There’s much debate as to which fighter should be awarded this prestigious honor.  I’ve seen a lot of great fights this year but not many ending in life-changing knock outs.  Two are up for discussion.

When Fedor Emelianenko took on Brett Rogers at the Sears Centre in Illinois on November 7, MMA watched supporters boo an American and root for a Russian.  Both fighters were ranked, Emelianenko at No. 1 and Rogers at No. 8 in the Heavyweight division.  No one was quite expecting the knock out that would occur when Rogers was left at the mercy of Emelianenko’s fists of fury.

After the first round, Emelianenko was only up 10-9 as they both scrambled to get punches in and fought to keep their battle in the center.  Emelianenko already had a busted nose and had missed Rogers on his first jab.  In the second round, things changed.  Rogers met Emelianenko’s right hook and was flat on his back to end the match at 1:48 in the second by TKO.

I would say, that is pretty impressive but have a look for yourself.

Now, Lyoto Machida knocked out Rashad Evans last May and that, too, was impressive and rather painful to watch.  Machida and Evans faced off in the octagon at UFC 98 in Las Vegas, Nevada for the light heavyweight championship.  Prior to the match, both fighters we undefeated.  Machida remained so, having never lost so much as a round through this match up.  Evans, was taken down, knocked completely unconscious with his back still up against the cage.  It appeared as if his legs just gave out from underneath him and he fell to the canvas like a deflating balloon.

Machida laid it on him in the second round of their fight.  Machida just dominated the match, making it look like Evans didn’t see any of it coming.  He earned the Light Heavyweight Championship title and Knockout of the Night honors.

So really, I’d give my vote to Machida but everyone knows that Emelianenko is a strong candidate as well.  This is one that can’t really be decided by just me.  What’s your choice?

Forrest Griffin started as a fighter and law enforcement officer outside Augusta, Georgia during his college years.  After some time, and some success, he quit his job as a law enforcer to pursue a professional career in Mixed Martial Arts.  Who would have though that a college degree, a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and years of experience would result in him pursuing his dreams? Well, isn’t that hows it’s supposed to work?

Griffin, known best for winning The Ultimate Fighter 1, has since progressed into a 17-6 fighter.  He trains and instructs at the Warrior Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.  There, he works with Ricardo Cavalcanti, Rick Davis and Norm Turner to train and help train fighters like Heath Herring, Bryan Humes, John Wood and Brandon Sene.

Griffin strives to improve his fight, having faced Tito Ortiz for the second time just this past Saturday.  This time, unlike the first, he walked out of the Octagon victorious.  Griffin fought smart enough to earn another split decision but with his name as the victor in 2009.

Even though he trains and instructs, he’s had his fair share of defeats.  Most recently, he was knocked out by Anderson Silva in August 2009 in Philadelphia, PA at UFC 101: Declaration.  Griffin was out of the Octagon before the referees could even raise Silva’s hand.  Since then, he has not mentioned the fight other than to say he was not with it that day.

He also lost a controversial match against Ortiz in 2006.  Though he lost the decision, he won over many fans for being able to withstand any punch Ortiz threw at him.

Griffin was also featured as a coach in The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest which aired in 2008 where he coached Luke Zachrich and Nick Klein among others.

In an article published by Brett Okamoto in the Las Vegas Sun, Griffin displayed his true colors.  A fighter and instructor by day, Griffin moonlights as a regular comedian.  Okamoto opened with “In even the shortest of conversations, it’s a safe bet that Griffin will stray completely off topic, make fun of himself and others, and crack at least one joke that no one knows is a joke and, therefore, doesn’t laugh at.”

I guess some guys just get it all; the fight, the gym and a sense of humor.

Ever wonder what gym Fedor Emelianenko calls home?  Based out of St. Petersburg, Russia, Emieianenko, his brothers Aleksander and Ivan, his childhood coaches Vladimir Voronov, and Aleksander Michkov, and many other Strikeforce favorites call Red Devil Sport Club home.

Red Devil Sport Club began as a Combat Sambo training ground and as recently as the union of Red Devil and the Emelianenkos in 2005 has migrated with quick succession in the direction of mixed martial arts.  Most of the athletes are Russian or Armenian and train in a variety of specialties ranging from Sambo to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to Muay Thai to MMA.  Founded by Vadim Finkelstein, also the creator of M-1 Global, an MMA promotion naming stars such as Arman Gambaryan and Ibragim Magomedov.

With the strength of F. Emelianenko and currently the rise in fame of his brothers, many MMA stronghands (Victor Nemkov (below) and Aleksander Garkushenko, for example) were drawn to train at the Red Devil.  The team has created a strong name for itself by consistently performing as one of the top MMA teams in Russia since the start of M-1.

For spiritual reasons, F. Emelianenko requested that the Red Devil Team be referred to as the Imperial Team.  The name stuck around after due to Emelianenko’s excessive fame.  He is easily considered the top MMA artist in the sport.

In 2009, A. Emelianenko left Red Devil with little to no explanation but continues to practice with is brothers, coaches, and family friends.

As 2008 M-1 Challenge Champions, Imperial Team entered the 2009 challenge looking for success.  They came up short, failing to win the competition this year, largely due to the constant change in fighters.  Imperial Team often encourages newer fighter to be entered into the fight so that they may gain experience.  While this is a kind gesture and good training strategy for the athletes, it is not helping the team overall.  The team will be looking to reclaim their title in 2010.

Mike “Quick” Swick keeps his name while throwing “punches in bunches” at his opponents in octagon.

Swick started out as a child interested in being the Karate Kid, he claims.  Things progressed from there and after his appearance on the original season of The Ultimate Fighter as a light heavyweight, he went on board with UFC full time.  Swick took some classes but found his calling with UFC.

Winning 14 of his past 16 fights, Swick is known for his fast and furious punching style.  He takes his opponents down with punches early.  Sometimes, it doesn’t work and he has to fight a whole match, usually still winning because of his punches.

In his last match up against Ben Saunders in UFC 99, only his fourth match since dropping to welterweight, he won by TKO (punches) 3:47 minutes into the second round.  He won “Knockout of the Night” honors as well.

He was then set to fight Martin Kampmann at UFC 103.  The winner of that match would be offered a chance at the title, versus George St. Pierre.  Swick was injured while training and was unable to fight.  He will replace injured Kim Dong-hyun in UFC 105 on November 14, 2009 versus Dan Hardy.

Swick will set out to add another victory to his seven match streak.  After this, he will continue to fight for his dream title.

As the weather cools off outside, the mats start steaming.  Grappling, wrestling, judo, MMA; all sports that steam up the inside of venues, even in the freezing cold.

Grapplers from all over Pennsylvania are gathering, on Saturday October 24, to battle for the day in the Pennsylvania Grappling Championships.  Hosted at Penn Tech campus in Williamsport, this is the first event of the season.

Prizes for the No Gi absolute Pennsylvania Grappling Champion include $500 cash and a belt.  Individual win points can also be put towards a team total.  All men, women, and kids’ weight classes and ages will be accepted per NAGA rules.

Registration is open online as all interested parties should do so in advance.  Registration fee is $50 or $60 for families the day of the event.

Doors open for weigh ins at 8 while grappling begins at 10.  Spectator tickets are $10 and sold at the door.  The PAGC will offer a special Saturday as part of Make a Difference Day.  PAGC will be collecting body wash, shampoo, conditioner, dish soap and paper products for $1 off of admission price.  All donations will be given to the Ronald McDonald House in Danville, PA.

Venture out to Williamsport for a live grappling experience.  Breathe in the sweat and steam of the room and watch the intensity in the fighters’ eyes.  Or if you’re a fighter yourself, get back on the mats.  No matter which side of the mat you sit on, this is sure to be an event to see.

Below is a sample of NAGA submission grappling, the style of this event.  This event is ranked; all fighters must abide by the NAGA rules and regulations.

UFC 106, set for November 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada, will host a battle at welterweight up for much discussion.  Dustin “McLovin’” Hazelett (12-4) will fight Armenian Karo “The Heat” Parisyan (18-5).

Parisyan’s last contest, in UFC 94, was determined “No Contest” by NSAC after he tested positive for banned painkillers during a drug screening post-fight.  Parisyan stated that he had a prescription for the drugs due to back and hamstring injuries.  Prior to this overturn, he won with a split decision over Kim Dong-hyun of South Korea.

Because of his hearing which ruled the decision “No Contest” and suspended Parisyan for nine months, Hazelett will be his first match up since the incident.  Can Parisyan come back with enough strength to pick up a win, fair and square?  Or will Hazelett prove to be the better man after his last match up?

Hazelett last faced off against Tamdan McCrory in UFC 91.  Hazelett won by submission using a painful-looking reverse arm bar.The match is shown below.  Watch as Hazelett uses his legs and arms to secure McCrory’s arm and then begin twisting it until he submits.

He was set to fight in UFC 96 but had to withdraw because of an injury.  He will return to the octagon in his match up against Parisyan.  Can Hazelett set himself up for an arm bar, a popular move winning him submissions in the past? Or will Parisyan have a few tricks up his sleeve to prevent it?

Both fighters have 9 wins by submission and have gone almost a year without a fight.  This fight will be particularly interesting to see whose comeback can win the match.  Parisyan will have to watch Hazelett’s arm bar as it has won him Submission of the Night honors in past match ups including in UFC 91.  Hazelett might have to watch as Parisyan has the stamina to last an entire match.  They two will prove to be a solid match in UFC 106 this November.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship hosts its 104^th event October 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.  The main event fight card shows match ups between welterweights Anthony Johnson and Yoshiyuki Yoshida, heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Ben Rothwell, lightweights Gleison Tibau and Josh Neer, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and Spencer “The King” Fisher, and light heavyweight championship bout between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua.  Set to air on Pay-Per-View, and just about every solid sports bar in town, UFC 104 will be a match-up worth watching.

Stevenson boasts a 30-10 record and two killer chokes; the Guillotine and Rear Naked Chokes.  He entered the TV reality show The Ultimate Fighter 2 as one of the more experienced welterweight fighters.  Prior to the show, Stevenson held the 155 lb (70 kg). championship at King of the Cage and the 170 lb (77 kg). at Gladiator Challenge.  He won The Ultimate Fighter 2 Welterweight Tournament and went on to drop weight and begin his career as a lightweight fighter.

He defeated his last opponent, former Ultimate Fighter winner Nate Diaz, by unanimous decision at the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale.  Stevenson was the superior wrestler and established control for the majority of the fight.  This fight earned Fight of the Night honors.  Check out the fight below.

Next, Stevenson is set to match up against Fisher, an older but less experienced fighter.

Fisher (23-4) entered the UFC world in Ultimate Fight Night 2 where he won by submission over Thiago Alves in the second round.  He defeated his last opponent, MMA veteran fighter Caol Uno, by unanimous decision in UFC 99: The Comeback.  Fisher boasts an effective triangle choke as well as 11 wins by TKO.

This match-up between two experienced fighters is sounding like a must-see.  While Stevenson has a few good chokes he can throw, he’s also been caught in them before.  Both fighters won their last match by decision.  Both have only been knocked out once in their career.  In this case, Fisher has a stronger recent past, winning his last 3 matches, while Stevenson shows two losses before his last victory.  It may be a grappling match to the end, resulting in a decision dependent upon who gets lucky enough to make their choke first.  Occasionally, there’s a clear winner.  This time, it could be any man in the Octagon.

Strikeforce is a mixed martial arts facility based out of San Jose, California.  It began with kickboxing in 1985 and opened with its first MMA fight in March 2006. The first California sanctioned fight card was “Shamrock vs. Gracie” held in th HP Pavillion in San Jose.  The star line up hosted a sold out crow of over 18 thousand fans which proved to be a record breaker.

Strikeforce boasts a co-production of the first SHOWTIME PPV mixed martial arts event in history with world championship fight “Shamrock v. Baroni” in June 2007.  It also recently partnered with NBC to show a series of highlights and fighter profiles called Strikeforce on NBC. As Strikeforce gains popularity, it also gains the attention of new competitors.

Since August, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Strikeforce have been in a promotional competition. Days after Strikeforce landed Russian star Fedor “the Last Emperor” Emelianenko over UFC, the UFC president, Dana White, declared that they shouldn’t have tried to compete.  UFC also claims they already know the outcome of this fight.  Scott Cocker, promoter and CEO of Strikeforce did not seem worried after a pairing with M-1that brought them Emelianenko.  His first fight will be versus Brett Rodgers and is scheduled to air live on Showtime this fall.

Emelianenko, Russian heavyweight, is considered the greatest fighter in the world.  He’s undefeated despite a TKO declared after 17 seconds against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka due to a cut Emelianenko sustained early in the match-up held in Osaka, Japan in December 2000.  Below is a video highlighting Emelianenko’s best fights.

For more information on Strikeforce, Emelianenko, or any other Strikeforce fighters, visit their home site http://www.strikeforce.com/index2.html.

Warrior-1, presented by The Score, will come back fighting on October 10th at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau, Quebec.  W1: HIGH VOLTAGE will feature Carlos “The Ronin” Newton versus “Mr. International” Shonie Carter as the main event in a showdown for the W1 Welterweight Championship.

W1: HIGH VOLTAGE will feature THE RONIN vs. MR. INTERNATIONAL Oct 10

Newton returns to W1 after making his debut in W1: INCEPTION where he defeated Nabil “The Thrill” Khatib by TKO to become the first ever Canadian UFC Champion at Welterweight.  Carter has won his last three matches and is looking to add this championship to his collection.

The co-main event features a match-up for Bantamweight Champ between undefeated Remi “Bam Bam” Moravan and the former TKO Bantamweight Champion Adrian “The Bully” Wooley.

Fighting begins at 6 pm.  Fans should visit Ticketmaster for tickets or w1mma.com for more information.