StrikeForce And No Elbows Rule On The Ground

StrikeForce has a lot of good things going for them; they've built a decent stable of fighters to compete, they have Fedor, managed to get their cards on Showtime and CBS, and overall seem to be heading in the right direction. But one thing StrikeForce needs to incorporate into their league is allowing the use of elbows on the ground.

Obviously, there are pros and cons when it comes to elbows on the ground:

Pro: Allowing elbows on the ground makes each fight much more dynamic, and gives fighters more ways to win a fight. Not only does it make the sport more 'pure,' allowing elbows on the ground would fit other models, such as the UFC. In the event a fighter has to transition himself into another league, the rules would be the same as they were when that fighter competed in the other organization. Fighters fighting under another banner wouldn't have to redevelop their game.

Con: Allowing no elbows on the ground, such as StrikeForce, makes the ground game more pleasing on the eye. Having the no elbow rule makes fighters more busy, and you get less lay-n-pray; in order for fighters to do damage from the top position, they need to get space in order to punch - which ultimately makes for more submission opportunities for the opponent on the bottom. The no elbow rule also reduces the chance of a fight ending because of a cut. How many times have we seen fighters cut by sharp elbows? A lot.

As you can see, there is an argument to be made for both rules. Personally, I'd like StrikeForce to allow elbows on the ground. The unified rules of MMA in North America is already established, so there is no reason for StrikeForce to limit the rules which are already in place. Allowing elbows on the ground adds to each fighters' game. The more dynamic a fighter and his game plan the better, in my opinion.

An interesting thought occurred to me while contemplating the pros and cons of the no elbow rule; how would Fedor do if elbows were allowed? He's able to pull off arm bars left and right on the ground, because his opponent creates space in order to inflict his own damage; if elbows are allowed, Fedor probably has more problems on the ground. Could this possibly be one of the reasons that influenced Fedor's decision on signing with StrikeForce, instead of the UFC?

Whatever the case, I'm in favor of StrikeForce allowing elbows on the ground.

Fedor Emelianenko Highlight With Joe Rogan Commentary

Randy Couture Should Retire

MMA legend Randy Couture should retire. He's 46 years old and way past his prime. He's given a lot to the sport of MMA, UFC in particular, but there comes a time when an athlete should call it quits. Just take a look at Evander Holyfield for example.

Randy Couture is a good advocate for MMA, no doubt about it. But for the sake of the sport, especially the UFC, I'm hoping, win or lose, he finally retires after his fight with Vera.

In a way I'm hoping Vera beats Couture; if Couture wins, he might be tempted to linger around.

If MMA is to be taken seriously, and like Dana White says, "MMA is home to some of the best athletes on earth," then there is no reason a 46 year old, past prime fighter should be competing at the highest levels. It's time for Randy to pass the torch to the up-and-coming fighters.

Couture should walk away after his fight with Vera, win or lose, while he's ahead - and not become a freak show - or just some fighter who pimps his name for a big pay day.

Fedor Emelianenko On CBS

The American public was finally introduced to arguably the best pound for pound fighter on the planet Saturday night, Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor fought Brett Rogers in the main event on CBS. Over 5 million people tuned in to watch the main event - and to see what all the fuss was about with that Fedor guy.

First of all, I thought the whole StrikeForce card was good. Most of the fights were exciting. Even if all the fights didn't live up to expectation, you can't really complain, because MMA was on network television -- for free!

As for the Fedor/Rogers fight; I thought it was excellent. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It's been while since we've seen a Fedor opponent put up a good fight.

The other reason the fight kept me on the edge of my seat is because, well, Fedor! You never know when he'll end a fight, and in brutal fashion. That's exactly what he did. Just when you thought Emelianenko was going to be in for a long night - possibly a decision victory - he brutally lands a right hand on Brett Rogers's jaw with a devastating right hand that sent him crashing to the floor. Fedor jumped on him immediately after to go for the kill, before Big John stopped the fight.

What better way for StrikeForce and M-1 to introduce Fedor to the American public? The casual MMA fan got acquainted with the Russian killer and were treated to a climatic stoppage.

Fedor Emelianenko definitely lived up to the hype. The hardcore MMA fan already knew what "The Last Emperor" was capable of, but the casual fan might not have. If they didn't know him before, they sure know him now.

The right hand that Fedor connected on Rogers was a thing of beauty; he didn't load up and timed the punch perfectly. Fedor does so many subtle things right inside the ring/octagon it's ridiculous.

Some fans complained that perhaps the fight was stopped prematurely by Big John. I don't think so. After Rogers was knocked to the floor by a monstrous right hand, Fedor connected with a couple of shots, and Rogers had rolled over to his side into the turtle defense. I thought the stoppage was appropriate. Most likely, the people complaining are Fedor-haters.

The card itself was a success for CBS and MMA fans alike. I'm looking forward to the next StrikeForce event and can't wait to see who Emelianenko's next opponent will be.