Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva Preview - Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva

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Fedor Emelianenko (32-2 (1 NC)) vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (15-2)

How We Got Here:

What a difference a year can make.

Flash back to February 2009, and Fedor Emelianenko sat on top of the world. "The Last Emperor" had just knocked out former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski in highlight-reel fashion, his seventh consecutive finish dating all the way back to 2005. Emelianenko graced the top spot of most pound-for-pound lists, and fans wondered who, if anyone, could knock the seemingly invincible Fedor off his throne.

Fast forward to 2010, and we had our answer. Fabricio Werdum, an extremely talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a limited standup game, was chosen for Emelianenko's second Strikeforce fight. On paper, it looked like a squash match, with most believing that Werdum would be knocked out before he ever got the chance to take the fight to the ground. Emelianenko walked into the cage that night as an astronomical -575 favorite.

The fight started exactly as expected. Emelianenko clipped Werdum, sending him rolling to the ground. But then, Emelianenko made the costly decision of chasing Werdum to the mat. It didn't take long for the Brazilian to lock in a triangle choke, forcing Emelianenko to administer a single tap. It took just 1:09, but the landscape of MMA's heavyweight division was changed forever.

It was one of the most shocking upsets in the history of MMA. Emelianenko admitted later that it left him contemplating retirement. Now, Emelianenko will try to do something he has never had to do in his career -- bounce back from legitimate defeat.

Standing in his way is Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. A towering 6'4 Brazilian, "Bigfoot" is ranked the #10 heavyweight in the world, and with good reason. Silva has been defeated just once since 2006, with that loss coming to Werdum in 2009.

Since that loss, Silva has won two straight, with a unanimous decision over Arlovski and a come-from-behind win over Mike Kyle last December. Silva will enter Saturday night as a +350 underdog to Emelianenko. Can he do what Werdum did last year and send the former pound-for-pound great to his second straight defeat?

 What Emelianenko Needs to Do to Win:

Emelianenko has built his stellar career on his superhuman ability to come back from the brink of disaster and win. This man has braved the spider web of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's guard, has been kicked in the head by Mirko 'Cro Cop,' been suplexed onto his head by Kevin Randleman, and has won each time.

No matter how good you are, though, if you play with fire, you will eventually get burned. Emelianenko learned this the hard way when he actively chose to go to the ground with Werdum -- one of the best heavyweight grapplers in MMA -- rather than keeping things on the feet, where he had a significant advantage.

We could talk about Emelianenko's size disadvantage, but at just 6'0 and 230 lbs, the Russian is used to being the smaller fighter. Emelianenko's power and strength more than make up for his size shortcomings.

Where Emelianenko will win this fight is in the close quarter combat. Few fighters are as dangerous in the clinch as Emelianenko, and he will need to close the distance to avoid getting outpointed by the lankier Silva. From there, Emelianenko can look to do damage, or take the fight the fight to the ground to deliver his brutal ground and pound.

Taking a Judo black belt like Silva down might not be easy, but Mike Kyle -- a blown up light heavyweight who weighed in at just 219 lbs against Silva -- was able to bring Silva down and punish him in the first round of their fight. If Emelianenko does not like how things are going on the feet, look for him to body lock Silva and force the fight to the mat, where he is more than capable of staving off Silva's submission attempts before pounding out a victory.

What Silva Needs to Do to Win:

With black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo and Karate, Silva has tools at his disposal no matter where the fight goes. However, Silva's biggest asset will be his size, and specifically his 82 in. reach.

Silva's game plan should mirror that of Arlovski's in 2009. In that fight, Arlovski was winning the standup game and looked to have Emelianenko hurt, but left his guard down on an ill-advised flying knee. Emelianenko capitalized, like he has done so many times in his career. Had Arlovski been more patient, the fight might have gone a different route.

Patience will be key for Silva. Emelianenko is always dangerous, most so when he is hurt. Silva needs to sit behind his long arms, doing damage from distance while not exposing himself to Emelianenko's dangerous clinch game.

If he does hurt Emelianenko, Silva must avoid the urge to rush in and look for a quick finish. With one-punch knockout power in both hands, Emelianenko can end a fight no matter the circumstances. Rather, Silva should remain on the outside and continue to inflict punishment. With that plan, Silva has the power to send Emelianenko to his second straight defeat.


Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC