Shinya Aoki has a long history of sending his opponents to the emergency room with pretzel-shaped limbs and Tatsuya Kawajiri became the latest victim of the most lethal submission grappler in mixed martial arts during DREAM.15.

Aoki shot in for a takedown almost immediately in the first round of the DREAM Lightweight Championship bout before dropping to his guard and firmly attaching himself to one of Kawajiri’s legs. “The Crusher” did all he could to free his limb from the grip of Aoki, to no avail, as Kawajiri ultimately succumbed to one of the nastiest Achilles locks seen in the sport to date.

Kawajiri’s ankle showed visible damage following the bout and the lightweight was quickly transported to the emergeny room for X-rays.

Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante made his final return to the DREAM ring before hopping ship to Strikeforce count as the highly regarded lightweight battled tooth and nail with Katsunori Kikuno for the full fifteen minutes , utilizing takedowns and top control to pull away in the final round, on his way to a split decision victory.

Jake O’Brien embarrassed himself twice in Japan before it was all said and done. The first was when he showed up to Saitama grossly overweight and the second was when the UFC veteran submitted to a standing guillotine choke just 31 seconds into the very first round at the hands of Gegard Mousasi, who advances in the four-man DREAM Light Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Melvin Manhoef fans were met with disappointment for the second consecutive time during DREAM.15 as the feared striker hoped to rebound from a recent knockout defeat at the hands of Robbie Lawler but wound up tapping out to a painful kimura at the hands of Tatsuya Mizuno in the opening round. A series of monstrous punches from Manhoef had Mizuno in trouble early in the first round before the Japanese journeyman put K-1 veteran on his back and locked in the fight ending submission along with a crack at Mousasi at the upcoming DREAM Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals.

A full list of results from DREAM.15 are below:

Shinya Aoki def. Tatsuya Kawajirivia submission (Achilles lock) – Round 1

Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante def. Katsunori Kikuno via split decision

Gegard Mousasi def. Jake O’Brien via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

Tatsuya Mizuno def. Melvin Manhoefvia submission (kimura) – Round 1

Michihiro Omigawa def. Young Sam Jung via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Daiki “DJ.taiki” Hata via unanimous decision

Kazuhiro Nakamura def. Karl Amoussou via unanimous decision

Fans often hear about post-fight bonuses being dished out to in-Octagon performers but come Saturday night it may be the ring’s engineers who deserve a little extra lettuce in their monthly salad. Combining for more than 500 pounds, UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar and first-round-phenom Shane Carwin will lock horns in Las Vegas and put the UFC’s trademark structure’s durability to the test at UFC 116 in the process (as well as each others’ chins). In addition to the title fight, Chris Leben rolls the dice by stepping in last-minute to face Yoshishiro Akiyama, Stephan Bonnar and Krzysztof Soszynski look for a headbutt-free result to make up for their previous bout’s ending, and Matt Brown/Chris Lytle look to battle it out with Kurt Pellegrino/George Sotiropoulos in hopes of possibly scoring the event’s “Fight of the Night“ honors.

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. Just ask Bret “The Angry Hick” Bergmark or for that matter Fabricio Werdum. 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…

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Jon Madsen vs. Karlos Vemola

Madsen should be entering this bout as the favorite due to his 2-0 record in the Octagon and the public’s familiarity with him from the Ultimate Fighter Season 10. However, Vemola shouldn’t be overlooked, as he’s 7-0 and finished all of his opponents in the first round using a near-even mix of strikes/submissions. Even more impressive is the fact five of those seven foes were felled in less than a minute! Madsen’s only hope appears to be using his wrestling as a means of holding Vemola down for three rounds and either out-pointing him or wearing him down to the point of exhaustion. Vemola’s power and striking look to be a massive threat to any individual he faces, and Madsen was knocked out by Brendan Schaub on TUF 10, so I think it would be a mistake for Madsen to try and stand with him. However, Vemola’s cardio is untested and could be the kink in his armor Madsen needs to expose for a win. I don’t see it happening though.

Winner – Karlos Vemola via TKO Round 1

Daniel Roberts vs. Forrest Petz

The loser of this fight will likely receive a pink-slip so both men have more on the line than normal. Roberts was 9-0 before suffering a brutal knockout to John Howard in his UFC debut, and, though he’s won four consecutive fights on smaller shows, Petz went 2-3 during an earlier run in the Octagon and lost two in a row before recently rallying off four straight. However, just because they’re at risk of seeking out a new deal in a different promotion, I think both will actually be cautious in their approach to the other rather than rushing in to exchange leather. Petz has either gone to decision or seen the finish come by way of submission in seventeen of his twenty-four career bouts, while seven of Roberts’ nine wins have been the result of a submission (the other two decisions). Don’t expect much more than minimal striking from either with the bulk of the action taking place on the mat. I like a ground war as much as the next person but only when it involves two high-level jiu-jitsu practitioners. This bout only has one. Petz’s experience could be enough to carry him through to a decision win, but I think Roberts’ youth/athleticism and superior BJJ should do the trick and earn him a tap-out before things are said and done.

Winner – Daniel Roberts via Submission Round 2

Gerald Harris vs. Dave Branch

Branch may be undefeated thus far in his young career, but he hasn’t faced an opponent like Harris yet so it will be interesting to see how he fares against what I would label as “superior” competition. Harris has won his last nine fights with eight involving a finishing performance. He’s got high-level wrestling, devastating slams, knockout power, and 3X Branch’s in-ring experience. Branch has shown above-average ability as both a striker and grappler but I’m not sure he’s ready to weather “Hurricane” Harris’ storm. However, because I do believe he’s talented, I think he’ll escape the fight without a tap or the need of smelling salts.

Winner – Gerald Harris via Decision

Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic

I’ve been a fan of Grove since the days of “Team Dagger” but these days it’s hard to know which Kendall will show up on a fight-to-fight basis. Will it be the “Da Spyda” who catches opponents like flies in his web of submissions or the one with a chin appearing as soft as silk? Fortunately for Grove, Reljic is known for his grappling as opposed to his striking so the match-up favors him in terms of avoiding a knockout. I think he’ll be able to defend or even catch a choke/limb from the bottom if Reljic takes him down while also using his lankiness to mix in a few jabs and keep the Croat at bay on their feet.

Then again, at 6’3, Reljic is a relatively tall middleweight himself so Grove won’t have the height/reach advantage he’s typically used to. He’s yet to be finished in his career as well. He’s also stronger than his Hawaiian adversary, and should be well-aware of Grove’s susceptibility to strikes, so he may throw his jiujitsu out the door and focus just on stand-up. If that’s the case then Kendall is in for a long, long night (and probably a wake-up call from the UFC with his release from the company).

Winner – Goran Reljic via Decision

Ricardo Romero vs. Seth Petruzelli

This will surely be an entertaining fight if for no other reason Petruzelli’s choice of entrance attire/music. “The Silverback”, a partner in shenanigans with fan-favorite Tom Lawlor, hasn’t stepped foot in the Octagon since going 0-2 in the eight-sided cage a few years ago and should be ready to make the most of his opportunity at redemption. Beyond the energy he’s put into his walk down to the ring, Petruzelli has also struggled to ink bouts that have actually come to fruition since knocking out Kimbo Slice in October 2008 so I think it’s likely he trained his ass off for another chance at earning a place on MMA’s biggest stage. Beyond those stakes, his in-ring competition is also a game opponent with solid jiujitsu and stand-up so Petruzelli will need to be in top form in that regard too. Romero is 10-1 with his only loss being by way of disqualification (an illegal soccer kick). If the two decide to stand I think Petruzelli will land a knockout blow, but if things hit the mat then I believe the outcome will be in Romero’s favor. Truly, this is one of the tougher UFC 116 bouts to pick a winner in.

Winner – Seth Petruzelli via entranceTKO Round 2

Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer

This match-up brings a smile to my face in that it’s essentially a preliminary card version of UFC 116’s main event with the level of experience being reversed. Schaub trains with Carwin and is known for knockout power while Tuchscherer trains with Lesnar and is known for his wrestling. Tuchscherer should enter the bout with a strength advantage while Schaub is a bit faster and more technical. As such, I think the fight’s action will be similar to that in Carwin’s attempt at taking Lesnar’s title later in the evening. I see Tuchscherer trying to close the distance at all times in hopes of limiting Schaub’s power, as well as in order to take him down and work from the top. Meanwhile, Schaub will try to maintain his range and fire away shots from a variety of angles while also being prepared to dirty-box or clinch. In the end, I think he’ll stay active to the point of tiring Tuchscherer out. Doing so should allow him to successfully defend takedown attempts and land enough strikes to either procure a TKO or decision win.

Winner – Brendan Schaub via TKO Round 3

MAIN CARD:

George Sotiropoulos vs. Kurt Pellegrino

I said earlier in this article that I have a great deal of love for ground wars when both men are BJJ bad-asses. Case in point – Pellegrino vs. Sotiropoulos. This bout has “Fight of the Night” written all over it. For reasoning, I’ll defer to my assessment in this week’s “Grappling with Issues” on why it’s the non-main event match-up I’m most excited about…

“Both go 100% at all times and have shown the kind of heart which makes me believe neither would ever mentally tap out in a bout; that they only quit when physically forced by their body to do so.

Beyond that, their skills match-up well as far as promise for entertainment goes. Sotiropoulos has yet to be finished in fourteen fights and Pellegrino is 8-2 in his last ten in-Octagon appearances with losses to the typically-tough Nate Diaz and Joe Stevenson along the way. I can see them trading shots for the first round, then putting on a ground-clinic until the third round ends or one of them is submitted/TKO’d. Their pairing should definitely be a ton of fun to watch and an excellent way to open up the PPV portion of the show.”

As far as a winner, it’s a literal coin-flip for me. I think Pellegrino may edge Sotiropoulos out when it comes to boxing and wrestling but not when it comes to the Australian’s jiujitsu. I don’t believe either will be finished and a split decision is probably the most likely result.

Winner – Kurt Pellegrino via Decision

Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski

I know UFC President Dana White has a lot of love for Bonnar based on his original promotion-making fight against Forrest Griffin but the reality is “The American Psycho” is 2-4 in his last six bouts and hasn’t beaten a relevant opponent in three years. He’s also tested positive for steroid use before and been relatively injury prone throughout his career. If he can’t beat Soszynski then he needs a fresh start in a smaller promotion. That’s not to say “The Polish Experiment” is an easy draw, because he is far from it, but Bonnar needs to prove he can win against upper/mid-tier competition to earn his keep. It’s been five years since TUF 1, folks.

As long as Stephan keeps his strikes coming from a variety of angles and uses movement to avoid Soszynski’s power (and forehead) I think he’ll be fine this time around. Bonnar has never been submitted in his eighteen-fight career and the only time he’s been finished with strikes was to Lyoto Machida seven years ago. I don’t think he’ll put Soszynski away but I do think he can win a decision against him.

Winner – Stephan Bonnar via Decision

Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown

As was the case in my earlier breakdown of Pellegrino vs. Sotiropoulos, neither Lytle nor Brown have any “quit” in them and the combination of their styles should result in an extremely exciting affair. I can see Brown and Lytle standing and trading punches for a good deal of the first round as a means of appeasing the crowd and testing themselves, nit in the end I think “Lights Out” will likely opt for his reliable combination of wrestling/jiujitsu in hopes of procuring a win. His boxing is better than Brown’s but there’s no reason for Lytle to risk catching a solid shot on the chin when Brown has lost six of eight by way of submission and hasn’t been TKO’d in nineteen career fights. Beyond that, I don’t see “The Immortal” doing enough to win a decision nor knocking out an opponent who has traded shots with the likes of Robbie Lawler and come away conscious.

Winner – Chris Lytle via Submission Round 2

Yoshishiro Akiyama vs. Chris Leben

First off, props to Leben for stepping in to fight Akiyama at the last minute regardless of the financial gain he’ll receive for competing two weeks ago on the Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale. His ability to leave foes snoozing, his chin’s durability, and his “bushido” make “The Crippler” a threat to beat most middleweights not named Anderson Silva. However, to enter the Octagon against a competitor of Akiyama’s caliber on short notice, let alone after the physical grind of back-to-back training camps, is a lot to ask of any individual. I believe Akiyama’s speed will allow him to avoid a lot of Leben’s power-punches, landing counter-strikes of his own or using judo to take him down, and ultimately take advantage of what I suspect will be questionable cardio from his pink-haired opponent. In the end I believe the circumstances surrounding the match-up will result in either a submission or decision win for the samurai of sexiness.

Winner – Yoshishiro Akiyama via Submission Round 3

Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin

This clash of monsters might just have King Kong and Godzilla a little jealous given the amount of anticipation surrounding the scrap. Lesnar and Carwin’s physical dimensions are well-documented. For the first time in recent history two UFC big-boys will be dropping pre-fight pounds in order to step on the scales at 265 pounds, giving fans a TRUE “heavyweight” fight to salivate over. To paraphrase something MMA Live’s Jon Anik said on a recent episode, for the first time in his career Lesnar is facing someone who could legitimately leave him looking like he’d just missed a Shooting-Star Press and landed on his face. Comparably, Carwin is also in a situation where he’s taking on an opponent who matches him in size/strength/athleticism for the first time in his career. Though some may feel conditioning could be an issue because Carwin has never seen the second round in his career I don’t believe that will be the case even if the title-fight remarkably goes the distance. He trains at high-altitude in Colorado with a group of high-level partners so I’m positive he’ll be ready to go full speed for at least fifteen minutes if not longer. Also, keep in mind Lesnar is coming off an extended layoff and a serious ailment so his fitness may not be where it normally is come game-time.

Since I see cardio as a push, and jiujitsu is a wash, it’s clear wrestling and striking will determine the winner. As long as Brock can avoid clinching with Carwin and doesn’t make the mistake of standing toe-to-toe with him I think he’ll retain his belt. Carwin is a solid wrestler but Lesnar is on another level from everything I’ve seen/heard; that his combination of speed/power is something you can’t simulate in a gym. As such, I think he’ll eventually get Carwin on his back and pound out a win.

Winner – Brock Lesnar via TKO Round 2

Who should be the next to taste Cung Le’s feet? Will Shane Carwin see his first career “second round” against Brock Lesnar this Saturday night? Is Keith Jardine destined for Strikeforce? Is Fedor Emelianenko’s loss to Fabricio Werdum the biggest upset in the history of MMA?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

The weekend is upon us and sure to be filled with explosive action, both in the night sky on July 4th and come Saturday night in Las Vegas when Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin test the Octagon’s durability during a championship clash! If you’re reading these lines you 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…

Also, make sure to have a happy, fun, and safe Fourth of July weekend! Enjoy the BBQ, beers, and brawls!

TRUE/FALSE – Fabricio Werdum tapping out Fedor Emelianenko is the biggest upset in the history of MMA.

Conlan: False, and this is coming from someone who gave Werdum a 1% chance of beating Emelianenko in last week’s GWI. However, as I also explained in that response, the percentage wasn’t based on a lack of talent on the Chute Boxe fighter’s part so much as Fedor’s “aura”, as well as his history of escaping every dangerous position he’d ever found himself in. The reality is that Werdum is an extremely skilled competitor and in a sport like Mixed Martial Arts, as evident in the upset loss last weekend, anything is possible.

I don’t think Werdum’s win is the “biggest upset” in MMA’s history because of the Brazilian’s credentials regardless of how invincible Fedor appeared to be entering the bout. In fact, I’d say Matt Serra‘s TKO of Georges St. Pierre in 2007 has the Brazilian’s submission beat. Serra hadn’t beaten any welterweights of real note prior to the fight, gave up a good deal of size to GSP, and was known for his jiujitsu rather than his hands. In the case of Werdum, not only had he competed against and beaten a number of respected heavyweights, but he finished Emelianenko with a technique associated with his primary discipline (BJJ) and is also taller/heavier than “The Last Emperor”.

Tool: I’m going with “true,” and here’s why: Fedor went nearly 10 years and 29 fights without suffering a loss. His string of victories is a feat that will be all-but-impossible to surpass anytime soon. While St. Pierre was a heavy favorite against Serra, it wasn’t as though he had never suffered a legitimate defeat before then. We can’t say the same for Fedor though, as the lone loss on his record before Saturday was a TKO with a huge asterisk attached to it. Yes, Werdum had a clear path to victory before the bout had even begun, but in the days leading up to the fight it was impossible to find a single fan or journalist who had definitively stated that Werdum would get the win.

In a way I think Fedor’s decade of dominance has helped to soften the impact of Werdum’s win. We all knew that sooner or later somebody would find a way to beat Fedor so even though nobody figured it would be Werdum that would do it, we still knew that it was bound to happen sometime. Couple that with Fedor’s respectful demeanor afterwards and it’s easy to see why some people might not make such a big deal about it. Make no mistake though, it is a big deal. This fight has permanently changed the landscape of the heavyweight division, and destroyed the aura of invincibility surrounding one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever known.

Do you think that Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin will make it past the first round?

Conlan: I believe it will. Don’t get me wrong. Both behemoths have the power to knock each other out with a single shot. Hell, each could likely turn a cow into a leather sofa with one well-placed fist. However, Lesnar hasn’t shown himself to be a first-frame finisher thus far in his career and should be looking to utilize his wrestling ability rather than exchanging strikes with someone who has made his living thus far by avoiding the opening round’s fourth minute, let alone bout’s second stanza.

I feel Lesnar will rely on his grappling in an attempt to neutralize his adversary’s gift of immediately rendering opponents defenseless, as well as in order to test Carwin’s post-five minute cardio. I also don’t think Carwin is afraid of going a full five-rounds if necessary because he’s intelligent and understands the opportunity at hand, and in that regard I don’t think he’ll risk a year of preparation by rushing in right away only to catch a quick strike that ends his night.

Tool: I’ll say no, but this is an extremely tough question to answer with all the variables in play. We don’t know what kind of punishment Lesnar’s chin can endure, but Carwin is the perfect opponent to test it. We also don’t know if Carwin can be taken down at will, although we do know that if anyone can do it it’s got to be Lesnar. I don’t want to underrate the UFC Heavyweight Champion but he’s got some pretty severe ring rust to overcome against what is arguably his toughest opponent to date. I won’t be surprised to see Lesnar take this fight to the mat in order to employ his vicious brand of ground and pound, but I also can’t say I’ll be surprised to see Carwin add another notch to his string of first round stoppages. All these question marks are what makes this particular title fight so intriguing, and I for one am thrilled that the UFC’s heavyweight division has become wildly exciting for the first time in years.

Aside from the main event, which bout at UFC 116 are you most excited for?

Conlan: I’m definitely looking forward to seeing George Sotiropolous mix it up with Kurt Pellegrino and won’t be surprised if they end up with the event’s “Fight of the Night” honors when everything is said and done in Vegas. Sotiropolous and Pellegrino, who with fellow UFC 116 participant Krzysztof Soszynski account for the greatest gathering of Scrabble-friendly last names on a PPV card in recent history, are similar in their slickness on the mat and fearlessness in the cage. Both go 100% at all times and have shown the kind of heart which makes me believe neither would ever mentally tap out in a bout; that they only quit when physically forced by their body to do so.

Beyond that, their skills match-up well as far as promise for entertainment goes. Sotiropolous has yet to be finished in fourteen fights and Pellegrino is 8-2 in his last ten in-Octagon appearances with losses to the typically-tough Nate Diaz and Joe Stevenson along the way. I can see them trading shots for the first round, then putting on a ground-clinic until the third round ends or one of them is submitted/TKO’d. Their pairing should definitely be a ton of fun to watch and an excellent way to open up the PPV portion of the show.

Tool: I’m extremely excited about the Sotiropolous/Pellegrino match-up as well, but they’ll have some stiff competition for “Fight of the Night” in the form of Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle. The end of the night bonus for best fight usually goes to the most entertaining slugfest of the evening, and there can be little doubt that that’s exactly what these two will deliver. Both fighters possess an underrated ground game, but it’s only underrated because they’ve each had plenty of success punching guys in the face. These are also two of the toughest fighters in the UFC, as each man has proven to be all but impossible to put away. Add all these element together and you’ve got the perfect recipe for the kind of fight that should have fans on their feet for 15 minutes.

Is it a given freshly released free-agent Keith Jardine will sign with Strikeforce?

Tool: I would think so. Jardine brings two things to the table that any MMA promotion would want: name recognition and an exciting fighting style. Even if Strikeforce didn’t want to say the name of their biggest competitor, I’m sure they’d have no problem promoting Jardine as a man with wins over Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. His fights are almost always guaranteed to end in a knockout, and I have yet to see anyone label him as “boring.” The light heavyweight division in Strikeforce is one of their weakest weight classes so any added star power would obviously benefit them. There might be some trepidation on signing a guy who’s on a four-fight losing streak, but in this case I think the positives outweigh the negatives.

Conlan: Though I’d say it’s definitely “likely” Jardine will ink a deal with Strikeforce, I wouldn’t say it’s as certain as tomorrow’s sunrise or even Arianny Celeste flirtatiously flicking her tongue out at the camera in-between rounds at UFC 116. Coker’s company could use Jardine’s relative star-power but inserting him into the deep end of their 205-pound pool has little benefit to it other than name-recognition. He’s 34 and lost five of his last six fights, yet also is a game opponent who is a threat to beat anyone who doesn’t land a clean shot to his chin. Stepping in and potentially beating one or two of Strikeforce’s top light heavyweights doesn’t necessarily look good because of his age/recent struggles or give the company an individual with a large enough following or bright enough future to promote their division around (like “King Mo” Lawal, Dan Henderson, or Gegard Mousasi). It also wouldn’t do Jardine a lot of good to bring his losing streak up to five in a row by thrusting him into the ring with highly touted competition. Rather, I could see “The Dean of Mean” seeking out a couple of bouts on smaller shows or in Japan to possibly string a couple of victories together and hopefully end his career in the UFC.

Who would you like to see Cung Le face in his next match-up?

Tool: I’m going to assume that Jake Shields is on his way to the UFC, and as such Strikeforce will be going ahead with their proposed middleweight tournament to crown a new champion. If that is the case then it’s entirely possible we’ll get to see Le face up to three quality opponents, although the lineup and start date for the tournament hasn’t been anywhere close to finalized.

If I had to pick an opponent for Le though I’d go with the best middleweight in Strikeforce not currently wearing gold: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. It’s your classic striker vs. grappler match-up, only with two guys who are extremely good at what they do. “Jacare” is certainly one of the most aggressive grapplers in the business as he’s more than capable of executing a strong double-leg takedown instead of simply flopping on his butt. Le would be in for a bit of a challenge as well since he may not be quite as eager to throw his signature kicks against the threat of winding up on his back. “Jacare” has been knocked out before so it would be interesting to see how his chin stands up against the Sanshou attack of Le.

Conlan: When I originally prepared this question for Tool it included a limited number of options at the end. However, it quickly dawned on me the one individual I want to see Le face most wasn’t among them (so I changed it to invite a wider range of responses). Though I understand the appeal of matching up contrasting styles I think Le is best served by opponents who engage in stand-up wars. When he’s on his feet, throwing the kind of combinations typically reserved for pre-plotted action-movie sequences, he’s as exciting as any other Mixed Martial Artist in the business. When he’s on his back he becomes any other fighter, i.e. he loses most of his appeal as a competitor. He’s also a 38-year old fighter who strikes 99% of the time so the window of opportunity in terms of putting together legacy-making fights is a limited one.

I think Robbie Lawler is a perfect fit to fill the current vacancy where Le’s next in-ring adversary is concerned. He’s respected by most if not all and has no interest in taking action to the mat unless it involves posturing over a fallen fighter to rain down punches. Putting Le and “Ruthless” Robbie together would surely result in fast-paced fireworks and a TKO victory for someone. Lawler could also use a big fight at 185-pounds after his catch-weight loss to Renato Sobral and the winner of a Le bout could easily be promoted as Strikeforce’s top middleweight contender.

Comparably, risking a situation where someone wet blankets their way to victory (as a high-level grappler like Souza could) would be akin to having ring girls circle the cage dressed in burlap sacks. The sexier the situation, the more eyes watch, and I’ll be damned if the thought of Le vs. Lawler might not result in a 90 second wet dream for most MMA fans.

How concerned should fans/promoters/merchandisers be regarding the recent report the UFC threatened TapOut into dropping their sponsorship of Fedor Emelianenko?

Tool: It’s hard to say. On one hand the UFC is a business, and as such they’re perfectly capable of running that business however they see fit. On the other hand it’s obviously a bad situation for any and all MMA clothing manufacturers as they have no real way of knowing when Zuffa could decide to pull the plug on their sponsorship capabilities. After all, TapOut is arguably the biggest sponsor in UFC history (one of the company’s founders is in the UFC Hall Of Fame), so if the company is willing to severe ties with them then is anyone really safe?

Clearly the ones who stand to lose the most out of this is the fighters themselves. Somebody like Fedor will obviously have no trouble finding another company to make his shirts, but for a lot of lesser-known fighters their sponsorship is crucial to their livelihood. Why should Johnny Noname have to suffer by having his sponsor pulled because that particular company decided to partner up with somebody that the UFC doesn’t care for?

Dana White talks all the time about how much of a fan he is of the sport, and how he’s doing everything he can to make MMA the biggest sport in the world, but the action of banning sponsors from the UFC only serves his petty vendettas at the cost of fighters’ careers.

Conlan: Fans should only be mildly concerned but promoters/merchandisers are in an entirely different boat. Tool is correct in saying the UFC has the right to conduct their business in a way they feel is appropriate as long as it doesn’t violate any established laws/regulations. Hell, he’s correct in all of what he says.

In my eyes, threatening to ban a sponsor as a means of affecting a fighter in a rival promotion is the not-so-distant cousin of racketeering. It takes money out of Mixed Martial Artists’ pockets, as well as the companies who are forking out cash to back them and support their careers. Furthermore, it’s a problem that only exists because the UFC created it. No forward-thinking or informed fan would ever assume M-1 or Strikeforce was superior, nor related, to Zuffa’s product simply because the apparel fighters wear crosses over between the companies. Rather, the UFC apparently felt it was a way to get at Emelianenko’s camp and less directly at Strikeforce, so they exerted their power and did so.

Strikeforce and it’s middleweight champ Jake Shields (25-4-1) have gone their separate ways according to the fighters father and manager who spoke to Sherdog.com. Jack Shields was informed by the promotion on Wednesday that they would be releasing the middleweight champion from his contract.

“In the conversation we had today, they said they felt that Jake was leaning towards the UFC. Honestly, we were talking to them with an open mind, though Jake wants to fight the best,” said the elder Shields. “Between Strikeforce and EliteXC, Jake had the chance to fight on Showtime and CBS four or five times against some top fighters like Dan Henderson and Robbie Lawler. Strikeforce gave him great opportunities and exposure. They’ve been nothing but great for Jake.”

Shields is now free to negotiate with the UFC and it’s President Dana White, who has been actively seeking to add the fighter to the fold. The senior Shields has already given the UFC their asking price and will pursue fights in the middleweight and welterweight divisions. If both sides come to an agreement, Shields already has his eye’s set on debuting against the promotions middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

“We didn’t come to agreement with Strikeforce, but Jake’s excited to challenge himself against the likes of Anderson Silva and others in the UFC,” said Jake Shields.

Fans could very well be treated to the announcement of Shields signing by the UFC as part of this weekends UFC 116 event, here’s hoping we’ll get the chance to see Shields in the octagon soon.

There will be no bidding war for Jake Shields.

Strikeforce has released their middleweight champion from the roster, a man widely considered to be among the most talented and respected fighters on the promotion’s talent pool.

The news of Shields’ dismissal from his duties as a Strikeforce athlete first came in a report from Loretta Hunt at Sherdog.com.

Shields recently toppled Dan Henderson in the last fight on his prior contract with Strikeforce which eventually left him open to discuss his future with other promotions. UFC President Dana White had openly expressed interest in signing the talented Cesar Gracie trained veteran, long recognized as one of the top fighters in the welterweight and middleweight divisions, and a war of contract offers was expected to ensue between Strikeforce and the UFC. A contract war that never happened.

Strikeforce’s recent decision to drop Shields from their roster in favor of holding a middleweight tournament to establish a new champion in the division is nearly unprecedented in the business, and sent a direct message that they will not play ball in situations such as this in the future.

“In the conversation we had today, they said they felt that Jake was leaning towards the UFC. Honestly, we were talking to them with an open mind, though Jake wants to fight the best,” said Jack Shields, the recently released champion’s manager and father. “Between Strikeforce and EliteXC, Jake had the chance to fight on Showtime and CBS four or five times against some top fighters like Dan Henderson and Robbie Lawler. Strikeforce gave him great opportunities and exposure. They’ve been nothing but great for Jake.”

The likliness of Shields winding up competing in the UFC’s welterweight or middleweight divisions in the near future appears to be an inevitability at this point.

“We didn’t come to agreement with Strikeforce, but Jake’s excited to challenge himself against the likes of Anderson Silva and others in the UFC,” said Jack Shields.

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.

This past week's "Strikeforce: Los Angeles" event on Showtime peaked with nearly 200,000 viewers for a 195-pound catchweight headliner between winner Renato "Babalu" Sobral and opponent Robbie Lawler.

MMAjunkie.com today obtained the ratings information from an industry source.

"Strikeforce: Los Angeles" took place June 16 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles with a six-fight lineup.

Main-event winner Renato "Babalu" Sobral and opponent Robbie Lawler were the top earners at this past week's "Strikeforce: Los Angeles" event.

MMAjunkie.com recently requested and today received the list of official salaries from the California State Athletic Commission.

Sobral ($100,000) and Lawler ($85,000) accounted for 63 percent of the event's $295,000 disclosed payroll.

If Jake Shields is doing a "numbers dance" with Strikeforce, he's dancing with himself.

That's according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, who told MMAjunkie.com that he has not yet extended a new contract offer to the middleweight champion.

And though Shields' camp believes there demands are fair, Strikeforce officials are leaning toward an eight-man tourney that would crown a new champion. Targeted participants include Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, Dan Henderson, Nick
Diaz, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Scott Smith, Cung Le, Kazuo Misaki and Jorge Santiago.

After a successful victory over “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler at the June 16 Strikeforce: “Los Angeles” event Babalu wasted no time in calling out former Pride champion Dan Henderson. Renato “Babalu” Sobral spoke recently with MMA Weekly:

“I won’t never punch and try to hurt my friends, but I would like to ask for a fight, and all the respect that I have, in the beginning of my career I fought Dan Henderson in Japan and lost to him. I don’t want to disrespect, but I would like to fight him”

The match Sobral is speaking of occured under the RINGS promotion and happened 10 years ago, so really it seems that a rematch would be more than overdue. Expect Strikeforce to make this happen, and expect Henderson to look much better than his previous fight against Jake Shields.