Strikeforce: Houston Breakdown
Two Strikeforce titles are on the line this Saturday night on Showtime as the promotion invades Houston’s Toyota Centre.
The road to Strikeforce gold culminates for two Brazilian teammates. Meanwhile, an outspoken king and humble U.S. army hero look to keep the titles on their home turf.
Here’s a closer look at the Strikeforce: Houston main card:
-Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (7-0) vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (9-2)
Since decisively outworking Gegard Mousasi to claim the Strikeforce light heavyweight crown this past April, the self-assured “King Mo” has every reason to be oozing confidence.
The 2002 NCAA Division II national champion is one of the most dominant freestyle wrestlers in the sport, which he proved with a commanding victory over the highly touted Mousasi. After winning his first NCAA title, Lawal competed as a Division I All-American in 2003, winning the Big 12 championship that year. He was later favored to win the 2008 Olympic wrestling trials before an upset loss in the final round.
Lawal’s amateur wrestling pedigree at the University of Central Oklahoma translated remarkably well to MMA and the 29-year-old Tennessee native is now unbeaten in seven pro fights. In addition to Mousasi, some of his other notable victims include durable IFL veterans Mike Whitehead and Travis Wiuff.
Unlike some wrestlers who are susceptible to superior submission players their entire careers, Lawal is doing everything in his power to master the grappling art, training alongside BJJ aces Fabricio Werdum, Renato Sobral and Dean Lister. Meanwhile, Lawal has proven power in his hands, having stopped five of his seven opponents with strikes.
Now a consensus top-10 fighter at 205 pounds, “King Mo” is proving to be the total package in a division with limited opponents under the Strikeforce banner. On Saturday night, Lawal’s wave of momentum will be tested against another top prospect with boundless potential.
When a fighter is surrounded by the Nogueira brothers, Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida in training camp, he is undoubtedly on the right path professionally. Cavalcante, who is on a two-fight winning streak since a shocking loss to Mike Kyle in his Strikeforce debut, seemed destined for greatness when fans were first exposed to his vicious Muay Thai.
With his loss to Kyle now a distant memory, Cavalcante is embracing the opportunity of a lifetime.
A proven heavy hitter, Cavalcante will likely opt to stand and bang with the powerful wrestler as his chances of winning will be higher on his feet than off his back. That being said, the Nogueira-trained “Feijao” is no stranger to the submission game.
While this bout will never be out of his reach, “Feijao” is unlikely to have an answer for Lawal’s storming assault. He might hold his own early on, but Lawal’s furious combination of wrestling and strikes will lead to the Brazilian’s eventual demise.
Verdict: Lawal via TKO, Round 2
-Ronaldo “Jacare” de Souza (12-2) vs. Tim Kennedy (12-2)
The former Abu Dhabi Combat Club and five-time World Jiu-Jitsu champion “Jacare” has become a force to be reckoned with at middleweight. His grappling credentials include black belts in both Judo and BJJ.
After wins over Jason Miller and Zelg Galesic in Japan, “Jacare” joined the Strikeforce roster and submitted former top-ranked middleweight Matt Lindland in the first round of his promotional debut. The decorated submission ace went on to dispatch tough Greg Jackson pupil Joey Villasenor by decision this past May.
In his bout against Villasenor, “Jacare” showed off vastly improved wrestling skills by securing several impressive takedowns, though his conditioning was clearly not at an elite level. That shortcoming could be exposed on Saturday night against an opponent who prides himself on being a conditioning machine.
Five rounds of action are scheduled for this title encounter, which means “Jacare” will need to showcase an improved gas tank if he plans on imposing his dominance in the latter rounds. Surely, Kennedy is fit enough to be equally dangerous in the first and fifth rounds.
A former U.S. Army sniper, the 30-year-old Kennedy is finally coming into his own as a fighter since dedicating himself to competing in MMA full-time. After upsetting veteran Nick Thompson in his Strikeforce debut, Kennedy submitted Zak Cummings and Trevor Prangley to solidify his position as a contender for the vacant title.
The well-rounded athlete, whose record is identical to Cavalcante’s, has sought out the best possible training camp for this bout. Initially indoctrinated into MMA by Chuck Liddell, Jake Shields and John Hackleman at The Pit in his hometown of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Kennedy has since moved to Texas where he has prepared at the Competitive Training Center with BJJ black belt Phil Cardella.
