Tarec Saffiedine has only been fighting for about four years, but in that time he’s managed to achieve a nice underground following. Saffiedine had some entertaining battles in the Japanese-based DREAM promotion before transitioning to Strikeforce in February of last year.

Tarec quickly established himself in Strikeforce, winning two straight fights that included a fantastic KO victory. After beating former WEC and UFC veteran Brock Larson outside of Strikeforce, Saffiedine was matched up against fellow rising star Tyron Woodley. Woodley would end up winning the bout by Unanimous Decision in only the third loss of Tarec’s career.

Saffiedine’s opponent, Scott Smith, is one of the bigger name-value fighters Strikeforce has. Smith is a UFC, Elite XC, and Strikeforce veteran. He fought for the Elite XC Middleweight Championship. He fought Nick Diaz in a Catchweight super-fight. He gave the UFC one of the best come-from-behind victories ever seen when he KO’d Pete Sell. He gave Strikeforce one of the best come-from-behind victories they had ever seen when he beat Cung Le. Smith has been fighting for over a decade and is a veteran of almost thirty fights.

So, why is Smith fighting someone like Tarec? It’s simple, really: Smith is on a bad two-fight losing-streak. The rematch with Cung Le went exactly like their first bout: Le controlled and dominated Smith. Unlike their first bout, there would be no incredible comeback, and Smith would end up being TKO’d in Round 2. Smith then fought Paul Daley in a major Welterweight showdown. And just like against Le, there would be no major comeback from Strikeforce’s “Comeback King”. After two minutes of action, Smith would eat a killer hook that stone-cold KTFO’d him. It was honestly one of the best knockouts of Paul Daley’s career, which really says something.

Make no mistake, this is a “do or die” fight for Scott Smith. Realistically, this is the perfect fight for Tarec Saffiedine. Smith has him beat in experience, especially in experience against world-caliber opponents, but he’s looked pretty bad in his recent victories. Anyone can get KO’d, I won’t argue that, but it’s the nature in which Smith was KO’d: he was controlled thoroughly and then dropped viciously.

That leads me to believe that Tarec has a good chance of winning this fight. Thanks to the loss to Daley, half of Smith’s professional losses have been by (T)KO. So there is a chance that Tarec could knock out Smith.

Then again, you could make a serious argument for Smith looking great against some people and only really looking bad against top-caliber opponents. That argument also goes hand-in-hand with the argument that Tarec Saffiedine is not a top-caliber opponent at this point in his career. So Smith definitely has a shot of winning, he’s even got a shot at KO’ing Tarec since Smith has an overwhelming majority of his wins (fourteen of seventeen) by (T)KO.

In the end, this fight is going to be a back-and-forth war up until someone gets KTFO’d. Whoever that ends up being depends on a lot of things: pre-fight preparation, the mentality each fighter has going into the fight, etc. But one thing’s for sure: this one has a whole lot of potential.

We all know how fun it can be to watch Anderson Silva dump an upkick to the grill of Vitor Belfort or Jon Jones drop sledgehammer elbows to Brandon Vera‘s skull.  But hey, we kind of expect this, these are some of the best pound for pound fighters walking the planet.  So what about the fighters not always front and center of every MMA chit chat.  Well here are some guys, that rarely, if ever, fail to excite and entertain in the cage.

Hector Lombard (Bellator Middleweight Champion)

Known as the Mike Tyson of MMA, Hector Lombard is a chiseled bull swinging hammer fists in the first three minutes of the first round.  Only one of his last five fights (all wins) have made it past the first round.  Four of the five wins were stopped due to TKO or KO.  For me, Hector Lombard is appointment viewing.  Most often, you are guaranteed fireworks in the first round.

Anthony Pettis (UFC Lightweight)

We all know the – flying off the fence kick – to stop Benson Henderson and win the WEC Lightweight Title that still makes Top Ten lists on ESPN, yet this kid finds a way to be exciting wherever the fight goes.  He is one of the most active fighters off his back, never settling to just neutralize a hand or arm to prevent his opponent from doing damage.  He is always searching and probing for an offensive Jiu Jitsu move to score or finish.  His head kick to stop Danny Castillo was just a fun to watch as his triangle choke of Shane Roller.  Can’t wait to see how he deals with the frenetic style of Clay Guida ahead.

Melvin Guillard (UFC Lightweight)

The thing with Melvin Guillard is you don’t always see the excitement coming.   He can have periods of slower activity in a fight and then boom, drops the led  - fight over – as he did with Denis Siver and Evan Dunham.  If he has one more performance, like the Dunham fight, he will be in the top ten pound for pound chat and not on this list. He is a great striker, yet has the wrestling skills to defend an opponents wrestling which allows the fight to stay up.  This is the downfall of other great strikers, without high-level wrestling.

Joe Warren  (Bellator Featherweight)

Warren made this list off of one fight … his last win over Joe Soto.   I don’t know if he will ever be this exciting again.  Regardless, I will be watching his Bellator 41 fight tonight.  Against Soto, he was being dominated and almost finished in the first round.  Things did not look good heading to round two.  But, like the Strikefoce’s Scott Smith, when things look darkest, sunlight is usually a moment away.  Warren stunned Soto with a right and quickly finished the fight in the first minute of the second round.  It is this reversal of fate, amazing will to overcome that left the San Antonio crowd wowed and added one more follower to Joe Warren’s twitter feed.

Stephan Bonnar (UFC Light Heavyweight)

Ok, any long time MMA fan knows all about Stephan Bonnar and his legendary first fight with Forrest Griffin that put the UFC on the map …  as the ratings on Spike TV soared with every blow.  What excites me about Bonnar, is I know, in most of this bouts, the fight will become a brawl.  Not every fight he is in will be a total barnburner, water cooler material, but I know Bonnar is trying to take the fight to a space where it could become such a fight.  He is always pushing the fight into a brawling bloody clash of wills area, as he did in the Krzystof Soszynski 2 fight.  This makes me want to watch him fight more than a fighter looking to use his wrestling first or a counter puncher needing the opponent to engage first.  Bonnar is always angling for a war, which makes him good MMA entertainment.

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Who would you add to this list and why … there are more!

Pete Sell is known for delivering and taking big blows.  His knockout of Phil Baroni and war with Scott Smith are UFC classics. After going 1-4 in his last five UFC fights and being released in the spring of 2009, the man called “Drago” is plotting his return.  His go-for-broke style was fan pleasing yet not the best strategy for his long term career.  After his loss to Matt Brown at UFC 96, Sell took a much needed breather and a very hard look at his career.

“What are you going to do to me that hasn’t been done to me already.  I have been knocked out on national television.  I know what it is all about.  I feel like I am in a good head right now.”

The wars may have taken their toll on Sell but also opened his eyes to what he needed to do.

“I took the time to reflect on things and reinvent myself.”

What this reinvention will look like is still to be determined.  Sell knows his MMA DNA is as a brawler, but not many know he is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, which may play a larger role in his future style as he works to surmount his desire to slug.

“Let me tell you something, this wasn’t an easy thing for me to overcome, but over practice and time I have gotten a lot better with that. I know when you go at somebody you can’t just get it back right there (if hurt), you got to be ‘I am going to get you’ it may not be right now but I will get you … you got to keep emotions out of it.”

Sell’s manager is on the job, seeking out his first comeback fight with a national organization and they expect some news very soon.  “Drago” is back in the gym twice a day, at Ray Longo’s for striking and Serra Jiu Jitsu for his ground game.  Both gyms are in good spirits with the rise of Sell’s training partner, Chris Weidman, as he prepares for his first UFC fight against Alessio Sakara.

“The guy (Weidman), his Jiu Jitsu got phenomenal, his wrestling is retarded … his boxing is awesome, if I was going to pick his weakness – I don’t really know.  The kid has a bright future ahead of him.”

Sell’s long layoff has been partially due to a serious groin tear he suffered last summer.  Now fully healthy, “Drago” feels the big blows he took in the UFC have not slowed him down and his chin is as strong as ever looking forward to his second act as a mixed martial artist.

“When I am in there sparring, I am getting hit, hit hard, and coming back, I feel so good.  I am good to go man. I am playing a smarter game now, playing it safer and not gonna take a couple to give a couple.”

Look for the new and improved Pete “Drago” Sell in a big time MMA cage very soon.

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What are your favorite Pete Sell memories from his UFC career.  His fights were never dull!

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.

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?

This moment may have started the “legend” of Scott Simth, but as fans have learned, it was just the beginning.  He has taken the Mohammed Ali “rope a dope” style to new levels, and was nearly finished against Benji Radach and Cung Le only to rise from near cage death to land devastating blows and pull victory from the edge of defeat, leaving fans with jaws dropped in stunned awe.

Now, “Hands of Steel” may be looking in the mirror when he stands across the Strikeforce cage from Paul Daley on December 4^th in St. Louis.  Daley has his own list of knocked silly opponents who dared to stand with him, including UFC studs – Martin Kampmann and Dustin Hazlett.   On Saturday, two of the heaviest handed fighters in all of MMA square off and Smith thinks it will be a surprise if he spends much time with his back on the mat.

“I am definitely looking for a standup fight, but this is mixed martial arts so I have to be prepared for anything. So, I am working all aspects of my game, but I definitely plan on this being a slug fest.”

Aside from dealing with the dynamite in Paul Daley’s hands, Smith may be most anxious about getting his body down to 170lbs for the first time.

“A big part of the decision is that I have been lazy at getting away with making 185. I’ve been a little soft a couple of times.  Fighting at 170 has forced me to diet and that has been the worst part of my training.  Three weeks after my last fight I was walking around at 189, but I didn’t think there was any reason that I couldn’t cut down to 170, so I’ve been walking around at about 185, eating a ton of healthy food. I think the cut should be good. I might be crying about it on the day of weight-ins but I don’t think there is any reason why I shouldn’t be fighting at 170.”

By witness of Smith’s passion for the dramatic over his career, it is no surprise he welcomed the chance to drop to 170.  Not for the potentially painful cut, but for the chance to provide another all out, fists flying war with a like minded pugilist in Paul “Cemtex” Daley.

“I just look for these exciting fights and a fight with Paul Daley is an exciting fight.  That is more important to me that a title fight.  I know when me and Daley fight we are going to put on a show and the fans are going to like watching. Those are the type of fights I look for.

Saturday December, 4^th is a day sports fans will be flooded with entertainment options from watching Oregon and Auburn face their final hurdles to qualify for the national title game in college football, to UFC stars Demian Meia, Kendall Grove and Stephan Bonnar in action on Spike TV.  However the sports event with the most potential for pure drama and excitement will go down on Showtime when Scott Smith and Paul Daley hit the Strikeforce cage in St. Louis.

“Yeah, I think we are kind of made for each other. We are two guys who like to go banging and come at each other.  I think this has a fight of the night potential.  When I got the call to fight Paul Daley I got excited.  I think this fight will be fun.”

Thoughts MMA fans … are you as excited for this brawl as I am?

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”?

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.

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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.

In an interview with MMA Weekly, Coker had this to say on the situation: “Paul’s a good kid. He’s not a bad guy doing malicious things throughout his whole career. We just take it on a case by case basis, but I think he learned his lesson. It’s up to him to control himself, and we’re going to give him the opportunity. That said, we’re definitely going to keep our eye on him and make sure he abides by the rules and the regulations with the commissions that we’re promoting in and along with the Strikeforce rules.”

I have a very heated opinion when it comes to Paul Daley. I absolutely hated what he did to Josh Koscheck. He basically justified the major MMA stereotype that cage fighters are just a bunch of animals who don’t care about the rules and want to rip each other’s heads off. The fact that he was only suspended thirty days for his actions really angered me. Even with a lifetime ban from the UFC, it honestly doesn’t look like Daley is feeling the sting of his actions, since he’s got no shortage of promotions knocking on his door and offering him big fights.

I also believe that Paul Daley is about as one-dimensional as a fighter as you could possibly get. Time and time again, Daley has proven to be little more than a flailing turtle whenever he’s taken down. Both Jake Shields and Josh Koscheck made Paul Daley look like an inexperienced newbie, rather than a battle-hardened vet, because they were able to take him down again and again and again with Daley offering up virtually no defense and having absolutely nothing to offer on the ground. Paul Daley may be very good in the one dimension he’s skilled in, but he’ll never wear a championship if that one dimension is all he has to offer.

But I will say this: Strikeforce at least knows how to book Paul Daley. Daley is currently set to face Scott Smith at the December 4 “Henderson vs. Babalu” event. That, on paper, does sound like a very entertaining fight. And even I can admit that, for the most part, Paul Daley has been a very entertaining striker. This match-up with Smith should see fists flying with reckless abandon, and end with someone getting KO’d. I’ll give credit where credit is due: if Strikeforce knows what they’re doing, Paul Daley can end up being an asset to them. And (once again giving credit where credit is due) Strikeforce does seem to know exactly what they’re doing.

What about you, fans and friends? Are you excited for Paul Daley’s return to Strikeforce? Does he deserve a spot in another major promotion after what he did?

Here’s what the soft-spoken Coker had to say over at MMA Weekly: “We were hoping it would happen, but it didn’t happen, and we’re happy with Jacare being our world champion. I think he’s a great representative and a great fighter.”

I’m honestly disappointed that this idea never saw the light of day. The tournament format represents a bygone era, but several promotions have proven recently that it can still work in today’s MMA world. Strikeforce itself has held one-night tournaments in the past, although I felt their 135-pound Women’s Tournament suffered from time constraints. The fights themselves were quite entertaining, though. Perhaps an even bigger example would be Shine Fights, who I was extremely critical of in the weeks leading up to their one-night Lightweight Grand Prix only to be pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the show.

I think a Strikeforce Middleweight Tournament would have done a lot of good for the promotion. It would have given fans a lot of access to the Strikeforce talent, many of which the more-casual fans aren’t familiar with. It would have immediately established the winner and next contender/champion as a credible threat, since it takes a particular breed of athlete to fight and win twice in one night. And for the longtime MMA fans, it would have provided a rare bit of nostalgia in a sport that, for the most part, is still so relatively new. Maybe I’m looking at it with rose-tinted glasses because it happens so infrequently nowadays, but I think the tournament format is a great idea in short, controlled bursts.

But at the end of the day, I really can’t complain. Ronaldo Souza is as credible as they come, he’s a fantastic addition to the Strikeforce roster and I think he’s going to have a banner year in 2011. His standup keeps improving and his ground game is scary-good. He’s also a member of Black House, the fight camp that basically contains almost every single noteworthy Brazilian fighter currently fighting in MMA. While I would’ve liked to see him win a tournament in order to further enhance and establish his credibility, I think “Jacare” is poised to dominate the Strikeforce middleweight roster.

Looking forward, there are some huge match-ups for “Jacare” at 185. Just off the top of my head, I’d love to see Souza face Dan Henderson (if he decides to drop back down), Gegard Mousasi (he would have to drop back down too), Jason Miller, Tim Kennedy again, Cung Le, and Scott Smith. The Middleweight division clearly had enough talent for a tournament, and I think it would have benefited from a tournament, but ultimately it wasn’t in dire need of a tournament.

And what about you, fans and friends? Now that it’s finally been put to rest, what’s your opinion on the failed Strikeforce Middleweight Tournament?

5. Leonard Garcia vs. Tyler Toner

Watch this one for the simple fact that Leonard Garcia always shows up to entertain and gives consistently amazing performances win or lose. It’s going to be awesome to see him back in the UFC, and the opponent he’s facing is no slouch either. Toner is 10-2 with six knockouts, so this has all the makings of a wild, can’t-miss brawl.

4. Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac

It’s got a lot of the same appeal of Garcia/Toner, but this one ranks higher because it involves two bigger names and two arguably better brawlers. Bonnar’s true potential doesn’t come through until he’s bloodied up, and he’s all too willing to take two to give one. Pokrajac has seven losses, twenty-two wins, and plenty of (T)KO victories. While Garcia/Toner will be a great and wild brawl, this one will be a bloody and entertaining war of attrition.

3. Scott Smith vs. Paul Daley

I don’t think it’s likely that we’ll see this one going past the first round, and I’d be shocked if it got past the second. Someone is going to get knocked out and it’s going to be brutally entertaining to watch. Look for “Semtex” and “Hands of Steel” to be throwing bombs from the first second of the first minute. This fight, above all the others on the list, has the potential to end the quickest, but that’s rarely a bad thing when you’ve got two heavy-handed power-punchers going in and swinging for the fences from the very start.

2. The TUF 12 Finale Fight

It’s the culmination of an entire season’s worth of drama, effort, tough fights, humbling defeating, and amazing victories. I don’t know who’s going to fight in the finale, but I do know that the finale is always the can’t-miss fight of the show. I look forward to seeing which TUF hopefuls end up fighting for the big prize on the main stage. Regardless of who ends up vying for the UFC contract, look for it to be a very exciting fight.

1. Dan Henderson vs. Renato Sobral

In the end, I just had to go with this pick. This fight has an amazing amount of potential, and it’s a fight between two highly-decorated former champions that both want to win and win big in order to set up a comeback. Not only does this fight have the biggest name-value stars, it also has the most potential given how multi-dimensional both fighters are. This one could go everywhere, it could end at any moment, and it’s definitely a worthy main event.

And what about you, fans and friends? Which side are you choosing, or do you plan to watch both shows simultaneously? Also, which show do you think is the better one?

Not only is Daley officially signed with the organization, but he is set to make his promotional debut in a fight that has fireworks and knockout written all over it.

As previously reported, Scott Smith was to make his return to the cage come December 4, in what will actually be his welterweight debut, when he was expected to face 6-1 Jesse Finney, however, en-light of Daley signing with the organization recently, Strikeforce opted for the Smith-Daley bout in what will prove to be not only a top-contenders bout in a welterweight division which desperately needs one, but will also serve as a punch-you-in-the-face-till-you-fall, kind of fight.

After a lengthy career at middleweight which witnessed some of the greatest knockouts of Smith’s career, including former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, and UFC veterans Benji Radach and Pete Sell, Smith will be making the drop to the welterweight division for the first time, after beginning his career nearly 10 years ago as a heavyweight.

Daley, a fellow UFC veteran who was exonerated from the promotion after a post-fight punch in unsportsmanlike conduct against Josh Koscheck back at UFC 113, most recently picked up his second consecutive victory when he bested veteran Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13, winning by unanimous decision.

