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According to Strikeforce Press Release, Fedor Emelianenko will face off against Fabricio Werdum on June 26 in San Jose, CA and will be broadcast on Showtime.

After months of anticipation, the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1), will make his eagerly awaited return to the cage to face two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, June 26,  live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

For M-1 GLOBAL’s Fedor, it is a means of gaining revenge three and a half years after the 32-year-old Werdum defeated Fedor’s brother Aleksander Emelianenko, via submission (arm triangle choke) in the first round (3:24) of a bout in Rotterdam, Holland, on Nov. 12, 2006.The M-1 GLOBAL superstar is simply referred to as “Fedor” by millions of fans around the world.  He stands at 6-foot, 235-pounds and hails from Stary Oskol, Russia.  He has become the most dominant MMA fighter of all-time since he began his professional career 10 years ago.

Fedor is one of the founders of M-1 GLOBAL and has competed for the organization since its inception more than two years ago.  The 33-year-old has faced and defeated nearly every other rival superstar and champion of this era, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

A master of the Russian military combat system, Sambo, Fedor made his live, primetime network television (CBS) debut in his last start on Nov. 7, 2009, when he faced unbeaten rising star Brett “The Grim” Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promoted event. After a difficult first round in which he sustained a cut and began bleeding profusely, the Russian suddenly turned the tide in the second round, sending Rogers to the canvas with a right hand and finishing him with a series of punches.

While the fight world still regards him as undefeated, Fedor actually has one official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.  Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.

Since joining the ranks of STRIKEFORCE, the 6-foot-4, 240 pound Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and member of Brazil’s vaunted Chute Boxe fight squad, has notched a pair of impressive victories, the first of which came on Aug. 15, 2009 when he quickly submitted Mike “Mak” Kyle with a guillotine choke in the first round (1:24) at HP Pavilion. The following Nov., 7, Werdum battled his way to a close unanimous decision victory over Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in a live CBS primetime televised matchup.

During an eight-year tenure in MMA, Werdum has conquered a number of other superstars, including reigning STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem; and UFC stars Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

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“When people wonder why the heavyweights capture the imagination of all fight fans, it’s because of guys like Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin,” UFC president Dana White stated in today’s release. “Not only are they great athletes and former national wrestling champions, but they both have the ability to end a fight with one punch. This is one of those fights that you won’t be able to turn away from because it can be over in a split-second, and when it’s over, only one will walk away as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion of the world.”

Please see below for the full card as it stands today.

MAIN CARD

• Champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin (heavyweight title-unification bout)
• Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva*
• Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulos*
• Nate Marquardt vs. TBA*
• Cheick Kongo vs. Roy Nelson*

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer*
• Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski*
• Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle*
• Jon Madsen vs. Karlos Vemola*
• Julio Paulino vs. Daniel Roberts*
• Kendall Grove vs. TBA*
• Goran Reljic vs. TBA*

* - Not officially announced

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WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will be facing former Champ Urijah Faber in the main event of the evening.  Although this card is very stacked, this is the fight that the MMA World has been waiting for.  Dana White has publicly said that this is going to be the best featherweight fight in history… and I have to agree.

Brazilian Jose Aldo is in my opinion, the best featherweight in the world.  He has absolutely destroyed the WEC 145 lb. division, winning all 6 of his fights by TKO.  Aldo’s stand up is overwhelming, as he has technique, accuracy, speed, and power.  His 8 second knock out of Cub Swanson is definitely proof that Jose’s striking is without a doubt a notch above his peers.  Outside of his striking prowess and freakish speed and athleticism, Jose Aldo is a dangerous threat on the ground.  A BJJ, black belt, Aldo has the ability to submit you, or control you and pound you out.  In his fight with Mike Brown, Jose gave us a small glimpse of how easily he can control and dominate even the toughest of opponents.  The scary thing is that even though his BJJ is at such a high level, he is determined to always make a K.O. highlight reel.

Aside from the fact that my girlfriend thinks that Urijah Faber is the hottest man on the planet…I like the guy.  How could you not?  “The California Kid” brings skill, toughness, athleticism, and tremendous heart every time he steps in the cage (…lets not forget his dreamy smile).  An incredible wrestler, with ever improving striking, Faber is a force to be reckoned with.  Faber will stand and trade, using his speed and good footwork to attack from angles, that even other high level professionals can not achieve.  That coupled with lighting quick take downs, and vicious g&p, makes Urijah very hard to deal with.  Moreover, I would have to say that his best attribute is his ability to push the pace of a fight at a very fast rate,…and not gas out.  No matter how much conditioning you do, this not something that can be taught.  It is innate, and it is this ability that has helped set Urijah apart from his counterparts.  A veteran of the sport, Urijah has been in too many wars to mention, but I have to touch on his re-match with Mike Brown.  This fight truly showed the tenacity that Urijah has, as he fought w/a broken right hand and injured wrist, yet never quit.  He simply adapted and pushed forward, speaking volumes of his heart.

With all the hype surrounding this fight, my primary concern is that it will not live up to our expectations.  However, I feel that this is highly unlikely.  In order for Urijah to pull this one off and re-gain his crown, his best bet is to keep it standing, and catch Aldo, or edge out a decision.  If he takes it to the ground, it is very likely that Jose can pull off a submission.  Aldo will have to move forward, use the cage, and strike aggressively.  I do not think he will be too concerned w/Faber’s shots, due to his proficiency on the ground.  I see Jose Aldo making another highlight reel.

WINNER:   Jose Aldo Via K.O.

Ben Henderson VS. Donald Cerrone

The Lightweight Championship will be up for grabs in a rematch between current title holder Ben Henderson and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

Ben Henderson is an explosive, high-energy fighter with sick cardio and tons of heart.  Very skilled, yet still green, we have not seen everything that Ben will someday bring to the table.  As good as he is now, he will be ferocious in the next few years.

Donald Cerrone is a Greg Jackson protege, who is constantly evolving.  A former kick boxer, Cerrone transitioned into MMA quite easily, having a natural affinity for BJJ.  Although he came in as a striker, Donald’s jiu jitsu is excellent, and he has demonstrated very nice submissions in previous fights.

In their last fight, Henderson was able to fend off multiple submission attempts by Cerrone, and showed that there is no quit in him.  Cerrone displayed very good striking, using hand/kick combinations to fend off the highly energized Henderson, and continuously looked for the submission on the ground.

Given that Cerrone trains under the master of game plans, Greg Jackson, he will have the formula to beat Henderson this time.  I see the fight going very similar to the last.  Ben is vulnerable to submissions, and Cerrone will capitalize on this weakness.  Henderson will not be able to escape this time.

WINNER:  Donald Cerrone Via Submission

Mike Brown VS. Manny Gamburyan

Former Featherweight Champion Mike Brown will square off against TUF/UFC veteran Manny Gamburyan.

Manny Gamburyan has a vast knowledge of Judo, and has used it to his advantage.  With his compact build, and Judo background, Manny has incredible leverage and can throw and control larger, stronger opponents.  After a throw he is able to land in good position, control, and begin his assault.  Although heavy handed on the ground.  Gamburyan has shown some exploitable flaws in his stand up game.  Often swinging wild, Manny is very susceptible to getting caught by a good counter puncher.  This is where Mike will have a big advantage.

Mike Brown is an outstanding wrestler with improving jits, and very good striking.  Brown has tremendous power, uses his hands in combinations, and is a strong counter puncher.  Mike is dangerous in all aspects of the game, but I feel it is his superior striking that will make the difference in this match.

Manny can hold his own with Brown in the clinch and on the mat.  Although Gamburyan does hit hard, and has a punchers chance, I believe Mike Brown will be able to exploit his stand up deficiencies, and rock Gamburyan, putting him back on the road to title contention.

WINNER: Mike Brown  Via K.O.

These picks are courtesy of your brother in MMA,

Robert “The General” Perez
Head Striking and MMA Coach at the 4oz. Fight Club in Houston, TX

Striking Tips from the General

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UFC’s Arianny Celeste recently posed in a video shoot for Maxim. Check out the video below, and click the following link for more pics from Arianny Celeste’s video shoot for Maxim. I bet you won’t even notice the misspelling in the bottom left - Arianny Celeste - Maxim Pics

UFC 112 was almost a predictable card except for underdog Frankie Edgar leaving The Octagon as the new UFC Lightweight champion. The win was controversial, but after 5 rounds the bout went to decision and all judges unanimously favored Edgar for the victory. Check out the post fight interview below as Edgar shares his own thoughts of the bout.

MAIN CARD RESULTS

• Anderson Silva def. Demian Maia via unanimous decision to retain UFC middleweight title
• Frankie Edgar def. B.J. Penn via unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 49-46) to become new UFC lightweight champion
• Matt Hughes def. Renzo Gracie via TKO (strikes) Round 3, 4:40
• Rafael Dos Anjos def. Terry Etim via submission (armbar) - Round 2, 4:40
• Mark Munoz def. Kendall Grove via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 2:50

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS

• Phil Davis def. Alexander Gustafsson via submission (anaconda choke) - Round 1, 4:55
• Rick Story def. Nick Osipczak via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• DaMarques Johnson def. Brad Blackburn via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 2:08
• Paul Kelly def. Matt Veach via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 3:41
• Jon Madsen def. Mostapha Al-Turk via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

$75,000 Bonuses for each of the fighters.

Fight of the Night — Mark Munoz vs. Kendall Grove
Knockout of the Night — DaMarques Johnson
Submission of the Night — Rafael dos Anjos

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In the main event of the evening, Anderson Silva will be defending his Middleweight title against jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia.

It’s difficult to write about Anderson Silva, as I am only saying what everyone already knows… He is incredible.  Silva has run through some of the toughest fighters that the UFC has to offer.  The pin point accuracy that Anderson displays with his hands, kicks, knees, and elbows is unbelievable.  His absolute demolition of Forest Griffin should have completely removed any doubt that Silva is the baddest 185 lb. fighter on the planet.  His BJJ is high level, which he has demonstrated by submitting Henderson and others before him.  The weakest part of Anderson’s game is his take down defense.  However, I do not feel Maia’s wrestling is strong enough to pose a real threat to the “Spider.”

Demian Maia is a phenom on the ground.  His Jits is definitely superior to Silva’s, and he is very capable of subbing him.  The dilemma that Demian faces however is how to get Anderson to the ground.  As I stated before, his wrestling is not nearly as strong as his BJJ, and Silva will take full advantage of this insufficiency.  I cannot see Demian shooting in on Silva, so his only other option for the take down is to clinch.This spells trouble for Maia.  If Demian can get past the eight limbs that Silva will be wielding, and get to the clinch, it is here where Maia will be put to sleep.

Winner: Anderson Silva via K.O.

BJ Penn Vs. Frankie Edgar

BJ “The Prodigy” Penn will be defending his lightweight title against Frankie “The Answer” Edgar, in the co-main event of the night.

Frankie Edgar has proven himself to be worthy of a title shot.An exciting fighter,Edgar has beaten the likes of Tyson Griffin,Spencer Fisher, Hermes Franca, and Sean Sherk.  Frankie is solid in all areas, and has shown a good chin,legitimate boxing,decent jiu jitsu, and incredible wrestling.  Using explosive take downs, Frankie is an expert at controlling his opponents and nullifying their offensive attacks.  His only loss is from Gray Maynard, and he is currently riding a three fight win streak.

At 155lbs, BJ Penn has the ability to make any fighter look foolish.He has the best jiu jitsu in the lightweight division, and possibly all of MMA.  Penn is an extremely accurate striker with a granite chin, and he has tremendous speed and power in both hands.The flexibility that BJ possesses is a huge part of his jits game, and one of the main reasons that his take down defense is so good.Moreover, a flexible fighter makes for a strong fighter, and Penn is deceivingly strong.  Having only one loss in the last three years, Penn is coming off a brutal and bloody victory over Diego Sanchez, proving that he is still the alpha male in this division.

Like I said with the St. Pierre/Hardy fight, BJ Penn is in a different class than Frankie Edgar.  Although Frankie is talented, a game opponent, and a top dog in the 155lb division,Penn is in a class of his own.  There is nothing that Edgar can do that BJ has not seen before.  Penn will control the fight from the opening bell, and win by submission.

Winner: BJ Penn via submission

Matt Hughes Vs. Renzo Gracie

Two legends will meet in the octagon when Matt Hughes will fight Renzo Gracie in a welterweight bout.

Hughes, 36, was the most dominate welterweight champion in UFC history, and has left his mark in the fight game forever.  Making his UFC debut in 2001, Matt already had thirty-three fights under his belt before he started running through the 170lb. division.  He successfully defended his title five times before losing it to BJ Penn.  Hughes later regained it and defended it twice before losing it to St. Pierre.  A former division 1 All-American wrestler, Matt is known for his quick take downs, powerful slams,brutal g and p, and ever improving submission game(he holds a black belt in bjj).  In recent years, Hughes has developed sound striking, and will not shy away from standing and trading.  Although he dropped three of his last five fights, he did have a dominating performance over Matt Serra last year.

A member of the legendary Gracie family,fighting is in Renzo Gracies blood.At 43 years of age, Gracie has literally been training to fight all of his life.  Beginning his mma career in 1992, Renzo has fought in Mars,Pride,Rings, and Elite XC.  It should go without saying that Renzo is a jits expert, but it should be noted that he is also willing to exchange.This will be Gracie’s first fight since his DQ win over Shamrock almost four years ago, begging the question if too much time has passed to be successful in this fight?

Renzo is a gentleman, role model, and warrior.However, I see Matt using his striking, mixed with his wrestling to beat Renzo in a similar fashion in which he beat Royce.

Winner: Matt Hughes via TKO

Kendall Grove Vs. Mark Munoz

TUF 3 winner Kendall Grove will be squaring off with Mark Munoz in this middleweight match.

Grove, who trains with BJ Penn is a talented and well rounded fighter.  An extreme body type for most divisions, Grove has tremendous reach in both his arms and legs, making him very dangerous standing, or on the ground.  Kedall has good striking, and very good jiu jitsu that continues to improve the more he trains with Penn and his camp.  Grove has tremendous heart, and will be ready to fight from bell to bell.  After suffering back to back losses, he has won three of his last four fights, and looks to make his way up the middleweight ladder.

A former wrestler from OSU, Mark Munoz made his mma debut in 2007, and signed with the WEC after only Three fights.  Mark is a contrast to Groves long wiry limbs.  He is a fireplug who is powerful,explosive, and has tremendous athleticism.After being head kicked by Matt Hamill in his UFC debut, Mark went back to the drawing board, and has improved his striking along with his submission game.  He also made the decision to drop down to middleweight, where he has won his last two fights.

I see Grove having the advantage standing, and in the submission department as well.  However, if Mark can use his wrestling to get inside and take Kendall down,he should be able to control the fight and use some g and p, pulling off the decision.

Winner: Mark Munoz via Decision

These picks are courtesy of your brother in MMA,

Robert “The General” Perez
Head Striking and MMA Coach at the 4oz. Fight Club in Houston, TX

Striking Tips from the General

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Below are the results for SC VII:

• Lavar Johnson def. Lolohea Mahe by TKO (Strikes) at 3:29, R2
• Ron “Abongo” Humphrey def. George Bush III by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:44, R1
• Andre Galvao def. Luke Stewart by Split Decision (27-30, 30-27, 29-28), R3
• Meisha Tate def. Zoila Frausto by Submission (Armbar) at 4:09, R2
• Justin Wilcox def. Shamar Bailey by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27), R3

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