It’s time once more for The MMA News opinion piece “The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly” where we break down an event to offer our thoughts.

Today we’ll recap Saturday night’s Strikeforce “Miami” event which took place at the BankAntlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. which saw the crowning of a new welterweight champ in Nick Diaz, the first title defense by women’s champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, as well as the Strikeforce debuts of WWE/TNA star Bobby Lashley and NFL legend Herschel Walker, who also made his professional debut.

The Good

Diaz and Zaromskis both looked good in their Strikeforce welterweight title bout. It appeared as if both men could go to war and we hoped the pace would last for all five rounds. But with both men swinging and connecting like they were, it wasn’t hard to see that someone was going to get knocked out early.

Zaromskis tagged Diaz with a good punch but wasn’t able to finish, which was probably his biggest mistake. Diaz showed his resiliency by recovering from the knockdown and coming back to power forward with uppercuts and bodyshots, before landing a short right which clipped Zaromskis sending him tumbling to the mat.

“Cyborg” showed her raw power once again by pushing the pace against Coenen and dominating the fight with her ground and pound. The Dutch fighter, Coenen, showed resiliency by not folding for three rounds and displayed her great defensive skills by keeping “Cyborg” from finishing the fight.

It was an exciting three rounds of action, with “Cyborg” showing her strength by picking Coenen up off the mat in an attempted body slam. The stoppage could have been too early, but if the fourth and fifth rounds matched the first three, then it wasn’t necessarily a bad call. We look forward to “Cyborg’s” next title defense against Erin Toughill, a fighter who can match the champs size and strength in the cage.

Herschel Walker’s actions after his bout with Greg Nagy was truly one of pure class. He immediately thanked his opponent for the bout, he was humble and critical of his own abilities during the post-fight interview, and he reminded the fans that every fighter who steps into the cage is out their to give them their best and that booing was disrespectful of their efforts.

The Bad

Watching NFL legend Herschel Walker make his professional debut against Greg Nagy was great to see but several of us felt that it wasn’t worth the $25 to watch the online PPV. Walker dominated Nagy in all three rounds, showing us some good ground and pound, while maintaining his composure anytime his opponent attempted a submission.

The fight was enjoyable to watch, with a bit of humor thrown in as fans chanted “Knee! Knee! Knee!” to Walker who had Nagy in a compromising position, but in the end it felt like a gimme fight and spoke more about bringing fans into watch the fight rather than seeing two professionals in the cage.

Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims ended with predictable results. Unless Sims pulled another “ninja” costume from his suitcase the outcome was pretty much a given. Even the Showtime broadcast team had little to say about the fight after the ref called for a stoppage.

Several of us love Wes Sims, especially after his stint on the last season of “The Ultimate Fighter” but the next time we seem Lashley step into the cage we want to see him up against some better competition, well at least an opponent who has more than one weeks notice.

The Ugly

Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef was an awesome bout it just had some ugly results. Manhoef was turning Lawler’s right leg into one giant, numbing bruise with all of those vicious kicks to the thigh. We cringed every time Lawler’s right leg went flying into the air after every kick, we thought Manhoef was going to kick it clean off.

The right hand of Lawler was a thing of beauty though, Manhoef became overconfident and came in to finish leaving his hands down. Lawler had training for this moment dropping his opponent to the mat and following it up with a few more even though Manhoef was clearly out. The glazed look as Manhoef’s eyes rolled into the back of his head said it all was very ugly. He looked really hurt, taking several minutes to recover which required the attention of medical staff. No update has been provided on his status as of yet.

The truly “Ugly” moment from the Strikeforce “Miami” event was the failure of EASportsMMA.com to provide the online broadcast of the Jay Hieron vs. Joe Riggs bout. For those lucky enough to see the fight online, it was lagged and was very grainy. Many fans couldn’t even get the internet feed to play at all.

If EA Sports wants to offer a live feed like that, someone needs to tell them that there is a legion of MMA fans who will be tuning in. If they want our money for their video games then they are going to have to learn to respect the fans.

Tell us what you thought was “Good, Bad, or Ugly” about the Strikeforce “Miami” event.

During the post-event activities of Saturday’s Strikeforce “Miami” show, CEO Scott Coker had a few moments to talk about future matchups for several of the fighters who competed on the card.

MMAFighting.com did a great job of summarizing several of Coker’s matchups and offered their opinion on the possible bouts.

Shinya Aoki vs. Gilbert Melendez: “Aoki and Melendez is going to happen before summertime,” Coker said confidently. Talking to Coker, you get the sense that he’s personally more excited about bringing Aoki to the United States than he is about any other fighter he can sign. Melendez is the Strikeforce lightweight champion and Aoki is the Dream lightweight champion, and a bout between the two of them would be one of the best lightweight bouts of the year.

An Aoki vs. Melendez sounds like an exciting matchup considering the Japanese fighter is ranked as high as #2 in the world after UFC champ BJ Penn. But Aoki’s antics after the New Year’s Eve bout where he broke the arm of opponent Mizuto Hirota did not put him into the good books of many fans.

Nick Diaz vs. Hayoto Sakurai: Most people thought Jay Hieron earned a shot at the welterweight title by defeating Joe Riggs, but Coker said it’s more likely that Sakurai will be the challenger in Diaz’s first title defense. Sakurai fights for Dream, and Coker said Strikeforce’s co-promotional arrangement with Dream ensures that “I could get it done.” Hieron’s win over Riggs was the last fight on his Strikeforce contract, and it’s not clear whether Hieron will return to the promotion.

Looking at this matchup, we’re just wondering how much more it will take to break the camel’s back before Jay Hieron finally loses his mind. Hieron was to have had a title shot last summer but Diaz pulled out due to a failed drug testing appearance, then the fight was given to Marius Zaromskis, while Hieron was given Joe Riggs. If Hieron jumps ship for the UFC I don’t think anyone will be surprised.

Cris Cyborg vs. Erin Toughill: The next shot at the 145-pound women’s title will go to Toughill, who boasts a 10-2-1 record and a good ground game. It’s hard to see Toughill providing much of a challenge for Cyborg, but then again it’s hard to see any 145-pound woman providing much of a challenge for Cyborg. Toughill is as good an opponent as anyone else for now, and later this year Strikeforce will find another challenger for Cyborg by pitting eight 145-pound women in a tournament to determine the No. 1 contender in the weight class.

Toughill is the next logical opponent for “Cyborg” and will offer the champ a fighter who can match her size and strength. Coenen did an effective job of defending against the champ and maybe she could have pulled a submission off if the fight lasted another round or two if “Cyborg” started to tire but it didn’t look like it from our vantage point. Coenen is probably better suited for the 135 pound weight division. Toughill brings a four-fight win streak, earning nine victories in her past ten.

This is a good test for both fighters, Rogers needs a recognizable name to stay in the headlines, and Lashley needs an opponent who won’t lie down and play dead after the first few minutes of the fight. A win for either man would certainly shoot their stock upwards within the Strikeforce organization but a loss could be devastating.

What’s your opinion on these matchups?

SUNRISE, Fla. - With another dominating victory and her first title defense under her belt, Strikeforce women's lightweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos can now look to her next challenge.

As Scott Coker told MMAjunkie.com following Saturday's "Strikeforce: Miami" event, Erin Toughill could be next to challenge for the title.

Santos set up the likely bout after defeating a game but overpowered Marloes Coenen in the co-main event of the Jan. 30 event, which took place at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

In a bout that has been literally over a decade in the making, legends are set to collide on February 6 during the main event of UFC 109 as fellow UFC hall of famers, Randy “The Natural” Couture and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, will butt heads to determine who is next in line to challenge for the UFC’s light heavyweight championship once Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua have a chance to settle their score, once and for all.

That’s why FiveOuncesofPain.com figured there was no better time than now to pull up a chair alongside the four-time UFC champion’s main training partner, Neil Melanson, to pick his brain on the upcoming match-up between the two pioneers of the sport.

An elite level grappler that spent a great deal of time under the wing of submission master Gokor Chivichyan in Los Angeles, Melanson is the Head Submission Coach at one of the undisputed best MMA gyms on the planet, Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

So come along as the always insightful Melanson shares his feelings on this highly anticipated 205 pound tussle for a shot at all the marbles in arguably the most stacked division in all of mixed martial arts.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesofPain.com: What are your thoughts on Mark Coleman, and some of the problems he could potentially present to someone like Randy?

Neil Melanson: I’ve always been a Mark Coleman fan. I’ve always admired him because he was a guy that didn’t ever really evolve in the sport, and he’s still done very well over time. He’s never really had much of an easy fight. If you look at his record, he’s lost a lot, but it’s all to guys that were in the top three of their weight divisions at the time they met. He’s lost to some really tough guys, so you can’t really give him s*** for that. I don’t know how his training regimen is – if he’s kind of flaky or not- but I’ve always wanted to work with him, to teach him some submission defense, and a lot of things like that. But personally, I’m a big admirer of his. I met him about a year ago for the first time and it was really an honor to meet him.

As far as what threat he could pose to Randy: I think it will be the ability to steal rounds. I really don’t see Coleman having a lot to offer to Randy. Especially right now, because even though [Randy] is older, he’s more technical now than he’s ever been. He may have sacrificed a little bit with age, but he’s made up for it with increased technique so it kind of balances out. What Coleman is probably going to want to do is to use his powerful double leg takedown to put Randy on his back. He’s not going to want to take a lot of risks and he’s going to try to win a decision by keeping Randy on his back for the majority of the fight. I think that’s going to be Coleman’s game plan, and we have been working on some serious remedies for that type of problem.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: So you basically see Coleman going old school Hammer House …. Well, I guess it’s not really old school because that’s what Mark does. His formula has always been to get you on your back and pound the life out of you.

Neil Melanson: Right, and I don’t really see Coleman trying to pound Randy unconscious or knock him out. I see him trying to maintain position and hold Randy a lot, and if there are any opportunities, he’ll take them. I think Coleman is going to try to turn this into a wrestling match, but Randy has made a lot of advancements in his wrestling since I’ve been working with him. The one thing Randy was lacking was his old wrestling skills. There’s a whole facet of ground fighting that is pure wrestling, and Randy had gotten so far away from it. So when I was training with him I was really waking him up to it, and now he’s like a totally different creature. The way he’s working the turtle is really good and I’ve taught him a couple of guard systems that are working really well. Randy also has a nice little submission library. Randy has a couple submissions – he doesn’t need a lot – that he does amazingly. Randy will be hunting for submissions on Mark Coleman, and he will be trying to knock him out on the ground as well. If it goes to the ground, it doesn’t matter what position it’s in, Randy will be superior. I guarantee you that.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Do you see this fight as being one of those bouts where their similar advantages on the ground could possibly create a stand up fight?

Neil Melanson: I don’t see that happening, although that’s a scenario that a lot of people could visualize. Randy is a mile ahead of Mark with his striking and that’s going to be recognized pretty quick in this fight. Mark’s going to do what he always does which is to shoot that powerful double leg and keep plowing into him. If Coleman is able to eventually get Randy to the ground, then Randy has a nice turtle and reversal game as well. It’s something I’ve been drilling with him for some time now. I’m a big advocate of the turtle and I work it a lot. I personally think it’s the next stage in the evolution of MMA. I don’t think people realize how powerful the turtle position is. When you’re fighting an good turtle-player your tactics have to be extremely intelligent because you can get reversed really easy. Randy is just getting better and better. Like recently we went for three hours, and it’s not because Randy lost track of time, it’s because we were having so much fun working on stuff and developing training methods. It’s not just me teaching Randy, because he has been doing this for years. I’m also learning from him, so we’re having a blast. He is so motivated right now to establish himself as a premier catch wrestler, and he’s been very vocal about that to me.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Bottom line, what does Randy need to make sure happens in order to win this fight?

Neil Melanson: Randy just needs to move. If Mark wants to stay on his feet for any length of time, he’s going to realize really fast that he can’t. Randy’s boxing is just getting better and better. Randy has always like to work his dirty boxing off of the cage, and it’s good, but it’s never good enough. So I talked to his boxing coaches – my wife (Erin Toughill) being one of them – and said, ‘Look, what can we do better here? He’s not landing enough and he’s not doing enough damage’. Then I began to work with Randy and started to open him up a little more. So now he’s using his boxing on the inside to set up his takedowns, and he’s using his takedowns to set up his boxing. If Mark Coleman decides to stand up with Randy he’s going to eat a lot of punches. He’s going to see a furious old man trying to kill him. One thing Randy has been lacking is really good training partners. I’ve been his main training partner and I’m just a ground fighter. I’m not a boxer. So I made a conscious effort this time to bring in guys that aren’t afraid to stand with Randy, or wrestle Randy, or do MMA with Randy. They’re big guys, and these guys have been critical. On the ground I can push Randy plenty, but now he has guys that will box him that can take the pain, and will make him pay. Randy’s sparring is more intense for this fight than it has ever been before. I’m not looking past Coleman but this is a really good camp. We’re already looking at the next fight. We’re getting our tactics ready.

Already with an established reputation in female mixed martial arts as one of the most commonly avoided fighters in the business, Strikeforce 145 pound title threat Erin Toughill has once again seen an anticipated bout fall through due to not being able to find an opponent with the nerve to face her.

FiveOuncesofPain.com was recently able to learn from sources close to the situation that a total of seven women were contacted as potential opponents for the bout, and all seven have refused the matchup, leaving Toughill without a fight on January 30.

5 Oz. was the first to report that Erin was originally expected to return to action at FCF (Freestyle Cage Fighting) 39 on January 30 from the Firelake Grand Casino in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The card will still feature an extremely intriguing eight female 135 pound tournament with the winner being granted a title shot in the division over at Strikeforce in the near future.

Viewed throughout the sport as one of the true pioneer’s of female MMA, many of you will remember Toughill as an original representative of the sport during her appearance on MSNBC’s Warrior Nation series a few years back. A former professional boxer, Erin sports a 10-2-1 record, and is currently riding a four fight win streak.

Erin Toughill is hard at work preparing for a return to action with an eye on Strikeforce gold.

Toughill, a former professional boxer and competitor on NBC's "American
Gladiators" reincarnation, was forced to withdraw from a rematch with
Marloes Coenen at "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers" in November and wants
to stay active before returning to Strikeforce in the spring.

Toughill is expected to face Remy Ruyssen at Freestyle Cage Fighting on Jan. 30, the same night Coenen vies for the Strikeforce women's 145-pound title against champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.

Female knockout specialist and current threat to the Strikeforce women’s 145 pound crown, Erin Toughill will be making her highly anticipated return to action at FCF (Freestyle Cage Fighting) 39 on January 30.
FiveOuncesofPain.com was recenty able to confirm Toughill’s participation on the card through Erin herself, who is currently deep in training for the bout.
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