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Having recently reviewed Strikeforce’s recent Challengers show it’s now time to take a look at more recent events, the semi-finals of their Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on Primetime here in Britain.

The show began in the lightweight division as Grizzly Redwood tribute act Pat Healy went up against Maximo Blanco.

This proved to be an explosive and at times controversial encounter. The two began by exchanging quick combinations before a leg sweep from Blanco sent Healy down.

But a few moments later when the fight was on the ground and Healy looked like he was going for a heel hook Blanco connected with several kicks to Healy’s head, an illegal move under the unified rules.

Healy was checked over by the doctors and cleared to continue, while Blanco was docked a point for his infraction.

The break seemed to light a fire under Healy. From that moment on he took control of the fight, taking Blanco down and going to work with the ground and pound as the first round came to an end.

He continued his good work into the second, countering Blanco’s superior speed with two more take downs, and after tying up one of Blanco’s arms he locked in a rear naked choke at the second attempt for the submission win.

It was up to light heavyweight for the next fight as King Mo Lawal faced Roger Gracie.

This one featured quite a lengthy feeling out period. In fact it was so lengthy it wasted well into the third minute. They caught each other with the odd punch and kick but apart from that nothing much happened.

That was until King Mo connected with a big right hand that dropped Gracie like the proverbial sack of spuds. Gracie looked out of it before he hit the ground, and the referee wisely stepped in to give Lawal the knockout win.

The only title fight of the show saw Luke Rockhold challenging Jacare Souza for the Middleweight title.

This has to be one of the most competitive fights I’ve seen this year. We were treated to five rounds of non-stop back and forth action, and it was a joy to behold.

Each man had their moments, and there were many of them, and while the majority of the pundits expected this to be a ground battle this was a mainly striking affair. Both men got in their share of kicks and punches, with Rockhold in particular looking very impressive, and not looking like a man who’d been out of the game for nearly two years.

There were a few brief forays to the ground, but most of the grappling came in the form of clinches against the cage, and when the fight came to an end they both looked like they could go another five rounds.

With the fight going the distance it was left to the judges to decide the outcome, with Rockhold taking the unanimous title winning decision. A fantastic fight here.

Then it was on to the Heavyweight World Grand Prix semi-finals, beginning with Antonio Silva against Alistair Overeem’s replacement Daniel Cormier.

To say that Cormier put in a great performance here would be an understatement. While everyone was expecting Bigfoot to take the win it soon began to look like the replacement fighter hadn’t read the script.

As soon as his big right sent Silva down to the mat the fight turned in his direction. The Brazilian was obviously hurt by the blow, and seemed annoyed when Cormier would score with a take down and refuse to follow him down, unwilling to play his game.

Moments later a beautiful combination which was ended with a right uppercut sent Silva down once again. Two hammer fists followed but by then it was all over as the referee stepped in to give Cormier the knockout win.

The second semi-final saw Josh Barnett taking on Sergei Kharitonov.

While the first semi-final was a great striking battle this one saw some dominating ground work from Barnett. After exchanging a few combinations with Kharitonov Barnett took the Russian down to the ground.

The former UFC champ dominated from there. Kharitonov seemed lost as Barnett went to work, and after Kharitonov turned over Barnett took his back, later moving to the side as Kharitonov rolled over so he could apply a head and arm choke for the submission win.

In conclusion – this was another quality show from Scott Coker and his crew. A quality undercard was highlighted by the remarkable Middleweight title fight between Souza and Rockhold, and both of the tournament semi-finals delivered style wise, with Cormier’s knockout win over Silva the highlight of the night for me.

So once again Strikeforce’s recent offering gets the thumbs up. It’s a shame that we’ll have to wait until sometime next year for the tournament finals though!

Don’t forget to check out my website at . Hopefully my nephew will finish the new banner soon!

It’s three-for-one time as I take a look back at the three most recent offerings from Strikeforce, only one of which was shown on television here in Britain. How did I get these shows? Surely you don’t need to ask that this far into the 21st century.

Diaz vs. Cyborg began with light heavyweight action as Trevor Prangley faced Roger Gracie.

After an early feeling out period it wasn’t long before Gracie took control on the ground, securing the mount before taking Prangley’s back and taking advantage of his opponent’s self-confessed “glass neck”, synching in a rear naked choke for the very impressive first round submission win.

It was up to heavyweight for the next fight as Scott Carson went up against Herschel Walker.

A one-sided battle saw Walker go to work after a quick Carson head kick. This was all Walker needed to light his fire as a left from the former American football star sent Carson crashing.

From there it was all Walker as he went to work with the ground and pound. Carson briefly escaped, only to be taken straight back down. More ground and pound followed, and with Carson offering nothing in return it wasn’t long before the referee stepped in to give Walker the TKO win.

The first title fight of the evening saw Jacare Souza defending the Middleweight title against Robbie Lawler.

This was an awesome performance from the champion. Although Lawler managed to get off a few good strikes Souza all but dominated with his excellent ground work.

It was a thing of beauty to watch as Souza seemed able to transition at will, adding in some nice ground and pound and a couple of arm bar attempts in the second.

The end came in the third round when Souza took Lawler’s back and synched in a rear naked choke for the well deserved submission win.

The main event saw Evangelista Cyborg challenging Nick Diaz for the Welterweight title.

This proved to be an enthralling encounter. For nearly two complete rounds these two put on a hell of a striking battle.

It began with Cyborg attacking Diaz’s right leg, following up with some crisp striking. But it wasn’t long before Diaz came back and rocked Cyborg with some great strikes of his own.

And that was how the action played out until the final thirty seconds of round two. Cyborg took the fight to the ground with Diaz quickly attacking his arm and locking in an arm bar for the submission win. Who would have thought it after that great striking battle.

Fedor vs. Silva was a show full of heavyweight action, beginning with K-1 legend Ray Sefo facing Valentin Overeem.

I really wanted old Sugarfoot to win this one, but even though he got off some fast strikes early on it was all over as soon as Overeem took the fight to the ground. A neck crank later and it was all over, Overeem getting the submission win.

Next up was Chadd Griggs as he went up against Gian Villante.

This may not have been technically brilliant but it was great to watch. Both fighters came out swinging, and it wasn’t long before Griggs began to rock Villante with some big shots. Villante managed to get in one big kick, but Griggs’ attack was so relentless he was able to knock Villante down twice, following him down the second time to secure the TKI win.

The next fight saw Shane Del Rosario going up against Lavar Johnson.

A very intriguing back and forth battle saw Johnson get in some good powerful shots early on, but his insistence on taking the fight to the ground played right into Del Rosario’s hands.

Del Rosario soon took the mount and unleashed with the ground and pound before he moved to the side and locked in an arm bar for the submission win.

Then it was on to the World Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament quarter-finals, beginning with Andrei Arlovski against Sergei Kharitonov.

I really wanted Arlovski to win here, but I knew deep down it wasn’t going to be. Arlovski began well with some nice strikes and dirty boxing, but when Kharitonov began to unload with the heavy stuff a right hand sent him crashing. A brief moment of ground and pound followed until the referee wisely stepped in to stop the fight, giving the Russian the big TKO win.

The second quarter-final, and main event, saw Fedor Emelianenko going up against Antonio Silva.

The first fight of the show to make it out of the first round once again showed that the great Russian hope is actually human.

From the moment the fight started Fedor looked very cautious against his much bigger opponent, and he had his moments Silva was more than able to keep up with him.

The second round completely belonged to Silva. As soon as he took Fedor down he controlled the Russian, showing some great transitions and submission attempts.

But it was the ground and pound that did the most damage, his massive fists causing a ton of damage to Fedor’s eye. The Russian’s only real moment of offence came with a knee bar attempt at the end of the round.

The fight was called off soon afterwards when the doctor examined Fedor’s eye, calling the fight off when he deemed him unable to continue, giving Silva the tremendous win.

Strikeforce Challengers 14 began with a catchweight bout, made at 150 pounds, between David Douglas and Nick Gonzalez.

Douglas came into this one with a big height and reach advantage, and he used that to great effect from the start, coming forward early with some nice combinations before sending Gonzalez down with a left.

Douglas quickly followed him down, and a rear naked choke later the submission win was his in just 65 seconds.

It was up to the welterweight division next as Erik Apple faced Ryan Larson.

A great display of grappling by Larson saw him control almost every aspect of the ground fight. Apple’s only offence of note came with a heel hook attempt towards the end of the first round.

Larson continued his dominance in the second round, and after transitioning from position to position he secured the submission win with a triangle choke, just reward for a great display.

Lightweight action in the form of Ryan Couture against Lee Higgins followed.

After an extensive feeling out period this fight didn’t really spring into life until the second round when Couture took control after dropping Higgins with a right. From there he controlled the action on the ground, although Higgins showed some sound defensive skills.

Higgins came back slightly at the start of the third, but Couture soon re-established control, finally securing the submission win in the dying seconds with a rear naked choke.

Another catchweight bout, made at 160 pounds, saw Bryan Travers taking on Carlo Prater.

The blink and you’ll miss it affair of the show. Prater got the quick take down, locked in the d’arce choke, with Travers quickly tapping out after just 38 seconds.

The main event saw Lyle Beerbohm taking on Pat Healy in the lightweight division.

This was an intriguing back and forth affair. Through three rounds both men put on great grappling displays.

The best moment came in the second round when Healy applied a reverse leg triangle while going for a kimura at the same time, something I’ve never seen before.

With the fight going the distance it was down to the judges to render a decision as Healy took the close unanimous win.

In conclusion – this is the first time in ages I’ve reviewed three MMA shows like this, and I was half expecting the odd stinker in here.

But there wasn’t one. Each and every fight on all three shows delivered as we saw great displays of both striking and grappling, as well as a couple of upsets along the way.

So in all these three shows get the big thumbs up from this particular writer. If you haven’t seen them already I recommend that you do.

A little bit later than planned due to health problems (I’ve got an infection in the left side of my jaw! Send get well messages to the usual address), we’re now going to take a look back at the recent Strikeforce/M-1 Global Fedor v Rogers show, shown on Bravo here in Britain on a one day delay. Is the Russian heavyweight really the best MMA fighter in the world?

The show began with heavyweight action, two Brazilians going up against each other with Fabricio Werdum taking on Antonio Silva. This was a great way to start the show. Silva tried to keep the fight upright in the first round, scoring with some good shots as he tried to stay away from Werdum’s ground game. This plan worked well in the first round, but as the fight went on Werdum began to stamp his authority on the fight, taking it to the mat and showing some good ground work. Naturally, the fighters began to tire in the third round, but this didn’t seem to stop their progress, and with the fight going the three round distance, Werdum took the unanimous decision. Nice stuff here, and a very enjoyable fight.

Then it was down to the light heavyweight division, with Gegard Mousasi facing Thierry Sokoudjou. The great fight action continued with this one. Both men looked good in a first round that was fought at a rather frantic pace, and Sokoudjou in particular looked quote impressive. Sadly, the man from Cameroon couldn’t keep his momentum going into the second round, with Mousasi soon getting the win after some good ground and pound work. A nice TKO win for the Dutchman here, but Sokoudjou can also be proud of his efforts in this one.

The third fight saw Jake Shields and Jason Miller fighting it out over the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight title. This was the title that Cung Le recently vacated when he retired, an retirement that hasn’t actually lasted that long, as he’s making a comeback next month. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. We got a tremendous display of ground fighting in this one, as Shields put on a great performance, although his excellent work wasn’t to the liking of the crowd at times, as they rained down a chorus of boos as he went to work. Miller look good as well, but as the fight went on it was obvious that Shields was the better fighter, although he just couldn’t get that final submission move. It really came as no surprise that Shields got the unanimous title winning decision, and although his fighting style wasn’t to everyone’s liking, this was a fine example of how you can get an exciting fight without a big knockout punch of quick submission victory.

The main event saw Russian sensation Fedor Emelianenko facing Brett Rogers. It seemed that everyone thought that Fedor would get a quick and decisive victory in this one, but I guess that Rogers didn’t read the script, especially in the first round when a left hook from the big American bloodied the Russian’s nose. Later on in the round Rogers’ ground and pound almost got him the win, but Fedor eventually escaped, almost getting the win himself with an arm triangle. The decisive moment came in the second, when Fedor’s big right hand sent Rogers crashing down to the ground. A brief moment of ground and pound followed, before the referee quickly stepped in and called a halt to the proceedings, giving Fedor the much anticipated victory, and capping off another fine performance from the Russian.

In conclusion – This is by far the best Strikeforce show I’ve seen, and the best MMA show outside of the UFC I’ve seen this year. Four outstanding fights, and a show that finished on a high note as Fedor got the expected win. But that big question is still waiting to be answered – is Fedor still the best heavyweight fighter of all time? Well, I’m afraid that, for me, this fight didn’t really answer that question. Strikeforce may be giving him a bigger platform, but that question won’t really be answered until he steps in to the UFC cage.

Review courtesy of Julian Radbourne @ www.twoshedsreview.com

MMA RETURNS TO CBS;
FEDOR WINS BY SPECTACULAR TKO

CHICAGO, (Nov. 8, 2009) – Saturday night marked MMA’s return to primetime on CBS featuring the No. 1 MMA fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, against Brett Rogers, in the main event.  The event aired live on the CBS Television Network at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Attendance at the Sears Centre Arena was 11,512 (sellout).

Below are the results for the four broadcast fights:

Fedor Emelianenko, Stary Oskol, Belgorod, Russia, TKO 2 (1:48, strikes) over .Brett Rogers, Minneapolis …

Jake Shields (24-4-1), San Francisco, Calif., won a five-round decision (49-46 twice and 48-47) over Jason “Mayhem” Miller (22-7), of Orange County, Calif.; Shields captures vacant STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight Championship

Gegard Mousasi (30-2-1), Leiden, Netherlands, TKO 2 (3:43, strikes) over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-5), Murrieta, Calif. …

Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1), Marina Del Rey, Calif., won a three-round decision (29-28 three times) over Antonio Silva (13-2), Coconut Creek, Fla. …

Billy Evangelista Defeats Jorge Gurgel, Shane Del Rosario Remains Undefeated At STRIKEFORCE Challengers

Rockhold, Warren and Frausto all winners on SHOWTIME® from the Save Mart Center in   Fresno , Calif.

FRESNO, CALIF. (November, 6, 2009) – One night before the monumental CBS/ STRIKEFORCE/M-1 GLOBAL SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS Fedor vs. Rogers event LIVE on the CBS Television Network, hometown favorite Billy Evangelista defeated Jorge Gurgel via unanimous in the main event of Strikeforce Challengers on Friday night on SHOWTIME.

The two lightweights traded punches from the opening bell until the waning seconds of the first round when Evangelista (10-0) took Gurgel to the mat.  But, in the final 30 seconds of the second round, Gurgel landed a powerful left kick that sent Evangelista to the mat.  Just when it looked as if Gurgel (13-6)  was about to submit get Evangelista with a guillotine choke, the Fresno native was able to escape with just a few tics remaining.

The third round featured some back-and-forth action, and Evangelista won by scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.

”The guy is tough, it was exactly what I expected,” Evangelista said.  “He was very aggressive; I have to take my hat off to him.  He almost had me with the guillotine, but I was able to get out.  It was a great fight, what else can I say?

Gurgel was clearly disappointed with his performance.

“Billy fought a great fight,” Gurgel said after the fight to SHOWTIME MMA expert commentator Stephen Quadros.  “I expected to get booed.  I just wanted to get some respect from the crowd, and I think I got that.”

While Quadros was impressed with Evangelista’s showing, he argued that Gurgel looked great, even in losing.

“It was everything we expected it to be,” Quadros said.  “Evangelista showed a lot of guts in this because he had to fend off the wild hits and submission attempts from Gurgel.  He showed a lot of heart in this fight.

“But, based on his performance, even in this loss, people still want to see Jorge Gurgel.”

In an explosive fight that few thought would go past the first round, Shane Del Rosario (9-0) defeated local favorite Brandon Cash “Money” (5-1) via first round submission in a matchup of two hard-hitting heavyweights.

After getting floored with a sweeping hook from Cash, Del Rosario was in trouble early, taking an onslaught of punches while on the mat.  But, the undefeated prospect was able to get up and turn things around, getting the previously unbeaten Cash into an omoplata and ending things at 2:57 of the first round.

“That was pretty good,” Del Rosario said.  “I knew he was going to come out swinging.  He caught me pretty good, but I bounced back.  I’ve been working on submissions a lot, and I was able to get one here.”

Rising middleweight star Luke Rockhold defeated fellow 185-pound prospect Jesse Taylor via rear naked choke in the first round in the third SHOWTIME televised fight of the evening.   The fight almost immediately went to the mat, with both fighters attempting submissions.  Rockhold (6-1) was able to get Taylor into the rear naked choke, and with Taylor (13-5) refusing to give up and unable to escape, the referee ended the fight at 3:42 of the first round.

“That was by far my toughest opponent, and I rose to the occasion,” Rockhold said.  “I think I proved myself tonight, and I’m ready for whoever they give me next.  I tried to keep the fight standing up, but I trained with a lot of wrestlers and I was ready for it. “

In the quickest fight of the evening, Merritt Warren (5-2) defeated Thomas Diagne (1-1) via heel hook submission.  With both fighters grappling on the mat, Warren got Diagne, who initiated the takedown, in a heel hook, forcing the French San Shou champion to tap out at 3:49 of the first round.

“This guy had crazy kicks, but I was more technically sound,” Warren said.  “I landed some really powerful shots on the floor.  I went for it, he was really slick and I couldn’t get a hold of him, but I got the heel hook and I went for it.”

In a hard fought female MMA match, Fresno native Zoila Frausto (4-0) defeated Elisha Helsper (0-2) via unanimous decision.  Both fighters wanted to stand and trade punches, but the fight turned in Frausto’s favor in the second round when she landed a devastating right leg kick to Helsper’s face.

“My head kick really turned it around for me,” Frausto said.  “I knew she was going to be tough.  She kept coming, but I fought back.  We both wanted to stand there and trade.

“I’ve been working on my kicks forever and I’m just happy I landed it right.”

Also during the telecast, former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le announced that he would return to the ring on the Dec. 19 STRIKEFORCE event on SHOWTIME.

“I’ve been staying in good shape and I’m ready to get back in there for the fans,” Le said.  “I’ll be fighting for Strikeforce on Dec. 19.”

STRIKEFORCE Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

Friday’s fights will re-air on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME 2.  The telecast will also be available On Demand beginning Monday, Nov. 9, and running through Dec. 6.

Saturday, Nov. 7 on CBS, the World’s No. 1 MMA Heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, will face undefeated American powerhouse Brett “The Grim” Rogers on Saturday, Nov. 7 LIVE on CBS Television Network (9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) from Sears Centre Arena in Chicago .

Simply referred to as “Fedor” by fans around the world, the Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport.  He is a master of the Russian military combat system Sambo and boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions.  The 28-year-old Rogers (10-0) is a massive physical specimen standing 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighing 265 pounds.  He possesses two of the heaviest hands in the sport of MMA, an attribute that has helped him knock out all 10 of his professional opponents.

In other broadcast fights, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, also known for hosting of MTV’s hit reality series Bully Beatdown, will face fellow submission specialist Jake Shields for the STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Championship.  STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Gregard Mousasi, who is riding a 13 fight win streak, will face light heavyweight Judo expert Rameau Thierry Sokoudjo in a non-title matchup of two, hard-hitting KO artists.  Plus, heavyweights Antonio “Big Foot” Silva returns to action against Fabricio Werdum.

Complete STRIKEFORCE Challengers Results:

Main Card:
Billy Evangelista def. Jorge Gurgel – Unanimous decision (3 Rounds) (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Shane Del Rosario def. Brandon Cash “Money” – Submission (omoplata) – 1st Round 2:57
Luke Rockhold def Jesse Taylor – Submission (rear naked choke) – 1st Round 3:42
Merritt Warren def. Thomas Diagne – Submission (heel hook) – 1st Round (3:49)
Zoila Frausto def. Elisha Helsper – Unanimous Decision (3 Rounds) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card:
Ben Holscher def Johnny Goh – Unanimous Decision (3 Rounds) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Casey Olson def. Chris Culley – TKO (Punches) – 1st Round (2:36)
Cole Escovido def. Maurice Eazel – TKO (Punches) -1st Round (1: 47)
Rico Altamirano def. Alex Trevino – Unanimous Decision (3 Rounds) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose ’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose .

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

FIGHTERS, EXECS CAN’T WAIT FOR SATURDAY NIGHT TO ARRIVE; FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Thursday, Nov. 5, CBS Channel 2 WBBM, Chicago, Illinois

CHICAGO (Nov. 4, 2009) – The Mixed Martial Arts fighters who will appear on the CBS Television Network this Saturday, Nov. 7 (9 p.m. ET/PT) and executives for Strikeforce and M-1 Global participated in a jam-packed final press conference at CBS Channel 2 WBBM Thursday for “STRIKEFORCE: Fedor vs. Rogers’’ at the Sears Centre.

In the four bouts on the CBS broadcast, the legendary Fedor “The Last Emperor’’ Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC), of Russia, will meet unbeaten, hard-hitting Brett Rogers (10-0) of St. Paul, Minn.; streaking, world-class Jake Shields (23-4-1), of San Francisco, who has won 12 in a row, will be opposed by colorful Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller (22-6), of Orange County, Calif., for the Strikeforce world middleweight belt, Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (29-2-1), of the Netherlands, will put his 13-fight winning streak on the line against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) of Murrieta, Calif., in a non-title scrap; and Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) of Marina Del Rey, Calif., and Antonio “Big Foot” Silva” (13-1), of Coconut Creek, Fla., will clash in a battle of top-notch Brazilian heavyweights.

Tickets, starting at $35, are on sale at the Sears Centre Arena box office (www.searscentre.com), at all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Doors for the live event open at 5:15 p.m. CT. The first non-televised bout begins at 6 o’clock CT.

What the fighters and executive said Thursday:

SCOTT COKER (Strikeforce)
“We are very excited to be here.  We are happy to have fights on CBS and in primetime.  We have a historic night of fights ahead of us.  We have the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, fighting Mr. Brett Rogers.  We also have the Strikeforce middleweight title belt on the line between Mr. Jake Shields and Mr. Mayhem Miller.  It has been an exciting week with Jason!

“When you talk about companies working with partners, you find try to find a partner where the goals are common and aligned in future business plans. With M-1, we have found that to be true.  They have been amazing partners.

“We know Alistair (Overeem) will be fighting in the first quarter of next year.  Depending on the outcome of this fight and the next, we can work on putting a fight together. You see the matchup potential between the winner of the Silva vs. Werdum fight and the winner of the Fedor vs. Rogers fight.  I think it would make sense for those two guys to fight each other in the future depending on how things go.  Then, Alistair can come in later and fight the winner of that fight.  We have some great heavyweight fights upcoming and we are looking forward to promoting them.

“I believe Alistair will be available in the first quarter.  We will get him in the mix as well as some other heavyweights we will announce here in the next week or so.”

“Fedor is the reigning champion (of WAMMA).  I believe that they will honor the fight and that the fighter that wins the fight will get the belt.

“The beauty of this deal is that we get to watch Fedor vs. Rogers on CBS for free.  We can try to get as many millions of eyeballs as we can to drive mixed martial arts forward as a mainstream sport.  We are proud to do that.”

JOOST RAIMOND (M-1 Global):
“We have a huge fight card on the line. It is unprecedented. It is the best fight card we could ever imagine.  With CBS, we have found the greatest outlet ever to bring the great sport on MMA and these great athletes to a huge audience.  I think now the overall U.S. public can enjoy the wonderful event we have on Saturday night at the Sears Centre.

“The partnership with Strikeforce and M-1 Global is tremendously important. We have gotten off to a great start. We have had a lot of media attention for the event. Thanks to Scott Coker for working with M-1. This partnership allows us to bring you the best events possible with the best fighters possible. We have Strikeforce’s Brett Rodgers and M-1 Global’s Fedor Emelianenko as the headliner. We are all in great anticipation of what is going to happen there.

“For us, the American market is extremely important.  In a partner, we look for a company with the same goals.  Synergy is extremely important and what we can bring from both our sides is Strikeforce has an amazing stable of fighters and M-1 Global has a growing stable of fighters with Fedor and Gegard [Mousasi] heading that up. Together we have the additional strength in putting on very good events.  Strikeforce has a great base in the U.S. and we bring international knowledge to the table.”

SERGEI MATVIENKO (M-1)
“We hope that the relationship we are starting now will be very long and beneficial.  As far as we can see, MMA is getting more and more popular all over the world – not only America or Japan.  We hope that the show will be liked by all of the spectators.  I really believe we won’t disappoint anyone that will be watching the show.  Let the strongest win.”

FEDOR

“I watched the fight of Brett against Andrei Arlovski.  I know that Brett is very strong.  He has a very strong knockout punch.  We usually train for all fights in the same way with some slight difference regarding the opponent.  This time we are just doing some corrections regarding the technique of Brett.

“I am certainly planning on performing in the United States. I know for sure I will have two fights next year in the U.S. and then we will see if the contract will work.  Maybe we will sign another contract.

“I never think about how impressive I am.  I just come to the ring to show my techniques and skills.  I want to finish the fight as fast as possible.”

BRETT ROGERS
“I am ready to go.  I have been training real hard.  It has been a long training camp.  I understand who I am fighting, but he is just a man.  I can’t wait.

“Up until this point, I have had to get back to work the next day.  It is a great experience training and focusing on what I have to do come fight night.

“It does feel good to come to Chicago and put on a show in my birthplace.  At the same time, Minnesota would have been good.  My goal is to go out and put on a good show.

“(With two days to go) I just meditate and do what I normally do.  I try not to get stressed. If I get stressed I am going to lose focus on my main goal. I just stay relaxed. Come Saturday morning, I definitely get into that fight mode.  I think about everything that is coming, knock out the butterflies and then after that it is on.  I am in that ball right now and I am ready to explode.  This is the first time coming into a fight that I can just train and fight. I am ready to go.”

JAKE SHIELDS
“I feel great at this weight. I am willing to fight wherever – welterweight, middleweight, wherever. I am just looking for good fights. I think Miller was the fight that makes sense. I am willing to go up in weight. I am not that small. People forget, I cut a lot of weight (to make 170). People make too big of a deal about the weight. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. Win or lose I am ready to fight and I don’t think weight is going to be a factor.

“I fight because I want to keep myself interested in the challenge. If it is not interesting, there’s no point in doing it any more. It is exciting for me to bounce between the weights. Right now I’m worried about going up and staying up, but who knows what the future holds if they find a good opponent in the ‘70s. Right now I am not worried too much about that.  I am just looking at one fight at a time, but it does keep it interesting for me.

“I am taking it one fight at a time, but most likely I’ll take another fight at 185. My weight is up right now and obviously I’m willing to drop back down, but I wouldn’t want to go up and down every other fight.  That makes it difficult. Really, I’m just worried about getting through Miller and see what happens from there.”

JASON “MAYHEM’’ MILLER
“(Referring to Shields’ winning streak) All good things come to an end.  It is an amazing streak that Shields has put together.  I am proud to be guy standing across the cage from him on Saturday night.

“I don’ think I’m going too overboard [in the spotlight]. My goal is to provide entertainment for the CBS viewers. If they just want to watch a bar fight they can go to their local brew house. I am going to try to perform so that everybody is talking – that includes walking to the stage, and all the way to the post-fight press conference.

“I think people think because I am on TV every minute that I am standing in front of a camera every minute.  Honestly, Bully Beatdown takes about two weeks to film and then they just replay it nonstop.  Everyone thinks I live inside the box in their living room.  It is not true.  I actually walk around and do things outside of that.

“As far as marketing goes, you stick me in front of a camera and a microphone and I am going to blah, blah, blah and hopefully you are going to either want to watch me get me teeth knocked out or knock somebody’s head off.  Part of my job is standing in a cage and beating somebody up, but the other part of my job is to make sure that you care about the fact that I am going to do it.”

GEGARD MOUSASI
“Every time you win, people expect more of you. There is some pressure, but I feel like I have good people around me that keep me focused.  It is a very good fight for me and I am well trained so, God willing, it will be a good night.

“It is huge exposure for us fighting on CBS.  It is a great card.  I think any fight could have been on the main card, so I am concentrating on winning and doing my part.  It is a big deal.

“I will try to finish the fight, but every fight is different.  Sometimes you can finish the fight quickly, other times not. I don’t really care. I just want to win if it is decision or submission or anything. I’m just going to do my best to win.”

RAMEAU THIERRY SOKOUDJOU
“I believe he got injured during a fight, so I am looking forward to fighting him now. This is a great opportunity for all of us. I know this will not be an easy fight. No fights are.

“But I am here to give my best. When it is over, Mousasi will know he will have been in a very hard fight for both of us.’’

FABRICIO WERDUM
“I am very happy to be here. This is a great opportunity for me.  I think the Mike Kyle fight was hard, but I’m ready for all fighters.  I have trained a lot and have trained with the best fighters and coaches in the world.  My focus now is on this big fight. After that, my goal would be to fight Fedor or Rogers.

“But I know I can’t look ahead. For me, the future is Saturday.’’

ANTONIO SILVA
“It has been a while since I have fought in the States.  It’s great to be part of a card that includes fighters like Fedor and Brett Rogers. I’ve come to seek what I think is mine. I will be working very hard for that.”

“Werdum is a fighter of many qualities. He’s fought in many events. He has strengths and weaknesses. I’ve been training very hard in Jiu-Jitsu and standing up with my coach. I just came out of a fight in Japan and have been fighting ever since. It is do or die.  It is a big fight and it is very important.  I have come and I am ready to lay it down.”

CONTACT:  STRIKEFORCE: Mike Afromowitz, (917) 566-8754, mafromowitz@strikeforce.com
CBS Television Network, Mitch Graham, (818) 655-1592, Mitch.Graham@CBS.com
SHOWTIME Sports: Chris DeBlasio, (212) 708-1633, Chris.DeBlasio@Showtime.net
SHOWTIME Sports: Annie Van Tornhout, (212) 708-1663, Anne.VanTornhout@Showtime.net
M-1 Global: Jacob Schaap, 31 646 722 019, Jacob.schaap@m-1global.com
Sears Centre: Julie Avis, (847) 649-2230, Julie.Avis@searscentre.com
Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.: John Beyrooty, (562) 233-7477, Johnnybey@aol.com

* * * * * * * * WEIGH IN ALERT * * * * * * * *

FEDOR, BRETT ROGERS, “MAYHEM” MILLER, JAKE SHIELDS AND ALL THE FIGHTERS TO WEIGH IN; PUBLIC INVITED TO ATTEND

Friday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. CT (Doors Open at 4) at Sears Centre

WHO: MMA Superstar & World’s Universally Recognized No. 1 Heavyweight FEDOR
Unbeaten American Powerhouse BRETT ROGERS
Exciting Submission Expert JASON “MAYHEM” MILLER
World-Ranked Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt JAKE SHIELDS
STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion GEGARD MOUSASI
Light heavyweight Judo Expert RAMEAU THIERRY SOKOUDJOU
Heavyweight KO Artist ANTONIO “BIG FOOT” SILVA
Brazilian Heavyweight Submission Expert FABRICIO WERDUM
& All the local and undercard fighters

WHAT: The athletes will participate in the final weigh in on Friday, Nov. 6, just one day prior to the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: “Fedor vs. Rogers ” event LIVE on Saturday, Nov. 7 on CBS Television Network (9 p.m., live ET/delayed PT) from Sears Centre Arena in Chicago .

