Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve Scheduled for UFC Fight Night 21
Although the fight has not been finalized, reports indicate that The Ultimate Fighter season 10 winner Roy Nelson will take on heavyweight prospect Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 21.
Nelson defeated Brendan Schaub in the show’s finale, winning by TKO in the 1st round. Nelson, a blackbelt in Brazlilian Jiu Jitsu, is 14-4 in his career and has fought for the IFL, Elite XC and now the UFC.
Meanwhile, since dropping his first UFC fight to Junior Dos Santos, the talented 21 year old Struve has racked up three straight wins. He last fought at UFC 106, defeating Paul Buentello in a majority decision. Struve has a background in kickboxing and also has shown good ground skills during his UFC run.
UFC Fight Night 21 is expected to take place on March 31st. 2010 in North Carolina. The broadcast will serve as the lead-in to the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, which features coaches Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.
Photo courtesy: Justin Bowen/Las Vegas Sun
Popularity: 3% [?]
UFC Fight Night 20 Preview and Predictions
After UFC 108 and WEC 46, UFC Fight Night 20 has gotten a little lost in the shuffle. However, it features a main event that could help to determine B.J. Penn’s next challenger for his lightweight title, and also gives tough matchups to several guys the UFC has high hopes for.
Amir Sadollah vs. Brad Blackburn: The former winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Amir Sadollah is fresh off a solid victory over Phil Baroni at UFC 106. He’ll have a tough test in Brad Blackburn, who is 3-0 in his UFC career. Sadollah was an upset winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 7, considering he had no pro experience before the contest. He defeated the highly touted C.B. Dollaway in the finale, but dropped his next contest to Johny Hendricks in the first round at UFC 101. Sadollah rebounded to pummel Baroni over three rounds at UFC 106, winning a unanimous decision. He’s a Muay Thai specialist, though he doesn’t have true knockout power. His ground game is still relatively untested, though he did pull out some good submissions on the show and in the finale. Blackburn is 3-0 in his UFC career, and last defeated Edgar Garcia at The Ultimate Finale 9. His overall MMA record isn’t as impressive at 15-9. He has faced tough competition in his career, facing off against the likes of Jay Hieron, Rory Markham, Roger Huerta and Chris Wilson among others. Blackburn is the much more powerful striker in this contest, and is probably more technical as well. I think Blackburn is a solid (slight) upset pick here. Blackburn via unanimous decision.
Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson: Lawlor has made a name for himself for being quite a character, but his MMA game isn’t too shabby either. He is coming off an upset win over C.B. Dollaway at UFC 100, and is 2-0 in his young UFC career. Another contestant from The Ultimate Fighter, Lawlor mixes a solid wrestling base with decent submission skills, though his striking is still his weakness. Simpson has burst onto the MMA scene, winning his first six fights, two of them coming in the UFC. Simpson last defeated Ed Herman at UFC 102. Simpson was a two time All American wrestler while at Arizona State, and is very explosive. Despite starting his MMA career late (he’s 35 now) he shows a great deal of promise. I think he does the same things that Lawlor does, but he does them all better and with more explosion. Simpson should get another win here. Simpson via TKO in the 2nd.
Evan Dunham vs. Efrain Escudero: Escudero, yet another alumnus of The Ultimate Fighter, will try to run his UFC record to 3-0 and his MMA record to 14-0 as he takes on a tough Evan Dunham. Escudero knocked out a very tough Cole Miller at UFC 103. He has a strong wrestling base and good power in his striking as well. Dunham is a very similar fighter. Dunham is 9-0 in his MMA career and 2-0 in his UFC career. He beat Marcus Aurelio at UFC 102 via split-decision. He is a very good counter-puncher, but his wrestling is nowhere near as good as Escudero’s. Escudero is a threat standing and on the mat. He has more ways to win this fight than Dunham. Escudero via TKO in the 2nd.
Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz: Maynard is gunning for a shot at B.J. Penn’s lightweight title, and an impressive victory here over Diaz may get him that opportunity. He’s 8-0 in his MMA career, and 6-0 in his UFC career. Him and Diaz were both on The Ultimate Fighter season 5, and they met in the semifinals. Diaz got the victory with a guillotine in the 2nd round. Maynard is a former collegiate wrestler, and has improved his striking significantly in recent fights. Diaz is in a bit of a rut, dropping two of his past three fights. He defeated Melvin Guillard at UFC Fight Night 19 after dropping consecutive decisions to Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. In those two contests, Diaz was taken down almost at will and was ineffective with his jiu jitsu from the bottom. Much like his brother Nick, Nate is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, but his striking isn’t as good as Nick’s. Maynard should have the advantage in this one. His wrestling is as good if not better than Guida and Stevenson, and his striking is better than both of them as well. Diaz is always dangerous from the bottom, but I think Maynard’s strength and wrestling abilities will keep him out of danger. Maynard could really use an exciting finish to bolster his title shot hopes, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to finish Diaz. However, a win is a win. Maynard via unanimous decision.
Preliminary Card Predictions:
Jay Silva over Chris Leben via TKO in the 2nd
Rick Story over Jesse Lennox via submission in the 3rd
Thiago Tavares over Nik Lentz via decision
Rory MacDonald over Michael Guymon via submission in the 2nd
Rafael do Anjos over Kyle Bradley via decision
Gerald Harris over John Salter via TKO in the 1st
Nick Catone over Jesse Forbes via decision
Popularity: 3% [?]
WEC 46 Preview and Predictions
WEC 46 features an anticipated match-up to unify the lightweight title, and also features two former WEC featherweight champions trying to get back to the top of the division.
Dave Jansen vs. Kamal Shalorus: Jansen is an impressive 14-0 in his MMA career, and earned his first WEC victory when he defeated Richard Crunkilton via decision at WEC 43. He is a strong wrestler, and fights with Team Quest, a camp known primarily for wrestling. However, he’s facing another strong wrestler in Shalorus. Shalorus was on the Great Britain in the 2004 Olympics and was once considered one of the best freestyle wrestlers in the world. He’s 5-0-1 in his MMA career, and beat Will Kerr via 1st round TKO in his first WEC contest at WEC 44. Shalorus should have a slight wrestling advantage, and also has more power if the fight remains standing. Shalorus via TKO in the 2nd.
Mackens Semerzier vs. Deividas Taurosevicius: Semerzier impressively submitted Wagnney Fabiano in a big upset at WEC 43. The win improved Semerzier’s record to 5-0, with four of the wins coming via submission. Semerzier boasts an underrated boxing game to go along with his impressive grappling skills. Taurosevicius is more experienced than Semerzier, and has a 11-3 overall record. He’s fought for the IFL as well as the WEC. His first WEC contest was a split-decision victory over Javier Vasquez at WEC 43. In his career, Taurosevicius has beaten fighters such as Dan Lauzon, and Bart Palaszewski, and has also faced the likes of Frankie Edgar and Ryan Schultz. He’s an experienced grappler, though he may prefer to keep the fight standing due to Semerzier’s dangerous submission game. I think that Semerzier’s striking skills are being underrated by some, and I think he’ll have the advantage in most facets of the fight. Semerzier via submission in the 2nd.
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Anthony Morrison: Brown will try to climb back up the featherweight ladder of the WEC after losing his title to Jose Aldo at WEC 44. He’ll face off against Morrison, who will be making his WEC debut. Brown is a solid all-around fighter. He’s very powerful in his striking, has very strong wrestling skills, and is also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Brown trains with American Top Team in Florida, and is 22-5 overall in his career, and has a 4-1 record in the WEC. He’s pretty big for the weight class, and has a size advantage on many of his opponents. Morrison is 15-7 overall in his MMA career, and last defeated former UFC fighter Alvin Robinson in early December. However, he is a huge underdog against Brown, and for good reason. Brown is simply better in every facet of this fight, besides perhaps better nickname, which definitely goes to Anthony “Cheesesteak” Morrison. Either way, Brown should finish this one early and will be looking for another top contender or a rematch with Aldo when it’s over. Brown via TKO in the 1st.
