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Fedor Emelianenko crushes Brett Rogers before CBS prime time audience
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Fedor Emelianenko (right) batters Brett Rogers. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
For the past six years, the most devoted mixed martial arts fans in the world have recognized Fedor Emelianenko as the greatest fighter in the sport, while casual fans, unaware that MMA even exists outside of the UFC, didn't even know who he was.
Now they all know.
In a fight that was crucial to the future of Strikeforce, Emelianenko defended his WAMMA world heavyweight title and thrilled the Sears Centre crowd with a dominating performance that culminated in a TKO victory at 1:48 of the 2nd round.
There will no doubt be plenty of talk from Emelianenko's detractors about how he was "exposed" or "beaten up" by the larger fighter, but despite a bloodied (and possibly broken) nose, Emelianenko was never in any serious trouble. Rogers did manage to throw about a dozen short punches from the top while Emelianenko was on his back in the first round after a failed kimura attempt, but he quickly aborted after Emelianenko attempted an armbar. The jab that hurt Emelianenko's nose in the opening thirty seconds of the fight was the only significant strike that Rogers would land.
Still, Rogers didn't seem to think that technique or skill were the reasons why he lost. “What threw me off was how loose he was,” said Rogers after the fight. “He was playing the mind game right."
Except it wasn't a game at all. As Emelianenko explained in our recent interview, he was just being himself. No matter where the fight went, Emelianenko maintained then same serene expression that he had during the pre-fight introductions. Even the cage, which many thought could be a factor in the fight since all of Emelianenko's previous matches took place in a ring, was no problem for the Russian champion. It was Rogers who was actually warned by referee John McCarthy for grabbing the fence in the first round.
In a moment so incomprehensible that it bordered on surreal, CBS announcer Gus Johnson, who still sounds as clueless about MMA as he did when he covered his first event, asked Emelianenko if he thought a rematch with Rogers was in order. Emelianenko, ever the sportsman, graciously said that he was willing to fight Rogers again, which Rogers seemed to take too seriously during his post-fight tirade.
Although Rogers did better than anyone could have reasonably expected him to against the best fighter in the world, clearly there are bigger and better fights ahead for Emelianenko, such as a Strikeforce heavyweight title match with absentee champion Alistair Overeem, a WAMMA heavyweight title defense against Fabricio Werdum or even a long awaited fight with Josh Barnett. Although ratings for the event will not be available until sometime during the middle of next week, Emelianenko clearly delivered the kind of performance that Strikeforce and CBS had hoped for in his network television debut.
In the co-main event of the evening, Jake Shields won a unanimous decision over Jason "Mayhem" Miller. With both fighters possessing some of the strongest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills in MMA, wrestling turned out to the difference in the fight. Shields, a former collegiate All American in wrestling, was able to control Miller on the ground. The crowd grew listless as the fight turned into a grappling contest with Shields consistently getting into dominant positions, but not transitioning into submission attempts. A very tight rear naked choke by Miller with only 10 seconds left in the 3rd round brought the audience to life, but Shields was saved by the bell and neither fighter would come close again to finishing the fight.
Shields will be a difficult sell as champion. He had vowed not to play it safe again after recognizing that for years his style had relegated him to the minor leagues of MMA despite a solid record, but, once again, against a fighter of equal skill, Shields reverted back to his old habits. Miller, a star thanks to his role as host of the popular MTV reality show Bully Beatdown, has the charisma and camera savvy that Shields lacks. Strikeforce may be tempted to rush the newly signed Muhammed Lawal into a title fight, but with Lawal still relatively new to the sport, it's unlikely that he could be ready anytime soon to challenge Shields. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, another recent Strikeforce signee, could also be next in line for a title shot.
Emelianenko protégé Gegard Mousasi continues to look as unstoppable as his mentor. Tonight he defeated Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via 2nd round TKO in a fight that was much more competitive than expected. Sokoudjo, who was briefly ranked one of the top light heavyweights in the world, has been struggling to win consistently for the past two years. Mousasi, on the other hand, has looked like a younger version of Emelianenko, collecting world titles in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions and finishing fighters like Mark Hunt, Melvin Manhoef and Renato Sobral in the process. Although the current Strikeforce light heavyweight roster seems to pose little threat to Mousasi, a credible contender could be on the way if, as rumored, Strikeforce signs UFC star Dan Henderson to a contract.
Fabricio Werdum earned a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Silva, for which he may be rewarded (or punished) with a shot at Emelianenko. After surviving some huge shots from Silva in the first round, Werdum used his ground skills to narrowly take the second and third. Strikeforce president Scott Coker would not name the next opponent for Emelianenko yet, stating that he had to meet first with M-1 Global officials to make that decision, but he did concede that the fight "makes a lot of sense."
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