, Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) beat him there.  Franklin must wonder whether Silva is going to move to Cincinnati and start teaching high school math too.

Silva is preparing to defend his Fighters.com and UFC titles versus “Predator” Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho‘s (16-0) WEC title defense versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) was postponed from tonight to 5 November due to Hurrican Ike.

Fourth-ranked EliteXC champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) is rumored to be considering a rematch versus Joey Villasenor (26-6), whom Lawler KO’d in 22 seconds in 2006.

Seventh-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) will fight “Benkei” Zelg Galesic in DREAM’s Middleweight GP semi-final in Saitama 23 September, then, if Souza wins, the winner of Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) versus “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) in the final the same night.

Ninth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) will fight “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10) in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September.

Fifth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1), sixth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4), nor tenth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5) have fights on their dockets.

September Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last year.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the November rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4)

“Ruthless” rides a five-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, and Joey Villasenor.

5. Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the the result was a NC. He choked out Katsuyori Shibata in his July comeback.

6. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okamihas been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ, the late Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (17-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees and UD of Makoto Takimoto.

8. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with two big wins to take the DREAM GP.

9. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler, a stoppage by Trigg, and a lost decision to Souza into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

The UFC seemed intent that sixth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (21-4-1) miss his de facto UFC top contender challenge of Silva, marketing Cote versus “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3) in Las Vegas 5 July as an eliminator fight even before Okami pulled up lame with a broken hand.

Cote won by split decision.

Okami, who holds a DQ “W” over Silva from 2006, dropped a rank for August on the ascension of fourth-ranked EliteXC Middleweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4).

In Stockton, east of San Francisco, 26 July, Lawler erased the ellipsis left at the end of his May No Contest with “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) and etched in a exclamatory second-round TKO over Smith.

To make the scattering of middleweights across promotions more frustrating, the entire top three – Silva, second-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), and third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) – are throwing their hats into 205-pound bull ring.

Filho, who announced in February that he intends to move to 205-pounds, will rematch Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) in Hollywood, north of Miami, 10 September.

Perhaps Filho’s announcement was amidst his mysterious malaise, for which he’s been successfully treated; but, the WEC will shit-can their middleweight division before the end of 2008 and Filho, who signed with the WEC to avoid a confrontation with his pal Silva, will have to make a decision about which UFC weight class to compete in: the middleweight division Silva rules or the light heavyweight division Silva’s getting his kicks in.

Fifth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1) returned from an eight-month holiday to tap woefully mismatched Katsuyori Shibata (2-5) in Osaka 21 July.

Sixth-ranked “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6) will return from a nine-month holiday to fight Olympic judoka Makoto Takimoto (4-4) at Sengoku in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August.

Trigg’s deal with Sengoku could lead to a rematch versus eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2), but not before Misaki makes his North American debut versus a yet-to-be-named opponent at Strikeforce 19 September in Los Angeles.

Ninth-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) has drawn legit kickboxer “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (9-3) in DREAM’s Middleweight GP, to be fought in Saitama 23 September.

“Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-6) holds steady at tenth without any announced or rumoured bouts.

August Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last year.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the September rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4)

“Ruthless” rides a five-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, and Joey Villasenor.

5. Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the the result was a NC. He choked out Katsuyori Shibata in his July comeback.

6. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with better opponents.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

Nick Diaz (18-7) TKO’d “Wildman” Thomas Denny (26-17) at :30 of round two.

Jake Shields (21-4-1) defeats “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) by guillotine submission at 1:03 of the first round for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship.

“Big Foot” Antonio Silva (11-1) TKO’d Justin Eilers (20-8-1) at :19 of round two for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship.

“Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante TKO’d “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-6) at 3:01 of round one.

Wilson Reis (5-0) won a unanimous decision over Bryan Caraway (10-3).

Carl Seumanutafa (4-0) KO’d Mike Cook (5-2) by slam at 1:21 of round one.

Drew Montgomery (5-3) TKO’d Brandon Tarns (1-2) by doctor stoppage at 4:23 of round three.

But, the cold, hard ledger reveals Hendo’ hasn’t had a win at 185-pounds in two years.

Hendo’s previous rank was filled by tenth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-6), falling a notch to newly ninth-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1).

