Strikeforce?s Three Stars: Tate, Henderson and Saffiedine

In front of a raucous crowd in suburban Chicago, Strikeforce delivered with another card of exciting fights. Who rose above the rest? Here's are Cagewriter's picks. Tell us yours in the comments or on Facebook.

No. 1 star -- Miesha Tate: Marloes Coenen was beaten at her own game Saturday night, as Tate outgrappled and then tapped out the submission artist with an arm triangle choke to win the Strikeforce women's bantamweight belt. Next, she will get to avenge a loss against Sarah Kaufman.

No. 2 star -- Dan Henderson: The battle of legends didn't fail, as Hendo and Fedor Emelianenko came out swinging, packing every second of their 4:12 bout with action. Henderson's ability to withstand strikes was tested, but with smart wrestling and a mean uppercut, he was able to take the fight.

No. 3 star -- Tarec Saffiedine: It was a good day for Team Quest, Henderson's training camp, as Saffiedine put on a striking clinic against Scott Smith. He battered his face for three rounds to earn the unanimous decision. Next, he is expected to rematch with Tyron Woodley for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight belt.

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Tate grinds her way to women?s 135-pound title, finishing with a side choke

Miesha Tate wrestled with the boys in high school, so there's little mystery to her game. She wanted to get Marloes Coenen down, and down often.

After spending 10-plus minutes on her back, a warn down Coenen found herself in a nasty arm-triangle choke in the middle of the fourth round. Referee John McCarthy called a stop to things at 3:03 of the round giving the Strikeforce women's bantamweight title to Tate.

At just 24 years old, Tate (12-2) may be the future of the division, but the women's 135 class has another young lady in her mid-20's. Sarah Kaufman, 25, beat Tate back in 2009 on a Strikeforce Challengers card and will probably get the next crack at the title holder.

Tate's explained that her experience with the boys in high school was the genesis of this title run.

"It made me tough. It's a big, huge reason why I'm here today," said Tate, who wrestled in Olympia, Washington. "That toughness got me through that fight. Marloes is no joke."

Her recent path to the cage was far from easy.

"I had a good start to my training camp, a rough finish. That's what makes the heart of a champion, it's tough times. Tough times only make you tougher," said Tate.

Coenen (19-5) is a very solid fighter with good striking and submission skills, but her stiffness on the feet and lack of  side-to-side movement killed her chance of defending takedowns. She was too often a sitting duck for Tate, who was good on 5-of-6 takedown attempts.

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UFC 133 picks, Vegas-style: Tito looking to pull off second straight shocker

UFC 133 betting odds (Courtesy Lagasse's Stadium Las Vegas):

Tito Ortiz (+300) vs. Rashad Evans (-400) - Light heavyweight

Dennis Hallman (-110) vs. Brian Ebersole (-120) - Welterweight

Yoshihiro Akiyama (+280) vs. Vitor Belfort (-360) - Middleweight

Constantinou Philippou (+155) vs. Jorge Rivera (-185) - Middleweight

Mike Pyle (+220) vs. Rory Macdonald (-300) - Welterweight

Matt Hamill (+150) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (-180) - Light heavyweight

Rani Yahya (+190) vs. Chad Mendes (-240) -Featherweight

Nick Pace (+190) vs. Ivan Menjivar (-240) - Bantamweight

Nam Phan (+170) vs. Mike Brown (-200) - Featherweight

Paul Bradley (Even) vs. Rafael Natal (-130) - Middleweight

You can watch UFC 133 right here on Yahoo! Sports

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Cool video: Cain meets Ronaldo before big soccer match

Cain Velasquez's standing in the world of heavyweights in MMA is debatable and so is Cristiano Ronaldo's in the world of soccer, but they're definitely in the conversation about the top performers in their respective sports. This is a cool video where they cross paths during Real Madrid's recent trip to Los Angeles.

The UFC heavyweight champ spoke to Ronaldo about the UFC and how big it's getting around the world. Dana White has always said he hopes MMA can develop a soccer-like appeal around world with fighters coming from all corners of the planet. Ronaldo has never been to an MMA fight and was unaware that UFC had begun to spread events around Europe.

For those soccer critics who question the athleticism in the sports as compared to football and basketball in the states, Ronaldo looks like a pretty big dude even though he's standing next to an MMA heavyweight.

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Rossi?s opinion of the Lorenzo negotiations

This quote comes from the Spanish language website elmundodeportivo.es. The message and the sentiment are clear: “You aren’t worth what I get paid Jorge”. From elmundodeportive.es, translation by Fans.Moto.GP (Thanks!): What Jorge is looking for seems presumptuous to me: Arrive at Yamaha, and in his second year ask that he be given the same treatment [...]

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Philly?s finest BHop drills Evans on slick boxing

Bernard Hopkins hasn't always been a big fan of mixed martial arts, but like many boxers he's coming around to understand and respect the sport. BHop admits that just his boxing alone wouldn't carry him in an MMA fight. On the flip side, most MMA fighters certainly respect the hands and foot work of great boxers.

If he wasn't already on the list, add Rashad Evans to the group that has a healthy respect for boxers. On UFC 133 workout day in Philadelphia, Evans got a visit this week from the 46-year-old future Hall of Famer.

Hopkins is one of the best defensive fighters in the history of boxing. He showed Evans the importance of rolling the shoulder and tucking your chin. Hopkins also drilled Evans on how to throw the right hand with more momentum. It's pretty neat stuff. Take some time to watch the master explain his craft.

You can watch UFC 133 right here on Yahoo! Sports

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