Inside MMA Recap

Nick Russell recaps the special 1½ edition of HDNet's Inside MMA

This week the popular HDNet-produced MMA magazine show heads to the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL for the CBS broadcast and Strikeforce/M1 Global co-promoted “Fedor vs. Rogers” heavyweight showdown. The 1½ hour special edition show brings the fans an up-close-and-personal look at the weigh-ins of the main card fighters.

Co-hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten take a quick look at how Saturday night’s card shapes up. Longtime MMA referee John McCarthy, newly signed Strikeforce 205 pounder Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, and former UFC and current Strikeforce middleweight Scott Smith join Kenny and Bas as this week’s panel.

Ron Kruk, the third main man of Inside MMA first takes a quick look at this week’s main attraction, Fedor Emelianenko and the mystique behind his long and durable career. When “Big” John McCarthy is asked about Fedor, he stresses his “deceptive speed” as one of his best traits. Scott Smith puts it simply by calling Fedor the “best pound for pound fighter in MMA.” “King Mo” agrees with the other two panelists, but adds that his speed, footwork, and power are characteristics that are not seen with a lot of top heavyweights in MMA.

It’s now time for the live weigh-ins, which master of ceremonies and Strikeforce ring announcer, Jimmy Lennon Jr. brings the first of the main card participants out. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, an American Top Team heavyweight, weighs in at 261 pounds, four pounds less than the heavyweight maximum. His opponent, Chute Boxe-trained, Fabricio Werdum hits the scales at 242, which is nineteen pounds less than the underdog Silva.

In the Light Heavyweight division, champion Gegard Mousasi comes out as the favorite against Sokoudjou. Mousasi weighs in right on the mark at 205 pounds, while Sokoudjou comes in with one pound to spare (204). Scott Smith surprises the panel with his prediction that Sokoudjou will defeat the newly-crowned Mousasi in the non-title affair.

Jake Shields, a normal welterweight, is next to jump on the scales. He comes in ½ pound under at 184½ pounds. His opponent, Jason “Mayhem” Miller weighs in at 184 pounds. Bas likes Miller’s striking and claims that in his opinion, it is better than Shields. This middleweight bout will be for the vacant 185 pound belt that was left when Cung Le chose movies over fighting.

Finally, Fedor and Brett Rogers are set to tip the scales. Fedor, a man of mystery, gets on and weighs in at 232 pounds. The heavy underdog Rogers has one pound to waist, weighing in at 264 pounds. Bas again gives credit to an underdog saying, “If Brett Rogers connects with one of his big shots, he is going to have a chance.”

Ron Kruk next talks to Antonio Silva, who thinks the key to his fight with Werdum is his superior jiu-jitsu. The 12-4 Werdum is confident with his skills no matter where the fight goes. He also reiterates that his long-term goal after taking down Silva is Fedor. Before the panel moves on to the next bout, Big John thinks that both of the heavyweights have excellent ground games.

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Ron meets with main event challenger Brett Rogers and asks first about Fedor’s weaknesses. Putting it simply, Rogers labels his chin as his number 1 weakness and calls this fight with the best fighter in the world a “dream come true.” Panelist Scott Smith says if there is one advantage for Rogers, then it must be his size.

Jake Shields is the next fighter to be questioned by Ron. Shields first talks about the difference between being a welterweight and a middleweight fighter saying, that he “feels strong” and is “ready to go” against Miller. His pinpoint to success is simply the hard work that he has put in for this championship bout. When asked about who has the advantage in the stand-up department, he answers “we’ll find out on Saturday night.” Scott Smith believes that it will be a good fight and predicts that Shields outlasts Miller and will win a decision. King Mo thinks that Miller will defend Shields takedown attempts and take the fight.

Moving on, Ron interviews Sokoudjou and talks about his participation in the DREAM Super Hulk tourney. The “African Assassin” is just happy to fight someone his own size. He also is quick to remind Ron that it is important for him to be patient with Mousasi. All three members of the panel favor Mousasi in this fight.

As Big John leaves the panel to attend to other responsibilities, SI.com’s Josh Gross takes his place on the panel. Gross believes that this November 7th card is “the most relevant card ever on CBS.”

Ron gets a rare interview with Strikeforce’s CEO, Scott Coker. He asks about his general feelings with Strikeforce’s position in MMA today. Coker says that he is “happy with his place in the MMA big picture.” He adds that CBS will open windows of opportunities for Fedor and help him gain even more popularity. He concludes with stressing that the goal this week is to achieve great fights and good ratings.

While the panel is filling the time with small talk about Scott Smith’s next fight, Gross informs him that he is rumored to be fighting Cung Le. Smith doesn’t let on as if he knows anything about the fight.

Shinya Aoki, a popular figure in the Japanese fight scene, takes a few minutes to answer some questions for Ron. Aoki says that “a mixture of grappling and striking” led to his win over Joachim Hansen. Aoki also mentioned the possibility of a New Year’s Eve fight in Japan against an unnamed opponent. He finishes by leaving the door open for a possible future fight in America and against a Strikeforce champion. Aoki predicts Fedor over Brett Rogers.

Ron is now with Joost Raimond of M1 Global and begins with the question of why he thinks Strikeforce is a good fit for Fedor. He claimed that bringing the two together opens opportunities for partnerships, which was the main sticking point with the UFC. Raimond was asked whether Fedor could be a big star in America. He responded with, “Yes, but not as fast as others mainly due because he doesn’t seek the fame like others do.”

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer