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FEBRUARY 12, 2011
LIVE FROM EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY
-They run an opening video with a Gus Johnson voice over introducing the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix.
-The broadcast opens with Jimmy Lennon, Jr. introducing all eight tournament competitors. They've got an old school style stage tonight with a big platform and the video screen up top. This would have been better with Lenne Hardt, but it's still a cool setup to introduce all eight guys. Fedor gets a massive reaction from the crowd.
-Gus Johnson then opens up the show, and he doesn't have the best look tonight. Looks like he's wearing lipstick. Mauro Ranallo joins him, and runs down the fights for tonight. Frank "Braces" Shamrock is the third man in the booth as always.
FIGHT ONE: RAY SEFO VS. VALENTIJN OVEREEM (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Overeem landed an early low kick and Sefo gave him one in return. Overeem lunged with a left and got tagged with a counter right. Sefo pressed Overeem back with a straight right. Overeem bounced off the cage and got loose. Overeem tried a superman punch and ate a counter again. Overeem tried a straight kick. They name drop Anderson Silva after the kick to the face. Overeem shot in after eating a right and took Sefo down against the cage. He grabbed a neck crank and Sefo was forced to tap. That looked painful.
WINNER: Overeem via submission (neck crank) at 1:37 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**-) Nice submission from Overeem that's not seen all that often, though it came because of Sefo's complete lack of ground game. Overeem was eating some big counter punches on the feet, and he was smart to bring it to the ground, but there wasn't much to this one. It's a little surprising a fight like that gets sanctioned with the experience difference in the sport, but that was a good win for Overeem.
-Fedor is interviewed backstage about tonight's fight and the tournament.
FIGHT TWO: GIAN VILLANTE VS. CHAD GRIGGS (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Griggs threw a lopping overhand right early and they clinched. Villante landed a knee and they traded wild punches. Villante landed a kick. They started trading punches and Griggs started throwing bombs. He's throwing wildly and Villante is getting hurt here. He finally recovers and pins Griggs on the cage. Griggs got loose and hurt Villante with some big shots again. Griggs is landing some bombs, but he's throwing so wildly he's not getting on target. Villante is taking a lot of these shots. Villante landed a head kick that rocked Griggs. Griggs landed another punch. They delayed for a sec to put Villante's mouthpiece back in. Griggs dropped Villante with a huge punch but Villante popped right back up. Griggs threw some more bombs and dropped Villante with another huge right. He followed up with some vicious shots on the ground and Griggs takes the TKO win.
WINNER: Griggs via TKO at 2:49 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**) Ugly as hell, but kind of fun. Griggs was throwing with reckless abandon, and while Villante was game, he had no answer for the power of the wild shots.
-Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum are interviewed cageside. He said April is time for his revenge. Werdum said he thinks Bigfoot will win tonight, but he would like a rematch with Fedor. Overeem gave Fedor a 60/40 edge tonight. Barnett and Rogers are then interviewed. Barnett said Rogers doesn't give a s*** about any of his accomplishments and he knows he's coming out to take his head off. Rogers said he's got the hunger and desire to prove to the world he can hang with the best. Barnett doesn't see the Arlovski-Kharitonov match leaving the first round. He said they're going to "shower the ring with blood" tonight.
FIGHT THREE: LAVAR JOHNSON VS. SHANE DEL ROSARIO (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Johnson threw a couple of hard rights early and got Del Rosario to clinch. They jockeyed for position on the cage. Johnson took Del Rosario down and got into his guard. He tried to posture up to land some strikes and Del Rosario tried to stay active on the bottom. He scrambled and got to his feet. Johnson landed a leg kick. Del Rosario threw one high and barely missed. Johnson shot and grabbed a clinch. He landed a knee and separated. He landed a body punch. Del Rosario landed a hard body kick and pressed Johnson back to the cage. He landed a knee to the body in the clinch. Del Rosario got in a knee to the head and separated. Johnson threw some hard punches but they got blocked. Del Rosario threw a head kick and a nice follow up right. Del Rosario then got a takedown into side control and immediately moved to mount. He postured up and landed some strikes before Johnson grabbed a hold of him. He postured up again and landed a few more punches as Del Rosario moved up his chest. Del Rosario trapped an arm but went back to full mount. Del Rosario postured up again and then went for the armbar. He almost lost it as Johnson stood up, but he locked it on and forced the tap as Johnson fell to the ground. Good submission, but you could see that coming a mile away. Johnson's ground game was just not anywhere near Del Rosario's level.
WINNER: Del Rosario via submission (armbar) at 4:31 of the first round
POST FIGHT: Del Rosario said it was an honor to fight on the same night as these guys and he'll be ready to fight if they give him an opportunity as the alternate.
WINNER: (**+) Good fight. Johnson was in trouble as soon as he got taken down, but he landed some decent punches on the feet before getting taken down. Del Rosario was just much better on the ground coming in, and he showed why there.
-The announce crew talks about the Grand Prix and they break down tonight's fights with EA Sports MMA footage.
FIGHT FOUR: ANDREI ARLOVSKI VS. SERGEI KHARITONOV (HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX QUARTERFINAL)
ROUND ONE: Kharitonov comes out swinging but misses. Arlovski landed a leg kick and a nice right. He landed another leg kick. He threw a high kick that was blocked but followed up with a nice combination. Arlovski clinched Kharitonov and landed some short uppercuts. He separated with a nice right. Kharitonov is keeping Arlovski's back to the cage, but Arlovski is landing punches and kicks. Arlovski landed a nice right after a brief clinch. Arlovski landed a nice jab. ANother nice jab and a right in combination. He grabs a collar tie-up and they both land with some dirty boxing. Arlovski missed a right and Kharitonov rocked him with a counter punch. He landed some more big strikes against the cage. He's hurting Arlovski bad here. He dropped him with a big right hook and landed a couple of punches on the ground and Arlovski is out cold. That's another vicious KO loss for Arlovski, and he might be done for good with his fourth straight loss. But unlike Mauro Ranallo said, this was not his fourth straight loss by some form of TKO, as he lost a decision against Bigfoot last summer.
WINNER: Kharitonov via KO at 2:49 of the first round
POST FIGHT: Kharitonov thanked the Russian fans in the crowd and got a round of boos from the Americans in the crowd for saying the Russian fans are the best in the world. He added that he wanted to be friends with Arlovski after that fight because he respects him. He said he couldn't care less what the experts think, he's going to win this tournament.
STAR RATING: (**+) That was vicious and hard to watch. Arlovski might need to hang up the gloves after that. His chin is gone, and as soon as he got tagged he backed up to the fence and let himself get caught even more. Big win for Kharitonov and a statement win, but that was kind of sad to see.
-A video package announces the return of Gina Carano to the cage. The short package just said she would be returning in 2011, and then she was interviewed cageside. She talked about the movie she filmed with Steven Soderbergh. She said she needs to settle the score for herself and needs to make it up to herself.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FIVE: FEDOR EMELIANENKO VS. ANTONIO "BIGFOOT" SILVA (HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX QUARTERFINAL)
ROUND ONE: Bigfoot threw a jab early but it didn't land. He landed an inside leg kick. Fedor threw the big overhand right but it missed it's mark. He threw a couple more punches but didn't land. Fedor came in swinging and Bigfoot landed a nice counter-right. Fedor calmly tried to stalk Bigfoot down. Fedor threw the right, missed and Bigfoot clinched him. Fedor landed a knee to the body. Silva landed some knees to the thigh of Fedor and they were separated quickly. Fedor landed an overhand right and an uppercut. They traded punches. Fedor landed a right and Silva landed a hard right. Silva's taking his strikes well so far. Bigfoot threw a straight kick and then drove in for the clinch. He got an underhook and landed some short punches to the face as he pressed Fedor on the cage. Fedor looked to lock up a guillotine as Bigfoot left his head open. Bigfoot picked Fedor up but fell to his back. Fedor got down into his half guard. Silva tried to grab a leg but Fedor stood up. He tried to drop down again and got into Silva's half guard yet again. He landed some lefts to the face and looked for a kimura. Bigfoot got out and got to his feet. He landed a big right and clinched Fedor against the cage. Nice punch. He backed off and landed a hard right and they traded punches. Silva then took Fedor down. He landed a couple of strikes as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Bigfoot. Very close round, but Bigfoot was landing some nice counter-punches, didn't take much damage on the ground and landed some hard punches himself. Good round.
ROUND TWO: Bigfoot immediately ducked under a punch and took Fedor down. He got into half guard and looked to pass. Fedor landed some short punches on the ground. Bigfoot tried to posture up and landed some hard punches. A big Fedor chant started. Bigfoot passed to side control. He moved to the north-south and then side control on the other side. Bigfoot got to the mount and postured up. Ha landed some big shots and Fedor gave up his back. Fedor rolled back over and Bigfoot postured up and landed a few more strikes. Fedor gave up his back again and Bigfoot went for the choke. Fedor rolled back over and Bigfoot unleashed some more punishment. He turned again and turned back and Bigfoot started unleashing ground and pound. Fedor's taking tons of punishment. Bigfoot went for the arm triangle choke and looked to move to side control Fedor's in big trouble here. Fedor got out of the choke and Fedor got half guard back. Wow. Bigfoot landed some more strikes in half guard. He landed a few more punches in the half guard. Bigfoot went for a kneebar. Fedor went for an ankle lock of his own. Silva shook his finger at Fedor as the clock ran down. Insane round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Bigfoot. That was absolute domination, and I don't know how the hell Fedor survived that. Unbelievable round by Bigfoot.
-They appear to have stopped the fight. Fedor's eye is closed and Dan Miragliotta has waved off the fight! Wow! Fedor's eye is a freaking mess. Everyone finally comes to the realization that this fight is over.
WINNER: Silva via TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 5:00 of the second round
POST FIGHT: Silva went up and bowed to Fedor and gave him a ton of respect. Huge, huge, huge win for Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. The crowd booed as the decision was announced. That man does not deserve boos. Bigfoot thanked his fans, Showtime, Strikeforce, and gave Fedor more respect.
STAR RATING: (****+) That was an absolutely incredible fight. Bigfoot fought an excellent fight, and the drama in that second round as Fedor somehow survived that vicious beating, and then when he got out of the arm triangle choke submission, made for one of the great rounds in the sport. Bigfoot showed he could take Fedor's power in the first, shook off the nerves and then fought his fight. That was an amazing performance, an amazing upset, an amazing fight, and Bigfoot picked up by far the biggest win of his MMA career.
-Fedor thanked the fans for their love and support. He said something went wrong from the beginning and he didn't re-adjust himself. He said maybe it's time to leave and the crowd booed. He was asked if this was the last time we'll see him in the cage. He said maybe it's the last time in the cage, maybe it's high time. He said he's had a beautiful sporting life, and said "maybe it's God's will." He thanked the fans for their love, their reception and their support.
-That's another event in the books for Strikeforce, and a big kick off to the Heavyweight World Grand Prix. Fedor, who along with Alistair Overeem was one of two favorites in the tournament, has fallen in the first round and may be done in MMA, and Bigfoot made himself a definite factor in this tournament. Things are certainly going to get interesting from here on out.
Grant Campbell Gesias JZ Calvancante Luiz Cane Dos Caras Jr Phil Cardella
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