Leland Roling Archives: 02/2011

We had a lengthy debate as to who our #1 ranked featherweight prospect would be on our countdown. Mark Adams, Alan Omer, and Taiki Tsuchiya…

One of the major storylines stemming from the UFC 126 results was the failures of Japan’s top featherweights, “Kid” Yamamoto and Michihiro Omigawa. Their inability…

Sergei Kharitonov, like many of the names featured on the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix bracket, is a fighter whose major triumphs in the sport were…

Fedor Emelianenko. The invincible force of nature that provided fans with some of the greatest moments in the history of mixed martial arts. A man…

British mixed martial arts continues to ascend up the ladder in terms of talent and relevance in the overall landscape of the sport. More and…

There have been only a handful of mixed martial artists who have came out of the Middle East, and while our #4 ranked prospect wasn’t…

In the main event of the evening on Saturday night, Fedor Emelianenko (32-2-0-1, 1-1 SF) returns to the cage after suffering his first defeat in…

June 26th, 2010. A day that will have a place in the history of mixed martial arts forever. It may not resonate with fans who…

The first of two heavyweight Grand Prix showdowns on Saturday night will feature former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8, 0-2 SF) as he hopes…

At #5 on our 2011 World MMA Featherweight Scouting Report, DEEP Featherweight champion Koichiro Matsumoto (12-2) chimes in on our countdown as one of two…

Despite the wishful thinking from some fans that the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix will go off without a snag, more knowledgeable fans understand that the…

The older brother of current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, Valentijn Overeem (28-25), hopes to put some separation between his wins and the abundance of…

Opening the main card on Saturday night at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva, Ring of Combat heavyweight champion Gian Villante (7-1, 0-0 SF) will make his…

At #6 on the 2011 World MMA Featherweight Scouting Report, former Finnish lightweight fighter Tom Niinimaki (15-5-1) chimes in on our countdown. Once considered a…

Special thanks for Guilherme Pinheiro of Sherdog for translating a small interview to contribute to this report. Follow him on Twitter, @gui_pinheiro It’s rare to…

According to MMAFighting.com, Sengoku Middleweight champion Jorge Santiago has been released by World Victory Road: Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago has been granted his release by the…

Matt “Sunshine” Fiordirosa. Does that name ring a bell? Back in August of 2007, Matt was featured on the TapouT television show on Versus, a…

According to the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, Strikeforce is producing solid revenue after all: Strikeforce, 50 percent owned by San Jose Sharks owner Silicon…

At #9 on our 2011 World MMA Featherweight Scouting Report, Stockton, California-born Isaac DeJesus (9-3) lands on our countdown, bringing a plethora of kickboxing experience…

One of the lesser storylines heading into UFC 126 this weekend that had gained considerable attention among hardcore fans was the inclusion of both Norifumi…