The recent domination of Fedor Emelianenko by Antonio Silva on the opening night of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix event reopened conversations on whether the sport of MMA needs an additional weight class, between the light-heavyweight and heavyweight division.

Currently, the heavyweight division in professional MMA goes from 205-265 pounds. Anyone who has competed in combat sports in the past surely understands the problems that arise when facing a much larger opponent. Yes, size is not the only factor in a fight, but it would be false to claim it can't be an advantage in an MMA fight.

Brock Lesnar is the best example of how beneficial size can be in an MMA fight. Lesnar obviously took the time to study MMA, and his collegiate wrestling helped a great deal. He was able to overwhelm Frank Mir in his first UFC fight with his large size advantage, and only ended up getting caught in a kneebar, because of his own carelessness.

Two fights after losing his UFC debut, Lesnar shocked many MMA fans with his win over UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Couture dominated the UFC light-heavyweight and heavyweight division mainly due to his wrestling ability. Going against the larger Lesnar, who actually has to cut weight in order to make the 265 pound heavyweight division limit, Couture struggled with Lesnar's overwhelming size and strength.

The second fight between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir is another example of size playing a huge role in MMA. As a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, I was frustrated watching Mir try his best to escape the solid ground control of Lesnar. Mir is a Brazilian Jiu jitsu black belt who surely has multiple escapes in his arsenal. Yet against Lesnar, all his techniques seemed ineffective.

With the increasing popularity of MMA in recent years, now might be a good time for organizations like the UFC to add a new weight class. There should be heavyweight division ranging from 205-230 pounds and a super-heavyweight division for those in the 230-265 pound range.

While I congratulate Antonio Silva for his recent victory over Fedor Emelianenko, I can't say Silva is the better MMA fighter between the two. He's a better grappler, and he used his enormous size advantage to beat one of the greatest fighters in the history of MMA.

UFC 128 is a highly anticipated fight event featuring one of the most exciting young MMA fighters in the world right now. Jon "bones" Jones will be getting his first title shot in his professional MMA career, taking on Mauricio Rua; the only man to ever defeat former UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. The UFC 128 fight event will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark New Jersey on March 19, and should live up to the high expectations many MMA fans already have. Here are my predictions for UFC 128 MMA fight event.

Jon Jones versus Mauricio Rua

Coming off his win over Machida, common sense says I should go with Rua; given the fact he is the more experienced fighter, and is coming off a win (really two wins, if you count the fact Rua was robbed in their first fight) over a former undefeated MMA legend in Machida. Still, Jones is yet to even look human in a fight. This kid is the future of the light-heavyweight division in MMA. Jones wins by submission in round 3.

Urijah Faber versus Eddie Wineland

The California kid Urijah Faber will look to win his UFC debut. Wineland is currently on a roll but isn't really on Faber's level in MMA. Faber wins by TKO round 2.

Jim Miller versus Kamal Shalorus

Kamal's UFC debut will be as tough as fights get in MMA. It will be hard for Kamal to keep his undefeated MMA record intact, going up against the well tested Jim Miller. Miller has won 14 of his last 15 MMA fights, with his only loss during his win streak coming against undefeated Gray Maynard. Miller wins by submission in round 2.

Nate Marquardt versus Yoshihiro Akiyama

Both men are coming off loses and will be motivated for the fight. Marquardt is the more rounded MMA fighter and should be able to pull out a win. Marquardt wins by decision.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic versus Brendan Schaub

Cro cop might be slowing down, but his MMA experience will be too much for the less experienced Brendan Schaub. Cro cop wins by decision.

Undercard

Karlos Vemola defeats Luiz Cane

Edson Barbosa defeats Anthony Njokuani

Mike Pyle defeats Ricardo Almeida

Kurt Pellegrino defeats Gleison Tibau

Joseph Benavidez defeats Ian Loveland

Manny Gamburyan defeats Raphael Assuncao

Dan Miller defeats Nick Catone

The Strikeforce challenger 14 event taking place at the Cedar Park Center in Austin Texas, will be another great opportunity for up and coming MMA prospects like Ryan Couture. The fight card consists of seven bouts and the main card will be televised live on Showtime. Here are my predictions for the upcoming Strikeforce challenger 14 event.

Lyle Beerbohm versus Pat Healy

Beerbohm is undefeated and will try to keep it that way. Only 2 of his 15 total fights made it to the final bell. Beerbohm should be able to control the pace with his more developed skills. Beerbohm wins by TKO round 2.

Bryan Travers versus Carlo Prater

A fight that will probably turn into an entertaining grappling match, Prater's experience on the ground will probably be too much for the less experienced Travers to deal with. Carlo Prater wins by submission.

Ryan Couture versus Lee Higgins

The son of UFC hall of famer Randy Couture tries to add another win to his MMA record. In his debut fight, Ryan looked impressive easily submitting his opponent in the first round. Higgins will be a much tougher test for Ryan than his previous opponent. Higgins is 2-0 in his MMA career, and has won both fights by submission. Tough fight to call, but I have to go with Ryan Couture based on his genes. Ryan Couture wins by submission.

David Douglas versus Nick Gonzalez

While Gonzalez is clearly the more experienced fighter, Douglas' energy might prove to be too much for Gonzalez to handle. Douglas wins by TKO round 3.

Erik Apple versus Ryan Larson

Erik Apple will be highly motivated to secure a win after his last loss to Bobby Voelker. He should have no problems overwhelming Larson and securing the submission. Erik Apple wins by submission round one.

Drew Pendleton versus Dennis Dombrow

This should be an entertaining fight between two undefeated fighters. Drew Pendleton has a bit of an edge in the striking department, and should be able out point Dombrow. Pendleton wins by decision.

Ousmane Thomas Diagne versus Aaron Franco

Franco should be able to use his weight advantage and grappling skills to control the fight. Franco wins by submission.

Antonio Silva looked impressive against the great Fedor Emelianenko, seemingly unimpressed with the MMA legend's reputation. Right from the start, it was rather obvious Antonio Silva had no intentions of running away from Fedor. Silva stood his ground and was happy to trade punches with the Russian fighter.

Silva came out really intelligently in the second round and immediately took Fedor to the ground. The size difference was too much for Fedor to deal with, and all his attempts to escape failed. Silva gained the mount position, and rained heavy punches on the Russian's head. After the second round, the fight was stopped due to Fedor's right eye completely closing up. Something that probably came as a relief for Fedor and his fans; Antonio Silva had be so dominant that there wasn't any point letting Fedor take further punishment. In all honesty, the fight should have been stopped in the 2nd round, since there were several times Fedor looked completely defenseless.

After the loss, Fedor looked drained. He announced to the crowd, he would have to contemplate retirement. He seemed very honest in his post-fight interview, refusing to make any excuses and giving Silva his due credit. Retirement might be a good option for Fedor, as he will probably have problems dealing with the likes of Antonio Silva and other big heavyweights in the future. While he truly is the best heavyweight to ever compete in MMA, the reality is that Fedor is more suited at light-heavyweight now, given the massive sizes of the new breed of heavyweights.

It would be awesome if Fedor continues his fighting career. There are still many good match-ups for him, and Strikeforce just needs to make sure he's not getting matched up with guys 40 pounds bigger than he is. There are still many solid fights out there for Fedor that will be well received by fans.

Regardless of his decision, Fedor has nothing to be ashamed of. With his record currently 31-3, his legacy has already been clearly established. Only a few MMA fighters like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre, can boast of accomplishing the type of feats Fedor has.

The Feb 12 Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix event was a decent night of MMA bouts. The main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Silva lived up to expectations, all the way to its abrupt end. Here are the quarterfinal results of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.

Antonio Silva defeats Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor came out aggressively and caught Silva with a few punches. Fedor didn't seem tentative after his first loss, and even followed Silva to the ground. Both men landed a few punches, with Fedor seemingly getting the better of the exchanges.

In the second round, Silva immediately took Fedor to the ground and displayed some serious ground-and-pound skills. Fedor survived the round, but as he walked to his corner it was obvious he had suffered serious damage. The doctors called the fight and Antonio secured the victory against the MMA legend. After the fight, Fedor flirted with the possibility of retirement.

Sergei Kharitonov defeats Andrei Arlovski

Both fighters exchange with one another, in what turned out to be an entertaining fight. Kharitonov eventually lands a right that sends Arlovski to the ground. He immediately rushes him, and the referee steps in to stop the fight.

Shane del Rosario defeats Lavar Johnson

Both men go back and forth mixing up the striking and grappling pretty well. Rosario secures a takedown and transitions into the mount. He softens Johnson up with punches before securing an arm bar and forcing the submission.

Chad Griggs defeats Gian Villante

Villante tried trading punches with Griggs but quickly realizes it wasn't a good idea. He tried to slow the pace down with some grappling, but got caught with a big right from Griggs. Griggs rushed Villante before he could recover and secured the TKO victory.

Valentijn Overeem defeats Ray Sefo

Overeem trades punches with Sefo before finally going for a takedown. Overeem secures the submission, and hands the newcomer his first MMA loss.

Undercard

• John Cholish defeats Marc Stevens (kneebar)
• Igor Gracie defeats John Salgado (arm triangle)
• Sam Oropeza defeats Don Carlo-Clauss (strikes)
• Josh Laberge defeats Anthony Leone (doctor stoppage)
• Jason McLean defeats Kevin Roddy (split decision)

The welterweight division is one of the most heavily stacked divisions in MMA. Here are the best welterweight MMA fighters in the world right now.

1. Georges St. Pierre

Clearly the best welterweight in the world, GSP defeated the likes of BJ Penn and Matt Hughes on his way to the UFC title. With his smooth combination of kickboxing, wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, very few welterweights in the world have a chance against GSP.

2. Jake Shields

Formerly on the Strikeforce roster, Shields' wrestling has been one of his biggest assets. He destroyed opponent after opponent in Strikeforce, and is currently scheduled for a shot at the UFC welterweight title against GSP. With excellent MMA fighters like Gilbert Melendez and the Diaz brothers to train with, Shields will continue his improvement over time.

3. Jon Fitch

This hard-nosed fighter has dominated all fighters he has faced lately, except GSP. During the loss to GSP, Fitch still found a way to walk away with new fans after the fight. Even when it was obvious Fitch wasn't going to pull out a victory against GSP, he continued pushing forward and took the fight to the champion.

4. Thiago Alves

Thiago is a tough young fighter that has the potential to become a world champion some day. His Muay Thai is sharp, and his leg kicks are devastating. He's also well versed in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and is usually decent at avoiding submissions. Thiago's only weakness has been his wrestling, a fact fighters like GSP and Jon Fitch were able to take advantage of.

5. Anthony Johnson

Another young MMA fighter with a lot of potential, Johnson is known for his devastating knockout power and sharp kickboxing skills. His only weakness has been his submission defense. A weakness that has already caused him two fights in his short MMA career. Once Johnson masters the inner workings of Brazilian Jiu jitsu, he should be ready for anything the UFC match makers throw at him.

The fighters listed above are the best welterweight MMA fighters in the world right now. Other fighters that barely missed the list include Josh Koscheck, Paul Daley and Nick Diaz.

Fedor Emelianenko, a man who was recently considered the pound-for-pound best MMA fighter in the world, will be making his first appearance in the cage after his submission loss to Fabricio Werdum. The loss was Fedor's first in 10 years, second in his entire career. On Feb 12, the former champion will face Brazilian Antonio Silva, a man who also has a recent loss against Werdum. Here are my predictions for the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix event.

Fedor Emelianenko versus Antonio Silva

Fedor will be highly motivated for his comeback. His loss to Werdum didn't really show any weaknesses on Fedor's part. He simply got a little careless with his punches, and got caught with the submission. Silva will be well motivated as well. A win over Fedor will look great on his resume, and bring him closer to a title shot. While Silva is clearly the bigger stronger man, Fedor is technically superior to him in all aspects of MMA and should be able to finish him off. Fedor wins by TKO.

Andrei Arlovski versus Sergei Kharitonov

Another big name MMA fighter trying to regroup after a loss, Arlovski will have his hands full against Kharitonov. Arlovski might be able to out strike his opponent, but the fight will eventually end up on the ground, and Kharitonov will secure the submission. Kharitonov wins by submission in the second round.

Shane Del Rosario versus Lavar Johnson

This is probably the toughest fight in Shane Del Rosario's MMA career. Both men like to trade strikes, which should make the fight really exciting. Rosario's kickboxing background should give him the advantage and keep him safe from Johnson's powerful punches. Rosario wins by decision.

Chad Griggs versus Gian Villante

Classic battle between two very different fighters; Griggs will try to keep the fight standing, while Villante will be constantly seeking takedowns. Villante should be able to secure the takedown and pound Griggs out. Villante win by TKO in the first round.

Valentijn Overeem versus Ray Sefo

Strikeforce matchmakers weren't doing Sefo any favors when they matched him up with Overeem. While Overeem's record isn't really impressive at 28-25, he does have 51 MMA fights over Sefo, and that should be the difference maker. Overeem wins by submission in the second round.

Undercard

• Marc Stevens def John Cholish
• Igor Gracie def John Salgado
• Sam Oropeza def Don Carlo-Clauss
• Anthony Leone def Josh Laberge
• Jason McLean def Kevin Roddy