SB Nation User Blog: Leland Roling

UFC 105 Preview: British Talent Takes Center Stage in Preliminary Action

Leland Roling — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:10:48 -0000

The UFC makes the trek back over the Atlantic Ocean this weekend to Manchester, England where UFC 105 will take place on Saturday, November 14th at the Manchester Evening News Arena. The fight card will feature a main event contest between Randy "The Natural" Couture and Brandon "The Truth" Vera. It will be Couture's first fight back in the light heavyweight division since his loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57 back in February of 2006. England's Dan Hardy will battle Mike Swick in a potential contender match-up in the welterweight division while Michael Bisping will try to stop Denis Kang in middleweight action.

Our first preview will focus on the six-fight preliminary card at UFC 105 that will feature a plethora of British talent as well as some regional newcomers to the UFC. Familiar English talent in Paul Taylor and Terry Etim headline the event's undercard with appearances from John Hathaway, Paul Kelly, Andre Winner, and newcomers Alexander Gustafsson and Jared Hamman.

First up in our long list of fights is a welterweight battle between British fighters Paul "Relentless" Taylor (10-4-1, 1 NC; 3-3 UFC) and former Rugby player turned MMA fighter John Hathaway (11-0, 2-0 UFC). Taylor is coming off an unanimous decision win over Peter Sobotta at UFC 99 while Hathaway defeated Rick Story via unanimous decision at the same event on June 13th.

This should be an easy fight to breakdown in terms of styles. Taylor will look to keep this fight standing as he's shown a propensity to kickbox in the Octagon, and it has produced some exciting fights in the past as he's netted Fight of the Night honors on three separate ocassions. Hathaway's gameplan will likely be to avoid those exchanges and put Taylor on his back, a place in which Taylor can be controlled. Hathaway's wrestling and ground n' pound will be his weapons of choice in this match-up, and Taylor will be in for some considerable damage if he finds himself on the bottom of a Hathaway flurry.

While Taylor could make this an epic war in the striking department, Hathaway will want to take this fight to where he can be the most effective. Taylor should be able to put his fist on Hathaway's face a few times, but I'll boldly take John Hathaway over the six-fight UFC veteran in this bout to improve his record to 12-0 and remain undefeated.

In lightweight action, submission grappler Terry Etim (13-2, 4-2 UFC) will battle San Diego, California-native Shannon Gugerty (12-3, 2-1 UFC) in what could turn out to be a battle for ground supremacy. While both men consider themselves grapplers first, strikers second, this fight could have the makings of a stand-up battle. Etim is coming off three straight wins with his last victory coming at UFC 99 over Justin Buchholz, a win that secured him submission of the night honors. Gugerty enters the contest with his most recent win coming at UFC 100 in which he submitted wrestler Matt Grice at 2:36 of the first round.

Etim's advantage in this scrap should come from his Muay Thai striking skills. While he has a lengthy frame to be a formidable force on the ground, his leg kicks and crushing knees in the clinch are a means to setting up his submission tactics. Gugerty is good at putting submission holds on guys who actively seek takedowns, but he should lose a stand-up battle with Etim here.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 semi-finalist and Sanshou Kung Fu practitioner Nick Osipczak (4-0, 1-0 UFC) will make his sophomore appearance in the Octagon against The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 contestant Matthew Riddle (3-0, 3-0 UFC). Osipczak is coming off a victory over Frank Lester at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale back in June while Riddle enters with a win via decision over Dan Cramer at UFC 101.

This battle will pit two of the better camps in MMA right now in a head to head competition. Osipczak is currently training out of Team Rough House with Dan Hardy, Paul Daley, Jimmy Wallhead, Dean Amasinger, and Andre Winner while Riddle currently trains out of the world renowned Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Osipczak's Kung Fu background has translated nicely to helping his striking game become a significant tool in his bag of tricks, and his wrestling ability has been good enough to finish off opponents on the ground. Riddle hasn't been impressive in his wins as he's found it very tough to finish off his opponents. All three of his wins came by decision. For that reason, I'll take Osipczak here as he has more ways to finish off Riddle, and his striking ability will likely be more superior to that of Riddle.

Heading back into lightweight territory, Wolfslair fighter Paul Kelly (9-1, 3-1 UFC) will bring his ground n' pound style to the Octagon against Germany's own Dennis Siver (14-6, 3-3 UFC). Kelly is coming off decision victories over Troy Mandaloniz and Rolando Delgado while Siver finished both Nate Mohr and Dale Hartt in his last two fights with the promotion.

This would be much more interesting match-up if Siver actually hated trying to work off his back, but Kelly's relentless takedown ability and power from the top should be able to punish Siver for most of this fight. Unless Siver can unleash some flurries on the feet before this fight hits the ground, Kelly will be tough to buck from a smashing top control game. The x-factor comes down to whether Siver can pull off the armbar from the bottom, a move he's used effectively in the past. My money is on Kelly avoiding it and winning a decision.

Undefeated Swedish prospect Alexander Gustafsson (8-0) will make his Octagon debut against fellow newcomer and former EliteXC fighter Jared Hamman (10-1) in a light heavyweight match-up. Gustafsson's experience has generally been limited to the Scandanavian regional MMA scene with most of his wins coming by way of TKO in the first round while Hamman has a bit more experience as he was a featured fighter in EliteXC's ShoXC series. Hamman holds wins over Travis Wiuff, Aaron Rosa, and Poai Suganuma.

Both men tower above most of the competition in the light heavyweight division as Gustafsson is 6'5" while Hamman registers at 6'3". The most interesting part of Gustafsson's game is that he has a highly touting boxing background that's coupled with his enormous length. Hamman packs quite a wallop as well, but he won't have the credentials in the boxing arena to beat Gustafsson standing in a technical battle. He does, however, have the chops to beat Gustafsson on the floor with his superior wrestling. With any lengthy fighter however, the guard becomes a very dangerous place to play as Gustafsson does have some formidable jiu-jitsu under his belt, a blue belt actually.

