Strikeforce: Fabricio Werdum defeats Fedor Emelianenko in shocker

[Walter Cronkite]

The rapid turn of events that led Fabricio Werdum to claim perhaps the most shocking upset in mixed martial arts history Saturday night over Fedor Emelianenko is what makes fans of the growing sport so rabid.

Anything can happen at any second.

So it was Saturday at HP Pavilion, where a nearly full house was stunned as Emelianenko knocked Werdum to the mat in the opening seconds of the fight with a hard right hand, then found his head locked in a Werdum leg wrap.

Emelianenko (31-2) tried to wriggle free, to find a better position. Instead, Werdum twisted, too, and locked the Russian's left arm while setting a triangle choke that caused Emelianenko to surrender by tapping Werdum's side once with his right hand.

One minute, nine seconds into the first round, the fight was over.

"I made a mistake," Emelianenko said after watching his amazing 28-fight unbeaten streak end in a bout that was supposed to be little more than a tuneup in anticipation of a Strikeforce title shot later this year.

Emelianenko, who hadn't lost since 2000, also has been targeted often by the rival MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship, with an expected bidding war that now takes on a much different form given Emelianenko's slip to mortal.

Werdum, a Brazilian who resides in Marina del Rey, improved to 14-4-1.

Asked how the loss will affect his future business negotiations, Emelianenko's business advisor, Vadim Finkelstein, said, "We'll see. The future will show us. Fabricio Werdum is the first fighter who managed to defeat Fedor. It'll be great to have a rematch and prove Fedor is still the best."

Earlier Saturday, Cris "Cyborg" Santos showed that she's an exception in women's mixed martial arts, which on many levels is still a work in progress.

The 24-year-old Brazilian is far and away the best female fighter in the sport, holding the Strikeforce middleweight championship belt and disposing last year of the top challenger the organization could throw at her, Gina Carano.

Saturday, Cyborg delivered a brutal beatdown to Springfield, Ohio's Jan Finney. Cyborg assaulted Finney with wicked right-hand blows to the face, and ended the bout at 2:56 of the second round with a knee to Finney's head and some finishing blows to the head that prompted referee Kim Winslow to stop the fight.

In the end, Finney (8-8) was left down after receiving 141 strikes and landing only 23. She kneeled on the mat, treating her swollen eyes with an icepack.

Source: LA Times

[Stallion]

I love good fights and I seriously wasn't expecting one so when the fight came around I expected an under-60 second TKO by murder for Fedor.

When Werdum managed to grab Fedor's arm and didn't let go my mind went bonkers and I thought that perhaps he had a chance. When he set up a smooth armbar attempt I started swooning, really, I felt dizzy because I felt like I was watching something incredible happen. When Fedor slipped his foot under his knee in the leg triangle and Werdum kept Fedor's arm, I started jumping up and down and stifling screams (it was 1 am here) and then it ended.

Wow... I couldn't believe what I had just seen - Werdum's only chance in hell and he managed to pull it off by holding on for dear life to Fedor's arm.

At any rate, Fedor didn't get any worse for losing and I still think he's damn good but I think he'll start considering retirement.

[Gambit]

If you ask me Fedor already retired. Wouldn't be surprised if Strikefarce went completely tits up now. Werdum is never gonna' draw like Fedor did. Santos killed any chance of female MMA popularity when she crushed Carano. Other than Fedor everyone at that org is a UFC washout.

Fedor can no longer insist that since he's the best there is that he and he alone can set the terms to take a fight in the UFC. When Affliction went tits up and Fedor went to an obviously 2nd tier org like Strikefarce instead of THE major league is when he unofficially retired.

[Danee]

Glad he finally lost...and to a guy that got destroyed in the UFC. just proves he doesn't belong.

[The Question]

Wow, just watched the video of this. Looked like a pretty careless mistake. At one point Fedor had freed his arm from Werdum's grip and yet he left it curled around Werdum's leg while trying to deliver hammer fists. One arm in, one arm out - that's a basic BJJ no-no. Fedor should have had more respect for the guard of Werdum, a two-time ADCC world champion.

Fedor has gotten into trouble before, but has always managed to get out of it, which may have caused him to grow overconfident and develop some bad habits. If he can recognize this and tighten up his game there is no reason he can't regain his former stature. Judging from his post-fight comments, he realizes the mistake he made. If he rematches Werdum we are probably looking at a Cung Le/Scott Smith situation. The bigger obstacle to Fedor's career is his management team, whom Fedor reportedly had to console backstage. These are the guys keeping Fedor from fighting the best.