While I enjoyed the card and was certainly entertained by it (and also feel that Strikeforce has proven that women’s MMA is here to stay), I’d also like to see Strikeforce begin to aim for more consistency with its shows and a more discernible order to its weight classes. By this I mean that I hope that even as the San Jose-based company’s roster grows and even as we are treated to the debuts of the likes of Melvin Manhoef and Herschel Walker that we also see the other fighters on the roster in a regular rotation. One thing I’ve come to realize with the UFC is that part of its success has included making fans familiar with its top fighters.

So, even though UFC 109 next weekend doesn’t really have any A+ caliber-fights, the card does have a number of fights, especially on the dark card, that will attract hardcore eyes because they involve fighters we are all familiar with and have watched fight a number of times. Those bouts allow us to follow the progress of certain fighters as they work their way up (or down) the ladder.

While Strikeforce has proven it can build very good cards with spectacular fights, now I need to see more than one-off contests. I would like to see more established pecking orders within each weight class and an attempt, especially at light heavyweight and welterweight, to fill out the classes, including up-and-coming fighters into the mix. In other words, I think Strikeforce has to begin working on an overarching storyline that threads all these disparate events together. Right now, each event stands up very well on its own but in totality I don’t necessarily see a connection that would help tell a story about a given fighter or a given weight class.

I have no doubt Scott Coker and Co. are working on this very thing (and don’t forget how young Strikeforce MMA is.) Regardless, I’m very impressed with where the promotion is headed, especially given its Showtime and CBS affiliations and the constant improvement of its roster.

On to my thoughts about the night.

Give Bobby Lashley Time

Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims

The one thing about critics is you can’t win with them, no matter what you do. When Brock Lesnar skyrocketed up the UFC heavyweight ranks, some thought he was being given opportunities he didn’t deserve and needed to be brought up more slowly. Now, with a fellow WWE performer and collegiate wrestler, Bobby Lashley, we are seeing the opposite. Some critics believe Lashley is coming up the ranks too slowly.

I disagree with this assessment. Lashley is currently only five fights into his professional career. While he hasn’t yet stepped into the deep end of the pool, I think that fact shows a remarkable self-awareness and the enactment of an appropriate plan by Lashley. He knows what his limits are as a fighter right now and is simply trying to gain experience that will make him better. Is his list of opponents necessarily impressive? Maybe not. But, let’s not discount it so readily either.

The latest foe Lashley discarded Saturday night — Wes Sims — is a UFC veteran who has fought the likes of Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir. Sims also sports over 20 MMA victories in his career. Against Lashley, he posed a unique challenge with his extraordinary height.

Ultimately, Lashley did what he needed to do and did so quickly. He used his wrestling to take the fight to the ground before pounding Sims out.

As long as Lashley continues to improve his game (especially in stand-up and submission grappling) and as long as Strikeforce gives him progressively more difficult and more accomplished opponents I’m fine with his career trajectory. I’m sure Lashley understands that one day he will lose. Even Fedor has a blemish on his record, deserved or not. I don’t think Lashley is somehow running away from a loss. Instead, I think he’s trying to create a strong foundation for a long MMA career.

Herschel Walker’s Debut a Success

Herschel Walker vs. Greg Nagy

Everyone connected to Herschel Walker’s pro MMA debut — American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Strikeforce, the regulatory bodies, and Walker himself — deserves kudos for Walker’s performance Saturday night. Walker, a man I consider an athletic genius who has excelled in a number of demanding physical endeavors throughout his life, came into the event looking absolutely phenomenal (just ask my wife, who had no problem openly ogling the 47-year-old.)

But, what impressed me more was Walker’s apparent understanding of some MMA fundamentals as he took Nagy down, achieved superior ground position and even escaped a submission attempt or two. His conditioning appeared to be superb and his humility was refreshing. Walker brings a team-based ethos to MMA, unwilling to take sole credit for his accomplishments but rather giving thanks to his teammates and sparring partners at AKA.

The regulatory body and Strikeforce deserve credit for giving Walker a respectable opponent in the form of Greg Nagy, who had two pro fights entering this card. Nagy clearly has some skills on the ground and fantastic flexibility but on this night Walker’s superior strength and athleticism was the key. It was a fair first test, and Walker passed for sure.

While Walker wouldn’t guarantee another fight in his post-fight interview, I certainly hope we see him in the cage again. Win or lose, he’s proven he belongs in the sport.

Lawler Proves One-Punch Power

Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef

The rest of the Showtime card featured top-notch bouts between high quality opponents. The first such fight pitted middleweights Robbie Lawler and Melvin Manhoef in a stand-up war that didn’t disappoint. Manhoef controlled much of the fight by repeatedly kicking Lawler all over his body and mostly his legs (much like one might do to a soccer ball), leading Lawler to limp out of the cage. But, even as Manhoef gained confidence and pushed the attack, Lawler was never truly out of it.

And the HIT Squad fighter proved as much by taking advantage of Manhoef’s tendency to drop his hands in pursuit. Lawler rocked the Dutchman with an overhand right and followed up with two shots on the ground that left Manhoef stiff as the fight ended.

It was a remarkable display by both men in what is easily Strikeforce’s deepest and most compelling weight class. While I’d like to see current 185 lb. champ Jake Shields fight Dan Henderson next, I’d also like to see Lawler face another comeback kid, Scott Smith, for a third time to face the winner of that title fight.

Manhoef is a welcome addition to the Strikeforce ranks and joins men like Jason “Mayhem” Miller who’ve made their names in Japan. Let’s hope we see much more from him Stateside.

 ”Cyborg” Asserts Herself at the Top of Women’s 145 lb Class

Cris Cyborg vs. Marloes Coenen

While mainstream fans may have been convinced about Cristiane Santos’ ability by her previous victory over Gina Carano to capture the Strikeforce title, hardcore MMA fans knew that there were other, maybe more able, opponents lurking at 145 pounds. Holland’s Marloes Coenen was one of them. Quite capable on the ground, Coenen also represented a near physical match for the Brazilian.

But, one thing became clear early even as Coenen surprisingly stood her ground standing up — “Cyborg” is simply too explosive for most of her opponents. On this night she used this fast-twitch ability to pressure Coenen on their feet, but even so did most of her damage with forceful takedowns and unrelenting ground-and-pound that eventually subdued the game Dutchwoman in the third round.

Coenen proved she was good enough to not get knocked out and to last three rounds with “Cyborg” but not good enough to mount any real offensive attack that would threaten Santos. What was especially surprising was how little Coenen could do on the ground.

The legend of “Cyborg” continues to grow. Now, the question is, who does Strikeforce have lined up for her next? And, for Coenen, why not pit her against Carano in a battle of Santos’ last two vanquished foes?

 Diaz Impresses with Hands

Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis

Whatever you think of Nick Diaz, you have to admit the man from Stockton can fight. Against Marius Zaromskis – the Dream welterweight tourney winner –Diaz proved once again that despite his Cesar Gracie BJJ pedigree, he needs to be taken seriously as a boxer, too.

While Diaz doesn’t necessarily hurt opponents with a single punch, he peppers them over and over, accurately reaching his target and finally putting them away via an accumulation of blows. Diaz won the Strikeforce welterweight belt against Zaromskis, withstanding kicks to assert himself, in much this manner. Diaz seemed calm and collected as he picked apart Zaromskis in impressive fashion.

And, it seems to me that welterweight may be a good weight for Diaz, who has fought at lightweight all the way up to middleweight in recent years. Diaz showed his length against Zaromskis, who was constantly out of range during the bout, while also showing some power with his punches. He also used his smarts to recover from an early blow that knocked him to the ground.

The amazing thing about Diaz is that in winning his last six fights in a row, he has relied quite a bit on his boxing, which continues to mature in devastating fashion. This has to be scary news for future opponents, who certainly know that Diaz is perhaps even more prolific on the ground.

While a bout against newly-signed foe KJ Noons would be nice (though that would probably have to take place at a catchweight), other options in a relatively weak Strikeforce welterweight division include Jay Hieron, who also won in Miami. Of course, a bout against fellow Cesar Gracie pupil and 185 pound champ Shields would be tantalizing but will probably never happen, given that they train together.

In the meantime, Diaz needs to be included in pound-for-pound rankings discussions and maybe, just maybe, also included in fantasy bout discussions involving UFC 170 pound champ Georges St. Pierre.

(All photos courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.)

While I don’t necessarily agree with Gross’ solution (and quite frankly, that point is secondary), I do agree with him that MMA is at a crossroads and that Strikeforce has the legitimate potential to not only be a solid #2 but even become the new Pride to UFC’s juggernaut — in other words a possible equal to the UFC. After all, Strikeforce has continuously improved its roster in recent months and has big-time exposure in the form of Showtime and CBS.

If Strikeforce does realize its potential, then the reality is neither a UFC title nor a Strikeforce title will be meaningful because the MMA talent pool will be divided between the two promotions. If, as Gross believes, the goal of MMA is to determine who the best fighters are, the only way to resolve the dilemma posed by two strong promotions is with co-promoted fights.

Rather than using tournaments, which I believe would add a logistic hurdle that doesn’t make sense, what I propose is an annual Super Bowl of MMA (much like the one Dana White posited as an idea when Zuffa bought Pride.) This Super Bowl of MMA would take place the Saturday night before American football’s Super Bowl.

This proposal carries with it a number of advantages. For one, the co-promotional event would only take place on one night, which means that fighters would be fighting outside their respective promotions only once a year. This is certainly a palatable compromise in the spirit of determining the best of the best. Second, the night before the real Super Bowl has already been established by the UFC as a major night for MMA so re-orienting or educating fans would not be an issue. Third, only two promotions — the UFC and Strikeforce — would be involved in such an event meaning negotiations would be fairly straightforward (Gross’ idea was to involve fighters from all the major promotions throughout the world which I think is currently too ambitious.) Fourth, the event would serve to strengthen both promotions and would also give both promotions leverage as they attempt to negotiate favorable television deals. Strikeforce would bring to the table its relationships with CBS and Showtime, while the UFC would bring its own relationships with Spike TV, Versus, as well as strong pay-per-view numbers. The promotions would certainly be in the position of power at the negotiating table and maybe, just maybe, another network or even ESPN would step in to televise this yearly event.

As fans know, the major sticking point in getting such a proposal to become a reality is Zuffa. And, who can blame White and the Fertittas for their aversion to co-promotion? What’s the incentive for the acknowledged world’s top MMA promotion to share the spotlight with another promotion? Well, hopefully the following five fights we most likely won’t see this coming year — fights that I believe could help take the sport to the next level in a Super Bowl-type event — should give the powers-that-be the motivation to work together.

Heavyweight: Brock Lesnar (UFC) vs. Fedor Emelianenko (Strikeforce)

 This fight alone would be enough to attract fans in droves. There are no fighters in MMA more intriguing than Lesnar and Emelianenko. While Lesnar is reportedly on the mend from what sounds like a very serious illness and will apparently be defending his UFC belt in the not-too-distant future, Emelianenko continues to show fans in the US why he is widely considered the top fighter of the past decade. While all parties involved missed the boat on another potentially epic heavyweight bout a few years ago between Randy Couture and Emelianenko, it would be a shame if MMA fans weren’t treated to a match between the super-athletic and charismatic behemoth Lesnar against the cerebral, quick, and reclusive Emelianenko. 

Light Heavyweight: Lyoto Machida (UFC) vs. Gegard Mousasi (Strikeforce)

Sure, Machida struggled against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his last bout and many observers felt he lost that fight, but the reality is that Machida did something that’s been a rare feat in recent years — he actually successfully defended the UFC light heavyweight belt. I believe Machida has learned from his mistakes from that first fight and will extend his unbeaten record when he rematches Rua, who has regained his once-dominant Pride form, later this year.

Of all the Super Bowl bouts I’m suggesting, one could argue that this is the least appealing. Not because Mousasi isn’t one of the top 205 lb-ers in the sport but because the UFC essentially has most of the top fighters in this weight class locked up. In other words, the belt that Mousasi holds doesn’t have quite the meaning as the one Machida holds. Regardless, Mousasi has shown fans enough in his two very convincing Strikeforce victories to make this a worthy contest. And, don’t underestimate the man who counts Fedor as a training partner.

Middleweight: Anderson Silva (UFC) vs. Dan Henderson (Strikeforce)

If Strikeforce has one division that rivals or surpasses that of the UFC, it’s the San Jose-based promotion’s middleweight division. The promotion’s current champ at 185 pounds is Jake Shields, which may make my pick a bit confusing. While Shields has proven to be a very worthy 185 pound champ, I believe his true prowess is at welterweight. With that said, I also believe that the newly-signed Henderson will eventually become the promotion’s middleweight champ.

A bout against Silva would be the realization of a goal Henderson has had to rematch the man he lost to just about two years ago. Most MMA fans probably thought Henderson would get that opportunity after his knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100. Alas, that was not to be as his UFC contract expired and the fighter and the promotion both decided to move on.

Anderson, on the other hand, hasn’t faced much of a challenge in recent bouts as he’s bounced from middleweight to light heavyweight, but he is next scheduled to fight Vitor Belfort while fighters such as Nate Marquardt and Wanderlei Silva wait for their opportunities (for Marquardt, the fight would be a rematch.) Still, no fighter has put Silva quite on the brink of defeat like Henderson and with very few challenges for the Brazilian at middleweight, who wouldn’t welcome a reprise of their UFC 82 bout?

Welterweight: Georges St. Pierre (UFC) vs. Jake Shields (Strikeforce)

Georges St. Pierre faces a similar dilemma as Anderson Silva — he’s convincingly dispatched of the rest of the division and now has to wonder where his next true challenge will be. Some have openly discussed a move up to 185 pounds, with hopes that such a move, even if temporary, would result in a super-fight against A. Silva. For now, however, GSP faces Dan Hardy at 170 pounds, and while Hardy is certainly no slouch, it’s difficult to see the Brit doing anymore than previously vanquished UFC welterweight title contenders.

Enter Jake Shields. Shields first became welterweight champ in the now-defunct EliteXC. When he moved over to Strikeforce, he decided to fight at 185 pounds. And while he’s certainly big enough and skilled enough to be one of the best at either weight, his wrestling and BJJ skills along with his size make him a formidable matchup at 170 pounds. If Shields has one weakness, it’s his stand-up game and I have a feeling that at middleweight, this relative weakness would be exposed by the likes of all-around studs like Henderson or Marquardt, let alone Anderson Silva.

