· Who’s Next? “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva” Edition

To put it lightly, “Fedor vs. Silva” was a huge event for Strikeforce. Not only did the promotion continue the momentum gained from a tremendous event on January 29, but the organization also distanced itself from the UFC and more towards Pride with a steady stream of finishes and exciting fights.

All five main card bouts featured heavyweights, an appetizing choice as most heavyweight bouts tend to end before the scorecards can be read. This night was no different, with each of the five fights ending via stoppage, including four in the first round. The streak of finishes is giving Strikeforce a reputation as an exciting organization where judges rarely earn their paychecks, while the UFC continues to struggle with questionable decisions and inconsistent refereeing.

Antonio Silva and Sergei Kharitonov will obviously be awaiting the two winners of the final two quarterfinals, but what is the next step for some of the other big names from “Fedor vs. Silva”?

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Muhammad Lawal

Emelianenko hinted at retirement after his second consecutive loss, but there are still a ton of intriguing matchups out there for “The Last Emperor.” Lawal is currently in limbo after losing his light heavyweight title to Rafael Cavalcante, and he needs at least one impressive win to get back into title contention. The Strikeforce light heavyweight division has never been accused of depth, and Lawal has already faced two of the best that the division has to offer in Cavalcante and former champion Gegard Mousasi. Lawal has always been willing to fight at any weight that will allow him to take intriguing matchups, and the bout with Emelianenko could be a preview of what a 225-pound cruiserweight division could do for bigger light heavyweights or smaller heavyweights. Not to mention that this would be a tasty style matchup and that some bombs would certainly be thrown.

Chad Griggs vs. Daniel Cormier

Strikeforce’s Challengers series is in serious need of some fights that make sense in propelling fighters toward big fights, and this heavyweight bout would be one of the biggest in the history of the series. Griggs has already stopped two highly hyped prospects in Bobby Lashley and Gian Villante, and it would certainly make people pay attention if he’s given the opportunity to do it a third time.

Gian Villante vs. Ovince St. Preux

Villante would certainly be a welcome shot in the arm to Strikeforce’s light heavyweight division, and rising 205-pound star “OSP” would be an obvious potential matchup for the Ring of Combat champion. Villante and OSP are both fan-favorite fighters who tend to put on exciting fights, and here is another bout that could headline a Challengers card in the near future. Building stars is something that Strikeforce needs to focus on with the likes of Emelianenko and Arlovski being knocked out of the realm of immortals, and one of these two fighters could certainly fit the bill as a homegrown Strikeforce star.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Bobby Lashley

At this point, why not? Although neither fighter is likely to set foot inside a Strikeforce cage anytime soon, it’s impossible to say that this fight wouldn’t help draw some eyes to the TV screen. Although Strikeforce would be better served to give some of its best prospects the TV time, one can still ponder the possibility, right?