Strikeforce: Fedor Vs Silva Results: 10 Best Moments From The IZOD Center

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix got underway Saturday night, and what an event it turned into. Fedor Emelianenko was the heavy favorite going into the fight with Antonio Silva, but he fell once again.

Silva had the advantage in the first round, and in the second round, he completely dominated The Last Emperor.

That was the biggest story coming out of the fight, but there were many other memorable moments from East Rutherford, N.J.

We witnessed what should be the end of Andrei Arlovski's career. Fast, quick and exciting fights with great performances up and down the card.

Going into the event, we knew that this would be a big moment for the future of Strikeforce, but we got a lot more than we could have imagined.

Here are the 10 best moments coming out of the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva event.

Valentijn Overeem's Neck Crank

The opening bout on the card wasn't the most exciting fight in the world, in fact it just kind of started and ended, but Overeem's neck crank on Ray Sefo was certainly a good way to start the evening.

It wasn't anything complex, he just took down Sefo, and had him in side control, which enabled him to just twist his arm into Sefo's neck.

Sefo tapped, and things were underway.

The Opening With All Eight Of The Heavyweight Fighters

Before the fights started, all eight of the men involved in the heavyweight grand prix were announced, and took a bow before the fans in attendance in the building.

It was great to have all eight of these men, who are involved in what is probably the most important tournament in Strikeforce history, in the same venue right before everything got underway.

Showtime and Strikeforce don't usually make a big deal out things that they are trying to do, but this was most definitely a smart move on the part of both the network and the organization.

Gian Villante Opens Up Chad Griggs' Ear

The second fight on the main card saw Chad Griggs defeat Chad Villante via KO in the first round, but not before Villante landed a vicious kick to the side of Griggs' head that busted open his left ear.

Griggs was just laying a beating on Villante early, but in a moment where Villante had a chance to strike he lifted his right leg and it landed square on the left ear of Griggs.

There was blood pouring out of the ear until the end of the fight.

Chad Griggs' KO Of Gian Villante

Despite having a nasty bloody ear, Chad Griggs was able to keep his win streak going with a first round KO victory over Gian Villante.

Shortly after Villante landed the kick that busted Griggs' ear open, Griggs threw a hard right that landed right on the jaw of Villante, sending him to the canvas.

He threw a few more punches before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

Two fights in, and two first-round finishes.

Shane Del Rosario Continues To Impress In The Heavyweight Division

Shane Del Rosario has 11 professional MMA fights, and 11 MMA victories. All of his victories thus far have come via KO or submission.

He continued his streak with a nice armbar submission victory over Lavar Johnson in the first round of their fight.

Johnson was the aggressor early, and looked to have Del Rosario on the ropes. Del Rosario was able to get a takedown and started landing punches.

He was able to maneuver to the side and lock in an armbar to get the submission late in the first round.

Kharitonov's Left And Right Hook Combo To Stop Andrei Arlovski

Andrei Arlovski was once one of the top heavyweight fighters in the world, but those days are long gone. He has lost four consecutive fights, all of them via knockout.

The latest defeat came in the first round of this heavyweight tournament to Sergei Kharitonov, who looked good in his Strikeforce debut, albeit against an inferior opponent.

Arlovski did look pretty good early, but he couldn't finish the fight, and Kharitonov took advantage after about three minutes.

With Arlovski near the cage, Kharitonov threw a beautiful left and right hook combo that sent Arlovski down to the canvas. A few more punches and the referee called a stop to the fight.

All The Quick First-Round Finishes

Let's be honest, as fans of MMA we love to see guys going at it, and if that results in a bunch of quick fights, so be it.

The first four fights on the main card were all entertaining to say the least. All four fights started out very fast, with guys attacking and it made for a fun show to watch. Sure, it moves by at a very brisk pace, but so long as the fights are good, that's fine.

Every fight on the card ended away from the judges' table, and that's never a bad thing. The first four fights all ended in the first round, either via submission or T/KO.

The last fight on the card, while somewhat controversial, was very entertaining, and the ref stoppage in between the second and third rounds was absolutely the right call.

The Announcement That Gina Carano Is Returning In 2011

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 15: Cris Cyborg (R) battles Gina Carano during their Middleweight Championship fight at Stikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15, 2009 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

Don't focus on the promo Gina Carano did after it was officially announced that she was coming back to Strikeforce, because it was God-awful.

Even though the news broke a little bit earlier in the day, it was still great to hear that Gina Carano, the most popular female fighter in MMA, will be returning to the cage at some point in 2011. There's no official date set, but we know that she will be back.

The fans in New Jersey were thrilled to see her back, as were fans all over the world. It's been far too long since she has competed.

The Rise Of Antonio Silva

One man's fall is another man's gain.

I admit, I didn't give Antonio Silva much of a chance in the fight with Fedor Emelianenko. I thought that Fedor would be more focused than ever after his loss to Fabricio Werdum, and that he was an overall better fighter than Bigfoot.

While Fedor was better than Silva at one time, no longer is that the case. The first round was close, but I had Silva winning 10-9 because he did more damage with his striking.

The second round was just a colossal beatdown. Silva completely manhandled Fedor like no one ever has. Silva got the mount on Fedor and just started pounding on him. He landed shot after shot, and Fedor's right eye was swollen shut.

Fedor couldn't get anything going, and the ref had no choice but to stop the fight before the third round due to the eye swelling. There were no excuses this time, Fedor was just beaten to a pulp by a better fighter.

The Gracious Exit Of Fedor Emelianenko

Watching a legend get destroyed can leave a fan with very mixed emotions. Fedor is without question one of the greatest MMA fighters in the history of the sport, but he is not the fighter that he once was.

He could have been angry with the way the fight with Silva ended, but he understood that he was getting beaten badly, and there really was no way the fight could continue.

In the post-fight promo, Fedor said, "Yes, maybe it's the last time. Maybe it's high time. Thank God, for everything...Maybe this is God's will."

It could have just been the heat of the moment, or maybe it was genuine. Fedor didn't try to make excuses for his performance. He was beaten by a better man, and he took his defeat with great class and dignity.

If it was the last fight in the career of Fedor Emelianenko, it's a sad way to go out, but no one can take away the memories of the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history.

For the latest news and information, check out the Strikeforce: Fedor vs Silva News, Results And More page.