The 35-year old icon’s plans were revealed earlier today in an email to USA Today from M-1 Global representative Evgeni Kogan.

As far as a specific date or location, Kogan explained that Emelianenko’s home-country of Russia was being considered, as was Monaco. Beyond general information, little else was offered other than that a rumored bout between the former PRIDE champion and Bobby Lashley was far from materializing.

Emelianenko’s wins over Monson/Ishii both brought back memories of his better days after the formerly unbeatable Russian lost three fights in a row while under the Strikeforce banner. Among the many notable victories on the 33-4 legend’s record are those over Mirko Filipovic, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

The event, which will take place on December 31, goes down at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Emelianenko stopped a three-fight losing skid by earning a decision victory over Jeff Monson in his native country of Russia earlier this year. Fedor had previously lost to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, and Dan Henderson. The defeats knocked his profile down a few pegs but, in Japan, “The Last Emperor” is still widely-accepted as one of the best of all time.

Ishii won Olympic gold in Judo for Japan and is 4-1 in his MMA career. He fought to a draw with former WEC champion Paulo Filho in his last match.

Check out the preview below:

PHOTO CREDIT – M1/FEG

The bout, scheduled to take place at DREAM: New Year! 2011, was announced earlier today by DREAM officials.

Emelianenko, who for many years was seen as the consensus best heavyweight in MMA, will be looking for a second consecutive win after snapping his recent three-fight skid with a one-sided Unanimous Decision victory over Jeff Monson last month. “The Last Emperor” has racked up a 32-4 record during his storied run including those over Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, and Mirko Filipovic.

Though Ishii may only possess 1/7 of Emelianenko’s experience in the ring he has done well for himself since transitioning from judo, going 4-0-1 in five fights since dropping his debut to PRIDE icon Hidehiko Yoshida.

Other match-ups expected at DREAM: New Year! 2011 include Ryo Chonan vs. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

M-1 Global

Now, M-1 Global’s Vadim Finkelstein feels like there is a perfect fighter for Fedor to face in 2012 – former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Velasquez lost his belt to Junior dos Santos earlier this month at UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos.

“We are determined to move forward, and would like to offer the UFC a fight between Cain Velasquez and Fedor Emelianenko,” said Finkelstein, in a recent interview with Russia’s Championat.ru. “I can guarantee Dana White great revenue from this fight, and a record-breaking attendance.”

As you can imagine, thanks to years and years of frustration in dealing with Emelianenko and his people, White was less than excited about the fight, posting on his Twitter, “Hell no!” in regards to Finkelstein’s request.

Dashing the hopes of dreamers everywhere, it appears that once again the notion of Emelianenko gracing the Octagon is still little more than wishful thinking.

PHOTO CREDIT – M1 GLOBAL/UFC

“The Last Emperor” had lost his previous three fights while competing in Strikeforce, falling to Dan Henderson, Antonio Silva, and Fabricio Werdum. Fighting for the first time in his native country in over four years, Emelianenko dismantled Monson over three rounds with jabs, punches and low kicks.

Fedor stopped the constant takedown attempts by Monson, bloodying and bruising his face. Emelianenko kept the fight standings, keeping himself from getting into the same kind of trouble as followed in fights with Silva and Werdum.

Vadim Finkelstein, co-founder of M-1, said after the fight that Fedor could return to action next month against 2008 Olympic judo champion Satoshi Ishii. Nothing has been confirmed, however.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/M-1

M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Monson takes place tomorrow from the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia.

Emelianenko has lost his last three fights, falling to Dan Henderson, Antonio Silva, and Fabricio Werdum while competing for Strikeforce. The Monson bout will mark the first time Fedor has fought in Russia since defeating Matt Lindland in 2007.

“I’m really happy to be fighting in Russia because most of my fights have been overseas. I feel good and I’m looking forward to this fight,” said Emeliankeno, in a recent interview promoting the event. “This is my job. I always try to win each fight. I’m not fighting to prove anything to anyone. I fight; that’s what I do.”

