Though the biggest names the company has to offer won't be making their way to South Beach this Saturday, make no mistake about it - there is a lot riding on Strikeforce's first fight card of 2010. The emerging competitor to the UFC has big plans for the coming year, and Saturday's event in Miami could serve as an indication of things to come for the San Jose-based promotion.

While the April CBS card featuring Fedor Emelianenko, a middleweight title fight between Jake Shields and Dan Henderson, and a rumored light heavyweight tilt between champion Gegard Mousasi and prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal is exceedingly important, so too is getting off on the right foot. That is where this weekend's event in Miami comes in.

More eyes than normal will be watching the action Saturday night at the BankAtlantic Center, as the debut of former NFL star Herschel Walker will continue to draw the interest of those typically uninterested in mixed martial arts. Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley's first fight with the organization will also bring an extra eyeball or two. Lo and behold, there are also two championship bouts taking place as well, as bad boy Nick Diaz meets DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix winner Marius Zaromskis, and Cris "Cyborg" Santos defends her Women's 145-pound title against Marloes Coenen.

With all that firepower - both in terms of talent and marketability - on the card and an increased number of interested spectators in attendance, Strikeforce could have a serious start to the year if all goes well.

Love him or hate him, the polarizing and popular Diaz is one of few fighters on the Strikeforce roster who has the track record in the cage to merit his marketing as a main event fighter. With Gegard Mousasi contractually joined at the hip with Fedor, the company is low on top of the marquee names, and having Diaz holding the welterweight belt would certainly help fill that void.

The same can be said for Santos, the "Female Axe Murderer" who met "The Face of Women's MMA" Gina Carano in August. While Santos walked away with an impressive win and the 145-pound championship, "The Face of Women's MMA" walked away with a black eye, a fat lip and a dire need for some ice packs.

Having cemented herself as the most feared female fighter on the planet with her high profile victory over Carano, Santos is quickly becoming a bankable fighter capable who is perfectly suited to co-main event a card like this in the future. Of course, being champion certainly plays a part in that equation. Which brings us to the two newcomers to the sport, Walker and Lashley.

Walker's decision to try his hand at MMA has been covered ad nauseum, with opinions falling on both sides of the good vs. bad divide and everywhere in between. Regardless of where you stand, there is no denying the man's marketability. With zero professional experience, Walker has earned more mainstream media coverage than any fighter over the last month, including returning UFC champion Brock Lesnar.

Though the media storm surrounding Walker's debut will certainly die down following the fight, his entry into the sport has certainly already brought some football fans over for a look, and could conceivably keep their attention with a strong showing on Saturday night. While a win over Greg Nagy may mean very little to serious MMA fans, the win is the only important part to...