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Mainstream America continues to embrace MMA and Randy Couture continues to reap the benefits. Couture and Steve Austin walk the red carpet for the upcoming action flick The Expendables which opens tommorow.

Tom Watson has a unique opportunity within the Maximum Fighting Championship.

Already a top-ranked contender for the MFC’s middleweight title and one of the most-potent strikers in the entire organization, Watson is in position to become something that the MFC has never had before – a truly international star.

Because of his mass appeal and social media accessibility, Watson has become a popular figure in his native England and in both countries where he trains – the United States and Canada. His Canadian fan base in particular has grown exponentially thanks in large part to his appearance at MFC 24: Heat XC but Watson is far from forgotten in his homeland or in the U.S.

While the MFC has featured countless fighters over the years in prominent roles and as home-town favorites, Watson has the chance to become the first fighter to have international drawing power.

“I’ve always had a bit of a following in the U.K. due to the fights I’ve been involved in,” explained Watson, who will sport a 12-3 record going into his expected clash at MFC 26 in September.

“It was great to see the Canadian fans appreciate the humor of my (ring) entrance at MFC 24 and I hope to give them more of the same in September. I have been training in America for over three years now so that has helped my exposure in the States as well.”

At MFC 24, Watson strutted to the ring to funky soul music all while sporting a gorilla mask in homage to his nickname “Kong.” But what’s a stylish ring entrance worth if you don’t back it up with some substance when the bell rings? Watson certainly did that, scoring a near-lethal head-kick knockout of Travis Galbraith. The first-round sudden stoppage is most definitely a candidate for the MFC’s Knockout of the Year and instantly put Watson on the map as a contender and budding star.

That convincing win was Watson’s seventh straight positive verdict and was a resounding debut, both in the organization and on North American soil. Watson will get his chance to show the world his talents at MFC 26 when he steps into the ring for the first time on HDNet Fights.

“(Against Galbraith) I remember being thoroughly prepared for a jiu-jitsu battle and didn’t really train too much striking too be honest,” recalled Watson. “But years’ of hard work is always there and as soon as it landed I knew it was over. No one can take my kicks clean on the jaw and not get knocked out. My coach Eric O’Keefe put together a great game plan. We knew what Galbraith’s moves would be and the rest fell into place.”

And so did Galbraith, with a crashing face-first thud to the canvas. Should Watson come away from MFC 26 with another victory tucked securely into his back pocket, he has been assured of a crack at the MFC’s middleweight crown – an emblem that has only been worn once before when Patrick Cote took the honor way back at MFC 9 in March 2006.

“Of course it won’t be easy but nothing worth doing in life is easy. I came into the MFC with the belief that I would become champion. I will achieve this goal,” declared Watson, who is hoping the road to the title goes straight through Drew McFedries – his potential opponent at MFC 26.

“I really hope it is McFedries as for sure he will come and stand and bang with me. I have never been knocked out in 50 fights but he has big power so for the fans that is a great fight. I have no doubt I can do whatever it takes to win and put myself forward to fight whoever the MFC decides.”

One thing for sure with Watson, whatever fights await him, he will undoubtedly do his best at creating as much hype as possible and even fire off a few verbal jousts at his foe. It’s just ingrained in British fighters that part of their job is to heat up the pre-fight antics with some ribbing – good-natured or not. While some in the martial arts world frown on that behavior, it’s a necessary part of the business both for the fighter and the organization to stand out in the crowded world scene.

Like his good friend Paul Daley, Watson isn’t shy about tossing out the quote-worthy lines, shooting them out like a stiff jab.

“Not all British fighters are like that … just the good ones!”

Having not suffered a legitimate defeat in more than ten years competing at the highest level of mixed martial arts led many to believe that Fedor Emelianenko was as close to unbeatable as anyone in the sport.

Unfortunately for Fedor and his legions of fans throughout the globe, every man can be beaten.

Such was the case this past weekend as decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Fabricio Werdum handed the long dominant Russian Sambo expert the first true loss of his career in the form of an air-tight armbar/triangle conversion during the main event of “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum“.

While many sceptics would love to point at the defeat as a sign that Fedor has somehow lost his lethal touch in the heavyweight division, the more likely scenario is that Emelianenko finally made a crucial mistake that ended up costing him following more than thirty tests as a professional.

“I was quick to attack Werdum on the ground and committed a fatal error against a prominent opponent,” admitted Fedor in a recent release at M-1Global.com. “I believe in my abilities as a fighter and will return to my training with a newfound outlook. I will use this moment to reflect and return stronger to fight in America.

