Would you prefer Alistair Overeem fought Fedor Emelianenko or signed with the UFC before the end of 2010? What would you tell Andrei Arlovski after watching him lose for the third straight time? Is Matt Lindland on his last leg where current relevance in MMA is concerned? Are you more excited about the heavyweight headliners at Moosin MMA or the battle between bad-ass Betties a few fights down on the card?

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…

More appealing match-up at this weekend’s Moosin MMA event – Tim Sylvia vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski or Tara LaRosa vs. Roxanne Modafferi?

Adam Tool: In essence this question is asking which fight I’ll be looking for first when I hit the internet Saturday morning to catch up on some fights, and the answer is LaRosa vs. Modafferi. I could care less about anything Tim Sylvia does anymore; he lost a big chunk of whatever respect I had for him following is 36 second clowning at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko. He could have salvaged his career by coming back with a hard-fought win over a respectable opponent, but instead he got knocked out in less than 10 seconds by a 48 year old boxer making his professional MMA debut. The headlining bout at Moosin seems like it’s designed to give Pudzianowski (who comes up second to Krzysztof Soszynski in the “Fighters Whose Name I Hate Typing” category) a legitimate name to add to his meager record. A win over the former body builder does little to help Sylvia’s reputation, and a loss just sends him further down the heavyweight rankings.

LaRosa and Modafferi are two legitimate fighters in the world of women’s MMA, with LaRosa being one of the top P4P female fighters in the world. We’ve got the always intriguing striker vs. grappler dynamic for this bout, and Modafferi will no doubt be hungry to avenge her loss to LaRosa in their previous meeting. Strikeforce is supposed to be the home for women’s MMA but so far this year they’ve dropped the ball as far as promoting new talent. With a win here Modafferi could easily be pegged as an upcoming contender for Sarah Kaufman’s championship, but it’s tough to see where LaRosa goes from here unless she’s willing to move back up to 135 lbs. In any case this should be an entertaining scrap between two aggressive young ladies, and I’m looking forward to watching it in grainy flash video on Saturday morning.

Brendhan Conlan: Tool essentially squished my opinion into a little ball and smacked it over the fence for a homerun. Though the result of Sylvia’s almost-guaranteed slop-fest with Pudzianowski is fascinating in a sick way I’m far more interested in seeing how the action unfolds in LaRosa vs. Modafferi.

I don’t fault “The Maine-iac” for taking what he felt would be an easy win against an opponent with some name value (Ray Mercer) on the heels of losing 3-of-4 against top shelf competition. It was a calculated risk and a gamble he ultimately paid for by sacrificing his already-wavering reputation in the sport with both the loss and by showing up as though he’d trained at Pillsbury Top Team for the bout. However, embarrassing knockout aside, it has to be noted Sylvia had only finished a single opponent in the four years prior. Looking at his record seems to indicate Tim-meh benefited more from a distinct size advantage coupled with a shallow heavyweight pool, rather than a particular set of skills, to earn his reputation as a two-time UFC champion. His physical dimensions and past praise will always make Sylvia an attraction, but then again the same can also be said about the “World’s Biggest Ball of Yarn”. Fighting a 2-0 former strong-man who once tested positive for performance enhancing drugs has “freak show” appeal but doesn’t compare from a competitive standpoint to the other pairing mentioned in this topic’s subject line.

Modafferi is 7-1 since 2007 with the lone loss coming in a match she took on short notice against Marloes Coenen, a naturally bigger and equally respectable Mixed Martial Artist. LaRosa is currently riding a fifteen-fight win streak and is 18-1 over her eight-year career. They fought to a decision in 2006, so there’s a familiarity there that should breed engagement because both already have a fair idea of what to expect when they lock horns or stand and bang. Their combined skill, heart displayed in previous fights, and styles should make for an entertaining scrap and definitely one I find to be more appealing than that featuring 4X the weight.

What advice would you give Andrei Arlovski on the heels of losing his third consecutive fight?

