Pictured: Antonio Silva, who recorded one of MMA’s greatest upsets of all time Saturday night at Strikeforce.

In what likely marked the end of an era, the once superhuman enigma known as Fedor Emelianenko was completely dominated by Antonio Silva this past Saturday night.

Fedor showed flashes of his former self, and likely won the first round, combining quick foot work with massive fist bombs. Impressively, Silva never backed down and stood toe to toe with Fedor delivering fireworks to the approval of the crowd and those watching at home. The back and forth exciting first round battle was overshadowed by a one sided beat down in the second. Visibly exhausted, Fedor was taken down early in round two as Silva ducked under an overhand right and executed the fateful takedown. It would be all Silva from then on, as “Pezao” utilized his size, strength, and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pedigree to completely and utterly neutralize and punish Fedor on the ground. Weighing as much as 285lbs, Silva was able to pass Fedor’s guard and secure the mounted position. A barrage of what can best be described as the Konga Beat from Donkey Kong, with Fedor playing the role of the drums. With the fight about to be mercifully stopped by the referee, Silva made a crucial error giving up the mounted position for an ill advised arm triangle attempt. Fedor would escape, recompose his guard, and even attempt a modified foot lock as the round came to an end. If Fedor came out in the third and knocked out Silva, Silva should remember that very moment as the moment he gave the fight away. But alas, it would not be.

As Fedor returned to his corner, his eye visibly shut, the doctor wasted little time in waving off the fight. It was a disappointing end to an exciting fight, but Fedor would not protest the stoppage. What stood before the camera was not the superhuman figure we had grown to love, but a man beaten and broken. Many were quick to waive off the loss to Werdum as a lapse in judgment; not this time.

The saddest part of the night was realizing that the world had perhaps witnessed the greatest heavyweight in the history of the sport put on his four ounce gloves for the last time. After going undefeated for the better part of a decade, an emotional Fedor announced that this was perhaps his last fight.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov

In the other quarterfinal match of the evening, Arlovski utilized mesmerizing footwork, quick jabs, and solid countering to gain the early edge on Sergei Kharitonov. Remarkably, Arlovski was able to stand in the pocket by beating Sergei to the punch for much of the bout. I regret to inform, however, that for as much offensive brilliance as Arlovski displayed, his defensive boxing skills contain major flaws and thus Arlovski would be relieved of his consciousness once again. The beginning of the end came as Arlovski was hurt by a short cross. With his hands down and chin straight up in the air, Arlovski was caught by a looping punch that send him crashing to the canvas. A second punch ended his night and likely his career. A sad ending to a beloved heavyweight, but Strikeforce and athletic commissions will have to take a hard look at themselves if Arlovski is ever booked to fight again. The crushing knockout marked the 3rd time in 4 fights that Arlovski has been knocked out in highlight reel fashion.

Sergei, on the other hand, gained much needed momentum and recognition after knocking out a name opponent in Andrei Arlovski in such a manner. Next for him is the winner of the April bout between Barnett and Rogers.

Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson

In what was supposed to be a competitive fight between two top prospects, undefeated Muay Thai sensation Shane Del Rosario submitted the hard hitting Johnson with a first round armbar. While Del Rosario brought the cleaner technique, it was Johnson who brought the firepower. After enduring some heavy blows, Shane scored a takedown and quickly moved to the mounted position. Johnson did a good job avoiding punishment but it was evident that Shane was looking to keep busy while waiting for the time to run down. Attempting an armbar with 2 minutes left is often a bad idea as the technique requires relinquishing the top position, attempting the armbar with 30 seconds left is a much safer proposition. As Johnson baited the arm, likely as a means to escape, Del Rosario snatched the arm keeping everything tight and foiling Johnsons plan to freedom. It was an impressive performance for Del Rosario who will likely get a step up in competition.

Chad Griggs vs. Gianpiero Villante

In the early upset of the evening, Chad Griggs defeated the 3 to 1 favorite Gianpiero Villante. Coming in to the bout with considerable hype behind him, Villante was looking for the knock out early with aggressive striking but was slowed by crisp counter punching. It became clearly early on that Griggs was gaining the advantage and had Villante hurt on multiple occasions. While Villante refused to go down, it became painfully clear that the knock out finish was only a matter of time. A high kick from Villante marked a temporary shift in momentum as Griggs was visibly wobbled but Villante’s rally would be spoiled as the referee called for an incomprehensible time to the bout to recover a mouthpiece. Griggs would use the time wisely to recover and go right back to work, dropping Villante with a Wanderleish combination and following him to the ground with a serious display of ground and pound that had Villante curling along the cage. The referee had no choice but to call an end to the bout. Griggs has largely flown under the radar but with his upset win over Bobby Lashley and now an upset win over Villante, Griggs is making a name for himself if only for derailing hype trains.

Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo

In the throwback bout of the evening that pitted grappler vs. striker, Valentijn Overeem quickly submitted the kickboxing legend with a tight neck crank early in round one. Ray Sefo looked good early on if only because Overeem appeared to be following an ill advised game plan to showcase his striking. While Overeem held his own in the striking department, Sefo gained a slight edge with rapid fire combinations and heavy overhand shots. Overeem wisely elected to take the fight to the ground where Sefo appeared to be a fish out of water. Overeem easily passed to side control and cranked on Sefo’s head to solicit the tap out.