Strikeforce - Overeem v. Werdum

Strikeforce - "Overeem v. Werdum" will air live this Saturday night on Showtime from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event will include the 2nd half of the 1st round of the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix.

The headlining bout pits K-1, Dream and Strikeforce HW title holder Alistair Overeem (34-11) against ADCC champ Fabricio Werdum (14-4). The game plans are obvious in this fight, as Overeem will do his best to strike and keep the fight standing. Conversly, Werdum will do his best to bring the fight to the ground, where Werdum submitted Overeem in 2006 with a kimura in Pride.

Since becoming a full-time heavyweight, Overeem's career has shot off the charts. He is 9-0 in MMA since a September 2007 KO loss to fellow tourney competitor Sergei Kharitonov. Even more impressive, Alistair was able to capture the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix World Championship, defeating kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in the final.

(Overeem KO's Fujita)

Werdum sent shockwaves through the MMA world in his last fight, a one minute long bout with Fedor Emelianenko which saw the Russian tapping. As the bout unfolded, Werdum was punched, went to the canvas, and then baited an aggressive Fedor into the fight ending triangle/armbar choke. The submission won MMA Blaster's submission of the year.

(Werdum submits Fedor)

In other action, former UFC champ Josh Barnett (29-5) meets former Elite XC and Strikeforce contender Brett Rogers. Rogers has slimmed down since his last bout, but will still be looking to use his powerful hands. The smart thing for Barnett to do would be to get the fight to the ground as quick as possible, but he may look to strike first standing.

Josh Barnett fought twice in Japan in 2010, winning via TKO over Geronimo dos Santos and submitting Mighty Mo Siliga. Barnett rose to fame in the early UFC, defeating Semmy Schilt and Bobby Hoffman to earn a title shot against Randy Couture. Barnett would defeat Couture via TKO at UFC 36, but tested positive for three banned substances. Barnett would go on to acheive success in Pride, going to the finals of the 2006 HW Grand Prix.

(Josh Barnett Pride picture)

The hard hitting Rogers rose to fame in the Elite XC when he rattled off four straight wins to earn a fight against Andrei Arlovski. Rogers would go on to knock out Arlovski with a clean shot, catapulting him into a match with Fedor Emelianenko. Unfortunately, Rogers would be TKO'd by Fedor and next to Alistair Overeem. He has since rebounded with a win over Ruben "Warpath" Villareal.

(Brett Rogers pictured)

Here is a look at the card:

SHOWTIME MAIN CARD

Alistair Overeem v. Fabricio Werdum - HW GP
Josh Barnett v. Brett Rogers - HW GP
Daniel Cormier v. Jeff Monson
Chad Griggs v. Valentijn Overeem
Jorge Masvidal v. K.J. Noons

HDNET CARD

Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante v. Justin Wilcox
Magno Almeida v. Conor Heun
Nah-Shon Burrell v. Joe Ray
Mike Bronzoulis v. Todd Moore
Brian Melancon v. Isaac Vallie-Flagg

Strikeforce HW GP Recap Video

Strikeforce Epic Heavyweight Tournament

The MMA world is buzzing after the opening bouts of Strikeforce's Heavyweight Grand Prix style tournament involving eight top 25 heavyweights. The next round will take place on April 9th somewhere on planet Earth. Japan, Canada and many locations in the United States have been rumored, but the status of Josh Barnett's fight license will likely force Strikeforce's hand.

The opening bouts saw MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko get crushed in the second round by the notably bigger Antonio Silva. In addition, Andrei Arlovski will likely be out of the game for a long time following a dramatic knock-out loss to the hands of Russian slugger Sergei Kharitonov.

The next round will see K-1, Dream and Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem fighting ADCC champion Fabricio Werdum in a mega fight. In addition, former UFC champ Josh Barnett will face hard hitting Brett Rogers.

Alistair Overeem's Strikeforce HW belt will not be on the line, as the tournament will crown an independent Grand Prix Champion. Look for Werdum to try to force the floor at all times to avoid Alistair's destructive stand-up game.