Urijah Faber vs. Raphael Assuncao: While Brown gets a chance to rebuild his title hopes against a lesser known opponent, Faber is getting thrown back into the deep end of the pool against the talented Assuncao. Faber has dropped two of his past three fights (both to Brown), and is finally recovered from hand injuries suffered in the 2nd fight with Brown. He’s the former WEC featherweight champion, and was considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world for a long stretch. Faber is 22-3 in his MMA career, and is 7-2 in the WEC. He has a strong wrestling background, and his striking is unorthodox, but effective. Assuncao is on a six fight winning streak, and is 14-1 overall in his MMA career. His WEC debut was against Jameel Massouh at WEC 40, where he won a unanimous decision. Assuncao followed that up with a split-decision win over Yves Jabouin at WEC 43. Assuncao is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and is very dangerous on the ground. The WEC really wants Faber to win this fight so they can set up a huge fight between Faber and current featherweight champion Jose Aldo, and I think Faber will take care of business in this fight. Faber via unanimous decision.
Jamie Varner vs. Benson Henderson: The main event of WEC 46 features a lightweight title unification bout between the champion Jamie Varner, and the interim champion Benson Henderson. Varner won the lightweight title back at WEC 32 over Rob McCullough. He defended the title successfully against Marcus Hicks at WEC 35, and then over Donald Cerrone at WEC 38. The fight against Cerrone was stopped early due to an illegal knee delivered by Cerrone. When Varner was unable to continue, the fight went to the scorecards, giving Varner a decision victory. Since that fight, Varner has been rehabbing a variety of injuries, while Cerrone lost his chance at the interim title and a chance at a rematch with Varner by dropping a decision to Henderson at WEC 43. Varner has strong wrestling and boxing credentials, and brings a 16-2 overall record to this matchup. Varner is also 4-0 in the WEC. Henderson is 3-0 in the WEC, and is 10-1 overall in his MMA career. Prior to winning the interim championship at WEC 43, Henderson defeated Shane Roller and Anthony Njokuani. He was also a collegiate wrestler and was a NAIA wrestling All-American twice during his career. His striking has improved a great deal, and he has good power in his hands. This fight may come down to how much ring rust Varner has acquired during his time off. Henderson is a dangerous opponent, but when he’s on his game, I think Varner’s the better fighter. His technical striking can control the fight, and his defensive wrestling should be able to keep him off his back for the majority of the fight. If the fight goes the distance, it’s probably bad news for Varner, as I’m not sure he’ll be able to match Henderson’s cardio. However, I think Varner can win this fight before it gets to the scorecards, setting up a Varner/Cerrone rematch we’ve all been waiting for. Varner via TKO in the 3rd.
Preliminary Card Picks:
Wagnney Fabiano over Clint Godfrey via 1st round submission
Bryan Caraway over Mark Hominick via 2nd round submission
Akitoshi Tamura over Charlie Valencia via decision
Eddie Wineland over George Roop via decision
Coty Wheeler over Will Campuzano via 2nd round submission
Popularity: 4% [?]
UFC 108 Preview and Predictions
UFC 108 has been hit extremely hard by injuries and fight cancellations. At one time or another, this card was rumored to have fighters such as Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez competing. The event lacks true “star power,” but cards like this often turn out to be among the best cards of the year.
Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout: Two lightweights with contrasting styles will battle it out in this fight. Lauzon is coming off knee surgery following his win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 17. In his UFC career, he is 5-1, with the only loss coming to Kenny Florian. He’s a solid all-around fighter with solid striking and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills. Stout is primarily known as a striker. He’s 3-4 in his UFC career, with wins over Spencer Fisher, Per Eklund and Matt Wiman. The win over Wiman came at UFC 97 in April. Stout was scheduled to return to face Phillipe Nover at UFC Fight Night 19, but Nover suffered a seizure prior to the bout and the fight was cancelled. I think that Lauzon can hold his own while the fight is standing, but will have the major advantage if the fight hits the ground. Should be a very entertaining fight, one of the candidates for fight of the night. Lauzon via submission in the 2nd.
Jim Miller vs. Duane Ludwig: Ludwig was a very late replacement for Sean Sherk, who himself was a replacement for Tyson Griffin. He’ll be making his return to the UFC after almost a four-year absence. His career record is 19-9, and he’s had a few good moments in his UFC career as well, most notably his first round knockout of Jonathan Goulet at UFC Fight Night 3. That knockout should have went down as the fastest in UFC history, but an error by the clock operator has the official time listed at 11 seconds instead of 5. Ludwig also holds a victory over Jens Pulver outside of the UFC, and has faced the likes of B.J. Penn, Takanori Gomi, Paul Daley, and Tyson Griffin in his career. Miller is a very solid fighter, boasting a 14-2 overall record, as well as a 4-1 record in the UFC. He most recently won a TKO victory over Steve Lopez at UFC 103, after Lopez was unable to continue after suffering a shoulder injury. Miller is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and comes from a wrestling background. His striking is decent, though I don’t expect him to spend much time trying to stand with Ludwig, who has the nickname “Bang” for a reason. Once Miller decides to turn this one into a ground war, the end will be near. Miller via TKO in the 1st.
Junior Dos Santos vs. Gilbert Yvel: Dos Santos will try and continue on his quest up the UFC’s heavyweight rankings as he takes on a dangerous opponent in Gilbert Yvel. Yvel has the reputation as one of the sport’s bad boys due to his past offenses including eye gouging and the assault of a referee during a fight. However, he’s a very dangerous striker and has a career 36-13 record. Yvel has wins over Pedro Rizzo and Cheick Kongo during his career, and has also faced guys such as Josh Barnett, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva during his career. His Muay Thai skills are very good, and could give Dos Santos some problems. Dos Santos most recently defeated Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 103. That win improved his UFC record to an impressive 3-0 and his overall record to 9-1. He’s a very powerful striker as evidenced with his knockout over Fabricio Werdum at UFC 90, but he also possesses good ground skills, though he hasn’t needed them in the UFC thus far. I’m expecting the majority of this fight to take place on the feet. Yvel has a serious chance due to his striking background and punching power, but I think that Dos Santos will be patient and wait for his opportunities. Yvel isn’t a pushover on the ground either, but if the fight does go there, I expect Dos Santos to have the advantage. Yvel has only been to a decision five times in 51 career contests, so there’s a strong possibility this one ends before it gets to the judges. Dos Santos via TKO in the 2nd.
Dustin Hazelett vs. Paul Daley: Another striker vs. grappler fight here between the powerful Daley and the Jiu Jitsu wizard Hazelett. Hazelett is coming off knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. He was scheduled to face Karo Parisyan at UFC 106, but was left without an opponent when Parisyan pulled out at the last minute. When Carlos Condit was injured and unable to face Daley, the UFC slid Hazelett into the fight. Hazelett is 5-2 in his UFC career, with wins over Josh Burkman and Tamdan McCrory in his last two contests. Hazelett also faced Josh Koscheck back at UFC 82, rocking him early before losing in the 2nd round. He’s a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel, and uses his skills very fluidly in the cage. His height and reach help his striking, though at only 23 years of age, he hasn’t fulfilled his potential in that department yet. His striking isn’t awful, but definitely isn’t the strength of his game. Meanwhile, Daley is one of the most dangerous striker’s in the UFC’s welterweight division. He made his UFC debut back in September, defeating Martin Kampmann in the first round at UFC 103. He trains alongside UFC welterweight contender Dan Hardy at Team Rough House in England, and the fight camp has really helped him elevate his game. No longer is Daley a pushover on the ground. He has learned some pretty decent takedown defense, and his overall strength helps him on the ground as well. He obviously wants to keep the fight standing against Hazelett, but won’t be completely clueless if the fight does hit the ground. Ring rust will probably be a factor for Hazelett, but once he gets in the cage and gets loose, he should settle back down. If he can utilize just enough striking to set up a takedown, he can beat Daley. The key is to not get into too many exchanges, because with Daley’s power and skill, he’ll eventually catch him. Who’s strength is better, Daley’s striking or Hazelett’s jiu jitsu? I’m going with Hazelett’s jiu jitsu. Hazelett via submission in the 2nd.
Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva: The night’s main event features two hard-hitting light heavyweights. Both fighters lost to Lyoto Machida, Silva at UFC 94 and Evans at UFC 98. Both fighters have only that one loss on their record. Silva last fought at UFC 102, beating Evans’ teammate Keith Jardine by brutal first-round TKO. Evans hasn’t fought since losing to Machida at UFC 98, and was instead featured as a coach for the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter. A win over Silva here will likely get Evans a shot at the returning Quinton “Rampage” Jackson sometime around March or April of this year. I have long been a doubter of Silva’s, though the Jardine fight did impress me. Overall, Silva is 14-1 in his MMA career with 11 wins via TKO or KO, though he struggled some against some of his competition early in his UFC career, and he really shouldn’t have. He’s got good power in his hands and also has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, though we haven’t seen much ground work from him in his UFC career. Silva hasn’t really faced someone who posed a takedown threat like Evans does, even if Evans doesn’t use his wrestling as much as he used to. The former UFC light heavyweight champion, Evans has transitioned from a wrestler to a fighter who likes to stand and strike first and foremost. His KO win over Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 showed people that he definitely has the power to finish fights, and his patient approach in his win over Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 showed that he could stick to a gameplan and wait for an opportunity. He loves to counter punch, usually letting his opponents throw the first shot before he responds with some of his own. Liddell eventually got fed up waiting for Evans to come forward and paid for it with a huge right hook. His footwork isn’t good. His bouncing makes it look like he is light on his feet and has good footwork, but in reality, he finds himself in poor positions many times. However, he has a pretty solid chin and also possesses good quickness and athletic ability. His ground and pound is also very strong. Can Silva win this fight? Definitely. I just don’t think he will. I think that Evans is the better fighter, plain and simple. Throw in the fact that he trains with Greg Jackson and he should have the advantage here. I know that Jardine is also a Jackson fighter, but he doesn’t possess the skillset that Evans does. Evans via TKO in the 2nd.
Preliminary Card Predictions:
Rafaello Oliveira over John Gunderson via decision
Jake Ellenberger over Mike Pyle via TKO in the 2nd
Mark Munoz over Ryan Jensen via decision
Cole Miller over Dan Lauzon via submission in the 2nd
Martin Kampmann over Jacob Volkmann via TKO in the 1st
Picture courtesy of www.combatlifestyle.com
Popularity: 7% [?]
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to everyone from MMA Ground N’ Pound! Hope everyone has a great holiday with friends and family. Thanks for your continued support!
Popularity: 6% [?]
WEC 45 Preview and Predictions
WEC 45 will go head-to-head with Strikeforce: Evolution and will provide solid entertainment that should match their rival’s event. Here’s my preview for WEC 45:
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Scott Jorgensen: Mizugaki made his WEC debut at WEC 40, filling in for Brian Bowles to face Miguel Torres. Mizugaki performed well, losing a decision in an entertaining fight. He returned to the cage to fight Jeff Curran at WEC 42, where he won a split-decision. He’ll look to win his second in a row against Jorgensen. Jorgensen is 7-3 in his MMA career, and has a 3-2 WEC record. He has a very solid collegiate wrestling background. I’d give Jorgensen the slight wrestling edge in this one, but Mizugaki’s takedown defense is strong. I expect their wrestling to cancel each other out, resulting in this fight remaining standing. I think Mizugaki, as shown in his fight with Torres, will have the advantage in the striking department. This fight should have plenty of fireworks, but I think Mizugaki will prevail. Mizugaki via unanimous decision.
Joseph Benavidez vs. Rani Yahya: Benavidez’s run to the top of the WEC’s bantamweight division was slowed by losing a unanimous decision to Dominick Cruz at WEC 42. The loss was the first of Benavidez’s career in 11 professional fights. He fights with Team Alpha Male alongside Urijah Faber. Much like Faber, Benavidez has some unorthodox striking to go along with a wrestling base. Yahya is 15-4 in his MMA career, and has three consecutive wins in the WEC. He is one of the better Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters in all of MMA, but the rest of his game isn’t as polished. Benavidez’s best chance is to keep this fight standing, as Yahya will have a significant edge on the ground, especially from the top position. I think Benavidez can fend off Yahya’s submissions for awhile, but he will eventually get caught. Yahya via submission in the 2nd.
Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki: Horodecki will be making his WEC debut after amassing a 13-1 record in the IFL and smaller promotions. Horodecki trains with Xtreme Couture, and is known for his striking, though his success has come from lower competition. He will be giving up a huge reach advantage to Njokuani, which could mean disaster for him. Njokuani is 11-2 in his MMA career, and is coming off two straight wins in the WEC. He uses his reach advantage over opponents pretty well. Neither fighter is much of a threat on the ground. I see every advantage going to Njokuani in this fight. He has the reach advantage and the power advantage, and doesn’t have to worry about defending takedowns. Njokuani via TKO in the 2nd.
Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff: In the main event of WEC 45, Cerrone will be looking to get back in the winner’s column after a close loss to Ben Henderson at WEC 43. He’s 10-2-0-1 in his MMA career, with the two losses coming to Jamie Varner and Ben Henderson, two very close fights. Cerrone is tall for the lightweight class, and uses the reach advantage very well. His submission game is dangerous as well. Ratcliff is 7-1 in his MMA career, and has a 3-1 WEC record. He has made a name for himself with his exciting striking that comes from a Karate background. However, his defense isn’t always up to par and sometimes finds himself on the wrong end of striking exchanges because of it. On the ground, Cerrone should hold the advantage. I think Cerrone should take this one rather easily, getting him back on track for a shot at rematches with Varner and Henderson. Cerrone via submission in the 2nd.
Preliminary Card Predictions:
Jameel Massouh over Erik Koch via TKO in the 2nd
Brad Pickett over Kyle Dietz via decision
John Hosman over Chad George via decision
Muhsin Corbbrey over Zachary Micklewright via TKO in the 2nd
Anthony Pettis over Bart Palaszewski via decision
Popularity: 4% [?]
Strikeforce: Evolution Preview and Predictions
This is a great weekend of MMA action as both the WEC and Strikeforce hold cards with many interesting fights. We’ll take a look at Strikeforce: Evolution first:
Muhammed Lawal vs. Mike Whitehead: The immensely talented but still raw Lawal will try and continue his ascension up the MMA rankings by taking on former UFC fighter and MMA veteran Mike Whitehead. Lawal was a standout collegiate wrestler and also wrestled for the U.S. national team. He’s made the transition into MMA very smoothly, going 5-0 to start his career as he’s bounced around between the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Lawal’s striking is still unrefined, but very powerful. He’s an excellent athlete, and though he is small for the heavyweight class, his wrestling and strength make him a very difficult matchup for most fighters. Whitehead has a 24-7 in his MMA career. He’s fought for the WEC, IFL, Affliction and Strikeforce, and also competed on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter. His last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Kevin Randleman at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields. He also comes from a collegiate wrestling background, though Lawal has much better credentials. I think Whitehead’s only chance is to lay n’ pray his way to a decision, but that’s not going to happen because he won’t be able to take Lawal down. Lawal is better in ever facet. Lawal by TKO in the 1st.
Matt Lindland vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza: Lindland will be looking to rebound from the devastating knockout he received from Vitor Belfort in his last fight at Affliction: Day of Reckoning. He’s 21-6 overall in his MMA career, and was once considered on of the top middleweights in the world. He’s beaten the likes of Phil Baroni, Pat Miletich, Travis Lutter, Joe Doerksen and Carlos Newton during his career, but at 39, it’s quite possible that Lindland is on the downside of his career. His wrestling credentials are some of the best in the sport. He won the silver medal for the U.S. in the 2000 summer olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling. Lindland fights out of Team Quest in Oregon, alongside UFC fighters Chael Sonnen and Ed Herman. In contrast, Souza is one of the top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practicioners in MMA. He’s a former Abu Dhabi champion and also won back-to-back titles at the World Jiu Jitsu championship. In his MMA career he is 10-2, with 9 of his victories coming via submission. He also uses his wrestling well and his striking is good enough to help him survive to get the fight to the ground. I think Lindland is on the downside of his career. He’ll have a tough time dealing with Souza on the ground, and that’s where Lindland is normally most comfortable. Souza via submission in the 2nd.
Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez: This fight is for the unified lightweight championship of Strikeforce. Thomson is the champion, as he won the title from Melendez at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson in June, 2008. Since that fight, Thomson has only been able to fight once more, defeating Ashe Bowman in September of 2008. Thomson has had injury problems since that fight. He broke his ankle in April of this year, and had his rematch with Melendez rescheduled for August. His ankle was still not healthy enough to fight, so Strikeforce pushed the fight back until now. Melendez won his interim championship by defeating Rodrigo Damm at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz, and defended the title with a win over Mitsuhiro Ishida at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg in August. Thomson was dominant in the pair’s first fight, winning 50-45 on all scorecards. He was able to successfully defend against Melendez’s takedowns and was the superior striker in that contest as well. You have to wonder what kind of toll Thomson’s injury and the layoff will have on him. I think Melendez has improved as a fighter since the first contest, and think that Thomson could have used a tune-up fight before having to go against a top lightweight like Melendez. I think Thomson’s timing may be off and Melendez’s pace could present a problem as well. I think we’re destined to see a third fight between these two in the future. Melendez via unanimous decision.
Cung Le vs. Scott Smith: The night’s main event should be a fun one to watch. Dynamic striker Cung Le will take on the fearless Scott Smith in a middleweight showdown. Le was the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, but relinquished the title to spend some time pursuing acting. He’s 6-0 in his MMA career, with his last win coming against Frank Shamrock at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le. That fight took place in March of 2008, and ended when Shamrock’s arm was broken by a barrage of kicks from Le. Le has a background in Taekwondo and Muay Thai and is an explosive striker. He doesn’t have Smith’s power, but usually does his damage with flurries. Smith is 16-6 in his MMA career, which has included stints with the UFC, WEC, Elite XC and Strikeforce. He’s more of a pure brawler than Le, with 13 of his 16 victories coming via TKO or KO. His last fight was a submission loss to Nick Diaz at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields. He likely won’t have to worry about too much on the ground from Le in this contest. He definitely has the capability to knock Le out, especially considering the long layoff between fights for Le. Le is the better overall striker, but his defense is not impenetrable. I’m going with the upset. Smith via TKO in the 2nd.
Preliminary Card Predictions:
Scott Lighty over Antwain Britt via TKO in the 1st
Daisuke Nakamura over Justin Wilcox via decision
Juan Nunez over Luis Mendoza via decision
Alexander Trevino over Bobby Stack via TKO in the 2nd
AJ Fonseca over Alexander Crispim via decision
Popularity: 4% [?]