It'll be interesting to see how this fight plays out, but Hamman definitely holds the edge in terms of fighting better talent. It could ultimately be the deciding factor in this bout, but it's a tough pick to make. My gut says Gustafsson, but the safe play is probably Hamman in this tilt.

Lastly, The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 runner-up Andre Winner (9-3-1, 0-1 UFC) will take on The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 contestant Rolando Delgado (6-4-1, 1-1 UFC) in a lightweight battle that looks like a set-up for Winner to cruise to victory. Winner lost at The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 Finale to Ross Pearson, and his previous bouts ended as a draw to Cage Rage veteran Abdul Mohammed and a loss to current French standout Bendy Casmir. Delgado enters this contest following a loss to Paul Kelly at UFC 99.

Winner has some problems actually being able to finish opponents in the past, although he finished nearly all of his opponents on the show with the exception of the loss to Pearson in the final. He does, however, have a fairly well-rounded skill-set that should be able to make him competitive in all areas of a fight. Delgado, on the other hand, has really only found success in the ground game. He's considered a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but as we found out during the taping of season 8 -- that's likely not the case.

Delgado is likely not a black belt level jiu-jitsu fighter, but he does have a repetoire of submissions that he can successfully land. He's also a fighter who is fairly resilient, and he won't simply give in to a losing cause, which makes him dangerous even in the waning moments of the third round. Winner is easily the better fighter in this bout however, and his training at Team Rough House only gives me more confidence that he's improving. He'll surely begin to show us some improvement, and it should start with Delgado.

Jake Shields' Win Creates New Problem for Strikeforce

Leland Roling — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:39:04 -0000

Photo by Dave Mandel, Sherdog.com

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Jake Shields is in one of the most unique situations a fighter can be in following his Strikeforce Middleweight championship title victory over Jason "Mayhem" Miller on Saturday night at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers. While he doesn't actually hold two titles at the same time, a feat only obtained by former PRIDE welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson, Shields is currently Strikeforce's best welterweight fighter on paper while also holding the belt at middleweight. Interestingly enough, Shields holds the belt at his unnatural weight mostly due to the fact that he stepped up in weight to help Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker fill a need for a quality bout.

There is now a more evident problem with the current situation within Strikeforce's welterweight and middleweight divisions. Shields is now a title holder in a weight class that isn't his ideal weight, and he's considered by most fans to be a fairly undersized middleweight fighter. His performance against the lankier and bigger Jason "Mayhem" Miller wasn't an impressive performance by any means, and the road at 185 pounds only gets tougher if Strikeforce legitimately matches Shields up against high-level talent.

Miller's escapes from the constant flow of transitions to full mount was impressive, but Shields' inability to put any power into his gloves when in a dominating position was the bigger surprise. We knew Shields wasn't a heavy-handed crusher on the feet or in the ground striking department, but his inability to damage Miller was underwhelming. Shields grappled his way to victory in an unpleasing fashion, but the performance didn't inspire confidence in fans that Shields could run the table of challengers at 185 pounds.

Shields is a natural welterweight fighter, and his reign at 185 pounds likely won't last long. With contenders like Matt Lindland and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza possibly being in the mix for a shot at Shields' new hardware, it isn't looking like Shields' streak of wins will continue for much longer. Furthermore, his performance probably didn't put a whole lot of confidence in creating those match-ups since both Lindland and Souza are ground specialists. Lindland could easily come in much heavier, and his wrestling experience could smother the BJJ grappler. Souza, on the other hand, offers superior jiu-jitsu abilities along with some solid power, an attribute that is a direct benefit from the added weight.

Unfortunately, Strikeforce's welterweight roster is lacking. Marius Zaromskis has been signed to a deal with Strikeforce, and DREAM might float Hayato "Mach" Sakurai to Strikeforce for a bout with Shields. Shields stands a solid chance of defeating both fighters as both men would rather strike than grapple, but Sakurai is well past his prime and Zaromskis is only one fight.

What are the options? Shields is in a strange dilemma. At middleweight, there are more options that are better for helping Shields win impressively in the middle of the division. He could submit guys like Scott Smith, Joey Villasenor, Robbie Lawler, and Frank Shamrock, but now he's the champion. He'll have to contend with fighters who could beat him badly in Matt Lindland and Ronaldo Souza. On the other hand, he could take the one major fight Strikeforce has for him at welterweight in Marius Zaromskis, which isn't exactly a pushover fight. If he wins, then what? He's a champion in two divisions at the same time with nobody to really fight but middleweights.

I imagine Jake Shields is getting a bit tired of moving up in weight, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see Shields in the free agent market in talks with the UFC following his contract completion. He'll likely be jockeying for fights in which he can impressively finish in order to gain momentum with the casual fanbase as well as give him more bargaining power when it comes to contract talks. Lindland and Souza don't give him that, so it'll be interesting to see who Shields wants to fight versus who Coker actually matches him up with in the future. Cung Le is obviously a fight that both Coker and Shields want, but I am under the impression that Shields is right -- Cung isn't interested because he probably thinks a loss right now will hurt his movie career, and Shields will submit Cung if it goes to the floor. Regardless of my opinion, the fight needs to happen.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic Revamps Training Team, Hires Ivan Hippolyte

Leland Roling — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:54:55 -0000

Will we see Mirko's hand raised in the Octagon ever again?

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Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic's crushing defeat at the hands of potential contender Junior Dos Santos at UFC 103 is the type of loss that has eye-opening ramifications for a fighter's career. While we've heard the same song and dance from Mirko over the past year regarding the possibility of a resurgence happening before his career finally ends, we haven't seen that fire in the Octagon as he's gone 2-3 in the UFC. Mirko is now changing the complete make-up of his training team in an attempt to re-kindle his past dominance:

"After the defeat by Dos Santos, Filipovic has announced drastic changes in the training methods and composition of Team CroCop,"

"Marjan Zizanovic is no longer his boxing coach. Instead, CroCop is now working with the Dutch Muay Thai legend Ivan Hippolyte, who these days resides in Zagreb. Filipovic will combine training at his own facility with visits to the Netherlands where he can train with top-notch sparring partners,"

"Igor Pokrajac, CroCop’s long-time friend and sparring partner, is also no longer in Filipovic's team. Pokrajac continues his career with the UFC, but is no longer training with Filipovic although the pair remain on good terms."

Zizanovic was vocal about the problems Mirko was having back in '07. He felt that the Croatian striker was focusing too much on absolute strength vs. explosive strength, being indecisive in his camps about what skills to work on, and switching trainers way too often. He told the world that he would change Mirko back into the killer we know and love if he had the opportunity, and Mirko gave him that opportunity.

Unfortunately, something went very wrong in the lead-up to UFC 103. CroCop put some of the blame on his preparation for his UFC 103 loss, and with the Ben Rothwell bout being all but confirmed -- it's no surprise that CroCop has acted on those thoughts that his preparation was lacking by replacing Zizanovic and purging his sparring partners.

Ivan Hippolyte isn't a bad replacement. He trained one of K-1's greatest fighters in Ernesto Hoost, and he currently trains K-1 Grand Champion Remy Bonjasky while also helping along fighters such as Gilbert Yvel, Paul Daley, and Antoni Hardonk. Bonjasky and the cast of fighters from Vos Gym weren't able to help Mirko defeat Cheick Kongo at UFC 75 when they flew out to Zagreb to help out a fallen friend, and Hippolyte will truly need to speed up Mirko's technical Muay Thai and kickboxing to give the Croatian a chance at redeeming himself.

We all want Mirko to succeed once again, but throwing head kicks and throwing single punches without stringing together combinations isn't the answer. Mirko hasn't set up his patented head kick with leg kicks in any of his battles in the Octagon, and he really needs to become more of a K-1 striker than a complete mixed martial artists. His takedown defense and BJJ was good enough in PRIDE to gain his feet again, but the huge problem for Mirko is that his striking game is now his most deficient skill. Can Hippolyte bring him back to form? I have my doubts.

HT: Index.hr (Translated by Fighters Only), Anton Tabuena

Sengoku XI Recap: Mamed Khalidov Upsets Jorge Santiago

Leland Roling — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:09:54 -0000

Sandwiched between Strikeforce's Challengers card and their network-televised CBS card featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers, Sengoku XI took place in the wee hours of Saturday morning on HDNet and provided the hardest of the hardcore fans with some interesting match-ups that produced some surprising results. The card featured a main event featherweight tilt between UFC veteran Michihiro Omigawa and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu mastery of Hatsu Hioki with supporting bouts that included a middleweight match-up between Eastern European up-and-comer Mamed Khalidov and UFC veteran Jorge Santiago. Kevin Randleman, Jorge Masvidal, former lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka, Eiji Mitsuoka, Kazunori Yokota, and Marlon Sandro were also involved in bouts on the card.

The most shocking outcome of the evening came during the middleweight match-up between Jorge Santiago and Mamed Khalidov. Khalidov's dominating record against lesser competition over the past couple of years was the swaying vote in why Khalidov came into the match-up as the clear underdog, but he proved that he could hang with one of the best middleweights in the world by defeating Santiago via TKO at 1:45 of the first round.

Strangely, Santiago was stunned by a hammerfist while working from top control. Santiago immediately dropped on top of Khalidov in a daze, and Khalidov quickly worked his way to the top to finish Santiago. It was a stunning upset from a blow that seemed unassuming, but the win should vault Khalidov into most MMA rankings' top ten list at middleweight.

Khalidov's win wasn't the only surprising result of the evening. By most accounts, Michihiro Omigawa didn't do enough to defeat Hatsu Hioki in their featherweight main event showdown. Hioki dominated the first round with an advanced ground game, half-guard strikes, and a near armbar submission while the third round likely went to Omigawa as he peppered Hioki with strikes. The second round was the closest round of the three rounds, but most watchers scored it for Hioki as he beat Omigawa with jabs and countered nearly everything Omigawa threw.

Unfortunately for Hioki, the judges saw it differently as Michihiro Omigawa was given the win via split decision. Interestingly enough, Omigawa commented in the ring that he felt he didn't win. It's nice to see a fighter with some honesty after such a controversial victory.

Former lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka took the beatdown of his life in his lightweight battle with Bellator veteran Jorge Masvidal. After securing an early takedown, Kitaoka grappled with Masvidal for positioning while also latching onto Masvidal's limb. It looked as if Kitaoka may pull off a quick leg lock submission victory in the early moments of the fight, but a very active and pressing Jorge Masvidal unleashed loud, booming blows to the head of Satoru Kitaoka during the ground exchange. The round ended after Kitaoka withstood a couple of minutes of brutal ground strikes, and he had to be carried to the stool between rounds. Miraculously, Kitaoka continued on into the second round, but his night ended late in the round as Masvidal punished him once again with ground strikes, knocking him out.

Quick Analysis

Kazunori Yokota's striking and Judo were the deciding factors in the lightweight contender match-up with submission grappler Eiji Mitsuoka. Mitsuoka put Yokota into some trouble in the grappling department in the first round, but the second and third rounds easily went to Yokota. Yokota was able to muscle Mitsuoka in the clinch while landing knees and strikes at will in the later rounds to win.Yokota will likely rematch Mizuto Hirota for the lightweight title, who he holds a win over.
Kevin Randleman vs. Stanislav Nedkov was the most boring fight of the evening. I'm all for seeing some wrestling on display, but takedowns without some sort of striking or submission efforts are unattractive for even hardcore fans. Nedkov was able to hold Randleman's posture down rather well and that probably attributed to the difficulties Randleman had with trying to posture up, but Nedkov wasn't able to land significantly on the floor either. In all honesty, it probably should have been a draw, but Nedkov was given the nod for actually landing some strikes during the small spurts of striking in the standing position and a last gasp takedown at the end of the final round.
Akihiro Gono let down some of us without his entrance theatrics, but he showed up as a much more serious fighter. He was able to defeat the tall and lanky Yoon Young Kim with striking combinations, quick footwork, and better ground tactics. It wasn't an impressive win by any means, but Gono did manage to hurt Kim with strikes on more than one occasion

Gono's post-fight speech was the most startling revelation (All of it was in English):

I have a message for Dan Hornbuckle, though I know he’s not here right now. I have something to say to him that I couldn’t say after we fought, since I was completely knocked unconscious and didn’t come to my senses for four hours. So, tonight, I have a message for him.

So, Dan, first of all, congratulations on your victory against me in August. I think it was a big victory for you, and it was a big, big loss for me… but a good wake-up call.

Thanks to you, I’m completely woke up and have been training much harder than before. Now, I believe myself to be much better than before, much better than when you faced me. So, I want to rematch you. And for that to happen, I want you to win the title on New Year’s Eve, and I’ll keep training hard to be the first challenger for that title. I hope to see you in the ring before the end of next year.
Marlon Sandro made quick work of Yuji Hoshino, who should have probably been a much more game opponent than what the result of the fight suggests. Hoshino was dropped with a right hook from Sandro early in the first round and was finished by another punch during the flurry to end the bout by Sandro. Sandro is quickly becoming a devastating finisher. It would be nice to see him take on Hioki after this battle to truly test him.
Dave Herman defeated "Big" Jim York in impressive, but strange fashion at Sengoku XI. York tried to sink in an Achilles lock during the first round of action, and Herman quickly began stomping downward heel strikes to the chin of York. York went limp during the flurry of heel kicks, ending the fight.
Shigeki Osawa has a ton of potential in his future, but he could compete with the experience and ground tactics of Ronnie Mann. Mann was positionally better on the floor while also trying to work submissions, and he was easily winning the stand-up war when the bout was on the feet. He was even able to takedown Osawa at times during the fight. It wasn't exactly an awe-inspiring performance from Osawa, and he'll hopefully take some tips away from this bout as to what he needs to work on.

Overall thoughts

The event didn't live up to my expectations as a phenomenal card, but some of the battles were fun to watch. Khalidov vs. Santiago would have been a bit more revealing had it lasted a bit longer, but Mamed will surely gain bigger fights from his win over Jorge. While I think a rematch with Jorge would reveal some problems in Mamed's game, it's tough to say whether Khalidov is just that powerful or if he happened to hit the right place and the right time.

From what I've read, Omigawa vs. Hioki had two judges call the fight a draw with the must-decision going to Omigawa from one of them. Most fans don't realize that Sengoku actually scores these bouts under a 10 point must system by round, just like North American promotions. The major difference is 10-10 draw rounds are scored more frequently, and a majority draw must be decided upon by the judges at the end of the fight. In this case, Hioki and Omigawa both received votes as the must-decide winner with the third judge going with Omigawa.

While I could see some of those rounds being tough to judge, I imagine Sengoku is judging some of the striking heavy bouts as K-1 battles. If it's even remotely close, a draw has a good chance of being scored. It's unfortunate because I felt Hioki easily won rounds 1 and 2.

What's Next for Fedor Emelianenko? Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem on the Horizon

Leland Roling — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:48:22 -0000

Following Saturday night's TKO victory over Brett Rogers on CBS, Fedor Emelianenko's stock has surely risen with the North American MMA fanbase. Not only did Fedor deal with the pressures of being the fighter in which M-1 Global and Strikeforce are hinging much of their future upon, but he was able to come through in spectacular fashion with a devastating highlight reel knockout that delivered to the millions of fans watching. With Fedor's stock rising, Strikeforce and M-1 Global should have their sights set on Fedor's next fight once he heals from his injuries.

The easy choice would be Fabricio Werdum. Werdum's winning performance against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva wasn't anything to write home about, but he was able to effectively control Silva on the floor by using his superior jiu-jitsu skills. Silva's striking was his main weapon in damaging Werdum, and he was easily winning exchanges against the former PRIDE fighter when both men were toe-to-toe. The problem for Silva came down to his inability to counter Werdum's tactics on the floor, and he found himself in bad positions constantly. While the strikes Werdum threw on the ground weren't stunning, he was effectively scoring on Silva and wearing him down.

Ideally, Werdum and Fedor will clash in the spring/summer of 2010. It's the perfect match-up for Fedor in that Werdum's stand-up is by far his worst skill. Silva was able to land jabs and combinations, and Fedor's power and quickness will only add to the damage that could be inflicted on Werdum in a stand-up exchange. While Werdum offers a superior technical ground game, Fedor's strength and transition game could easily nullify those abilities on the floor, creating a fight in which Werdum has few ways to win. To make matters worse, Werdum won't have a sizable weight advantage like Rogers had in their battle on Saturday night.

Werdum offers the perfect fight for Strikeforce and M-1 Global to showcase Fedor once again, but Werdum also offers the unattractive option of being a tough man to finish if the battle takes place on the ground for a majority of the bout. This has led to some writers to believe CBS may be hesitant to feature such a fight on their network.

With a successful victory over Werdum, Fedor should be in line to take on the massive Alistair "Megareem" Overeem in late 2010 as a mega-fight that should be a no-brainer for network television. It will likely be one of the toughest fights Fedor will ever undertake in his career as Overeem couples a massive 255-265 pound frame with K-1 level striking and devastating power. Fedor won't have the luxury of throwing powerful combinations with Overeem countering with precision strikes in six-ounce gloves, but Overeem has yet to be tested on the ground in his new muscular frame. It's a truly intriguing match-up that should have every single fan of this sport on the edge of their seats.

Is Overeem a fight that will happen? A lot of writers and fans are skeptical. Overeem's drawing power in Japan is on the rise, and it may be more beneficial for him to remain on the K-1 circuit while being promoted through DREAM shows simultaneously. There is also the issue as to whether Overeem can pass a drug test as many fans believe his muscle growth is completely unnatural and freakish. If we put both of those issues together, Overeem may simply be "talking the talk" right now with no plans to ever step foot on North American soil again.

One thing is certain... Overeem is the only forseeable test for Fedor within Strikeforce. Werdum doesn't strike me as a fight that can test Fedor's skill-set, and I see it as more of a fight in which Werdum will be on the defensive for most of it. Overeem, on the other hand, can offer an offensive striking threat, a powerful submission game, and a ridiculous size advantage all within the confines of the cage. It could be a bout in which Fedor Emelianenko actually stands a good chance of losing, or it could be a battle in which Alistair Overeem's past problems rear their ugly heads once again.

Analyzing Fedor's Performance: Powerful Combinations Lead to Role Reversal

Leland Roling — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:11:15 -0000

Photo via Sherdog

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Saturday evening's Strikeforce main event went as expected for many fans as former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko threw a devastating overhand right that knocked Brett Rogers out at the 1:48 mark of the second round. The post-fight reaction wasn't very forgiving as some fans felt that a second round TKO and the performance of Fedor during the first round of action was a sure sign that Fedor has been "exposed".

The most disturbing negative analysis following Fedor's win focuses solely on the fact that Rogers was able to momentarily maul Fedor against the fence and actually last until the second round. While I would definitely say that Rogers proved he could hang with some of the best heavyweights in the world with his performance, this is a sport in which "punching" and "ground and pound" are always evident in battles. To say that Fedor has been suddenly exposed due to a cut/broken nose and an effective barrage of punches on the floor would be a bit premature at this point.

Rogers did show the world that he can use his size and power to make his showdown with Fedor a very competitive battle. He was able to put Fedor down, land some powerful ground and pound, and press Fedor into the cage and control him at times. His weaknesses on the ground were displayed in the fight, however, and it ultimately led to Fedor being able to escape those bad positions in which he was in some brief danger from Rogers.

Lots of animated gifs and technical fight breakdowns in the full entry.

From a technical standpoint, Fedor Emelianenko's stand-up game has never been that dynamic. He almost never uses kicks, and his striking is usually a combination of quickness coupled with power in the form of vicious overhands. He doesn't have the technical prowess of a world class boxer, nor does he stand and jab with speedy efficiency. Rogers was the better striker as far as mechanics are concerned, but Fedor is one of the only fighters in this sport who can completely nullify those advantages by the attributes in which he's superior: speed and power.

Rogers' best punch was the quick left jab he threw in the first round that caught Fedor flush on the nose, nearly breaking it. Fedor, at the same moment, tried to throw his own left jab to set up a powerful overhand right, but Rogers' landing blow threw off the trajectory of the massive punch just enough for Rogers to escape. While Rogers damaged Fedor in the exchange, it's interesting to note that Rogers wasn't able to string together flurries in the striking department when both men were toe-to-toe due to the fear of being countered by Fedor's heavy hands. Even while being caught on the initial exchange, Fedor went forward with the combination... a tactic that could have paid off if Rogers had tried to throw a right.

The most significant moment of the fight was the flurry of ground and pound that Rogers landed during the first round. Rogers' quickness during the flurry probably left a little power out of the combination of punches, but it was the right call. Fedor has always been very adept at catching arms and pulling off armbars, and throwing heavy overhands while in guard normally doesn't come with great speed. Rogers lands roughly three "on the button" shots during the exchange, but the impressive portion of the exchange is the determination by Fedor to escape.

In classic PRIDE style, Fedor latches onto Rogers' arm during the flurry and immediately transitions to the armbar, a tactic he used against a bulked up Mark Coleman twice while being pounded. Rogers' flurry was much more dangerous than anything Coleman ever landed back in those PRIDE battles, but the technique was virtually the same. Couture vs. Inoue ended in nearly the same fashion as well, and it's a tactic that can not only end a fighter's night quickly -- it can work as an escape from danger.

Does this give us a sense that Fedor has been exposed? Not really. While Rogers landed some powerful shots during the exchange, it ultimately leads me into the territory of discussion where we begin to focus on how well Fedor can do against such large opponents. Rogers was roughly 30 lbs. heavier at weigh-ins, so the ability for larger guys to lean and move Fedor to the floor isn't surprising. It could be a tactic that we'll see in the future from much heavier opponents, but they'll still need to contend with Fedor's tactical ground game and power punching.

As I mentioned early, Fedor's ability to throw combinations with power is a huge danger for his opponents. In the first round, Fedor landed a stunning uppercut during a flurry of blows that backed up Rogers. I'm not immensely interested in the actual combo that Fedor landed as I am by the inability of Rogers to string together strikes. Fedor tried to land the overhand right multiple times while throwing it over the incoming jab. While the strike doesn't land, Rogers immediately knows the hurt is incoming from the left. It completely nullified Rogers' ability to throw any sort of combination in the fight, and it truly gave Fedor a significant edge standing.

The final exchange in which Fedor lands the vicious overhand right that ends the battle was truly an exchange that a studious Fedor had managed to find during the first round of action. Rogers was unable to mix up his strikes, always led with his left hand, and continued to step into his strikes with his left lead leg, almost signaling when punches were coming. Unfortunately for Rogers, he tried to throw a looping left instead of a straight jab during the final exchange.

Would it have mattered? Probably not. Fedor steps, sees Rogers lurching forward, and throws the overhand without any wind-up. It was quick, accurate, and powerful, and it was the product of a learning process from those initial attacks in the first round. The movement of Rogers is nearly identical from earlier exchanges, and Fedor likely dissected those exchanges into what we saw at the end of the fight.

Make all the negative comments you want about his performance being a bit subpar for your liking, but he managed to put Rogers' striking game on ice for most of this fight. With the exception of the stinging jab that caused the bloody mess on Fedor's nose in the first round, Rogers almost never threw combinations of punches. He was mostly on the defensive during exchanges, and he became a guy who had to use his size to his advantage against the fence and on the ground. Fedor created a situation in which the roles had reversed.

Poll

Do you feel that Fedor has been "exposed" following his performance against Brett Rogers?

Strikeforce Preview: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

Leland Roling — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:54:25 -0000

Saturday's main event heavyweight showdown between Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC) and Brett Rogers (10-0) could go down as another easy victory for the indestructible force that is "The Last Emperor", or it could go down as a shocking upset victory and the end of an era of dominance. As with nearly every single fight in which Fedor Emelianenko is involved in these days, the storyline is the same and the tension and pressure falls onto the MMA fanbase. While most of us are eagerly awaiting the battle as anxious onlookers, it's surprising how easily we are now succumbing to the influence of the media into the possibility that this match-up could turn out to be a true upset of a great fighter.

Should we be this anxious? It's an interesting piece of the puzzle to analyze. Years ago during Fedor's PRIDE reign, I felt much more at ease watching Fedor completely crush his competition by way of quick transitioning submission holds, explosive lunging hooks, and pure dominance in the ground and pound game, but those easy feelings that Fedor will simply cruise through his competition have passed despite Fedor's two most recent victories over Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski.

Most fans considered the Sylvia win as a superior fighter feeding on a very one-dimensional giant who had become relatively ineffective. It didn't help Fedor any in that Sylvia went on to lose to professional boxer Ray Mercer, but his bout with Andrei Arlovski only drew more criticism that Fedor's weaknesses were becoming more and more apparent with age.

What many fans seem to forget is just how amazing Fedor Emelianenko is as a fighter. He's one of the first fighters in history to be equally great at nearly all aspects of mixed martial arts. He can grapple both offensively and defensively with some of the best jiu-jitsu fighters in the world while also putting those same world-renowned fighters into serious danger. When he exploded onto the scene in PRIDE, his ground and pound tactics were some of the most brutalizing pieces of footage you could ever show anybody new to MMA, and those fans would sit in amazement and be drawn in.

For a heavyweight, his hand speed and transitioning ability is blazing fast. He's arguably one of the fastest transition fighters on the ground, and while his striking isn't the most technical -- It's quick, accurate, and one of the best masking techniques to work for takedowns. He could also be considered one of the most intelligent fighters in the game today, and he's highly underrated for the determination and conditioning he's shown in past fights.

How could this fight even be considered legitimately close by any fan, you might ask? It truly stems from the power that Brett Rogers has displayed in his short ten-fight career. He's ended all but two fights in the first round via knockout, and he polished off former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski in only 0:22 seconds. That's really where all of the hype ends, but it's an impressive list of wins with a lot of questions that have yet to be answered.

Can Rogers can somehow exploit the weaknesses of Fedor with his hands? Fedor is known to have problems dealing speedy hands as evident in the Arlovski fight, but Rogers doesn't present that kind of speed or technical boxing ability. Fedor could be damaged by the power of Rogers, but that would require some surgical striking with power that will likely end with Fedor gaining a takedown and submitting Rogers.

It's pretty obvious among fans that Rogers' chances in this fight are pretty slim. We haven't seen anything resembling a ground game from him, and he's been matched up against mostly strikers in his short career. Fedor can compete at a high level in both the stand-up and ground game, but his strategy will most likely revolve around a quick initial flurry followed by a takedown. Rogers' best opportunity will be during that initial flurry, but does he have the speed to connect before Fedor's strength put Rogers to the floor?

Of course, that strategy has been something we've talked about in a plethora of match-ups that Fedor has been involved in, and it never works out. Why exactly? Most opponents that Fedor has faced have been humbled by his deceptive strength, speed, and tenacity once the fight begins. Sylvia said that Fedor's punches were the hardest he had ever been hit, and that nobody in the UFC could rival the kind of power he was outputting. The same could be heard from the muscle-ridden wrestlers, proficient strikers, and ground wizards of PRIDE, and I think we'll hear the same from Brett Rogers come Saturday night.

While I think Rogers has a puncher's chance to beat Fedor in the opening moments of this fight, it's a far reach for me to believe he'll be fast enough to catch "The Last Emperor" with a phantom punch that will down the former PRIDE heavyweight champion. Fedor's speed and ground work will ultimately win him this bout inside the first round.

Poll

Are you ballsy enough to pick Brett Rogers?

Fedor Emelianenko

1033 votes

Brett Rogers

396 votes

1429 votes | Poll has closed

Strikeforce Preview: Can Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Jake Shields Steal the Show?

Leland Roling — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:15:52 -0000

While Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers has gained much of the attention from mainstream media and casual fans as the fight to watch on Saturday night, it may not actually end up as the best fight this card produces in the end. The middleweight championship title bout between Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22-6) and Jake Shields (23-4-1) has all the indications of being a true war between two former training partners who are stylistically very well-matched against each other.

Shields will enter this contest riding a twelve-fight win streak with his most recent win coming in June against Robbie Lawler at a catchweight of 182 pounds. Miller has fought twice this year with a first round submission victory over Kala Hose and a No Contest decision at DREAM 9 in which Miller unintentionally landed a soccer kick to Ronaldo Souza's forehead that cut him. Souza could not continue, thus the no contest was ruled.

While Fedor vs. Rogers is intriuging for the simple fact that people want to see if Rogers can bring an end to Fedor's reign, the more likely outcome will be that Fedor demolishes Rogers inside the first round. A surprise outcome would certainly be spectacular, but it's tough to gauge who would win a five-round bout between Jason Miller and Jake Shields, which makes it a fight that hardcore fans are eagerly awaiting.

Shields is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie with an extensive wrestling background and has been working to improve his stand-up with training in kickboxing and Muay Thai. He'll be the favorite when it comes to the grappling department, but Miller is savvy enough to avoid submissions on the floor. He's also a very durable fighter in that he's very tough to finish, and Shields will find it difficult to pound out Miller if he can gain a positional advantage from the top.

There in lies the strategic problem for Shields in this match-up. While he has the grappling acumen to be a real terror, can he actually finish Miller? It's doubtful. After all, Miller survived various submission attempts from one of the best grapplers on paper in MMA in Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and he withstood a dominating beatdown by Georges St. Pierre back at UFC 52 without succumbing to unconsciousness or tapping out.

While many fans would say that Miller is simply a promotional character rather than a real fighter, I'd go against that argument. Miller's entertainment factor is a selling point, but he's one of the hardest fighters to finish in the sport. He has some of the best defensive grappling and pure grit among any fighter in the business, and he's a fairly well-rounded fighter who can work submissions and use his reach within the framework of his solid striking game.

The other factor in this match-up is that this will be a five round fight that Shields will likely have to go five rounds in order to win. Miller will be nearly impossible to submit, and it could be said that Miller has the advantage in the striking department with his reach and experience as well as being a natural middleweight who should be bigger. While Shields continues to improve his striking, it's never been at a high level, and he'll be looking to control Miller on the ground in this bout. Takedown defense will become a key issue for Miller as it's been lacking in past fights, and Shields does combine the aspects of his jiu-jitsu with his wrestling experience. Miller isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to his own takedown abilities however.

As with any match-up, there are x-factors. Both men have trained together before, so they'll know what to expect from each other on the ground and in striking exchanges. There have been reports that Miller is in the best shape of his life and that he really put in the work to come into this fight at a peak. Hopefully, that means the technical aspects of his skill-set have improved as well. If they have, Jason "Mayhem" Miller should be able to pull off the upset in this match-up that should be a pick 'em bout.

Poll

Pick your horse! Mayhem Miller or Jake Shields

Jason "Mayhem" Miller

590 votes

Jake Shields

320 votes

910 votes | Poll has closed

Strikeforce Challengers IV Preview: Showcasing California's MMA Talent Pool

Leland Roling — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:07:47 -0000

Starting our weekend of non-stop action, Strikeforce presents their fourth installment of the Challengers series on Showtime at 8 PM PT/11 PM EST featuring a main event showdown between two touted lightweight fighters that will surely be a war of attrition. The rest of the card is rounded out with a plethora of regional talent from the various camps such as the American Kickboxing Academy and taps into the local talent in the Fresno area as well. It should give fans a real opportunity to see some of the up-and-coming talent that will likely make an impact in the future of Strikeforce.

In the evening's main event, former UFC fighter Jorge Gurgel (13-5) will battle undefeated Strikeforce prospect Billy Evangelista (9-0, 1 NC) in lightweight showdown between a rejuvenated veteran and a rising star. Gurgel enters the contest coming off an unanimous decision victory over Conor Heun at ShoMMA II back in June while Evangelista is coming off a no contest against Mike Aina at ShoMMA I in which Aina was hit with what was perceived as a knee to the head while he was down. Further review after the fight revealed that the knee never actually hit Aina's head, thus the bout was overturned to a no contest.

While Gurgel enjoyed novelty success as a fighter who left everything in the Octagon during his stint in the UFC, most fans would state that Gurgel was a victim of trying to be too fan friendly in the way he fought. Instead of trying to excite fans with an aggressive mentality and a throw-caution-into-the-wind style of fighting, he may have produced more success had he relied on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt abilities versus his kickboxing strategies.

After being released from the UFC following his loss to Aaron Riley at UFC 91, Gurgel moved to Strikeforce and hinted at the possibility that he would move toward a style more suited to his mastery of the ground game. Unfortunately, we didn't see that against Conor Heun. We could easily see more of the same in this match-up as both Gurgel and Evangelista have shown a desire to stand and bang, likely what Strikeforce is banking on in this battle.

This is a fairly tough fight to call if both men are going to bang it out. Evangelista's speed could be a huge advantage, but Gurgel is definitely willing to eat a number of blows to push the pace and damage his opponent. I still think Evangelista's agile footwork could be the difference here.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce Challengers: Evangelista vs. Gurgel

In heavyweight action, rising star Shane Del Rosario (8-0) will make his debut with Strikeforce after a three-fight stint with M-1 Challenge in which he demolished all opponents inside one round of action. He'll be taking on undefeated heavyweight Brandon Cash (5-0), who has equally been impressive in ending bouts in quick fashion. Both men will bring their power into this hard-hitting heavyweight match-up.

It's tough not to pick Del Rosario in this battle. He's faced better competition than Cash, and he's remained much more active this year with three fights while Cash hasn't fought since February. Rosario's striking coupled with his power is going to be a huge roadblock for Cash to wade through, and Rosario has the ability to finish quickly once he hurts his opponents. This should easily be a bout for Strikeforce to showcase Rosario, a guy who could legitimately become a top heavyweight in the promotion in the future.

One of the fights to keep an eye on will be a battle between The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 finalist Jesse Taylor (13-4) and rising prospect and American Kickboxing Academy-trained Luke Rockhold (5-1). Taylor is coming off an unanimous decison loss to Jay Hieron at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, but he managed to rattle off seven straight wins after his loss in the UFC to C.B. Dolloway at UFN 14. Rockhold's most recent win came at ShoMMA II against Cory Devela, who he submitted in only 0:30 seconds.

Taylor's gameplan will likely be to use his wrestling and power to maintain top control and damage Rockhold. While that's a good plan in theory to stop Rockhold's jiu-jitsu and striking ability, I think Rockhold will present a challenge for Taylor in terms of takedown defense. Rockhold trains with some of the best wrestlers in the sport in Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, and he rolls with Jake Shields on a consistent basis. Rockhold should be able to damage Taylor if he can keep this fight standing, but the real question will be whether he can submit Taylor off his back in a worst case scenario dilemna in which Taylor works top control for most of the fight.

Quick Picks

Lightweight bout: Ousmane Thomas Diagne (1-0) vs. Merritt Warren (2-3): Diagne will look to bring his Sanshou style of fighting into the cage against a submission fighter in Warren. Diagne is a student under Cung Le, another Sanshou style fighter who made the transition to MMA. Pick your horse, but I'd bet on Diagne as Warren has been susceptible to being finished quickly.

Women's (135 lbs.) bout: Elisha Helsper (1-0) vs. Zoila Frausto (3-0): I really couldn't tell you too much about either competitor in this match-up. Frausto seems to have more experience, but Helsper is listed in some places as being 6-1 currently. I'll take Helsper in this one, but I'm interested to see what both women bring to the table in the 135 lb. weight class for Strikeforce, especially if they are trying to continue developing a women's division.

Lightweight bout: Ben Holscher (3-0) vs. Johnny Goh (1-2): Local high school teacher and former 2x NCAA Division II National Qualifier wrestler Ben Holscher will once again battle in his backyard as he'll take on another local fighter in Johnny Goh. I'll take Holscher's wrestling experience in this match.

Featherweight bout: Casey Olson (10-3) vs. Chris Culley (4-5): Olson comes out of the same high school as Ben Holscher in Clovis High. He was a two-time All-American and state champion for Fresno City College and two-time NCAA Qualifier for Fresno State in wrestling. He'll bring his very capable ground abilities in against a scrappy fighter in Culley. I'll take the local favorite here in Olson as he has more experience and offers more danger in the submission game on the floor.

Bantamweight bout: Cole Escovedo (13-4) vs. Maurice Eazel (7-10): This will be Escovedo's second fight back after being partially paralyzed by a staph infection back in 2006 that caused him to retire from the sport. After successfully recovering, he's back in the mix of fighting at a new weight of 135 lbs. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu submission expert should have no problems putting Eazel into danger in this scrap.

Welterweight bout: Luke Riddering (2-0) vs. Rico Altamirano (2-2): Riddering had two successful stints within ShoXC in which he won in quick fashion via TKO in the first round in both contests. Riddering is actually one of the only black belts under John Hackelmann (in what? I don't know) as he was one of the first youths to participate in Hackelmann's kids programs nearly a decade ago. Fast forward to present, and he's now the owner of The Pit North along with his wife Christina Riddering, also a MMA fighter. He should be able to make quick work of Altamirano in this contest.

Poll

Who will win? Evangelista or Gurgel?

Jorge Gurgel

309 votes

Billy Evangelista

256 votes

565 votes | Poll has closed

Strikeforce Preview: Can Rameau Sokoudjou Derail Gegard Mousasi's Rise?

Leland Roling — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:30 -0000

In what could turn out to be one of the more lopsided battles on the main card at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix champion and surging light heavyweight prospect Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1) will battle underachieving former UFC and PRIDE veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) in a three-round non-title bout. Sokoudjou is coming off two straight wins within the framework of DREAM's Super Hulk tournament over former K-1 kickboxer Jan Nortje and Japanese MMA icon Bob "The Beast" Sapp. Mousasi enters this contest as unbeaten in thirteen straight bouts with his most recent victory coming at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg in which he dispatched of former RINGS and UFC veteran Renato "Babalu" Sobral in one minute.

Mousasi's kickboxing and amateur boxing background coupled with his Judo and jiu-jitsu training have made him one of the most complete light heavyweights in the world today. At only 24 years of age, he has yet to fully grow into his frame as many expect will happen in the next few years. There is talk that he'll eventually ascend to the heavyweight ranks and fill out his frame with muscle, but for now -- he seems content with gaining more exposure in North America within the structure of Strikeforce with the potential to head to the UFC in the future.

Sokoudjou has his work cut out for him. Mousasi's stoic demeanor, calmness, and ferocity once a fight begins could be compared to that of Fedor Emelianenko in the context of the light heavyweight frame that Mousasi currently embodies. He's managed to finish off eleven of his last thirteen opponents, and he crushed what many consider to be his toughest test in Renato "Babalu" Sobral. Sokoudjou, on the other hand, has continued to have problems following his upset victories over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona at PRIDE 33 and PRIDE 34 respectively.

Most complaints have stemmed from Sokoudjou's reluctance to unleash his hands on opponents, and his grappling game is lacking as he was submitted by both Lyoto Machida and Renato "Babalu" Sobral. While the Cameroon-born judoka could provide a stiff test for Mousasi in a clinch game in which his superior Judo skills could come into play, Mousasi's hands and abilities on the floor are much more polished than that of Sokoudjou.

The Super Hulk appearances by Sokoudjou didn't suggest that we should have any real confidence that he can give Mousasi a challenge, but Sokoudjou's strength and power are always a factor. I'd give him a puncher's chance at connecting with a shot against Mousasi in this battle, but the ground war will be to Mousasi's advantage. Mousasi can outclass Sokoudjou in the stand-up game as well as he seems to be a much more technical puncher than that of Sokoudjou. It just becomes a question as to whether Mousasi wants to risk wading into the power of Sokoudjou's hands or not.

Gegard Mousasi should be able to defeat the former UFC veteran in this non-title contest. Sokoudjou only truly offers a danger in his power in the striking department, and he'll need to overcome his inability to unload his hands in order to punch out Mousasi. While I'm keen on Mousasi, this is still a brutal sport in which upsets do happen. It just so happens that Sokoudjou was the winner in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. Could he pull off another major upset? We'll find out on Saturday night.

Poll

Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Sokoudjou? Pick your horse!

Gegard Mousasi

1383 votes

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

139 votes

1522 votes | Poll has closed