Of course, what complicates this scenario is that Shields’ stablemate Nick Diaz is fighting for the now-vacant Strikeforce welterweight title against Marius Zaromskis later this month. If Diaz were to win the belt, I’d have to imagine Shields would be hesitant to fight his fellow Cesar Gracie fighter for the belt. Regardless, in my ideal scenario, Shields would be Strikeforce’s 170 pound representative in the Super Bowl.

Lightweight: BJ Penn (UFC) vs. Shinya Aoki (Strikeforce)

Much like GSP and A. Silva, Penn has also cleared out his weight class. While his next opponent, Frankie Edgar, has certainly proven he’s one of the best in the world, the bottom line is that Penn is simply a step above every other lightweight in the UFC. Certainly a future match-up against former Pride stud and newly-signed UFC fighter Takonori Gomi holds promise but the reality is that MMA fans are clamoring for a Penn fight that the UFC can’t currently make — one against Gomi’s fellow countryman, Aoki.

Aoki was only recently announced as a Strikeforce signee and while he’s not Strikeforce’s current champ, he holds a ton of MMA cred given his performances in Dream. And, this is not to diminish the abilities of current Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez and past champ Josh Thomson. In fact, I think Melendez has a very legit shot of winning against Aoki, but given Aoki’s otherworldly ground skills, it would take an A+ effort from Melendez to do so. So, while I’m dreaming, I’ll predict that Aoki figures out a way to finish Melendez (which has never been done, by the way) and sets up the dream match against the lightweight demi-god Penn.

Scott Smith Stuns Cung Le

Cung Le vs Scott Smith

Add his “Evolution” bout against Cung Le to Scott Smith’s growing list of comeback victories. Who can forget Smith’s comeback against Pete Sell in the UFC and his victory over Benji Radach earlier this year in Strikeforce? Much like Radach did against Smith in their fight, Le controlled this fight for the first two and a half rounds, using an assortment of kicks to knock Radach down repeatedly and even unleashing a power slam midway through round three. However, like Freddie Krueger in a Friday the 13th movie, Smith kept taking the punishment and coming back. Le had a chance to finish the fight in the first round on the ground as Smith turtled up, but Le couldn’t apply the finishing touches as his opponent got back to his feet. As numerous other opponents have found out, not finishing Smith when you have the chance can come back to haunt you.

And, for Le, in this case it did. With the fight seemingly in hand with only minutes remaining, Le got rocked first by a short left hook and then by a number of lefts and rights as he finally fell face first to the canvas. Smith scored the TKO victory with the finishing blows on the ground.

While Smith’s loss to Nick Diaz earlier this year would seem to indicate that he’s not ready to fight a BJJ talent on the level of middleweight champ Jake Shields, a fight that would be appealing for him would be one against newly signed middleweight Dan Henderson.

For Le, the ending was an unfortunate way to snap his unbeaten start in MMA. But, as the San Shou specialist said in his post-fight interview, he got caught by a punch and it happens to the best. So does losing. Now, the question is, how does Le come back from his first career loss, especially when he’s got a blossoming movie career to fall back on? I have to think this loss will make the former Strikeforce champ even hungrier and there’s not doubt Le still has the skills based on his first 12-13 minutes of action Saturday night.

Melendez Reclaims Title in Slugfest

Josh Thomson vs Gilbert Melendez

In another thrilling fight, lightweight Gilbert Melendez reclaimed the title his opponent Josh Thomson took from him last year. Since the first bout, the two have been unable to consummate the rematch due to injuries to Thomson. But, when the Bay area fighters did finally meet at “Evolution”, their bout was well worth the wait.

Unlike the first encounter, in which Thomson dominated by scoring takedowns and controlling on the ground, this fight was mostly a stand-up affair. Although Thomson showed early that he had the quicker hands, Melendez proved over the course of the bout that his hands were heavier. I scored Thomson winning the first round but Melendez winning the remaining four starting with a second round in which Melendez knocked Thomson down three times.

Melendez scored another knockdown in round five and though Thomson scored his second takedown of the night in that round as well, he was unable to finish the fight on the ground. Thomson connected consistently throughout the bout but could never rock Melendez.

The crowd was on its feet in the fifth round in appreciation of the effort the two men put forth and MMA fans will certainly clamor for a rubber match between the two. Clearly, the blueprint for that fight will be for Melendez to keep the fight standing and for Thomson to re-establish the takedowns that were mostly missing in the second bout.

In the meantime, the signing of KJ Noons means the former EliteXC lightweight champ might be a good opponent for Melendez. That bout would certainly promise to be a fan-friendly slugfest between two heavy-handed strikers.

While the Strikeforce 155 pound division isn’t as deep as that of the UFC, let there be no doubt that both Melendez and Thomson would be top five fighters in the UFC and I’d love to see either one go up against BJ Penn.

Jacare Introduces Himself to Deep Division

Jacare vs Matt Lindland

While Strikeforce has strong fighters in every weight class except 170 pounds, the promotion’s middleweight division is undoubtedly its deepest. And, at “Evolution” two more credible contenders made their Strikeforce debuts as Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza took on Matt Lindland. Lindland, a former Olympic wrestling silver medalist, has never been afraid to fight the best and sports losses to Rampage Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko on his resume despite the fact that he is smaller than both fighters.

However, the Portland-based fighter suffered his second first-round stoppage loss in a row Saturday night, losing this time at the hands of a very impressive Souza. “Jacare” made a name for himself in Dream in 2008 by advancing to the finals of the Middleweight Grand Prix before ultimately falling to current Strikeforce champ Gegard Mousasi. Before that loss, Souza had run off 10 victories in a row.

Against Lindland, Souza showed that he was the quicker fighter on his feet but when the fight went to the ground, that’s where the Brazilian showed his true class. The chiseled BJJ expert nearly won with an armbar attempt before transitioning to an omo plata. Though Lindland escaped both submission moves, Souza was relentless and finally finished him off with an arm triangle choke.

The fight represented an impressive Strikeforce debut for Souza and one can only believe that a couple of more victories will put him in contention for Jake Shields’ crown. And, wouldn’t that be quite a match-up between two superb BJJ practitioners? One can only fantasize about a Souza-Anderson Silva showdown one day.

“King Mo” Begins his Reign

Mo Lawal vs Mike Whitehead

Another highly-anticipated debut didn’t disappoint as “King Mo” Lawal defeated a much bigger Mike Whitehead via TKO in the first round of their bout. A showman in all senses of the word in and out of the cage, Lawal came in with impressive college wrestling credentials and a knack for powerful slams followed by devestating ground-and-pound.

At “Evolution”, however, Lawal didn’t need either as he rocked Whitehead with strikes standing before finishing with more punches on the ground. While the victory came at heavyweight, I have a feeling Lawal will be best suited at light heavyweight given how small he is for the 265 pound division.

Although the heavyweight class in Strikeforce could use additional depth, Strikeforce really needs to find elite fighters to take on its 205 lb. champ Gegard Mousasi. With Dan Henderson saying he will fight at 185 lb., Lawal is one of the few remaining fighters who could prove to be a legitimate challenge in that division.

Lawal has all the potential in the world given his solid wrestling base, athleticism, and quickly improving striking. I don’t necessarily want to see him fight for the 205 lb. title immediately but given the lack of depth in that class, I could see him in a title fight by the end of 2010.

More to Come

Strikeforce’s next big Showtime card comes at the end of January and looks like it will follow on the heels of “Evolution” by providing fans with more quality match-ups as well as intriguing fighters. Heavyweight Bobby Lashley and former NFL star Herschel Walker make their Strikeforce debuts on that card, while female champ Cris “Cyborg” Santos fights for the first time since defeating “the face of women’s MMA” Gina Carano this past summer.

(Photos courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.)

Mo Lawal (l) vs Mike Whitehead

Upstart MMA promotion Strikeforce provides fans with yet another solid card with its latest Showtime-televised offering, dubbed ”Evolution”, which emanates from the HP Pavilion in San Jose tonight at 10 PM EST.

While the UFC is unquestionably the sports’ unparalleled leader, San Jose-based Strikeforce – led by Scott Coker – has distinguished itself from past pretenders in the business as a legitimate alternative for hardcore and casual fans alike.

In fact, “Evolution” might not only aptly describe Strikeforce’s impressive growth as a promotion but also the apparently-changing landscape of the UFC-dominated sport.

Cung Le (l) vs Scott Smith

Tonight’s card not only gives us the eagerly-anticipated return of former middleweight champ-turned-movie-actor Cung Le (against comeback specialist Scott Smith) but also marks the promotional debuts of Japanese MMA studs “King Mo” Lawal (fighting at heavyweight tonight though probably best-suited at light heavyweight) and middleweight Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (whose only loss is his last 11 bouts is to champ Gegard Mousasi in the 2008 Dream Middleweight Grand Prix final) as well as middleweight legend-and-politician Matt Lindland.

In addition, the card features a long-awaited lightweight title bout between Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez, which has been delayed for awhile due to injuries.

Josh Thomson (l) vs Gilbert Melendez

The promotion recently announced the signing of former Pride two-belt champ and recent UFC fighter Dan Henderson. Hendo represents a boost for Strikeforce’s light heavyweight division, given the relative lack of depth of talent to challenge current champ Gegard Mousasi. Other recent Strikeforce signees include former EliteXC lightweight champ KJ Noons along with WWE wrestler-turned-rising heavyweight star Bobby Lashley.

In addition to the high profile signings, which give Strikeforce ever-growing matchmaking options, CBS confirmed in recent days that a Fedor-led card would be televised on the network sometime in early 2010, giving the promotion added mainstream exposure to go along with its rapidly improving roster.

Matt Lindland (l) vs Jacare Souza

With its increasing level of talent both new and old, its availability on free network TV as well as on premium cable, a steady stream of regularly-scheduled events, and a willingness to work with other entities and promotions (see Fedor), Strikeforce is a worthy competitor to the UFC. There should be no doubt that we are not witnessing the reincarnation of Bodog, IFL, or EliteXC (the previous tenants in the Showtime/CBS MMA residence.)

As long as Strikeforce continues to provide fans with high-quality, relevant match-ups and doesn’t over-extend itself financially, there’s no reason the promotion can’t continue to succeed. The promotion is also proving to be a legitimate option for fighters who don’t sign with the UFC, whatever their reason. In fact, as the UFC has suffered from an unfortunate rash of recent injuries to its top-level talent and main events that haven’t panned out for various reasons, it seems to me that Strikeforce is the promotion currently putting on cards that fans should care about.

In the final analysis, Strikeforce’s success only serves to benefit fans and fighters alike. And, that’s a good thing.

(”Evolution” weigh-in photos courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.)

Audio player after the jump.

In addition, we spend the last few minutes looking ahead to this week’s UFC 105 card, which emanates from the UK and is available on SpikeTV on a tape-delayed basis.

Audio player after the jump.

Here are some of my thoughts about the night of fights and where Strikeforce is headed from here.

Fedor adds to his legend. Regardless of what else might have happened Saturday night, the evening would ultimately be judged by the main event fight between WAMMA heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers. The crowd clearly knew who Fedor was and gave him a loud ovation during the pre-fight introductions.

While Rogers was the lesser known of the two men, he proved that he was a worthy competitor, gashing Fedor on the nose very early in the fight with a jab. Even as Fedor’s nose began to bleed heavily and the commentators speculated that it might be broken, Fedor never relented, constantly pushing forward. The two exchanged flurries and the Russian managed to take the fight to the ground in the first round, where conventional wisdom stated that Rogers was at a severe disadvantage.

However, Rogers proved on the ground that he is a true MMA fighter — a multi-dimensional athlete — and swept Fedor, ending up on top while also fending off submission attempts.

But, the inevitable happened midway through the second round as Fedor landed a violent overhand right that knocked Rogers to the ground and precipitated the TKO victory.

Though Fedor won in the record books, Rogers and Strikeforce also came out victorious in the process. Rogers acquitted himself very nicely, going toe to toe with one of the most dominant MMA fighters of the last decade. He may have done more for his career with that defeat than he had done previously ringing up ten straight victories to begin his career. Rogers was more than game — he was a credible opponent who pushed Fedor further than former UFC champs Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovksi had in the past year or so.

Strikeforce benefited too because the man the promotion hyped above all others came through with a decisive, spectacular, highlight reel victory. But, he had to work for that victory, which only adds to the legend of Fedor.

The question going forward is who will Fedor fight next? He could take on Febricio Werdum, who was impressive in a decision victory over Antonio Silva earlier in the evening. Or, he could fight Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem.

With that said, Strikeforce’s heavyweight division certainly has potential. At this point, I would say there are five credible fighters in the division. And, don’t forget Bobby Lashley, a former WWE fighter and recent Strikeforce signee who as a long-term project could be Strikeforce’s answer to the UFC’s Brock Lesnar.

Middleweight division is promotion’s strongest weight class. The Jake Shields-Jason “Mayhem” Miller title bout at 185 pounds was a back and forth affair that Shields rightly won by decision. Shields earned the victory by controlling where the action took place — namely on the ground. Anytime Miller threatened with his stand-up game, Shields used strong takedowns to push the fight to his strong suit. On the ground, the fight was essentially a draw, though, with both men showing good BJJ defense in a bout reminiscent of the Martin Kampmann-Carlos Condit UFC tilt earlier this year.

In fact, Miller himself scored a beautiful slam in one of the early rounds and looked close to finishing the bout towards the end of round three with a rear naked choke. On that occasion, however, Shields was saved by the bell.

Even in defeat, Miller is a great addition to the Strikeforce roster. Not only can he fight, he’s also a personality – as he showed with his entrance complete with dancing girls — who has entertained Japanese crowds for years.

There’s also plenty of other talent in the division, including former champ Cung Le, former UFC champ Frank Shamrock, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Nick Diaz, and Benji Radach. In addition, Strikeforce announced the forthcoming debut of two more 185 pounders — Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Matt Lindland – who will face each other on December 19.

There are also rumors that former two-time Pride champ Dan Henderson may sign with Strikeforce now that his UFC contract is complete. Although Henderson’s services are badly needed in the thin Strikeforce light heavyweight division, the Team Quest fighter has the versatility to compete at 185 pounds as well.

King “Mo” Lawal is another fighter on the roster who, while he’d be welcome in the light heavyweight division, could potentially venture down to the middleweight division too.

Gegard Mousasi has no peer in Strikeforce Light Heavyweight division. Saturday night marked the second TKO for Mousasi, this time in defense of his title. Although the 205 pound title holder was pushed by a rejuvenated Sokoudjou, I kept waiting for Mousasi to pounce, which he finally did midway through the second round as he ended the fight via ground-and-pound. By then, it appeared Sokoudjou had had enough as he rolled over on his side, forcing the ref to stop the action.

With the victory, Mousasi has now defeated “Babalu” Sobral as well as the “African Assassin” and Strikeforce will have to do its best to find more talent to push the man who trains with Fedor. Lawal would certainly serve as an interesting foe, given his strong wrestling base and ground-and-pound ability. However, if Henderson does sign with the promotion, he would certainly have to merit consideration as the next man up at a shot at Mousasi’s title.

Strikeforce announces next major card. Saturday night’s card was barely over before Strikeforce announced it’s next major card, which will be televised on Showtime on December 19. Emanating from San Jose and dubbed “Evolution”, the card will feature a main event between former champ Cung Le and Scott Smith. In addition to that and the Souza-Lindland bout, Lawal will also make his Strikeforce debut on the card. It will be interesting to see with whom Scott Coker and company pair Lawal up. If Coker can sign Henderson soon, a Lawal-Henderson match-up to decide the next challenger for Mousasi would certainly be tantalizing.

Without a doubt, Strikeforce is proving itself to be a worthy competitor to the UFC. With a growing pool of intriguing up-and-coming as well as accomplished talent, a network deal with CBS, and a premium cable deal with Showtime, the promotion is quickly becoming a destination for fighters and should be attracting the attention of casual fans, many of whom may have previously equated MMA with the UFC. If sponsors and advertisers follow, Strikeforce may ultimately prove to be more than just the appetizer to a UFC main course. In the end, fans (and fighters) win out, as both promotions will be forced to put on consistently top-notch cards at a price the masses can afford.

While the fights themselves are noteworthy, here’s what else I’ll be looking for before I declare Strikeforce’s network debut a success.

The Sears Centre needs to be packed. There’s nothing worse than tuning in to a sporting event and seeing an arena that’s half-empty with disinterested fans. Just ask viewers who’ve tried to watch the upstart professional football league, the UFL. I’m one of them. Clearly, NFL-caliber coaches and players in the UFL haven’t been enough to entice fans to buy tickets.

Similarly, if Strikeforce doesn’t want to come off as UFC lite to casual fans, tonight’s event needs to be sold out or near sold out to at least give it the appearance of being the place to be. Fortunately for the promotion, reports earlier this week indicate that the Sears Centre may very well be close to sold out Saturday night. Of course, those reports were based on anecdotal evidence or figures provided by Strikeforce itself. Ultimately, what we see and hear tonight will be the true indicator and the state athletic commission should have final attendance figures available over the next week or so.

What would be impressive about a Chicago-area sellout for Strikeforce is that the promotion is based in San Jose and has rarely ventured very far East. In the Bay area, Strikeforce has been able to appeal to fans interested in Frank Shamrock, Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, and Josh Thomson, who are all local products. So, for the promotion to appeal to an entirely different geography is impressive and is something only the UFC has been able to do with any regularity. Most promotions rarely succeed with fight cards that are not built around local talent (although this Strikeforce card does have its fair share of Chicago-area fighters on the dark card.)

Strikeforce needs to highlight blue-chip sponsors. With news this week that Baltimore-based Under Armour has signed UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre as a spokesperson and with the UFC’s recent success with sponsors such as Harley-Davidson, Strikeforce needs to show fans that MMA is not a Zuffa-led one-trick pony but rather that there’s acceptance of the sport as a whole by blue-chip sponsors.

It would be great to see such a sponsor or two on the Strikeforce mat tonight. At the very least, the promotion can crow about the fact that reports indicate that television advertising inventory for the show has already been sold out.

The Modaferri vs. Coenen women’s fight needs to make the telecast.

Modaferri (l) vs. Coenen (r)

Gina Carano has been an overwhelming boon for women’s MMA. She’s proven that women can fight and that those who do can also be attractive and have crossover appeal (see American Gladiators.) On the other hand, she may have also stunted the growth of women’s MMA because of the long shadow she has cast over it as the “face” of the sport.

So far, only one other woman — Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos — has been able to step out from that shadow and she validated her status by soundly defeating Carano earlier this year.

However, there are many other qualified, talented, and attractive women in the sport and not all of them fight in the Gina Carano division (145 pounds.) For now, I’ll settle for women’s fights in that division but in order to prove Dana White wrong and show that women’s MMA has the depth to be a viable option, CBS really needs to find a way to get tonight’s female fight onto its telecast.

Every women’s fight I’ve ever seen live has inevitably captured the imagination and support of the fans in the stands. Viewers need to be shown that women’s MMA is more than just one or two familiar faces.

Fedor needs to win.

Rogers (l) vs. Fedor (r)

I hate to say this but in reality the statement is no different than saying baseball is better when the Yankees are good, football is better when the Dallas Cowboys are good, and college hoops are better when North Carolina is good.

Unlike those other sports, however, Strikeforce has put a lot of energy and effort into promoting its marquee fighter. Unfortunately, despite Fedor’s tremendous accomplishments over the last decade, tonight’s bout against Brett Rogers is essentially his mainstream American debut.

Therefore, as far as casual fans are concerned, victories over Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Mirko Cro Cop, and a 30-1 record are all just hearsay because most of these fans never saw those fights. In other words, for those fans, Fedor is beginning his MMA career tonight (Americans are very self-centered that way.)

A Brett Rogers victory would be less meaningful to those fans but also have another deletorious effect — it would undercut Fedor’s true legacy. As it is, UFC sympathizers believe the Russian hasn’t signed with that promotion because he is avoiding their much deeper heavyweight talent pool. A loss to a fighter like Rogers (who is certainly talented and UFC-caliber in his own right but still unproven outside of his victory over Arlovski earlier this year) in what amounts to Fedor’s American debut would cause casual fans to question the hype and also question the talent that Strikeforce has assembled.

Although hardcore fans understand that any MMA fighter can lose on any given day, Strikeforce and CBS have put too much promotional capital in Fedor for that truism to be a positive thing.

Interestingly enough, the opposite was true with Kimbo Slice’s tenure in EliteXC. While hardcore fans never bought into the hype around Slice, he was already a very familiar and imposing figure in the minds of casual fans because of his YouTube exploits as well as his previous (though highly controversial) victory over James Thompson in that EliteXC’s CBS debut. While the Thompson victory and the subsequent Petruzelli loss exposed Slice has an MMA novice (something Slice himself would not argue), I imagine casual fans were more stunned by those events than they would be by a Fedor loss tonight simply because of prior familiarity with Slice.

Bottom line: seeing is believing and the fact is most casual fans have read and heard about but not seen Fedor in action before. And, these same fans could care less that this is his first time fighting in a cage.

The fights need to be free of controversy. Refereeing is a sore subject for American sports fans in general. There just isn’t a lot of trust in refs whether the sport is football, baseball, basketball…or MMA.

But, when you look at the history of controversial decisions — refereeing and judging — in combat sports, the last thing Strikeforce needs tonight is for a referee or judge’s decision to go contrary to what fans see and believe to be the truth. That sort of controvery has the power to completely overshadow any good that might come out of the event.

The unfortunate perception by many fans is that MMA promotions somehow control the decisions that referees make or the scores that judges render. The reality is that unlike other sports, refereeing and judging are handled by neutral third parties — state athletic commissions.

Despite this truth, however, controversial decisions in MMA seem to undercut the legitimacy of the promotions associated with them and lesser promotions have struggled to continue when faced with such problematic judging or ref-ing.

Strikeforce and CBS need to play up the talent on the roster NOT fighting tonight. Strikeforce has steadily built up an impressive (though not necessarily deep) roster of talent including recent acquisitions such as King Mo Lawal, Shinya Aoki, and Marius Zaromskis.

Shinya Aoki

 In fact, the promotion has quite a bit of talent NOT fighting tonight, including Shamrock, Le, Melendez, Thomson, Carano, and “Cyborg” all mentioned previously, as well as Nick Diaz, Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler, Alistair Overeem, and even the likes of former NFL-er Herschel Walker.

So, while Strikeforce certainly delivers with name power on Saturday (see MTV’s Bully Beatdown star Jason “Mayhem” Miller), it would be wise for the promotion to remind fans that there’s more where that came from. If CBS can put together another free show featuring those fighters, then the UFC may have to rethink its strategy of offering cards like UFC 106 — which has an underwhelming main event of Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin – for a $50 premium.

In conclusion, I think the pieces are in place for Strikeforce to make a very nice live event debut on network TV tonight (don’t forget the promotion’s pre-packaged NBC fare last year.) Network executives and pundits alike will ultimately judge the success of the promotion’s efforts based on ratings but as I’ve outlined above there’s certainly more to the story than just how many viewers tune in. And, by the way, I’m optimistic, that even in the midst of college football, NFL, NBA, and NHL seasons, Strikeforce will pull in Kimbo Slice EliteXC-type of ratings.

In other words, I do believe that America is ready for solid non-UFC fare on network TV.

(Weigh-in photos courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.)