Tag: Opinion

(photo via Esther Lin for Strikeforce)

Fedor Emelianenko’s loss Saturday night to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva could turn out to be the best thing to happen to the Russian’s career.

For year’s he’s kept himself secluded in Stary Oskal, Russia preparing for his fights the same way, year after year. In the days of Pride when he ruled the heavyweight division, this method of training was fine. Matches between fighters were only booked weeks in advance and many competitors in the division were of comparable weight to Fedor’s 230 lbs from Friday nights weigh-ins.

But this isn’t the early millennium, this is the year 2011 when fighters have months to study their opponents, prepare professional camps for the sheer focus of defeating one man, and where many heavyweights have to cut weight in order to make the 265 lb limit.

Fedor like many of Japan’s faltering fighters have all done one thing, they have failed to adapt to the new reality that is mixed martial arts. Like the great Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu “Know thy enemy” and prepare accordingly.

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

Last year when Fedor was preparing to face Fabricio Werdum, he was asked if he’d brought in any Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts to help him prepare, Fedor replied stoically no Russian Sambo was all he needed.

After last nights loss, some are starting to question “The Last Emporer’s” training camp for this fight also. Fellow tournament participant Josh Barnett noted in an interview after the event that he felt his friend failed to do what was necessary to meet “Bigfoot” in the cage.

It’s a safe bet that there were no 6′4″ three hundred pound BJJ black belts visiting anywhere near Story Oskal as Fedor prepared for last nights fight.

As I see it, he’s been shown the door to change and it’s up to him to take the first steps to a successful comeback.

I hope he fights again, but if he does I hope that he does what many who reinvent themselves do, they cast off the remnants of the past and embrace the future.

Fedor should distance himself from his current management and hangers-on to start fresh. Move his next camp to North America or Europe and join one of the great gyms such as American Top Team, American Kickboxing Academy, or Golden Glory. Any gym in the world that produces professional fighters would welcome the Russian through their doors with open arms.

As part of my review of the upcoming Strikeforce World Grand Prix tournament I’ll be review the second bracket of the quarterfinal matches which include bouts between Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers.

Looking at this side of the tournament bracket one can’t help but be a little disappointed that none of the three big names, Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum or heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem wasn’t included on this side of the tournament. I think what Strikeforce is trying to do is put together at least a couple of exciting fights early since they are able to book them.

Werdum vs. Overeem is great, the winner moves on to face Fedor or Silva. If Fedor wins then it’s a huge match, if he loses then the winner faces the guy who just handed Fedor his second straight loss. So while everyone is focused on the one side of the tournament, Strikeforce will have time to really push the winner of the other as a legitimate opponent having beaten two tough fighters to make it into the finals.

It doesn’t make it as exciting as the first few rounds, but I hope the Strikeforce PR machine can hype it into a successful pay-per-view.

Anyway, let’s examine the Arlovski vs. Kharitonov quarterfinal match.

Both men have something to prove, that they are still capable of competing at the highest levels of the sport and will both carry a little bit of National pride into the cage with them.

Arlovski is a Belarusian, while Kharitonov is a Russian. Two countries who split amicably from one another in the early 90’s when the Soviet Union and the Cold War ended. Both countries maintain good relationships but members of any two neighboring nations will always try to outdo the other. Look at the United States and Canada, throw a hockey puck between them and things can get ugly.

Arlovski is a former UFC heavyweight champion, which was eight fights and almost three years ago. He lost back-to-back title fights against Tim Sylvia but would then go on to rattle off five victories over some notable names such as Werdum, Ben Rothwell, and Roy Nelson. During that span he finished his UFC contract and went on to fight for Affliction and EliteXC.

His downward fall from notoriety began with his knockout loss to Fedor in Jan. 2009 at an Affliction show. It was a punch heard around the world and has set him into a three fight losing skid suffering defeats to Brett Rorgers by KO and to Silva by unanimous decision. Mentally the losses were very tough for the Belarusian who seemed to take the defeats as close personal failures.

Arlovski trained very hard for his fight with Silva, working on improving his boxing for the fight. I wouldn’t expect anything less from “The Pit Bull” and hope that his mind is in the right place when he enters the cage.

Physically both men match up virtually the same standing at 6 ft 4 in and both weighing in at 240-250 for their last fights. I expect Arlovksi to keep the fight standing and use his improved striking to end the fight.

Kharitonov at one time used to be ranked among the top of the heavyweight division but that was back in the day’s of PRIDE. He has faced some impressive names in the past like Overeem, going 1-1, Werdum, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

In the last three years he’s only fought three times in mma, going 2-1. His last mma appearance was at the New Year’s Eve Dyanamite!! 2010 event where he earned a knockout win over Tatsuya Mizuno. The Russian fighter has been working on his boxing and kickboxing skills which has probably accounted for his few mma appearances. In the last two years he’s been trying his hand at K-1 and having some mild success this pat fall going 1-1.