Simply referred to as “Fedor” by fans around the world, the Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport.  The Russian military combat Sambo specialist boasts a record of 30-1, 1 No-Contest with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions.  The 28-year-old Rogers (10-0) is a massive physical specimen standing 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighing 265 pounds.  He possesses two of the heaviest hands in the sport of MMA, an attribute that has helped him knock out all 10 of his professional opponents.

Mousasi, the STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champ who is on a 13-fight win streak, will face Sokoudjou in a non-title matchup of two, hard-hitting KO artists.  Miller, a submission expert and host of MTV’s smash-hit reality series Bully Beatdown, will face fellow submission specialist Shields for the Strikeforce world middleweight title.  Silva and Werdum, two talented Brazilian heavyweights, will square off in a dangerous matchup between a submission expert (Werdum) and a brutal KO artist (Silva).

Tickets, starting at $35, are still available at the Sears Centre Arena box office (www.searscentre.com) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

WHERE: Sears Centre Arena – Main Concourse
5333 Prairie Stone Parkway
Hoffman Estates, IL 60192

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 6, 4 p.m. CT.

CONTACT:    STRIKEFORCE: Mike Afromowitz, (917) 566-8754, mafromowitz@strikeforce.com

M-1 Global: Jacob Schaap, (31 646 722 019, Jacob.schaap@m-1global.com

Sears Centre: Julie Avis, (847) 649-2230, Julie.Avis@searscentre.com

Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.: John Beyrooty, (562) 233-7477, Johnnybey@aol.com

FEDOR, GEGARD MOUSASI, “MAYHEM” MILLER, FABRICIO WERDUM, ANTONIO “BIG FOOT’’ SILVA WORKOUT QUOTES

Wednesday, Nov. 4, POW Kickboxing Gym, Chicago, Illinois

CHICAGO (Nov. 4, 2009) – The famed Fedor “The Last Emperor’’ Emelianenko, Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi, colorful, flamboyant Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller and heavyweights Fabricio Werdum and Antonio “Big Foot” Silva” participated in a media workout Wednesday at POW Kickboxing.

In three days, on Saturday, Nov. 7, the talented Mixed Martial Arts fighters will be featured on a fight card at the Sears Centre on the CBS Television Network (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Fedor (30-1, 1 NC), of Russia, will be opposed by undefeated, hard-hitting Brett Rogers (10-0) of St. Paul, Minn., in the main event.

Mousasi (29-2-1), of the Netherlands, will put his 13-fight winning streak on the line against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) of Murrieta, Calif., in a non-title scrap; Miller (22-6) of Orange County, Calif., will take on a winner of 12 in a row, Jake Shields (23-4-1), of San Francisco, for the Strikeforce world middleweight belt; and Werdum (12-4-1), of Marina Del Rey, Calif., and Silva (13-1), of Coconut Creek, Fla., will clash in a battle of highly regarded Brazilian heavyweights in the other CBS matchups.

Tickets, starting at $35, are on sale at the Sears Centre Arena box office (www.searscentre.com), at all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com). Doors for the live event open at 5:15 p.m. CT. The first non-televised bout begins at 6 o’clock CT.

What the fighters had to say Wednesday:

FEDOR
“I am always amazed at the reaction I get in cities in the United States and it gives me a good feeling. I appreciate it very much. It only makes me want to give a better performance.

“I am really happy to be in Chicago and I have enjoyed my time here.

“This is going to be a good fight. Brett Rogers is good opponent who is undefeated. Fighting in a cage will be different, but I have trained in a cage before.’’

GEGARD MOUSASI
“I feel good and I am happy to be part of such a great card. The exposure we will get for ourselves and the sport of MMA will be tremendous on Saturday night.

“My opponent is very dangerous and I expect a very difficult fight. He has lost a couple fights but they were to good fighters, so there may be some people who are underestimating him. But I am not.

“This fight will last longer than my last one, which I was actually hoping would last longer. But I don’t think there is any way this will go the distance.’’

JASON “MAYHEM’’ MILLER
“I think it’s funny how some people are underestimating me. I’m shocked at the odds. I should be the favorite. But oddsmakers’ jobs are to make money and to get action.

“I’m going to turn this into a brawl. I’m not interested in turning it into a hugging contest, which is what he may do. I want to keep the fight at a fast pace, while I think Jake will want to slow it down and grind it out.

“It’s possible, if I have my way, and Shields does his part, that we will have the fight of the night.’’

FABRICIO WERDUM
“I have prepared very hard for a good fight and that’s what I expect. I think this fight will have a little bit of everything. He’s a very strong opponent and has lost only once.

“I want to fight the best, but my focus is always on my next fight. So, right now, my concentration is totally on Silva. I have to win Saturday so I can continue to do what I want to do.’’

ANTONIO “BIG FOOT’’ SILVA
“I am very happy to be fighting again in the United States against a very worthy opponent on CBS.

“I had a fight in late September, but that only lasted one round (3:51). But I trained very hard before that and I trained very hard after it. I’ve been training daily for about four straight months.

