I honestly can’t remember an event that seemed to go so smoothly for both the promotion putting on the show and the fans watching. UFC 100 might have come close but there was less on the line and less to truly gain. Strikeforce needed to score big with this event and they needed certain fighters to put their best foot forward. I think all those fighters did just that, but Strikeforce got a few bonuses. They got a 5 round title fight that was not as boring as some people say it was. They 4 HWs that people will legitimately want to see again. Finally, they got a LHW champion that continues to build his case as a top ranked fighter in the class and truly dangerous champion.
Fabricio Werdum vs Antonio Silva
This fight had an odd appeal at the end of the night for me. I came into it really stumped on who would come out on top and the two ended up being as evenly matched in the cage as they were in my head. The amount of effort that Werdum had to put forth to grind out that win almost became the narrative of the fight. He seemed to gain control as time went by but Silva made absolutely no part of that fight easy for him. Both fighters came out in good graces I think. Silva still looked good and Werdum get a solid, hard earned, and most importantly public win.
Gegard Mousasi vs Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
It was unfortunate that Strikeforce didn’t want to put the title on the line here but it is hard to blaim them. Sokodjou is likely going to win the Super-Hulk Tournament, which has become the trendiest punch-line in MMA since Ken Shamrock’s fall from grace, and surely no one in the organization wanted to chance seeing their champion associated with such a spectacle. Mousasi is one of the most impressive and interesting young fighters in my book. Outside of Fedor, there is likely no fighter I would be more excited to see against Zuffa contracted talent. He really showed that he has the skills and the mental prowess to be a top competitor. Despite having trouble dealing with the speed and power of Soko early, Mousasi leveled the playing-field with his technique, conditioning, and calm. Hopefully we will see Mousasi defend his title against a top talent sooner rather than later, although he is quickly knocking off the biggest names outside the UFC. On the other hand Sokoudjou proved that he is dangerous. There is no doubt that we will see him again in Strikeforce sooner rather than later.
Jason Miller vs Jake Shields
It was a foregone conclusion that Jake Shields would be the new MW champion of Strikeforce, but I don’t think many people really expected him to be challenged. No one told Miller who was suppose to win and he refused to die. Many seem to be quick to criticize Shields for winning a boring fight and Miller for not being able to do more. However, I tend to think this is was simply a classic case of a scrap that pitted will vs skill. Miller was outclassed but he made it a rough night for Shields. If round three would have been 20 seconds longer the outcome would have likely been quite different. I thought the result was a solid title fight, leaving me wanting to see both guys fight again.
Fedor Emelianenko vs Bret Rogers
Much like Shogun in his most recent fight, Bret Rogers stock actually raised in a loss. I don’t remember the last time I saw a fighter lose definitively and gain as much respect as Grim. There is no shame in losing to the greatest fighter in the world but Rogers pushed him into the second round (no small feet) and had him in a good deal of trouble in round one. Not very many people can say the broke the nose of the baddest man on the planet, Rogers can. Additionally, we saw that Rogers is capable of holding his own on the ground, at least in terms of positioning and sweeps, much of that helped by his size. Fedor on the other hand proved again that no matter what you bring to the table, The Last Emperor has the answer. Should he have beaten Bret Rogers? Yes. However, every time Fedor wins his legend grows stronger. Eventually champions fall but Fedor just wins and wins and wins. He gave Strikeforce an early Christmas present, an entertaining fight with an exclamation point at the end. Fedor is the uncrowned champion of all MMA heavyweights, not just Strikeforce’s. Now who is next for The Last Emperor of MMA?
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