Strikeforce: Silva vs Fedor in Retrospect

Strikeforce’s most recent outing sported five heavyweight bouts and five flashy finishes. This was a casual MMA fans dream card, big fighters with heavy hands and slick submission games finishing fights quickly. Big names like Fedor Emelianenko (pictured) and Andrei Arlovski drew fight fan’s attention but it was names like “Bigfoot” Silva, Griggs, Del Rosario, and Kharitonov that delivered the goods. The tournament is starting off with a bang, even though it now must proceed without its biggest draw, a fact that does not seem nearly as significant following the deflation of the Fedor myth. The tournament is born into a culture of excitement and violence and should garner more interest as highlight reels turn and word of mouth spreads. The night saw a number of significant developments, none more imperative than the fall of the Last Emperor.

Silva Pummels Fedor Into Potential Retirement

It is hard not to wax philosophical about Emelianenko and what he has meant to the sport of MMA. What is important to note is that Fedor carried more than a record into the cage with him. He carried a mythos of being super-human, unbeatable, and unknowable. It was always hard to decipher just what it was about Fedor that made him so good. It was also hard to explain what made him tick. Without the UFC hype machine to pry into his private life, preview specials seemed to only further convolute the man and the myth. However the conflation of the two lost what air it had left on February 12^th. The Russian Fight God is now little more than great fighter at the end of his career. The scene of a battered Emelianenko contemplating retirement was almost sad, at least for those of us who remember the sage Emelianenko standing victorious time and again throughout his career. Based on the discussion coming from M-1 Global (the promotion that handle’s Fedor’s business) and Strikeforce, it appears that the man once considered the greatest of all time might get pressured into continuing on weather he wants to or not. Alas, proper discussion of this requires more space than can be afforded here, necessitating me to move on with the promise of a later return to this topic.

Let us not neglect the man who actually won the fight in light of the man who lost it. Antonio Silva (pictured) won, won impressively, and won decisively. To this day “Bigfoot” fights to redeem his name from a failed drug test in 2008. Indeed, Bigfoot has been silently competitive for years, experiencing bumps such as said drug test and a hard fought defeat to Fabricio Werdum. Silva picks up the most significant victory of his life and enters the second round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix with a great deal of momentum. His size and technical prowess proved to be far too much for Fedor, asis the case with most of his opponents. Silva’s physical stature makes him very difficult to prepare for and cope with in the cage. I liken him to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu version of Brock Lesnar, with long limbs and a powerful base. This fight will go down as the fall of the Last Emperor, even if it marks Fedor’s second consecutive lose, heightening the fame passed to “Bigfoot”. Antonio Silva left no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was the better man. Between this victory and the opportunities in front of him, this could be the year of the Bigfoot.

Sergei Kharitonov a True Dark Horse

Sergei Kharitonov (pictured) made quick work of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. Kharitonov is likely the least well known fighter in the tournament, averaging just one fight a year since 2007. It was easy for even long time MMA fans familiar with Pride FC to forget about his past successes. If anyone had forgotten or was unaware Kharitonov fixed that by stiffening Arlovski with brutal punches to the head. While Arlovski was once regarded as a top tier heavyweight, his four fight losing streak let fans realize long before this that Arlovski had fallen from his former position. Questions about his future will certainly surface in the year to come, particularly if he suffers a fifth consecutive lose. However, the real story here is Kharitonov finding himself uniquely positioned in the “weak bracket” of the tournament, awaiting the winner of Josh Barnett (a man with a history of drug test failures) and Bret Rogers (another, likely less technical slugger). One can now see a much more likely path to the finals for Kharitonov through the lens of his impressive KO performance.

Alternate Bouts Come Up Fireworks!

The Three preliminary bouts were not just for giggles. By design these were bouts to help determine who would be an alternate should someone in the Grad Prix suffer an injury or finds themselves unable to perform for any other reason. While it may be all for not now that Fedor could step in and Strikeforce will most certainly make a push for him to do so given the need, these fights should not go unnoticed. Valentijn Overeem (brother of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion), Shane Del Rosario, and Chad Griggs (pictured) all came up with impressive wins. Overeem worked on a neck crank very quickly, impressive in his ability to get the fight where he wanted and finish in expedited fashion. Chad Griggs, famed for beating former professional wrestler Bobby Lashley and crushing his hype, hit Gian Valliante so hard he came off his feet. If you are looking for about three minutes of entertainment look no further than this one. Finally Shane Del Rosario put on an impressive display against Lavar Johnson. Both fighters were game in the beginning but once Del Rosario got control on the ground, this fight went one-sided fast. In a text-book move Del Rosario transitioned from mount to arm bar beautifully, leaving Johnson no choice but to tap out. Ten minutes and an Internet connection is all you need to enjoy all three fights. The names may not peak your interest but the action certainly should. Check out every fight on the card if you haven’t already. You might see some of these guys in the not too distant future as Strikeforce works on fostering homegrown talent.