Round 1 Results:

Antonio Silva def Fedor Emelianenko via TKO, R2, 5:00
Sergei Kharitonov def Andrei Arlovski via KO, R1, 2:49

Reserve Bout Winners:

Shane Del Rosario def Lavar Johnson via Sub(armbar) R1, 4:31
Chad Griggs def Gian Villante via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:49
Valentijn Overeem def Ray Sefo via Sub (neck crank) R1, 1:37

Remaining Round 1 bouts:

Alistair Overeem v. Fabricio Werdum (April 9th)
Brett Rogers v. Josh Barnett (April 9th)


Final Four Qualifiers:

Antonio Silva (16-2)- "Pezao" or "Bigfoot" is a strong heavyweight that meets the top end of the 265 pound limit. A lifelong martial artist, Silva has black belts in Karate, Judo and BJJ. Silva rose to fame by winning the heavyweight title in Elite XC, though he later tested positive for steroids. Silva blamed the test on a testosterone-booster that he uses to counteract the low testosterone levels caused by his acromegaly.

In the opening round of the tournament, Bigfoot had a very close 1st round matching the stand-up skills of Fedor Emelienenko. However in the second round, Bigfoot took advantage of Fedor utilizing his ground skills establishing dominant position, then crushing his foe with his massive fists.

Silva will go as far as his big time power and ground game will take him. Silva has TKO wins over Tom Erikson, Mike Kyle and Wesley Correira. He has decision wins over Andrei Arlovski and Ricco Rodriguez.


Sergei Kharitonov (18-4)- This Russian Airborne soldier gained notierity in the MMA world with his entertaining bouts in the Pride organization. A former training partner with Fedor Emelianenko, Kharitonov emerged in the 2004 Pride HW GP when he KO'd Ninja Rua and kickboxing legend Semmy Schilt.

Expect Kharitonov went toe to toe with Andrei Arlovski in his opening round bout, and despite taking some shots eventually got the better of Arlovski. Kharitonov used nasty uppercuts and punches to the body, eventually sending Arlovski to the canvas and finishing him off with strong ground and pound. Kharitonov has other victories over tournament front runners Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum.


Remaining 1st Round Fighters:

Alistair Overeem (34-11)- Since becoming a full-time heavyweight, Overeem's career has shot off the charts. He is 9-0 since a September 2007 KO loss to fellow tourney competitor Sergei Kharitonov. Even more impressive, Alistair was able to capture the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix World Championship, defeating kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in the final.

Overeem is the defending Strikeforce HW champion, having won the title against Paul Buentello and defending against Brett Rogers. A powerful kickboxer with upper level submission skills, Overeem has other victories against Vitor Belfort, Todd Duffee and Igor Vovchanchyn.  Overeem will look to keep the fight standing against Werdum.


Fabricio Werdum (14-4)- Werdum sent shockwaves through the MMA world in his last fight, a one minute long bout with Fedor Emelianenko which saw the Russian tapping. As the bout unfolded, Werdum was punched, went to the canvas, and then baited an aggressive Fedor into the fight ending triangle/armbar choke. The submission won MMA Blaster's submission of the year.

Fabricio Werdum will be looking to get the fight with Overeem to the ground early and often to utilize his world renown jiu-jitsu skills. The task will be difficult, but Werdum has defeated many top fighters, including Brandon Vera, Junior Silva, Gabriel Gonzaga, Aleks Emelianenko and Fedor Emelianenko. Werdum is the 2007 and 2009 ADCC HW champ.


Josh Barnett (26-5)- The submission wizard and pro wrestling fanatic, Josh Barnett is an interesting character in the martial arts world. Barnett is still a wild card in the tournament, still not having cleared up a positive steroid test in California. If troubles persist, look for an alternate to take Barnett's place.

With the positive test looming in the United States, Barnett fought twice in Japan in 2010, winning via TKO over Geronimo dos Santos and submitting Mighty Mo Siliga. Barnett rose to fame in the early UFC, defeating Semmy Schilt and Bobby Hoffman to earn a title shot against Randy Couture. Barnett would defeat Couture via TKO at UFC 36, but tested positive for three banned substances. Barnett would go on to acheive success in Pride, going to the finals of the 2006 HW Grand Prix.


Brett Rogers (11-2)- The hard hitting Rogers rose to fame in the Elite XC when he rattled off four straight wins to earn a fight against Andrei Arlovski. Rogers would go on to knock out Arlovski with a clean shot, catapulting him into a match with Fedor Emelianenko.

Rogers would fight Fedor at Strikeforce, Chicago and battle the Russian to a close first round. In the second, Rogers ate a big shot and his night was finished. Rogers next fought Alistair Overeem to disappointing results. Since, Rogers rebounded with a win over Warpath Villareal.

