Once again it’s on and FiveOuncesofPain.com will be here all evening to make sure you are kept up to date with all of the latest live results and happenings from “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum“.

The event will be taking place from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California while airing live on Showtime.

Headlining the card will be a heavyweight showdown between Fedor Emelianeniko and Fabricio Werdum, while Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will be putting her 145 pound female title on the line against Jan “Cuddles” Finney in the co-headliner of the evening.

A full set of live results from the event are listed below:

Bobby Stack def. Derrick Burnsed via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

Yancey Medeiros def. Gareth Joseph via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:19

Bret Bergmark def. Vagner Rocha via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26)

Chris Cope def. Ron Keslar via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:32

Josh Thomson def. Pat Healy via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:27

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos def. Jan Finney via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:56

Cung Le def. Scott Smith via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:46

Fabricio Werdum def. Fedor Emelianenko via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 1:09

Tonight’s “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” event is already underway with the first preliminary bout of the night.

The show is taking place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. with the night’s main card airing on Showtime beginning at 10PM EST (7PM PST). Viewers on the West Coast will get to watch the show on tape delay.

If you don’t have Showtime (and your country isn’t blocked) fans can pay $24.99 and watch the show at home online. You can also catch a round-by-round account of the event, including all of the preliminary bouts, at Sherdog.com.

The event is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum, while the co-main event features a women’s title bout between Women’s Strikeforce Featherweight champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. challenger Jay Finney.

As always The MMA News will be keeping the spoilers off the main page, especially with the tape delay on the West Coast. To view the full “Live Quick Results” click

The full results for “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” is as follows:

Main card:
Heavyweight bout: Fabricio Werdum def. Fedor Emelianenko via submission (armbar) – R1, 1:09
Middleweight bout: Cung Le def. Scott Smith via TKO (strikes) – R2, 1:46
Women’s featherweight championship bout: Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos def. Jan Finney via TKO (strikes) – R2, 2:56
Lightweight bout: Josh Thomson def. Pat Healy via submission (rear-naked-choke) – R3, 4:27

Preliminary card:
Middleweight bout: Chris Cope def. Ron Keslar via TKO (punches) – R2, 4:32
Welterweight bout: Bret Bergmark def. Vagner Rocha via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26)
Middleweight bout: Yancy Medeiros def. Gareth Joseph via KO (punch) – R2, 1:19
Welterweight bout: Bobby Stack def. Derrick Burnsed via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-30)

This Saturday night might as well be Christmas morning for fans of Mixed Martial Arts, as pound-for-pound great Fedor Emelianenko is set to face off against notable Brazilian Fabricio Werdum and is supported by a cast of players who are also worth-watching for a number of reasons. Fans in attendance at Strikeforce‘s homebase, the HP Pavilion in San Jose, as well as those tuning in on Showtime, will have the pleasure of seeing the two heavyweights clash as well as the always-exciting Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos defend her Women’s Middleweight Championship against Jan Finney, a rematch between stand-up aces Cung Le and Scott Smith, and former promotional lightweight champ Josh “Punk” Thomson attempt to make his way towards a rubber-match with Gilbert Melendez by beating veteran competitor Pat Healy.

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

Derrick Burnsed vs. Bobby Stack

At 5-0 Burnsed is clearly is doing something right in the ring even if he’s never beaten anyone of particular note. As such, Stack will be his biggest test to date since he’s 2-0 in Strikeforce, but it also needs to be pointed out he hasn’t stepped in the promotion’s cage since November 2008. I think Burnsed will pull out the win since he appears to be a submission-based fighter who is comfortable tapping opponents from his back. He also seems to have decent power as well. Stack has gone to decision in his last three fights so it stands to reason the same could occur at tonight’s event, especially with the ring-rust brought on by his recent inactivity. That means 15-minutes’ worth of opportunities for Burnsed to latch onto his limbs or neck and finish things off along the way.

Winner – Derrick Burnsed via Submission Round 2

Gareth Joseph vs. Yancy Madeiros

Fans unfamiliar with Madeiros should keep a watch out for the rising middleweight. At 8-0 he’s shown himself to possess both knockout power and solid grappling skills. Joseph hasn’t fought in a year so he definitely appears to have his work cut out for him. However, three of his four professional wins have been the result of a first round knockout, so it’s not as if he can’t land a punch at some point in the fight that sets up the beginning of the end for “Frisson”. I think the involved match-up should lead to a stoppage and result in a very entertaining scrap. However, Strikeforce has a history of ending broadcasts early with undercard bouts left on the cutting room floor, so I’m doubtful any viewers at home will ever get a chance to see it.

Winner – Yancy Madeiros via TKO Round 2

Bret Bergmark vs. Vagner Rocha

If winners were determined by “best nickname” then Bret “The Angry Hick” Bergmark would be one helluva tough draw to beat. Unfortunately for him, outcomes are typically influenced by individual ability and in that regard I think Rocha has the edge. He’s 5-0 since debuting in February 2009 (including a pair of wins in Bellator). Though I suspect he’ll be prepared based on his Cesar Gracie JJ training partners, the 36-year old Bergmark has only fought once in the last 4 1/2 years and should struggle to maintain pace in all areas, especially when rolling on the mat. He has the proverbial “puncher’s chance” but other than that I think Rocha should be able to maintain a perfect record in the ring.

Winner – Vagner Rocha via Submission Round 1

Chris Cope vs. Ron Keslar

Keslar has won his last four fights while Cope is coming off the first knockout loss of his career so it seems likely their mindsets will be drastically different entering tonight’s bout. It’s an interesting match-up of styles in that Keslar appears to focus on mat-work while Cope on stand-up, but I’m not overly confident the pairing will lead to much more than a plodding decision win for one of the two. Neither has shown a great talent for finishing opponents and both are making their Strikeforce debuts. I can see there being a lot of “feeling out” on their feet, especially from Cope, and lay-and-praying on the ground, especially from Keslar, based on their particular skill-sets and the fact each will be attempting to win on the biggest stage they’ve competed on thus far in their young careers. Beyond that I think it’s a coin-flip as far as determining who will win. Since, at least according to the original line-up and fact it’s a catch-weight bout, Cope was a late replacement I think he’ll gas out at some point and end up spending the bulk of the bout on his back.

Winner – Ron Keslar via Decision

Josh Thomson vs. Pat Healy

I’m a fan of both fighters for different reasons and am looking forward to their bout even if Healy isn’t a particularly “sexy” opponent for a top divisional contender like Thomson to be facing since he may not be known to a lot of fans. However, “Bam Bam” shouldn’t be dismissed because his only appearance in the UFC was a loss or based on his less-than impressive overall record. The fact is Healy is a terrific grappler with a ton of experience and wins over Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, and Dan Hardy earlier in his career. He’s also won three consecutive fights and five of his last six (with a decision loss sandwiched between the dubyas). Thomson is a solid striker with above-average wrestling to back his punches/kicks/knees up and had won eight fights in a row before losing the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship via decision to Gilbert Melendez last December.

I expect this particular match-up will feature fireworks from both and have the crowd on their feet at more than one point. Look for Healy to shoot in to keep Thomson on his back for as much time as possible with “Punk” firing away with knees, or punches from the sprawl, to make Healy think twice. I think Thomson will win based on athleticism and having more ways to beat his opponent than can be said in return. Healy has been knocked out, submitted, and out-pointed a handful of times while the former 155-pound champ has never been tapped out and only TKO’d once in nineteen in-ring appearances. That being said, I also won’t be surprised if Healy is able to pull off an upset decision win because he’s certainly talented enough to do so.

Winner – Josh Thomson via TKO Round 3

Scott Smith vs. Cung Le

I can hardly wait for the high-level jiujitsu and wrestling ability that will undoubtedly be on display when Smith and Le lock horns in the cage! I can also hardly wait for pigs to fly! Now that I have your attention, based on their respective styles it’s fairly obvious 99% of this bout will take place while standing with the other 1% reserved for whoever gets knocked down/out first. Le’s problem in their original match-up was conditioning and, to an extent, his “warrior spirit”, as I recall him being en route to a decision win but still moving forward while gassed out rather than playing it safe and letting the third round expire. He won’t be coming off a 21-month break from action while filming movies rather than training so I don’t think cardio will be a problem, and I also believe Le to be intelligent enough to have learned from his previous loss to Smith. As such, I think he’ll be able to seal the deal against his fellow hard-hitting Californian this time around. Then again, Smith is known as “Hands of Steel” for a reason, and he’s impossible to count out in any fight based on his previous performances in the ring.

Winner – Cung Le via Decision

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Jan Finney

Records and talent aside, how could anyone ever pick a “Cuddles” to beat a “Cyborg”? Moving on, as I said in this week’s “Grappling with Issues”, though Santos is unlike any female striker let alone female fighter seen thus far in women’s MMA, “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.” I don’t think she’ll immediately be overwhelmed by Santos, but it seems pretty clear based on both female’s overall abilities she will eventually be. “Cyborg” has been out of action since January and will be looking to hang a new head in the Santos Family Room, as her husband Evangelista did ten days ago in regards to Marius Zaromskis, so expect some hate-filled flurries to end Finney’s night.

Winner – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos via TKO Round 2

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum

I could break down the greatness that is Emelianenko but instead I’ll leave it at a single word – “Fedor”. Werdum is a world-class competitor and currently has one of, if not the, best BJJ games in the heavyweight division. Even if Emelianenko knocks him down he’s still a major threat to procure an armbar or triangle-choke from the bottom. He also has underrated striking that continues to improve on a per-fight basis thanks to his time with Chute Boxe. “Vai Cavalo” has only been finished once in eighteen fights and, though Fedor clearly has knockout power, he doesn’t have the speed or diversity of strikes that led to Junior Dos Santos’ TKO win over Werdum at UFC 90. Werdum also appeared to be in perhaps the worst shape of his career entering the bout, and given the opportunity attached to potentially beating Emelianenko that won’t be an issue this time around.

As far as how I see the actual fight unfolding, I have a feeling Werdum will try to keep things standing for the first round unless he sees an opening to work on Emelianenko from the top. He’s got good power to back up his Muay Thai techniques, including the option of leg kicks to maintain distance, and Brett Rogers and Andrei Arlovski showed promise when trading with the stoic Russian before eventually falling victim to him. The reality is that Fedor hasn’t gone to decision in five years and it could be interesting to see how his less-than toned body reacts if Werdum is able to make him work for fifteen minutes. However, he hasn’t seen the judges’ scorecards in that long a period because of how amazing a fighter he is, and in that regard I can’t pick against him. He’s escaped every difficult position he’s ever been put in and I don’t think Werdum is good enough to expose any weaknesses he possesses (assuming he is actually human and does possess some).

Winner – Fedor Emelianenko via TKO Round 2

“Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” is official for the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Saturday evening as all fighters hits the scales successfully this evening in California.

The man widely considered to be the best fighter on the planet Fedor Emelianenko will be facing off with dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Fabricio Werdum in the main event of the evening, while Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will be attempting to convert Jan “Cuddles” Finney into her latest title defense victim the the co-headliner.

Also slated for the card is a guaranteed slugest between Cung Le and Scott Smith in a middleweight rematch that had to happen.

A full list of weigh-in results from “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” are below:

Fedor Emelianenko (229) vs. Fabricio Werdum (238.5)

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (144.5) vs. Jan Finney (143.5)

Cung Le (184.75) vs. Scott Smith (184.75)

Pat Healy (155.25) vs. Josh Thomson (155.25)

Chris Cope (175) vs. Ron Keslar (173.75)

Bret Bergmark (168.75) vs. Vagner Rocha (171)

Gareth Joseph (185.25) vs. Yancey Medeiros (184.25)

Derrick Burnsed (155.6) vs. Bobby Stack (154.5)

The weigh-ins for Saturday’s “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” were completed on Friday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Fans had the chance of watching the weigh-ins live via a video stream at Strikeforce.com.

Main event headliners Fedor Emelianenko (229 pounds) and opponent Fabricio Werdum (238.5) came in well under the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds for their fight. While Women’s middleweight champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos weighed in at 144.5 pounds in her fight against Jan Finney (143.5 pounds).

The full weigh-in results for “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” is as follows:

Main card:
Heavyweight bout: Fedor Emelianenko (229) vs. Fabricio Werdum (238.5)
Middleweight bout: Cung Le (184.75) vs. Scott Smith (184.75)
Women’s featherweight championship bout: Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (144.5) vs. Jan Finney (143.5)
Lightweight bout: Pat Healy (155.25) vs. Josh Thomson (155.25)

Preliminary card:
Middleweight bout: Chris Cope (175) vs. Ron Keslar (173.75)
Welterweight bout: Bret Bergmark (168.75) vs. Vagner Rocha (171)
Middleweight bout: Gareth Joseph (185.25) vs. Yancey Medeiros (184.25)
Welterweight bout: Derrick Burnsed (156.75)* vs. Bobby Stack (154.5)

* two hours to make weight

Fedor Emelianenko

Fabricio Werdum

Great pre-fight interviews with the main event fighters for tommorows Strikeforce: Fedor Vs. Werdum mixed martial arts card. Strikeforce is definitely getting more media coverage out there for the quiet Fedor Emelianenko and Werdum is certainly deserving of some respect.

Strikeforce: Fedor Vs Werdum
June 26 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose
Co-promoted by M-1 Global And Strikeforce

MAIN CARD

FEDOR EMELIANENKO VS FABRICIO WERDUM
SCOTT SMITH VS CUNG LE
CRIS CYBORG VS JAN FINNEY
JOSH THOMSON VS PAT HEALY

PRELIMINARY BOUTS

RON KESLAR VS TBA
BRETT BERGMARK VS VAGNER ROCHA
YANCY MEDEIROS VS VALDIR ARAUJO
BOBBY STACK VS DERRICK BURNSED

SAN JOSE (June 23, 2010) – This Saturday, STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL will make history when they present a Mixed Martial Arts fight card that will feature the universally recognized No. 1 male and female fighters in the world stepping into the same cage on the same night for the first time. The eagerly awaited event will take place at HP Pavilion and be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, the world’s No. 1 pound for pound fighter, will take on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and top-ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum in the main event. The No. 1 female fighter, Cris Cyborg, will defend her STRIKEFORCE Women’s World 145-pounds Championship against Jan Finney in the semi-main.

Fedor and Cyborg were joined by Cung Le and Josh Thomson, who also will appear in featured fights on Saturday, at a Media Workout Wednesday at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA).

Le, of San Jose, is a former STRIKEFORCE middleweight titlist. He relinquished the belt last year to pursue an acting career that has since spawned two major motion picture releases, but returned Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion to face Sacramento’s Scott Smith. Le dominated before losing via a shocking third-round KO. He’ll take on Smith in a rematch of one of MMA’s most epic come-from-behind knockouts.

Thomson, of San Jose, will return to the cage for the first time since losing the STRIKEFORCE world lightweight title to top rival Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez on Dec. 19, 2009. He’ll face dangerous submission artist Pat “Bam Bam” Healy in a lightweight bout.

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.

What they had to say:

FEDOR
“I am always interesting in performing against top 10 fighters and Werdum has been in the top 10 for a long time. He’s a good, very patient fighter who thinks a lot and I am very happy to be fighting him. Style-wise, this should be a very interesting fight.

“The talk about me entering politics are false rumors. As long as I am competing in MMA, there will be no politics for me.

“MMA is a beautiful kind of sport that combines various elements of martial arts. You need to be good in all of them. I am excited about having my wife with me for the first time for a fight of mine in the United States.’’

CRIS CYBORG
“I’m very anxious to get back in the cage and very excited about this fight. It is a great honor to be on the same card as Fedor. I’m looking forward to meeting him and seeing all the other fighters on this show.

“I know Jan Finney is coming to win this. I don’t have a specific plan but I’m ready for anything. I’ll see how the fight starts and then go from there. I expect a tough fight.

“It will be great having (husband and fellow STRIKEFORCE fighter) Evangelista in my corner again. He couldn’t be there last time. He is the one who trains me, who got me started in this sport, so I love it when he is in the corner.

“I’d much rather be the one fighting than having to watch him fight. All I can think of while I am watching him fight is, ‘I hope this ends very quickly.’ ’’

(see the quotes from Cung Le and Josh Thomson after the jump )

CUNG LE
“I dominated for two-and-a-half-rounds the first time against Scott. Before the last round, my corner told me to take it easy and not take any unnecessary chances. But rather than listen, I tried to close the show with a bang, but it backfired on me.

“Saturday is a new day and a new fight. It is not our last fight and it isn’t last year. I am amped for it.

“I learned a hard lesson from our first fight, but I am determined to move forward. I love to compete and I am very excited about this fight.’’

JOSH THOMSON
“I didn’t make any excuses after the last fight with Gilbert, but ring rust is real. I didn’t get it gone, and Gilbert looked very good but I know why I lost and that is because I didn’t listen to my corner.

“On Saturday, the plan will be, like always, to get off first and dictate the pace. The plan against Gilbert was not to make it a brawl but that is what happened,

“I feel I’ve learned from that fight so expect a different Josh Thomson on Saturday than the one you saw against Gilbert.

“This is going to be a tough fight against a tall guy. There are lots of big fights down the road for me but they will go away fast if I am not totally focused on Saturday.’’

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.

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Cyborg is just plain impressive, and it doesn’t seem like she’s going to lose any time soon. There have been big upsets in the past, but the gap between Cyborg and her opponents seems to widen with every fight. Good luck Jan Finney.

Jan Finney isn't rattled by bookmakers as she heads
into her co-main event title fight against Strikeforce women's 145-pound
champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos at Saturday's Showtime-broadcast "Strikeforce:
Fedor vs. Werdum" event in San Jose, Calif.

After all, she's not the one who's supposed to win.

"It's just gives me more motivation," Finney today told MMAjunkie.com. "It's great. There's no expectations for me."