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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
