It’s no secret that injuries have played a giant role in the UFC schedule of late. One fight having to reschedule repeatedly has been a middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort.

An eager for competition Anderson Silva has a nagging elbow that had surgery done on it after his defeat of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101. The healing process has been less than speedy as Silva’s recovery is so slow that his next fight has been pushed back yet again.

The two were initially scheduled to clash at UFC 108, however, Silva’s elbow pushed the fight back to UFC 109. Now, it seems his injury has become the only thing to stop the middleweight champion since making his UFC debut in 2006.

MMAJunkie.com was first to report the news citing sources close to the fight.

No word on if the fight is truly postponed or if Belfort will have another opponent fed to him before a title fight with Silva.

A lot of talk has risen about the opportunity Belfort was given so soon after re-joining the ranks of the UFC, namely from Anderson Silva’s camp. The opinion is that “The Phenom” needs to have a few more fights at middleweight before going five rounds with the 185 pound king. A win over former champion Rich Franklin is argued as not enough to warrant a chance at “The Spider’s” belt.

Regardless if Vitor Belfort deserves a shot at UFC gold or not, he will have to wait as Silva’s nuisance of an elbow has forced the highly anticipated and disputed bout to take a back seat. For now, fans will have another fight to argue over at UFC 109...a fight to remain young, Couture vs. Coleman. Enjoy that folks.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA

The curse that is UFC 108 has become Australia’s good fortune as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez are set up to fight at UFC 110 in Sydney.

Initially reported by MMAJunkie.com, Nogueira and Velasquez have agreed to meet at the organization’s first trip to Australia. Although no contracts have been signed, both camps have verbally agreed to the fight.

Originally, the match up was scheduled to take place at UFC 108, but Minotauro had to pull out due to a severe staph infection. This was not Noguiera’s first bout with staph as he was hospitalized in the weeks leading up to his fight with Frank Mir. In uncharacteristic fashion, Nog was dominated by Mir on his feet and collected the TKO defeat in the process. Not wanting to make the same mistake he made prior to the Frank Mir fight, the one-time PrideFC heavyweight champion withdrew from the agreed match-up UFC 108, and now the fight has been moved to UFC 110.

Cain Velasquez is hungry to get back in the octagon. His dominant victory over Ben Rothwell was a staple of his drive towards a shot at the UFC heavyweight title. A win over a legend the magnitude of Nogueira will surely put him in the mix for the heavyweight strap, interim or undisputed.

UFC 110 bouts are reported to be the following:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Ben Rothwell
Stephan Bonner vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Chris Lytle
James Te-Huna vs. Igor Pokrajac
Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman

UFC “Aussie Style” is scheduled to take place on February 21, 2010 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.

In an interview with the Fight Network, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra confirmed a long rumored bout with Frank Trigg at UFC 109.

The rumor mill started spinning earlier this month but neither fighter came forward about the fight until just recently. Here is what Serra had to say:

“…I called UFC this morning and I got the OK to talk about my fight. I just signed on it the other day and they gave me the thumbs up. So yeah, it is true. I will be fighting Frank Trigg — "Twinkle Toes" — on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas. Style-wise, I think that's a fun fight. On paper, that's a fun fight. He's not going to be like Matt Hughes. Even if he does get me down, he's the type of guy that will try to work you over. Matt Hughes was just kind of trying to hold on. Trigg has his back against the wall. I'm coming off two losses fair and square. St-Pierre beat me my second fight. The Hughes fight, whatever. Whatever you want to say about that. But on my record, I've got two losses in a row so I need this and he needs this, so it's going to be exciting.”

When asked to give a comment about the fight, Frank Trigg simply replied to NahmMMA.com, “nope”.

This fight spells do or die for both of these fighters. Talks of Frank Trigg’s UFC release echoed after his first round knockout loss to Josh Koscheck, while Serra, himself, is on a two fight slide. The fighter on the losing side of this match up is likely to fear a call from UFC brass advising of walking papers.

Don’t let the record of (9-6) confuse you because Matt Serra has been in the game for a lot longer than his record can tell you. “The Terror” first made his UFC debut way back on May 4, 2001 when he lost via KO to Shonie Carter. After a run through the lightweight division, Serra made his welterweight debut in a losing effort against Karo Parisyan which led into a stint on The Ultimate Fighter. After winning the reality show competition, Serra went on to defeat welterweight king Georges St. Pierre for the 170 pound UFC title. A true rags to riches story for the East Meadow, NY native. A win against Trigg can shoot him back into welterweight legitimacy.

Frank Trigg made his return to the UFC in September when he took on American Kickboxing Academy’s Josh Koscheck. His return, however, was short welcomed when he was swiftly knocked out by Koscheck in the first round of their affair. Trigg openly spoke on Twitter that he was waiting to hear from the UFC about his future. Luckily for him and “Twinkle Toes” fans, Dana White and company granted him an extension and a bout with Matt Serra is on the horizon.

UFC 109 is scheduled to take place on February 6, 2010 at the Madalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Source: http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news/mma/5361/q_and_a_with_matt_serra__trigg_fight_confirmed

MMA Fanhouse reported earlier today that Georges St. Pierre will defend his UFC welterweight title against Dan Hardy this March in New Jersey.

The 170 pound title fight is likely to be part of UFC 111, which has been said to be scheduled to take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

The champion, Georges St. Pierre, sits atop the mountain in the UFC’s welterweight division. Coming off a five round dominance of Thiago Alves, it seems that the GSP freight train is chugging along with no stop in sight. Winner of six consecutive fights, St. Pierre has shown that there are little to no wholes in his game. Top contender after top contender fall to the champion and are out classed at even their own specialties. Wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, it doesn’t seem to matter. George St. Pierre is strong in all aspects.

The athletically gifted St. Pierre now puts a young and hungry Dan Hardy in his cross hairs. At 23-6 (4-0 in the UFC), the talented Englishman in Hardy looks to upset and dethrone the dominant champion. Coming off a convincing performance against Mike Swick, Hardy impresses many MMA fans and critics alike. So strong is his conditioning and striking, he could potentially put GSP in trouble like no one before him.

The fight definitely warrants a pay-per-view buy. Look to have an announcement from UFC brass in the coming weeks.

No word on if this fight will be lead up to by the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. St. Pierre and Hardy are rumored to be the next coaches but nothing has been confirmed. Other coaching prospects have been said to be Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.

We’ll keep you updated on confirmation of UFC 111.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and visit www.5thround.com for my contributing articles.

Fighters Only Magazine is reporting that Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping have agreed to meet each other at UFC 110 in Australia.

The bout would be a replacement of the, previously announced, fight between Silva and Japanese judoka Yoshihiro Akiyama. UFC president Dana White had hinted that the match between Silva and Akiyama was no longer happening shortly after UFC 106. No reason for the cancellation of the Silva/Akiyama clash has been given.

“The Axe Murderer” was last seen fighting Rich Franklin at UFC 99 in a three round dance that went to the judges for a decision. Wandy ended up losing that fight unanimously but felt that he deserved the nod.

Losing five of his last six fights, Silva looks as though his run through the 205 pound division is all but over as he drops down to 185 for this next bout. In order to remain a serious threat in any weight class, Silva will have to grab an impact win against the “The Count” Michael Bisping.

Bisping made his return from a devastating loss to Dan Henderson when he took on Denis Kang at UFC 105 in Manchester, England. The bout took place on November 14, with Bisping handing his opponent a domination TKO loss to the delight of his fellow countryman.

A win for Bisping would spell a return to talks of a middleweight title shot, while at the same time, a loss for Silva would mean another reason to consider retirement. Either way, both fighters are eager for a win after recent performances and need a W to remain viable in the UFC.

UFC 110 is scheduled to take place on February 21, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. This would be the UFC’s first venture in the land down under.

Source: http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=3483&offset=0

Erik "Nahm" Fontanez on Twitter @NahmMMA and visit http://www.5thround.com/ to read my contributing articles.