Strikeforce - St. Louis

Alistair Overeem will make his return to the United States this weekend when he takes on Brett Rogers at Strikeforce - Heavy Artillery in St. Louis. Overeem has been very busy lately, taking multiple oversees MMA fights and K-1 bouts.

The last time Overeem was fighting in the US, he was beating up Paul Buentello to defend his Strikeforce title. Overeem's only other United States fight was decision victory over Vitor Belfort. Overeem's other career wins have come over Igor Vovchanchyn, Mark Hunt, Roman Zentsov and Sergei Kharitonov.

(Overeem KO of Fujita)

In other action former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski will be fighting former Elite XC champ Junior "Bigfoot" Silva. Arlovski desparetly needs a win since his two straight KO losses to Fedor and Brett Rogers.

Here is a look at other fights that will be shown live on Showtime:

MAIN CARD

Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers
Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Joey Villasenor
Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman
Antwain Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante

UNDERCARD (un-aired)

Justin DeMoney vs. Jesse Finney
Lyle Beerbohm vs. Vitor Ribeiro
Lee Brousseau vs. Fransisco France
Mike Chandler vs. Sal Woods
Tom Aaron vs. Erik Steenberg
Matt Ricehouse vs. Greg Wilson
Darryl Cobb vs. Booker DeRousse
(Back to MMA Rumors)

Strikeforce - Fedor v. Roger Preview

On Saturday, November 7th, the number 1 MMA fighter of all-time Fedor Emelianenko will be fighting rising top 10 heavyweight Brett Rogers. Rounding out the card is a 185 pound title fight between Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Gegard Mousasi, Fabricio Werdum and Jeff Curran. The card unfolds at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois and will be broadcast live on CBS.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers- Finally we get to see Fedor fight after he was MIA from MMA action since a KO win over Andrei Arlovski in January. Also, Brett Rogers will be returning since his June beatdown of the aforementioned Arlovski.

Fedor (30-1) is an absolute beast, dismantling former UFC champs, massive brawlers and NCAA champs at ease. He owns wins over a staggering group of fighters including everyone from Antonio Nogueira, Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Matt Lindland, Kevin Randleman and Ricardo Arona.

Look for Fedor to bring Rogers to the mat and take him to school with his amazing grappling aresenol. If the fight stays standing, I would expect Fedor to look to use his quickness against Rogers power punching.

(Fedor Emelianenko pictured)

Brett Rogers (10-0) is a rising star in the mixed martial arts world. He started his career training working full-time in Sam's Club's tire department and training in a 5 car garage. He has awesome power, standing 6'5" and weighing 265+ pounds. Expect Rogers to keep the fight standing, hunting for a knockout.

During his brief MMA career, Rogers has finished every fight with 9 TKO/KO's and 1 submission, albeit via a punches. Besides Arlovski, Rogers has taken out James Thompson, Jon Murphy and Ron "Abongo" Humphrey.

(Brett Rogers pictured)

Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Jake Shields- After the extremely entertaining Cung Le decided to vanquish his middleweight belt, Strikeforce has handed the title shot to two of the best American fighters outside the UFC. The grappling wizards will be fighting five rounds to determine the new champ.

Mayhem Miller (22-6) has used his "unique" personality to host the show Bully Beatdown and launch various other endevors. With an underrated submission game, Miller will look to defend Shields submission attempts while looking to punish the jiu-jitsu blackbelt.

Miller has fought in Hawaii, Japan and the continental US during his long career, with wins over Kala Hose, Robbie Lawler, Niko Vitale, Tim Kennedy and Ron Jhun.

(Mayhem Miller pictured)

Jake Shields (23-4) was the first and only Elite XC 170 pound champ, a Shooto champ and two time Rumble on the Rock tournament champ. He is currently riding a 12 fight win streak. Shields grappling has looked flawless during that stretch. Expect Shields to look for takedowns early and often, and then try for a submission.

Shields won the 170 pound Elite XC belt over Nick Thompson and defended against Paul Daley. He would then beat Robbie Lawler at a 182 catch weight in his first Strikeforce fight. Shields has other career victories over Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle and Dave Menne.

