As I sat in my seat last night, the vibe was very clear in the building...It was Kimbo's Night. This was to be his moment and turn him into a cross between Mr.T and Mike Tyson. The merchandise booth basically sold two types of t-shirts, both with Kimbo's mug on them. The event poster was not the one featuring the fighters on the main card, but instead it was just a picture of Kimbo. Moments before the main card started and after the ring announcer invited people in the upper deck down into "any open seat not on the floor" (this could have been a nightmare, but somehow worked) the Go-Go Dancers (not even going to waste words on them) handed out "Kick Ass Kimbo" signs.

It was very clear that Gary Shaw was putting all his eggs in one basket. There was no exit plan.

I along with many others, fully expected Thompson to sprint at Kimbo and then be separated from consciousness. Elite XC would have another highlight reel knockout, Kimbo's legend would grow with the general public, and MMA fans would be left yearning for the day Kimbo Slice would be tested.

However, Thompson came out with a game plan. It was simple, it was straight forward, and it got him in a position to win the fight.  He put Kimbo on his back, tried to avoid the stand up exchanges, and fought at a pace that was out of both fighters' leagues. Thompson could have just ran at Kimbo, and entered into a wild exchange, but he didn't. Had Thompson had any juice left at the end of round two and been able to land hard elbow strikes and hammer fists instead of hammer taps, the fight would have been over.

I don't feel a fix was in and I'm not going to go into the judges score cards because it is really a mute point at the moment.   Dan Miragliotta's stoppage robbed Kimbo of a well earned and hard fought knock out that would have left no discussion. Thompson's crazy legs and eyes rolling back  appearance would be a definite sign the fight needs to be stopped for any other fighter, but not for Thompson. Thompson probably looks like that 50% of his day.

In the heat of the moment, a busted bloody ear, a woozily  large man swaying back and forth slowly, as if he was a golf ball  being set up on a tee about to be smashed 350 yards, could cause for a cautious stoppage. But "caution" and "safety " are not words that either Kimbo or Thompson are accustomed to hearing. Could have Kimbo seriously hurt Thompson with one or two more punches? Maybe, but Thompson is a professional athlete and deserved to go out on his shied. Thompson was on the verge of being either knocked out or winning the biggest fight of his career, and it was taken from him because it was the "safe" move. 

It was a bizarre and crazy night. The UFC clearly is to mixed martial arts fighting what NASCAR is the auto racing, but that doesn't mean the Elite XC's of the world are bad. They just are no way near the top level. The Kimbo-Thompson fight showed us what we all already knew. Kimbo has along way to go, but he can still be a big name as a "B" or even "C" level fighter.

My hat is off to James Thompson, he brought the fight to Kimbo and win or lose was robbed of a fitting end.

-Collin Welsh

Take a deep breath...I'm serious, breath in and then out. Did you do it? Good. Now allow me to let you in on a little secret. No matter what happens to Kimbo Slice in the cage on Saturday night, the world of MMA will be okay. I know, I know, this is hard for the hardcore fans to understand. Ever since Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has stepped into the cage, it has seemed like hardcore fans are waiting and predicting that he will sink the rise of MMA, back to the mid 1990's. Whether Kimbo blasts James Thompson out of consciousness in twenty seconds or gets pounded out at the end of the first, the MMA world will keep going and we will all be okay. 

I know that we all cherish this sport and respect the fighters and people who make this sport so great. I also understand that we all are nervous that the sport we love could be damaged in some sort of way because of people putting money as the propriety before the sport.  However, hardcore fans everywhere must accept Kimbo Slice for who he is and not degrade him for what he is not.

People are drawn to a great story. Whether it be on a stage, on television, in a book, or on the big screen, people are easily sucked in. Unlike any other forum for drama to unfold, the world of sports offers us the emotional and physical twists and turns that puts us on the edge of our seats, with sweaty palms and racing hearts.

