Strikeforce

The spotlight is locked on women's MMA more so than any other time in history. With Invicta FC putting on successful all-female events and Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche set to make UFC history in Anaheim, the moment has come for the top women fighters in the world to show and prove.

The buzz is steadily rising in the wake of UFC 157 as "The Ronda Rousey Show" prepares to take center stage. It will undoubtedly be a pivotal moment in the chapters of WMMA. If the showing is a successful one, the doors of the Octagon will open for a collection of the world's top female fighters to compete.

That being said, there is plenty that could go wrong in the equation, and Alexis Davis isn't caught up in the possibilities of what may or may not happen in the future.

The 28-year-old Canadian is firmly focused on her personal rise and is determined to climb to the top of the mountain. "Ally-Gator" has found victory in five of her last six showings with her most recent win coming over Shayna Baszler at Invicta 4 back in January. It was a rematch three years in the making, and Davis evened the score via rear-naked choke in the third round, leaving Baszler sleeping on the canvas in the process. 

"I think I made a huge statement in that [Shayna] Baszler fight," Davis told Bleacher Report. "It may not have been big media wise because a lot of MMA media doesn't really cover WMMA all that much and might know know who Shayna is. But she is one of the toughest female fighters and one of the truly legit female fighters in the sport.

"She is very well-rounded and has a great submission game much like myself. For me, beating Shayna was taking the next big step and she was one of the toughest fights I've had. A victory over a fighter I consider to be one of the toughest women out there is a great feeling.

In the ranks of WMMA, Davis's stock has never been higher. The Team Cesar Gracie-fighter has steadily built a reputation for her gritty style and willingness to trade leather at every turn. On the strength of her runs in Strikeforce and Invicta, Davis is now in a position to be considered one of the world's best.

She's looking to fight her way to the top, and whatever promotion that journey carries out in doesn't really matter to her. The only thing Davis wants is to fight the best the world has to offer.

"I would love to fight for the UFC," Davis said. "I'm completely happy fighting for Invicta but I know UFC is the next huge platform depending on how everything works out with this fight at UFC 157. For me it all comes down to how I perform in my fights. When this news was going on about women coming to the UFC I chose to focus my attention on my fight with Baszler. Whether or not my next fight in the UFC isn't something I can focus on. I have ample opponents in front of me and that is where my focus needs to be.

"No matter where or who I'm fighting, it is always going to be a good fight. I don't think to this day I've ever had a boring fight. This is what I do for a living. This is what I love to do. I'm coming out there to win and it doesn't matter who it is I'm facing. It doesn't matter if I fight for the UFC or Invicta next, I'm going to be a better fighter than the last time you saw me."

For Davis and many other women competing in mixed martial arts, times have never been better. With all major promotions beginning to showcase the top female talent on their rosters, the landscape of WMMA has shifted entirely.

Where options were once limited, the sudden growth of WMMA has attracted scores of new talent to the biggest stages and allowed female fighters to progress in the proper fashion. This was a luxury Davis wasn't afforded, and she's excited for the next generation of female fighters to make their mark.

"I think we are under the spotlight more than ever," Davis said. "Especially with how much attention a lot of these promotions are giving women. With the UFC fight coming up soon and Invicta doing so well, it is an exciting time for women in the sport. Even promotions like Bellator are putting women on center stage and it's great exposure.

"You get a lot more young females interested in the sport and realizing it is not just people getting in a cage like barbarians. People thought that way before but there are legit skills behind these ladies. There are women who bring Olympic-style wrestling or world class Judo now. There are great jiu-jitsu practitioners competing and there are a lot of skills to back up these ladies. Even with the guys, no one is just coming in there looking for blood. This is a sport and people are starting to see that.

"It's crazy and I almost wish I could have started my career at the point the sport is right now," Davis added. "I turned pro right away in my first fight against Sarah Kaufman, but now you have the ability and grow with your record. We have shows like Invicta where people who are just coming off amateur fights can face similar competition all the way up to women who have been competing for seven or eight years like myself. That provides a wide range and promotions like Invicta are really helping in that sense. Now other promotions are seeing that too and women aren't easily looked past anymore. We've come to the point in time where a high percentage of fight cards are going to have women bouts."

Since the days of Gina Carano, the topic of women flaunting their sex appeal has been a hot button issue in WMMA. It has become a debate of style versus substance, and while fighters like "Conviction" and Rousey have validated their salesmanship by performances inside the cage, others have fallen short in their efforts.

This divide has created a dialogue in the mixed martial arts community, and with the sport being entertainment based, it is unlikely the stigma will fade anytime soon. Davis takes zero issues with her fellow competitors boosting their profiles and believes everything will ultimately be determined when the cage door closes.

"You are going to come across different types of people in this world," Davis said. "The more publicity fights and the fighters in them get, you are going to come across people who are going to sell their image in different ways. When it comes down to it, what is going to keep the fans is what happens in the cage.

"I hate to say it but I don't think it will ever go away. I think the bigger this gets the more you are going to have that element. I'm all for people who want to show themselves in a certain light, just be able to back it up and have a little bit of class. Maybe try being a bit more Playboy than Hustler."

While the road ahead holds uncertainty for Davis opponent-wise, the future is undoubtedly bright. In the aftermath of UFC 157, the sport's biggest promotion will decide how much it is willing to grow the bantamweight division. If things go smoothly, Davis will find her name added to that roster.

That being said, should things go in a different direction, one fighter who has been on Davis' radar for some time is former Strikeforce champion Cris Cyborg.

The Brazilian wrecking machine has been out of action since testing positive for a banned substance following her bout against Hiroko Yamanaka in December of 2011. The failed drug test spawned a rash of negative publicity for Cyborg, and her talks with the UFC have been rocky at best. Should both women find the door to the Octagon closed for the time being, Davis would like to mix it up with one of the most feared female fighters on the planet.

"I totally respect Cris," Davis said. "I think she is a great fighter and I hope she does well. I'm not sure what is going on right now and if she can drop down to 135 pounds to make the UFC or not, but that is definitely a fight I'd be interested in. She has gone through the negative publicity with the whole steroids thing but I think she is still a great fighter. I think there are a lot of people who have probably looked past her because they think she was only successful because she was all juiced up or whatever. I've seen her jiu-jitsu and her Muay Thai and she is a legit top fighter."

Over the next few weeks the next step of Davis's journey will materialize, and she will be ready when it does. The Ontario native has set her sights on making 2013 a year to remember and is determined to keep the process of progress in constant motion.

"I want to go to Brazil," Davis said regarding her plans for the year ahead. "I can't really say when but it is definitely on my list. I am going to get a title this year and I want to successfully defend that title before the year is done. I don't think you are a legit champion until you can at least defend your title. I'm also going to win a couple jiu-jitsu titles in there too—some Worlds and Pan Ams. It is going to be a full year but I have to keep myself busy."

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

The lights are off. The doors are closed. The fat lady is backing her car out of the driveway and wondering what people thought about the song she just sang.

Now that Strikeforce has turned off the Open sign, it's time for the UFC to take a long, hard look at the roster and decide which fighters deserve a contract.

On the promotion's final card, an unspoken rule permeated the atmosphere: "If you win, you'll move into the UFC. If you lose, better luck elsewhere."

Whether that is ultimately going to be the case has yet to be seen, but Bleacher Report MMA is on the scene to help with the guesswork. Here, we will take a look at the fighters who competed on Saturday night and decide who is worthy of a UFC contract.

Despite the stigma that Strikeforce fighters aren't as talented as stars in the UFC, most of the competitors on Saturday night proved their mettle. Only a few stars showed that they are not worthy of Zuffa contracts, as the in-cage action was either thrilling or competitive for most of the evening.

Here is a look at the Strikeforce fighters who are worthy of moving into the Octagon. Each of the winners earned their place, as did a pair of losers.

The Winners

Estevan Payan

Payan kicked off the show with a second-round win over Mike Bravo. Payan has not lost any of his last eight fights, which includes two wins under the Strikeforce banner. Even though the UFC welterweight division is pretty stacked, the momentum Payan has warrants a fight in the organization.

Adriano Martins

Martins competed in the only other unaired bout when he defeated The Ultimate Fighter notable Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision. The win marked the 11th for Martins in his last 12 fights, with the sole loss coming by way of majority decision. He will make an excellent addition to the UFC lightweight roster.

Roger Gracie

Notable jiu-jitsu practitioner Roger Gracie looked pretty pitiful in the standup portion of his fight against Anthony Smith; however, once the action hit the ground, it didn't take long for Gracie to choke his way into the UFC with a second-round submission.

Pat Healy

Many were concerned that Healy might end up on the wrong end of an upset on Saturday simply due to the cruel nature of the sport. After all, he went from title contender to being on the preliminary card fighting to save his job in one fell swoop. Six straight wins will give him nice momentum to start his UFC career.

Tim Kennedy

Kennedy was pressured constantly by Trevor Smith, although the Army Ranger didn't let it break his will. In the third round, Kennedy scored a guillotine choke that will move him into the Octagon. Would it be friendly fire if he meets fellow military man Brian Stann in the UFC?

Ryan Couture

The son of Randy Couture seemingly picked up his father's ability to draw a terrible decision win out of the judges. Despite being undeserving of the victory he earned on Saturday, Couture showed tremendous heart and a creative attack that will make him a welcome addition to the lightweight division.

Ronaldo Souza

"Jacare" has long been touted as one of the best middleweights on the planet despite being stuck in Strikeforce. After manhandling UFC veteran Ed Herman, there is no question that those thoughts are not misguided. 

Gegard Mousasi

The former Strikeforce champion has broken free from his oppressive relationship with M-1 Global and should compete in the UFC sooner rather than later after ravaging Team AKA's Mike Kyle. Kyle has only one win in his past four fights and shouldn't prove so lucky.

Josh Barnett

Say what you will about Barnett's colored past, but he is one of the best fighters competing in the heavyweight division. If we can forgive the transgressions of Chael Sonnen and Sean Sherk after they served their punishments, Barnett shouldn't be treated more harshly.

Daniel Cormier

As this list progresses, the names on it become clearer and clearer. Daniel Cormier may not have been in the main event, but he was the most popular star on the card. After the fight, Cormier announced that he has already signed his UFC contract and challenged Frank Mir for an April 20 fight at UFC on Fox 7.

Tarec Saffiedine

Heading into Saturday's event, I really didn't expect Saffiedine to make it onto this list. However, by using a crippling supply of leg kicks, he was able to slow down Nate Marquardt for five rounds to earn a unanimous-decision victory.

The Losers

KJ Noons

There is no question in my mind that KJ Noons was absolutely robbed by the judges on Saturday night. Thankfully for the former Elite XC champion, Dana White agrees. 

 

Ryan is tough but KJ Noons got robbed!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) January 13, 2013

 

Nate Marquardt

Last but not least on this list is Nate Marquardt. The Tristar fighter didn't look good on Saturday. He refused to check leg kicks that hobbled him, and he was outworked by a fighter with considerably less experience. 

Instead, Marquardt will move into the UFC based on his name value and history with the organization. It's not as if Dana White will allow competitors like World Series of Fighting or Bellator to pick up a quality star who was recently a world champion.

In the end, a night of mostly predictable outcomes will lead to a series of mostly predictable signings with the UFC. Some stars were able to earn a contract that they otherwise wouldn't have gained, while others are finally free to compete with the best fighters in the world.

Are these the only fighters from Saturday night who will end up getting signed by the UFC?

Who knows?

Anthony Smith looked pretty good before getting taken down, and Mike Kyle has powerful friends at AKA, so they could be brought over too.

Who are you most excited to see in the UFC? What fights are you looking forward to in 2013 now that Strikeforce's biggest stars are coming over?

Tell us in the comments below.

Strikeforce has delivered plenty of action to fans over the course of its seven-year run. On Saturday night, the welterweight division was on display in the promotion's final fight.

Although oddsmakers didn't seem to give much hope to the underdogs on Saturday night, title contender Tarec Saffiedine showed fans why you can't put too much stock in what Las Vegas thinks.

Through five rounds of action, Saffiedine used superior speed and conditioning to produce an all-out assault on champion Nate Marquardt.

With his conditioning failing him, Marquardt wasn't quick enough to avoid the seemingly endless supply of leg kicks that Saffiedine delivered round after round.

It was a much-deserved exclamation point in the final chapter of Strikeforce.

What we'll remember about this fight
 

The emergence of Tarec Saffiedine as a new star in MMA. Spending much of the fight chopping down Marquardt with devastating leg kicks, Saffiedine painted a red and purple canvas on the thigh of "Nate the Great."

What we learned about Nate Marquardt

That the weight cut might be too much for the former middleweight contender. In the third round, Marquardt breathed deeply as he continued slowing down.

Additionally, we learned that Marquardt apparently forgot how to defend leg kicks. When he was eating 15 of them in Round 4, it became easy to confuse Marquardt's thigh with ground beef.

What we learned about Tarec Saffiedine

Despite his lack of notoriety and underdog status, he is deserving of competing with the best welterweights on the planet. The fact that he was able to pick apart a seasoned veteran like Marquardt is impressive enough, but getting to enter the UFC as the final Strikeforce welterweight champion puts that statement in bold.

What's next for Nate Marquardt

With connections to Tristar Gym and a quality name, Marquardt will likely be offered a UFC contract. However, that is far from a given considering the unceremonious release that Marquardt suffered in 2011.

If he arrives in the UFC later this year, Marquardt should not be awarded a bout against a contender. This loss drops Nate considerably in the ranks. Perhaps the ill-fated Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story fight could see the light of day after all.  

What's next for Tarec Saffiedine

Entering the UFC as the reigning Strikeforce champion is a major feather in his cap, although Saffiedine should not be thrust immediately into the title scene. After all, champion Georges St-Pierre is currently scheduled to meet Nick Diaz before likely defending his belt against the winner of Johny Hendricks vs. Jake Ellenberger.

A fight with a ranked opponent is a must. Although I don't care for his chances, perhaps a fight against the winner of Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia is in order.

In the blink of an eye, it was over.

The final card in Strikeforce history came and went, and it has yet to hit me.

For years, Strikeforce has been a promotion filled with talent and excitement. From housing world champions like Fedor Emelianenko to special attractions like Herschel Walker, nobody can question Strikeforce's legacy.

The final card was full of finishes. In fact, it should have been called Strikeforce: Mismatch instead of Marquardt vs. Saffiedine.

However, that refers mostly to the main card. We will get back to that soon.

There were two unaired fights that were great, from what I am told.

The first was a striking battle between Michael Bravo and Estevan Payan. This was expected, as both men are noted standup specialists.

Eventually, Payan would win via knockout. Apparently, it was a fun fight.

The other dark match was a coming-out party for Brazilian Adriano Martins, who schooled Jorge Gurgel with his power striking and technique. Martins won a unanimous decision, one of the few decisions on Saturday night.

Then came the prelims on Showtime Extreme. 

We started off with Anthony Smith vs. Roger Gracie, a battle between a midcard MMA fighter in Smith and a world-class grappler in Gracie.

Gracie's standup looked atrocious. Smith outstruck him in the first round before Gracie finally snagged a takedown in the second.

Gracie would win a lackluster fight via arm-triangle choke. His move to the UFC should force him to work night and day on his striking. It looked like a five-year-old karate student could outstrike him.

We then went to a lightweight bout between long-time veteran Pat Healy and young gun Kurt Holobaugh.

This entertaining grappling affair pitted Healy's wrestling against Holobaugh's slick jiu-jitsu. Submission attempts were made, sweeps were used and ground-and-pound was seen.

I really liked Holobaugh's omoplata into a toe hold that he used early on in the fight. Healy has tough submission defense, as that hold looked deep.

Healy's wrestling was too much though.

In the end, Healy won a unanimous decision, but Holobaugh impressed, as he was largely unknown prior to the fight. 

Middleweights Tim Kennedy and Trevor Smith were next. These two fighters used to train together, which made this bout a chess match.

This was another fun grappling fight filled with crazy scrambles and fun transitions.

Smith stayed with Kennedy for the first two rounds. He looked as if he gassed in the third, which opened up an opportunity for Kennedy. 

The finish came in the third round, when Kennedy violently grabbed Smith's neck in a guillotine choke and put him away.

To finish the prelims, KJ Noons and Ryan Couture threw their hats in the ring for Fight of the Night honors.

Noons used his crisp boxing to tag Couture on several occasions. Couture showed his toughness by staying in the fight and getting in some good punches as well.

Noons and Couture slugged it out for three rounds, and the judges were called upon to make a decision. In a controversial split decision, Couture defeated Noons, shocking many in the MMA world.

The main card was highlighted by quick finishes and one-sided fights. The first three fights on the main card were over in the first round.

First, Ronaldo Souza outclassed UFC employee Ed Herman en route to a kimura submission victory. Souza was on a different level than Herman, who took this fight on short notice at a catchweight.

"Jacare" has improved his striking in his last few bouts, which he showcased by nailing Herman with punches and a front kick. Souza's complete game could spell trouble for UFC middleweights.

Next, Gegard Mousasi manhandled Mike Kyle on the ground and choked him out with a rear-naked choke. After a brief striking exchange, Mousasi put Kyle on his back and unloaded big punches and elbows on him.

The choke mercifully ended the fight for Kyle.

That win put UFC light heavyweights on notice. With his performance, Mousasi could draw a top name when he makes the move to the Octagon.

Josh Barnett proved that Nandor Guelmino didn't deserve to fight him. Barnett quickly choked him out with an arm-triangle choke.

There was not much notable about the fight. Barnett quickly took down Guelmino and imposed his will. He did all of this with the flu, which made it even more impressive.

In two rounds of pure domination, Daniel Cormier unsurprisingly put away Dion Staring with ground-and-pound. Staring was a warrior and stuck in there but was simply overmatched.

What was interesting about the fight is that Staring initiated the clinch with Cormier a couple of times. One would think he would not want to wrestle with an elite wrestler like Cormier.

After the fight, Cormier called out Frank Mir and Jon Jones, which could play out in the upcoming year.

Finally, in the only fight that wasn't one-sided on the main card, Tarec Saffiedine won the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship against Nate Marquardt in impressive fashion.

It was easily the best fight on the card. Saffiedine proved he is UFC ready, while Marquardt showed the heart of a warrior.

Saffiedine's leg kicks were so nasty that I doubt Marquardt will be walking on Sunday. It was a perfectly executed game plan that now makes Saffiedine a player at 170.

Another big factor was the Belgian's takedown defense. With that kind of sprawl, he definitely has what it takes to be tested by the wrestling-centric welterweight division.

The main event was a good way to end the promotion, even though the rest of the main attractions were lopsided fights. This card almost didn't do the promotion justice after the great wars put on over the years.

However, Strikeforce can now be laid to rest. It brought us fun moments and made names for fighters. 

Best of luck in the future to all Strikeforce veterans.