(Jake Shields pictured)

Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou- Gegard Mousasi (26-2), the Strikeforce 205 pound champion, will be taking on the uber athletic Sokoudjou in this non-title match. Expect Mousasi to use his precision kickboxing to neutralize Sokodjou's power. Mousasi is on a 13 fight win streak with victories over Babalu Sobral, Melvin Manhoef, Denis Kang and Jacare.

Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum- The winner of this heavyweight clash will find himself in a potential showdown with the winner of Fedor v. Rogers. Both fighters are excellent grapplers, and this fight will likely be determined on the ground. Werdum is coming of a 2009 ADCC HW championship.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Marloes Coenen vs. Roxanne Modafferi- CBS Swing Bout
Jeff Curran vs. Dustin Neace
Shamar Bailey vs. John Kolosci
Deray Davis vs. Mark Miller
Nate Moore vs. Louis Taylor
Jonatas Novaes vs. Christian Uflacker

Strikeforce - Shields and Rogers

Despite the announcing crew declaring Jake Shields and Brett Rogers major underdogs who would be knocked out quite easy, the opposite proved true at Saturday's Strikeforce event.

Five fights made the broadcast, starting off with decision victories for Mike Whitehead and Joe Riggs. Riggs broke both hands in his fight with Phil Baroni. Whitehead outpointed Kevin Randleman and ate a big shot in the third, but worked through it.

Nick Diaz def Scott Smith via Sub (Rear-Naked Choke) R3, 1:41- Diaz played with Smith throughout the bout, landing strikes from all angles. In the third, Diaz was able to utilize his ground game and get the choke.

Brett Rogers def Andrei Arlovski via TKO (Punches) R1, 0:22- Brett Rogers came out to answer the step up in competition, fighting to get his family a new house. The big bruiser, pushing 262 pounds, struck Arlovski square in the face, and didn't stop, punishing Arlovski as his eyes rolled back and Big John McCarthy stepped in.

Jake Shields def Robbie Lawler via Sub (Guillotine) R1, 2:02- Jake Shields made a resounding splash at 182 pounds. He landed some kicks while taking punches from Robbie Lawler. Shields attempted a takedown, but was denied. At that point Gus Johnson and Mauro Ranallo(announcers) gave the fight to Lawler. However, as Lawler fought off another takedown with an underhook, Shields sunk in a tight guillotine choke and ended the fight.


(Jake Shields pictured, non-title fight against Lawler)

Mike Whitehead def Kevin Randleman via Dec (Unanimous)
Joe Riggs def Phil Baroni via Dec (Unanimous)
Jesse Finney def Josh Bumgarner via sub (keylock) R1, 1:55
Mike Kyle def Rafael Cavalcante via TKO (strikes) R2, 4:05
Booker DeRousse def James Wade via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:06
Lucas Lopes def Scott Ventimiglia via DQ (illegal knee) R1, 3:26
Pat Benson def Dave Cochran via sub (triangle choke) R1, 2:18
Tyron Woodley def Salvoder Woods via sub (north-south choke) R1, 4:20

Elite XC Goes Under!

Story by MMA Blaster

It appears that the paperwork has been filed and Elite XC has kicked the proverbial bucket. Their assets will be sold at public auction shortly. I enjoyed the promotion as they had some great fighters and put on a decent card. There are quite a few top free agents that will hit the market in the short term. Here are some of the Elite XC fighter list.

Eddie Alvarez- After his performance in the Dream lightweight tournament, Alvarez will most likely continue to see big paydays in Japan. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight on New Years Eve versus Joachim Hansen. Alvarez is an extremely exciting young fighters with wins over Tatsuya Kawajiri, Joachim Hansen, Andre Amade, Aaron Riley, Derrick Noble, Matt Lee and Ross Ebanez.

Nick Diaz- Diaz probably wants to remain fighting at a catch-weight of 160. He has many fights he can do in Japan against the aforementioned Alvarez, a rematch with Takanori Gomi in World Victor Road, Shinya Aoki or many others. His brother has been on a roll in the UFC, and it is unlikely the UFC wants to deal with him.


Jake Shields- Shields already has called out Georges St. Pierre at a press conference after a quick win against Nick Thompson to get the WW Elite XC belt. He may of eaten some punches, but he was also able to finish off Paul Daley in his latest defense. With few good opponents at 170 for Jake to fight, the UFC has intriguing match-ups. Shields holds wins over Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Nick Thompson, Mike Pyle, Dave Menne and Hayato Sakurai.

