Finally back in the land of earthquakes and G20 riots after some well-spent time in California, where neither of those things ever occur.

For Heavy.com, I analyzed Fabricio Werdum’s chances of pulling off the upset. I also did an exclusive feature for Heavy.com on my time spent with Fedor Emelianenko.

Finally, post-fight, I snagged some time with the best female fighter in the world: Strikeforce 145 lb champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos, who notched a win just ten days removed from her husband Evangelista defeating Marius Zaromskis at Strikeforce LA. The video interview for CagePotato.com can be found here.

I spent last week in Los Angeles in order to meet legendary MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. My time in the city was very interesting, and thanks to the people at Showtime/Strikeforce/M-1 I managed to both interview Emelianenko and witness some of his training. This is the first piece written for FoxSports.com:

Contrasting with the smug, entitled attitude of many residents of Los Angeles is the quiet strength exuded by Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Celebrities here are loud, obnoxious and arrogant — but no amount of money or attention can change Fedor; there just isn’t any chronic insecurity within him that can seed such behaviors.

And that’s what makes him the consensus No. 1 heavyweight in mixed martial arts…(read the rest at FoxSports.com)

Last weekend’s Vancouver UFC event could possibly have been the last fight for both Chuck Liddell and Mirko ‘Cro Cop’. In this FoxSports.com column, I analyzed the potential outcomes.

Fighting on tonight’s Strikeforce card in Los Angeles is Tim Kennedy. Check out his unique story on Heavy.com.

Much more to come!

The Rashad Evans-Quinton Jackson bout for UFC 114 has been hyped to epic proportions, thanks to the rivalry between the two men that has lasted nearly a year in the media. Check out my column on FoxSports.com to see my analysis:

There’s only one ‘Rampage’ Jackson

Brian J. D’Souza, Heavy.com
Updated May 26, 2010 10:28 PM ET

To make headway in the workplace, we often learn to sublimate our true selves and substitute a false persona that others find more acceptable. Showing any color or personality can be the kiss of death when it comes to career advancement.

Today’s professional athletes are often a reflection of this philosophy, and many have been conditioned by slick public relations gurus to give press statements as if they were reading off cue cards. When it comes to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, as evidenced by the UFC 114 conference call, this is not the case…(read the rest at FoxSports.com)…

Had a chance to talk to Randy Couture and Shogun Rua in person over the last week. Randy spoke about the James Toney bout, whereas Shogun reflected on his win over Machida. And of course, both guys wanted to face each other.

Coming up this Saturday is Strikeforce in St. Louis, Missouri. On the card is Brett Rogers, a 10-1 heavyweight who lost a competitive fight to consensus #1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko in his last fight. Rogers faces the very dangerous Alistair Overeem, a Dutch K-1 and MMA fighter who holds the Strikeforce heavyweight title.

For more on Brett Rogers, check out my column on Heavy.com/FoxSports.com:

The first man to make it into the second round with Fedor Emelianenko since Mark Coleman back in 2006, Brett Rogers has taught himself about the dangers of being drawn the mystique of his opponents.

Now facing Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem, Rogers isn’t intimidated by Overeem’s physique or his record which includes three MMA wins in 2009 and going 3-2 in K-1 kickboxing in 2009 and early 2010.

Of his first meeting with Rogers six years ago, coach Mike Reilly shares his reaction, “The first time I saw him, he was getting out of his car, walking up my driveway — I was thinking ‘God I hope I don’t owe this guy money!’”

(Read the rest at FoxSports.com…)

I managed to do a solid Q & A with two-division UFC champion B.J. Penn on the subject of his new book, “Why I Fight: The belt is just an accessory.” It appears in the May issue of FIGHT! magazine.

Since the first match was so popular, Shogun Rua and Lyoto Machida will face off again this Saturday at Montreal’s Bell Centre. I had a few thoughts on the event:

Shogun-Machida II: A pound-for-pound star returns

The road to a championship belt is an exhaustive journey—it can be harder to hold on to a title than it is to earn it, something understood with the revolving door of Light Heavyweight title holders in the UFC. Since Rampage Jackson defeated Dan Henderson at UFC 75 back in 2007, only one 205er—Lyoto Machida—been able to successfully defend the strap. However, take away the judges scorecards, and many believe Machida failed in his last outing against Shogun Rua last October…(read the rest at Heavy.com)

Do you remember the animated Disney feature film Tron from the 80’s? Believe it or not, although it became the butt of many jokes, it’s one of those films that gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Some audiences were befuddled because the computer technology and concepts pre-date the internet era that we currently live in. The viability of Tron is such that it is currently being remade, with the new film in post-production.

Unfortunately, the down side of revisiting the film is the way it betrays the total lack of imagination that Hollywood has when making sci-fi movies these days. Instead of innovation, we get recycled Star Wars and Star Trek franchises that are commended when they attain mediocrity. Expectations are so low, we have to applaud formulaic plots simply for not devolving into complete embarrassment.

Tron had that cool kind of energy, and enough innovation to really stand out. A bad film wouldn’t be remembered or spoofed so often in The Simpsons and South Park.  There were immense difficulties when trying to get the film off the ground, but the makers surmounted them and we have a classic film that spawned a wide array of spin-offs.

An epic rematch between undefeated Lyoto Machida and legend Shogun Rua is slated for the May 8th UFC show in Montreal, but further down on the undercard, local fighter Jonathan Goulet will also compete. Unfortunately, due to a complex series of issues, his coach will not be in his corner. I spoke with Goulet’s trainer. Eric O’Keefe, to find out the whole story:

Trainer Eric O’Keefe’s License Not Renewed:
Unable to corner Jonathan Goulet at UFC 113 in Montreal

By: Brian J. D’Souza

Quebec is a province of Canada that is notorious for being a hot spot for organized crime. From mafia families to biker gangs, there is frequent news about criminal activity in the media. However, an attempt to draw a linkage between “those people” and one dedicated MMA coach, Eric O’Keefe, has tarnished O’Keefe’s reputation and barred him from doing his job—cornering MMA fighters in Quebec, including the May 8th UFC 113 show in Montreal.

“I don’t care if you want to scrutinize me more closely, but don’t prevent me from working with these kids,” says an impassioned O’Keefe of the decision that has affected his life in a dramatic way…

Full story at Heavy.com