(This belt means as much as the one Carlos Condit is carrying around. It’s funny how that works.)

By Jason Moles

In what comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone with a double-digit I.Q. or higher, Strikeforce will reportedly put the final nail in the coffin after their next event, which is currently scheduled for January 2013. Like any good friend, we tried to talk them out of their appointment with Dr. Kevorkian. Sadly, our friend just could not be reasoned with, leaving us no other options — we have to prepare for the funeral.

Here at CagePotato HQ (read: my desk at work when the boss is in the crapper), we feel it only necessary to start writing the eulogy now, while the memories are still vivid, in an attempt to bring comfort to the grieving family and friends when the time comes. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, shall we, and look back fondly at the most memorable moments in Strikeforce’s storied mixed martial arts history.

Frank Shamrock Gets a Friendly Stockton Greeting From Nick Diaz

In the spring of 2009, Strikeforce served up a hot matchup between former UFC champion and MMA legend Frank Shamrock and the future Strikeforce Welterweight champion and world-renowned trash talker Nick Diaz. As you can glean from the above photo and the ensuing nut grab you can see on YouTube at roughly the 3:23 mark, these two were about as cordial as a Kentucky Derby winner who had just spotted Alistair Overeem waiting in the stable with a knife and fork.

The remarkable thing about the whole ordeal was that Diaz remained true to himself at the risk of coming across as a disrespectful punk, not willing to play nice simply to placate other people, even if they did sign his paycheck. In all of the press conferences that have been held over the years, fighters have generally been pretty calm and polite — so much so that you have to wonder if they realize that the guy they’re shaking hands with is the same guy who’s getting paid to cave his face in come fight night. Not the Stockton, Calif. native, though, whoe’s about as subtle as he is media friendly. You’ll never have to guess what the Cesar Gracie product is thinking. This classic photo by Esther Lin is a reminder of just that.

I’m assuming most of you will be packed into sports bars watching Lesnar vs. Carwin on Saturday, but if you live on the East Coast and happen to be near a radio for some reason, please tune in to "The Mouthpiece MMA Show" to hear yours truly, BG, discuss the aftermath of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum and the awesomeness that is CagePotato.com. Hosts Tim O’Connor and Mark Daniels were kind enough to have me record a segment earlier this week, which will air tomorrow night on the three stations the show is syndicated on. They are…

- WIFI 1460AM: Philadelphia, Atlantic City; Mouthpiece Fight Block @ 10 p.m. to midnight

- WGAM The Game (ESPN Radio 1250 + 900): Manchester/Nashua, New Hampshire; Mouthpiece Fight Block starts at 11 p.m.

– 1320AM WARL: Providence and Southeastern Massachusetts; Mouthpiece Boxing/wrestling/MMA block from 9:00 p.m. to midnight

If you don’t live in those areas, or if you won’t be able to listen on Saturday, or if you’re just impatient, you can download the audio of my appearance right here. Thanks so much to Tim and Mark for having me on. Follow the Mouthpiece Radio Network at twitter.com/mouthpieceradio.

(BG)

(Props: UFC.com/JamesToney)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– Was Fedor Another Victim of EA’s Cover Curse? (MiddleEasy)

– Shane Carwin: ‘One of Us Will Need Help Leaving the Octagon’ at UFC 116 (MMA Fighting)

– Spike To Telecast Weigh-Ins For UFC 116 Lesnar-Carwin (Watch Kalib Run)

- George Sotiropoulos Will Fight Anyone (Heavy.com/MMA)

- Three Strikes and You’re Out: How Groin Shots Are Changing the Outcome of Fights (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Photo Gallery: M-1/Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum (FightMagazine)

- Fedor Emelianenko’s Career in 69 Seconds (MMA Scraps)

(Okay Cung, you got your revenge on Scott Smith. We all saw it. There’s no need to rub it in by levitating. Photo courtesy of the "Fedor vs. Werdum Photos" gallery on MMAFighting.com.)

The Potato Index has been chewing its nails and tapping its feet since Saturday night, just waiting for the chance to throw out some arbitrary numerical rankings at Fedor vs. Werdum. And now, the moment has arrived. Don’t mess it up, Potato Index. Please, for the love of God, act like you’ve been there before.

Fabricio Werdum +1,089
Any time you can accomplish something that’s never been done before, it’s a good day. Werdum stopped an unbeatable legend — quickly, we might add — and brought some glory back to BJJ. No matter what happens next in his career, Vai Cavalo will go down in history. And honestly, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Look how happy he is!

Fedor Emelianeko -113 
Fedor’s fight instincts are what set him apart from mere mortals, and have gotten him out of many a jam during his career, but they failed him on Saturday. He thought he had Werdum hurt and went in for the kill, but Werdum was playing possum, and seized on his first opportunity to hit the mat. Fedor could have played it safe against a superior grappler — he could have let Fabricio up so he could slug him some more — but that’s not what Fedor does, and that’s not why we love him. The loss only proves that Emelianenko is not literally invincible. It doesn’t affect his status as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin +99, each
I know, these guys weren’t even at the show. But now their fight at UFC 116 will determine the #1 heavyweight fighter in the world on most ranking lists, simply by default. Next step: Unifying the WAMMA title.

Cris Cyborg post-fight interview – Watch more Funny Videos

Our buddy Brian D’Souza was on the scene at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum, and got us this exclusive video interview with 145-pound women’s champ Cristiane "Cris Cyborg" Santos, who put on another vicious striking performance en route to a 2nd-round KO against Jan Finney. Cyborg explains that she thought the fight should have been stopped earlier, and wasn’t troubled by Finney’s strikes because she used to training with men. She plans to get back into training and prepare for her next opponent — possibly Erin Toughill according to Scott Coker, even though Erin shot down that idea in March. But will anybody be prepared for Cyborg?

("I weighed in at 219 pounds for this fight. That’s *British* pounds, homey. Moneyweight, what." / Props: allelbows.com)

It’s natural to think that Fedor Emelianenko’s loss to Fabricio Werdum on Saturday night was an absolute disaster, both for his career and for Strikeforce, who had their pay-per-view hopes riding on a heavyweight title clash between Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem. The shocking upset left fans scratching their heads and wondering what could be next for the Last Emperor. An immediate rematch with Werdum, as Werdum himself suggested after the fight? A tune-up match against someone further down the ladder like Antonio Silva? Retirement?

One name that doesn’t seem to be getting any consideration in the fight’s aftermath is, to me, the most obvious one — Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Strikeforce’s reigning light-heavyweight champion. And if Strikeforce wants to pull anything positive out of their current situation, they’ll book Fedor vs. King Mo as quickly as possible. Here’s why:

(Props: mikeychch)

Click here for the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum play-by-play.

(Damn, what an unflattering picture of Werdum. It’s just one of those things where the camera catches you at the exact wrong moment, and you wind up making a strange expression that you’d never make again in a million–OH SHIT. / Photo courtesy of M-1Global.com.)

Look, we’re all still a little emotional from USA’s World Cup exit this afternoon, and the only cure is bloodshed. Luckily, Fedor Emeliananko returns to the Strikeforce cage tonight at the HP Pavilion in San Jose against Fabricio "Grappler’s Chance" Werdum, while Cris Cyborg will be tearing apart some random blonde woman. Plus, Scott Smith and Cung Le re-do their last fight for the hell of it, former lightweight champ Josh Thomson tries to rebound against Pat Healy, and an MMA legend might announce his retirement.

Round-by-round results from the "Fedor vs. Werdum" Showtime broadcast will be piling up after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET; refresh your browser every few minutes for all the latest. (The show is delayed on the West Coast, so beware of spoilers.) And yes, "Tucson" is misspelled on Fedor’s t-shirt in the above photo, but that’s what happens when you do all your shopping at consignment shops in Stary Oskol. Humble guy, this Last Emperor.

(Healy vs. Ryan Ford @ MFC 17, 7/25/08)

After losing his belt to Gilbert Melendez last December, Josh Thomson returns to the Strikeforce cage tomorrow night at Fedor vs. Werdum, where he will be kicking off the Showtime broadcast against Pat "Bam Bam" Healy. Healy may be an unknown quantity among casual fans, but he’s a tough competitor who’s been fighting professionally since 2001, and could actually give the Punk a run for his money. Here’s what you need to know about him:

– Healy’s record stands at 22-15, with 19 of those wins coming via stoppage. His resume includes notable victories over Dan Hardy, Paul Daley, Carlos Condit, Mike Guymon, Ryan Ford (twice), and most recently, a unanimous decision over Bryan Travers at the Lindland vs. Casey Strikeforce Challengers card last month. He’s had the honor of being beaten up by Denis Kang, Chris Lytle, Brad Blackburn (twice), Jay Hieron, and Rory Markham.

– A current member of Team Quest’s Gresham camp and former collegiate wrestler, Healy was previously Maximum Fighting Championship’s welterweight champ, until he relinquished the belt to compete at lightweight. He has also competed for the IFL and WEC, and had one fight in the UFC — a first-round submission loss to Anthony Torres at UFC Fight Night 6.

– Healy is coming into this fight as a replacement for Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm, who suffered an elbow injury in his last fight against Vitor Ribeiro at Heavy Artillery. He’s a sizable betting underdog in the +300 to +380 range.

– He has a twin brother, Ryan, who also fights.

After the jump: More videos of Pat in action.

(Even the awesome WWE-like flamethrowers couldn’t elicit a smile from Fedor "The Stonefaced Killer" Emelianenko)

Your perpetually absent "real dad" Ben Fowlkes spoke on the phone with Fedor
Emelianenko through his interpreter yesterday and covered a lot of topics of interest including the rumors of his foray into Russian politics, his recent comments about the UFC and where he sees himself after he finishes his Strikeforce contract.

(Jan’s hair was done by her mortician. He figured, "hey, why not get a head-start." / Props: Esther Lin for Strikeforce)


Journeywoman Jan "Cuddles" Finney (8-7) throws the dice on a real long-shot this Saturday as she steps up to take on 145-pound queen Cristiane "Cris Cyborg" Santos (9-1) at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum. Finney describes MMA as a "hobby" that compliments her day-job as a personal trainer, but warns fans not to sleep on her: "I’m going to come right back at her. I’m not going to cower away. I’m probably going to be one of the strongest opponents she’s faced. I’m not saying I’m as strong as her, but you never know — I might be…I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I would also say I’ve got a pretty nice right hand."