“It happens so that I was made an idol. Everybody loses. That happens. I’m an ordinary human being as all of us are.”

So where does the greatest heavyweight fighter of our time go from here?

Werdum made it a point to confess his desire to face off with Emelianenko one more time immediately following the pair’s clash in San Jose, and it now looks as if Fedor’s camp wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think a rematch with Werdum will bring a different outcome than what we witnessed this evening and would be in the best interests of the promotions and for the sport,” said Fedor representative and M-1 Global co-founder, Vadim Finkelchtein.  ”This is an opportunity for us to learn and evolve.”

M-1 Global has further stated that Emelianenko would prefer a return to action in early Fall. September and October have specifically been referenced as possible ideal return dates for Fedor.

Stay tuned to FiveOuncesofPain.com as we keep you up to date on any developments regarding Fedor’s return date and opponent.

How likely is it that Fabricio Werdum will beat Fedor Emelianenko? What event from the past ten days did you enjoy most from top to bottom? Will Cris “Cyborg” Santos beat Jan Finney faster than her husband beat Marius Zaromskis a week-and-a-half ago? What’s next for newly crowned Ultimate Fighter Season 11 champion Court McGee?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

If you’re reading these lines you’ve made it through another work-week and are back in the friendly digital confines of “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s resident Friday feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…

Best overall event – “Strikeforce – Los Angeles”, “Sengoku 13″, “TUF 11 Finale”, or “WEC 49″?

Adam Tool: I should probably start by saying that since I have neither a)HDNet or b) insomnia, I have yet to see Sengoku 13. I’ve been trying to track down a copy online but thus far I have been unsuccessful, so I’ll have to make my pick from the other three events which I did see.

Of those three my pick would be WEC 49. In terms of fight quality there was plenty of good stuff to be had on all three cards. While thinking back on those events I can’t point out a single fight which I considered boring, but it was the action in the WEC cage that kept me closest to the edge of my seat. The only knock I can make against WEC 49 would be the unsatisfying result rendered in the evening’s main event, but that only came about as the result of the incompetent judging of Cameron Quwek, the lone judge who scored every single round for Kamal Shalorus. Some blame could also be leveled against referee Josh Rosenthal, as I still can’t understand why he didn’t take another point away from Shalorus for the third low blow delivered in the final frame. Other than that though, WEC 49 was a barrage of non-stop action and tremendous performances from everyone involved.

I would also have to give the edge to WEC 49 in terms of the show’s pacing. During the two and a half hour event we saw seven fights, with what seemed like a minimal amount of commercial interruption. The Ultimate Fighter Finale featured five fights over the course of two hours, with some interminable commercial breaks, endless shilling of upcoming Spike programming, and an extremely dull interview with Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. Strikeforce: Los Angeles was well-done from a production stand-point, but I still don’t understand why the show’s producers chose to air backstage interviews in between rounds of some of the fights. On top of that we saw once again that Strikeforce has no interest in promoting new stars of the sport, as the event ended a half-hour early without a single preliminary fight shown.

Brendhan Conlan: Though each broadcast featured moments of brilliance I tend to side with Tool as far as WEC 49 being the strongest overall show in the bunch. Sengoku’s action was top notch but primarily involved talent 1% of the English-speaking audience could have picked out of a line-up prior to it airing, Strikeforce had some highlight-worthy moments but also had issues related to the card’s E3-specific production and promotion’s continuing trend of going off the air early without promoting undercard competitors, and save for Court McGee’s story and a fun scrap between Keith Jardine and Matt Hamill the Ultimate Fighter Finale was one of the least memorable in recent history. The scoring in Varner vs. Shalorus certainly detracted from the fight’s result but not from the entertaining battle that occurred during the fifteen minutes prior. Other than that, viewers were treated to the continued ascension of Josh Grispi as a top featherweight, late-replacement Danny Downes showing a ton of heart en route to a third-round submission loss at the limbs of Chris Horodecki, an edge-of-your-couch affair between Will Campuzano and Eddie Wineland, and a whole lot more.

True/False – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will beat Jan Finney tomorrow night faster than her husband beat Marius Zaromskis ten days prior?

Tool: I’ll go with “false,” although I have little reason to justify it. A quick peak at Finney’s record online reveals two things two things: 1) her nickname is “Cuddles” (seriously?) and 2) she’s only had one TKO loss on her record which came in the second round. Despite her unimpressive record and the overwhelming odds against her, I think it’s safe to assume that Finney is not the easiest opponent to put away. Cyborg is clearly the toughest opponent “Cuddles” has faced in her career and it would certainly be no surprise if the Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight Champion finishes this fight in under two minute, but unless Finney makes a crucial error (flying knee anyone?) I believe she’ll last a bit longer than Zaromskis did.

Conlan: Zaromskis lives and dies on his feet, as evident by four of his five career losses coming by way of TKO, so it was inevitable he or “Cyborg” (XY Chromosome version) was going to sleep sooner than later in their bout. That’s not the case with Finney – ahem, “Cuddles” – so I think I’ll also have to go with “false” on this. Granted, Santos is unlike any other striker let alone overall fighter in women’s MMA. However, Finney has been in the ring against a few females with above-average hands (Erin Toughill for example) and remained conscious throughout save for a single loss to Julie Kedzie. Her grappling is good enough to lock onto “Cyborg” if need be and her stand-up is decent, so as long as she avoids going toe-to-toe with the champ she should be able to make it past the 2:38 mark.

Should Cung Le retire from MMA and focus on acting if he loses to Scott Smith a second time?

Tool: To be honest, I’m not really sure. Thus far Le’s acting career has yet to really take off. He’s played smaller roles in some big-screen releases, although his work in the film Tekken has yet to be seen here in America. He would probably have better luck in Asian cinema as a straight-forward martial arts action star, as there’s little call for someone with his particular talents in the current Hollywood system.

While Le took a large chunk of time off from MMA to focus on acting, the loss to Smith seems to have re-lit the competitive fire within him. He certainly believes that he’s a better fighter than Smith (and up until the final seconds of their first fight, he was) and with the (presumably) impending departure of Jake Shields the door could be wide open for Le to try and regain the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. After all, he never lost the belt. Of course he never had a chance to lose it since he didn’t defend it, but that’s beside the point.

Le could very well lose to Smith a second time. It’s unlikely, but certainly possible. He’s pushing 40 years old so he doesn’t have all the time in the world to get better in the sport, and as such retirement from competition probably isn’t too far off anyways. His exciting fighting style and built in fanbase in the San Jose area will allow him the opportunity to continue on as long as he wants, but if he’s trying to be the best in the world then his chances to do so will live or die on Saturday night.

Conlan: I’m a firm believer fighters should hang up their gloves when they are ready to do so unless there are health-related reasons at play. Yes, Le is 38 and power/speed are typically the first thing to deteriorate with increased age. Yes, he’s only been in the ring three times since June 2007. Yes, he’s a one-trick pony as far as being 100% stand-up based. However, losing his rematch with Smith would only drop him to 6-2, and it’s not as if “Hands of Steel” is some out-of-shape, over-the-hill can they plucked from the street. He’s got 3X as many fights as Le and beaten some notable opponents in his career. He has the striking to put any adversary to sleep and a solid jaw of his own to boot as indiciated by Smith’s only career TKO losses coming to Robbie Lawler in 2008 and James Irvin in 2004. If he walks away victor again this Saturday night it should in no way be considered a slight on Le’s talent but rather a credit to his fellow soft-spoken Californian’s. As Tool said, Le is a huge regional draw and possesses an incredibly entertaining style, so as long as he is still interested in stepping into the ring and competing he should be allowed to do so.

Using a percentage, how much of a chance do you give Fabricio Werdum of beating Fedor Emelianenko?

Conlan: 1%. Don’t get me wrong – Werdum is a world-class competitor on the mat and has some solid Chute Boxe-based striking to compliment the skill. He’s beaten a number of ranked opponents and only been finished once in eighteen fights. However, we’re talking about frakking Fedor here. He’s weathered punches that would have dropped most for the count and worked his way out of any tough position he’s ever been put in. He’s gone to decision less than 1/4 of the time he’s fought, is on a ridiculously long win-streak, and…well…I probably could have stopped at “frakking Fedor”, because the reality is if you’re reading this paragraph you already know the Russian phenom’s resume. There will always be a chance Werdum could perfectly time a punch and pull a “Matt Serra”, so he at least deserves “1%”, but beyond that I don’t see there being any way he comes away from the event as the first fighter to legitimately beat Emelianenko.

Tool: I’ll be a bit kinder to Mr. Werdum and go with 10%. Obviously I’m still backing Fedor to win, but Werdum does have at least one avenue to victory. His striking isn’t quite good enough to give Fedor trouble, but there can be little argument that he’s one of the best pure grapplers in the heavyweight division. Fedor has never really been close to being submitted, but then again it’s been a long time since he’s faced anyone that’s on Werdum’s level in BJJ. I still can’t see Fedor tapping out, but if there’s any opponent in the world that can do it I think it’s Werdum.

Do you think that Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus should have an immediate rematch?

Conlan: Though I’m typically in favor of immediate rematches when a particularly poor decision is rendered, this situation is different because Varner is going to miss a good deal of time with his broken hand/foot. Shalorus, however, was relatively uninjured after their original bout and isn’t scheduled to sit on the sidelines beyond his regular recuperation/training period. Based on that, it’s likely he’ll be ready for action before Varner is so it doesn’t make sense for him to twiddle his thumbs while waiting for the former lightweight champion to recover. As such, I could see a date with Donald Cerrone at a future event.

However, if WEC is determined to pair him with Varner again, I have a suggestion on how “The Prince of Persia” can kill his new-found time. There’s a new James Bond movie on the horizon that’s certain to need evil henchman and if ever an individual was born with the physical attributes to play a role…

Tool: Let’s also not forget that the recent Prince of Persia film was a resounding success, so perhaps Shalorus could have a role to play in a potential sequel? Shalorus vs. Gyllenhaal: book it!

As for the topic at hand, I believe that a rematch should be made as soon as both fighters are healed up and ready to go. I can point to no less than three reasons why this should happen. First, this bout was intended to determine the next #1 contender for Ben Henderson’s WEC Lightweight Championship. That honor will likely now go to the winner of the upcoming Shane Roller/Anthony Pettis bout, but right now there’s a serious lack of competition for the company’s “Smooth” young champion.

The second reason I would like to see a rematch is due to the decision rendered in the first fight. Clearly a draw does nothing to further either man’s career, but on top of that it’s a decision that has not sat well with a majority of the fanbase. Just about anyone that watched that fight could tell that Varner won, but obviously that’s not the case. Look at it this way; if it hadn’t been for the point deduction in the second round Shalorus would have won a split decision, and the controversy would have been even greater.

Finally I say match these two up again because their first meeting was simply a great fight. Groin shots aside, these two kept things competitive for the majority of the fifteen minutes. Shalorus’ strategy of staying in the pocket and slugging it out with Varner may not have been the best gameplan but it certainly kept things entertaining. I say let’s have rounds four, five, and six.

Who would you like to see Court McGee matched up with for his first post-”TUF” fight?

Conlan: I have a feeling McGee may actually drop to welterweight for his next in-Octagon appearance since he’s only 5′11 and size is crucial in a promotion as deep in talent as the UFC. It also makes sense considering a number of past seasonal champions have done the same thing. The Ultimate Fighter is a great opportunity and often fighters are willing to risk competing against bigger guys to earn a contract, plus it makes maintaining/making weight easier.

As far as when Court will be in session again (you’re welcome Mauro Renallo), there are ton of opponents at 170 pounds for “The Crusher” to, well, crush. He clearly can’t be matched against one of the division’s top fighters but he also deserves better than a “gimme” dubya. Amir Sadollah seems possible based on his status as a former TUF winner himself and the fact that, at 3-2, the master of “Baboo Baby” technique could use a semi-winnable fight. Season 9 champ James Wilks is also in a similar position but ended up on the right side of a decision at UFC 115 instead of the wrong one, as Amir did at UFC 114.

Tool: I’m not so sure that McGee will drop down in weight, since he’s not yet announced any plans to do so. I’m going to try and pick someone at middleweight, and furthermore I’ll try to follow the UFC’s traditional model of giving their “TUF” champs a somewhat “lesser” opponent in their first post-show fight.

With that in mind my pick goes to Joe Doerksen. Doerksen is the very definition of a journeyman fighter, with enough name value to provide McGee a nice little boost with a win. At the same time if McGee comes up short in this fight it’s a bit more understandable given the fact that he’s facing an opponent with such a depth of experience. Stylistically the two match up well, as neither man is technically proficient in striking even though they are willing to stand and trade. McGee would have the wrestling advantage, but Doerksen could present a problem with his jiu-jitsu skills.

Megumi Fujii is coming to America.

The undefeated Japanese submission specialist widely believed to be the pound-for-pound best female on the planet will be making her first return to the United States since March of 2007 when she faces off with the durable veteran Sarah Schneider at Bellator 21.

The bout between the pair will be contested at a catchweight of 120 lbs., where Fujii normally competes at the 115 lb. mark.

Bellator 21 is set to take place this upcoming Thursday evening, June 10, from the Seminole Hard Rock Resort & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The event will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net, while highlight shows are set to air on Saturday evening via the NBC, Telemundo and Mun2 networks.

Female MMA’s equivelant of Fedor Emelianenko, the battle-tested Fujii stands alone in her division with an impressive record of 19-0 that has spanned over the last six years. With a reputation as one of the fiercest submission finishers in the sport today , “Mega Megu” has finished 16 of her 19 victims via tapout.

Already having tested herself against some of the best female MMA has to offer, Schneider holds impressive wins over the likes of Kaitlin Young and Julie Kedzie, while coming up on the short end of the stick in recent bouts against the likes of Strikeforce 135 lb. female champion Sarah Kaufman, and most recently, Andrienna Jenkins.

The 2010 BJJ World Championship is this coming weekend! It’s going to be very busy, with our live blog of Saturday and our appearance on Sunday’s free video stream of the action. But one thing we love about these events is the opportunity to get face to face with the Mighty 600,000.

Here’s the deal: stop in and grab a coffee with us from 8 to 8:45am at the Starbucks Cafe & Lobby Lounge inside the Long Beach Marriott at 4700 Airport Plaza Drive in Long Beach. This is the hotel that the IBJJF had hooked up with a special rate for BJJ Mundial competitors, and it’s just down the street from the 2010 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship so I hope it’s pretty convenient for people.

Please stop in and say hello. It’s really rewarding to put faces to the Mighty 600,000.

Don’t worry, we won’t be there long enough for you to miss any of the black belt action that day, which begins at 10am. But this way we get to connect with the Family a bit, generate some content for our next show, and caffeinate before another long day of BJJ reporting! See you there!

Undefeated UFC welterweight John Hathaway (12-0) will have his hands full this weekend when he faces his worst “Nightmare” at UFC 114. The Brit will put his undefeated record against Diego Sanchez (21-3) who makes his return to the welterweight division.

UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans will happen this weekend, May 29, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. with the main card being shown on PPV and two prelim bouts making it on to a Spike TV one hour special.

Hathaway has fought three times in the UFC having defeated Paul Taylor and Rick Story by unanimous decision, and Thams Egan by TKO. This will be the first time for “The Hitman” on North American soil and he realizes the enormity of this fight.

“I feel like because I’m aggressive and I push the pace it makes me an exciting fighter,” he says when asked about fighting on a big main card in America. “I’m not trying to be marketable in any way. I’m fighting because I love to fight and I just love doing it. It’s the same Octagon, it’s the same rules. I’m just going to look forward to being out there in a slightly more looked at stage.”

“I’ve still got a lot of things I want to work on personally and complete my game a lot more,” he says. “I guess [a win] puts me slightly higher. That’s where it puts me.”

You can find more comments and photos of Hathaway at UFC.com.

The Night of the Living Dead (NOTLD) deadlift competition is currently in negotiations to bring Fox Sports and Xtreme Power Television to Tennessee to showcase the sport of powerlifting-specifically the deadlift-to the general public. Meet director Alex Campbell has put out a request to help bring Andy Bolton to America for the competition. Says Campbell,...

As most of you know, the only man to ever pull 1000 pounds or more on the deadlift will be coming to America to lift. And not just to America, but to Elizabethton, TN. This is huge. It will allow the kids around here to see the world's greatest deadlifter and be inspired to new heights.

Bellator Fighting Championship's traditional post-event press conference
for Thursday's Bellator 19 event takes place tonight, and you can watch
a live video stream of the presser on MMAjunkie.com.

Tonight's press conference takes place at the Verizon Theatre in Grand
Prairie, Texas, and the UFC-provided stream begins at approximately
North America at 11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT).

Taking part in tonight's event are Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and the big
winners from Bellator 19.

Violent Hero Powerlifting athlete and former Marine Alan Best will be competing at this year's USPF Military Nationals on May 29 in Venice Beach. To follow is a video of his performance at the 2010 America Cup where he totaled 2319 at 275, taking home best lifter honors and $1,000 in prize money among a stacked field that included Mark Bell of Super Training, Lance Karabel, and Jim Hoskinson. Best's 2,319 currently ranks him 3rd on the single ply Powerlifting Watch lifter rankings.

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