Monson has been trying to secure a fight with Emelianenko for quite some time, and Fedor is aware of that, saying, “This fight has been talked about since my PRIDE days. I am familiar with his career. I think Jeff is a very respected and tough opponent.”

M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Monson will be available on pay-per-view beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET.

PHOTO CREDIT – M-1 Global

“The Last Emperor” will attempt to take his first step back towards reclaiming the divisional crown on November 12 at a M-1 Global event in his native Russia with submission-grappling ace Jeff Monson standing in his way of appeasing the hometown crowd. Monson announced the fight via Twitter.

Monson recently had an eight-fight winning streak snapped by undefeated Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier but holds an overall record of 42-12 with 26 tap-outs to show for his in-ring efforts. Among the opponents “The Snowman” has beaten are a number of notable adversaries including Roy Nelson and Sergei Kharitonov.

As impressive as Monson’s past accomplishments may be they pale in comparison to Emelianenko’s body of work who followed up an epic run in PRIDE featuring wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic with another five victories after the Japanese promotion folded.  However, since scoring a TKO over Brett Rogers in November 2009, Emelianenko has fallen in three straight with the once-unimaginable stretch involving a submission loss and two strike-based stoppages.

No other bouts for the M-1 event were revealed though more are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Also interesting, the show’s date coincides with the UFC’s debut on FOX highlighted by heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez’s live title-defense against Brazilian bomber Junior dos Santos.

“We have already reached all the necessary agreements on his fight,” stated M-1 Global co-founder and Fedor’s manager, Vadim Finkelstein.

Once considered the best fighter in the world, and arguably the greatest fighter of all-time, Fedor is in the midst of a three fight losing streak that started in June 2010 with a first round submission loss to Fabricio Werdum. He failed to bounce back against Antonio Silva this past February, not being able to overcome the size of “Bigfoot” and losing via doctor stoppage at the end of the second round. Things didn’t get better for “The Last Emperor” in July as he was finished by Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson in the first round. Following the loss, Strikeforce officials released Fedor from his contract.

Fedor hadn’t lost in almost 10 years prior to the three fight slide, defeating heavyweights such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, and Brett Rogers.

While no opponent has been announced, it’s been rumored that former UFC heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga could face the famed Russian under the M-1 Global banner. Other options could include the likes of Pedro Rizzo, Todd Duffee, or Bobby Lashley.

*PHOTO CREDIT – ESTHER LIN/STRIKEFORCE*

M-1 Global President and Fedor’s manager, Vadim Finkelstein ended all speculation earlier today, confirming that Fedor will not retire and that he will fight again in 2011.

“We consulted with Fedor and it was decided that he should not leave the sport in this way. His friends and past opponents support Fedor in continuing his career and he agreed,” said Finkelstein.

No long under contract to Strikeforce, Fedor’s next fight will be under the M-1 Global banner in Russia later this year.

Finkelstein commented that, “We want to organize a fight for Fedor in Russia and have already begun working in this direction. If everything goes as planned, we will produce a card in Moscow or St. Petersburg sometime in the fall with Fedor as the main event.”

If everything goes as planned, we may see Fedor more than once in 2011. Finkelstein is also working to secure a fight for Fedor in Japan on New Years Eve. The former PRIDE heavyweight champion has competed five times on New Years Eve in Japan, winning every contest.

The end goal is for Fedor to end up back in the United States in 2012 to reclaim his currently unwatched throne.

*PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE*

As FiveOuncesOfPain.com reported weeks ago, the loser of this past weekend’s headlining fight between “The Last Emperor” and Emelianenko ended up losing the fight by first round TKO courtesy of Henderson’s big right hand after a back and forth battle for the majority of the round.

Despite no longer being part of the Strikeforce organization, Fedor’s manager and M-1 Global Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan stated that Fedor has a contract with the television company Showtime, which also carries live M-1 Global events.

Fedor’s future is still up in the air. Following the loss to Henderson, he said he would leave his future in, “God’s hands” but when pressed, said he still wanted to fight, but would first be taking time off to return home to Russia to spend time with his family.

*PHOTO CREDIT – ESTHER LIN/STRIKEFORCE*

According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, Five Ounces of Pain has confirmed one of the core components of the matchmaking process in regards to their headlining bout on July 30 was the ability to sever professional ties with the loser based on the amount each earns in comparison to their perceived market value, as contracts are generally structured to allow for immediate release in the event of defeat.

In May, ESPN reported the two fighters are scheduled to earn $2.3 million combined for their July 30 fight with Henderson taking home an $800,000 paycheck and his Russian counterpart the remaining amount. For reference, the entire disclosed payroll of UFC 132, the most recent PPV event for the world’s foremost MMA promotion, was more than a million dollars less than the two Strikeforce fighters’ expected windfall in the Windy City.

Whether Zuffa would renegotiate terms with “Hendo” if he loses, or if the former Olympic wrestler would even want to re-sign, are unknown. However, a major factor in Henderson’s departure from the UFC two years ago after winning three straight fights was the amount of money on the table with UFC President Dana White repeatedly stating on record the company’s belief that the 40-year old was not a major draw. The Team Quest patriarch is also on the last fight of his current Strikeforce deal.

Though the parent-company of Strikeforce is not in the same position of fiscal responsibility when it comes to Emelianenko, the previously unbeatable heavyweight is no longer the same asset he was when originally coming on board in 2009, a matter apparently straining the partnership between M-1 Global and the promotion’s primary home, Showtime. Emelianenko has lost his last two fights in convincing fashion meaning a third consecutive stumble – especially to an opponent known for competing in a smaller division – would not only be disastrous on a professional level but also likely mark the end of his Strikeforce career given the kingly sum demanded by “The Last Emperor”.

Though only the future knows for sure how things will play out, it appears a black mark has appeared on what is otherwise an extremely fan-friendly pairing at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson”. The two long-standing stars hold 57 total wins including memorable performances too numerous to list. Among them, for Emelianenko, are victories in Japan against Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, while Henderson has found success against the likes of Michael Bisping, Wanderlei Silva, “Minotauro” Nogueira, Vitor Belfort, and Rich Franklin.

Requests for official comments from Showtime and Strikeforce representatives have gone unanswered at the time of this report.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

News of Emelianenko’s stance was reported by ESPN where it was also mentioned the bout would likely be at heavyweight if it does indeed take place and would be targeted for this summer.

Henderson had previously spoken of his openness to going up in weight if need be to face the iconic Russian, who himself is a relatively undersized heavyweight, meaning Emelianenko’s teased drop to 205-pounds has been put on hold for the immediate future if not permanently.

If things continue as planned it is likely the prodigious pairing would headline the July event rumored earlier this week as being Strikeforce’s initial foray into PPV and featuring Mo Lawal vs. Roger Gracie as part of the main card.

Jon Fitch Gives Final Thoughts on UFC 127 Fight with B.J. Penn (MMAFighting.com)

Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera Share an Intense Staredown at the UFC 127 Presser (CagePotato.com)

A Look at the Top Aussies in MMA (FIGHT! Magazine)

Cub Swanson Out of UFC on Versus 3 Bout (HeavyMMA.com)

Check Out Video of Anderson Silva Sparring with Lyoto Machida (MMAScraps.com)

Fedor Emelianenko Considering Training in Holland (MMAConvert.com)

Phil Baroni Offers Brandon Vera Impression (MiddleEasy.com)

A Look at the UFC 127 Open Workouts (Versus.com

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

While the terms of the deal were stated as being “multi-year”, it appears the label may be minimal in nature as Five Ounces of Pain has confirmed Emelianenko only agreed to extend his partnership with Strikeforce for an additional three fights on top of the one he was already inked for. If all goes smoothly for “The Last Emperor” in Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament the additional trio of bouts would be eliminated once again leaving him promotional champ and his status beyond a lone defense in limbo.

The number of total fights on Emelianenko’s deal was provided to Five Ounces by an official from M-1 Global, backing up earlier statements by Fedor’s manager in a report by Sherdog.

Emelianenko will return to action for his initial bid on the new deal this February 12 in East Rutherford, New Jersey against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the first round of the Strikeforce World Grand Prix. Joining them on the heavyweight-heavy card will be another quarterfinal encounter featuring a super-fight of sorts between former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski and PRIDE veteran Sergei Kharitonov. Reserve bouts between Shane Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson, as well as Valentijn Overeem and Ray Sefo, has also been linked to the event.

Joining Emelianenko and Silva on the card will be another first-round fight between former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski and imposing PRIDE veteran Sergei Kharitonov.

The second set of competitors will likely square off on March 5 in Columbus, Ohio, as Alistair Overeem was announced as fighting Fabricio Werdum whose originally rumored opponent for the event, Brett Rogers, will take on Josh Barnett.

“We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 Global,” said Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. “To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. Strikeforce is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world.”

“I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage,” added the 31-2 Emelianenko. “Strikeforce has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 Global, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format.”

With the close of the year, Five Ounces of Pain is here to bring you our annual awards as we wind things down and get read for the adventures 2011 will undoubtedly bring. Over the next few days we will announce our winners in somewhat unique categories with a final batch of standard distinctions handed out on Friday, December 31.

As always, 5 Oz. invites our readers to offer their own opinions in the “Comments” section on who should have taken home the hardware (or in this case digital love). We would not be here without you, and rest assured the Staff not only appreciates your contributions from a “page view” standpoint, but genuinely enjoys reading our community’s take on topics. Have an incredibly fun, albeit safe, holiday week!

— The “Who Saw That Coming?” Award —

Fabricio Werdum submits Fedor Emelianenko: This was supposed to be another “tune up fight” for Fedor Emelianenko on his road to the Strikeforce heavyweight title. Werdum was looked at as a very good fighter with outstanding Jiu-Jitsu but most people’s lasting memory of him prior to this fight was seeing him get his clock cleaned by Junior dos Santos. Plus, Fedor is Fedor. He was practically undefeated, he was unstoppable, he was a robot, he was frickin’ Fedor! When the fight started, it looked like another cake walk for “The Last Emperor”. He immediately dropped Werdum and then pounced on him for the finish. Then it happened. Out of nowhere the Brazilian used Fedor’s aggressiveness and the cage to his advantage, locked on a triangle choke, and forced Fedor to give a single tap, but possibly the most memorable tap in MMA history. The once unbeatable had been beaten.

— Beatdown of the Year —

Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre / UFC 124: Not to be confused with “Fight of the Year”. Though there were plenty of options to consider, including Roger Huerta’s loss to Eddie Alvarez and Cain Velasquez’s title-win over Brock Lesnar, in the end GSP’s rivalry-ending smackdown of Koscheck prevailed. For months upon months fans listened to Koscheck spew his venom at Georges St. Pierre, questioning everything from the welterweight champion’s ability to strike to his hushed demeanor and preference for spandex trunks. An entire season of the Ultimate Fighter was dedicated to the rivalry he seemed intent on creating even if GSP wasn’t interested in engaging outside of the cage. However, once the two met in the Octagon at UFC 124 it became clear the most important jabs in MMA are not of the verbal variety. Koscheck left the event having lost all five rounds, sporting a broken orbital bone, and undoubtedly reflecting on how much more he needs to learn before he’s on the same level as the French-Candian champ. He was completely out-classed for twenty-four of the twenty-five minutes he spent in the ring, and though he may not have been rendered unconscious he most certainly exited Montreal the victim of a “beatdown”. Whether or not Team St. Pierre’s “male nurse”, i.e. Brad Tate, sent him a “Get Well Soon” card after the action concluded is still unknown…

— Most Meteoric Rise —

Anthony Pettis: Over 3.5 million. That’s how many times videos of Pettis delivering his amazing kick off the cage have been viewed on YouTube. It’s crazy to think that just one year ago Pettis was coming off the lone loss of his career against Bart Palaszewski, and now he’s one of the most popular fighters in the world. Pettis was able to rack up several impressive wins over the course of 2010, but none was bigger than his WEC Lightweight Championship win over Ben Henderson a few weeks ago. Not only did he deliver a kick that will be on MMA highlight reels for all of eternity, he also managed to showcase excellent skills in all areas of the sport. He’s next in line for the UFC Lightweight Championship, and after his star-making performance at WEC 53 he can be sure that everyone will be watching his next fight very closely in the hopes of seeing his next mind-bending maneuver.

News of the potential tournament was reported by Tatame, who also explained Strikeforce would be planning to promote at least part of the process on PPV. However, Five Ounces of Pain contacted Strikeforce representative Mike Afromowitz who clarified the official situation, saying, “The news being circulated about this tournament is just rumors.” Clearly, as enticing as it sounds to see, the aforementioned scenario’s actual occurrence is by no means set in stone at this point in time.

Also affecting the likelihood of rumor becoming reality are ongoing negotiations with Fedor’s camp. Though the status of Emelianenko’s contract extension is still up in the air, if he does indeed add to his present deal and throw his name in the alleged group he will bring valuable experience with him into the bracket. The highly-ranked Russian was the winner of PRIDE’s 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix with wins over Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and dual victories on the same night against Naoya Ogawa and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the final.

Given Strikeforce’s current roster, if the Grand Prix were to take place, it seems other entrants are likely to include any or all of the company’s top heavyweights like Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov, and Brett Rogers.

PHOTO CREDIT – Susumu Nagao

News of the possible match-up was reported by MMAWeekly where it was also explained Emelianenko’s management group may have finally agreed to an extension with Strikeforce.

However, Five Ounces of Pain has since spoken with a representative from M-1 who explained the two groups are actively discussing an extension but have not finalized terms on any deal. Additionally, nothing official has been agreed to as far as a date/opponent for Fedor’s next fight. Five Ounces also confirmed the same information with Strikeforce, meaning both sides have denied the deal being in place at this point in time.

Emelianenko was last seen in action this past June against Fabricio Werdum where he was submitted a little more than a minute into the opening frame of their headlining match-up. Prior to the jaw-dropping defeat he had been considered virtually unbeatable in the ring, rallying off more than twenty-five straight wins after a cut-based blemish a decade prior. Among his thirty-one victories in the ring are former UFC champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, as well as a number of MMA’s heavyweight elite in their primes during his historic run in PRIDE including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

In his rumored pairing with Silva he faces a 6’4” striker with ten TKOs who is equally well-versed on the ground. Occasionally labeled as “Bigfoot”, the ominous Brazilian has found success eight of the last nine times he’s stepped into the ring with the only exception being a decision loss to Werdum a little more than a year ago.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Rashad Evans Responds to Claims He’s Unhappy in the UFC (WatchKalibRun.com)

Fedor Emelianenko Trains with “Jacare” and Mousasi (MMAScraps.com)

Former Strikeforce Fighter May Be Headed to Ultimate Fighter (CagePotato.com)

WEC President Speaks about Merger with UFC (HeavyMMA.com)

Alan Belcher Wants Fight with Wanderlei Silva (MMAFighting.com)

Frank Mir Prefers Opponent Other than Lesnar (MMAConvert.com)

Chad Mendes Speaks About WEC 52 Opponent Javier Vazquez (Versus.com)

Tatsuya Kawahiri Shoots Some Hoops…from a Wheelchair (MiddleEasy.com)

What’s Coming Up in December? (FIGHT! Magazine)

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

Happy Halloween Weekend, and welcome to “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s regular weekly 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.