“There was a time, in the beginning, after I was told I couldn’t fight, that I actually doubted that I’d be able to fight again. But as time went on, and things progressed and everything was solved, I became more confident.

“Still, it was a huge relief when I was told I could fight again.

“I am ready for Saturday and prepared for anything he has to offer and ready to go anywhere the fight goes.’’

CONTACT:   STRIKEFORCE: Mike Afromowitz, (917) 566-8754, mafromowitz@strikeforce.com
CBS Television Network, Mitch Graham, (818) 655-1592, Mitch.Graham@CBS.com
SHOWTIME Sports: Chris DeBlasio, (212) 708-1633, Chris.DeBlasio@Showtime.net
SHOWTIME Sports: Annie Van Tornhout, (212) 708-1663, Anne.VanTornhout@Showtime.net
M-1 Global: Jacob Schaap, 31 646 722 019, Jacob.schaap@m-1global.com
Sears Centre: Julie Avis, (847) 649-2230, Julie.Avis@searscentre.com
Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.: John Beyrooty, (562) 233-7477, Johnnybey@aol.com

PRIMETIME MMA FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED FOR “CBS/STRIKEFORCE/M-1 GLOBAL SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS” SATURDAY, NOV. 7 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Fedor Emelianenko, the #1 Ranked MMA Heavyweight in the World, To Be Seen for the First Time by a Broadcast Television Audience, Squares Off Against Undefeated American Brett Rogers

Middleweights Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem” Miller Battle for the Recently Vacated Strikeforce Middleweight Title; Gegard Mousasi and Heavyweight Fabricio Werdum Will Also Appear on the Four-Fight Primetime Card

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9 — CBS, Strikeforce, M-1 Global today officially announced the fight card for mixed martial arts’ (MMA) return to primetime with CBS/ STRIKEFORCE/M-1 GLOBAL SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

“We’re looking forward to delivering an explosive night of world class MMA action on CBS,” said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of Strikeforce.  “We have the world’s # 1 fighter, Fedor, making his network primetime debut against an undefeated powerhouse in Brett Rogers and, with the stars lined up for the remainder of the card, it is bound to be an exciting night of television.”

The following four primetime matchups are confirmed for CBS/ STRIKEFORCE/ M-1 GLOBAL SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS on Nov. 7:

* Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko vs. Brett “The Grim” Rogers
*   Jake Shields vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (Middleweight Title Fight)
* Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry “The African Assassin” Sokoudjo
*  Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum vs. Antonio “Big Foot” Silva

(All bouts are pending approval by the Illinois Athletic Commission.)

FEDOR “THE LAST EMPEROR” EMELIANENKO vs. BRETT “THE GRIM” ROGERS :

Simply referred to as “Fedor” by fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235-pound Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport.  A master of the Russian military combat system, Sambo, he boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions.  His opponent, undefeated American, 28-year-old Brett Rogers (10-0) stands 6-feet, 5-inches tall, weighs 265 pounds and brings two of the heaviest hands in the sport to the cage.  Both Fedor and Rogers ’ last victories came against former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

JAKE SHIELDS vs. JASON “MAYHEM” MILLER

In the night’s middleweight title fight (185 pounds), Jake Shields (23-4-1) squares off against Jason “Mayhem” Miller (22-6).  Shields, widely considered one of the best fighters in the world, brings an impressive 12-fight win streak to the cage, six of his last seven coming by way of first round submission.  Most recently, he defeated world-ranked middleweight “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in his Strikeforce debut on June 6.  His opponent, Miller, a fellow submission expert, is one of MMA’s most exciting fighters.  The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai specialist is the host of MTV’s reality series “Bully Beatdown” and trains with two of the sport’s most recognizable fighters, Randy “The Natural” Couture and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson . He currently has 13 submission victories on his resume.

GEGARD “THE DREAMCATCHER” MOUSASI vs. RAMEAU THIERRY “THE AFRICAN ASSASSIN” SOKOUDJOU

Gegard Mousasi and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou will face one another in the night’s light heavyweight (205 pounds) bout.  Mousasi (26-2-1) of Leiden , Netherlands , recently scored his 13th consecutive victory on August 15, 2009 by winning his US debut and the Strikeforce light heavyweight title in a first round victory over defending champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral on SHOWTIME®.  Sokoudjou (7-4), known to his fans as “The African Assassin,” has scored six of his seven wins by knockouts and brings an impressive striking game to the cage.

FABRICIO “VAI CAVALO” WERDUM vs. ANTONIO “JUNIOR” SILVA

Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum will face Antonio “Junior” Silva in a matchup of two promising Brazilian heavyweights.  Werdum is a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and a submission expert while Silva has nine KOs in his 13 victories.  Werdum, a former PRIDE and UFC standout, is coming off an impressive first round submission victory in his Strikeforce debut on Aug. 15 over veteran Mike Kyle.  Silva, a fellow 6-foot-4 Brazilian, will be making his Strikeforce debut after compiling a remarkable 13-1 record since he turned pro in 2005.

SHOWTIME Sports will produce the four-fight event with host Gus Johnson calling the action and MMA legend Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo serving as color analysts.  The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose ‘s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold out record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose .

About M-1 Global

M-1 Global (www.m-1global.com) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995.  Billed as the “World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts,” the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 90 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States , the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge’s international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as STRIKEFORCE.