LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 24, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships concluded its hugely successful second season with two more thrilling upsets on Thursday as middleweight Alexander Shlemenko scored a stunning TKO and featherweight Joe Warren won a hard-fought split decision to emerge as the Season 2 Tournament Champions in their respective divisions.

The sold-out event at Louisville’s Fourth Street Live downtown entertainment district tied a ribbon on Bellator Season 2 in fitting fashion as fans were once again treated to a full card of electrifying fights that also included shocking upsets at bantamweight and in a Women’s Feature Fight.

But the night undoubtedly belonged to Warren and Shlemenko, whose victories earned them $100,000 in prize money and the chance to fight reigning Bellator World Champions Joe Soto and Hector Lombard, respectively, in world title fights this fall.

Shlemenko, a 26-year-old army combat fighter known for his reliance on spinning back-fists and leg kicks, came out swinging in his typical style from the opening bell. But it was a far-more-conventional right hook to the jaw that eventually finished the heavily favored Bryan “The Beast” Baker roughly mid-way through Round 1.

The devastating punch left Baker (13-2) dazed and slowly crumpled him to the canvas before Shlemenko moved in for the finish with a flurry of punches. Referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight due to unanswered blows at 2:45 into Round 1.

It was just the second time that Baker had suffered a loss as a pro with the other coming at the hands of UFC star Chael Sonnen more than two years ago.

“We had heard that Alexander Shlemenko was one of the best middleweights in Europe and he definitely proved that here tonight,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said afterward. “He beat a very, very talented fighter in Bryan Baker and he’s more than earned the right to face our champion Hector Lombard later this year.”

Shlemenko, for his part, said the win was also a statement on behalf of all pure strikers in MMA today.

“This victory means that strikers soon will be all over MMA and that Bellator Fighting Championships will be owned by the strikers,” he said through his translator.

Warren, meanwhile, took a far-more-circuitous route to his title. The 33-year-old former NCAA all-American and Greco-Roman wrestling world champion, appeared to be all but finished near the end of Round 1 when his opponent, the previously undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Patricio Pitbull, dropped him to the canvas with a right cross and then began a vicious ground-and-pound before Warren was saved by the bell.

But Warren rebounded in remarkable fashion during Rounds 2 and 3, digging deep and using his world-class wrestling skills to score points with a series of takedowns that were each followed by relentless ground-and-pound attacks punctuated with sharp elbows and stiff forearms to Pitbull’s head.

The split decision victory was even more impressive given that Warren spent much of the day battling a stomach virus that left him unable to keep food down or maintain his balance.

“I feel tired but I’m very happy now,” he said after the fight. “I fought a great fighter in Pitbull and now I’m the champion. I’m the baddest man on the planet!”

Rebney agreed, saluting Warren’s resilience and his will to win even in spite of his illness.

“He showed up tonight with a sickness that would have put a lot of people in the hospital and beat a world-class fighter and put on the kind of performance that you just can’t script,” he said. “What he did tonight was just epic and very, very impressive.”

Earlier, in the first televised fight of the night, Fresno, Calif.-based striker Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto scored a huge upset with a first round knockout of the world’s top-ranked 125-pound female fighter, England’s Rosi Sexton.

At just two minutes into Round 1, Frausto (7-1) landed a left knee to Sexton’s chin, knocking her unconscious and dropping her to the canvas before finishing her with three straight right hands to the jaw. It was just the second career loss for Sexton in 12 pro MMA fights.

“I saw the opening and I just threw the knee up,” Frausto said afterward, adding that she thinks she now deserves to be ranked No. 1 in the world at 125. “I’ve been shooting for No. 1 since I got into the sport. This is exactly why I got into MMA.”

Also Thursday, in what was billed as an “Eliminator Bout” to determine the latest entrant into Bellator’s forthcoming Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament, two-time Wyoming state high school wrestling champion Nik “Garfield” Mamalis scored his second consecutive Bellator victory to improve his pro MMA record to 10-4 and punch his ticket into the tournament’s eight-man field. The soft-spoken Mamalis used an aggressive attack to neutralize L.A.-based rising star Albert Rios (12-5) via TKO at 4:40 into Round 1.

Afterward, Rebney said that Mamalis had more than earned his place in the Bantamweight Tournament draw.

“That’s what Bellator’s all about,” Rebney said. “it’s about giving a guy like Nik who hasn’t had a chance on the big stage the opportunity to that and then he takes that opportunity by the throat.”

The evening also played host to four non-televised “Local Feature Fights” showcasing top rising stars from Louisville, Cincinnati and Southern Indiana. The results of those fights are as follows:

- Brent Weedman def. John Troyer via armbar submission – Round 1, 4:55
- Daniel Straus def. Chad Hinton via unanimous decision
- Stoney Hale def. Mike Fleniken via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 4:20
- Kurt Kinser def. David Overfield via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:30

Bellator returns to TV in August for its much-anticipated third season, which will feature eight-man tournaments at bantamweight and heavyweight as well as a first-of-its-kind Women’s Tournament showcasing eight female fighters ranked among the top 10 in their respective weight classes.

Each fight will once again be broadcast LIVE in primetime on Fox Sports Net and during special taped highlight shows every Saturday night on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

For more information, visit www.Bellator.com follow us on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Bellator.

Starting June 28, M-1 Global, home of the world’s most dangerous fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, is launching its search to find Europe’s top ring girls to sport the M-1 brand and want North America’s fan-feedback in choosing the winners. Go to www.m-1ringgirls.com between June 28-July 12 to vote and make your voice heard.

“Our North American fan base is extremely important to us and we wanted to ensure they were able to participate in the voting process,” says M-1 Global’s Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan. “The submissions for our ring girl contest have been through the roof and this is shaping up to one of our most successful promotions to date.”

Between June 28 – July 12, M-1 Global’s “Queen of the Ring” ring girl search will undertake seven preliminary elimination voting stages with a new group of contestants being posted to

www.m-1ringgirls.com every two days. The winners from each round will advance to the final selections with the top 10 ring girls being showcased live at the M-1 Selection 2010 – Eastern Europe Final Round on July 22 in Moscow, Russia and as part of the reality show, M-1 Fighter coming later this year.

About M-1 Global:

Founded in 1998 by Vadim Finkelchtein and Sergey Matvienko, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand stages its M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Breakthrough events worldwide and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States; captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups.

Starting June 28, M-1 Global, home of the world’s most dangerous fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, is launching its search to find Europe’s top ring girls to sport the M-1 brand and want North America’s fan-feedback in choosing the winners. Go to www.m-1ringgirls.com between June 28-July 12 to vote and make your voice heard.

“Our North American fan base is extremely important to us and we wanted to ensure they were able to participate in the voting process,” says M-1 Global’s Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan. “The submissions for our ring girl contest have been through the roof and this is shaping up to one of our most successful promotions to date.”

Between June 28 – July 12, M-1 Global’s “Queen of the Ring” ring girl search will undertake seven preliminary elimination voting stages with a new group of contestants being posted to

www.m-1ringgirls.com every two days. The winners from each round will advance to the final selections with the top 10 ring girls being showcased live at the M-1 Selection 2010 – Eastern Europe Final Round on July 22 in Moscow, Russia and as part of the reality show, M-1 Fighter coming later this year.

About M-1 Global:

Founded in 1998 by Vadim Finkelchtein and Sergey Matvienko, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand stages its M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Breakthrough events worldwide and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States; captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups.

Should fans be thankful Rich Franklin is fighting Chuck Liddell as opposed to Tito Ortiz? If KJ Noons can get by Conor Heun next Wednesday should Strikeforce promote a rematch with rival Nick Diaz or let him focus on the lightweight division? Who will pull off the biggest upset at UFC 115? Will Saturday night mark Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s last appearance in the Octagon if he falls to Pat Barry? Are you interested in seeing “The A-Team” because of Quinton Jackson’s involvement or are you planning to skip it altogether regardless of “Rampage”?

Seven months ago, a crack commando journalism unit was sent to prison by a court of editors for a typo they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Underground. Today, still wanted by the FCC, they survive as soldiers of fortune without the actual fortune involved. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire… The GWI-Team!

Please forgive me if this week’s introduction is brief, but I’m fairly certain I saw a Predator drone marked with Sherdog’s logo circle my current location so time is clearly of the essence. As always, Adam Tool (callsign: B.A. Tool) and myself (callsign: Brend-hannibal) are here to provide insight and opinion on topics plucked from the MMA landscape. However, this week’s edition has SEVEN savory subjects for the two of us to dissect in honor of Quinton Jackson’s potentially star-making role in “The A-Team”. 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…

Fastest finish come June 16th’s “Strikeforce – Los Angeles” card – Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral or Marius Zaromskis vs. Evangelista Santos?

Adam Tool: I’ve got to go with Zaromskis vs. Santos for this one. Both men are highly-touted strikers with plenty of KO wins on their records. Santos is certainly more than capable of using his jiu-jitsu to get the job done, but I believe it’s more likely we’ll see these two come out aggressive right from the opening bell. If this fight makes it past the first round I’ll be somewhat surprised, but of course I have been wrong about this sort of thing before.

As for Lawler and Sobral, there’s certainly a chance this one could end quickly as well. Lawler will certainly be looking to lay into “Babalu” early and often, but at the same time I would hardly expect Sobral to try and get into a slugfest with such a dangerous opponent. Sobral hasn’t been seen since his devastating knockout to Gegard Mousasi and as such I would imagine he’ll be taking a more cautious approach in this fight. Don’t expect “Babalu” to stay in the pocket for too long, as he’ll likely try and keep his distance and pick his shots before looking for the takedown. Sobral has a steep advantage in the grappling department and he knows that Lawler is weak on the ground, so in the end this one will come down to which fighter can best implement their gameplan for victory.

Brendhan Conlan: Tool makes some good points yet I’m still inclined to pick Sobral/Lawler. Zaromskis and Santos are strikers to be sure, though I’m not sure “highly-touted” is the phrasing I’d use unless “touting” them after a few hours with Nick Diaz. “Cyborg” has been out-struck by a handful of relative nobodies in his career and Zaromskis’ biggest win to date is “Mach” Sakurai (who is on the backside of his career and currently riding a three-fight losing streak). They’re aggressive and have knockout power but neither is particularly technical or skilled in terms of overall striking ability. Granted, neither are Lawler or Sobral, but in the case of Zaromskis and Santos I think they’re comparable enough to cancel each other out. I can see their bout going into the second or third round, while in the case of “Babalu” vs. Lawler I think there’s a better chance of Sobral’s lights being turned out in the first round. His last three losses have all been by way of knockout and he’ll have to absorb some damage each time he attempts to drag Lawler to the mat in hopes of attacking with submissions. All “Ruthless” Robbie needs to do is land a single, relatively clean shot to the Brazilian’s chin to win and I don’t think it will take him very long to do so.

If KJ Noons beats Conor Heun next week, should Strikeforce focus on promoting him as a lightweight or instead on putting together a long-anticipated rematch Nick Diaz?

Tool: I see no reason why Strikeforce shouldn’t try to put together the Diaz/Noons rematch, as it’s a fight that people have been wanting to see since both guys were still getting paychecks from EliteXC. Noons has had his profile decrease substantially since moving over to the world of boxing, and if he has any desire to be a star in MMA then he needs to get that pot-smoking monkey off his back. Noons won the first fight, but it was due to a cut and Diaz has been unstoppable ever since. If KJ wants to prove that he’s still a threat in this sport then the best way to do that is to beat Diaz again.

Let’s be fair though, this fight makes more sense for Diaz than it does for Noons. KJ could potentially make an impact in the Strikeforce lightweight division, and there’s some intriguing match-ups to be made (assuming he can get past the unheralded Heun). At the same time Diaz has next-to-no competition left for his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship (except a potentially over-matched Tyron Woodley) and is going to be needing a fight soon. I’m sure Diaz would love to finally get his rematch with Noons, and since he’s one of the biggest stars Strikeforce has it makes sense to give him the most high profile match-ups possible.

If Strikeforce tries to put this fight together, and if Noons turns it down (again), then he can probably look forward to a spot on the next Strikeforce Challengers event. If Noons is willing to take the rematch then it’s a fight that could easily be featured on a regular Strikeforce card, and maybe even CBS (if that ship has not already sailed). Noons went over to boxing because the money was better, and right now he won’t have a better payday than the one he would get for fighting Diaz again. I hope Scott Coker can make it happen.

Conlan: I agree that Diaz is the better option between the two. Strikeforce doesn’t have a wealth of depth in any division so catch-weight attractions are something they should take advantage of when the possibility presents itself. There’s a great deal of personal heat between the two based on the outcome of their first fight and the miniature in-ring riot occurring two years ago after Noons successfully defended his EliteXC title against Yves Edwards. Each also brings an exciting style into every bout so from that standpoint it’s almost guaranteed to entertain as well.

Beyond that, current lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez is out of action until November/December based on the impending birth of his daughter, and likely on a collision course with Bellator title-holder Eddie Alvarez as is, while 155-pound contenders Josh Thomson and Lyle Beerbohm have already been rumored as a future match-up. Other than a few DREAM lightweights and Roger Huerta there aren’t a lot of available fighters who, when paired with Noons, have the potential to draw as much interest from fans as Diaz does. The same rings true in reverse, as Diaz’s best options at 170 pounds are Woodley and a handful of mid-tier free agents. He could definitely give middleweight a go to establish himself as a top contender and maybe even become a two-division champ in the process, but other than Jason “Mayhem” Miller I don’t think there are any 185-pound opponents fans are as interested in seeing Diaz face in comparison to Noons. Strikefoce needs to put them back in the cage together, promote it in the same way “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans was hyped, and let fans sit back and enjoy two guys who legitimately dislike each other exchange some leather. Frankly, to not capitalize on their fading rivalry before it’s too late to do so would be an utter blunder on the part of Scott Coker’s team and maybe even a nail in their coffin.

What UFC 115 bout features the most potential for the biggest upset to occur?

Tool: When trying to figure out the answer to this question I started by looking up and down the card. Upon doing so I realized that it’s kind of tough to figure out who are the underdogs in a lot of these fights. I then looked up the betting odds for the show and soon discovered just how close the lines are on almost every fight this weekend. Seriously, the biggest favorite on the card is Ultimate Fighter season 9 winner James Wilks. Wilks is facing Peter Sobotta, who is 0-1 in the UFC and whose win column is filled with names you’ve never heard of. Rich Franklin is a slight favorite in the main event, but I’m sure that line will get closer now that we’ve all seen what tremendous shape Chuck is in. Mirko Cro Cop is a slight underdog against Pat Barry, but everyone (including Barry himself) knows just how dangerous Cro Cop can still be.

With so many fights being so evenly matched there’s not a lot of options as far as one guy being a “sure thing” to win his fight, so I‘m forced to resort to the betting lines. The underdog fighter I’d pick to pull off a victory would probably be Carlos Condit, although if you didn’t check the lines you probably would think that he’s the favorite to win in his bout with Rory MacDonald. MacDonald is undefeated and has finished every one of his fights, but Condit represents a huge step up in competition for the young man from British Columbia. The former WEC Welterweight Champion is extremely dangerous wherever the fight takes place, plus he’s got a will to win and the drive to never give up.

Conlan: Betting lines are certainly the mark of an “underdog” but definitely not the entire indicator of it. After all, am I to believe fans don’t consider Mario Miranda a huge underdog to David Louiseau or Gilbert Yvel to Ben Rothwell simply because the involved odds may not dictate it?

Moving on, the fight I see with the most potential for a significant upset is Evan Dunham’s clash with Tyson Griffin. Griffin has struggled to finish opponents in the Octagon, so he leaves a lot of time for his foes to slip in and steal bouts (Sean Sherk and Frank Edgar clearly being the best examples based on their actual success against the Xtreme Couture OG). Dunham is a solid grappler with nice hands and reminds me a bit of a 5′10″, stronger, paler version of the 5′6″ Griffin. It was hard not to be impressed by his submission of Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20 last January, and he’s undefeated ten fights into his career, so I won’t be surprised if he walks away with a decision win against Griffin. However, I think a lot of fans will be and I don’t just mean the Zuffa Zombies out there.

Are you more excited about Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin than you would have been for Liddell’s third fight with Tito Ortiz?

Conlan: Absolutely. Neither of their original encounters were particularly competitive bouts and the only people clamoring for a third throwdown seemed to be Liddell, Ortiz, and UFC President Dana White. The former 205-pound champions’ mutual dislike of one another made it logical to pair them from the standpoint of producing an entertaining season of the Ultimate Fighter but not from one based on in-ring competition or fulfilling fans’ phantom wishes for a trilogy as necessary as “The Matrix: Revolutions”. Enter Franklin and you have a fresh match-up featuring two former title-holders and fellow icons of the Octagon. Although “Ace” may have dropped two of his last three fights he remains a credible threat against all opponents not named Anderson Silva and has the style to give Liddell a run for his money. He’s got multi-point striking, good power, and solid grappling. Unlike Ortiz, Franklin won’t have to rely on dragging the action down to the mat to procure a win, and similarly he’s a threat to knock Chuck out whereas Ortiz hasn’t TKO’d anyone other than Ken Shamrock in the last nine years. All the involved factors add up to a scenario far superior than the one created by a third helping of Liddell vs. Ortiz.

Tool: Brendhan hit the nail on the head here. Liddell and Ortiz’s rivalry makes for good reality TV, but there’s really nothing left to prove by pitting these two against one another in the octagon. Only the most die-hard Ortiz fan (does such a thing exist?) would be upset by this change in the lineup. Okay, I suppose Chuck’s fans are upset because they thought he had this one in the bag, and now Franklin presents a much bigger challenge.

Personally I wouldn’t be surprised if this main event goes down as the “Fight of the Night” when bonuses are handed out. Liddell and Franklin both know what they do best, and that’s hitting people in the face. Neither one has a “legendary” chin, but I’m pretty sure they can each still take their fair share of punishment. I expect both fighters to be tentative at the start, given their cage rust and the stakes involved, but I can certainly see a nice little slugfest erupting as the time ticks on.

Besides, if the fight had gone down as scheduled it’s safe to assume that Ortiz would have lost in dramatic fashion and blamed his neck injury for his performance. If the parties involved are serious about doing Liddell vs. Ortiz 3, then we may as well do it when Tito can fight without the slightest possibility of an excuse.

TRUE/FALSE – This will be the last time we see Mirko Cro Cop in the UFC if he loses to Pat Barry.

Conlan: I’m not 100% sure how his contract looks but, assuming the paperwork is in place, I think he’ll be around for a few more fights as long as he doesn’t look like a fish out of water against Barry. After all, like Mirko, Barry is a kickboxer by nature and the thought of him mopping the mat with Filipovic would significantly detract from the Croation’s remaining mystique.

That being said, though “Cro Cop” is on the backside of his career, he’s still a viable commodity in terms of his ability to compete against mid-tier opponents and in his standing as a major draw in Europe. Technically he’s 4-1 since losing back-to-back bouts during his first run in the UFC (with a “No Contest” against Alistair Overeem after having his gonads launched into orbit by the Strikeforce heavyweight champ occurring along the way). Were the numbers reversed he likely would have already hung his checkered shorts up and called it a career, but seeing as how they aren’t and the single loss came to rising star Junior Dos Santos I think it’s premature to think Filipovic is finished in the UFC. He’s too valuable a name, and seems to have enough left in his tank, to give walking papers to unless “Cro Cop” comes out of UFC 115 with a horribly one-sided defeat to Barry.

Tool: I’ve got to go with True here. This is the last fight on Cro Cop’s current UFC contract, and a loss to Barry would put him at 3-4 in the octagon. Those three wins all came against meager competition and offered little to be impressed with. His losses just prove that “The Croatian Sensation” can’t hang with the current level of talent in the heavyweight division. The guy got out-wrestled by Cheick Kongo, is there any reason to think that he would hold his own against somebody like Cain Velasquez?

The name value and drawing power Cro Cop brought at the beginning of his UFC run is all but extinguished. Modern day fans have seen nothing in his fights that lives up to the terrifying reputation the hardcore fanbase has given him. His fans will keep tuning in for the hope that they’ll see some of that old Cro Cop magic, but there’s been no sign of the old Cro Cop since PRIDE went quietly into that good night. Unless Pat Barry is on the receiving end of a highlight reel knockout this weekend, I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high about hearing “Wild Boys” on the UFC PA system ever again.

If Paulo Thiago beats Martin Kampmann, should he be the next welterweight contender?

Conlan: No, because he’ll need to fight someone in the period between UFC 115 and George St. Pierre’s post-TUF title defense against Josh Koscheck. If all goes according to plan the Ultimate Fighter Season 12 coaches will face off in December meaning the eventual welterweight champ won’t be available for at least another 3-4 months after that. Asking Thiago to sit out for close to a year is ridiculous, especially in a class as deep as 170 pounds and with Jake Shields potentially showing up in a few months. A victory over Kampmann would definitely make Thiago more deserving of a shot at St. Pierre’s belt than some who’ve had a crack, so I see how “should” could apply in that instance, but as far as reality goes the timing isn’t right for it to occur. Rather, if the Brazilian police specialist emerges with his hands raised in Vancouver, I think he’ll have to serve as Shields’ debut opponent or fight the winner of Jon Fitch’s rumored rematch against Thiago Alves before receiving an opportunity at the title.

Tool: It’s a little weird how much Thiago has slipped under the radar in the welterweight. He’s got decisive wins over two of the top ten guys in the world (including the next #1 contender) and the lone loss of his career was against the second best guy in his weight class. Brendhan makes a solid point in that even with a win on Saturday, Thiago would still likely need at least one more fight to solidify potential contender status.

The idea of matching up this weekend’s winner with the almost-certainly-soon-to-be-signed Shields is not bad, particularly since Shields will likely be thrust right into the thick of things at the upper levels of the UFC. I can also support a potential match-up for Thiago with the winner of Fitch/Alves, although that may not be a bad idea for Shields’ debut either. I was certainly intrigued by the Paulo Thiago/Thiago Alves fight when it was initially rumored earlier this year, although a Thiago/Fitch rematch doesn’t excite me quite as much.

One fact that remains to be seen is whether or not Thiago can pull out the win this Saturday. Martin Kampmann may have been knocked around by Paul Daley last year, but in the meantime he managed to Jacob Volkman in a much more convincing fashion than Thiago did. It goes without saying that Thiago has a firm edge on the ground, but there are few strikers in the welterweight division that can stand toe-to-toe with Kampmann. For me this is easily one of the most exciting fights on the card, but it’s also a fight that could determine one of 2011’s welterweight contenders.

Do you have any interest in seeing The A-Team and if so how much of that interest is due to “Rampage” Jackson’s starring role?

Tool: In all honesty, my interest level for this movie begins and ends with “Rampage” Jackson. I don’t have some huge attachment to the original series and overall the movie looks a little bland to me. I’ve seen Jackson’s acting before (there’s my review of direct-to-DVD crapfest Never Surrender somewhere out there on the internet) and it’s not terrible. Of course, at the time I was comparing it to the acting chops of BJ Penn and Heath Herring. I’ll catch this one at home in the future, but don’t look for me in line at the theater this weekend.

Conlan: It was basically a prerequisite to love “The A-Team” if you grew up in the 80s like I did. As such, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the movie and the fact “Rampage” is in it as “B.A. Baracus” makes the pot THAT much sweeter. After all, he apparently read against the likes of Ice Cube and Common so his presence is not only excellent from a MMA enthusiast’s standpoint but also in terms of being appropriately cast for the role. The action sequences I’ve seen look good and the other three actors involved are all entertaining in their own way. I don’t know if I’ll spend $20 to catch it at the theater, as it takes a lot for me to throw that kind of cash down on any movie, but I’m absolutely planning on seeing it at some point in the near future.

New York, NY, June 10, 2010 – The finals are set for “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz” as Court “The Crusher” McGee and Kris “Savage” McCray emerged last night to compete for a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial arts organization in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship®. Emanating from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV, the finale will be telecast LIVE on Spike TV Saturday, June 19 at 9:00 PM ET.

Fighting out of Orem, UT, Court McGee (10-1) is aiming to complete one of the most miraculous comebacks in the history of mixed martial arts. McGee is a former heroin addict who was actually once pronounced dead by EMTs when they arrived on the scene after an overdose in 2005. McGee emerged from a six day coma after the incident and went through an extensive physical rehab program, relearning basic motor skills such as walking. Wrestling, karate and jiu jitsu were a pipe dream at the time, yet five years later, McGee stands at the precipice of becoming “The Ultimate Fighter,” with his opponent McCray the only thing standing in his way. The next-to-last pick by Team Liddell, McGee dropped his first bout on the show via a razor thin decision in a war with Nick Ring, but, like in life, received a second chance. Filling in for an injured Rich Attonito, McGee defeated James Hammortree via guillotine in the second round of their quarterfinal matchup, and garnered a spot in the finals by defeating Brad Tavares with a rear naked choke with only 18 seconds left in the third round of their semifinal slugfest to move onto the finals.

Training in Dumfries, VA, Kris McCray (6-0) was born to a military father, and was raised in Germany, where he excelled in basketball, badminton and soccer, garnering All-Europe honors soccer at Ansbach American High School. It was in Germany where his interest in MMA was sparked, watching karate movies and imitating the moves. In 1999, McCray moved permanently to the United States, graduating from Woodbridge Senior High School in northern Virginia while earning a varsity letter for wrestling. Upon graduating, McCray enrolled in Northern Virginia Community College, earning his Associates Degree in General Studies in 2001. While enrolled there, McCray began serving in the US Army Reserve, where he spent 8 years (6 active, 2 inactive). Towards the end of his time in the Army Reserve, he began training in jiu jitsu at Gold Medal Grappling in Woodbridge, Virginia, which set him on the path that he is on now. Like his opponent in the finale, McCray, a member of Team Ortiz, also received a second chance on the show after dropping his first bout, being selected as the wild card because of his impressive showing in a three-round loss to Josh Bryant. He defeated fellow wild card selection Kyacey Uscola to get back into the competition, then took out number one overall pick Kyle Noke via decision in the quarterfinals and avenged his loss to Bryant via unanimous decision in the semifinals to punch his ticket for the finals.

The Spike TV nationally televised card kicks off with a middleweight bout featuring “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Ortiz vs. Team Liddell” contestants Rich Attonito and Jamie Yager. In episode 4, Attonito (7-3) was awarded a victory over Kyacey Uscola via disqualification but broke his hand and was unable to continue on his quest to become “The Ultimate Fighter.” Now fully recovered, Attonito is currently training with American Top Team in Florida.

Jamie Yager (2-1) impressively knocked out Charles Blanchard in one minute and eight seconds in their bout in episode 4, but was unable to answer the bell in the third round of his intense battle with Josh Bryant in episode 10. Fighting out of Los Angeles, Yager was a standout varsity letterman in baseball and football and was the 2001 Athlete of the Year at South Pasadena High School in California.

Headlining the Spike TV card will be the previously announced battle of UFC light heavyweights Keith Jardine and “The Ultimate Fighter” alum Matt Hamill, a middleweight bout between Aaron Simpson and Chris Leben, and a lightweight matchup pitting Dennis Siver against Spencer Fisher.

Other matches on the fight card include (might air time permitting):
Brad Tavares (4-1) vs. Seth Baczynski (11-5)
Chris Camozzi (12-3) vs. James Hammortree (4-0)
Jamie Yager (2-1) vs. Rich Attonito (7-3)Last night’s “The Ultimate Fighter” semifinal bouts featuring Josh Bryant vs. Kris McCray and Court McGee vs. Brad Tavares can now be seen in their entirety on ultimatefighter.com.

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Female jiu-jitsu competitors at the 2010 Gracie Invitational in London. All images courtesy Seymour Yang.

If you ever was entertained the notion that martial arts are a universally practised activity, that notion would be easily dashed if you attended the SENISHOW martial arts expo, where the Gracie Invitational was held, this weekend. Yes, SENISHOW is a massive event, possibly the biggest martial arts show in Europe, but the neighbouring exhibition hall hosted a computer games fan convention and as we entered the shared arena hallway, we were vastly outnumbered by the surreal sight of thousands and thousands of grown men and women dressed as all manner of ghosts, aliens, stormtroopers and, bizarrely, in one case, a tetris block!

The Gracie Invitational was held over two days – men’s white belts and some blues competed on the Saturday, all women’s categories, higher grades, no-gi and the show-piece event, the Absolute 1000, was held on the second day. I attended the second day.

Day two started a little late but once it did, the brackets raced through at lightening pace. Spread across six mats, with seating surrounding all four sides and a decent size holding area, the fights came thick and fast. The event was run by BJJ black belt Jude Samuels with assistance by my own instructor, Nick Brooks. This gave me the extra privilege of access to all areas for photography and extra close-up views of the fights. But to be honest, the dividers were so close to the mats that everyone was granted good views of all the fights.

Dominique Vitry (left) fends off Paula Almeida’s open guard.

The rest of the exhibition hall hosted hundreds of martial art stands and displays all competing against one another for attention, which made for a very noisy and busy atmosphere. The loud, rhythmic capoeira display next to the BJJ arena added a particularly authentic flavour for much of the period.

One annoying thing I noticed was that in order to go to the loo, you had to leave the exhibition hall, and go to the main hall, which was a long way away. It just meant extra hassle especially if you were waiting for names to be called.

There were some amazing fights on the Sunday. Highlights for me were watching my team mate Dominique Vitry fight in the women’s absolute semi against a Paula Almeida, a larger Portuguese purple belt. Dominique won by a large points margin but not without the drama of escaping an impossible armbar! Dominique was awarded her much deserved purple belt straight after.

I also enjoyed watching brown belt Oli Geddes secure some impressive submissions on his way to winning gold in his category. Oli is fast making marks in the brown belt divisions much as he did at purple and blue.

Luke Costello takes the back of Lucio as crowds watch on.

But the showpiece of the day belonged to the Absolute 1000 where winners of each purple, brown and black belt group would be allowed to compete against one another for a prize of £1,000. Here, we had the delights of watching seasoned black belts fight against smaller purple belts or two rival brown or black belts smashing ten bells out of each other in a bid to win the coveted prize.

Every match in this prize event was a brilliant display of BJJ at its highest. For me, the highlights included young purple belt Luke Costello against experienced black belt Lucio. Both fighters attacked with flair, immense skill and a good amount of vigour as several times they crashed into the crowd. Lucio won by a slim points margin, but there was no doubt among us that Luke Costello is a name to watch for the future. Another couple of fights that I really enjoyed watching involved the smaller guys. Purple belt featherweight Alain Pozo gamely stood his ground against the much heavier black belt Henrique Santana, and little pluma purple belt Mark Phung holding off a much larger brown belt. For me, watching these lighter guys fight put in such a spirited performance against bigger and higher ranked opponents was truly inspiring and shows just what a good idea the Absolute 1000 event is.

Henrique Santana imposes his superior weight against Alain Pozo.

Unfortunately, the Absolute 1000 was unable to finish as the whole tournament over-ran and the exhibition hall had to close. So the last four or five players shared the £1,000 prize.

Since it began six or seven years ago, the Gracie Invitational has always attracted huge numbers of competitors, many of whom travel from overseas, and this year was no exception. Being sited within the confines of a massive martial arts expo, adds to the unique atmosphere of the event. I’d like to thank the organisers, the runners, the scorers and all the many many people who worked extra hard over the weekend to ensure that us competitors had a good time. I look forward to the next Gracie Invitational in two years time.

- Caleb

With their sites already firmly locked onto international markets such as Europe, Canada, and Australia, the UFC currently appears poised to take China by storm.

On the heels of announcing a recently assembled office in Canada, UFC President Dana White recently spoke optimistically on the prospect of the company taking its act to Asia in the very near future.

“Right now, what we’ve used to go into Europe and even Australia is our U.K. office,” said White during a recent report on MMAJunkie.com. “But we’re looking right now – and here I go jumping ahead of myself and saying stuff before we do it – but we’re going to open an office in China.”

White went on to speculate that the UFC could end up producing a total of 100 shows a year if everything continues going according to plan.

“This is is a work in progress,” White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “We bought this company, and we were doing five fights a year. If you would have told me six or seven years ago that we’d be doing 34 fights a year, I would have said, ‘That’s impossible. It’ll never happen. That’s crazy.’ We’re probably going to end up doing 100 fights a year.

“We could have a show [in the U.S.] on Saturday night and five more going on in five other countries. That’s what’s going to eventually happen. It’s figuring this thing out, putting the pieces together, and like I said, it’s a work in progress. But I’m telling you guys, I said it years ago, and I’ve been saying it – how big this thing is going to be. I think people are now really starting to realize how big this thing is really going to be.”

Today’s big news from the Ultimate Fighting Championship was the announcement that the promotion would be opening a full time office in Toronto, which will be headed by ex-Canadian Football League Commissioner Tom Wright.

UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta made the announcement today at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he was accompanied by UFC president Dana White.

Wright served as the Commissioner for the CFL from 2002 to 2006 helping to increase television revenues and sponsorship for the league. He’s also served as president for Adidas Canada, Spalding Canada, as well as being the president and CEO of Salomon North America. His last post saw him acting as the Managing Director of LEVEL5 Strategic Brand Advisors in Toronto. He will start his new job with the UFC on Monday.

“The reality is, is that Canada is an important market for us,” Fertitta said. “If you look at Toronto, which I believe is the fourth-largest commercial business area in North America behind New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. So it obviously makes sense from a business standpoint. Plus the fact that a lot of our partners that we deal with from a television standpoint and other areas are based here in Toronto. So physically doing business in Toronto is important for us.”

“When we thought about what we had accomplished in the U.S. … we decided we had a product we really wanted to take global,” Fertitta said. “Obviously things have gone well for us in the U.K. and Europe.

“As we sit here today, our focus is now Canada.”

No exact location for the office was identified but it will house a staff of 12-15 employees and will be just the second UFC office outside of the US, with the other being the UK office in London.

The UFC will host their next Canadian event on June 12 in Vancouver with UFC 115 and finished their last Canadian show in Montreal just a few weeks ago with UFC 113. The other Zuffa owned mma promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting get’s set to host their first Canadian event in Edmonton on June 20th with WEC 49.

White has coveted the city of Toronto as one of the biggest untapped markets in North America but current laws classify mixed-martial-arts as prize fighting, illegal in the Province, so the door remains closed to the sport for now.

A full time office in Canada, run by a Canadian, will help to open doors allowing the UFC to lobby the various Provinces which have not sanctioned the sport of mma.

Note: After the press conference White flew immediately to New York so he could appear on tonight’s episode of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on NBC.

The show will air at 12:35 a.m. ET/PT.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video courtesy of MMAFighting.com.

“Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” News & Notes from the past few days.

“I know that the commission here is doing random testing, but we didn’t want to leave it up to that,” said Coker. “People were asking, ‘Why aren’t you testing Alistair Overeem?’ Hey, I didn’t know. It’s not up to me. So we just said, let’s test everybody, make sure the playing field is even.”

“It’s just to make it clear to everyone that all the fighters are going to be tested, and I believe they’ll test clean,” Coker said.

-Lashley faces undefeated heavyweight Ron Sparks on the televised portion of “Strikeforce: Los Angeles.

“Some of these guys have 10, 20, 30 fights under their belts. I have a mere five fights. So, of course, any opportunity I have to take a fight, I want to jump on it.”

-”You’ll be able to come to San Jose or watch Showtime, and you’ll be seeing the No. 1 male and the No.1 female fighter in the world fighting on the same night.”

“We’re still working on the details, but it will be somebody tough,” Coker said. “We’re looking at a couple of girls from Europe. We’re going to put somebody in there who will once again test her.”

“I’m a natural heavyweight,” he said. “I was running around at 100 kilos [220 pounds]. In the beginning of Pride, I had to make a choice. I was a little light for a heavyweight, so I chose to cut to light heavyweight. At the beginning, it worked very well. It didn’t [cost] me power. [But] as you get older, you get stronger and heavier. I had problems cutting weight. … At the time I was in Pride, I believe the light heavyweight division was the most dangerous division that there was. I knew when I was going to go to heavyweight, it would easier. In my opinion, heavyweights are less technical, less conditioned.”

More News & Notes after the jump

“This is the same course as the last show,” Coker said. “After the Fedor Emelianenko fight in November, it wasn’t like we had our April date right afterward. They have to go back and analyze and know all the data and the sales, and then we have a meeting. But our meeting for the April fight wasn’t until January, I believe.

“This is the same process we went through last time. This is a normal course of business. Hopefully, we’ll have a great fall date and we’ll have some more great fights on CBS.”

“Well, I haven’t heard everything that Alistair’s management and Fedor’s management have said to each other, but Fedor — I’m sure — will fight anybody. So if Alistair wins against Brett, and if Fedor wins against Fabricio, I’m sure M-1 and Strikeforce will have a dialogue about that,” says Scott Coker.

Coker, “I think she will. I know she’s a fighter at heart, and she’ll want to come back at some point.”

“I could see Dan going against Robbie Lawler, I think that would be a great fight. Jacare or Joey Villasenor would be great fights. If Nick Diaz wants to fight at 185 again, that would be a great fight,” notes Scott Coker.

- Strikeforce 135-pound women’s champion Sarah Kaufman is under contract with the promotion. With her victory over Takayo Hashi for the title, her contract was extended and the promotion plans for her to fight three more times within the next year.

HT: MMAjunkie.com, Yahoo! Sports, and MMAFighting.com.

Where should Kimbo Slice go on the heels of his UFC release? Was the punishment Paul Daley received too severe or spot on? Who amongst the big boys has the most to prove at this weekend’s Strikeforce event? How long should fans have to wait for Anderson Silva vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua now that Silva-associate Lyoto Machida is no longer champ?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

Another Friday has arrived and the Grappling with Issues crew is dressed in full bomb squad gear due to the explosive nature of this week’s topics which of course include “Semtex” and “Heavy Artillery” galore. Hopefully the takes Adam Tool and I offer in this edition don’t blow up in our faces, but it’s a risk we 5 Oz. soldiers are willing to take for the betterment of MMA insight and opinion. And, as always, 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…

Assuming he retains his own belt against Chael Sonnen, should Anderson Silva receive an immediate crack at the UFC Light Heavyweight title now that close friend Lyoto Machida is no longer champ?

Tool: Word on the street is that Dana White wants Silva to defend his middleweight strap two more times (against Sonnen and presumably Vitor Belfort) before moving up to light heavyweight and making a run for the gold there. I haven’t seen any comments from Silva on the situation, but I’m wondering if he’s really all that eager to compete in the same division as his good friends Machida and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. After all, Nogueira is surging towards contention (although the loss of Forrest Griffin as an opponent at UFC 114 does slow things down) and one would have to believe that it won’t take too long for Machida to get back into the mix.

If Silva wants to go to 205 on a more permanent basis, and if he doesn’t lose his belt before then, he should absolutely be rewarded with an immediate title shot. His record setting win streak is unlikely to be matched anytime soon in the UFC, and he’s got enough name value to be a viable contender immediately. I’m a big fan of “The Spider” and would love to see him get some true marquee match-ups in the UFC’s premier division. If “Shogun” Rua can retain his newly-won title against the winner of the upcoming “Rampage” Jackson/Rashad Evans bout, a Rua vs. Silva fight would certainly create vast rivers of drool amongst the sport’s hardcore fans.

Conlan: Giving Silva an immediate title shot sounds nice at first glance, but, as Tool pointed out, there are a number of factors involved beneath the surface making the scenario an unlikely one. Nogueira’s status in the division isn’t necessarily a problem, as he still needs to win a number of marquee match-ups before sniffing the strap, but Machida’s level of contendership could definitely be an issue considering “The Dragon” was champ less than a week ago. As much as it may irk the Zuffa brass, friendship and loyalty aren’t things fighters are as open to risking as big, shiny, oversized belt-buckles. Silva has always indicated he subscribes to the preceding belief, and because of that I doubt he’d be willing to potentially stymie Machida’s attempt at reclaiming the championship or open their relationship up to criticism over promotional positioning.

The only way I could see “The Spider” getting fast-tracked to a title shot is if he enters the bout with a defined timetable on the pending retirement he’s openly discussed in recent years. For example, if Silva stated he was hanging up his trademark yellow-and-black spandex shorts after two more fights (including the winner of Rua vs. Evans/Jackson) it would minimize the Machida fallout while still providing Anderson an opportunity to solidify his legacy in the sport. If he were to add the light heavyweight belt to his trophy cabinet he would retain the ability to defend it a single time against an exciting opponent, while losing at 205-pounds would open him up to a variety of possibilities including even a potential test at heavyweight.

Do you agree with the UFC’s decision to release Paul Daley based on his post-fight actions?

Tool: Absolutely. Dana White needed to send a clear message to any fighters in the company (and those that want to be) that this sort of behavior will not be tolerated. There are still places where mixed martial arts is not legal and actions like this do nothing to help the effort to get the sport regulated in those territories. Let’s not forget the so-called “phantom knee” thrown in the first round. It may not have landed cleanly (or at all) but the intent to deliver that illegal blow was clearly there. In one night Daley proved that he has a lot to learn about sportsmanship, and the UFC is no place for someone like that.

Some people are questioning the logic behind firing Daley while at the same time doing nothing to reprimand UFC fighter Nate Diaz for his actions in the brawl at “Strikeforce: Nashville”. To me the incidents are nothing alike. The Strikeforce brawl came about as a result of improper security measures in the cage, as well as a terrible error in judgment from Jason “Mayhem” Miller. The Diaz brothers, Jake Shields, and Gilbert Melendez reacted to the situation and while their actions shouldn’t be unaccountable, it was not the same as what Daley did. Daley acted of his own volition and he has nobody but himself to blame for the consequences.

Conlan: For me the answer to this is as clear as the message Dana White sent by immediately severing ties with Daley after “Semtex” blew his fuse…which is to say about as murky as a mudslide.

Let’s ignore for a second the ridiculous notion Nate Diaz didn’t act “of his own volition” when laying a series of kicks into a grounded Miller or that the UFC President wasn’t hamming it up with Shields, who was certainly at the center of the Strikeforce melee, at the recent “Faber vs. Aldo” WEC PPV. The UFC currently employs Phil Baroni and Gilbert Yvel. Why is this notable? Yvel has a trio of in-ring offenses in 1998-2004 to his name (biting an opponent, raking an opponent’s eyes, and striking a referee he felt was biased). Baroni got physical with an official in 2003. Neither has done anything similar since as far as I know. If the UFC is willing to accept their past transgressions, let alone illegal drug use or criminal activities associated with other fighters on their roster, why should Daley receive a permanent ban from the promotion?

A severe fine and suspension would have been as appropriate, if not more so, than branding the Brit as a lifetime leper. Why not use the situation as an educational tool rather than the flexing of corporate muscle? Reacting so severely makes it seem as though a warning had to be sent to other Mixed Martial Artists or to the public at large when incidents similar to the one at UFC 113 are in actuality slightly less rare than kind-hearted supermodels who religiously follow Grappling with Issues. Heavily penalizing Daley’s pocketbook, suspending him for a year, and maybe even forcing him to enroll in an anger management program during the twelve-month period his return was contingent on would have sent a stern message while also showing that the UFC actually cares about the individuals whose work their company is built on.

What’s next for Kimbo Slice now that he’s received his walking papers from Zuffa?

Tool: Going into UFC 113 it was believed that these two “TUF” 10 cast members were fairly evenly matched, but there’s no doubt that on Saturday night Kimbo got “Mitriowned.” If he’s not able to beat a fighter with a 1-0 record, is there any reason to think that Kimbo has anything to offer against the rest of the UFC’s heavyweight division? No there is not, and as such there’s really no place for him in the largest MMA organization in the world.

As for what’s next, I suppose that depends on what Kimbo’s career goals are. If he’s going to look for the largest paydays then it makes sense for him to make his way over to Japan. The MMA faithful over there are much less concerned with a fighter’s win/loss record than us fickle Americans. I’m sure at least once Japanese promotion would be willing to fork over the necessary coin to get Kimbo, and there’s no shortage of freak show “super-fights” available for him. Kimbo vs. Bob Sapp, anyone?

If Mr. Slice is still craving some real competition then perhaps he’d be better served by a lateral movement to the world of boxing. There had been talk of Kimbo making the jump to the “sweet science” before he was announced for The Ultimate Fighter, so it seems that it’s a move he’s interested in trying. There’s no way of knowing whether he’d be successful or not, but If he did change sports at least he wouldn’t have to worry about guys kicking the crap out of his legs anymore.

Conlan: Dancing with the Stars. Yes…seriously…bad knees or not – Dancing with the Stars. Slice’s future in the ring is limited no matter how you break it down. He’s on the north side of 35, has more-than questionable cardio, and is still a fish out of water when it comes to the finer points of MMA. His legs are apparently shot and he simply doesn’t have the power or technique to live up to the hype he entered the sport with. He can walk away from it with a winning record and his head hell high. Sure, a Japanese pay-day couldn’t hurt, and for some reason I’d wager he could probably pad his stats in the Far East with a few hand-selected pickled-ginger cans, but outside of cash there’s no reason for the bearded brawler to keep fighting.

Back to my original point, the thought of Kimbo Slice doing the foxtrot, waltz, and whatever other rug-cutting maneuvers are associated with a stint on the show Chuck Liddell once called home is “money” defined. In fact, if you read the previous sentence and didn’t smile at the image involved it’s because you just had a heart-attack and died midway through. My condolences to your family…

Moving on, Slice is an extremely personable fellow with a distinct look. I would like to see his management capitalize on his demeanor, appearance, background, and still-remaining fame in a medium that craves all four qualities – reality television. If not Dancing with the Stars, and yes I will be drinking a fifth of whiskey and eating raw, red meat after writing the name of that show as many times as I have in this piece, then perhaps a show chronicling his every day life in Miami as the single father of six children. Or, speaking of his bachelorhood, maybe “A Slice of Love” dating show on VH-1? My point is there’s no reason Kimbo needs to keep fighting outside of MAYBE a few juicy paychecks from overseas. His camp should focus on his personality and start exploring ways to make money that don’t involve him taking repeated blows to the face.

Make your picks for the next opponents of Matt Mitrione and Jeremy Stephens.

Conlan: Not the sexiest potential match-ups to prognosticate on but I like the challenge provided, as well as giving some attention to fighters who don’t generally get a lot of it from fans or media.

Though neither is in position to headline or even co-headline an event, Stephens is clearly closer to reaching that plateau than Mitrione based on experience/success, and as such I’d like to see his next fight involve a notable lightweight who is in a similar position career-wise. UFC 113 foe Sam Stout fit the bill – young, respectable record, seemingly on the cusp of making a run in the division – and as a result helped in delivering a “Fight of the Night” performance for both men because of the parity involved. Unfortunately a number of potential candidates are already scheduled for upcoming action such as Paul Kelly, Terry Etim, and Joe Lauzon. Stephens could certainly act as a replacement in one of those bouts if injury forces the issue, but I’d rather see “Lil Heathen” get the respect of a full training camp and official opponent. The UFC 114 bout between Efrain Escudero and Dan Lauzon is the perfect situation in that regard, as the winner will likely be available around the same time as Stephens and both possess the afore-mentioned qualities I’d like to see in the Iowan’s next in-ring adversary. Also, Lauzon and Escudero are appealing from a stylistic standpoint, and each match-up even has a backstory on which the UFC hype-machine can build (Stephens lost to Lauzon’s older brother at a “Fight Night” in 2009, Escudero is an Ultimate Fighter seasonal champion).

As far as “Meathead” goes, perspective needs to be kept when plotting his future. Mitrione only has two professional bouts under his belt and, though he emerged victorious in the pair of fights, his opponents were almost equally inexperienced and both were one-dimensional Mixed Martial Artists at that. The former NFL lineman has shown potential, but was also taken down fairly easily by Kimbo Slice and fell via submission to 4-4 TUF 10 cast-mate James McSweeney during the season. Mitrione needs to be given a step up in competition but not a high jump. Height jokes not withstanding, I think Stefan Struve would work in that capacity, as would Todd Duffee assuming he walks away the winner of his UFC 114 scrap with Mike Russow. Struve and Duffee are both recognizable names in the division who aren’t yet considered top shelf heavyweights and, like Mitrione, could use the exposure and experience.

Tool: I’ll echo Brendhan’s booking strategy by looking at opponents that could be ready to fight again around the same time as these two. For Stephens I’d love to see him face off with the winner of the upcoming Mac Danzig/Matt Wiman bout. I think either man would match up well with “Lil’ Heathen” as both fighters are more than willing to stand and bang, and that could create an explosive bout with Stephens. Danzig’s ground skills might spell a problem, but if Stephens was able to handle the far superior grappling skills of Rafael Dos Anjos then he shouldn’t have too much trouble should Danzig take things to the ground. I also like Brendhan’s logic behind a potential showdown with Escudero or Lauzon.

Mitrione obviously presents a bigger challenge from a match-making perspective, given his extremely limited experience. I can’t help but feel that Todd Duffee would murder Mitrione, but I’ve certainly been wrong about “Meathead” before. I do agree that Mitrione needs a step up, and I think he’d match up well with Antoni Hardonk. Hardonk is a kick-boxer that would almost certainly have little interest in taking Mitrione to the ground, and his striking acumen would provide a stern test for Mitrione’s wild punching power. If the UFC is looking to give Mitrione a sterner test then they could match up with the winner of the upcoming bout between his former teammate Brendan Schaub and Chris Tuchscherer.

Out of the four heavyweights fighting at Strikeforce this weekend, which do you feel has the most to prove?

Conlan: Andrei Arlovski by a mile, as the proverbial weight on his shoulders is far heavier than that Brett Rogers, Alistair Overeem, or Antonio Silva will be entering the ring with. Where once stood a man considered the future of MMA’s heavyweight division is now an individual who is 5-5 over his last ten fights and is coming off two consecutive knockout losses. Six of the seven bouts he’s dropped in his career have been by way of TKO leaving a lot of legitimate questions about his chin that will only be answered by absorbing damage and not ending face-down in the process. His opponent at the event, Silva, is a solid grappler for someone with his dimensions but owes the bulk of his professional wins to strikes (9/13). The Brazilian has never faced an opponent with Arlovski’s combination of speed, stand-up, and power, but he’ll only need to land one punch to finish the former UFC Heavyweight Champion’s evening while I’m not sure the same can be said in return. “Bigfoot” clearly has the ability to flatten Arlovski with strikes while only being rendered unable to continue once in fifteen fights. He’s a massive obstacle for “The Pitbull” to climb in hopes of avoiding a three-bout skid and may turn out to be the opponent who finally puts the hopes of a lot of fans to rest where the Belarusian’s future in MMA is concerned.

Though I understand there’s undoubtedly an argument to be made on this topic for Overeem needing to prove he’ll test clean for performance enhancing drugs, the reality is he’s never been caught using illegal substances unlike a number of other fighters out there, so the pressure on him is more imagined by people in the MMA community than a situation based in reality the “Demolition Man” should be concerned about. On the other hand, Arlovski is fighting for his credibility as a whole and on some levels even his future in the sport.

Tool: I would be tempted to say Arlovski as well, but allow me to play devil’s advocate and make the case for Alistair Overeem. Obviously he’s had more than his fair share of criticism regarding his physique and the manner of which he’s acquired it, but there’s more to the story than that. Since moving up to heavyweight three years ago Overeem has yet to defeat a single opponent that could be considered amongst the world’s best. The closest he came was his NC bout with Mirko Cro Cop in 2008, but even then it was a Cro Cop on his way down the mountain. People are clamoring for Overeem to face off with Fedor Emelianenko, but there’s no evidence to make people believe that the bout would be competitive. This weekend Brett Rogers will present Overeem with the toughest fight of his heavyweight career, and the performance given by the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion will go a long way towards determining the path his career takes from here on out. If he loses in devastating fashion it will likely result in him heading back to Europe & Asia to fight the weakest cans in the world. If Overeem looks impressive against Rogers then he’ll take a big step towards silencing his critics and building towards a potential showdown with the best heavyweight in the world.

Which of the three undercard bouts on the Strikeforce card are you most excited for?

Conlan: It’s a toss-up for me between Antwain Britt vs. Rafael Cavalcante and Lyle Beerbohm vs. “Shaolin” Ribeiro.

It wasn’t long ago Cavalcante was considered to be a blue chip prospect in the light heavyweight division based on his association with Anderson Silva and ability to wipe opponents out rather than out-point them over three rounds (8-for-8 thus far in his career where finishes are concerned). “The Juggernaut” is no joke himself, winning four of his last five fights, and possesses enough to power in his fists to separate most 205-pounders from consciousness. It should be interesting to see how things play out in terms of whether “Feijao” opts to stand with Britt or work his high-level jiujitsu in hopes of avoiding a clean blow to the chin. Additional to my interest in how their styles pair up, it should also be pointed out the winner will probably find himself on a fast track to a title shot based on the relative shallowness of Strikeforce’s light heavyweight pool while the loser will probably be relegated to a future “Challengers” card instead of playing a significant role at a larger event. All those involved factors definitely appear to be a recipe for an entertaining bout.

Similarly, the lightweight bout between Beerbohm and Ribeiro is also fascinating on a number of levels. “Shaolin” is 20-3 but hasn’t lived up to his billing since beating Joachim Hansen, Mitsuhiro Ishida, and Tatsuya Kawajiri a number of years ago. However, he’s still a massive submission threat, and all three of his losses have come against highly respected opponents (Kawajiri, Shinya Aoki, and JZ Calvancante). And, though Beerbohm may be known more for his nickname, “Fancy Pants”, than what he’s accomplished in the ring, he’s actually a skilled, well-rounded fighter who is undefeated and has finished twelve of the thirteen foes he’s faced. Beating Ribeiro would be the biggest win of Beerbohm’s career and firmly plant him on MMA’s radar as a fighter to watch. The outcome will either signify a changing of the guard or a veteran rising up to beat a talented young prospect. How can fans come out losers in that equation?

Tool: The Beerbohm/Ribeiro match-up is one I’m also particularly looking forward to, although given Strikeforce’s track record I have to believe that there’s only the slimmest of chances that we’ll get to see the fight make it onto the Showtime broadcast. If the event ends 20 minutes early and we don’t get to see this fight then there will undoubtedly be some very upset fans out there, and Strikeforce will have missed out on a crucial opportunity to spotlight a potential contender for their lightweight title.

Call me old fashioned, but I still get excited when there’s a fighter on the card with the last name Gracie. Roger Gracie is still green in the world of mixed-martial arts but his grappling abilities cannot be denied. Kevin Randleman may not present the sternest challenge for the young Brazilian but he is a veteran fighter that could easily spoil the Strikeforce debut of Mr. Gracie. Randleman’s wrestling ability could give Gracie all kinds of trouble in terms of taking the fight to the ground and while it’s been a long time since he knocked anybody out, it could be a short night for Gracie if he decides to trade blows with “The Monster.” This fight won’t have the same kind of title implications as the aforementioned Cavalcante/Britt bout, but an impressive performance from Gracie could put him in the mix amongst contenders very quickly (especially given the shallow waters of the Strikeforce light heavyweight division).