Brett "The Grim" Rogers + Time = Champion

There is a reason why Gary Shaw didn't want Kimbo to fight him and there will be a time that Dana White will need him.

Not today...not in a few months but in a year or two he will fight in the UFC and he will contend for the belt. No doubt about it. You know it, I know it...everybody knows it. We just have not realized it yet.

He is Huge...even for a HW
He is a Good Interview...especially for a HW
He is Undefeated
He is Cocky
He is Charismatic
He has a great nickname

Granted...he really has not fought anyone in the "A" tier yet. So what...neither had Brock.

Strikeforce will have Werdum fight Overeem...Overeem will win. If he passes the drug test (he is looking much bigger than before...no?) he will then fight "The Grim". Should be a killer fight.

If Brett can get past the next can they give him and then Overeem (or Werdum) he will find himself the Strikeforce HW champ...undefeated at 11-0. Parrallel to that Brock Lesnar will still be champ and they will fight. Don't believe me? Screw you. Write it down and prove me wrong if it doesn't happen.

Bottom line is that I dig The Grim...it's fun to watch him fight. No emotion, hard to take down and hard to hurt. I would really love to see him fight Brock. So would Dana...so it shall be.

Write it down.

Who needs the UFC? Full Tilt Poker has found a new girlfriend...

...and her name is Strikeforce.

Question: Was this split Zuffas call or FTPs? One would think Zuffa is pulling the strings but you never know.

Question: Who will end up in better shape? UFCs new poker partner has a shady past and Showtime/CBS can reach lots of potential gamblers.

Zuffa does not make many bad moves...time will tell if this was one of them.

Strikeforce: MMA fans should be excited...UFC should be paying attention

Love Strikeforce

1. Good Fighters (Le, Gilbert, The Punk, Babalu, Shields, Diaz etc...)
2. A solid non-crazy leader (Coker)
3. A partnership with CBS/Showtime

Not crazy about the fire or the ramp...in fact I hate the fire and the ramp....maybe I only hate the ramp because of the fire. Having said that, I would certainly put up with it in return for a fight card like last night.

Coker has learned to let go a little bit and relinquish some control...you have to give to get Dana...and it seems to be working for him.

A viable Strikeforce with a Major Cable and Network deal is great for the fighters as well.

The best part is that Gary Shaw and his incredibly creepy son Skala have nothing to do with it.

Nick Diaz, keeping it real...loves the Pot. Hates Shamrock

Nick Diaz does not have a fake bone in his body.

He does not always make the smartest decisions and sometimes his indiscretion can harm his profession. However...no one can ever question if he is real or not. He is a fighter...a fighter that loves to smoke pot.

As reported in the LA TIMES, he not only feels "more consistent" as a cannabis user but he has a way to beat the test. ppsssst! Nick! Inside voice! INSIDE VOICE!

He is clearly not the only fighter using the herb. He is just the only fighter telling the world he smokes it "on the reg" as Kenny Powers would say and tells the commission that he can beat their drug test.

You may not like Nick Diaz...however, in a world of fake people you have to respect his honesty.

Pass it over here Nick...

Cyborg...please don't ruin this face.

As reported on MMAWEEKLY.COM (Excerpts):

Carano maintains a solution will be reached that will put her back in action in the near future.

“I just had to weigh some options,” she explained. “I’m making these decisions, so nobody else is going to make these decisions for me. I have to make them, and so we’re going to get something figured out and I’ll be fighting.

“I pray about it and see what would be a good move for my career, and I just know that no matter what, any fight from here is going to be a big fight, and a tough one. Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.”

The current storm on the horizon is Christian “Cyborg” Santos. The fearsome striker made her wish to fight Carano known again at Strikeforce’s press conference announcing the upcoming “Shamrock vs. Diaz.” Santos is scheduled for the April 11 card against submission specialist Hitomi Akano, and a win could position her for a summer showdown with Carano.

“It’s gonna happen,” said Carano of the much-anticipated fight. “Actually, the only person I can think about right now. My focus is on her, and I don’t really want to fight anybody else but her. Let’s do it.

I'm really not crazy about the ladies fighting...sorry it just doesn't do it for me. Having said that, I am not against others enjoying it if that is what they like. So my plea to Christian "Cyborg" Santos (maybe the scariest women I have ever seen on TV) is...please....please do not mess up Ginas face.

One of the great things about this sport is that there are several different ways to win...many of them have nothing to do with punching or kicking someone in the face. Slap a leg lock, arm bar or choke on her...give her a liver shot that buckles her...anything but don't bust up her kisser.

I know that it's not a rational request but it's a request nonetheless. She is the hot girl that fights and that's cool...what would not be cool is to be the "once hot" girl who fights who now has a sideways nose. Maybe this is why I don't like the chicks fighting.

I mean, when a guys face gets destroyed (Rich Franklin etc...) no one cares...Guys faces were meant to be destroyed. But the face if Gina Carano...not meant to to be busted up. She is the face of ladies MMA...BECAUSE she is hot and she is good. However, without the hot she may not only be poster girl for the sport but she may also become a constant reminder of how brutal the sport can be and the damage that it can cause.

Brutal damage on a guy is a badge of honor, brutal damage on a girl is disturbing.

Tom Atencio and Affliction continue to make stupid moves

Strikeforce has learned to compete with the UFC and still maintain the Goliaths respect (at least in public and at least for the time being) Affliction failed "Not Pissing off Dana White 101"...in fact they skipped the class, burned the book and held a rally outside of the school.

As Fiveouncesofpain.com originally reported (excerpts):

Affliction Entertainment is currently engaged in preliminary discussions regarding the possibility of promoting its third-ever event on Saturday, July 11. Such a booking would put the promotion in direct competition with the UFC’s historic UFC 100 pay-per-view event.

Several fighters and managers have been approached by Affliction officials about the possibility of accepting restructured contracts in order to compete on the show.

Meetings are expected to take place within the next several weeks regarding a possible television partner for the proposed event. If enough fighters were willing to accept a reduced rate to compete on the show and if a deal with a suitable television partner could be reached, the door would then be open for Affliction to go head-to-head with UFC 100.

One source also indicated to us that the possible July event for Affliction could be the company’s last MMA show, with the popular lifestyle clothing label looking to “go out with a bang” by going up against UFC 100.

When contacted by FiveOuncesOfPain.com for comment, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio said he could neither confirm or deny our report.

Great Idea...grab all your talent and have them burn the UFC bridge while...earning less money? If any fighter agrees to that then it's their own fault.

Granted...the UFC is the worst offender of counter programming. However, that does not make it wise to return the favor out of spite to "go out with a bang".

At some point in the future, I hope that the Affliction business plan is reviewed at a University somewhere in the course "How not to compete with the UFC"

Stick to making t-shirts Tom

Frank Shamrock is a role model

As MMAJUNKIE.COM reported:

Frank Shamrock is looking to cast a crew of deserving fighters into a new reality show project. The March 21 Team Shamrock tryouts will provide a chance for a group of young fighters to become overnight stars. "March 21 we've got a massive tryout coming up," Shamrock said. "We've got guys coming in from all over the world. We're also filming it and producing a reality show in conjunction with it."

Shamrock said the winner of the tryouts, being held at the San Jose Athletic Club in San Jose, Calif., will get a chance to train with the former UFC and Strikeforce champion and be the subject of a new reality show.

OK...not a terrible idea. It's not original but it's not terrible. No one can blame him for being an enthusiastic if opportunistic entrepreneur. No, but you can blame him for saying something like:

"We're looking to take on guys and guide them professionally because there's a huge lack of professional guidance in the industry," Shamrock said. "And we're looking for eight guys to really become our talent and to follow them around as they go through this journey."

So...the problem is that there is a lack of professional guidance in the indusrty and the solution is...Frank Shamrock?

Let's be open and honest...he has a long list of bad decisions, a super-cheesy-game-show-host persona and a 2-2 record in the last 3 years...right, any young fighter would certainly gain from his professional guidance. Please.

Having said all of that...I am going watch that show and so are you.