Another big Strikeforce event is in the books and the storied career of Fedor Emelianenko continues to have a somber ending.

“The Last Emperor” suffered a first round TKO loss to Dan Henderson in a heavyweight clash that saw Emelianenko basically taking on a light heavyweight.

The action was fast and furious in the bout, with Fedor coming out swinging early. After surviving a few big punches early, Henderson answered with some of his own and then controlled most of the round in the clinch.

The end came after Fedor landed a big uppercut that sent Henderson to the ground. As Fedor looked for the finish, Henderson managed to reverse the position and land a big right during a scramble that put Fedor down. A few punches later, referee Herb Dean stopped the fight just 4:12 into the contest.

Fedor has now lost three straight fights, all by stoppage. His future is in doubt while Henderson is on a nice roll and just secured one of the biggest wins in his legendary career.

In the co-main event, Miesha Tate pulled off a surprising arm triangle submission on submission specialist Marloes Coenen to win the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Championship.

The fight was close from the start, with Tate surviving a second round that saw Coenen on her back for nearly the full five minutes. Still, in the fourth round Tate managed to score a takedown and catch Coenen off guard with a quick transition to an arm triangle that force the champion to tap at 3:03.

For full main card results from Saturday’s fights, check out the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson takes place Saturday night and here are my picks for each of the five main card bouts.

Heavyweight Bout – Fedor Emelianenko (31-3-1) vs. Dan Henderson (27-8) – This is a tough fight to call, but I like Fedor to bounce back and get over his losing streak. I think his size will be too much for Henderson, as he has similar wrestling skills but improved submissions. Both pack a good punch, but Fedor looks like he is in good shape for this fight and will be able to push a faster pace. Give me Fedor to win in the third by submission.

Women’s Welterweight Championship – Marloes Coenen (19-4) vs. Miesha Tate (11-2) – I like Coenen to win this fight by submission in the later rounds. I don’t expect either to land a big strike and expect the fight to be primarily on the ground. There, I look for Coenen to neutralize Tate’s wrestling ability before finding a way to sneak in a submission.

Middleweight Bout – Robbie Lawler (19-7-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (13-3) – Lawler has a pretty obvious weakness against ground fighters, so I think Kennedy should win this one with some ease. Lawler will swing big early, but that will open him up to a takedown, and eventually a submission. I will take Kennedy in the second by choke.

Welterweight Bout – Paul Daley (27-10-2) vs. Tyron Woodley (7-0) – Like Lawler, Daley is somewhat one dimensional, which should allow Woodley to get the win. This will be a big test for Woodley, but I like him to win by TKO with ground and pound as Daley will struggle to hit his big punch.

Welterweight Bout – Scott Smith (17-7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (10-2) – Smith is a dangerous striker and an exciting fighter, but he lacks the all-around skills to compete at the highest level. I look for Saffiedine to control the fight on the ground and get a decision win over Smith.

This Saturday Strikeforce presents one of its best cards in the history of the promotion as Fedor vs. Henderson takes place from Chicago.

The main card airs live on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET and features a championship bout and the long-anticipated showdown between former PRIDE legends, Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko.

Oddsmakers from BetOnFighting.com have Fedor as the favorite in the main event. Fedor comes in with a money line of -260 while Henderson has odds of +210 to win this heavyweight clash. Ememlianenko should have the size edge on Henderson, who has fought at middleweight and light heavyweight for his career. Henderson will have a wrestling edge, but submissions and striking may go to his opponent. It should be an exciting fight where both men leave it all in the cage.

In the co-main event, Marloes Coenen is a slight favorite at -130 against Miesha Tate (+100) as she defends here Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Championship. Coenen is a submission specialist while Tate is primarily a wrestler. Neither has shown tremendous striking ability, so this fight will likely remain on the ground. Whomever can control the fight from there will emerge victorious.

Check out all the available odds after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »