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It’s a busy time for Strikeforce at the moment, so what better time to take another look at one of their most recent events as the Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament continued with Overeem vs. Werdum.

The show began in the heavyweight division with the other Overeem, Valentijn, taking on Chad Griggs.

Overeem tested the waters a little at the beginning with a couple of kicks, but after a clinch against the cage Griggs took the fight to the ground.

Moments later he worked his way out of Overeem’s half guard and went to work with the ground and pound. Overeem turned his back on Griggs, tapping out seconds later as Griggs unloaded with the heavy stuff.

Well, I guess when I saw the name Overeem I was expecting a little more.

More heavyweight action followed as Daniel Cormier faced Jeff Monson.

This was an entertaining three rounder. It was obvious what Cormier’s tactics were as soon as the fight began, and he executed these tactics perfectly, keeping Monson off the mat and engaging in a riveting striking battle.

While Monson seemed content to throw out single jabs Cormier responded more often than not with a series of combinations, rocking his more experienced opponent a number of times. It was a great performance, and as the fight went on Monson began to look more and more like a man who had had over 50 fights.

No surprise with the judges decision as all three gave each and every round to Cormier.

It was down to lightweight for the next fight as K.J. Noons went up against Jorge Masvidal.

This was another intriguing three round affair. Masvidal took control early on with his superior striking, and it wasn’t long before he’d opened up a cut on Noons’ forehead.

The best moment in the first was when Masvidal connected with a big left kick to Noons’ neck, knocking him down to the ground, following him down for some ground and pound, his assault only halted by the end of the round.

As the fight went on the cut on Noons’ head was soon joined by a massive swelling as Masvidal kept up his great work. Noons had a few good moments towards the end of the second round, but like his opponent in the previous round time was against him.

Once again there was no surprise with the decision with every judge giving everything to Masvidal.

Then it was on to the Heavyweight Grand Prix quarter finals, beginning with Josh Barnett taking on Brett Rogers.

After a night of great striking it was time to see some great ground work. Barnett took the action to the ground early on, and it wasn’t long before he took the mount and controlled Rogers for the rest of the round.

It was the same story in the second, with Barnett getting the early take down. But with Rogers visibly tiring Barnett soon applied an arm triangle choke, with Rogers tapping seconds later.

The last quarter final saw Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem facing Fabricio Werdum.

I suppose it had to happen. After four very entertaining fights we had to get a duffer.

From the outset it was obvious how this one was going to play out. Werdum wanted to take the fight to the ground, but Overeem was having none of it, sprawling when Werdum went for the take down, and refusing to follow him down when he was invited.

Later on Werdum’s tactics saw him pulling guard whenever Overeem connected. At first Overeem would simply stand up, but it wasn’t long until he finally decided to join Werdum on the ground.

The only problem was that when they went to the ground nothing much happened, with the only thing of note coming towards the end of the fight when Werdum went for a knee bar, but by then it was too late.

So with the fight going the distance it went down to the judges once again, with all three scoring in favour of Overeem, setting up a semi final with Antonio Silva, a fight he would later pull out of.

In conclusion – when I logged onto Facebook the day after this show quite a few of my friends posted updates saying how disappointed they were with this show, although a few of them used more colourful language, and while I disagree with them with regards to all the show, I must admit that they were spot on with regards to the Overeem/Werdum fight.

But despite that disappointment, this show gets the thumbs up for the four fights that did deliver, and not for the one that probably won’t make Strikeforce’s highlight reel for 2011.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com.

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

–The CBS Strikeforce event did a 2.3 rating on the fast nationals from 9-11 p.m. It finished last among the four networks in the time slot and third among the four MMA events held on CBS. The Fedor fight started after 11 p.m., so isn’t included, so the rating should end up higher including the main event. CBS averages a 4.1 rating in that time slot. They did win the time slot in Males 18-49.

–Right after the show ended last night, in Google trends, Fedor vs. Brett Rogers was No. 3, Fedor himself was No. 19, Jason Miller was No. 21 and Jake Shields was No. 24. However, this morning, all were out of the top 40.

–Emelianenko suffered an injury to his left hand punching Rogers as well as a broken nose on the first punch of the fight.

–On the ESPN crawl this morning, they mentioned last night’s show, but only mentioned Jake Shields beat Mayhem Miller and never mentioned Fedor’s win. Amazing.

–The Chicago Sun Times had last night’s fights with the top banner with a photo and a big article today. (thanks to Matthew Schreiner)

–Newsday on page A73 (not on the web site) did a story noting between last night’s show, UFC 105 and the WEC show on Nov. 18 there are three big events that won’t cost you a penny. They said with those three shows and UFC 106 on PPV, they called it The November to Remember. That has a clever ring to it.

–Sportsnet in Canada will be airing UFC 105 live on Saturday night at 3 p.m. Eastern time as well as on tape delay at 8 p.m. Spike will only air it as a prime time special at 8 p.m. The Countdown show will be tomorrow night at 11 p.m.

–Actor Ed O’Neill (Al Bundy) is on the cover of today’s USA Weekend, the Sunday newspaper supplement in his BJJ garb and talks about his experiences with BJJ

–Action movie “Bad Guys” with Quinton Jackson in a main role comes out next week on DVD (thanks to Anthony Sullivan)

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®.

CBS STATIONS TO BROADCAST ENCORE PRESENTATION OF THE SHOWTIME SERIES “FIGHT CAMP 360°: FEDOR VS. ROGERS ”

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 — As a preview to MMA’s return to broadcast television on CBS this Saturday, Nov. 7 with STRIKEFORCE/M-1 GLOBAL: FEDOR VS. ROGERS (9:00 PM, Live ET/delayed PT), CBS affiliates and owned stations will broadcast an encore presentation of the SHOWTIME series FIGHT CAMP 360°: FEDOR vs. ROGERS  starting today (check local listings for times).  The series offers fight fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the lives of the world’s Number One ranked MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and his opponent, undefeated, American Brett Rogers, who will square off in Saturday night’s primetime main event.

FIGHT CAMP 360°: FEDOR VS. ROGERS  originally premiered on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 9:30 PM ET/PT on SHOWTIME and is now being made available for broadcast on CBS affiliates nationwide.

CBS stations carrying the SHOWTIME special include New York , Los Angeles , Chicago , Philadelphia , Dallas , San Francisco , Boston , Detroit , Minneapolis , Denver and Miami .

STRIKEFORCE/M-1 GLOBAL: FEDOR VS. ROGERS  is being produced by SHOWTIME sports.  The announce team for the four-fight event includes Gus Johnson, Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo.

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

* * * * * * * * TUNE IN ALERT * * * * * * * *
UNDEFEATED STRIKEFORCE MMA STAR BRETT ROGERS TO APPEAR ON LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY TOMORROW/FRIDAY

WHO: Hard-hitting, Unbeaten Brett Rogers
WHAT: Undefeated American powerhouse Brett “The Grim” Rogers will be a guest on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” late night program.  Rogers will face world No. 1 ranked heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko in the main event of the upcoming STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL: Fedor vs. Rogers event LIVE on the CBS Television Network (9 p.m.,  ET/PT) this Saturday, Nov. 7.  The event takes place at Sears Centre Arena in Chicago.

Rogers will discuss his rapid ascension to the top of the MMA heavyweight ranks.  The Minnesota resident will detail his childhood growing up in the projects of Chicago and his transition from working as a tire technician at Sam’s Club to a superstar heavyweight fighter.  The knockout artist, who has scored 10 KO victories in his 10 career professional fights, will be facing his toughest opposition yet in Emelianenko aka “Fedor,” who has dominated the heavyweight ranks for the better part of a decade.

WHERE: “Last Call with Carson Daly” on NBC
WHEN: Tomorrow/Friday, Nov. 6 at 1:35 a.m. ET/PT, 12:35 a.m. CT/MT

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

* * * * * * * * MEDIA TELECONFERENCE ALERT * * * * * * * *

FEDOR EMELIANENKO & BRETT ROGERS TO HOLD MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL MONDAY, NOV. 2 TO DISCUSS “STRIKEFORCE/M-1 GLOBAL:
FEDOR VS. ROGERS ” LIVE ON CBS

WHO:             FEDOR EMELIANENKO, No. 1 ranked MMA heavyweight fighter

BRETT ROGERS, Undefeated American powerhouse

WHEN:           Monday, Nov. 2 at 2:00 PM, ET/ 11:00 AM, PT

WHAT:           Fedor Emelianenko & Brett Rogers to participate in a media conference call to discuss the upcoming “STRIKEFORCE/ M-1 GLOBAL: Fedor vs. Rogers ” event LIVE on Saturday, Nov. 7 on the CBS Television Network (9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT).

ACCESS #:     Toll free: 1-800-214-0694

Passcode: 680038

CONTACTS: CBS Television Network: Mitch Graham, (818) 655-1592, Mitch.Graham@CBS.com

CBS Television Network: Brett Gold, (212) 975-7931, Brett.Gold@cbs.com

SHOWTIME Sports: Chris DeBlasio, (212) 708-1633, Chris.DeBlasio@Showtime.net

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

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

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