Kimbo Slice's story take Kimbo Slice the fighter to another level. The street fighter turned prime time main event, is not the circus act that may people see this as. It is a story with a main character  who seems to be straight out of a movie. The combination of Kimbo's personality, disposition, and appearance could make him a house hold name. His story lacks the emotional draw that Frank Lampard had as he scored goals for Chelsea United days after his mother died, but Kimbo brings something else to the table. Kimbo Slice has the "it" factor. He is a person who makes you want to watch. He is a name much bigger than the Elite XC organization and Saturday night could be only the beginning.

Hardcore fans dislike his quick rise to main event status, don't trust his skill outside of hitting hard, and firmly believe that he will fight over hyped tomato can after tomato can. Time will only tell if this will be true or not, but for now appreciate his story. MMA hasn't ever had a story like this or a character with such universal superstar potential. So sit back ,relax, and  enjoy the fight. People like KImbo Slice don't come around too often.

 

This is from an article I wrote in December of 2006.

State Sanctioning and Educating the Masses

The regulation of the sport in each individual state is still a major blockade as the sport
moves more and more mainstream. Currently 21 states sanction mixed martial arts competition. The arguments against the sanctioning of the sport still stem from the early marketing campaigns of the early days of the UFC. The UFC was showcased as a blood sport, with no rules, no skill, and was just two guys killing each other. As the sport grows in popularity and is seen by more and more viewers, the common miss conceptions about the sport are going away.

"The issue is about educating the state legislators." Pat Pannella the executive director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission said. "The concerns have always been not with a promotion like the UFC, but the smaller shows, it is the club shows that cause the issues...the sport is growing, but a major issue is officials...our job is to insure safety and there are some red flags still up." Pannella continued. The issues of officials is very high on the list when it comes to holding the sport back from being sanctioned nationwide. The sport is growing, but the numbers of quality, experienced official needs to grow along with the sport. Pannella made it very clear that the lack of quality officials is seen by many states as a major problem. However, with proper education and efforts made by both the state and promoters this is an issue that can be fixed.

Pannella explained that it comes down to the state general assembly to pass laws and regulations, and currently in the state of Maryland, mixed martial arts is not regulated nor is it permitted. Pannella was optimistic and through the interview stressed that he was very interested in the sport and would love to have the sport in the state as long as the proper rules and regulations were made. The regulation and sanctioning of the sport will increase safety for fighters, as events are held in new states. The state athletic commission in the state of Maryland works very closely with the commission in Pennsylvania, a state that has promoters working very hard to get sanctioning.

"Pennsylvania and New York is what we are working on right now [to hold events], and we will be expanding into Colorado and Michigan for shows in 2007." Nick O'Neal said, Vice President of marketing, advertising, and expansion for King of the Cage. The King of the Cage promotion which started in 1998 holds around 15 shows a year throughout North America. "We're right now in the middle of the boom, and the sport is only going up." O'Neal continued. The joint effort between promoters like King of the Cage , IFL, or UFC with state legislators will lead to regulations and sanctioning for mixed martial arts.

"The more exposer the more educated the state legislation will become, and that will only lead for good things for the sport." Josh Gross said, editor of Sherdog.com. Gross is considered to be the top mixed martial arts journalist in North America and has been writing about the sport since the early days. Gross has had the opportunity to travel to Japan 12 times as well as consistently cover the North American MMA scene. Gross expects all 50 states to eventually be sanctioned, as many will fall because of the dollar signs that will come with holding mixed martial arts events. However, as more and more states begin to sanction events and more and more promoters begin to pop up the sport will continue to evolve as it deals with new and different issues.

"Eventually, it will not be about the promotions, but the fights, I think we are moving more and more towards that. Fans want to see the best fights and it doesn't matter if the promoter is UFC, Pride, or IFL, the demand is for the top fights." Gross said. The growth of the sport is opening the doors for fighters that they never thought was possible. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is still the top promotion in North America, but as the sport grows, competition for the best fights and best fighters will become more and more fierce. "It is becoming more and more a fighters market...salaries are increasing, and there is just more opportunity out there and that's a good thing as the sport becomes mainstream." Gross said.

http://mafighting.typepad.com/mafighting/2006/12/mixed_martial_a.html

I recently caught up with T.U.F season three alumni, Rory Singer. Singer is one if the nicest guys in mma and is currently recovering from shoulder surgery. Look for Rory Singer to be back in the cage in early 2008.

Welsh- How's the shoulder coming along?

Singer- It was about a three month recovery, but I'm back training now.

Welsh- How is training going?

Singer- I'm getting myself ready and I want to try and prove myself.

Welsh- What is your current contract situation?

Singer- I'm still under contract with the UFC, but I'm going to take a few fights outside of the UFC, before I return.

Welsh- Is it hard to go from fighting on the biggest stage, to fighting back at a small show? Is there any added pressure?

Singer- Not added pressure, just different. It is all about getting into the right frame of mind.

Welsh- What are you looking for as far as opponent and venue?

Singer- I'm looking to fight outside the states, something with more of a different feel. Get out of my element, show up, make weight, and fight. I hate to say I want a tune-up fight, but I'm looking to step back in against someone tough, an up and comer would be a great test.

Welsh- How is the MMA scene in Georgia?

Singer- It is an active scene, shows once or twice a month. Georgia is a great place to be.

Welsh- Strikeforce has brought back the one-night tournament format, what are your thoughts on that?

Singer- Never been a big fan of it. One or two things either happen: Guys don't fight their hardest or guys get hurt. I like the Pride version of extending the tournament over multiple events. It's just hard, Steven Ledbetter fought two tournaments bouts to a decision, it was 30 minutes of fighting in one night, it is a lot to ask of a fighter. In the IFC tournament, Babablu was doing 40 minutes of cardio between fights to keep his heart rate up, it was unreal.

Welsh- What are your thoughts on the UFC middleweight division?

Singer- Anderson Silva is a stud, both is skill and attitude. Okami might be a threat, along with Dan Henderson.  

At one time Jake Shields was quietly working his way to cracking "top ten" welterweight world rankings everywhere. In a piece I wrote roughly a year ago "Jake Shields: The Road Less Traveled," it was clear Shields was on a mission to fight the best fighters in the world and not chase titles or UFC glory.

Since that interview, Shields has won four straight fights, which has taken his winning streak to nine. The one-time dark horse of a world wide welterweight division dominated by the UFC fighters is now at the cusp of begin able to make the claim that he is one of the top four welterweights in the world.

I recently caught up with Jake to discuss what lays ahead for this rising welterweight:

Welsh - What made you decide to stay with Elite XC?

Shields - They've always treated me real good and we were able to work out a good deal.

Welsh - What other organizations were you in talks with?

Shields - My manager dealt with all that.

Welsh - Who do you feel that Elite XC can bring in to face you that would result in a big money fight and be a test of your skills?

Shields - They promised to look for the best guys out there and try to bring them in. They also said anyone from any other promotion could come in and fight me without having to sign with Elite, so that leaves it open.

Welsh - Since a cross promotion with the UFC will never happen, what fighters in other promotions would you like to test yourself against? Anyone in the Strikeforce, IFL, ICON, Cage Rage etc?

Shields - You never know what the UFC will do. Chuck [Liddell] fought a couple of times in Pride. There might have been some other guys too. As far as other Elite promotions, I just got a list of some of the fighters that might make good fights. Drew Fickett, he's 31-5, with wins over Josh Koshcheck, Kurt Pelligrino, and a lot of other good fighters. There's Carlo Prater, he just beat Keith Wisniewski, and has wins over Carlos Condit and Spencer Fisher, and then there's Cage Rage champion, Paul Daley.

Welsh - You are 1-1 against Akira Kikuchi, would he be an option? Is that a fight that interests you?

Shields - Yeah, they were both close fights, but he's been on a little bit of a slide lately. Who I'd like to fight is Shinya Aoki, he's been beating everyone out there. I have wins over some of the best Japanese fighters, top ten guys like Sakurai, Okami, Kikuchi and most Americans don't know who they are. But I'd still like to fight Aoki. I think we'd make a good fight.

Welsh - As you continue to win and dominate Elite XC, how will you handle the criticism that will be directed at you about not being in the UFC and not fighting and being apart of the biggest promotions deepest division?

Shields - Anything can happen in a fight. I should dominant most fighters, but I'm sure there's some wars out there for me. Eventually I'll get around to everybody.

Welsh - What are your plans for 2008? How many times will you fight?

Shields - I'd like to fight about 4 times.

Welsh - What can the fans expect from you this year? What are you looking to improve?

Shields - They can expect to see me working hard on all aspects of my game. I'm still growing and improving every day and want to be the best.

Welsh - Any final thoughts?

Shields - Thanks to all my supporters and all the MMA fans out there.

Poll

Where Does Jake Shields Rank?

13%

Not in the Top Ten

3 votes

13%

Top 3 Welterweights in the world

3 votes

8%

Top 4 Welterweights in the world

2 votes

13%

Top 5 Welterweights in the world

3 votes

52%

Top 6- 10 Welterweight in the world

12 votes

0%

Top Welterweight in the world

0 votes

23 votes | Poll has closed

There is already a great deal of talk about the upcoming seventh season of T.U.F. Tons off MMA bloggers have been filling websites with all sorts of ideas. It got me thinking.A cool way to make the show great again, would be to use more experienced fighters and have a bracketed 16 man tournament. The tournament seeded would be decided right away by Dana White and the "coaches" Forrest Griffin and Quinton Jackson. Right away there would be drama and it would cut out most of the stuff that is weighing the show down. It would also introduce fighters that have staying power.

Here are 16 fighters that could make this show great again.

• Joe Riggs
  
• David Loiseau
  
• Terry Martin
  
• Evan Tanner
  
• David Terrell
  
• Phil Baroni (I know, he's with Strikeforce)
  
• Martin Kampmann
  
• Demian Maia
  
• Drew McFredries
  
• Logan Clark
  
• Bryan Baker
  
• Blas Avena
  
• Keith Barry
  
• Ryo Chonan
  
• Andrei Semenov
  
• Sol Gilbert

There is no chance of this happening, but it would be nice in the future if the UFC attempted to build stars out of fighters with more experience. T.U.F six has really suffered from the fighters lack of experience and it will be interesting to see how the majority of them fair outside of the show.  

After tasting defeat in six of his last ten fights, many critics were pronouncing the end of Alistair Overeem. The one time light-heavyweight star in Pride had seemed to hit a wall in his career. The loss in K-1 Hero's Tournament in September of 2007 to Sergei Kharitonov, marked Overeem's fifth loss from strikes in ten fights.

Strikeforce saw Overeem's struggle as an opportunity and placed him in a heavyweight title match with deadly striker Paul Buentello. It can be argued that Strikeforce was attempting to cash in one more time on Overeem's descending star, while attempting to build Buentello's heavy handed credentials.  Many expected Buentello to add another knockout to his record and another blemish to Overeem's. It was a marketable match and a fight that even with Overeem's recent decline, still had fans excited.

But, no one told Overeem he was there to lose. In a dominating fashion that re-assembled all the skills that had made him great, Overeem destroyed Buentello. The deadly knees to the body and clinch work would force the fight to be stopped in round two. The win crowed Overeem Strikeforce's heavyweight champion, and breathed life back into a slipping career.

I recently spoke with Overeem about his recent win and his plans for the future.

CW- Now that you have the Strikeforce belt, what are your plans for 2008?
Overeem- My plans for now will be to rest and heal my body. All this hard training is not a healthy thing, so I will rest now and begin training in a month.

CW- What fighters are you interested in fighting?
Overeem- I have no particular fighter who I want to fight. I want to fight the best and will fight anyone that Strikeforce throws at me.

CW- Strikeforce has worked in the past with Elite XC and had cross promoted events on Showtime, are you interested in fighting their top heavyweight Antonio Silva?
Overeem- Of course, why not? I want to fight the best.

CW- What is your contract status with K-1 and Strikeforce?
Overrem- I have a contract with K-1, which will end in 6 months. My management is working on a deal with Strikeforce.

CW- If and when your contract is up, are you interested in testing yourself against the fighters of the UFC?
Overeem- Definitely, I've always fought the best in the world, nothing has changed about that. Only I'm a heavyweight now.  

When Paul Buentello enters the Strikeforce cage on November 16th, he will be fighting the most important fight of his life. Buentello, who has worked his way through the ranks and has experienced most of the highs and lows a fighter can have, is finally at the cusp of a major turning point in his career. A win over former Pride superstar Alistair Overeem not only would give Buentello the Strikeforce heavyweight belt, it would also allow Buentello to continue moving towards being a top ten heavyweight in the world.

"This is an important bout for me, I want to be in the top ten [heavyweights in the world], I don't over look anybody and I'm coming into this fight at 110%," said Buentello, who considers Overeem his toughest challenge to date. Buentello is so serious about defeating Overeem that he switched up his training and went to New Mexico to work with Greg Jackson's camp.

"I went to Greg Jackson to push my training to the top. I wanted to push the envelope, and push myself in the high altitude," said the American Kickboxing Academy standout. The challenge of fighting five- five minute rounds against a fighter the quality of Overeem compelled Buentello to seek out high altitude training and world class fighters to train with. "The camp has so many great guys like Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Diego Sanchez, and I had a great camp there," Buentello commented.

The bout with Alistair Overeem in many ways could be a trap fight for Buentello. Overeem rose quickly to super stardom in Pride, and spent three years being ranked anywhere from the third best light heavyweight in the world to the sixth best. However, Overeem fell on hard times in the recent year and a half, moved to heavyweight and has lost four out of his last five fights. Regardless of his last few outings, Overeem is only 28 years old and is still evolving as a fighter. Buentello knows that he cannot take any moment of this fight for granted.

"He's a tough guy, likes that standing guillotine, and will bang. He's my next fight, so he's my toughest challenge yet, you can't overlook anybody and I plan on doing what I always do and let it all hang out," said Buentello confidently. "You aren't a champion unless you defend your belt, and I plan on winning this bout and fighting whoever Strikeforce puts in front of me." Buentello will have one fight remaining on his Strikeforce contact after November 16th and plans on testing the free agent waters.

The Buentello-Overeem heavyweight championship fight is intriguing on many levels. Will Buentello continue on his road to a world ranking? Will a changed and improved Alistair Overeem be revealed or will the downward spiral of his career continue? The questions will all be answered on November 16th and if the Buentello's high altitude training and rock solid right hand have anything to do with it, his path to a world ranking will remain on course.

Since Strikeforce's MMA debut in March of 2003, the promotion has become a major player in the industry. The fight company has not overwhelmed fans with pushing their brand of mixed martial arts, but instead has focused on putting on the best fights available with great fighters. This attitude of putting the fighters first and the Strikeforce brand name second has been a breath of fresh air, especially compared to the likes of brand pushers like the UFC and IFL. Both the UFC and IFL believe at the end of the day, their brand will put people in the seats regardless of who is fighting in the octagon or ring, respectively. Strikeforce, however, has pushed the likes of Frank Shamrock, Phil Baroni, Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson, Duane Ludwig, Trevor Prangley, and Paul Buentello into the spotlight, allowing their skills and heart to fill arenas. The Strikeforce name, while not an afterthought, is clearly secondary in the hierarchy.

Strikeforce's growing number of big names and world class competitors is also allowing the promotion to take chances and separate themselves for the likes of the UFC, IFL, and Elite XC. This fall Strikeforce held the first ever MMA event at the Playboy Mansion and on November 16th, the promotion will hold the first ever one night middleweight tournament in California. The tournament will be a first for Strikeforce, but will likely not be the last.

"We feel that the tournament model is entertaining for the fans and is a way to separate [Strikeforce] from other fight promotions." said Vice President of Strikeforce, Mike Afromowitz. "We are looking to hold a lightweight tournament in early 2008, and are interested in having them in all weight classes at some point, but the lightweight tournament is already being discussed," he continued.

Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (who is out with a broken hand till early 2008) and Josh Thomson look to be on a collision course, but after that match up, the division is wide open. The 2008 lightweight tournament could be used for Melendez's next title defense with Melendez, Thomson, and two other competitors vying for the belt. The tournament will most likely be used to shape the division and give more clarity to who stands behind the two top 155 pounders.

Overall, 2008 looks like it is shaping up to be a big year for Strikeforce. The recent additions of Joe Riggs and Renato "Babalu" Sobral add both big names and a high level of talent to the 185 pound and 205 pound divisions, respectively. It is rumored that Riggs could see himself up against the likes of either Cung Le or Phil Baroni, where as "Babalu" is headed straight for a title shot. "I expect to see Babalu fight Bobby Southworth for the light heavyweight championship, maybe even in a tournament format at some point in the early half of 2008." said Afromowitz, who was adamant that the Strikeforce light heavyweight roster needed to be bulked up and would be a focus during 2008.

When asked about where Frank Shamrock stands and possible future opponents, Afromowitz clearly stated that Shamrock still has three fights on his contract: "It's going to come down to when his schedule and when our schedule fit. Finding someone to fight Frank isn't hard, so it comes down to scheduling." Everyone from Joe Riggs, Cung Le, and even Chael Sonnen, who recently challenged Shamrock, is a possible option. "When Frank's ready [to fight], let's do it," stated an enthusiastic Aformowitz.

Strikeforce is planning to put on 7-8 events in 2008 and will continue to push the newly approved one night tournament format for both the fans and the fighters. With the lightweight tournament already in the works, Strikeforce looks to be in a prime position to solidify themselves right behind the UFC.

Trevor Prangley (16-4) will enter Strikeforce's first ever middleweight tournament on a five fight win streak. In his quest to become the best middleweight in the world, the South African fighter will be competing for the crown against Yuki Sasaki, Falaniko Vitale, and Jorge Santiago. Pangley is considered by many to be the heavy favorite, but he does not agree with such a statement.

"This is a good tournament, definitely not going to be a walk over...it's up for grabs," says the current Bodog Fight middleweight champ. Sasaki, Vitale, and Santiago are all coming off of submission wins and will be looking to keep their respective win streaks alive. Jorge Santiago was especially impressive in his last bout, earning himself a major win over Jeremy Horn.

"My training has been going excellent, I've been training hard to take my cardio to a new level," says Prangley. "I feel that my cardio has been an issue in the past, and that is why I'm working so hard, training twice a day." The American Kickboxing Academy trained fighter has been putting in double the training in preparation for a challenging night of work. The goal of the twice a day workouts is to raise his performance level to a place it has never been before, in preparation for the November 16th event, in San Jose.

"The goal is to get the guy out of the first fight quickly and have as much energy as possible for the last fight," says Prangley, who is adamantly in favor of the one night tournament format. Prangley sees the format as great for the fans and an even better way to judge not only the skills of fighters, but more importantly their heart.

"The (one night) tournament is a true test of skill and heart. It's as much as a mental challenge, as it is physical. Anyone can fight hurt, but the test is to push yourself mentally through it," Prangley commented. The native South African has competed in two prior tournaments. Prangley won the CFM Tournament in 2002 and was eliminated by eventual tournament champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral in the first bout of the impressive IFC light heavyweight tournament in 2003.

Strikeforce has mentioned that the winner of the middleweight tournament will get a shot at Strikeforce middleweight champion and MMA legend Frank Shamrock. When asked about the chance to fight Frank Shamrock for the Strikeforce middleweight belt, Prangley stated he felt the bout actually happening was doubtful, but liked the match-up very much. "I'm not sure it's really an option, but if it were to happen I think I match up with [Shamrock] very favorably," said Prangley.

"I want to be known as the best middleweight in the world and I want to fight the best fighters," he explained. The South African has become a much more active fighter over the last year and is establishing himself as a top middleweight in the world. In his quest to become the best in the world, Prangley might have found a home for both competitive bouts, big name opponents, and true tests in the Strikeforce promotion. The Strikeforce middleweight division is deep with the likes of Cung Le, Joe Riggs, Phil Baroni, and the possible return of Vitor Belfort at 185 pounds.

Two fights in one night is no easy task, but Prangley is confident that his winning streak will keep rolling well past Strikeforce's inaugural middleweight tournament. His goal of having his name along side or above the likes of Anderson Silva, Matt Lindland, and Dan Henderson could possibly take another step forward on November 16th.

Poll

Who Will Win Strikeforce's Middleweight Tournament?

73%

Trevor Prangley

17 votes

4%

Yuki Sasaki

1 votes

13%

Falaniko Vitale

3 votes

8%

Jorge Santiago

2 votes

23 votes | Poll has closed

The UFC 78 card has been criticized unfairly over the last few weeks. I do not agree with the criticism and firmly believe that this is a great card that features many future stars of mixed martial arts. One of these possible future stars is Tamdan "The Barn Cat" McCrory. McCrory is 8-0 in mixed martial arts and will fighting on his home turf. Akihiro Gono beware...he comes "The Barn Cat".

Check out this YouTube highlight reel

"Four Men enter, One Man Survives!" It sounds like an add campaign for UFC 1, but instead it belongs to Strikeforce's November 16th, middleweight tournament. The days of "No Holds Bar" and multiple fights in a night seemed to have left North America, as modern mixed martial arts came to fruition. However, Strikeforce is bringing the tournament back, which will feature Falaniko "Niko" Vitale, Trevor Prangley, Jorge Santiago, and Yuki Sasaki. The winner will walk out with a shot at Strikeforce's middleweight champ, Frank Shamrock in 2008.

The question that this event raises is whether or not the one night tournament has a place in modern mixed martial arts. The one night finales of the Pride's Grand Prix were either hits (Pride's open weight finals 2006 and middleweight finals 2005 and 2003) or misses (Pride's heavyweight finals 2004 and Pride's Bushido 13 welterweight finals). There is no doubt that the tournaments attracted a great deal of media hype and excitement from fans, but as mixed martial arts moves more and more mainstream, is the one night tournament an acceptable concept?

As a fan, I love the tournaments. The grit, the determination, the strategy, the emotions, and the attitudes all feel different. In a sport that is driven is many cases by a primal quest to find out who is the "Alpha Male", the one night tournament takes that feel to an all new level. Royce Gracie, Wanderlei Silva, and Mirko Cro Cop all went from great to legends because of their performances in these events. The one-night tournament becomes in many ways a fans dream.

However, as a journalist and someone who feels very passionately about moving the
sport forward, the one night tournaments need to stay in the past, or at least out of North America. Fighters have to fight tournament bouts differently and the difficulty of the first fight, as well as injury has a habit of tainting the final bout. It seems more questions are usually raised because of the tournaments than answered. No other major commercial sport, from football to tennis, asks their participants to compete at their highest level twice in one night. As mixed martial arts has grown, it has continued to more past its "No Hold Bar" past, and unfortunately the one night tournament is just another facet to cross off, even if it breaks many fans hearts.

Poll

How Do YOU Feel About One Night Tournaments?

60%

I Love Them

3 votes

20%

Its An Important Part Of MMA And Needs To Stay

1 votes

0%

Its A Part Of The Sport That Needs To Be Done Away With

0 votes

0%

They Are Bad For The Sport

0 votes

20%

I Can See Both Sides And I'm Undecided

1 votes

5 votes | Poll has closed