With Strikeforce's long-awaited network television debut tonight, the mainstream media will be turning their often-occluded eye towards Mixed Martial Arts.

So too will millions of viewers, some long-time fans flocking at the chance to see the great Fedor Emelianenko fight for free, others in sheer curiosity towards this sport they keep hearing about called MMA.

Over the last few months, a great deal has been made about the potential push of Mixed Martial Arts into the mainstream and tonight's groundbreaking event opens the door for that discussion once more.

Except this isn't going to be a discussion of how MMA will make it to the mainstream; this is about why it will never happen and it's called The Jorge Gurgel Theory.

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Let's get one thing straight: Jorge Gurgel is a terrific athlete, a great fighter and an outstanding performer. Unfortunately, he's also a terrific example of why Mixed Martial Arts will never ascend to the rarefied air occupied by the NFL, NBA and MLB.

By no means is this meant to diminish his talents, accomplishments or success in the sport or incur the wrath of the always popular "At least he's man enough to step into the cage and not hide behind a keyboard" advocates.

This is simply a commentary on the progression of the sport, and Gurgel serves as an incredible example.

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Jorge Gurgel is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Marcus Aurelio, though you wouldn't necessarily know it from his most recent fights and therein lies the basis for this theory.

Despite being supremely talented on the ground, Rich Franklin's jiu jitsu coach prefers to stand and bang with his opponents. While it has earned him a couple "Fight of the Night" bonuses from the UFC, it also earned Gurgel his pink slip from the organization.

Before fighting under the bright lights of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Jorge Gurgel was 9-1 with all nine of his wins coming via submission.

Once the cameras started rolling and the crowds got bigger, the Brazilian jiu jitsu expert shifted gears, fighting more for the excitement and enjoyment of the fans, forsaking his acumen on the ground in favor of the stand-up battles that draw the biggest cheers.

Since his appearance on Season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter, Gurgel is 4-5 with all but one of those fights going to the judges scorecards. The one-time submission specialist has become a boxer, choosing the cheers and a coin-flip over jeers and a victory on the ground.

While there can be no guarantee that Gurgel would have won any or all of the five fights he's lost since entering and subsequently being released from the UFC, one would have to believe that an accomplished Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt stands a better chance using those talents than he does trading punches.

The pinnacle of the paradox is best illustrated by Gurgel's fight at UFC 91 with Aaron Riley.

On a card that also featured Brock Lesnar's heavyweight title win over Randy Couture, it was Gurgel and Riley who took home Fight of the Night honors for the 15 minute battle that saw Riley come away with a Unanimous Decision.

Though Gurgel earned a $60,000 bonus in defeat, he also earned an exit from the company.

Everyone, Dana White included, thought the fight was phenomenal, but the bottom line is that a loss is a loss...