Tool: Honestly, I have no idea. He’s spent the last two years dedicating a bulk of his training to boxing, yet he was clearly being handled on the feet by Antonio Silva. I don’t know if that owes more to Arlovski’s decline or Silva’s improvement, but there’s little left of the mystique “The Pitbull” once had. He’s still got plenty of name value amongst casual fans so he’ll keep getting fights as long as he wants to but there’s no reason to believe that he’ll have a spot amongst the heavyweight elite any longer.

If I had to mark one area for improvement it might just be cardio. Late in the fight it looked as though Silva had all but punched himself out (at least, that’s the only reason I can think of as to why he insisted on continually clinching against the cage) and Arlovski could have turned things around if he would have had to the gas to really pour it on. He’s got to be feeling better about his chin after taking some of Silva’s best shots, and I still believe that his striking looked awesome against Fedor (right up until the flying knee of course), so I don’t think I’m ready to write Andrei off completely. The long layoff between his last two fights might have played a factor, so I think he should try and get back in the cage as soon as possible if he’s to have any hope of breaking this losing streak.

Conlan: If I was in Arlovski’s ear I would concentrate on the positives stemming from his loss to “Bigfoot” Silva, encourage him to continue training outside of his comfort zone, and get him in touch with Georges St. Pierre (or comparable high-level athlete) to discuss the benefit potentially derived from speaking to a sports psychologist.

As Tool mentioned, “The Pitbull” absorbed a few clean shots from Silva and never went limp in the process. Obviously Arlovski is interested in actual victories, not moral ones, but his retention of consciousness is an important fact to note when owing 3/4 of his career losses to having it taken from him while Silva has an equal ratio of career wins by TKO. The bout as a whole was relatively close and essentially up for grabs. A few tweaks in strategy and perhaps a bit more mental focus between bells would have likely resulted in a Belarusian victor rather than a Brazilian one.

Moving on, my understanding is that Arlovski spent some time training at American Kickboxing Academy and Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting rather than working with his regular group of pre-fight handlers. I think it was a wise decision on his part regardless of result, as I truly believe improvement goes hand-in-hand with the type of preparation Mixed Martial Artists receive in camps as deep and experienced as those mentioned (as well as 5-10 others). There’s no doubt in my mind Andrei would get an infinite amount more out of sparring and grappling with actual peers rather than peons, and the type of knowledge found in places featuring guys like Jackson or Dave Camarillo is an asset any fighter is lucky to have in their corner.

Finally, though I have no idea if he’s already sought counsel on the matter, I think it would behoove Arlovski to spend some time speaking with a sports psychologist. There is no underestimating the influence an athlete’s mental state has on his/her performance during “go” time. I would be shocked if the manners in which Emelianenko and Brett Rogers beat him don’t still play his mind at some level, and I suspect his hesitance to fully engage against a lessened Silva in the final round may have actually been evidence of doubt-laced caution rather than questionable conditioning. I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think his self-esteem may have taken another dip with a third consecutive loss nor is it crazy to think Arlovski may enter his next match-up with additional stress/anxiety due to the possibility of going 0-4. Talking to a professional equipped to handle people in similar situations could genuinely help the former UFC Heavyweight Champion regain his mojo and get back to baring his fangs in the cage.

Of the four Brazilian’s to emerge victorious at “Strikeforce – Heavy Artillery”, who were you most impressed by – Rafael Cavalcante, Roger Gracie, “Jacare” Souza, or Antonio Silva?

Tool: Each fighter’s win was impressive for one reason or another, but the fighter whose performance stood out the most to me would have to be “Jacare.” I’ve been watching Souza’s career with interest for a few years now and I’m pleased to see him starting to make waves here in the U.S. While the announcers on Saturday night might have wanted you to think that “Jacare” and Joey Villasenor were having a great back-and-forth battle, the reality is that Souza dominated the fight from bell to bell. His cardio may not have been where he wanted it to be in the third round, but that’s only the second time in his career he’s gone the distance (and he won both times). As Jason High pointed out on Twitter, Souza isn’t like most jiu-jitsu fighters when it comes to taking the fight to the ground. Whereas Demian Maia or Thales Leites might pull guard, Souza has a mean shot that worked almost every time on Saturday. Once he’s on the ground there are few fighters in the world that can match his grappling ability, and I’ll give credit to the toughness of Villasenor for surviving and getting out of some bad situations. I’m sure he would have preferred to get the finish but in the end “Jacare” gave a dominant performance that puts him right at the top of the list of contenders for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Now we just have to wait and see who he’s going to fight for that title (note to Scott Coker: please not “Mayhem” Miller).

Conlan: Credit to all of the names involved, and I can’t argue against Tool’s choice of “Jacare” (though I wouldn’t mind seeing he and Miller give it a third go-round with the Strikeforce title involved), but I was actually most-impressed by Rafael Cavalcante’s performance against Antwain Britt. “The Juggernaut” may not quite be at Villasenor’s level in terms of experience of success in the cage, but he also wasn’t coming off nearly a year’s layoff between bouts and has twice as many fights in the last two-and-half years as “Smokin” Joe does. Britt has heavy hands and put them on “Feijao” a few times to no avail only to end up slumped against the cage, then finished, due to some well-placed strikes from the blackbelt in BJJ. Cavalcante is now 9-for-9 in terms of finishing opponents he’s beaten in the first ten minutes of action and has yet to rely on his submission arsenal to pull out victories. The performance was too impressive as far as I’m concerned to opt for someone who fought to a decision.

Which would you rather see: Alistair Overeem fights Fedor Emelianenko before the year is up, or Overeem goes to the UFC and mixes it up with the new class of top heavyweights?

Conlan: Tough question! I’ll go with Overeem vs. Emelianenko by the width of a thread plucked from the Russian’s favorite sweater. I’m confident “The Demolition Man” will eventually end up in the UFC regardless of when the move actually takes place, while I think the number of Fedor’s future fights – especially against top competition – is a bit more debatable and its limited nature should be capitalized on. Also, assuming Emelianenko emerges victoriously from his San Jose showdown with Fabricio Werdum on June 26th, an added bonus to a bout with the imposing Dutch striker is it serving as a proper Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship match rather than inviting criticism of the title due to the involvement of lesser competition or enormous gaps in the strap being defended.

I’d love to see Overeem slugging it out in the UFC against Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, or Brock Lesnar as much as anyone else, but all involved parties are young enough to see those outcomes to fruition within the next couple of years. On the other hand, “The Last Emperor” has recently dealt with a slew of nagging injuries and has little left to prove in his career outside of the Octagon (a possibility seeming less-and-less likely with each passing day). Putting the two together before year’s end would give Emelianenko a chance to further solidify his legacy against a respected, and much larger, heavyweight while also allowing Alistair an opportunity to become the first fighter to legitimately beat Fedor and reap the benefits attached to such a feat.

Tool: At the moment I would also probably have to lean towards Emelianenko vs. Overeem myself, if for no other reason than because Overeem represents the lone interesting opponent for Fedor at the moment. If Fedor can’t fight Alistair then what is there left for him to do? Fight worthless cans in Japan on New Year’s Eve? Take on guys out of their weight class like Dan Henderson and “King Mo” Lawal? I know Fedor doesn’t really care about taking on the best fighters in the world, but it’s something his fans would like to see if they’re going to have any ammunition in the ongoing pound-for-pound debate.

Overeem will have to make his way to the UFC sooner or later if he wants to considered the best in the world, but he does have the luxury of time. The UFC’s heavyweight division has four guys at the top right now, and none of them have faced each other yet. There’s still some work to be done in establishing the pecking order amongst Lesnar, Carwin, Velasquez, and Dos Santos, and by the time things start to sort themselves out the timing should be right for Overeem to come in and establish his place. If he enters the UFC as the man who shattered Fedor’s mystique, then the interest level shoots right up for any potential dream bout he takes in the octagon.

Should the winner of tonight’s Tyron Woodley/Nathan Coy fight become the top contender to Nick Diaz’s Strikeforce Welterweight Championship?

Conlan: I can see Woodley receiving a title shot with a win, especially with Jay Hieron’s Strikeforce future currently in limbo, but in no way should Coy get a crack at Diaz’s belt regardless of how convincing his method of victory might be. The three-fight streak he’s riding was preceded by back-to-back losses and involves competition with a combined record equating to a single win over even. Tonight only marks his second appearance in Strikeforce with the initial bout coming more than two years ago. Beating a rising star like “T-Wood” would be impressive but isn’t enough to thrust him into championship contention.

However, if Woodley walks away winner he’ll move to 7-0 as a professional and 4-0 in Strikeforce. He’s finished five of his six opponents in the first round and the sixth only made it through about ¾ of the second stanza. Another early submission or TKO would further establish the 28-year old as one of the company’s legitimate rising stars, and with a roster of welterweights thinner than Cory Hill trying to cut to 135-pounds it would make sense to give the Mizzou alumnus a shot. Additionally, if Strikeforce wants to capitalize on the recent heat between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and champ Nick Diaz, they can always make a future catch-weight bout for the two rivals while pairing Woodley against either Marius Zaromskis or Evangelista Santos (depending on who walks away winner at June 16th’s Strikeforce event in Los Angeles) to keep him active and erase any leftover doubts about how deserved his contendership is.

Tool: Brendhan’s right on the money here, as Strikeforce has a very real prospect in Tyron Woodley. His run on Strikeforce Challengers has been impressive, but with a win tonight the time will be right for him to take on a bigger role within the company. The welterweight division in Strikeforce is so devoid of talent that Woodley makes as much sense as anyone else. He also represents a great stylistic match-up for Diaz, as his wrestling pedigree could likely allow him to dictate where the bout takes place, and his heavy hands would be a good test for Diaz’s legendary chin and peppering punches. Other than the aforementioned Hieron, I can’t think of anyone else that Strikeforce could get to represent a credible threat to Diaz’s title.

TRUE/FALSE – His headlining spot on tonight’s Strikeforce Challengers card represents Matt Lindland’s last chance at relevancy in the current MMA scene.

Conlan: False, though certainly a loss to any associate of reality television whore Spencer Pratt would destroy the bulk of his remaining credibility as a contender. Lindland may be 3-4 over his last seven bouts but keep in mind the people he’s lost to over that period – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (a split decision by the way), Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and Fedor Emelianenko. It’s not as if low-level fighters are mopping the mat with the Team Quest founding-father. Yes, he’s 40 and on the downside of his career, but he’s not on the border of crossing over into “Ken Shamrock” territory. It would take a string of consecutive losses to fighters of Casey’s caliber before I’d comfortably state Lindland had lost all relevance in the sport.

Tool: I’ll go with true, as I can’t see Lindland doing anything of note in the near future should he fall to Kevin Casey. Personally I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror anymore if I lost to a guy that uses Spencer Pratt for credibility, but that’s me. Brendhan has a good point about the quality of opposition Lindland has lost to, but it’s also fair to point out that his last win was two years ago against the less-than-impressive Fabio Nascimento. “The Law” has gone 1-3 since then, and the only real interest he’s garnered from the MMA media is centered around his attempt at a political career and the upcoming documentary about his life. He doesn’t have the fan support of somebody like Jens Pulver, so will anybody still want to see Lindland fight if he can’t get a win or two along the way?

Reila Gracie’s book, Carlos Gracie, the Creator of a Dynasty.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu fans all over the world like to do one thing when they are not on the mats training jiu-jitsu: they like to talk about and learn more about BJJ. In 2008, jiu-jitsu practitioners received a just what they need to feed that hunger, in the form of Reila Gracie’s book Carlos Gracie, the Creator of a Dynasty. Two years later we bring you this interview with Reila Gracie, with new information about the book’s availability to those outside Brazil.

The FightWorks Podcast: You wrote a book about your father’s life. Tell us about the book.

Reila Gracie: The story is too long and complex to be summed up in a few words. But I can put forth that I did not make a book just for jiu-jitsu practitioners, although this group may identify most with the story. The book could be of interest to any person for the unusual stories and for tackling subjects that go beyond the martial art. There’s an interlacing of various lives that came together in the life of my father, be it from jiu-jitsu or the mystical influence he exerted inside and outside our family. And the book also discusses the diet that he created based on the chemical combination of foods and their use, complemented by medicinal herbs, and the treatment of many illnesses.


The FightWorks Podcast: The Gracie family is not only is the family internationally known for spreading jiu-jitsu around the world, but it is a particularly large family. What was that like for you personally as you were growing up?

Reila Gracie: Growing up among many brothers was not easy at all, mostly because the family’s professional project was directed exclusively for men. On top of being immense, my family also possessed particular characteristics and was structured like a clan. But, despite the difficulties, I feel privileged for having been able to coexist so closely with such people and having a rich diversity of experiences and feelings. Thanks to the support I always received from my father I learned to observe events from a certain distance and this made it possible for me to find my own path and later write this book.

The FightWorks Podcast: Was the book popular in Brazil? Did it sell many copies?



Reila Gracie: The book was very well received in Brazil. The first edition sold out in two months and and the second edition is coming to an end. As it’s a book of historical reference, and deals with basic human questions, I consider it timeless and as such will always attract an interested public.


The FightWorks Podcast: Carlos Gracie, the Creator of a Dynasty was already written for several years before it was published. What caused the delay?
 
Reila Gracie: There was no delay in getting it published, as the publisher was ready to go. It was I who took ten years to write it, because researching the life of one’s own father and of the whole family was not an easy task. To reach the necessary distance and avoid that my own emotions contaminate the book with my view and understanding of the facts, there were times I needed to stop working and that’s why it took so long.

The FightWorks Podcast: The book was critical of some members of the Gracie family. What type of feedback have you received about the book from family members?

 
Reila Gracie: The majority praised the book a lot and some did not want to give an opinion. But I know that even those who have benefited from the false of our history that has been spread in the last twenty years, enjoyed the book because I was very careful in telling the facts without resorting to sensationalism. I wrote a serious book, that places Carlos Gracie in the place that he earned, and no one can deny the facts when they are shown with documented proof. And all those who participated in my father’s life, including himself, are exposed as human beings who sometimes make mistakes and sometimes get things right, not like gods or supermen. “I understand that each person has their own time; it’s necessary to respect the moment of each.” I ended the book with that sentence.

Roger Gracie victorious again in jiu-jitsu competition.

The FightWorks Podcast: Your son Roger Gracie is the most dominant Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor today. When he was growing up, was there any sign he was going to be special? What is it like being the mother of a jiu-jitsu athlete in the Gracie family?


Reila Gracie: Roger always demonstrated a physical ability, but because I found him especially sensitive and devoid of aggression, I feared that the fight world would turn him into a brute. With the death of my brother Rolls, I became cynical about the future of jiu-jitsu and stopped going to tournaments. I felt that I should offer Roger more options so he would have the liberty to chose, and find his own options. I took him to swimming, soccer, visual arts courses, music, and also jiu-jitsu. At 13 he decided to participate in some jiu-jitsu tournaments and he didn’t perform well, lowering the expectations of him. There were others in that generation who showed more ability and possibilities. At 15 years old Roger got tired of losing, lost weight, and began to take training seriously. From 16 years old onward he began to win all the tournaments until he reached becoming the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner in the world.

The FightWorks Podcast: What is it like being the mother of an athlete in the Gracie family?

Reila Gracie: Being Roger’s mother always filled me with pride, and the fact that he allowed me to actively participate in the contruction of his career broke a taboo in the family: that a female Gracie does not have an opinion about fighting and does not participate actively in decisions related to jiu-jitsu. As his professional career took root at the same time as I was writing the book, I was able to feel like my father was sending him important philosophical lessons.

The FightWorks Podcast: Brazilian jiu-jitsu has spread outside Brazil to the rest of the world. What are your thoughts on the direction Brazilian jiu-jitsu has taken? And how do you think your father would view jiu-jitsu as it exists today?


Reila Gracie: I particularly feel like there should be greater investment by the academies in transmitting the philosophical aspects that my father instilled in this martial art. Because for him jiu-jitsu was more than a way to help a student overcome physical and psychological difficulties and to be able to integrate with the world in a way that is more safe and confident. A way of preserving health in all aspects and becoming a better and wiser human being.

The FightWorks Podcast: How do you think your father would view jiu-jitsu as it exists today?

Reila Gracie: My father was an optimist and he was always looked to focus on the positive aspects of life and of people, so, I’m sure that he would adore the amazing diffusion that jiu-jitsu has reached all over the world.

The FightWorks Podcast: Many people outside Brazil are interested in reading the book in English. Are there any plans to translate the book to English, and if so, when will it be available?

Reila Gracie: The book is being translated into English already and I believe that in September the translation work will be done. It will probably be available to Americans in this coming year, that is to say, in 2011.

The FightWorks Podcast: If your book has one message, what is it?

Reila Gracie: The reader will find various positive messages in the book, because above all it’s a book about life lessons. The trajectory of a man with few possibilities, who searched for direction in his life and when he found it, positioned himself ahead of his own destiny and made history. A collective story that transcends the Gracie clan and conquered the world, and that today belongs to everyone who wears a gi and practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu with honor.

Many thanks to Reila for the interview. For more background on the book, check out this FightWorks Podcast video!

Click here to view the embedded video.

HT: MMAFighting.com

As always, The MMA News does it’s best to bring you some of the best News, Notes, & Quotes from the post-fight action from Saturday nights “Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” event.

-Saturday’s event drew a total of 8,136 spectators to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. A slightly smaller number than the 8,867 from the past June 2009 show, “Lawler vs. Shields” event, held at the same venue.

-The most popular fighter on the card did not make the broadcast. Jesse Finney, who owns a gym based in St. Louis, had the biggest fan support during the show. CEO Scott Coker reported that up to 20% of the tickets sold were to Finney’s friends and family and called the fighter the “Cung Le” of St. Louis. There was so much support for Finney by the city, that he got to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Thursday’s St. Louis Cardinals game.

“Jesse, we call him the Cung Le of St. Louis,” he said. “This is his home base, and he has a really successful school here. He has his own promotions. And really, he could step back and say, ‘Hey, I really don’t want to help you guys.’ But we had a conversation about a year ago, and he welcomed us with open arms, and we’ve become very good friends, and I’m very thankful for his efforts.”

“Of course people are going to speculate, but it was a matter of time before I fought here, and I would just do the drug testing like everyone else. When I pass that, all the critics will be silenced.”


“I know there are some individuals who are responsible for these allegations, and all these individuals are in some way associated with an opponent I beat or personally dislike me for some reason,” Overeem said. “Then you’ve got the rumors spreading. But like I said, it’s people that don’t like me for some reason – of course they’re going to be against me.


“It’s just a matter of time. I’m going to defend my title, and I’m going to do the drug testing like everybody else. Once that’s clear, we’re done with that.”

-Women’s middleweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (9-1) will defend her title against Jan Finney (8-7), who makes her promotional debut, on June 26 at the “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” event. Finney was given the opportunity after rattling off four straight victories.

- Female fighter Erin Toughill will return later this summer to Strikeforce, and if she’s victorious, will fight for the title later in the year according to Coker.

-After Saturday night, Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Roger Gracie improved his record to 3-0 (over a span of almost four years) and will now focus more on mma, vows to return soon.

“I’ve been very active for many years fighting in jiu jitsu and grappling, and now I’m more into MMA.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be fighting (again) soon. I don’t really know exactly when but hopefully the second part of the year. I’ll be fighting more often now.”

-Middleweight contender Tim Kennedy (11-2) will make his return to the Strikeforce cage at the June 16 “Strikeforce: Los Angeles” show. He hasn’t fought since the summer of 2009 but could be marketed as a top-contender because of his record (11 wins of his past 12, with 10 stoppages).

Click here to view the embedded video.

HT: MMAFighting.com

Roger Gracie talks about his strategy for facing Kevin Randleman during the Showtime broadcast. He is still looking to improve and plans on returning to the Strikeforce cage sometime soon.

Click here to view the embedded video.

HT: Sho.com

More with Roger after the jump

Click here to view the embedded video.

HT: Strikeforce.com

ST. LOUIS - Following his professional mixed-martial-arts debut in 2006, Roger Gracie hasn't exactly kept a frantic fight schedule.

In more than three years, he's fought just three times, and a full two years lapsed between his two most recent fights.

However, following an impressive victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman at Saturday's "Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery" event in St. Louis, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion has vowed to make MMA a top priority.

At last, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion has returned to his rightful place at the throne following an absence that totalled more than two years this evening during “Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem needed all of 3:40 to demolish Brett “Grim “Rogers with a savage series of strikes in the pair’s championship clash that aired live on Showtime.

Overeem may have weighed more than ten pounds less than Rogers when the two hit the scales yesterday evening during the official weigh-ins but it was Alistair who made it quite apparent that he had a decisive strength advantage in the bout between fellow big men, throwing the larger Rogers to the canvas like a rag doll early in the first. It was all downhill for Rogers from there as the hulking Overeem kept Rogers pinned securely to the canvas and administered a ground and pound beating that caused the bout to be mercifully and appropriately waved off in the opening round.

Andrei Arlovski returned to action following more than a year layoff only to suffer the third consecutive defeat in his career, this time at the hands of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Alrlovski answered many questions critics had regarding the former UFC heavyweight champion’s chin following back-to-back knockout losses by a variety of solid strikes to the chin from Silva. Unfortunately for Arlovski. Silva did just enough utilizing his striking arsenal in a closely contested bout to come away with a narrow unanimous decision vistory.

Also looking impressive on the card was Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who utilized a much improved striking game with a suprising wrestling arsenal to impose his will on Joey Villasenor for the bulk of the three rounds between the middleweights en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Roger Gracie looked sharp in St. Louis as well, submitting former UFC champion Kevin Randleman with a rear naked choke in the very first round, and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante added another stoppage to his steadily improving resume with a first round knockout of Antwain Britt.

A full set of live results from Strikeforce “St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” are below:

Matt Ricehouse def. Greg Wilson via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3

Tom Aaron def. Erik Steenberg via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

Fransisco France def. Lee Brousseau via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1

Mike Chandler def. Sal Woods via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1

Darryl Cobb def. Booker DeRousse via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Lyle Beerbohm def. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Jesse Finney def. Justin DeMoney via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcvante def. Antwain Britt via TKO – Round 1

Roger Gracie def. Kevin Randleman via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2

Ronaldo Souza def. Joey Villasenor via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Antonio Silva def. Andrei Arlovski via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Alistair Overeem def. Brett Rogers via TKO – Round 1

(props to Snakefinger and Cagepotato.com for the poster)

Tonight’s Strikeforce event, “Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” have already kicked off in Missouri beginning with the un-aired preliminary card.

The event takes place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis with the main card airing live on Showtime.

The preliminary card began at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) and the main card is set to kick off at 10:00 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT).

The show features several heavyweight bouts including a Strikeforce title bout between heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers. The co-main event has former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski taking on former EliteXC heavyweight champ Antonio Silva.

As always, The MMA News keeps the Live Quick Results off the main page. To view the match-ups and full list of results for the Strikeforce event click

Main Card

– Alistair Overeem def. Brett Rogers via TKO (punches) – R1, 3:40 (defends heavyweight title)
– Antonio Silva def. Andrei Arlovski (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
– Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Joey Villasenor via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
– Roger Gracie def. Kevin Randleman via submission (rear-naked-choke) – R2, 4:10
– Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. Antwain Britt via KO (strikes) – R1, 3:45

Preliminary Card (un-aired)

– Jesse Finney def. Justin DeMoney via submission (guillotine choke) – R1, 3:22
– Lyle Beerbohm def. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
– Darryl Cobb def. Booker DeRousse via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mike Chandler def. Sal Woods via submission (rear-naked choke) – R1, 0:59
– Fransisco “Kiko” France def. Lee Brousseau via submission (rear-naked choke) – R1, 1:27
– Tom Aaron def. Erik Steenberg via submission (guillotine choke) – R1, 0:56
– Matt Ricehouse def. Greg Wilson via submission (rear-naked choke) – R3, 0:45

Pre-fight interviews with Brett Rogers, Roger Gracie, Antwain Britt and Alistair Overeem’s head coach.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Brett Rogers not falling for any of Alistair Overeem’s “tricks.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Roger Gracie predicts opponent Kevin Randleman will not want to take the fight on the ground.

More interviews after the jump

Click here to view the embedded video.

Antwain Britt say’s a victory over would put him in the #1 contender status.

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Alistair Overeem’s Head Coach, Martijn de Jong on Alistair’s title defense against Brett Rogers.

HT: Strikeforce.com

FiveOuncesofPain.com will be here all evening to keep you up to date with all of the latest live results from “Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” along with our usual offering of post-fight analysis.

“Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” takes place this evening from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, with the preliminary bouts beginning at approximately 7:30 pm ET (4:30 pm PT) and the main card action kicking off at 10 pm ET (7 pm PT).

The main event will see Alistair Overeem attempt to defend his Strikeforce heavyweight throne for the first time in over two years in a battle with Brett Rogers, while Andrei Arlovski and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will be looking to knock one another senseless in the co-main event of the evening.

A full set of live results from Strikeforce “St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” are below:

Matt Ricehouse def. Greg Wilson via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3

Tom Aaron def. Erik Steenberg via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

Fransisco France def. Lee Brousseau via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1

Mike Chandler def. Sal Woods via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1

Darryl Cobb def. Booker DeRousse via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Lyle Beerbohm def. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Jesse Finney def. Justin DeMoney via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcvante def. Antwain Britt via TKO – Round 1

Roger Gracie def. Kevin Randleman via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2

Ronaldo Souza def. Joey Villasenor via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Antonio Silva def. Andrei Arlovski via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Alistair Overeem def. Brett Rogers via TKO – Round 1

“Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” is all set to take place this evening from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

The main event will see Alistair Overeem attempt to defend his Strikeforce cheavyweight championship for the first time in over two years against Brett “Grim” Rogers, while Andrei Arlovski makes his return to the cage against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the co-main.

A full set of weigh-in results for the event are below:

Alistair Overeem (253) vs. Brett Rogers (264)

Andrei Arlovski (242) vs. Antonio Silva (265.5)

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (186.5) vs. Joey Villasenor (186)

Roger Gracie (205.75) vs. Kevin Randleman (205)

Antwain Britt (204.5) vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (206)

Justin DeMoney (169) vs. Jesse Finney (172)

Lyle Beerbohm (156) vs. Vitor Ribeiro (156)

Darryl Cobb (184) vs. Booker DeRousse (187)

Mike Chandler (170) vs. Sal Woods (170)

Lee Brousseau (204) vs. Fransisco France (206)

Tom Aaron (157.5) vs. Erik Steenberg (155)

Matt Ricehouse (156) vs. Greg Wilson (155)