Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva Post-Fight Thoughts and Analysis

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Saturday night kicked of Strikeforce's much-anticipated World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament, and it did so with fireworks. Only one main-card fight made it out of the first round, and we witnessed what could be the end of one of the most impressive careers in MMA history.

The End of an Era?

- Of course, the biggest story of the night was +350 underdog Antonio Silva's destruction of former pound-for-pound king Fedor Emelianenko. If Fabricio Werdum put a crack in the dam of Fedor's invincibility, Silva blew the entire thing to smithereens. After a second round spent mostly in survival mode, Fedor's eye was mangled to the point that he could no longer continue. Would I have liked to see a third round? Sure, if for no other reason than to selfishly see if Fedor could play comeback kid once again. But you cannot argue with the stoppage when the fighter clearly cannot see out of one eye. After the fight, Fedor speculated that it might be God's will to stop fighting. There has been no official word on his retirement yet, but it feels like the right time.

- For the first time in Fedor's career, size was the deciding factor in a fight. Silva did a fantastic job getting Fedor to the ground quickly in the second round, and was able to maintain and transition in top position while threatening with both submissions and ground and pound. If you have never grappled before, it is hard to explain just how suffocating it is to escape from the bottom against an opponent with 30-plus pounds on you. It is grueling, especially when the person on top of you is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt like Silva.

- If this is the end of road, let's momentarily put aside the critiques on Fedor's opponents or M-1 Global's negotiating strategies. Instead, we should reflect on and appreciate a fighter that has given us some of the most memorable moments in the sport. For me, those moments are when Fedor snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The Cro Cop head kick, the Randleman suplex, blasting Arlovski out of midair. What made Fedor special is that no matter how bad things got, he found a way to win.

- Silva advances to the second round of the tournament, where he awaits the winner of the Werdum/ Alistair Overeem fight in April. It certainly isn't the matchup that Strikeforce preferred, but Silva's combination of size, skill and childlike personality makes him an interesting figure to root for going forward.

Introducing Sergei Kharitonov

- The most obscure name in this heavyweight tournament is easily Sergei Kharitonov, a Russian product who has spent most of his career fighting in Japan. Kharitonov introduced himself to American audiences in a big way Saturday, knocking Andrei Arlovski stiff in the first round. With wins over tournament participants Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum already under his belt, Kharitonov has the knockout power to be a serious sleeper in the Grand Prix.

- The biggest question surrounding Kharitonov coming into Saturday was how he would look after dedicating the better part of the last two years to kickboxing. In short, he looked good, using angles to stalk down and corner Arlovski against the cage, and capitalizing when Arlovski tried to circle away with his hands low.

- Speaking of Arlovski, this is his fourth consecutive loss, three of which have come in vicious fashion. Much like Chuck Liddell before him, what's concerning to me is not THAT Arlovski is getting knocked out, but HOW Arlovski is getting knocked out. Each KO has left him stiff on the mat, his consciousness eerily and completely detached from his body. At just 32 years old, Arlovski should still physically be able to compete, but it has become painfully clear that the former UFC champ can no longer take a punch.

- Kharitonov will now face the winner of the Brett Rogers/ Josh Barnett matchup in April. With a suspect ground game, you can be sure that Kharitonov will be rooting for the standup-focused Rogers, rather than the submission specialist Barnett.

Odds and Ends

- Shane del Rosario continues to be the most intriguing heavyweight prospect on the Strikeforce roster and after pulling off a slick armbar finish against a game Lavar Johnson. I was especially impressed with how quickly del Rosario was able to reestablish guard before working back to the feet after giving up an early takedown, and how quickly he mounted after securing a takedown of his own. With all 11 of his wins ending by stoppage -- including 10 in the first round -- del Rosario's most recent performance should be enough for him to carve out a spot in Strikeforce's future marquee shows.

- In an all-offense, no-defense slugfest, Chad Griggs scored the TKO victory over Gianpiero Villante. Griggs had the tools to put Villante away without receiving so much damage, but the fans will always appreciate a fighter that goes for broke with reckless abandonment.

- Valentijn Overeem looked outmatched early on the feet against kickboxing veteran Ray Sefo, and wisely took the fight to the ground. From there, Sefo's glaring ground deficiencies were evident, and Overeem quickly secured a choke from side mount. The official ruling on the submission was a neck crank, but my personal experience the choke is that it attacks the windpipe. If you're caught by surprise, it can be a startlingly painful position, but most midlevel grapplers would have been able to properly defend it.

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

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva Results

Main Card:
Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva def. Fedor Emelianenko by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round 2
Sergei Kharitonov def. Andrei Arlovski by KO (punches) at 2:49 of round 1
Shane Del Rosario def. Lavar Johnson by submission (armbar) at 4:31 of round 1
Chad Griggs def. Gianpiero Villante by TKO (punches) at 2:49 of round 1
Valentijn Overeem def. Ray Sefo by submission (neck crank) at 1:37 of round 1

Preliminary Card:
John Cholish def. Marc Stevens by submission (kneebar) at 3:57 of round 2
Igor Gracie def. John Salgado by technical submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:04 of round 2
Sam Oropeza def. Don Carlo-Clauss by verbal submission (strikes) at 4:10 of round 1
Josh LaBerge def. Anthony Leone by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round 1
Jason McLean def. Kevin Roddy by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva Weigh-In Results

Main Card (On Showtime)
Fedor Emelianenko (230) vs. Antonio Silva (264)
Andrei Arlovski (242) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (250)
Shane del Rosario (248) vs. Lavar Johnson (243)
Valentijn Overeem (239) vs. Ray Sefo (249)

Preliminary Card (On HDNet)
Josh Cholish (155.75) vs. Marc Stevens (156.5)**
Igor Gracie (170.75) vs. John Salgado (170)
Don Carlo-Clauss (170.4) vs. Sam Oropeza (169.75)
Josh LaBerge (145.75) vs. Anthony Leone (146.2)*
Jason McLean (145.5) vs. Kevin Roddy (145.75)

* Leone has one hour to lose the weight
** Cholish has accepted the fight/ weight difference

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

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg Results

Main Card:
Nick Diaz def. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos by submission (armbar) at 4:50 of round 2 to retain the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza def. Robbie Lawler by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:00 of round 3 to retain the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship
Herschel Walker def. Scott Carson by TKO (strikes) at 3:13 of round 1
Roger Gracie def. Trevor Prangley by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:19 of round 1

Preliminary card after the jump...

Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II post-right thoughts and analysis

- Dan Henderson's return to light heavyweight was quick and violent. Talking to members of Henderson's team, the plan going into the fight was to put Renato "Babalu" Sobral against the cage on the ground and inflict damage. The fight didn't last long enough to see that plan implemented. "Babalu" lost a scramble and Henderson turned his lights out with some fast punches. While some were quick to write Henderson off as over the hill following his decision loss to Jake Shields, Henderson still possesses one-punch knockout power. Next up for Hendo, a shot at the Strikeforce light-heavyweight title against champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante.

- The most spectacular knockout of the night belonged to Paul Daley, who blasted Scott Smith with a counter-right hook that put Smith out before he even hit the mat. Smith, who is a notoriously slow starter, lunged in with his hands low and Daley feinted back and delivered a pinpoint knockout blow. Daley has campaigned for a match against fellow striker KJ Noons next, which would certainly provide some fireworks.

- Robbie Lawler rebounded from a decision loss to Sobral in June, making quick work of veteran Matt Lindland with a 50-second knockout. Lindland, who is 1-3 in his last four fights, has historically had troubles with left-handed opponents, with David Terrell, Vitor Belfort and now Lawler all scoring first-round knockouts. Lawlor is undefeated at middleweight since October 2006, and should continue to be a force in Strikeforce as long as he avoids more catchweight bouts.

- Mike Kyle almost pulled off the upset of the night. After taking a fight against Antonio Silva on short notice and being outweighed by over 40 pounds, Kyle dropped "Bigfoot" with a straight right early in the first round. After pouncing on Silva, Kyle delivered over 100 strikes from top position, but was not able to put away his larger opponent. Silva righted the ship in the second round, though, taking Kyle down and threatening with an anaconda choke before eventually finishing the fight with some vicious ground and pound. 

Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II results

Main Card:
Dan Henderson def. Renato "Babalu" Sobral by KO (punches) at 1:53 of round 1
Paul Daley def. Scott Smith by KO (punch) at 2:09 of round 1
Robbie Lawler def. Matt Lindland by KO (punches) at 0:50 of round 1
Antonio Silva def. Mike Kyle by TKO (punches) at 2:49 of round 2
Ovince St. Preux def. Benji Radach by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)

Preliminary Card:
Wayne Phillips def. Fernando Bettega by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Justin Lawrence def. Max Martytniouk by technical unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Patrick Cummins def. Terrell Brown by TKO (strikes) at 2:44 of round 1
Cortez Coleman def. Lucas Lopes by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:04 of round 1
Matt Ricehouse def. Tom Aaron by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Mike Glenn def. Lee Brousseau by TKO (strikes) at 2:00 of round 1
Booker DeRousse def. Coltin Cole by TKO (strikes) at 3:04 of round 2
J.W. Wright def. Josh Epps by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:29 of round 1

Strikeforce: Noons vs. Diaz II quick results

Main card:
- Nick Diaz def. K.J. Noons by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-47, 49-46) to retain the Strikeforce welterweight championship
- Josh Thomson def. Gesias Cavalcante by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Marloes Coenen def. Sarah Kaufman by submission (armbar) at 1:59 of round 3 to win the Strikeforce womne's welterweight championship
- Tyron Woodley def. Andre Galvao by TKO (punches) at 1:48 of round 1

Preliminar card:
- James Terry def. David Marshall by unanimous decision
- Josh McDonald def. Ron Keslar by unanimous decision
- Jess Bouscal def. Luis Mendoza by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:00 of round 2

Josh Barnett signs with Strikeforce

Former UFC heavyweight champion and top-ten heavyweight Josh Barnett has signed a multiple-fight deal with Strikeforce.

Barnett (26-5) is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. He last competed at Impact FC 1 in July, defeating Geronimo dos Santos by TKO in the first round.

Unfortunately for Barnett, he has become known as much for his out-of-ring controversies as his in-ring accomplishments. After defeating Randy Couture to become the UFC heavyweight champion, a then-24-year-old Barnett was stripped of the title for failing a post-fight drug test. More recently, Barnett is appealing a 2009 failed drug test that led to the cancellation of a fight against Fedor Emelianenko and the subsequent fall of Affliction as a fight promotion.

Props: MMA Junkie

Strikeforce: Houston Post-Fight Thoughts and Impressions

 - Andre Galvao notched a nice come-from-behind victory over Jorge Patino after Patino had him all but stopped in the first round. The win was overshadowed, though, by a horrendous stoppage by the referee. Patino had taken maybe two concrete shots with Galvao on his back, and was in absolutely no danger of being finished.

- Daniel Cormier reminds me of an early Rashad Evans; a shorter heavyweight with lightning-quick wrestling. Cormier would do well to follow Evans' career and drop down to light heavyweight, because his height (5'11) will continue to be a hindrance against the giants of the heavyweight division.

- Bobby Lashley needs to do a better job of setting up his takedowns. Lashley was taking shots from far away with no feints or fakes. That allowed Chad Riggs to time the takedown and land an uppercut that split Lashley wide open.

- That being said, the decision to restart Lashley and Riggs standing when Lashley had been in full mount was an indefensible decision by referee Jon Schorle, and it cost Lashley the fight. A winded Lashley flailed for a takedown after the restart, and Riggs was able to pound him out with hammerfists from the sprawl. Would Lashley have been able to last through a third round given how tired he was? Probably not. But there is no question that Schorle robbed Lashley of the opportunity to try. BloodyElbow.com does a nice job of breaking down Schole's incompetence here.

- Frank Shamrock's assessment that wrestlers should be willing to give up position to attempt submissions is ridiculous in most circumstances. As Lashley was pounding away in the mounted position, Shamrock (and the entire announce team) bemoaned Lashley for not going for an arm bar attempt. If I was cornering a fighter, I would much rather see him stay in dominant position and inflict damage than attempt a submission that causes him to lose dominant position if he misses it.

- Jorge Gurgel's refusal to use his jiu jitsu talents might make him a more exciting fighter, but it won't win him as many fights. His decision to stand toe to toe with heavy-handed KJ Noons meant that a KO wasn't an 'if,' it was a 'when.'

- Not much to say on the "Jacare"/ Tim Kennedy fight. "Jacare" looked improved on the feet, and showed that he can win a fight without his vaunted ground game.

- "Feijao"'s takedown defense was the key to his victory. Even when "King Mo" was able to take him down, "Feijo" was able to work back to his feet quickly. Mo won the second round, but it was evident early that "Feijao" would be able to finish the fight if it stayed on the feet.

Strikeforce: Houston Results

Main Card:
Rafael "Feijao" def. Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal by TKO (strikes) at 1:14 of Round 3 to win the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza def. Tim Kennedy by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) to win the Strikeforce middleweight championship
KJ Noons def. Jorge Gurgel by TKO (punches) at 0:19 of Round 2
Chad Griggs def. Bobby Lashley by TKO (strikes) at 5:00 of Round 2

Sherdog.com Stream:
Andre Galvao def. Jorge Patino by TKO (strikes) at 2:45 of Round 3
Daniel Cormier def. Jason Riley by submissions (strikes) at 1:02 of Round 1

Preliminary Card:
Vinicius Magalhaes def. Rocky Long by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Adam Schindler def. Kier Gooch by submission (rear naked choke) in Round 1
Reynaldo Trujillo def. Jose Santibanez by TKO (strikes) in Round 1
Chad Robichaux def. Humberto DeLeon by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Arteneus Young def. Chad Cook by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Strikeforce: Houston Weigh-In Results

Join TapouTVTC.com as we bring you the weigh-in results for "Strikeforce: Houston," tentatively scheduled for 3:00 PM CST. If you are in the Houston area, you can also attend the weigh-ins for free. Doors open to the public at 2:30 PM.

Main Card:
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (203.75) vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (203.5)
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (184.75) vs. Tim Kennedy (185)
KJ Noons (156.25)*** vs. Jorge Gurgel (154.75)
Bobby Lashley (246) vs. Chad Griggs (228.5)

Preliminary Card:
Daniel Cormier (249) vs. Jason Riley (256.5)
Andre Galvao (170.75) vs. Jorge "Macaco" Patino (did not weigh in)
Vinicius Magalhaes (144.5) vs. Rocky Long (146.25)**
Adam Schindler (155.5) vs. Kier Gooch (155.5)
Jose Santibanez (154.25) vs. Reynaldo Trujillo (155.25)
Chad Robichaux (131)* vs. Humberto Deleon (127.25)
Chad Cook (205.25) vs. Arteneus Young (204)

* Robichaux will have one hour to drop one pound. Texas does not allow one-pound allowances for catch-weight fights (explanation courtesy of Sherdog.com)
** Long weighed in .25 pounds over the limit, but Magalhaes accepted a catch weight
*** Gurgel waved off Noons' extra .25 pounds