ESPN Mixed Martial Arts

Sports Illustrated pit bull terrier Josh Gross -- that's a compliment, folks -- reports that Roger Gracie is close to signing a multifight contract with Strikeforce.

This is news worth repeating. Gracie is a heavyweight prospect with world-class grappling skills, a marketable name and an unblemished record. (Granted, he has had only two fights, but still …). Strikeforce's interest means his talent won't be squandered in a series of ridiculous, logic-bankrupt bouts in Japan, a trend that had already begun when he was matched against middleweight Yuki Kondo last year.

Robert Drysdale, who knows a little bit about jiu-jitsu, has told The FightWorks Podcast that it isn't just Gracie's technical ability -- which has won him countless world championships -- that should concern people.

"He is also incredibly strong. I don't know if you guys saw this in the finals of 2007, but he ripped my Gi. He just ripped my sleeve apart. That was a brand-new Gi that I had never worn before! That's not normal! That's not normal; I don't care what people say. I have never seen that happen in my life. When he did that, I was like, 'Holy s---!'"

Solid endorsement. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker says his intention is to allow Gracie to cut his teeth in the Challengers series of feeder shows on Showtime.

From the Department of I Don't Have Anything Sarcastic to Say About This: Bellator welterweights Dave Menne and Kevin Knabjian stopped by Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Tuesday to visit pediatric patients, sign autographs and delicately pat little heads asking for "Iceman."

It's actually an encouraging sign of MMA's evolving tolerance level in the mainstream that a children's hospital PR director -- a conservative demographic if there ever was one -- didn't take any issue with booking prizefighters. (Not that Menne is a ticking time bomb of rage. He's usually pretty sleepy, actually.)

Both Menne and Knabjian are expected to compete at Bellator VII in Chicago on Friday: Menne in the semifinals of the welterweight tournament against Omar de la Cruz, and Knabjian facing Jacob Volkmann.