Souza debuted in the top ten after pulling off a tight two-round unanimous decision over Miller in DREAM’s Middleweight Grand Prix 15 June.

Also in June Japanese action, “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) cemented his seventh ranking with a UD over “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark at Sengoku.

Misaki now seeks revenge over new Sengoku add-on, seventh-ranked “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6).

No Sengoku match-up has been announced for Trigg; but, one would assume Misaki’s home nation promotion wants to match the old enemies as soon as Trigg is ready.

Sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) was pulling away from “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) in the third round of their EliteXC title fight 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, when a thumb to Smith’s eye rendered the result a No Contest.

Lawler held steady in June, as did the entire middleweight top five.

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) wisely avoided a move to 205-pounds to fight fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) in September.

The UFC’s July match-up between “Predator” Patrick Cote (12-4) and “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) is being marketed as winner-get-Silva.

Baffling, since the UFC’s obvious top contender is fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4), who seems to be lingering in limbo after knocking out former UFC Champion Evan Tanner (32-7) in March.

Fighters.com predicts Okami will draw “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-2).

Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) continues to flirt with DREAM and will probably be the Middleweight GP champion’s first mandatory.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) is out of rehab and training for a September WEC title defense rematch versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1).

Second-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3) is being pressured by the UFC to move to 205-pounds to clarify their middleweight rankings, but Franklin is resisting.

June Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the September rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but his besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with better opponents.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

The match will air on CBS to headline the second installment of Saturday Night Fights.

Lawler first defended his title against Smith at EliteXC’s network television debut on 31 May.

An exciting fight ended in round three in a controversial “no contest” when Lawler accidentally poked a thumb into Smith’s eye and “Hands of Stone” told doctors he couldn’t see.

“I know Scott had a hurt leg from throwing kicks and Scott started to look very frustrated.  I think Scott’s aches and pains and frustrations had maybe a little to do with the stoppage.  That’s just my opinion.”

Hughes trains Lawler and was cageside cornering his H.I.T. Squad student.

No one has been willing to state blatantly that Smith encouraged the controversial doctor stoppage Saturday night in Newark, outside of New York City, after he was poked in the right eye by Lawler’s thumb.

However, Hughes’s opinion bolsters New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo’s description to Fighters.com of events inside the cage immediately after the eye poke.

Lembo told Fighters.com Monday, “You can’t keep telling doctors you can’t see and your vision isn’t improving.  Fighters know what to say [if they want to keep fighting.]”

Both Hughes and Lembo intimate that Smith wanted to end the fight after breaking his foot when his kick was blocked by Lawler’s elbow.

Hughes also addressed the other controversial stoppage giving “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) a third-round TKO “W” over “Colossus” James Thompson (14-9) in the main event.

Hughes posted, “I don’t know how fair the ref was in the fight.  Looks like Kimbo could have tapped out with the guillotine attempt and I don’t know how Thompson got stood up when he was cross sides throwing elbows.  It looks to me like there was maybe a little bit of favoritism.”

Slice’s trainer, MMA legend “El Guapo” Bas Rutten (28-4-1), posted his opinion on his blog about referee Dan Marigliotta’s decision not to stop the fight at the end of round two:

“People ask me if the fight should have been stopped at the end in the second round.  I say ”yes” because those are the rules.  It should have been stopped because Kimbo didn’t do anything to improve his situation.   But, I think what made the ref not do it was the fact that Kimbo was giving his thumbs up the whole time to let the referee know that he was OK.”

Rutten also addressed Marigliotta’s decision to finally stop the fight:

“[Slice] finished with hitting Thompson with a four punch combination with the last one of those being a hard right upper cut.  Thompson staggered back and the referee stopped the fight.  Was it too soon?  I thought it would be great to see a few more shots just so that he was down for real.  But I guess the referee had the two or three times that Thompson was hurt in the earlier rounds in his head, plus that he also got hit on his cauliflower ear that busted open and he had a different look in his eyes.”

The exciting stand-up war was stopped by doctors at 3:26 of round three for a no contest.

“I can’t see,” Smith told Dr. Angela Gagliardi, the first doctor in the cage, according to Lembo.

Lembo wanted a second opinion and, after 30-seconds or so, called on veteran fight doctor Sherry Wulkan.  “I told her, ‘This is a title fight,’” Lembo stressed.

According to Lembo, Wulkan asked Smith, “What’s wrong?”

Smith told the second doctor, “I can’t see!”

“You took a finger in the eye,” Wulkan explained.  “What do you mean you can’t see?  Is your vision blurry?  Dark?”

Smith repeated, “I can’t see.”

Wulkan asked, “Is it getting better?”

Smith told Wulkan his vision was not improving.  By that time, it had been a full minute since Lawler’s thumb poked Smith’s eye.

Wulkan told Lembo, “His vision isn’t getting better and he has a broken foot…”

Both Wulkan and Lembo had seen Smith break his foot in a kick blocked by Lawler’s elbow.

Wulkan explained to Lembo, “I tried to give him an out.”  If Smith had told Wulkan his vision was improving, Smith would’ve been given more time to recover.

Lembo emphasized Monday, “You’re not guaranteed five minutes [for being poked in the eye].  You get up to five minutes.  You can’t keep telling doctors you can’t see and your vision isn’t improving.  Fighters know what to say [if they want to keep fighting.]“  Lembo added, “Scott is a warrior.”

Smith was paid his win bonus by EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw in honor of the valiant performance.

Lembo assured Fighters.com that the officiating for MMA’s national prime time debut wasn’t interfered with by CBS or EliteXC executives.

“I chose [referee] Dan [Miragliotta] for the main event because I think he’s the best in the business,” Lembo said.

Saturday night’s main event, refereed by Miragliotta, was the most controversial stoppage.

EliteXC’s biggest name “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) stopped “Colossus” James Thompson (14-9) by TKO at :38 of round three after Slice stung Thompson with a combo that popped Thompson’s cauliflowered ear causing blood to trickle down.

“The ear wasn’t even why it was stopped,” Lembo said.  “Dan told me at the end of round two that both fighters were at their ends.”

Miragliotta was prepared to stop that fight in round three if either fighter put together a barrage; and, Slice did.

Miragliotta has since been dubbed “Mr. Fix-it” by some MMA media, frustrating Lembo.

“If Dan were trying to let Kimbo win, he let it go awfully long, didn’t he?”  Lembo asked.

Lembo broached the subject of round two’s finish with Thompson in half-mount striking Slice at the cage.

“I suggest those elbows couldn’t have cracked an egg.  It was right in front of me and I looked up at Dan and said, ‘Those strikes aren’t doing much damage.’  He nodded in agreement,” Lembo said.

“If either fight was stopped too early, I’ll take that criticism.  I’d rather have a fight stopped one punch too early than one punch too late,” Lembo stated.

In the main event, “Colossus” James Thompson (14-9) exposed “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) in a third-round stoppage loss.

Former Ultimate Fighters Lawler and Smith fought to a controversial no contest halted when Smith absorbed a finger in his right eye from a defending Lawler.

Smith protested the end of a fight that was building into the primetime MMA era’s sequel to Griffin v Bonnar, while Lawler hung his head in disappointment.

“Hands of Stone” opened round one of his title challenge establishing his high kick.  Lawler was cagey in defense, pawing a jab and feigning a takedown.

It wasn’t long before the fireworks shot off and didn’t end.  Lawler countered a Superman punch from Smith with a straight right.  Smith belted back with a right high kick, backing up the champion.  Lawler threw haymakers in defense, then clinched up to throw hooks to Smith’s head.  The warriors traded body kicks to end round one.

Lawler established his jab in round two, setting up an uppercut.  Smith defended with Thai clinch in which he landed knees and elbows as Lawler struggled to free himself.  The fighters crashed into the cage and dirty boxed, Lawler landing uppercuts while Smith countered with elbows.

The fireworks came to an anti-climactic end in round three as doctors inexplicably called an end to the fight after Smith took a Lawler finger to the eye.

Slice Has “A Lot To Learn”

“I’ve got a lot to learn, a long way to go,” Kimbo Slice admitted after enduring a spirited assault from “Colossus”.

Thompson kept his pre-fight promise early, putting Slice on the mat with a single-leg takedown.  Thompson postured up and pounded Slice; but, Slice easily stood out of Thompson’s mount.

Thompson pressed Slice to the cage and worked a standing guillotine; but, Slice battled out with an elbow to Thompson’s head.  Slice ate another punch and the pair went back to the mat.

Slice worked an interesting neck crank from side control; but, Thompson defended and the two scrambled back to their feet before Thompson dropped Slice again into side control and hammered elbows.

Thompson committed to an Americana; and, Slice rolled Thompson into half-mount, attempting his own Americana while Thompson worked a Kimura.

Slice was able to get back to striking at the beginning of round two; but, Thompson took Slice down at will.

The final minute-and-a-half of the round, Thompson pinned Slice’s right arm beneath his knee from half-mount and pounded fists and elbows to Slice’s skull.

“I didn’t know he was going to be that strong on the ground,” said Slice.

Slice threw from the round three bell, landing a right overhand that caused blood to trickle from Thompson’s left, cauliflowered ear.  Slice followed with a series of straight lefts and right uppercuts before the referee stepped between the fighters at :38.

Thompson pushed the referee in protest of the stoppage.

Slice said, “I knew I busted his ear.  The ref did a good job, because I was going to aim for it again.”

Baroni Smoked by Villasenor

“Smokin’” Joey Villasenor (26-6) TKO’d “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (10-10) at 1:11 of round one.

Baroni scored the early advantage catching a “Smokin’” high kick and dumping Villasenor to mat.  Baroni followed with rights, but backed off and allowed Villasenor to stand.

Villasenor jawed Baroni with a short left.

“It was all about fighting at range.  Me and me coach been workin’ on that,” Villasenor said.

Baroni backpedaled and Villasenor closed to a standing guillotine.

Villasenor admitted, “I knew the choke wasn’t going to be secure enough to make him tap, but I knew he was going to be wheezing after that.”

Villasenor released the choke and hammered a 4-1-2 combo that dropped “NYBA”and ended the fight.

Grim Ending for Murphy

“The Grim” Brett Rogers (7-0) knocked out Jon Murphy (4-3) at 1:01 of round one.

“This mean a lot to me.  I’m movin’ up and up and up,” Rogers said.

Murphy scored a right punch early, leading to a clinch at the fence.  Rogers pummeled off the fence and slipped a right hook to Murphy’s jaw during an exchange.  Murphy collapsed and the referee ended the fight by TKO.

Murphy danced in the cage in celebration.

In April, second-ranked “Ace” Rick Franklin (23-3) finessed out of an armbar executed by TUF champ “Serial Killer” Travis Lutter (9-5) to pick apart the Texan in two rounds, but Franklin has no where to go after two stoppages to Silva.

As mentioned in 3 May’s Bushido Sheet, Franklin was offered a main event versus tenth-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) at UFC 85, but turned down the fight.

Franklin continues to consider interesting match-ups at 205-pounds.

Hendo’ dropped a rank in May after his 2006 UD over eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) fell from his two-year record leaving “Hollywood” without a win at 185-pounds in two years.

His March stoppage to Silva leaves him with few good match-ups but for Franklin.  At this point, Hendo’ just needs a win in the Octagon.

The trail on the “Hitman” Misaki has gone cold since his March submission of Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at Sengoku.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) is recovering from a substance abuse problem in Brazil.

He’s scheduled for a rematch with Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) to defend his WEC title, but don’t hold your breath for a Silva versus Filho title unification bout.

Filho and Silva are friends and refuse to fight each other; and, Filho plans to move to 205-pounds win, lose, or draw to Sonnen.

Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama‘s (10-1) run at the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix championship ended before it began when he re-injured a nasal bone fracture in training, causing him to withdraw.

Fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4) remains the most likely candidate to take a swat at “Spider”, but no official word yet.

Sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) may be the face of the division when his EliteXC title defense versus “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) is broadcast on national television across North America at the end of May.

Ninth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5) debuted before the Nipponese in May with a first-round TKO of Katsuyori Shibata (2-4), but the “W” does little to propel him forward in the division.

May Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

10. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7)

“Hollywood” served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn’t follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit.