Denny Burkholder

Tito Ortiz returns from his 18-month layoff and back surgery to try and grab his first win since Ken Shamrock in 2006, fighting Forrest Griffin in a rematch from UFC 59.

Griffin is typically a major fan favorite, although his recent losses (and postfight behavior) have raised some questions. Ortiz will always have detractors due to his attitude, but he's a better fighter than some people like to admit. His biggest obstacle will possibly be cage rust, stamina or his back. Even if he's fully healed, people don't always move the same after a surgery of that nature, particularly people who fight or grapple for a living.

Griffin is entering the arena to Chumbawamba. I guess Anderson Silva must have knocked him all the way back to 1998. Ortiz has gone back to "Mosh" by Eminem for his entrance music.

Round 1: Griffin lands a few close jabs. Ortiz misses on an exchange. Griffin head kick is blocked. Ortiz head kick is also blocked. Inside leg kick by Ortiz. Ortiz lands a jab and Griffin misses an overhand right counter. Ortiz takes Griffin down and starts grounding and pounding from Griffin's guard. Ortiz with punches to the ribs and jaw. Griffin takes a kimura and uses it to try and sweep. Griffin gets to his feet with his back to the fence. Ortiz with a knee to the ribs from a body lock. Griffin with a knee to the body. They separate and square off. Outside leg kick by Griffin but the follow-up haymaker misses. Griffin gets the better of an exchange. Ortiz with a takedown shot, but Griffin defends it. Ortiz checks a kick. Griffin uses a leg kick to try and set up a boxing combo, but Ortiz has it well scouted. teep kick by Griffin. The round ends, and it's close, but I'd probably call it 10-9 Ortiz based on the takedown and the damage he did with ground and pound.

Round 2: Griffin lands a fist and Ortiz answers with one that staggers an off-balance Griffin. Griffin throws the outside leg kick, but Ortiz was waiting for it. He catches the leg and takes Griffin down. Griffin takes guard and avoids any real damage from ground and pound before fighting his way to his feet. Ortiz with a jab, Griffin misses the counterpunch. Ortiz ducks a Superman punch, but Griffin lands a teep kick that actually hits Ortiz in the jaw. Griffin with a jab. Ortiz with a takedown, and Griffin nearly sweeps with the butterfly guard, but Ortiz keeps position. Ortiz with minimal ground and pound as Griffin is struggling to escape. Griffin is bleeding underneath both eyes, on his cheekbones. Tons of blood. Griffin reverses to Ortiz's half guard and throws elbows to the jaw and fists to the ribs. The round ends, and it's 10-9 Ortiz, but still close. Either round could probably be scored for either guy at this point, but I think Ortiz is doing the most damage.

Round 3: Griffin goes back to the leg kicks again. Griffin with a boxing combo, but Ortiz blocks the punches. Griffin is very actively throwing, but not really doing much damage as Ortiz looks to be preserving his energy right now. Griffin tags Ortiz with a right hook and a kick that gets blocked. Leg kick by Griffin. Griffin with the fists-and-feet combo again but every shot is either dodged or blocked by Ortiz. Ortiz tries for a takedown, but Griffin stuffs it. Griffin with fists up the middle that connect. Griffin tags him with a good jab. High kick by Griffin is blocked, but Griffin nails him with a follow-up fist. Ortiz seems to be gassed, and in defense mode right now. Leg kick by Griffin. Ortiz finally puts a combo together without anything serious landing. Griffin with a fist-leg kick combo that connects. Ortiz with a takedown attempt that is blocked, followed by a leg kick of his own. Griffin with a right hand. Ortiz's hands look really heavy. The round ends, and it's clearly 10-9 Griffin. My scorecard has Ortiz winning 29-28, but with the first two rounds being close, I could see Griffin winning, possibly all three rounds.

Winner: Forrest Griffin defeats Tito Ortiz via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds.

Griffin told Joe Rogan after the fight that this is a great win for him, and that in his last fight, Anderson Silva "broke me." He also said you could tell Tito was a guy that was coming off back surgery and was prepared to fight Mark Coleman -- "no offense" -- and that he'd like to have a rubber fight with Ortiz at some point.

Ortiz said he came into the fight unable to spar much at all due to a bulging disc in his back -- yes, the same back he just had repaired. The crowd booed, as they usually do when losing fighters discuss the injuries they bring into the cage. Ortiz lost his cool, taking off his hat and pointing to the black eye he also wore into the cage tonight. He told the crowd he'd like to see anyone fight with a cracked skull like he did, and that he never backs out of a fight even when he's injured. Griffin grabbed the mic and backed him up, telling the crowd that it turns out that when you train to fight somebody, you often get hurt. Everybody chilled out once Griffin stepped in, but they weren't buying it from Ortiz, for some reason.

All in all, Ortiz still has some questions to answer regarding the durability of his back, especially if he's still dealing with bulging discs. After an 18-month layoff, it's hard to fault the guy too much for gassing in Round 3, but it's also fair to point out that he needs to correct that problem if he's going to keep fighting at this level.

As for Griffin, he desperately needed this win, which probably helped restore his confidence and some of the faith fans might have lost in him over the past 12 months.

Josh Koscheck fights Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at welterweight... and yes, Johnson made the welterweight limit this time.

Koscheck has an incredible wrestling base, but he's developed enough confidence in his standup that he doesn't use the wrestling as often as he used to. With Johnson known as a knockout artist, I wonder if Koscheck will tempt fate by duking it out with him, or play it safe by instigating a ground battle.

Round 1: Both guys looking to close the distance. Koscheck with a left hook. Johnson with a head kick, which gets blocked. Koscheck throws the looping overand right that he loves so much, and misses. Johnson with a hard jab. Inside leg kick by Johnson. Koscheck ducks in and gets caught with a fist while off-balance. Johnson moves forward and lands a straight right. Koscheck tries a takedown from a body lock, but Johnson defends it. Koscheck stands and tries to throw him, but Johnson sprawls. Johnson breaks free and lands a knee strike to Koscheck's eye while he is clearly kneeing on the ground, which is very illegal. The referee stops the fight to check on Koscheck, who looks hurt. It was probably inadvertant on Johnson's part, as doing something like that on purpose is grounds for serious punishment. A slo-mo replay shows that Johnson grazed him with the knee, but the real damage was that Johnson's finger poked Koscheck in the eye afterward, and Kos is complaining more about his vision right now than the knee strike.

After a lengthy stoppage where the doctors looked pretty concerned about Koscheck's vision, he says he's OK and the fight resumes. They exchange fists. Johnson with an outside leg kick. Koscheck with a single leg attempt and Johnson sprawls well, but Koscheck fights to complete it. Koscheck has Johnson's back but is having trouble getting the hooks in. Koscheck gets one hook in and tries for a rear naked choke, which Johnson escapes as the round ends. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 2: They stand and trade with neither guy getting a clear advantage. This time, Koscheck pokes Johnson in the eye. Johnson ducks an overhand right and gets hit with a high kick instead. He ducks another overhand. Jab by Koscheck, and a right hand apparently catches Johnson in the eye. AGAIN. Either Koscheck is giving him a receipt here, or or this is just an unfortunate coincidence. Koscheck gets another big punch in before the injury stoppage to check on Johnson's eye. Anthony Johnson will be lucky to not go blind before he's 30. The fight resumes, and both guys stand in the pocket throwing bombs, many of them landing. Koscheck with a takedown. Johnson traps his leg for half guard. Koscheck with punishing short elbows from the top. Koscheck with a right to the temple. Johnson is holding on to half guard for dear life, but he's paying the price for it. Koscheck hammers away and Johnson is now bloody. Johnson turns to try and escape, and Koscheck sinks in a tight rear naked choke. Johnson taps out.

Winner: Josh Koscheck defeats Anthony Johnson via submission to a rear naked choke at 4:47 of Round 2.

"I know there's somebody here that thinks he's the No. 1 contender," Koscheck said after the win. "He thinks he's the No. 1 contender. And I think he hasn't fought anybody. And he's sitting right over there, and his name's Dan Hardy. He ain't fought nobody like me, guaranteed. I'm the No. 1 freakin' contender in this weight division. Right here. I'm fighting Georges St-Pierre in March, Dana White. You know it. February, I know you're looking for a card. Dan Hardy-Josh Koscheck sells. Let him fight right here in the States first."

Dan Hardy is shown on camera making "boo-hoo" gestures as Koscheck begs for Dana White to take away Hardy's promised shot at GSP and make him fight Kos first.

Paulo Thiago fights Jacob Volkmann at welterweight.

Thiago is 1-1 in the Octagon. The win was his famous KO of Josh Koscheck, and the loss was to Jon Fitch at UFC 100. Volkmann is making his UFC debut tonight, and his nickname is "Christmas." Just in time for the holiday season.

Mike Goldberg fills us in on the nickname: His friends thought Volkmann looked like Lloyd Christmas, Jim Carrey's doofus character from Dumb & Dumber . I guess, but still... not an image that invokes fear in the hearts of opponents.

Round 1: Steve Mazaggatti is our referee. Is it me, or has his reputation nose-dived since he shaved off his '70s 'stache? Both guys come out tense and looking to strike. Thiago with a head kick. He tries for a clinch and Volkmann turns him back against the cage. Thiago heel trips Volkmann down to the canvas and assumes side control. Volkmann pulls in the leg to take half guard. Volkmann scrambles to his feet and holds Thiago's arm in a whizzer. He grapples Thiago's back to the fence again and lands a pair of fists before Thiago trips him to the mat again. Volkmann's leg bent completely backward at the knee, which looked scary, but he's OK. Volkmann takes full guard, and Thiago lets him up. Thiago with a leg kick, which Volkmann uses for a takedown attempt. Thiago sprawls and they end up dirty boxing against the fence again. Thiago with an uppercut, then he cracks Volkmann in the jaw with a left-right-left combo that sends Volkmann to the canvas. That looked like a stoppage, but the buzzer went off as Volkmann fell to the mat. He's rocked, but saved by the bell. 10-9 Thiago.

Round 2: Thiago smells blood. He's swinging with ill intent. Volkmann with an inside leg kick, but Thiago catches the leg and sweeps his other leg like a Cobra Kai heel, then punches him in the face after he falls down. Volkmann muscles Thiago into a takedown and takes side control. Thiago gets to his hands and knees while Volkmann throws fists at the side of his head. Thiago gets to his feet. A lengthy clinch ensues, and the crowd voices its displeasure. Volkmann with another takedown, with Thiago on his knees. Volkmann tries to take Thiago's back, briefly ends up with a full mount, but Thiago reverses into Volkmann's closed guard. Thiago levels Volkmann with a huge right hand from above. Volkmann trying to neutralize Thiago's arms. Left hand to the jaw by Thiago. Thiago stands up and throws another bomb down at Volkmann's jaw. It sounded like a home run shot in baseball. End of the round, and it's another 10-9 for Thiago.

Round 3: Both guys come out slow, but when they finally exchange, Thiago drops Volkmann with a fist. Thiago follows him to the canvas and passes to side control. Thiago moves to the north-south position briefly, but that allows Volkmann enough room to fight his way back to his feet. Thiago stuffs Volkmann on a takedown attempt. Volkmann tries again and gets it. Thiago turtles up and Volkmann's strikes just aren't doing a lot. Thiago rolls to his back and Volkmann puts him in a crucifix and starts pounding at his head. Thiago gets out of the position and as Volkmann tries to take his back, he slips and ends up on his own back. Thiago passes Volkmann's guard and ends up in a D'Arce choke, but Thiago escapes. The round is over, and so is the fight. 10-9 Volkmann for the final round, so I give the fight 29-28 to Thiago.

Winner: Paulo Thiago defeats Jacob Volkmann via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds.

Up next is Luis Arthur Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at light heavyweight.

For those unaware, this is the twin brother of former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. They have different middle names (Rogerio, Rodrigo) and nicknames (Minotoro, Minotauro, and also "Little Nog" and "Big Nog"), despite both being named Antonio Nogueira.

Cane is on a three-fight win streak, with his only UFC loss coming via DQ in 2007 for using an illegal knee strike. Nogueira, making his UFC debut tonight, is looking for his sixth straight win. He's got his brother, and also Anderson Silva, in his corner.

Round 1: Both fighters in the southpaw stance. Nogueira looking for the jab. Cane whiffs on a straight right. A pair of straight lefts by Nogueira connect. Nogueira with a countering left hand that rocks Cane. Cane moves back in and connects with a fist, but Nogueira tags him twice more with that left hand, and rushes in with more strikes. Another big left drops Cane to the mat, and the referee waves it off.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Luis Cane via TKO due to strikes at 1:56 of Round 1.

Little Nog has arrived, and the light heavyweight division just got that much deeper.

Ultimate Fighter winner Amir Sadollah is up next, fighting the "New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni in Baroni's return to the UFC.

Sadollah lost quickly via TKO to Johny Hendricks in his last bout at UFC 101, in what many viewed as a premature stoppage. Baroni is almost exclusively a heavy puncher. He's got tons of charisma, but is not known for having a very good gas tank, nor a very diverse skill set. But against a rookie like Sadollah, that might not play much of a factor.

Round 1: Baroni moves in fast with close-range punches. Sadollah takes a Muay Thai clinch and throws some knees. Baroni muscles him against the fence. Baroni working fists from the body lock while Sadollah keeps throwing knees, some of them connecting. Sadollah now has Baroni against the fence but Baroni is working the dirty boxing, then uses a Muay Thai clinch to reverse Sadollah to the cage. Sadollah goes back to the knees to the ribs. Baroni with a takedown. He postures up and starts some ground and pound but Sadollah's neutralizing his arms. Baroni lands some shots from above. Sadollah tries to take an arm and Baroni lets him up. Sadollah rushes him with combos but does no damage. Sadollah forces him to the cage and Baroni takes a front facelock. They're both landing some decent strikes from very close range. Sadollah landing more knees from clinch, as Baroni's face is bloody. Baroni takes a single leg and Sadollah defends it. Sadollah throws knees from the clinch again, landing two solid ones as the round ends. Baroni's face is a crimson mask, if I may borrow that term. 10-9 Sadollah.

Round 2: Baroni looks very gassed. Sadollah lands a leg kick and then throws some to the head. Fists by Sadollah. They lock up against the fence and Baroni lands a nice fist from close range. They Separate. Superman punch byb Sadollah. Front kicks and inside leg kick by Sadollah. Baroni's tough, but Sadollah is working him over big time here. Sadollah goes back to the Thai clinch and throws a knee. Baroni comes alive long enough to break the clinch. Head kick by Sadollah is blocked. Leg kick by Sadollah, followed by a series of jabs. Baroni's doing very little at this point, aside from surviving. Sadollah with a flying knee that doesn't really land. They tie up and Baroni lands a right hook, so Sadollah answers with an elbow to the temple. On the separation, Baroni starts throwing combos, but nothing lands. End of the round, and it's 10-9 Sadollah again.

Round 3: Leg kick by Sadollah, and then another. Baroni invites Sadollah to come forward so he does, and they trade fists. Sadollah tries a couple more knees from clinch but Baroni block both of them. Baroni throws a three-punch combo and smiles as they separate. They tie up at the fence and Sadollah works the close-range elbows again. Sadollah is also bloody at this point. They're now exchanging body punches. Leg kicks by Sadollah. Superman punch by Sadollah lands right on the button. More leg kicks and fist combos from Sadollah, followed by a head kick. Baroni's just a muscular punching bag right now. Baroni connects with a left. Baroni whiffs on a haymaker and Sadollah connects with a kick to the ribs. Sadollah ends the round with a flurry of strikes, and it's a 30-27 win for Amir on my scorecard.

Winner: Amir Sadollah defeats Phil Baroni via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds.

Surprised to see Amir keep it standing, but you can't argue with success. He also minimized Baroni's size and strength advantage that way.

Ben Saunders fights "The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis at welterweight.

Saunders is trying to rebound from his first UFC loss, which came at the hands of Mike Swick at UFC 99 in June. Davis is also on the rebound, having lost to Dan Hardy at UFC 99. Both guys like to stand and trade. There could be fireworks here.

Round 1: Davis comes in swinging and Saunders takes a Muay Thai clinch and starts crushing him with knees to the ribs. He destroyed Brandon Wolff that way a couple fights ago. Davis forces Saunders' back to the cage. Dirty boxing by Davis but Saunders is relentless with those knees from clinch. Davis is already bloody, but he's a bleeder anyway. Saunders with more knees from the clinch. Davis pushes off and they separate. Leg kick by Davis, followed by some fists. Saunders with another Muay Thai clinch. Saunders throws four more knees from the clinch, and the fourth one knocks Davis out.

A very big win for Saunders, and that is the first time in his 22 career fights that any opponent has knocked out Marcus Davis.

Winner: Ben Saunders defeats Marcus Davis via knockout due to a knee from the clinch at 3:24 of Round 1.

Up first is Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove vs. Jake Rosholt at middleweight.

This is a tought one to call, due to Rosholt's chin and his wrestling. But in terms of experience and skill, not to mention reach, Grove has the advantage on paper.

Round 1: Grove holds Rosholt at bay to start, throwing jabs with those freakishly long arms. Rosholt closes the distance and slams Grove with a high-angle takedown. Grove works his way up to one knee and Rosholt holds on from behind. Grove uses wrist control to force his way out of the body lock. Grove with knees to the body while Rosholt's back is to the cage. Rosholt down to the mat with Grove on top working ground and pound. Rosholt uses the cage for leverage to get back to his feet. Knee to the body, a pair of fists to the face, and a flying knee by Rosholt. Rosholt takes Grove down. Rosholt has side control and Grove pops his hips to try to sweep, and Rosholt ends up in full mount. Grove gives up his back and then turns toward Rosholt again, taking half guard. Grove sinks in an arm triangle, forcing Rosholt to tap out. Nice win for Grove.

Winner: Kendall Grove defeats Jake Rosholt via submission to an arm triangle choke at 3:59 of Round 1.

A choked-up Grove dedicates his win to his grandmother, who passed away last week.

Here are your quickie undercard results from UFC 106 in Las Vegas, for the fights not scheduled to air on television (unless they need time-filler during the broadcast):

• Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes was ruled a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28) after three rounds.
• George Sotiropoulos defeated Jason Dent via submission to an armbar at 4:36 of Round 2.

