Strikeforce results 'Fedor vs Henderson:' Tarec Saffiedine easily defeats Scott Smith

The Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Henderson" main card opened with a welterweight standoff pitting longtime veteran and comeback specialist Scott Smith against young prospect Tarec Saffiedine.

We expected a war between two martial artists that prefer the stand-up stylings, Smith a boxer and Saffiedine a karate kid with flashy footwork to match up with his opponents aggression. 

It was no surprise, then, when both men attempted to implement their game exactly as planned. And it was Saffiedine who had his way, completely outclassing his foe en route to a unanimous decision win. 

"Hands of Steel" held on for as long as he could, always looking for that dramatic comeback win, but miracles can't happen every time.

From the outset, Saffiedine was very clearly too quick and powerful for Smith, who looked sluggish and quite frankly, lost. After absorbing enough shots, any man would buckle but Smith simply looked defeated before he really ever got started.

Which is a shame because he said beforehand that he felt his job was on the line in this bout.

If that does indeed turn out to be the case, he's likely leaving the Sears Centre with pink slip in hand. At 32-years-old, his career is far from over, but he looked every second his age tonight.

For Saffiedine the outlook is far brighter, as he successfully bounced back from a disappointing decision loss to Tyron Woodley earlier this year.

Maybe a rematch is in order?

Either way, this is easily the most impressive performance of the young "Sponge's" career. The sky appears to be the limit, wouldn't you agree?