How would you assess the fallout from Eddie Alvarez’s dominating win over Roger Huerta last week at Bellator 33?

Tool: If anything Alvarez’s thorough beat down on Huerta just proved how desperate for real competition Alvarez is right now. Whether that competition comes in the form a showdown with Gilbert Melendez or a potential entrance into the UFC, the fact is that Bellator’s roster has little to offer Alvarez in the way of fresh challenges. Huerta’s stock has dropped in recent years but we can’t forget that he was right on the cusp of contendership in the UFC at one point. The fight between these two was great from the standpoint of Bellator building up their lightweight champion, but now that their two biggest lightweight stars have fought what’s left? Is there any reason to think that Pat Curran will fare any better when he gets his shot at Alvarez?

Conlan: I see Tool’s point about the scarceness of challenges left for the lightweight champ within Bellator, though in fairness it needs to be pointed out that Curran did beat Huerta and should be a more competitive foe for Alvarez from that standpoint alone. Someone with Curran’s improving skill-set should never be discounted, especially in a sport like MMA where upsets are far from rare.

Since Adam’s response focused mostly on Alvarez I’m going to concentrate on Huerta’s future in the wake of suffering the first TKO loss of his career. I think the bout’s timing may have influenced the result to a certain extent, as I suspect Huerta’s confidence wasn’t where it would have been had he been coming off a few wins before facing Alvarez rather than losses in three of his last four fights. On top of that, he dealt with the publicity surrounding his “street fight” earlier this year which could have affected his training or mentality entering arguably the biggest scrap of his career. Preparing for an opponent like Alvarez – even a notch below the Philadelphian – requires 100% of a Mixed Martial Artist’s focus and being unable to give in wholly to the process essentially equates to a loss no matter who you may be.

To that point, Huerta’s physique also looked a bit smaller than usual at the event. I won’t speculate on whether it was an attempt to increase his speed or the result of less time in the gym, but it got me thinking how interesting it would be to see the “El Matador” give featherweight a shot. Assuming his body can handle the cut without it negatively affecting his performance in the ring, dropping down a division would be a good way to hit “refresh” on his career, as well as a move creating new match-ups for Huerta and possibly providing a few size-related competitive advantages he hasn’t necessarily had thus far in his career at 155-pounds.

Did Diego Sanchez’s showing against Paulo Thiago restore your faith in him as a welterweight or would you prefer to see him drop back down to 155-pounds?

Tool: His performance on Saturday restored my faith in Diego Sanchez period. I haven’t seen the Diego of old since the Clay Guida fight so it was pretty nice to see that old aggression back in action from the former “Nightmare.” He didn’t look nearly as doughy on Saturday as he did against John Hathaway, so perhaps he would be better off sticking around at 170 lbs.

Regardless of the division he competes in there are still plenty of compelling match-ups for Sanchez. If he stays at welterweight I think a bout with Martin Kampmann could easily steal whatever show it’s on. If he goes back down to lightweight I think the bout that would make the most sense is a rematch with Kenny Florian, as both fighters are completely different from the two guys that competed for the first “Ultimate Fighter” championship.

Conlan: Somewhere in between I suppose. I can’t say with conviction his showing against Thiago made me feel Sanchez can beat the UFC’s top welterweights, but the thought of him fighting Kampmann, Dan Hardy, or Nate Diaz has my salivary glands firing up so I’m also not sure I want to see him head back to 155-pounds just yet.

Thiago has stated in the past he’s unable to train full-time due to his job in Brazilian law enforcement and aside from knocking out Josh Koscheck hasn’t been overwhelmingly impressive. He’s lost three of his last five fights and, aside from a respectable submission of Mike Swick, has gone the distance in four of them. It was a highly entertaining fight, and Sanchez’s win was a nice notch the ol’ the ring-post, but didn’t restore the confidence I had in him 3-4 years ago during the height of his run at 170-pounds (as a finishing performance might have).

Similarly to the division he’s currently residing in, I think there are still a few match-ups ripe with potential for entertainment at lightweight including Florian, George Sotiropoulos, and the new crop of WEC 155-pounders heading to the Octagon in the near future (Ben Henderson, Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone, etc.). I feel Sanchez gave up on the weight-class after enduring the strain on his body only to be pummeled for the first time in his career courtesy of BJ Penn. Leaving it behind on such a sour note after looking sharp against Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson almost feels like quitting to me and I think it would be a shame of “Nightmare” never gives it a go again.

If given the choice, who would you most like to see Fedor Emelianenko fight out of the
following group – Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, or Randy Couture?

Tool: I’ve got to go with Velasquez, especially now that he’s got the strongest claim of anyone to be the top heavyweight in the world. Even if you don’t agree with that sentiment you can’t deny that Velasquez is now firmly positioned as the best heavyweight in the UFC, and that’s a spot I expect him to keep for the foreseeable future. Emelianenko doesn’t have the aura of invincibility around him anymore so the fight may not be as appealing as it was four months ago, but at this point we still have to believe that Fedor is one of the top fighters in the world and as such he would be a stiff challenge for anybody in the heavyweight division.

Conlan: I’m going to take my “writer/associate editor” cap off for a second and pick Couture as simply a fan of MMA. Though Velasquez and Lesnar are more-relevant opponents for Emelianenko where rankings are concerned, “The Natural” is a legend in the sport – perhaps its biggest star from a mainstream perspective – whose remaining fights are numbered due to age/opportunity. On the flipside, Lesnar and Velasquez should both be active for the foreseeable future and as such have more time ahead of them than Couture to see a bout against Emelianenko eventually materialize.

Lesnar/Velasquez are merely “top five” heavyweights, while pairing Couture and Fedor creates a legitimate “dream fight” people have been wanting to see for as long as the sport has existed in its current form. As silly as it may sound to bypass on having the highest ranked fighters face each other, MMA is as much about entertainment/storylines as it is two individuals throwing down in a ring, and in that regard it would be foolish to pass on the possibility of finally bringing Couture vs. Emelianenko to fruition.

Based on his showing this past weekend, do you think Jake Shields should have to win at least one more fight in the UFC before he earns a title shot?

Conlan: If Shields’ contendership was based solely on how he looked against Martin Kampmann then I would support the notion of him having to notch another victory in the Octagon before getting a title-shot. However, his status also stems from having won fourteen consecutive fights prior to UFC 121 including in-ring success against a number of top competitors, and in that regard I have no problem saying he deserves to be “next in line” for a crack at the belt.

As far as the Californian’s lackluster performance in Anaheim, fans should keep in mind Kampmann is an excellent grappler who has yet to be submitted in a 21-bout career and wasn’t on any level a good stylistic match-up for the Californian. Additionally, Shields hadn’t fought at 170-pounds for a significant period of time before entering the ring against “The Hitman” last weekend and even admitted he seriously struggled with the weight-cut after competing at 185 for the past two years. Both factors definitely played into Shields’ forgettable debut and need to be taken into account when questioning whether or not he deserves to face the winner of Georges St. Pierre’s upcoming title-defense against Koscheck.

Tool: I’ve been pretty high on Shields for awhile now, but even I have to admit that he hasn’t sold me on a potential bout with GSP just yet. Brendhan is spot on with his assessment of Shields’ worthiness as a result of his record, and I echoed his points when we had a similar discussion last week. Of course, that was before his fight with Kampmann. Let’s face it: Shields did not impress the UFC faithful on Saturday night. The hardcore fan base can certainly make the case for Shields being one of the best welterweights in the world, but any fan seeing him for the first time at UFC 121 would most likely laugh at the idea of a match-up with St. Pierre. Personally I feel a second trip inside the octagon against a highly-regarded opponent would give Shields another chance to make a first impression, and that could be very beneficial to the UFC and their bottom line.

Brendan Schaub has already called out Frank Mir for his next fight. If you were UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva, would you book that bout?

Conlan: I’d definitely put the two together if I was Silva for a few reasons, and, other than the possibility of Mir serving as a replacement for the injured Shane Carwin at UFC 125 against Roy Nelson, I can’t think of any reason why the match-up shouldn’t be made.

When comparing the two heavyweights there’s a nice contrast to their in-ring approaches which is often favorable when it comes to the production of an entertaining fight. Schaub has heavy-hands and likes to bang, while Mir is known for his grappling but also isn’t afraid to put his recently-improved striking on display either. It would be interesting to see whether Mir would focus 100% on assessing the depth of Schaub’s ground-game or opt to test his stand-up instead.

Also, I think the pairing also makes sense from an “internal rankings” standpoint. Schaub has won his last three outings and dismantled former title-contender Gabriel Gonzaga in the biggest fight of his young career. On the flipside, Mir is 2-2 in his last four and needs to build off his victory over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at UFC 119 (if for no other reason to help dull fans’ memory of the fourteen forgettable minutes prior to the knockout-knee). They are each in a place career-wise where a win over the other would provide a significant rub where contendership is concerned while a potential loss wouldn’t be overly damaging.

Tool: I agree that this booking makes sense, but of course this question was posed before the news came out that Shane Carwin was out of his UFC 125 fight with Nelson. Now I’m firmly of the belief that Mir makes the most possible sense as a replacement opponent for “Big Country.” It’s a great stylistic match-up between two guys who made their name with their jiu-jitsu skills, but have since evolved into heavy-handed strikers. That fight also has far greater title implications that a potential Mir/Schaub showdown, especially given the fact that both Mir and Nelson recently came up short in #1 contender bouts.

Now that he’s extended his win streak to five, how far away is Matt Hamill from competing for UFC gold?

Conlan: Hamill’s win-streak is akin to one of those computer-produced paintings a person has to thoroughly examine in order to see the actual image contained within. During the run he’s knocked off Reese Andy (who hasn’t fought since), Mark Munoz (now a middleweight), Jon Jones (by disqualification after getting absolutely decimated in the previous four minutes), Keith Jardine (lost six of his last seven fights), and most-recently Tito Ortiz at UFC 121 (who hasn’t won or been anywhere near active in three years). Looking beyond the Jones DQ and at the actual individuals he legitimately beat, Hamill has certainly been impressive but doesn’t have victories over opponents who anyone could argue are in peak position divisionally or skills-wise.

All that being said, I think Hamill will need to win at least three more times before working his way into the title picture. Dana White has already stated “The Hammer” will be paired up against a “Top 10” adversary in his next bout so that’s a good start. The UFC’s 205-pound pool is extremely deep and Hamill cannot cement himself as leader of the pack without first taking out a few of his highly-ranked peers.

Tool: It’s true that Hamill’s win-streak does have at least one heavy asterisk attached to it, but other than the Jones fight he’s pretty much dominated anyone he’s faced in the last few years. He’s still improving every time we see him, and at this rate he could very well be the next great wrestler/striker hybrid. He’s going to need at least a few wins against the upper level guys in the division before he’s going to be considered for contendership, but it’s certainly in the UFC’s best interests to try and get him into that position.

I would never advocate the usage of Hamill’s disability to try and gain more exposure for his accomplishments, but at the same time we cannot deny that his condition is part of who he is. He’s overcome some tremendous obstacles to get where he is, and that sort of thing can really capture public interest. Last night was the premiere of Hamill, a feature film based on his life, and if the movie has any success at all with critics then it’s only bound to bring more attention to this particular member of the UFC’s roster.