Kharitonov brings in strong striking and submission skills into the fight against Arlovski. With his focus on his standup skills I could see him trading with his opponent on Feb. 12 but I think if he wants to be taken seriously he’ll look for anyway to win this fight. His few appearances over the past few years could hurt him in the long run as we’ve seen what “ring rust” can do to a fighter, especially when he steps into fight a tough opponent.

Arlovski over Kharitonov by unanimous decision.

I don’t know how excited fans will be to see Barnett vs. Rogers, the only significant thing about the bout is it will be Barnett’s first fight on American soil in over two years. He had been scheduled to face Fedor at the Affliction: Trilogy show but his positive steroid test ended that fight and the company as an mma promoter.

Barnett is the odds on favorite, and not just to win this fight but to make it into the finals. He’s been active in 2010, winning two bouts making it six victories in a row but the lack of highly ranked competition is probably over-inflating his status. Don’t get me wrong Gilbert Yvel, Pedro Rizzo, and Jeff Monson are all tough guys but they don’t match up to opponents like Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Miko “Cro Cop” Filipovi?, who have both beaten him in the past.

“The Baby Faced Assassin” brings in Rogers kryptonite in strong submission skills mixed in with some striking ability. If Barnett can survive Rogers initial onslaught then I see this fight going down like Barnett’s win over Yvel with him dominating from the top position.

Physically Rogers is the bigger fighter in height and weight but he lacks the skills at controlling an opponent like Barnett has. Rogers, who fights more like a bully in the ring, will have his work cut out for him if he hasn’t improved his takedown defense against Barnett.

Some fans may not be aware but Rogers took a fight outside of Strikeforce after suffering back-to-back knockout losses to Fedor and Overeem. After stopping ten straight opponents by (T)KO “The Grim” needed an easier opponent to help build his confidence and get him back among the higher ranked heavyweights.

Rogers faced Ruben Villareal in Canada for the Warrior one promotion earning a unanimous decision win. It was certainly a positive for him to get back into the win column and it showed that he’s capable of going three rounds against an opponent. But it was the first time he’s gone three rounds, having failed to score a knockout win against an opponent with a 18-19-3 record who failed to break into any of the big promotions.

Hopefully Rogers can find his confidence and his hands against Barnett or he’s going to have a disappointing night. I’m sure he’s hungry for a victory and would love another shot against Overeem or Fedor but he’s got to win to get it.

Barnett over Rogers via submission first round.

In this piece I’ll preview the Strikeforce World Grand Prix quarterfinal bracket containing fighters Fedor Emelianenko (32-2), Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (15-2), Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) and heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (34-11).

Fedor will meet “Bigfoot” in the opening round of the quarterfinals on Feb. 12 in New Jersey, while Werdum and Overeem will meet at an unannounced date in March.

According to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, Fedor is itching to get back into the cage following his upset loss to Werdum last summer. This is very good news for fans of the Russian fighter since he seemed much less motivated before the loss. Now “The Last Emperor” is bringing in fighters like Gegard Mousasi and others to prepare for Silva, something not talked about doing in preparations for Werdum last summer.

Silva is looking at this fight as his big chance to really put himself among the top world heavyweights. He too has brought in many different fighters to prepare for the match. “Bigfoot” has been shown that Fedor is human and can be beaten, providing him with a sense of confidence which has alluded some of Fedor’s opponents in the past.

Physically Silva holds the advantage weighing in at 263 lbs for his fight last December, while Fedor hit the scales at 229 lbs last June. “The Last Emperor” has been dealing with larger opponents for years so this won’t be anything new for him. Silva faced a similar sized opponent in Mike Kyle last month, and despite getting rocked in the first managed to use his size in the second to mount his opponent to reign down strikes. I think he’ll try to do the same against Fedor but I think he lacks the wrestling background to control the Russian on the ground.

Skill wise, it would be hard to find anyone who would give the nod to Silva over Fedor. The Russian has been able to beat opponents standing up or on the mat no matter the size. While Silva skill seems based on his size, this fight will give him the chance to show what he can do.

My prediction, Fedor over “Bigfoot” Silva by submission in the second round.

Matching Overeem with Werdum ensures the fans get one of the fights they’ve been looking for since the Brazilian’s win over Fedor last summer. There is also a bit of satisfaction knowing that “The Demolition Man” asked for Werdum in the opening match. A motivated Overeem could prove very scary.

Overeem has been planning this fight since he was on hand to watch Werdum submit Fedor last summer. He’s had big plans for the past year, which included capturing the K-1 and DREAM titles, and now he gets a chance to check another item off his list by getting a rematch with Werdum. Both fighters met back in 2006 during the opening round of the Pride Openweight Grand Prix tournament. Werdum submitted him in that fight so a little payback is certainly something “The Demolition Man” is looking for.

Werdum is looking for some recognition, and maybe the chance to throw a little mud in the eyes of the UFC for releasing him. When he beat Fedor last summer, it was the biggest victory of his career and instead of demanding a title shot he left his future open, even leaving things open to a rematch. His goals goal seem more in line with a fighter trying to become the best rather than a fighter by calling himself the best by wrapping a title around his waist.

Physically, Werdum is obviously the smaller of the two weighing in at 238.5 lbs last summer while Overeem came in at 260 last month for the Dynamite!! show. Overeem will definitely impose his strength and size on Werdum, he just has to be weary of Werdum’s submission skills. I don’t think Overeem will fall for the ploy Werdum used on Fedor last summer to suck the Russian into his guard, Overeem will do his best to stay on his feet.

Skill wise, it’s like comparing apples and oranges.

Overeem is by far the better striker containing knockout power in his hands, knees and legs. Werdum has stopped a few opponents, Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga, with his hands but he’d be a fool to stand and trade. Werdum obviously holds the advantage on the mat as the ADCC champ will look to take the fight there at all opportunities. We haven’t seen much of Overeem’s ground-and-pound, which he may elect to try against Werdum, but he’s only tempting fate by playing into his opponents hands.

Some part of me sees this fight going down like Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites, or on the other side, Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II.

Overeem over Werdum by knockout in the first round.

I’d like to say this was my best work but then I’d be lying. I hope that I’ve at least given you something more to think about for each of the upcoming fights and if your interested in reading more I’ll cover the rest of the tourney’s participants soon.

As promised here is my second piece breaking down the recently announced Strikeforce World Grand Prix eight-man heavyweight tournament. I had promised to breakdown each of the two tournament brackets but there is a lot to discuss even before getting to that point.

So here is part two.

The tournament opener will kick-off on Feb. 12 in New Jersey with an all heavyweight main card which will feature with two quarterfinal matches and two alternate bouts. Headlining the card will be a quarterfinal match between Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Another quarterfinal bout has Andrei Arlovski taking on Sergei Kharitonov. The alternate bouts pitting Shane del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson and Valentijn OVereem vs. Ray Sefo.

The remaining quarterfinal bouts, featuring matches between Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers, will take place at an unannounced event in April instead of the promotions upcoming March 5th event.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we’ll give our thoughts on why we think Strikeforce matched all the heavyweights like they did.

The left sided bracket is undoubtedly the toughest by matching Fedor, Overeem, and Werdum together on one side, while leaving a weaker bracket on the other side for highly ranked Barnett to succeed in.

Fans have been critical of this move but personally I think Strikeforce has the right idea here.

The more difficult bracket ensures that fans will get to see the matchups they’ve been waiting for since Fedor lost to Werdum last summer. It makes sense to match Werdum vs. Overeem as the ADCC champ earned, in my eyes, the right to fight for the Strikeforce title after his shocking win over Emelianenko.

All tournament bouts which feature the current Strikeforce champion, whoever that is at the time, will be for the Strikeforce title and subject to five-five minute round matches, while the rest of the tournament bouts will be fought under the three-five minute rules.

Another reason to match Overeem vs. Werdum is that the K-1 champ asked for the fight in the opening round, he knows who he should be fighting next logically and isn’t shying away by asking for an easier opponent. It’s likely the Dutch fighter is thinking a win will get him Fedor next anyway, this way he gets the fight he’s been looking for since the promotion signed “The Last Emporer.”

Ideally to match Fedor and Overeem up, both fighters have to win their respective bouts.

I’ll breakdown the bout between Fedor and Silva in another post as well as the other matches, but regardless Fedor is the heavy favorite and will likely walk away the winner. I also feel that Strikeforce has a contingency plan in the works should he lose. I believe we’ll see Fedor matched up against Overeem or Werdum either way.

A win for Fedor puts him up against the winner of Overeem vs. Werdum, which also gives him a shot at the Strikeforce title ensuring the promotions officials a ton of hype leading into that bout. While, I’m betting, a loss to Silva will get him matched up against the loser of the Overeem vs. Werdum too. It won’t be for the title but it’s still something that the fans can really get excited about and it’s a fight Strikeforce can sell on a pay-per-view.

If he faces Werdum, he gets the chance at redemption for his loss, and if it’s Overeem, then it’s the match everyone thought should have happened when he signed with Strikeforce.

The other bracket seems more like a roll of the dice in the matchmaking department, as any of the three fighters who could have been paired up with Barnett would be considered the heavy underdog. Obviously there was more to it than that, maybe they used a spinning board and a dart…

Matching Arlovski and Rogers has already been done, with Rogers walking away with the knockout victory, so Strikeforce officials were likely trying to avoid the rematch in the first round. While pitting Arlovski vs. Barnett would certainly create some excitement it leaves a matchup between Rogers vs. Kharitonov in the “ho hum” category for fans.

Thus leaving the promotion with it’s only likely pairings of pitting Barnett vs. Rogers and Arlovski vs. Kharitonov to bring some excitement and legitimacy to it’s matchmaking.

That entire bracket still remains a wild card despite the fact that Barnett is the heavy favorite. Any one of those four could find themselves in the finale fighting for the Strikeforce heavyweight title. When that happens we’ll look back and then lay some heavy criticism on the matchmaking, but until then we’ve got to wait.

In the next post, I’ll start to cover each fight individually, so stay tuned!