The MMA world was turned upside down Saturday night when Fabricio Werdum submitted Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce’s Fedor vs. Werdum event.

Fedor had not lost since 2000, winning 27-striaght fights in that span. He was considered by many as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world due to his dominance in Pride, Affliction, and now Strikeforce. Yet, there he was being submitted by Werdum, a man who had never really risen to any sort of iconic status in his career and was largely thought to be a lamb for slaughter to Fedor on Saturday.

The upset has an impact in many ways, but there isn’t anyone happier about it, including Werdum, than UFC President Dana White.

White has been the face of MMA from an organizational standpoint for years now and his company, Zuffa Entertainment, has completely held the top spot in the MMA world.

White has signed all the top fighters and put on all the top fights over the last five years, yet he could never ink the highly sought-after Fedor Emelianenko.

Despite numerous attempts and record-setting contract offers, Fedor would never sign with the UFC because the organization would not co-promote his fights with his management company at M-1 Global. Fedor had the ability to hold power in contract talks because of the status he had reached in MMA through his record winning streak.

The failed contract talks spewed a lot of negativity between White and Fedor, but it also made White look bad. Despite all of his criticisms of Fedor, you knew he wanted to sign him and bring him to the UFC to see just where he stood among the heavyweights in that division.

With Fedor down to two fights on his Strikeforce contract heading into Saturday’s bout, the UFC had one last attempt to sign him over the next year. Now, with the loss, that urgency on the UFC’s part is completely gone.

Not only did Fedor lose, not only did he lose in just over one minute, but he lost to a man that the UFC cut because they didn’t feel he was worth his contract.

Werdum has lost in the octagon to Andrei Arlovski and Junior dos Santos, but he just beat Fedor without landing a strike.

Now when contract talks come around, White can look at know that he doesn’t have to sign him to prove anything. If anything, now Fedor has to prove himself against UFC heavyweights like Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, dos Santos, and Cain Velasquez.

Now White can proclaim he has the top fighters in the world in the heavyweight division and in the pound-for-pound category. Trust me, as smug as it might be to make a big deal out of it in the media, White won’t hesitate to do so.

So while Werdum is enjoying his night of success, White is feeling like its Christmas day.

Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery takes place tonight at 10PM ET on Showtime with some interesting fights. The promotion is looking to erase the memory of the live brawl on CBS during its last show and to do so, they need some solid fights out of their heavyweights tonight. Here is my take on the bouts and who I think will win.

Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship – Alistair Overeem (32-11) vs. Brett Rogers (10-1) – Overeem hasn’t fought for Strikeforce since 2007, yet somehow is still their heavyweight champion. Despite the long layoff from the promotion, he has fought overseas a number of times, with his last seven fights ending in the first round and all six wins ending in less than two minutes. Rogers is coming off his first MMA loss, to Fedor Emelianenko last November. The key for him in this fight will be what did he learn from that loss. Overeem likes to attack and end the fight early, as does Rogers, but Overeem has the experience to know not to put himself in a bad position. I think experience pays off in this fight as Overeem is able to defeat Rogers by TKO late in the first.

Heavyweight Bout – Andrei Arlovski (15-7) vs. Antonio Silva (13-2) – Arlovski has fallen on hard times, getting quickly knocked out by Rogers and Fedor in his last two fights. This will be his first bout in nearly a year and he understands the importance of a win, as he has switched up camps and went to Jackson’s MMA and American Kickboxing Academy for training. Silva is a good fighter, but he hasn’t beaten anyone of note in his career. He could land a big punch on Arlovski’s weak chin, but look for the Bela-Russian to work combos and leg kicks to eventually earn a TKO in round three.

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Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Russian heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko told the UFC to get stuffed, and signed with rival MMA promotion Strikeforce. As you can imagine, Dana White wasn’t too happy about this.

- James Irvin officially became the most cursed MMA fighter in history.

- Josh Barnett’s latest steroid bust, which single-handedly destroyed Affliction’s MMA promotion, actually saved the sport of mixed martial arts.

- Speaking of ‘roids, BJ Penn is pretty sure that Georges St. Pierre uses them, because how else would you explain his physique? You know, other than genetics and hard work…

- Sengoku’s featherweight grand prix finals turned into a clusterbang of injuries and racism.

- Former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski may have attempted suicide after two straight knockout losses.

- Busty French-Canadian ring girl Edith Labelle exited the UFC under mysterious circumstances. Rumor has it, she was too drunk to work UFC 100 last month.

- Swing by CagePotato.com Saturday night starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT for our liveblog of the UFC 101 pay-per-view broadcast. You can get familiar with the card by reading this debate on the major topics of the event, and our always-helpful gambling advice. And remember: This ain’t Las Vegas, and it ain’t New Jersey. This is Philly.

This weekend Mixed Martial Arts has two solid shows taking place outside of the UFC label. It begins Saturday on Showtime at 10 p.m. with Strikeforce presenting a strong card of recognizable fighters, a few of which are still considered among the best in the world. On Sunday, the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) takes center state with WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2, which is highlighted by the Featherweight championship (145 lbs) rematch of champion Mike Thomas Brown against former champion Urijah Faber. That show will air on Versus at 9 p.m.

Here is a quick breakdown of the feature fights and my predictions for both shows:

Strikeforce at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

- Kevin Randleman (17-12) vs. Mike Whitehead (23-6) Light-Heavyweight (205lbs): Kevin Randleman was a giant in the MMA world in the late 90’s and in the beginning of the 2000’s, but now Randleman is finding himself in the same position as many of the giants in those days like Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, where the sport has passed him bye. Loser of five of his last seven fights, Randleman needs a win over UFC veteran Mike Whitehead, who has won 13 of his last 14 and has looked good since his move down to light-heavyweight (205 lbs). I like Whitehead by decision or TKO from ground-and-pound on a tired Randleman.

- Joe Riggs (29-10) vs. Phil Baroni (13-10) Middleweight (185lbs): Phil Baroni and Joe Riggs are classic examples of two fighters that had worlds of potential and never tapped into it. Both men have tremendous power, but both are notorious for their lack of endurance as fights move on. Baroni tries to throw all his power in each punch which limits him later on and Riggs has a suspect chin that has caused quick knockout losses. If Baroni has truly improved his training, I see him winning this one as Riggs is the mentally weaker fighter. I take Baroni by TKO late in round one.

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Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- YouTube star/MMA punchline Kimbo Slice has agreed to redeem himself on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Between his outsized presence and the rivalry between coaches Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans, TUF 10 should be utterly insane.

- The New York State Assembly voted in favor of a bill that would allow MMA to be regulated in New York. Could we be seeing UFC shows at Madison Square Garden in 2010?

- Despite being KTFO’d at UFC 98, Rashad Evans still claims that Lyoto Machida hits like a bitch.

- We put together a highlight reel of Kazushi Sakuraba’s most brutal beatings and took a look back at MMA’s most influential fighters.

- Contrary to popular belief, Andrei Arlovski never said “how’s taste my pee pee pee?”

- Joe Riggs accused Phil Baroni of steroids, while Phil Baroni claimed that it’s only lack of sex that makes him such a monster.

- “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields” and “WEC: Brown vs. Faber II” go down this weekend. Swing by CagePotato.com Saturday night starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT for our liveblog of the Strikeforce show, and Sunday morning for full results from the WEC event. Get familiar with the fights by reading this heated debate and our gambling advice here and here.

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Last weekend’s MMA action was highlighted by Bobby Lashley choking out Mike Cook in 24 seconds and a Bellator event jam-packed with wild fights.

- Good news: PRIDE legend Mirko Cro Cop is returning to the UFC. Bad news: He’s back at the bottom of the heavyweight ladder.

- Andrei Arlovski will be tangling with undefeated prospect Brett Rogers at Strikeforce’s stacked-to-death June 6th card. Rogers was originally supposed to face Alistair Overeem, but Overeem injured his hand while putting five nightclub bouncers in the hospital.

- Wednesday’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter was plagued by staph infections, bronchitis, and an inconvenient gag-reflex.

- Must-see videos: Brock Lesnar and Anderson Silva made us laugh Spencer Pratt made us cry, and BJ Penn cried wee wee wee all the way home.

- After countless delays, Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett are slated to face each other this summer, at what will probably be Affliction’s last MMA event.

- Former baseball star/steroid snitch Jose Canseco is having his MMA debut in Japan on Tuesday against 7’2″ kickboxer Hong Man Choi. His preparation is, shall we say, lacking.

- Swing by CagePotato.com tomorrow night starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT as we liveblog UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida, which will feature the UFC’s best title fight in nearly a year. You can see more analysis of the fight card here and here.

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Chuck Liddell stepped into the cage (and got knocked out) for the last time, while Anderson Silva and Thales Leites put on one of the most boring title fights in UFC history at UFC 97 last Saturday. Regarding the Silva/Leites scrap, UFC prez Dana White said “I’ve never been embarrassed of a UFC fight like I was tonight,” while Silva’s manager tried to do damage control.

- The Iceman may be retired from the fight game, but it seems like his acting career is taking off. Meanwhile, Andrei Arlovski is going to appear in the next Jean-Claude Van Damme joint.

- Nick Osipczak put the Brits up 1-0 with his crushing head-kick knockout of Mark Miller on Wednesday’s episode of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

- Gina Carano does it for love, not money. Yeah, right.

- Pro wrestler-turned-fighter Bobby Lashley will be colliding with cartoonish brawler Bob Sapp in a June pay-per-view event that will also feature Affliction’s vice-president actually fighting on the card.

- Congenital amputee Kyle Maynard makes his MMA debut tomorrow night. But will it be a triumph or an ill-advised freak show?

- Speaking of freak shows, lightweight grappling-genius Shinya Aoki and world’s-best-heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will be tangling in a “special sparring exhibition” next week in Tokyo. Ah, what’s a 70-pound weight-difference between friends?

- Enter our “Underground Heroes” giveaway and win a pair of tickets to UFC 98! And if you’re going to the May 23rd event, be sure to check out our fan’s guide to Las Vegas.

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- UFC 94 produced a record eight fights that went to decision, a one-sided thrashing in the main event, and a greasing scandal that could taint the accomplishments of welterweight king Georges St. Pierre. If you missed it, check out this video of St. Pierre/Penn fight, and this collection of photos from the event.

- Strikeforce picked over the carcass of Pro Elite, and will be broadcasting live MMA events featuring former EliteXC fighters on Showtime beginning in April.

- The WEC has added a 125-pound flyweight division to their roster. (Or as we like to call it, the “Kid Brother Division.”) Will a women’s division be next?

- Former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski is leaving MMA for boxing.

- What recession? Three of the UFC’s four best-selling pay-per-view events of all time have taken place in the last three months.

- The moronic MySpace ramblings of former Ultimate Fighter castmember Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver have gotten him fired from yet another fight promotion.

- UFC Fight Night 17, featuring Joe Lauzon vs. Jeremy Stephens and Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer, airs tomorrow night on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET. Check out our interviews with the headliners here and here, read up on the fighters who will be making their UFC debuts, and don’t forget to head over to CagePotato.com during or after the event to check out our thrilling liveblog.

On Saturday January 24th Mixed Martial Arts promotion Affliction will be putting on a monster fight card dubbed “Day of Reckoning”. It will feature Affliction’s star attraction Fedor Emelianenko, who will go up against Andre Arlovski for the WAMMA heavyweight championship. This will be the second show by the promotion and with the fighters listed on the event card, this looks to be another success. Let’s take a look at three of the main event fights as they’re broken down.

Fedor Emelianenko vs Andrei “the Pittbull” Arlovski
Affliction’s WAMMA champion Fedor Emelianenko puts his belt on the line against former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski. The battle of Russian heavy weights will show who the top heavyweight in MMA is, but also if Fedor is actually an unbeatable force.  Arlovski is a former UFC champ, but many question his chin and his ability on the ground, which happens to be Fedor’s strength. It should be interesting to see if both men’s sambo background will be showcased for any submissions, or if this will be a stand up war.  Arlovski’s best bet is to make this a technical boxing and kickboxing match, which will allow him to try and pick Fedor’s average boxing skills apart. Fedor will probably go in to the clinch and look for a takedown. If he gets Andrei to the ground he will look to throw elbows and set up a submission. Emelainenko is favored to win, and probably should barring a knockout punch or kick.  Don’t blink because this fight could end abruptly.

Matt Lindland vs Vitor Belfort
Matt “the law” Lindland is an Olympic silver medal wrestler who has competed in numerous MMA promotions, who does quite well using ground and pound tactics. His opponent is former UFC lightheavy weight champion “the Phenom” Vitor Belfort, who possesses all the physical skills to be a dominant MMA fighter. This fight should be fantastic as it has so many possible outcomes. While Belfort is a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, it is his pro boxing skills that frighten so many competitors and Lindland loves using the clinch and getting in close, which puts him at risk of a knockout. If the fight goes to the ground, look for Lindland to try and control top position and for Vitor to try and stand up and maybe throw an arm bar attempt. Outside of his mental breakdowns in certain fights, Belfort should be able to take Matt out. Look for a quick finish by TKO from “the Phenom”, who has put away opponents in under a minute in previous fights.

Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs Rameau Sokoudjou
One of the main event matches features Brazilian fighter Babalu Sobral, an outstanding wrestler and Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt against kickboxer and judo practitioner Sokoudjou. Both fighters are ex-UFC fighters who had their contracts cut. This is not the best match up for Sokoudjou, who has already lost to other Brazilian jiu jitsu stand outs.  His only chance to really defeat Sobral is to keep him standing and try and keep the distance between the two. If he uses his kicks to set up combinations, he can avoid going to the mat. Babalu is more than likely the favorite to win and if he can impose his will and keep the fight on the ground, he should be able to submit Sokoudjou.