If someone doesn’t get knocked out in this fight, then there is something truly amiss in the world today. An exciting addition to a stacked December card, is exactly what the fans had ordered.

MMA peeps, what do you think of the addition of this bout? Who do you think will take it, and is anyone else surprised that Smith is deciding to move to welterweight, considering he’s one of the bigger 185′ers? Sound off in the comments section below.

After taking much time off from the fight game (a 21-month absence to be exact) to focus on a budding movie career, Le, a former San Shou world champion, came back reinvigorated in his rematch with Smith which took place last June, and after hurting his opponent several times with body kicks, would eventually earn the TKO victory in the second round, leaving Scott Smith with the biggest win of his career taken away just as fast in defeat.

While “Hands of Steel” has had a lengthy career that began as a heavyweight, he has become a staple in any organization he fights in, as the guy who can deliver a knockout victory in any moment of the fight. Just ask Benji Radach, who after seemingly taking the first two rounds in their 185-pound match up last April in Strikeforce, succumbed to a third-round knockout at the hands of Smith, who now owns the moniker of the “Comeback Kid”.

Strikeforce obviously has invested interest in Scott Smith, and would much rather have him back in the win column. But, that means bad news for Jesse Finney.

Finney, who has competed exclusively in the 170 pound division, is coming off a loss to former UFC fighter Josh Neer in his last outing. Neer, a fighter who often bounces between both the lightweight and welterweight divisions, choked out the previously undefeated Jesse with a guillotine inside of the first round.

The bout is expected to take place on the main card of Strikeforce’s 29th event, at the Scottrade Center in St Louis, Missouri on December 4.

The headlining bout of the evening is said to be a light heavyweight tilt pitting legends Dan Henderson and Renato “Babalu” Sobral against one another.

So, mma peeps, what say you about this middleweight match up? Is Finney being thrown to the wolves at just 6-1 and coming off a loss? Or is there something more to the kid? Will Scott Smith come back and deliver another KO victory? Sound off in the comments 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 are my top 10 fighters who succeed when the fight becomes a brawl.

10. Sam Stout: While Stout showed more consistency in his last win over Jeremey Stephens, he made his name in two epic slugfests with Spencer Fisher where each showed disregard for personal health and let the leather fly. Under the sound guidance of trainer Shawn Tompkins, his stand-up game is more and more refined. However, in his back pocket, Stout always carries his true MMA DNA, which is waiting to emerge when needed and pull a win from the edge of defeat by taking a structured fight into the gutter to make a measured fight a brawl.

9. Carlos Condit: Condit’s last two UFC wins over Jake Ellenberger and especially Rory McDonald exposed to the world his genius for reversing a losing situation late in the contest when each fighters textbook form is long gone and all that is left is dripping blood, burning lungs, and a dwindling time clock.  As McDonald lost his shine in round three, Condit found a way to rock the heralded Canadian, put him on his back, and drop the leather and elbows.  McDonald, who entered round three comfortably ahead, learned a painful lesson of how Carlos Condit works best when things look the worst.

8. Roger Huerta: I almost think the more Huerta tries to diversify his skill set the less effective he becomes.  This guy is a grit fighter Hall of Famer, and does his best in unstructured brawls where it is a matter of will and guts.  Nobody may have more guts than Huerta givin his remarkable journey in childhood.  His UFC 69 win over Leonard Garcia is Huerta’s perfect fight – where he simply needs to be a survivalist and let his hands go.  The more technical a fight gets, the less it is to his advantage.

7.  Chris Lytle: Ever since Lytle lost to Matt Serra in the finals of the Ultimate Fighter in a very lackluster fight, he pledged to let it all hang out in the cage every time.  It is never boring when Lytle fights and until his last two submission wins, fans could bank on Lytle loading up on his right hand to move a fight from neutral or negative to his advantage with a furious stand-up game.  Most opponents strategize to stay out range with Lytle, but as the gas tank empties, the Indianapolis firefighter usually finds the range and turns the fight into a brawl.

6.  Stephan Bonnar: It was in his last win over Krzysztof Soszynski that Bonnar got the #6 spot in this article …  by pushing the match into his comfort zone – a messy bloody scrum – to finish the fight.  Early in the second round Bonner was behind, but as The Polish Experiment faded slightly, Bonnar unloaded his entire arsenal to capture the win.   Aside:  Fatigue is critical in allowing the “inner brawler” to emerge.  With fatigue, the edge comes off and a fighter’s most natural fighting style steps forward.

5. Chris Leben: Leben would have been higher on this list if he had not showed such an evolved game in his last win over Akiyama.  However, rest assured, in at least one point of every Leben fight he will push the fight into a sloppy, swinging affair that always benefits “The Crippler.”  Leben often looks least effective early in the first round, but as opponents slow and they start to question their own game plan, he turns the fight from a thinking affair to a brawl and slugging war … and right into his sweet spot.

4. Chan Sung Jung (Korean Zombie): The Zombie has garnered near legend status with MMA fans off just one fight on American TV against Leonard Garcia.  I had him winning the slugfest, but was absolutely fascinated with his utter disregard to pursue any sort of pace or game plan for this fight.  He simply walked forward and looked to throw the hardest punch possible at every moment possible.  Fascinating for the drama of this style, but also for the conscious disregard for never trying to structure the fight in any way.  In this age of Greg Jackson/GSP game plans, it was strangely refreshing.

3. Leonard Garcia: Garcia first gained awareness in his battle against Roger Huerta at UFC 69 as fans ate up the back and forth war.  What makes Garcia unique is that he seems to utterly relish standing in the pocket throwing bombs with no regard for taking punishment.  His legend status (for me) was sealed in the epic battle with The Korean Zombie in what should be fight of the year 2010.  I will cancel appointments, turn off the phone, and basically stop time to watch Garcia fight.

2. Wanderlei Silva: He is the legend, the godfather of this style of fighting.  A man who has thrived the most when the fight may look the worst from a technical standpoint.  While he has added skills to his tool box in recent years, Silva will always find his cage home in the moments when a fight becomes unhinged from structure and the fighters could as easily be brawling in a parking lot instead of in front of 20,000 fans.

1. Scott Smith: Never have I felt more secure that a hurt fighter would win a fight as when Scott Smith appears nearly unconscious.  From the moment he pulled victory from sure defeat against Pete Sell at the Ultimate Fighter-4 in 2006, Smith has made a good living absorbing way to much punishment and finding a fifth gear to out slug opponents who likely felt they were in total control of the fight.  Smith was virtually finished against Benji Radach and Cung Le-1 before he gathered himself and his right hand to turn a sure loss into a breathtaking win.

**While MMA has evolved in so many ways, and many like to tout (including myself) how technical this sport is, I contend, these types of fighters, engaged in these types of fights, is what really sells tickets.  It gets fans saying “can you believe that fight,” generates hysteria in the building, and ultimately helps MMA grow.

What are your thoughts?  Who should be on or off this list?

“I’m hoping to get a rematch with Scott Smith as soon as possible,” stated san shou champion Le. He added, “I’m training hard and I’m gonna be back in the cage real soon.”

Le was knocked out by Smith at 3:25 of the final round at Strikeforce in San Jose December 19.  He seemed to have won the first two rounds before letting his guard down and succombing to “Hands of Steel”.

Before the matchup, Le was stripped of his title for inactivity and Fighters.com second-ranked middleweight Jake Shields (24-4-1) won the vacated title in a decision over “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-7) at Strikeforce in Chicago last November.

Though a Le-Smith rematch hasn’t been announced, since Strikeforce released the video, it seems like they’re fishing for fan reaction about a potential rematch.

Strikeforce fighters “Big” Lavar Johnson (11-3), “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-6), “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (16-6) and “The Punk” Josh Thompson (16-3) will be featured on the next two episodes of MTV’s “Rock N Jock Countdown” which brings in popular athletes to a music video countdown show.

The first episode airs Saturday at 11 am EST and the second show will air at the same time on March 13.

According to Strikeforce the fighters will be on the show to count down the top five videos as well as to promote the sport of mixed martial arts and demonstrate some techniques.

Miller, Johnson. Smith and Thompson will be joined by the Strikeforce ring girls.

This will not be the first time Miller has appeared on MTV as his show “Bully Beatdown” was a hit on the network and was just picked up for a third season.

“Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (16-6) took down Cung Le in the final round, winning by knock out. Is this the reason Cung is not an elite level mixed martial artist? No it is not. Today we see many of the top fighters lose fights they are supposed to win. Make no bones about it, Cung was supposed to win this fight. The sport uses four ounce gloves and with the striking prowess of many of the fighters, all it takes is one clear shot to end a night.

What I have seen in the past from Cung was his amazing ability to kick from angles that we usually do not see in the sport. His kicks do not make him an elite striker though. A top level striker may be a guy who uses very little kicks but seldom do you see a guy who uses few punches considered one of the best strikers. Cung’s lack of clean punches has always stood out to me. Last night was just another example of that. He seemed to be looking to hurt Scott with kicks. This is was a good strategy as he was winning the fight but a true elite striker would be able to mix punches with those kicks. He is obviously more comfortable kicking than punching and this is a glaring weakness in his game. Anderson Silva uses kicks similar to Cung Le yet he uses them to set up strong punches. This is what an elite striker does to get victories.

Cung Le rocked Scott a couple times in the fight and ended up going to the ground with him. Scott Smith is not a guy known for his ground game. He had trouble getting back to guard yet Cung was unable to do much. One thing that stood out last night was when Cung was in Scott Smith‘s guard and Smith was controlling his wrists. I would expect this control from a guy like Fedor but Scott, who is known as a power striker, should not have been able to control Le that easily. Anderson Silva would have been able to capitalize on such an opportunity. I never saw Cung try to pass once in the guard. He looked lost on the mat. This coupled with his awful take down attempts is another weakness in a man many said was at the top of the game.

Frank Shamrock (23-10-2) mentioned last night that in his fight with Cung he wanted to take him to the later rounds because he thought he gassed there. I noticed that in Cung’s fight with Sam Morgan (19-11) Cung looked to be tired going into the third round. Last night he was breathing out of his mouth after the first. If this was the first time I had seen him do that I would have considered it ring rust due to his long lay off pursuing a movie career. The problem is it was not the first time. Could this be attributed to the large number of kicks he throws in a fight? Cung might have better cardio if he combined his kicks and punches better so that he does not have to throw so mnay kicks. None the less, he was gassed and lack of cardio is not something we expect to see in an elite fighter.

Lack of proper cardio, focusing on kicks and not mixing in punches and his lack of a ground game all lead me to what I had always assumed. Cung Le is a one dimensional fighter that pleases the crowd with his unorthodoxed kicks but is far from an elite fighter the likes of Anderson Silva and Fedor.  It is time to put that talk to rest and just enjoy watching him fight knowing he is an elite martial artist but not a mixed martial artist.

Only two months ago Le vacated the middleweight title Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight Jake Shields (23-4-1) won Friday at M-1 Global/Strikeforce outside of Chicago.  Le’s Hollywood committments prevented him from defending the title since he won it in a TKO of Frank Shamrock (23-10-2) at Strikeforce in March 2008.

Smith was submitted in a rear naked choke by Nick Diaz (20-8) at Strikeforce in St. Louis June 6.

Former EliteXC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5), light heavyweight prospect “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (4-0), middleweight “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (8-2), and veteran middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland’s (21-6) will all also fight in separate bouts on the card.

The end came 24 seconds into the fight, courtesy of Smith’s straight right to Martin’s temple.

All fighters made weigh and, despite a delayed start and “Diesel” Joe Riggs’s (28-11) displeasure at having to strip, everything went smoothly.

Riggs was not the only one who had to strip further than his ginch; the California State Athletic Commission requested that each fighter have only one crack at the scale, resulting in several weigh-ins behind towels.

Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-4) looked cut.  He told Fighters.com Thursday afternoon that he had hired a new strength and conditioning coach.

“Everybody’s been commenting on how my physique looks and how I’ve been performing.  So we’ll see how I perform tomorrow night,” Southworth said.

Join Fighters.com Friday night for the live results.

The weights were as follows:

Terry Martin (18-5) 186 lbs v “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-6) 185.5 lbs

“Babalu” Renato Sobral (29-8) 204 lbs v Bobby Southworth (9-4) 204 lbs

Yves Edwards (34-14-1) 164 lbs v “Bang” Duane Ludwig (17-8) 163 lbs

“Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-11) 170.5 lbs v Luke Stewart (5-1) 170.5 lbs

Nik Theotikos (5-0) 185 lbs vs Luke Rockhold (2-1) 185.5 lbs

Brian Schwartz (0-1) 175 lbs v Lemont Davis (1-2) 173 lbs

Josh Neal (4-3) 184 lbs v Kurt Osiander (2-1) 185 lbs

Cyrillo Padilha (1-1) 156 lbs v Bobby Stack (2-1) 155 lbs

Tony Johnson (0-1) 184 lbs v Eric Lawson (1-0) 185 lbs

Brad Royster (1-1) 134 lbs v Darren Uyenoyama (4-1) 136 lbs

Jose Palacios (1-1) 145 lbs v Alvin Cacdac (3-4) 143 lbs

Adam Steel (1-0) 168 lbs v Zakary Bucia (1-0) 168 lbs

Smith, who was scheduled to fight “Shango” Hector Lombard (16-2-1) at EliteXC’s 8 November event before it was cancelled, is coming off a second-round TKO loss to Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) in July.

Martin knocked out Cory Devela (8-2) in round three at Strikeforce at the Mansion II in September.

Smith last fought in July and was TKO’d in the second round by Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4; 1NC).

It was their rematch after an eye poke resulted in a No Contest in May.

Lombard, the Cage Fighting Championship title-holder and Olympic judoka, last fought in September when he forced Brian Ebersole (36-15; 1 NC) to verbally submit in round four.

Lombard’s most recent loss was to DREAM Middleweight Champion Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1) November 2006.

Shaw said, “We’re going to have a huge card in November.  We’re going to be in Reno, Nevada.  It’s going to be fantastic.”

Shaw also confirmed that “Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante (7-1) will be on the card and may face “Snake” Cyrille Diabate (12-6-1), although whether it will be a title fight is yet to be determined.

“[We've] spoken about Cyrille Diabate, but it’s not definitive that that’s going to be his opponent,” Shaw said.

“Until we have a definitive opponent, we do not know if we will introduce the light-heavyweight title.  When we are ready to introduce the light heavyweight title, there is no doubt that ‘Feijao’ will be in a fight for that title.  He’s without a doubt the No. 1 fighter that we have in the light heavyweight division.”

Cavalcante last fought in July, TKO’ing “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-6) in round one.

Diabate won a unanimous decision over Jaime Fletcher (6-4) in August.

Another bout under consideration is “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) versus “Shango” Hector Lombard (17-2-1).

Shaw said, “We have a tentative agreement for Scott Smith to take on Hector Lombard.  I think that would be a fantastic fight.”

Smith is coming off a second-round TKO loss to Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) in July.

Lombard last fought in September versus Brian Ebersole (36-15), who verbally tapped in the fourth round.

One fighter who may not make it onto the card is “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0).

“Brett Rogers hasn’t been decided yet,” Shaw said.  “We’re still talking with his camp.  He had a couple of personal issues, and we’re just making sure that he has enough time to be prepared.  We spoke, and it’s nothing else.  It’s not contracts, it’s just a couple personal issues.

“We want to make sure we get the best possible Brett Rogers at all times.  If we’re able to go with him, then he’ll be there.”

Rogers TKO’d Jon Murphy (4-3) in 1:01 in May.

The event will be headlined by Lawler in a title fight with Joey Villasenor (26-6) and also features a 160-pound title bout between Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and Nick Diaz (18-7).  It airs on Showtime.

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.

“I wanted to continue fighting,” Smith said, “but I wanted to wait out my five minutes because, you know, my eye was hurt and I couldn’t see too well.”  He added, “The ref had told me I had five minutes.”

Smith also said, “Not once did I ever say, “I want to stop this fight.” For some reason the doctor stepped in and said, “If you can’t see now, you can’t fight.”

In a Fighters.com exclusive, Lembo said 2 June that Smith was repeatedly asked by veteran fight doctor Sherry Wulkan whether his vision was improving.  Smith responded that it wasn’t; and, after about a minute, Wulkan determined that if Smith’s vision wasn’t improving, the fight should be stopped.

I was just blown away [by the doctor stoppage],” Smith said.

Smith also accused, “The doctor was looking at the wrong eye.  They were looking at my eye and I was like, “No, this eye.  No, this eye.  No, this eye.”  So, they didn’t know what was going on, I think.”

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.

The main event, reported last week by Fighters.com, will match “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (2-0) versus “The Colossus” James Thompson (14-8) in a heavyweight scrap sure to end before the final bell.

“The Grim” Brett Rogers (6-0) earned a spot on the broadcast card when he knocked out “The Colossus” in February, though it evidently wasn’t enough to challenge “Slice” in the main event.  He’ll fight Jon Murphy (4-2), who comes off of a KO over Dave Huckaba (4-2) last August.

Also previously reported, Fighters.com’s number six middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) will defend his EliteXC championship versus “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4).

Finally, “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (10-9) will try to bounce back from his recent TKO loss to Icon Middleweight Champion Kala Kolohe Hose (6-1) versus “Ninja” Murilo Rua (15-8-1), who last crossed the Atlantic to pickup a stoppage in CageRage after Lawler knocked him out in his EliteXC debut.

“In terms of recognition and perception, I believe May 31 is the biggest and single most important MMA fight card ever,” said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President.  “It will forever change the landscape of the sport and how it is perceived.”

Given the pedestrian fight card and spectacle of a main event, let’s all hope not.

The card will air live in America at 9:00 PM EST/PT.

“We’re excited to introduce broadcast television viewers to America’s fastest growing sport with this prime time event,” said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime.  “EliteXC is putting together a lineup card that showcases the unique personalities, world-class athleticism, and raw power and emotion that characterizes mixed martial arts.”
  
Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) will put his title on the line against “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-4) in a middleweight championship bout.  EliteXC heavyweight phenom, “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0), will also participate in the May 31 event along with other stars from mixed martial arts.  Additional matchups will be announced at a later date.

“I am very happy for the highly trained fighters, who will finally get the kind of exposure they deserve, and, of course, the viewers, who will get the opportunity to learn that MMA is truly a sport that requires an abundance of skills, both mentally and physically,” said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President.