After the jump: Fabricio Werdum shows off his size advantage against Fedor Emelianenko.

(Rule #17 of the Fighter Fist Pose: Never rest your head on the shoulder of a chubby man in a floral-print shirt, as it will completely negate the fist-pose’s power. / Photo courtesy of the TUF 11 Finale: Afterparty pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com.)

Want your highly entertaining and incredibly popular MMA site to be part of the Wednesday morning link club? E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details…

– Fabricio Werdum: ‘I will choke Fedor in the first round’ (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Jan Finney Isn’t Going to “Cuddle” Cris Cyborg (FightMagazine)

– Ten Things We Learned From WEC 49 (Heavy.com/MMA)

– Biggest Story Heading Into UFC 116 Is Not Brock Lesnar, It’s Shane Carwin (WatchKalibRun)

– ‘Strikeforce: Los Angeles’ Fighter Salaries (MMA Fighting)

– Kendall Grove Says Spike TV Controls ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, Not the UFC (MiddleEasy)

– MMAScraps Radio: Cain Velasquez, Ben Rothwell and Chris Barnett (MMA Scraps)

("Down in the Tremé / just me and my baby / we’re all throwin’ armbars / AND PUNCHIN’ AND HAVIN’ FUN!" Props: WatchKalibRun)

Just a quick update for all you MMA FightPicker players: Head over to fightpicker.cagepotato.com right now to make your predictions for the main card matches at this Saturday’s Strikeforce show. We’ll assume that you don’t really care about the preliminary card, so we’ll keep this week’s batch of questions short and sweet. Do any of you have the balls to pick an upset in Emelianenko vs. Werdum or Cyborg vs. Finney? How do you see the Scott Smith/Cung Le rematch playing out? Review the questions below, then head over to MMA FightPicker when you think you have it all figured out…

– Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum @ ‘Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum’: Who will win?
– Will Emelianenko vs. Werdum end in a submission?
– Cris Cyborg vs. Jan Finney: Who will win?
– Will Cyborg vs. Finney end in a first round KO/TKO?
– Which fight will be shorter: Emelianenko vs. Werdum or Cyborg vs. Finney?
– Scott Smith vs. Cung Le: Who will win?
– Who will score the first knockdown: Smith or Le?
– Will Smith vs. Le end in a KO/TKO?
– Josh Thomson vs. Pat Healy: Who will win?
– Will Thomson vs. Healy make it to round 3?

* Note: We originally included the scheduled undercard fight between Ron Keslar and Magomed Shikshabekov in this week’s FightPicker pools, but Shikshabekov is off the card due to visa troubles, so we added another question related to Thomson/Healy. Please edit your pools if necessary.

("Evgeni, remind me to thank Scott Coker for these swans when we get to L.A. Dana White never bought me waterfowl.")

Call me cynical, but it’s seeming more and more unlikely that we’ll ever see Fedor Emelianenko in the UFC’s Octagon.

Many will recite the old "never say, ‘never,’" saying, but when you look at what both sides are saying, it’s seeming like an implausibility.

(Feelin’ lucky?)

Okay, I know it’s too early to do a Gambling Addiction Enabler on Strikeforce’s "Fedor vs. Werdum" show (June 26, San Jose), but I just had to pass along the squashtastic betting lines that have been released for the top four fights on the card. Check it out:

– Fedor Emelianenko -1000 vs. Fabricio Werdum +500
– Cristiane Santos -2500 vs. Jan Finney +1000
– Cung Le -400 vs. Scott Smith +275
– KJ Noons -500 vs. Charles Bennett +360

Let me try to put this in perspective. According to BetUs.com, if you place a $100 parlay bet on all four of the underdogs listed above, and they all somehow manage to win their fights, you would walk away with a profit of $89,150. A more modest $20 parlay bet would net you $17,830. 

(By the way, KJ Noons isn’t on this card either. But at least we still have "an MMA superstar" [not really] against "a legend at his craft" [of choking people for too long].)
 
Just when they convinced Bobby Lashley to face an opponent who wasn’t a total joke or a champion, the unthinkable has happened — the former pro-wrestling star has been forced to pull out of his scheduled match against Ron Sparks due to a knee injury. The fight was to take place at Strikeforce’s increasingly bare-looking Los Angeles show (Wednesday, June 16th, Nokia Theatre), which is headlined by Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral in a 195-pound catchweight bout, and will also feature Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos vs. Marius Zaromskis, Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Prangley, and (possibly) Shane Del Rosario vs. Lolohea Mahe.

In other words, the card is just slightly more impressive than Strikeforce’s "Challengers" series offerings, and won’t do much to improve their plummeting ratings on Showtime. Luckily, Strikeforce has its next show ten days later with Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum in the headlining spot and Cris Cyborg in the co-main; a relatively needless rematch between Cung Le and Scott Smith is also likely.