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A victorious Josh Thompson talks about submitting Pat Healy in the opening bout of Saturday night’s main card Showtime broadcast of “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” event. Thompson defeated Healy via rear naked choke at 4:27 of the third round.

HT: Showtime Sports

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HT: Strikeforce.com

The man widely considered to be the greatest fighter of our time, Fedor Emelianenko, was handed the first legitimate defeat of his professional fighting career this evening in San Jose as decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Fabricio Werdum made mixed martial arts history in California, submitting the feared Russian heavyweight with vice-like armbar/triangle choke early into the very first round.

Emelianenko looked to have Werdum in a world of trouble in the opening moments of round one during “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers“, battering the Brazilian with a series of big left hooks that dropped the submission specialist to the canvas. Fedor’s fatal mistake came when he followed the decorated grappler to the ground looking for the ground and pound finish. After escaping an initial armbar attempt, Emelianenko’s willingness to momentarily play his cards on the canvas with Werdum quickly left him vulnerable to the bout ending armbar/triangle choke conversion just 1:09 into the contest.

True to form, and expressionless Emelianenko seemed unaffected by the suprising loss at the hands of the fellow PRIDE veteran when asked what he was thinking immediately following his first true professional defeat as a mixed martial artist, stating, “Really, nothing, because the one that doesn’t fall doesn’t get up.”

Cung Le managed to avenge the sole defeat of his career in his hometwon of San Jose as the decorated San Shou practitioner showed a tremendous amount of patience while mercillesly picking apart Scott Smith over the course of one and a half rounds striking on his way to the second round TKO victory. A perfectly timed spinning heel kick to the ribs from Le lit the fuse and a few unanswered strikes to the battered Smith on the canvas sealed the deal.

Also on the card was Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos defending her 145 female title against a game but outmatched Jan “Cuddles” Finney. Cyborg beat Finney about the cage for the duration of the two rounds contested between the two, eventually swarming her battered and bruised opponent in the second round with a series of punches which were capitalized by a brutal fight finishing knee to the chin.

A full list of results from the event are 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 (armbar/triangle) – Round 1, 1:09

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

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson likes to smile and goof off when he's fighting. But he can do without his nickname, "The Punk."

"It's one of those labels you can grow out of," Thomson recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio.

A more seasoned and mature Thomson faces Pat Healy this Saturday at "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum" as he takes his first step to regaining his belt.

Strikeforce: Fedor vs Werdum has few of the makings of a classic. From top to bottom there is very little to capture the imagination in this card. Fedor Emelianenko is obviously the main attraction but it takes two to make a fight interesting and there is little in the record of FabricioWerdum, who has lost four out of his last 11 fights, to suggest he is going to unduly trouble ‘The Last Emperor’.

Fedor has shown an increasing tendency to take punishment in his recent victories but it would be a major surprise if the most dominant heavyweight on the planet were to fail where the likes of Andrei Arlovski and Junior Dos Santos have succeeded.

Fedor’s retirement is rumoured to be imminent and Alistair Overeem is the only remaining credible opponent not contracted to the UFC. Overeem is riding an eight fight win streak and, unlike Werdum, has earned his shot at Fedor. The sooner Strikeforce matches these two heavyweights together the better. Although Fedor will be a strong favourite against Overeem this should at least be a competitive fight whereas the bookmakers think that Fedor will have no difficulty in dispensing of the challenge of Werdum and I am inclined to agree with them.

There are many MMA fans who feel that any card featuring Fedor is worth a watch but those that have grown disillusioned with the Russian since his refusal to sign with the UFC are unlikely to tune in purely on the strength of the remainder of the card.

The co-main event features a women’s world title match between Jan “Cuddles” Finney and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos. If you thought the main event looked a bit one sided check out the odds for this fight, you could get 15/1 on Finney to win.

Finney may have won her last four fights but prior to that she had lost seven out of her previous nine. Cyborg may have lost her first ever MMA fight but she went on to win the next nine deposing the previously unbeaten Gina Carano in the process. I suspect Finney is going to be on the wrong side of a bad beating and I personally am not particularly interested in seeing it happen.

Scott Smith vs. Cung Le II is one the few redeeming fights on this card. Le was dominating Smith in their first meeting until Smith somehow scored a surprise knock out in the third and final round. Le had been out of action for over 18 months and could have been excused a little ring rust going into this fight. He is unlikely to make the same mistake twice and will be looking finish Smith as soon as possible to avoid being on the wrong end of another unlikely comeback.

I think that Le is one of the most talented mixed martial artists on the planet but unfortunately he came into the sport a little too late to leave a truly indelible impression on it. Wrestlers might be able to continue fighting MMA at an elite level into their 40s but wrestling is very much strength based and strength is the last thing to desert an aging fighter.

Cung Le is primarily a stand up fighter and his game is far more reliant on speed. Aged 38, and with his acting commitments seemingly taking precedent over his fight career, I suspect Le’s MMA career will soon be coming to a premature end. I still think he has plenty to offer Strikeforce and I expect him to redeem the only loss of his career against Smith.

Former lightweight champion Josh Thomson will be looking to get his career back on track against Pat Healy after losing his title to Gilbert Melendez late last year. Getting past Healy will be no easy task, he is a hugely experienced veteran who holds wins over Carlos Condit, Paul Daley and Dan Hardy. Healy was a late replacement but he is riding a three fight win streak and will be looking to put himself firmly in the title picture with a win over Thomson.

“Strikeforce: Los Angeles” was not on paper a particularly promising card but still provided more than its fair share of entertainment. Perhaps the latest installment of the Strikeforce series will also prove to be greater than the sum of its parts but given the sort of matchmaking on offer, I seriously doubt it.