Strikeforce Preview: Antonio Silva Faces Stiff Challenge in Fabricio Werdum

In our first preview focusing on Strikeforce's Saturday Night Fights event on CBS featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers, we'll focus on the second main card heavyweight bout between former PRIDE and UFC veteran Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) and EliteXC and Sengoku veteran Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (13-1).

Werdum enters the contest following a quick submission victory over Mike Kyle back in August at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg. Before his signing with Strikeforce, he recorded two wins and two losses in the UFC with a surprising upset loss at the hands of Junior Dos Santos that led to his release. Silva is currently on a six-fight win streak with wins over Ricco Rodriguez, Jim York, Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao, and the late Justin Eilers. Silva was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for Boldenone following his win over Eilers in July of 2008.

Following the positive steroid test, Silva plead his innocence and vowed to fight the charges against him. While EliteXC stated they would allow Silva to keep his belt until matters unfolded in the legal process, the promotion went under and Silva's legal proceedings in regards to the steroid test never fully came to fruition. Instead, Silva fought under World Victory Road's banner in Sengoku until his suspension term had passed. This will be his first fight on U.S. soil following the termination of his suspension period.

This match-up could easily solidify a showdown with the winner of Brett Rogers vs. Fedor Emelianenko, and most fans would point at Fedor Emelianenko as the heavy favorite to defeat Rogers. Interestingly enough, Werdum, who fought in the heavyweight division in PRIDE, has never faced Fedor Emelianenko, and Silva's rise as a top heavyweight in the sport has projected him to be a potential opponent for Fedor as well. Both men have a tremendous amount of exposure to gain from this bout as the fight will be featured on CBS, and a showdown with Fedor or Rogers will likely have a bit more draw considering the expected ratings the event should produce.

Stylistically, Werdum should have an edge in this match-up. He managed to win the 2009 ADCC Men's 99+ kg division, further cementing the fact that he is the top grappler in MMA's heavyweight division. He also showed a much more improved Muay Thai striking base in his two wins in the UFC against both Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera. His deficiencies, however, have always been in his striking game as he's susceptible to powerful combinations and speed. The only question here is whether or not Silva can provide that kind of adept striking to catch Werdum.

Most fans would point to Werdum's loss to Dos Santos as a sign that he has a weakened defense in the stand-up game, but he has historically shown the ability to avoid being knocked out. If he can manage to avoid Silva's Muay Thai knees and punches, he may be able to put Silva down into his world on the ground. The real problem for Werdum becomes whether or not he'll actually be able to finish the fight or he'll simply need to control Silva for three rounds on his way to a decision.

I think Silva has the better striking game, but he's faced lesser competition than Werdum has over the course of his career. Werdum's improving Muay Thai striking as a result of his training at Chute Box could surprise Silva in this battle, but I'd bank on Werdum looking to work his world-class jiu-jitsu on the ground. If Werdum manages to catch Silva in a bad position, we could see a total domination in a positional war on the floor with Werdum stealing each round by control. It's tough to gauge what gameplan Werdum will bring to this fight, but he should come out the victor in this showdown.