MMA Wrap-Up Takes on Fedor’s Loss, Werdum’s Triumph

Filed under: Strikeforce, VideosWell, that’s the last time I try to think ahead and write my MMA Wrap-Up scripts before the fights actually happen. I wasted five hours (okay, that included a break to watch four episodes of “Law & Order”) writing a …

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Well, that’s the last time I try to think ahead and write my MMA Wrap-Up scripts before the fights actually happen. I wasted five hours (okay, that included a break to watch four episodes of “Law & Order”) writing a poem in tribute to Fedor Emelianenko‘s continued dominance, only to have it ruined by Fabricio Werdum and his pesky submission skills. And after I worked so hard to think of words that rhymed with Emelianenko.

Never fear, though. The Wrap-Up is back to deliver all the MMA commentary you need, yet without subjecting you to the tedium of reading about it. In this episode we explore what it means for the world of MMA now that “The Last Emperor” has been knocked off his throne, and what the potential consequences will be for Strikeforce, M-1 Global, and even the UFC.

All that, and in less time than it takes to make yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Trust me, I timed it. The full video is below.

Werdum’s Victory Was Throwback to Sport’s Roots

Filed under: StrikeforceEvery once in a while, we need a reminder of where we came from. In the modern mixed martial arts family tree, the deepest roots are those of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the art that spawned the original Ultimate Fighting Championship …

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Every once in a while, we need a reminder of where we came from. In the modern mixed martial arts family tree, the deepest roots are those of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the art that spawned the original Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament back on Nov. 12, 1993, that art that was essentially showcased on that night.

Unbeknowst to most of us at the time, the tournament was essentially designed as an infomercial. So confident were the Gracies that BJJ would reign supreme, they chose the smallest of the fighting family, Royce, as their representative. It took him five minutes to win three matches that night. His striking was, shall we say, rudimentary, as he tapped out all three opponents with submissions.

Fabricio Werdum‘s win over Fedor Emelianenko may not have the far-lasting historical ramifications of Gracie conquering of the tournament field — that remains to be seen — but it’s in many ways an homage to the sport’s roots in this: Werdum beat the man most consider the sport’s greatest all-time heavyweight without landing a single strike.

Werdum Wants to Rematch Fedor ‘Six to Eight Months from Now in Russia, Rocky Balboa-Style’

(Werdum exposing the man behind the curtain)
If you think it was the adrenaline or the endorphins talking when Fabricio Werdum announced during his post fight interview Saturday night that he wanted an immediate rematch with Fedor Emelianenko, think ag…


(Werdum exposing the man behind the curtain)

If you think it was the adrenaline or the endorphins talking when Fabricio Werdum announced during his post fight interview Saturday night that he wanted an immediate rematch with Fedor Emelianenko, think again.

Werdum actually made the claim a couple weeks ago and has since reiterated his desire to fight "The Last Emperor" again — this time on Emelianenko’s home turf — instead of facing Strikeforce heavyweight kingpin Alistair Overeem.

"I don’t want to give a step backwards and fight against Overeem. I want to fight against Fedor from 6 to 8 months from now in Russia, Rocky Balboa style… I believe that the crowd will be with him, but people will respect me and I’ll bring my guys," he told TATAME’s Guillherme Cruz. "I’m sure that the Brazilians can make much more noise than a million of Russians.”

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Smith Not Guaranteed Rubber Match With Le and Other Press Conference Notes

Filed under: StrikeforceThe tally may be even at one win apiece for Scott Smith and Cung Le after Le’s second-round TKO victory at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be meeting for a third bout any time soon, Strik…

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The tally may be even at one win apiece for Scott Smith and Cung Le after Le’s second-round TKO victory at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be meeting for a third bout any time soon, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said.

Responding to questions about whether a rubber match was guaranteed, as Smith’s manager, Mike Roberts, seemed to think was the case when he spoke with Sherdog.com before the bout, Coker said it might be a consideration eventually, but it’s by no means assured.

“We’ve had that conversation,” Coker said. “These guys, it was an amazing fight. Both fights were amazing fights. I think if they fought every weekend it would be amazing fights every weekend, like the Gatti-Ward fight, just those epic battles. When I think of Scott and Cung that’s what I think of. But there hasn’t been anything decided. I didn’t make that commitment to Scott or to Mike, actually.

Fabricio Werdum Following Fedor Win: ‘This Is the Best Day of My Life’

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, VideosAn emotional Fabricio Werdum proclaimed that his win over Fedor Emelianenko Saturday night in San Jose, Calif., was “the best day of my life.”

It seemed like Werdum, who submitted Emelianenko with a triangl…

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An emotional Fabricio Werdum proclaimed that his win over Fedor Emelianenko Saturday night in San Jose, Calif., was “the best day of my life.”

It seemed like Werdum, who submitted Emelianenko with a triangle armbar in just 69 seconds, found 10 different ways to explain just how happy he was feeling after the massive upset.

Watch him do just that at the post-fight press conference below.

Despite Loss, Fedor Emelianenko Still Greatest MMA Heavyweight Ever

Filed under: StrikeforceThere have been bigger upsets in the short history of mixed martial arts, even ones that left a bigger shockwave. It was just that this seemed like it would never happen. That Fedor Emelianenko would never bow to the superiority…

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Fedor EmelianenkoThere have been bigger upsets in the short history of mixed martial arts, even ones that left a bigger shockwave. It was just that this seemed like it would never happen. That Fedor Emelianenko would never bow to the superiority of another fighter on a given night.

Sadly yet predictably, in this world of 24-hour news cycles, instant analysis and social media, the backlash against Fedor and the devaluing of his stunning run of success was immediate.

It doesn’t matter; he’s still the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist of all time. One fight does not change everything that’s come before it. One result does not impact a legacy that’s already been made.