Brock Larson vs. Brian Foster is still under way. I'll update this entry with that result when it's over.

The story behind the Uno-Camoes draw is that Camoes would have won a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), but he was penalized one point in Round 2 for nailing Uno in the face with an upkick when Uno's knees were down, making it an illegal strike. That one-point deduction resulted in the majority draw on judges' scorecards.

As a side note, Caol Uno is now the first Zuffa-era UFC fighter to have two draws in the Octagon (the other being his UFC 41 lightweight title bout vs. BJ Penn).

If you count pre-Zuffa UFC, Ken Shamrock is the only other fighter to have two draws (vs. Royce Gracie at UFC 5, and vs. Oleg Taktarov at UFC 7). This ends the trivia portion of tonight's festivities.

UPDATE:

• Brian Foster defeated Brock Larson via TKO due to strikes at 3:25 of Round 2.

Back in a few minutes with the UFC 106 live blog.

Just a heads-up that I'll be live-blogging UFC 106 tonight, headlined by Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz.

This is now a 10-fight card, due to the cancellation of Karo Parisyan vs. Dustin Hazelett two days ago when Parisyan informed the UFC that he could not go through with the fight. UFC president Dana White then blasted Parisyan on Twitter, vowing that he was out of the UFC forever.

Whether it's a fine dispute with the NSAC, pre-fight anxiety or painkiller problems (all three have surfaced as possible reasons this week, with Parisyan denying the painkiller allegation), Parisyan has been on shaky ground with the UFC for a while now, so I wouldn't expect him back in the Octagon anytime soon, if ever.

Either way, I'll have full details and analysis of the top seven bouts on the card, live as they happen, right here. Be sure to refresh the main blog link, since each new fight will be a separate blog entry.

See you later for UFC 106.

At UFC 106 on Saturday, an old nemesis resurfaces, hoping to rekindle the once-fevered interest that MMA fans had in him -- and more importantly, looking to prove he can still be a relevant part of the UFC's main event rotation.

Tito Ortiz returns from an 18-month layoff to fight Forrest Griffin in a bout that got bumped into the main event slot when ailing heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar pulled out of his title defense against Shane Carwin.

In his last fight, Ortiz lost via decision to eventual UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Since that time, Ortiz has -- among other things -- feuded publicly with UFC president Dana White, teased signing with just about every non-UFC promotion with a pulse, had back surgery, and brought twins into the world with porn icon Jenna Jameson.

With a newly repaired back and an equally patched-up relationship with MMA's most powerful promoter, Ortiz is once again ready for his close-up.

When Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin first squared off in the Octagon at UFC 59 in 2006, Ortiz was arguably the hottest commodity on the UFC roster. Love him or hate him, the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" proved his worth with strong PPV buyrates, loud audience reactions, and of course, by winning.

From 2000 to 2006, Ortiz's only three losses were to Chuck Liddell (twice) and Randy Couture, both of whom were considered top dogs in the UFC at the time. Liddell, Couture, and Ortiz were the three biggest stars in the UFC at the precise moment in history when the world began to take notice of the UFC and MMA in general. Of those three men, Ortiz was by far the most charismatic. Beyond being a good fighter, Ortiz made himself into a personality that could draw new fans into the UFC product.

While Ortiz and company held down the fort as PPV main-eventers, the other catalyst to UFC's popularity explosion -- the Spike TV reality series The Ultimate Fighter -- made household names out of several UFC newcomers and wannabes. TUF Season 1 co-winner Forrest Griffin was the most popular of the bunch. When he got his shot at Ortiz in 2006, he had the chance to make a statement. One big win over Ortiz in 2006 would have been an astronomical boost to Griffin's career at the time.

Even though he lost that fight, the fact that Griffin took Ortiz to a split decision was enough to prove to his skeptics that Griffin was not just another reality TV star -- this was a real fighter, and a potential champion. Indeed, Griffin went on to hold the 205-pound title in 2008. Ortiz faded into the background while Griffin was heavily pushed as the UFC's golden child.

Fast forward to 2009. Griffin has lost his last two fights -- the first, his title loss to Rashad Evans, and the most recent being a lop-sided defeat at the hands of Anderson Silva. Ortiz hasn't won a fight since his Oct. 2006 smashing of Ken Shamrock, which was the most watched MMA fight in U.S. history until Kimbo Slice's first fight on CBS broke the record.

Ortiz and Griffin have both been here before, in the sense that they've fought one another in a UFC main event.

But in career terms, both fighters are in unfamiliar territory. Griffin is staring at a three-fight losing streak if he can't even the score with Ortiz. Ortiz still has the attitude to make a spectacle of himself, but that only matters if he can still back it up in the cage.

Come Sunday morning, one of them will be back on track.

Check this blog on Saturday for the UFC 106 live round-by-round fight blog, beginning shortly before 9 p.m. ET.

Follow Denny Burkholder on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DennyBurkholder

The feared and revered Fedor Emelianenko (30-1-1) fights undefeated KO artist Brett "The Grim" Rogers (10-0-0) in the main event.

Emelianenko is every bit the MMA master people say he is, but nobody is immune to a guy with Rogers' knockout power. One square shot to the jaw could topple the legend.

Round 1: "Big" John McCarthy is the referee. Rogers looks very anxious. They trade quick punches. Fedor is bleeding. Fedor tosses Rogers to the mat with a takedown and Rogers quickly gets to his feet and forces Fedor's back to the fence. Rogers with a short left hand to the temple. Fedor's nose is bleeding and he's breathing out of his mouth now. They're back in the center of the cage now. Fedor with a big left hand to Rogers and throws him to the mat with a single leg. Fedor is in Rogers' half guard now. Fedor tries for a kimura but Rogers fights out of it and takes top position, hammering away at Fedor from the top. Fedor goes for the arm again and Rogers fights out of it. Fedor now throwing fists from the top. He's back in Rogers' half guard and trying for an arm triangle choke from the top. Rogers gets full guard. Fedor is back to his feet. Fedor throws a big haymaker down at Rogers that misses. The round ends, and it's 10-9 Fedor. Rogers has already surpassed most predictions by simply lasting the full first round, let alone doing some damage.

Round 2: Fedor with a right, misses a left and tries for a takedown. Rogers lands a knee to the body. Fedor unloads with a barrage of fists with Rogers' back to the fence. Rogers blocks the majority of the strikes and ties Fedor's arms up. They separate and get to center cage again. Fedor puts a huge right hand on Roger's chin and drops him. One-punch knockout for Fedor Emelianenko as McCarthy steps in to stop the bout. Incredible.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko defeats Brett Rogers via knockout at 1:48 of Round 2.

This was vintage Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor got hit with some big shots by a very powerful Brett Rogers. He got busted open. He was unloaded upon from the top, but in the end, Fedor still made it look so very easy.

One of the recurring themes of Emelianenko's fights is that there is always a moment or two -- however fleeting it may be -- where the man looks beatable. But he never loses. Many have threatened to beat him, but aside from that controversial stoppage many years ago, nobody has done it.

And if the volume of cheers for Fedor coming from the fans in attendance at the Sears Centre was any indication, we might have our answer to the question of whether a soft-spoken, introverted Russian fighter can break through as an attraction in the United States.

As I said in my preview for this show, Fedor doesn't have a ferocious look or a charismatic attitude to help him turn heads for promoters. What he does have -- and what we all saw in his win over Brett Rogers -- is a very legitimate claim to being the best heavyweight fighter in the world, and an exciting guy to watch in the ring or cage.

He will probably lose someday. It will be amazing to see how and when that happens, and who pulls it off. Until that day, it's enough just to watch the master ply his craft and keep the streak alive.

Welcome to America, big guy. See you again soon.

Jake Shields faces Jason "Mayhem" Miller for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title in a five-rounder. Miller's entrance, per usual, will rule your face.

Shields is the favorite here, but Mayhem absolutely has the tools and the toughness to hang in a lengthy battle with him.

Round 1: The legendary "Big" John McCarthy is our referee. Miller is mugging and smirking even as the fight begins. Mayhem throws a pair of fists and Shields takes him down. Miller is on his backside against the cage, preventing Shields from improving the position on the takedown. Shields takes Miller's back and puts the hooks in. Shields with some ground and pound. Miller goes to his back and Shields takes full mount, throwing more strikes from the top. Miller bucks out of it and gets to his feet again. Shields with another takedown shot and they're right back against the fence again. Shields with fists to the side, while Miller just bides his time and preserves energy. Miller takes Shields' head in a guillotine, basically just to force Shields to escape and change position. McCarthy stands them up and -- surprise! -- Miller takes Shields down for a change, with a big slam. Shields scrambles to his feet. Miller throws him back down with a waistlock from behind. Miller works fists from the top with Shields on his knees. The round ends, and I'd call it 10-9 Shields, narrowly.

Round 2: Miller with a left hook. Shields is bleeding from the nose. Miller takes Shields down with a waistlock from behind and scrambles to keep back control, but Shields reverses it. Shields winds up in full mount and punches Miller in the head. Miller uses the cage for leverage to get to his knees. Shields has Miller's back and is trying for the rear naked choke with intermittent punches to the temple. Miller scrambles and Shields gets him into a banana split position, which is exactly what it sounds like. The scramble continues and Shields takes Miller's back again, and Miller scrambles to his knees before escaping to his feet. Miller throws a couple of bombs down at Shields from the standing position. Shields ties up Miller's leg for a heel hook attempt, which Miller stifles as the round ends. 10-9 Shields, but Miller is living up to his reputation as a guy who is very hard to finish.

Round 3: Miller with a one-two punch combo into a takedown. Shields scrambles to his feet and answers with his own takedown. Shields with side control into full mount. Miller fights back to half guard, but Shields lands some strikes and gets full mount again. Miller back to his knees, and he uses a monkey roll to reverse Shields. Miller back to his feet and catches Shields with a spinning back fist, which gets cheers from the crowd. McCarthy stops the action briefly due to some kind of wrist tape issue with Shields. He puts them back to over-under position to resume the bout. Miller escapes to his feet as Shields maintains a body lock. Shields with a single leg takedown. Miller fights to back control and works for a rear naked choke. Shields escapes, but Miller sinks it in really, really tight. The horn sounds to save Shields from getting choked out. 10-9 Miller that round, because Shields looked done. If not for the horn, he'd be history. Unbelievable.

Round 4: Shields with a takedown, and they're in the same position with Miller on his backside against the fence. The crowd is cheering loudly for Miller now. Miller can't get to his feet but Shields isn't doing much aside from holding Miller down. McCarthy stands them up. Miller with a pair of knees to the ribs that connect big, and Shields goes right back to the takedown. Shields with side control. Shields tries to pin Miller's arm with his leg to land some strikes. Shields takes full mount and tries for an arm triangle choke, which Miller spins out of. Shields has Miller's back. Miller scrambles and again uses the monkey roll, but Shields ends up in side control once again. New MMA viewers are getting a great look at some quality ground fighting tonight. End of the round, and it's 10-9 Shields, but not in a dominating way.

Round 5: They trade fists, with the only real shot that lands being a right by Shields. Shields ties Miller up again and lands some knees, then takes a waist lock from behind. Miller reverses but ends up back in Shields' full mount. Miller rolls out of it and ends up with Shields taking his back, throwing fists to the head. Shields is keeping back control with a body triangle and working for a rear naked choke. Miller reverses and gets to his feet. Shields ducks in for another takedown shot and Miller slaps on a guillotine choke, but Shields breaks free. Shields with fists from the top as Miller continues to scramble for position. Miller gets to his feet and throws a body kick at the end of the final round. 10-9 Shields, so I score the bout 49-46 Shields. We'll see what the judges came up with.

Winner: Jake Shields defeats Jason "Mayhem" Miller via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) after five rounds to win the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title.

Hard-fought battle by both guys, which was expected from the beginning. Nothing saps a fighter's energy more than a prolonged ground war like that one, but they both hung in there for the duration.

Gegard Mousasi fights Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at light heavyweight in the next bout. Mousasi has been on a major tear, and has been very impressive lately. Sokoudjou needs a KO here, or he'll probably lose.

Round 1: Mousasi and Sokoudjou square off. Sokoudjou with a combo, nothing majaor lands. Sokoudjou misses on a punch to the body. Mousasi with a head kick, blocked. Sokoudjou with an uppercut. Leg kick by Mousasi. Sokoudou fakes and throws a left, and Mousasi counters with a kick that errantly strikes the groin. Sokoudjou with a big outside leg kick and Mousasi shrugs it off. Mousasi with a fist combo. They trade leg kicks. Mousasi rushes in with fists and connects with a few, but Sokoudjou takes him down. Mousasi reverses to the top and starts throwing knees to the ribs from side control. Sokoudjou pops his hips and escapes from the bottom, then trips Mousasi to the canvas and attempts a guillotine choke. Mousasi breaks free. Mousasi tries a hip throw and Sokoudjou blocks it, winding up on top of Mousasi. Sokoudjou stands to try some strikes from above and eats two upkicks from Mousasi, who has won fights via KO this way. Mousasi leg trips Sokoudjou to reverse right as the round ends. Much better round from Sokoudjou than expected. 10-9 Sokoudjou.

Round 2: Mousasi closes the distance and they trade fists, then lock up near the fence. Mousasi with a knees to the ribs and thighs as he holds Sokoudjou's back to the cage. Mousasi breaks out with elbows and uppercuts to the jaw. Sokoudjou traps his arms to stop the flurry. Mousasi again tries to trip Sokoudjou to the mat and ends up with Sokoudjou on top in half guard. Mousasi rolls his hips and takes the arm, but Sokoudjou rolls free. Mousasi ends up on top working some ground and pound. Mousasi is landing big shots to the face and body, and Sokoudjou looks lost. Sokoudjou rolls to his side and covers his face with his hands as Mousasi keeps punching, earning the stoppage victory.

Winner: Gegard Mousasi defeats Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO due to strikes at 3:43 of Round 2.

That's the 14th straight win from Mousasi. Sokoudjou's takedown defense looked strong, but once he gets to the canvas, he still seems green. Mousasi was too versatile for him.

Here we go with the first fight of the CBS broadcast, as Fabricio Werdum, a former top heavyweight in the UFC and PRIDE, takes on former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

The winner here could be next in line for Fedor Emelianenko... or, in the case of a stunning upset tonight, Brett Rogers. Werdum has the experience edge, but he's facing a guy in Silva that has the size, reach, and jiu-jitsu to really give him problems wherever the fight ends up.

Round 1: Silva doesn't have much of a height advantage, but his head and hands are gigantic, and he has four inches in reach on Werdum. Werdum connects with a right hand and Silva goes insane, crushing him with a series of uppercuts. Silva pummels Werdum back against the fence. Werdum goes down as Silva keeps smashing away with his hands, including a big haymaker to the jaw that got a reaction from the crowd. Werdum takes one of Silva's legs to close the distance and gets back to his feet. Werdum works some leg kicks, and tries to sucker Silva back into a ground fight, but Bigfoot's not having it. Silva with a jab and a leg kick. Werdum with a nice left-right combo, but Silva is not hurt. Werdum with a body lock and leg trip, but he can't take Silva down. Elbow by Silva. Kick into a punch combo by Werdum. Silva answers with a combo and gets the better of the exchange. Silva with a leg kick and an uppercut, keeping Werdum on his heels. Silva ties up Werdum against the fence and lands an elbow. Werdum shoots for a takedown and misses, eating more strikes while laying on the mat. The round ends, and it's clearly 10-9 Silva.

Round 2: Werdum pushes forward to strike and an uppercut by Silva puts him on the canvas again. Silva hovers over Werdum, who is looking for upkicks. Silva tags him with a right hand to the jaw. Silva finally moves to the mat for some ground and pound and instantly gets reversed by Werdum. Werdum passes to side control but Silva escapes to his feet before he can capitalize. They trade leather briefly before Silva bodylocks him against the cage again. Werdum reverses Silva to put his back on the cage, but it's a stalemate, so the referee moves the fighters back to center cage. Leg kick by Werdum. Silva looks for the Muay Thai clinch but Werdum shucks it off. Single leg trip by Werdum for the takedown as Silva traps his leg to keep him in half guard. Werdum passes to side control. Silva rolls out of it and nearly takes Werdum's back in a scramble. Werdum takes the leg but can't turn it into a submission hold. The round ends, and Silva seems to be tiring faster than Werdum. Much closer than Round 1, but I give it to Silva again 10-9.

Round 3: Inside leg kicks by Werdum. Uppercut from Werdum misses. Werdum misses on an overhand right but follows up with a takedown. Silva turtles up and Werdum hammers away at his giant head. Werdum puts the hooks in and tries a rear naked choke, but Silva escapes to his feet. Werdum with knees from the clinch. Silva connects with a series of punches and Werdum answers with another knee. They tie up again and Werdum goes back to the clinch to throw some knees. Single leg attempt by Werdum fails. They're at close range and Silva is landing more uppercuts. Werdum gets a head drag takedown and starts hammering on a turtled-up Silva again. Silva looks gassed. Werdum tries to mount but Silva block the leg. Werdum with ground and pound as the round comes to an end. This round clearly belongs to Werdum, 10-9. Who wins this decision should depend largely on how the judges scored Round 2, which could have gone to either fighter. I score the bout 29-28 for Silva, but Werdum could take it. We'll see.

Winner: Fabricio Werdum defeats Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds.

We're minutes away from the start of the televised portion of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers on CBS. In the meantime, here are the quickie undercard results from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill:

• Marloes Coenen def. Roxanne Modafferi via submission to an armbar at 1:05 of Round 1.
• Jeff Curran def. Dustin Neace via submission due to injury (rib) at 1:39 of Round 1.
• Shamar Bailey def. John Kolosci via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) after three rounds.
• Nate Moore def. Louis Taylor via TKO due to strikes at 3:24 of Round 2.
• Christian Uflacker def. Jonatas Novaes va unanimous decision (29-26, 30-25, 30-25) after three rounds.

A scheduled undercard bout pitting Mark Miller vs. Deray Davis hasn't happend yet, which means it has either been scrapped for lack of time, or will take place at the end of the show, after Fedor vs. Rogers.

The round-by-round fight blog of Strikeforce on CBS begins at the top of the hour, so if you can't get to a TV to watch it live, keep it right here for full coverage.