Strikeforce
STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: "Bigfoot" Silva says Fedor hasn't changed his game over the last seven or eight years
Feb 2, 2011 - 10:49:25 AM STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: "Bigfoot" Silva says Fedor hasn't changed his game over the last seven or eight years

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"Man, Fedor is the type of fighter that, in the last seven or eight years has not changed much. He's a technical fighter, explosive on the feet, has both hands very fast and strong, he has ground and pound, when he's on top he's very strong… But his game has not changed during these last years. If you watch all of his fights, he'll pretty much end them the same way. Now he's got his own camp with Ernest Hoost, but I'm sure that when the time comes, he'll go back to his game, he won't change. He'll come more careful because he's coming from a loss, he won't expose himself much, after all it's two heavyweights, the first punch that connects could decide [the fight]. He's coming trying to stay relevant and I'm trying to stay inside the top 10. Who will win with this are the fans, because it'll be two monsters inside the cage trying to kill themselves."

-Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva talks to Tatame.com (translated by Orcus at BloodyElbow.com) about his February 12 opponent in the first round of Strikeforce's Heavyweight World Grand Prix, Fedor Emelianenko.

Penick's Analysis: This should be a very good heavyweight fight to kick off this tournament. It's an accurate statement on Fedor's game made by Silva here, as he hasn't really had to evolve what he does in the ring or cage while he was winning fights. It was his speed and power, along with his ground and pound game, that kept him winning fights, and then he got over-aggressive against Werdum and lost a fight for the first time in a decade. Whether that makes him more cautious in this particular fight remains to be seen, but I think his final comment there will hold true, and both will be out to win this fight convincingly. Someone's getting tagged, and it should make for a very good fight.