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.

Fedor Emelianenko Apologizes for Loss

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, M-1 Global, VideosFedor Emelianenko met with the press immediately following his first professional MMA loss since December 2000. Emelianenko explained what was going through his mind when Fabricio Werdum was locki…

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Fedor Emelianenko met with the press immediately following his first professional MMA loss since December 2000. Emelianenko explained what was going through his mind when Fabricio Werdum was locking in his triangle choke and how he felt following the first submission loss of his career.

“The Last Emperor” also apologized to his fans for the loss and talked about his future.

Watch highlights of the press conference below.

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.

Where Does Werdum’s Stunner Over Fedor Fall on All-Time Upsets List?

Any time a monumental upset takes place in mixed martial arts, it’s pretty much mandatory to start up the discussion about where the fight falls on the list of biggest upsets of all time.

With Fabricio Werdum’s Strikeforce win over Fedor Emelianenko …

Any time a monumental upset takes place in mixed martial arts, it’s pretty much mandatory to start up the discussion about where the fight falls on the list of biggest upsets of all time.

With Fabricio Werdum‘s Strikeforce win over Fedor Emelianenko on Saturday, the debate began as soon as the shock of seeing Fedor tapping out wore off: Was this the biggest upset in the history of the sport?

This is just one Top 10 list. Yours will likely differ in inclusions, snubs and placement. There have, of course, been plenty of other notable upsets beyond this set, some of which are listed here as Honorable Mentions. But like unofficial pound-for-pound lists, big upsets like Werdum over Fedor are a part of what keeps MMA fans debating. So let the discussion begin.

Scott Coker Says Fedor vs. Werdum II Possible

(photo courtesy Esther Lin/ Strikeforce)
Last night the Earth was without oxygen for just a second, as thousands upon thousands of MMA fans worldwide gasped in unison, while seeing Fedor Emelianenko tap out to Fabricio Werdum’s first round triangle-choke. Yes, many acknowledged the skills of Werdum heading into the bout, but few expected him to hand […]

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(photo courtesy Esther Lin/ Strikeforce)

Last night the Earth was without oxygen for just a second, as thousands upon thousands of MMA fans worldwide gasped in unison, while seeing Fedor Emelianenko tap out to Fabricio Werdum’s first round triangle-choke. Yes, many acknowledged the skills of Werdum heading into the bout, but few expected him to hand Fedor his first ‘legit’ loss in over 30 fights (some may have been hoping- right Dana?)

So, what the eff is next for “The Last Emperor” now? The script seemed to be that Fedor would beat Werdum and then fight Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Well, considering that the winner of last night’s bout was supposed to fight Alistair, Fabricio is a lock for a title shot right? And Fedor will have to look elsewhere in the Strikeforce heavyweight division? Umm, seems not necessarily….

In a few reports today, it looks like the general ‘vibe’ stemming from last night’s post-fight press conference, is that Strikeforce is open to giving Fedor a rematch with Werdum. Both men said they’re willing, and while discussing the promotion’s heavyweight picture, Strikeforce boss man Scott Coker was quoted saying this (thanks to MMA Junkie for the quote):

“To me, Fabricio and Fedor is going to be a mega-fight that we should promote,” Coker said. “I also think that Fabricio vs. Alistair, the rematch against our champion, is something Alistair is going to want and would be another big fight. I think that the fight between Fedor and Alistair should still happen, as well.”

So, while Coker didn’t commit to an immediate rematch, he didn’t say that Alistair vs. Werdum was a lock either….Guess only time (with M-1 Global’s two huge cents in there) will tell.