Dave "Pee Wee" Herman- Herman at (12-0) has destroyed his last three opponents in Elite XC, veterans Mario Rinaldi, Ron Waterman and Kerry Schall. At 6'5", the agile 245 pound heavyweight should be the coveted young heavyweight the UFC desperately needs. Herman could go to the new ESPN league or World Victory Road Sengoku as well.

Brett Rogers- The large 6'5" 265 pound heavyweight throws some heavy hands. At 8-0, it is unknown whether or not he can fight from the ground. He does have knock-out power and could be a big draw one day. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight in whatever promotion offers the most cash. That could be Sengoku.

Robbie Lawler- The hard hitting Elite XC MW champ would fit in well in a UFC MW class looking for a striker to fight Anderson Silva. Lawler has 6 straight wins including KO victories against Scott Smith, Ninja Rua, Frank Trigg and Joey Villasenor. Strikeforce could also be a possibility for a match-up with Cung Le. Lawler was at the recent UFC 90 event in Chicago.

Antonio Silva- Bigfoot will more command more dollars than the UFC will give to him. He will either choose Affliction for the possible big fights or Sengoku. Silva also has had problems with athletic commissions in the USA, which might be a factor in seeing him go to Japan. Silva has wins over Ricco Rodriguez, Justin Eilers and Cabbage.

Gina Carano- A fight between Carano and Tara LaRosa would be a good fight for women's mma if Carano went to the AFL. Carano has looked impressive in all her 7 victories. 140 is not a good weight class for her. If Affliction starts women's mma, they may also be bidding for Carano's services. Strikeforce has some women on their roster, that might also be a logical choice.


Kimbo Slice- Kimbo has stated that he wants to fight in Japan. The Japanese love larger than life characters, and Kimbo fits that mold. While Kimbo may not have the best skills in mma, he is a legit draw. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight in Dream or Sengoku against another larger than life character.

AFL

Elite XC CBS Style

Elite XC on CBS got off to a bang, and then lingered for the rest of the night. Suprisingly, Elite XC was able to stuff more filler in their broadcast than a UFC Fight Night. The first two fights were over in the first minute, yet no undercard fights were broadcast.

Brett Rogers def. Jon Murphy via. KO (Punch) R1 1:01- This fight was the debut of mma on CBS. Rogers and Murphy threw some sloppy punches before the clinch. Then Rogers wailed Murphy with a knee and two rights. Murphy dropped to his knees like a sack of bricks. Rogers, with Big Black from "Rob and Big" in tow, let everyone know that he had just "did work." Later, Rogers called out Kimbo Slice.


Joey Villasenor def. Phil Baroni via. TKO (Punches) R1 1:11- These two did what everyone thought, stood and traded punches. Baroni took too many shots to the face and eventually went down. Villasenor has three wins in a row now, and will more than likely be a challenger for the MW belt soon.

Gina Carano def. Kaitlin Young via. TKO (Doctor Stoppage) R2 3:00- Carano and Young traded some big shots in the first and Young looked as though she had a chance to pull of the victory as the round was pretty even. In the second, Carano began to find her mark with punches and clinch work. After fighting off a rear naked choke attempt after a kick, Young's eye was too swollen for the Doctor to allow the bout to continue.

Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith No Contest (Thumb in the eye) R3 3:26- The first round saw Lawler getting the most of the combinations and Smith backing up. The second was pretty even as both fighters let everything hang out. Both got bloodied up and the war was on. Unfortunately, as Smith threw a punch in the third, Lawler accidently put a finger in Smith's eye. Smith wanted to continue after a minute or so, but the fight didn't continue.

Kevin Ferguson def. James Thompson via. TKO (punches) R3 0:38- This fight was ugly. The ref was horrible. Thompson for some reason didn't think his massive swollen ear would be a problem in the fight. In the third, Kimbo punches it and it exploded. The ref stopped the bout after that. The ref had absolutely horrendous stand-ups in this fight, some when Thompson was in side control dropping elbows on Kimbo. Kimbo may or may not have tapped to a guillotine choke as well. The stoppage was also not good.

Online Fights-
Joe Sampieri def. Mike Groves via. TKO (Strikes) R1 4:58
Zach Makovsky def. Andres Soares via. Decision (Unanimous) R3 5:00
James Jones def. Calvin Kattar via. Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1 4:49
Wilson Reis def. Justin Robbins via. Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1 4:06
Matt Makowski def. Nick Serra DQ (Wouldn't Get Up From Butt Scoot) R2 3:57
Carlton Haselrig def. Carlos Moreno via. TKO (Corner Stoppage) R1 5:00
Chris Liguori def. Jim Bova via. TKO (Cut) R1 4:31

Elite XC - CBS Style Preview

Elite XC will debut Saturday May 31st on CBS. The fights will be taking place in Newark, New Jersey. Promoter Gary Shaw expects a sellout. He better also help for weather that keeps people indoors on a Saturday night.

Champ Robbie Lawler (16-4) vs. Scott Smith (13-4)- This Middleweight championship fight will most likely be another stand-up brawl. Both guys are known for standing and trading. Lawler's background in Miletich Fighting would lead you to believe he may try to bring the fight to the ground.

*Promo pic of Robbie Lawler

Kimbo Slice (2-0) v. James Thompson (14-8)- Kimbo and Thompson will more than likely stand and trade punches. The fighter that is able to land more will win, and from what we have seen of Thompson there is a good chance he is the one going down. He has lost his last two fights by way of KO. Kimbo is coming off KO wins of Bo Cantrell and Tank Abbott.


Gina Carano (5-0) vs. Kaitlin Young (4-1)- Gina Carano hasn't fought since September of 2007 and has done two seasons of American Gladiators since. Carano will be cutting to make 140 and Young normally fights at 135, so Carano will probably have a strenght advantage. Carano will likely impose her will and utilize her muay thai background. In her last fight, Young lost in BoDog to Sara Schneider. Carano has beaten four quality opponents in a row in Rosi Sexton, Elaina Maxwell, Julie Kedzie and Tonya Evinger.

*MMA Blaster supports women's mma, and is happy to see women on the main card. I do think that Elite XC should try to get some talent from Japan and have a 140 class and a 120 class. Megumi Fugii and Satoko Shinashi are solid, as well as Tara LaRosa.

Jon Murphy (4-2) vs. Brett Rogers (6-0)- Brett "Grim" Rogers will look to stand and drop bombs on Murphy. Rogers stands 6'5" and just makes th 265 pound cutoff. Murphy will probably give up two to three inches and 20 to thirty pounds to Rogers. The fight will probably result in a KO if Murphy cant take down Grim. In his last fight Rogers knocked out Kimbo's opponent, James Thompson.

Phil Baroni (10-9) vs. Joey Villasenor (25-6)- The ever confident Baroni has predicted a knock out victory in the first round. That shouldn't come to a surprise with anyone that is familiar with the New York Bad Ass. Villasenor recently won in Strikeforce against Ryan Jensen (11-4).

Online Fights - proelite.com
Wilson Reis vs. Justin Robbins
Matt Makowski vs. Nick Serra
Carlton Haselrig vs. Carlos Moreno
Jim Bova vs. Chris Liguori
James "Binky" Jones vs. Calvin Kattar

Brett Rogers and Dave Herman

With the number of talented heavyweight prospects on the decline, Elite XC has two of the sports brightest. No, I'm not talking about over hyped Kimbo Slice. Rather, Brett "the Grim" Rogers (6-0) and David "Pee Wee" Herman (10-0). In their 16 respective fights, all have ended early, without a judge's decision. Both are also have height, each standing 6'5".

At Elite XC's "Street Certified" event, the heavy-handed Rogers was able to KO Kimbo's next opponent in the first round, James Thompson. Rogers next fights John Murphy in the May 31st CBS show. Meanwhile, Herman was able to TKO Mario Rinaldi in the third round. Herman is scheduled to fight Ron Waterman on June 14th in Elite XC Hawaii.


Rogers HL, basically four fights shown one after another^


Herman v. Ferguson

Video of the Day - Best KO's from 2008 Vol 1

Here is the video of the day, it includes KO highlights from the first part of this year. Among the best include Yves Edwards KO over Edson Berto, Brett Rodgers KO over James Thompson, and Tim Boetsch's toss KO over David Heath.

Elite XC "Street Certified" Results

I have yet to see all the fights from Elite XC's biggest event to date. Apparently they had a sell out crowd present in Miami. The Kimbo v. Tank fight went exactly as how I thought it would with Tank gassed and knocked out in the first. There were two strange stoppages, one because of strikes to the back of the head when Tank was on all fours and another when something made its way into the arena. After being saved, Tank took a big shot to the face and was dropped like a sack of potatoes.

If you haven't already, watch the Yves Edwards v. Edson Berto fight. While Edson Berto had a deep single leg in, Yves clobbered Berto with his opposite knee. One of the most athletic KO's I have seen. I wouldn't call it a flying knee like I have seen listed, but it was awesome.



James Thompson's game plan of pushing Brett Rodgers around didn't work. After being taken down and let up, Rodgers smashed Thompson right on the chin and got the KO. Thompson tried to grapple with the ref afterwards and had no idea what planet he was on.

Undercard
Moyses Gabin def Jirka Hlavati via TKO R1, 2:32
Lorenzo Borgomeo def Mike Bernhard via Sub(triangle) R2, 4:11
Eric Bradley def Mikey Gomez via Unanimous Decision
Dave "Pee Wee" Herman def Mario Rinaldi via (TKO) R3, :33
Yosmany Cabezas def Jon Kirk via Sub (RNC) R2, :58
Rafael Feijao def John Doyle via TKO (knee) R1, 2:17

Main Card
Brett Rogers def James Thompson via TKO (punches) R1, 2:24
Yves Edwards def Edson Berto via KO (knee KO) R1. 4:56
Scott Smith def Kyle Noke via KO (punch) R2, :07
Antonio Silva def Ricco Rodriguez via Split Dec
Kimbo Slice def Tank Abbott via KO (punch) R1, :43

EliteXC "Street Certified" Card Announced

Elite XC Review - This fight card will take place on February 16, at the Bank United Center in Miami, Florida.

Tank Abbott (9-13) vs. Kimbo Slice (1-0)- Look for this fight to be over by the three minute mark with one of these two seeing stars. Kimbo has been training for this fight with MMA legend Bas Rutten. Kimbo looked imposing in his win over an intimidatd Bo Cantrell.

Tank will not be scared and come out guns blazing like he always does, swinging for the fences. Tank was actually winning in his last bout against Gary Turner (4-0) landing punches and getting a takedown. But, when they got on their feet at the 2 minute mark Tank was completely gassed and basically gave up.
*Prediction- Kimbo via KO R1.



Ricco Rodriguez (27-7) vs. Antonio Silva (9-1)- This fight should be the main event, but Tank and Kimbo have more reckognizable names than these two. Antonio Silva is an absolute massive opponent who has beaten down his two opponents in Elite XC. Former UFC Heavyweight Champ Rodriguez is looking for his second victory in a row since his loss to Ben Rothwell (29-5).
*Prediction Antonio Silva via TKO R3

Kyle Noke (14-3-1) vs. Scott Smith (12-5)- The Aussie Kyle Noke is looking for his second straight victory in Elite XC. Former UFC competetior and TUF 4 contestant Scott Smith is looking for his second win in a row. Smith will stand and trade, while Noke will probably look to take the fight to the ground.
*Prediction Kyle Noke via submission R2

Yves Edwards (32-13-1) vs. Edson Berto (13-4-1)- The creator of Thugjitsu Yves Edwards is looking for his third win in a row and second at Elite XC. Yves has the experience edge and a better resume, but anything can happen. Berto is also looking for his second victory in a row. In Berto's previous Elite XC bout he lost to 160 pound champ KJ Noons.
*Prediction Yves Edwards via KO R2

Brett Rogers (5-0) vs. James Thompson (14-7)- Rogers is looking to keep his undefeated streak alive against Englishman James "Colossus" Thompson. Rodgers sported a mohawk in his previous Elite XC win over Ralph Kelly (3-4) and is largely untested. Thompson will come in with more fights in bigger venues. This will be a slugfest.
*Prediction Thompson via KO R1

PRELIMINARY CARD

Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (9-0) vs. Mario Rinaldi (6-2)- Pee Wee is an interesting heavyweight prospect with 9 straight stoppages. He is 6'5" and 250 pounds, we will see how he does as this is his first fight on a big stage.

Rafael Feijao (4-1) vs. John Doyle (6-2)
Jon Kirk (10-2) vs. Yosmany Cabezas (4-0)
Eric Bradley (2-1) vs. Mikey Gomez (6-3)
Mike Berhard (3-0) vs. Lorenzo Borgameo (2-0)


*Gif of Edwards KO high kick of Josh Thomson at UFC 49.