Hollywood seems to be taking all of the MMA talent. First it was Roger Huerta then Rampage Jackson. Even Rich Franklin has had some time in front of the cameras.

The latest mixed martial artist to trade the cage for the sound stage is Andre Arlovski as he plays the antagonist in the latest installment of the Universal Soldier saga. Take a look at the official trailer for the film entitled Universal Soldier: Regengeration...




I have to say,the fanboy in me is kind of curious about the movie. The cast not only includes the former UFC heavyweight champion Arlovski, but also reunites Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lungren from the original film.

One can't expect much from the release of this movie but a few explosions here, some gun shots there should be a good rental.

The film is scheduled to be released in North America on DVD and Blu-ray on January 5, 2010.

Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights participant Darill Schoonover’s fate has been spelled out for him before the show’s season finale airs. The TUF quarter finalist recently received notice from the United States military that he is to return to active duty soon after the show ends on December 5th.

The 24 year old heavyweight is set to make his official UFC debut at The Palms with a yet to be announced opponent. He explained his situation to Shambala Sports Radio:

"I fight December 5th — I'm not allowed to say who I'm fighting — but I have my fight on the finale, and then after that, I just got orders, got called back in active duty into the Army. I was in the Army for four years, I got out with an honorable discharge, I've been out for almost two years now and they just called me back. On the orders it says 'Operation Enduring Freedom,' so I'm pretty sure I'm going to Afghanistan. Not 100% yet, but that's what my orders are telling me...I have four years active, and then I have four years inactive, which means I don't have to report to anybody, I don't have to do anything. But if for any reason anything happens in the future, then they can call me back at any time...At first I was kind of pissed. I was just like, 'Yeah well, I've already served my country for four years and I've already been out for almost two years. I'm getting my fighting started and getting the ball rolling with all that, and now you're calling me back.' At first I was kind of mad, but then the very next day, I just accepted it. I was just like 'yeah, I gotta go over there and do what I gotta do,' and then come back in a year and continue working on my fighting."

If you’ve seen the movie Stop Loss, then you are probably aware of what the situation is. Essentially, Schoonover served his four enlisted years. According to the military contract he signed, he can get called back to active duty at any time for the following four years after his discharge. It’s called “4 years active, 4 years inactive”.

Looks like Darill Schoonover’s fighting career is on hold for the moment. Though it is an unlikely outcome, this gives an interesting twist to The Ultimate Fighter if he wins the competition. Imagine the winner of the show getting the six figure deal and not being able to follow through with his contract obligations.

It wouldn’t be the first time a professional athlete has had to put his career on hold for the armed forces. Former professional basketball player David Robinson was the first overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft out of the Naval Academy. His rookie year did not happen until two years later when Robinson’s active duty with the Navy ended. He went on to become one of the fifty greatest NBA players of all time, so, there is still hope for Darill Schoonover.

The Ultimate Fighter Finale will be broadcast live on Spike TV on Saturday December 5th at 9pm ET/PT.

The last time we saw Forrest Griffin in the octagon, he was running out of it. On August 8, 2009, Griffin lost a one sided affair with pound for pound king Anderson Silva by, what many believe to be, the most embarrassing knockout in UFC history. After spending a couple minutes on the canvas gathering himself, Griffin quickly bolted out of the octagon and promptly left the arena.

On came a parade of jokes relating Griffin to Gump. “Run Forrest, run” they would say, mocking the one and done light heavyweight champion. I’m sure he can hear the taunts for months after.

Skipping the post fight press conference, Forrest Griffin was nowhere to be seen after his UFC 101 bout. Disappearing like he jumped into the Bermuda Triangle of combat sports, willingly. He would, however, resurface.

Never being a huge fan of the media, the Athens, Georgia native never fully explained why he left the octagon in the fashion he did that night in August. Instead, Griffin decided to poke fun at journalists who brought it up, referencing their mothers and performing sexual acts with them, so, everyone just left it alone thereafter.

Ultimately, Forrest Griffin took some time off from fighting and training, getting married in the process. In addition, some time to review his recent outings and refocus to get back on the winning track.

This is the first time Griffin has faced a two fight slide in his career. Had he not gained the recognition over the past 3-4 years, he might have received his walking papers by now, but, he is one of the most popular figures in the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts.

Known for having the greatest amount of heart over any fighter in the sport, Forrest Griffin returns from his run against a newly rebuilt Tito Ortiz.

Ortiz hasn’t had a fight in over 18 months, but, you can almost guarantee Forrest won’t take him lightly. Ortiz’s ground and pound is still lethal, to say the least, and one thing Forrest has shown a vulnerability to is strikes from within his guard. I can already see Tito attempting a double leg takedown and feeding Forrest a healthy dose of elbows.

If Forrest Griffin can avoid taking this fight to the ground, he has a great chance of taking this fight by unanimous decision, as he is a better kick boxer than Tito Ortiz. No matter the hype, I can’t be confident that Tito’s back is the way it was when he was light heavyweight champion. Major surgery is hard to come back from for any athlete and their conditioning is affected as a result.

The key for Forrest Griffin is to do what he does best. Stand there and trade blows with Ortiz until he can’t take it anymore. Three rounds is a long time. Ortiz is likely to tire out before Griffin does, so, testing his stand up game is the best way to approach the fight. Known for his leg kicks, Griffin is best to utilize them, but, not to the extent of getting caught and tripped then taken down. The longer this fight stays on the ground, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt will find him self losing on points due to lack of control and consumption of small, in guard strikes.

Tonight’s main event has a dramatic touch to it with the return of the Huntington Beach Bad Boy, but, he isn’t the only one making a comeback. Forrest Griffin returns to the octagon from an embarrassing loss , looking to re-establish himself as one of the top 205 pound fighters in the world. For all the criticism he has received, you can never discount Griffin’s drive and ambition towards a fight. The willingness to compete with anyone at any time is a trait not many fighters have, no matter how much they say it. When it comes to Forrest Griffin, the hunger is genuine. The passion is real. So real, he’ll run away if it punches him in the face, only to return and try it again.

UFC 106 can be seen on PPV tonight at 7pm/pt with two prelims starting at 6pm/pt on Spike TV.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and read my contributing articles at www.5thround.com.

Fans and media packed the Mandalay Events Center for the weigh ins to UFC 106. A decent card featuring the return of Tito Ortiz taking on the heavy hearted Forrest Griffin should make for a hot Saturday night in Vegas. Here is how the competitors weighed in...


Spike TV Undercard:
Jake Rosholt 185.5 vs. Kendall Grove 186
Ben Saunders 170 vs. Marcus Davis 170

Main Card:
Phil Baroni 170 vs. Amir Sadollah 170
Minotauro Nogueira 205 vs. Luiz Cane 205
Jacob Volkman 170 vs. Paulo Thiago 169
Anthony Johnson 170 vs. Josh Koscheck 171
Forrest Griffin 205 vs. Tito Ortiz 204

UFC 106 will have two televised prelim fights on Spike TV starting at 6pm pacific time. The main card kicks off at 7pm pacific time and can be seen live on pay per view.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and read my contributing articles at www.5thround.com.

Twitter followers of Dana White were taken by surprise today when the UFC president announced that Karo Parisyan is dropping out of his fight on Saturday at UFC 106. Not only did he say that he was out of the event in Las Vegas, but, also out of the UFC altogether:

"Karo Parisyan has fucked over the UFC, the fans and his opponent again!!! He will not be fighting saturday or ever again in the UFC!!"

Early speculation has pointed to drug use as the reason for Parisyan's withdraw, but, that cannot be confirmed. He was recently suspended for nine months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for positive tests of banned substances hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone.

No word as to why the talented judoka welterweight has dropped out of the fight but I'll keep you updated as I collect more information.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and read my contributing articles at www.5thround.com.

It’s been reported that the highly anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua is set to take place this May.

Dana White spoke with Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday and confirmed the bout:

“Lyoto Machida will fight May 1 in Montreal against ‘Shogun’,”

The first meeting between the two light heavies took place on October 24 at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA and ended in one of the most controversial fashions in MMA history. Machida took the unanimous decision win after many thought the challenger, Shogun, dominated the fight.

Immediately following the bout, UFC president Dana White announced there will be an immediate rematch. Part 2 of the, now famous, UFC 104 main event was scheduled to take place on January 2, however, Lyoto Machida required some additional time to recover from injuries sustained in the intial bout.

With the rematch now taking place in Montreal, one is left to wonder if judging will now be an issue if the outcome is similar to the first bout. Having been at Staples Center for UFC 104, I can tell you that no one within the walls of the arena felt the appropriate fighter’s hand was raised once judges decisions were handed to Bruce Buffer. The second dance between these two fighters is sure to draw some heavy attention and should not be missed by anyone still talking about the first go around.

Follow Erik Fontanez on Twitter @NahmMMA and read my contributing articles at www.5thround.com.

Shane Carwin is a UFC fighter. Literally employed by a company out to advertise and distribute his image beating competitors to a pulp…but he’s human. A man who knows that, work aside, illness can strike anyone at anytime, no matter the size, shape and stature, even his rival Brock Lesnar.

You can’t get much classier than this folks. This should be a lesson to everyone out there, no matter what industry your in. Shane Carwin is a class act.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and read my contributing articles at www.5thround.com

One of the biggest topics in MMA discussion of late has been the lack of action and rise of stalemates between two fighters engaged in a grappling war. Last night, UFC tuned in to witnessed an example of a grappler neutralizing his opponent to the dislike of many.

Randy Couture, loved by many, hated by few, stepped into the octagon with a plan…don’t fall into a trap against a striker the caliber of Brandon Vera. For three rounds, Couture avoided getting into a striking battle with Vera, effectively controlling the pace of the fight. According to UFC rules, Randy Couture won the main event, but, many feel Brandon Vera may have escaped the clinch enough to land some big blows to the frame of “The Natural”.

Once the winner of the fight was announced, Vera exited the octagon, sat on the steps leading up to the door with his head down, obviously reflecting on what just transpired. A feeling of being robbed? Perhaps.

I won’t go to the extent of saying this is on the level of Machida/Shogun, but, I could hear some arguments about the fight going the other way.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of neutralizing your opponent through grappling. One of boxing’s biggest down falls has been the constant hugging and holding then separation of fighters. MMA is now using this as a tool? No thanks.

On a normal fight night, I enjoy watching Randy Couture, but, not last night. It was hard to watch a fighter, who’s boxing is pretty precise, clinch his way to a win. Even in the clinch, there wasn’t a whole lot of dirty boxing from Couture. It was rather disappointing to watch the referee break the two fighters up, forcing an establishment of distance between the two of them, ultimately leading into another clinch.

Brandon Vera, however, was able to penetrate Randy Couture’s defenses a few times. Kick’s to the ribs of Couture were visibly affecting the five time champion’s performance, so, something had to be done. He chose to close the distance, preventing Vera from being able to land anymore kicks. Controlling this aspect of the bout lead to Couture winning the unanimous decision.

The clinch game is one that is complicated to say the least. Muay Thai and boxing can benefit the most from it with punches and knees from a short distance. I cannot, however, sit and watch a fighter clinch for the majority of a bout and be determined the winner. It’s an obvious method of stalling when no advantage is being taken by either combatant. If there are no takedowns or effective strikes coming as a result of a clinch, should fighters be awarded for it? No, of course not. It should be counted against the clincher since they are playing defense with no effort to establish an offense. This won’t happen any time soon though. Judges have different views from, what it looks like, the rest of the world and no one is removing them from their positions as callers of fights.

One way to avoid the “clinch stall” is by utilizing yellow and red cards. Pride and Bushido put this practice to good use. Throwing a card as a warning for disqualification or deduction of fighter purse can fuel anyone. Look at what happened to Kevin Randleman and Rampage Jackson in 2003. The two grappled into a clinch on their feet for an extended period of time. The referee separated the two and gave them both yellow cards. This led into a giant knee from Rampage to the chin of Randleman, ultimately ending the fight after Jackson pounded away at his opponent on the ground. Will MMA apply yellow and red cards to their current format? Not likely, but, something has to be done to prevent stalemates.

For the casual fans, this probably wasn’t the best UFC to tune into. The ageless former Champion against an efficient striker sounded like a great storyline, but, it had a controversial ending. You can never take away from what Randy Couture has done up to this point, but, last night it appeared he hugged his way to a W.

Follow Erik Fontanez on Twitter @NahmMMA and read my contributing articles at www.5thround.com.

Randy Couture (16-10) is scheduled to appear in the main event of UFC 105 tomorrow. His challenger, Brandon Vera (11-3), is known to be a dangerous striker with his outstanding Muay Thai. Randy Couture is facing more than just a young opponent, but, also a ticking clock.

At 46 years old, one can only imagine what can be going through the mind of Couture. Is he totally focused for this fight knowing he is in the twilight of his career? Does he think he should be fighting at all at his age? One thing I know is that he is used to playing the underdog role. Over the course of 26 fights, Couture has managed to beat opponents that were better strikers and grapplers. He’s been the smaller fighter almost every time as a heavyweight, but, still managed to make it an interesting scrap. Oh yes, Captain America has had more fight in him than most fighters have but it may have run out.

After two straight losses, you have to ask yourself if Couture can continue to be effective. This isn’t the first time he’s lost two fights in a row, matter of fact, it’s not even the second time. Nope, for him this would be the third time he’s faced the threat of having 3rd L in a row. Never having had it happen, you might think he is due for another win, but, at his age I can’t be so sure.

Randy Couture has endured a lot over the past ten years, more than most men. At this point in his career, however, the damage may have taken it’s toll. A loss to Brandon Vera will likely eliminate any chance of fighting for a title again. A win, though a positive, will only put him one step closer to a title shot, and not put him in line an immediate one. At this rate, with at least two more wins in a row Randy could be fighting for a title at 47 or even 48 years old. Five rounds at that age? Sounds tough, even for the one and only Randy Couture.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Randy Couture. I look forward to every fight he has, more than most UFC cards. I just don’t know if he has enough left to make another run at the light heavyweight title. Brandon Vera, who finally found his stride at 205 pounds, isn’t the easiest start to top of the division. Either way, it should be a good bout between two big names in the sport.

I have Vera winning by decision, but we’ll see how it unfolds on Saturday, November 14, 2009. US broadcast will be tape delayed at 8pm on Spike TV.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and read my contributing articles at http://www.5thround.com/.

The flamboyant NFL wide receiver randomly tweeted about his want to compete in the UFC to Dana White:

And later:

There is no doubt that any fight Ochocinco engages in, for charity or not, is a violation of his NFL contract, so, this sounds like a quick way to get himself attention. His tweeting, however, didn’t stop there and even got a reaction from Dana White. The brash UFC president responded with the following:

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Ochocinco even got into a little back and forth with Rashad Evans when the former UFC light heavyweight champ tweeted:

To which Ochocinco responded with:

Rashad, back to you:

Oh, naw he din’t!

Let’s not get ourselves wrapped up in this too much folks. Chad Ochocinco couldn’t compete in the UFC if he wanted to. Although, I know a handful of people who would love to see #85 knocked out by Anderson Silva or Rashad Evans, it will remain a publicity stunt and no more.

My hope is that this doesn’t start a trend of athetes thinking they can compete in mixed martial arts. The sport gets enough heat when Strikeforce signs guys like Herschel Walker. Hasn’t anybody learned from Johnnie Morton’s 38 second KO loss in 2007?

Hoffman Estates, Il. was treated to some intense combat sports last night as Strikeforce and M-1 Global presented them with a great card of fights that was capped off with Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers.

The fight started out with both fighters not committing to any huge offense out the gate but a jab from Rogers opened a huge cut on Fedor’s nose. With blood covering Fedor’s face within minutes, the two heavyweights scrambled into a clinch where Fedor would get his first take down. The moment doesn’t last long, however, as Roger’s utilized his enormous strength and was able to get back to his feet.

At this point in the fight, Rogers looked as if he can smell the blood on Fedor, chopping away at the Russian’s legs while clinching against the cage. Fedor, never having been in a cage in his career, used it to his advantage to escape the clinch, pushing the massive frame of Rogers off of him.

Standing center cage, Rogers attempted another devastating jab, but, Fedor countered with a left hook that knocked Rogers’ head so far back he looked like a 6’4” bobble head statue. Fedor followed this up with a short flurry into a toss, putting Rogers on his back where Fedor would settle into half guard.

A kimura attempt by Fedor would transition Rogers into his guard. The Illinois native, Rogers, saw this as an opening to finish the fight and began a ground and pound assault that Fedor has never been on the other side of. Rogers throws straight rights and lefts from the guard and connected with at least 3 good, solid shots until Fedor traps his left arm and attempts the signature armbar. The attempt is halfway through before Rogers is able to roll and escape.

A tired Rogers takes the defensive position and Fedor controls the rest of first round from the ground. At one point, Fedor tried to capitalize with a diving right hook, but, missed wildly.

Second round starts out with the two fighters scrambling into another clinch against the cage. With Rogers using his strength to push Fedor against the cage, the Russian utilizes a bit of Judo and reverses Rogers against the cage with a toss. Fedor starts bombing away with a group of lefts and rights but Rogers covers up, collecting no damage.

After another clinch against the cage, the two heavyweights stand at center ring for what would be the last time. Brett Rogers lifts his arm for a tentative jab when Fedor realizes it and throws a lightning quick, monstrous right hand that looked like it had all of mother Russia behind it. Having his senses knocked miles away, Rogers falls to the canvas. His only instinct is to cover up as he looks so far gone, John McCarthy has no choice but to stop the fight as Fedor lands a few more punches on the ground.

Fedor strikes again. The mystique of Fedor Emelianenko remains as he does on top of the heavyweight mountain of mixed martial arts. Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, Tiger Woods, all champions and ambassadors to their sports who have been tested and pushed to their limits, ultimately, to come back and establish themselves as models of what greatness is. Fedor Emelianenko, after years of unbelievable performances, belongs in the same conversation.
He is “The Last Emperor”… he is the greatest of all time.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and visit http://www.5thround.com/ to read my contributing articles.

Cro Cop is coming off of a disappointing loss to Junior Dos Santos at UFC 103 back in September. The fight ended with Cro Cop asking to have the fight stopped after getting out pointed by the younger, faster and hungrier Brazilian.

Reports came soon after that the Croatian striker contemplated suicide in his hotel room after the fight. Unfocused, Cro Cop admitted that he was day dreaming of fishing back in his home country instead of thinking about his approach to defeating his opponent.

Ben Rothwell is also coming off of a loss in his fight with Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 last month in Los Angeles. The former IFL stand out was beaten by TKO at :58 into the second round of his UFC debute. Rothwell protested the stoppage to referee Steve Mazzagatti, but, to no avail and has since made his opinion very clear about being robbed that night at Staples Center.

One cannot overlook the situation presented by the hours after Cro Cop’s last fight. Mirko Filipovic sounds like he is going through a mid-life crisis and uncertain of himself. This writer doesn’t believe he’s ready to return to action anytime soon. At this point in his career and 35 years old, it’s perfectly reasonable for him to walk away from the sport and retire. I say this not as a hater of Cro Cop, but as a fan that wants to remember the Pride FC days where he walked around and struck fear into the hearts of fighters everywhere.

Cro Cop, please, hang up the gloves.

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA and visit http://www.5thround.com/

Up and coming UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee has left American Top Team to pursue his college education in Nevada. The news was reported by MMA Mafia.

The news was confirmed today by a spokesperson at ATT:

“Todd was accepted for college out there in Nevada and moved out there to pursue that, obviously he needed to train and it was not practical for him to stay with ATT. But it was no drama or anything, it wasn’t one of those kind of splits. We wish Todd all the best for the future.”

No hating on Duffee from his former camp, but, it looks like he will join the ranks of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas with fighters such as Forest Griffin, Gina Carano, Gray Maynard and, of course Randy “The Natural” Couture.

This news comes just a day after Duffee pulled himself out of his UFC 107 bout with Paul Buentello due to an injury he would not disclose the nature of.

Duffee was riding high on his UFC record seven second knockout of Tim Hague at UFC 102. Expected to be a force in the future of the heavyweight division, no statements have been made about when Todd Duffee will return to action. One thing is for sure, it will not be under the banner of American Top Team.

Follow Erik Fontanez on Twitter @NahmMMA

Beyond the heavyweight talent of the UFC, in what many consider the vast junior varsity league of MMA, lies a untapped roster of heavyweight greats in Strikeforce.

Strikeforce's roster is much smaller than that of the UFC, but, when broken down division by division, the heavyweights truly stand out in the San Jose based promotion.

The first, and most obvious, stand out is Fedor Emelianenko. Arguably, the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. In his eight year undefeated run through the heavyweight division, Fedor has beaten a who's who of MMA talent including a young, and in his prime, Mirko Cro Cop and three former UFC heavyweight champions. Although, criticised of late for ducking top tier fighters, "The Last Emperor" is still the biggest draw in the division and will continue to be until someone stops his incredible run.

The next man up to challenge of conquering the legend of Fedor is Brett Rogers.

Brett Rogers is, undeniably, a monster of a man and has the sheer power of mack truck behind all of his punches. In each of his ten wins, Rogers has finished them all by way of KO or TKO, none of which have gone past the 2:38 mark of the 2nd round. In his last fight, Rogers made quick work of former UFC heavyweight champion Andre Arlovski, knocking him out cold 22 seconds into the first round. Brett Rogers looks to "knock Fedor's head into the eigth row" this Saturday November 7th.

Former UFC and Pride stand out Fabricio Werdum is a world class Brazilian jiu jitsu competitor. Considering his impeccable ground game, Werdum holds TKO wins over UFC veterans Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga. Werdum's striking has greatly improved over the last two years and he could easily put, even the best, heavyweights to sleep. If not done with his strikes, Werdum's ground attack is almost a sure way to a submission win.

Werdum's next opponent is 6' 4", 265 pound, American Top Team fighter Antonio Silva.

Posting a 13-1 professional record, Silva is an underrated power in the heavvyweight ranks. With strong hands, heavy leg kicks and superb jiu jitsu, Silva is a force to be reckoned with. Despite a positive test for steroids in July 2008, Silva can still contend for #1 contendership in Strikeforce with his overwhelming size and skill. Look for him try and knock out Fabricio Werdum this Saturday in Chicago.

Finishing off the 265 pound list is Strikeforce's controversial heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.

The Strikeforce top dog and "Fedor target", Alistair Overeem has made a lot of buzz in MMA circles for not defending his Strikeforce title in nearly two years. Taking his time to fight in Japan for K-1 and Dream, many point to Overeem's Strikeforce absence as a cause of taking steroids. Since Strikeforce has only billed shows in the United States, where drug testing is a bit more tedious than it is over seas, the opinion is Overeem has been ducking his title defense in an attempt to not get pinched for drug use.

Steroids or not, one cannot overlook Overeem's incredible size and strength. He is on a streak of, literally, tossing fighters around the ring or cage, then applying guillotine chokes with unbelievable power. I don't remember the last time he used a combination of strikes over a fierce right hook. Once he comes back state side, Alistair Overeem will surely have a huge draw when he fights the winner of Fedor and Brett Rogers. Expect some fireworks if he tangles with either of them.

The UFC will continue to be the highest grade of talent in mixed martial arts for years to come, however, the current Strikeforce heavyweight roster is world class and would give any top five UFC heavyweights a good run. For now, the arguement about who will beat who will remain and we, as fans and media, will continue to discuss what could be. Know this, Strikeforce's heavyweights would undoubtedly draw PPV numbers if they were in the UFC. Can anyone say co-promotion?

Follow me on Twitter @NahmMMA