That being said, “Jacare” is a member of Team Black House along with Saturday’s main event title challenger Cavalcante. With a who’s who of MMA royalty surrounded him in camp, “Jacare” has been pushing himself to the limit as he targets an impressive showing against the American patriot.
Kennedy has accomplished plenty on the battlefield, including earning a Bronze Star medal for “valor under fire” during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Meanwhile, “Jacare” has made a career of being the best submission magician in the game.
Years of preparation are likely to pay off for “Jacare” on Saturday night as he imposes his ground game on Kennedy before trapping a limb and forcing the proud American to tap out.
Verdict: De Souza via Submission, Round 4
-Jorge Gurgel (13-6) vs. K.J. Noons (9-2)
Fistic fireworks are guaranteed when the cage door closes and battle ensues between two of Strikeforce’s most exciting lightweights.
The UFC veteran Gurgel, a BJJ black belt under Marcus Aurelio, is only 5-5 in his last 10 fights. Fresh off his first loss in Strikeforce against Billy Evangelista, the submission maestro needs a solid showing to remain relevant in the competitive 155-pound division.
At 33 years of age, Gurgel would probably agree that he is a better teacher than a fighter. One of his notable students is former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin.
If Gurgel stayed true to his roots and utilized his quality BJJ skills, he would have achieved greater success throughout his career. However, the crowd-pleasing Brazilian is content to stand and trade with superior strikers, which has been his Achilles’ heel time and time again. Exchanging strikes with Noons could be a fatal proposition.
Noons possesses a 12-2 professional boxing record. The 27-year-old Hawaiian, who was the last reigning EliteXC lightweight champion, defeated Nick Diaz and Yves Edwards during his stint for the now-defunct organization. After defeating dangerous kickboxer Andre Amade this past March in Japan, Noons joined Strikeforce with high expectations.
However, his debut against Conor Heun proved to be a tougher challenge than initially thought. Noons turned in a less-than-stellar performance, but he did enough to earn the split verdict.
If Gurgel wanted to grapple with Noons, he would actually be the favorite leading into this fight. However, the former NAGA superfight champion will likely willingly trade punches with a sharp boxer and he will suffer the consequences as Noons lands cleaner shots and outpoints his adversary over three decisive rounds.
Verdict: Noons via Unanimous Decision
-Bobby Lashley (5-0) vs. Chad Griggs (8-1)
While many fans are eagerly awaiting a step up in competition for the former WWE superstar, Strikeforce has effectively booked Lashley thus far. After all, Lashley is not ready for a former UFC champion like Andrei Arlovski.
With only five pro fights under his belt, the 34-year-old former NAIA amateur wrestling champion is still a work in progress. Despite decimating Bob Sapp and Wes Sims in his last two outings, the memory of Lashley struggling against journeyman Jason Guida in March 2009 is still fresh in the minds of many observers.
To his credit, Lashley has taken MMA very seriously. With a full-time training camp at American Top Team, Lashley has been like a sponge absorbing techniques from veterans such as Thiago Alves, Jeff Monson and Antonio Silva.
If Lashley earns another first-round stoppage against Griggs, Strikeforce matchmakers should subsequently consider putting him in the cage with a more seasoned fighter like Valentjin Overeem or another top prospect such as Lavar Johnson or Daniel Cormier. While Strikeforce often fails to build up upcoming fights, Showtime announcer Mauro Ranallo has done his part in trying to create some intrigue for future tilts, making mention of a potential showdown between Lashley and Muay Thai wrecking machine Shane del Rosario. Strikeforce can learn a thing or two from Ranallo, who comes from a pro wrestling background, because the promotion is still light years away from the UFC in terms of building hype and promoting future cards.
Griggs, an 8-1 powerhouse, should not be counted out when considering Lashley’s lack of experience. In fact, Griggs has gone on the record stating that he believes Lashley is the underdog.
The 32-year-old firefighter is not wrong to have faith in his own abilities, having stopped all eight of his victims within 15 minutes. But Lashley’s combination of raw power and relentless wrestling is a handful for any heavyweight. Lashley will take Griggs down at will and mercilessly wail down punches en route to his sixth victory.
Verdict: Lashley via KO, Round 1
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