(Photo courtesy of Esther Lin and Strikeforce)
—MAIN CARD (on Showtime)—
“Diablo” Nick Diaz: 169.5lbs.
“Cyborg” Evangelista Santos: 169.5lbs.
“Jacare” Ronaldo Souza: 184.25lbs.
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler: 184lbs.
Herschel Walker: 220.75lbs.
Scott Carson: 214lbs.
Roger Gracie: 206lbs.
Trevor Prangley: 205.25lbs. Continue reading »
Evangelista Santos (left) is the embodiment of unchecked Chute Boxe aggression but that may be a disadvantage against the technical boxing of Nick Diaz.(File photo)
Tomorrow night, Strikeforce returns to its birthplace in the “Shark Tank” at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California with its latest effort in Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg. The promotion has brought to bear some of the biggest names on its roster for the card, including middleweight king “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (12-2), former UFC standout “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6), NFL tail back turned Strikeforce heavyweight Herschel Walker (1-0), WEC veteran Scott Carson (4-1), submission grappling phenom Roger Gracie (3-0), and Shark Fights light heavyweight champ Trevor Prangley (22-6-1). However, the main event honors fall solely on the shoulders of welterweight title holder “El Diablo” Nick Diaz (22-8) and his challenger, the Chute Boxe fighter “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (17-13). The bout promises to be a fast paced and violent affair with Santos being the perfect example of the well known Chute Boxe brutality and Diaz being an incredibly aggressive member of the vaunted Cesar Gracie team. Continue reading »
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (top) has devastating power in his strikes and can end the fight at any time if "Jacare" decides to test his stand-up. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)
On Saturday night, Strikeforce returns to San Jose, California with its much anticipated Diaz vs. Cyborg card, putting two belts up for grabs. Welterweight Champion and Strikeforce golden boy “Diablo” Nick Diaz (22-8) takes on the dangerous Brazilian slugger “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (17-13) who seems to have found his place at 170lbs. after his brutal KO win over DREAM Welterweight Champion “The Whitemare” Marius Zaromskis (13-4) last June. Also on the main card, former NFL great Herschel Walker (1-0) makes his return to the cage against WEC veteran Scott Carson (4-1), as does undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0) against UFC washout Trevor Prangley (22-6-1). The middleweight title is also on the line as current champion “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (12-2) the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace takes on the American brawler “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6) in an old school style clash that is sure to have the fans on their feet. Lawler comes in off a vicious highlight reel knockout of “The Law” Matt Lindland (22-8) in early December and looks to string together two wins for the first time since 2007. The champ “Jacare” looks to use his ground game to put away the brawler and continue his undefeated streak under the Strikeforce banner. Continue reading »
Ovince St. Preux's professional MMA career took off in 2010. The former University of Tennessee Volunteers football player ended 2009 with a less than spectacular 3-4 record but went a perfect 6-0 in 2010, including four wins inside Strikeforce, that have this light heavyweight on the launch pad to explode into the MMA spotlight. (Photo courtesy of Dave Mandel and Sherdog)
“OSP” Ovince St. Preux (9-4) has been on quite a roll lately. He’s fought a half-dozen times in the past 12 months, winning all six of those fights – four of which were under the Strikeforce banner. Three of those four Strikeforce match-ups took place in just the seven weeks between mid-November 2010 and early January 2011 when he defeated very tough competition in “The Juggernaut” Antwain Britt (12-5), “The Razor” Benji Radach (19-6,) and “Abongo” Ron Humphrey (6-2). All in all Ovince is a perfect (4-0) inside the Strikeforce cage. Continue reading »
To defeat Roger Gracie, Trevor Prangley (black shorts) will have to use his wrestling and experience to keep the fight standing and batter his opponent inside the pocket. (Photo courtesy of Combat Lifestyle)
Strikeforce returns to San Jose, California’s “Shark Tank” at the HP Pavillion this Saturday night with two title fights and a host of other exciting match-ups. Welterweight Champion “Diablo” Nick Diaz (22-8) will defend his belt against the Chute Boxe wrecking machine “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (17-13) and the middleweight title is also up for grabs as Team Black House fighter and current 185lbs. champ “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (12-2) squares off with dangerous striker “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6). Before the two belts are put on the line, former NFL and NCAA elite running back Herschel Walker (1-0) will face WEC veteran Scott Carson (4-1) in the next leg of his journey to prove to the world that he is not just a freakish athlete, but a legitimate threat in the Strikeforce cage. Also on the card, undefeated light heavyweight Roger Gracie (3-0) goes against seasoned veteran and UFC washout Trevor Prangley (22-6-1) in a bout where each man has their own personal motivation to win. Gracie fights to reestablish his family as the elite name in MMA and will go through anyone he has to to do it. Prangley fights simply to regain a little of the respect and glory he once tasted in the UFC by taking out one of the most feared blue chip prospects outside of the UFC. Continue reading »
Former NFL superstar and MMA newcomer Herschel Walker (top) may be considered the underdog coming into his main card fight against Scott Carson, but his overall athleticism and Tae Kwon Do expertise will likely help improve his record to 2-0 after Saturday night. (Photo courtesy of Strikeforce)
This Saturday at the “Shark Tank” HP Pavillion in San Jose, California, Strikeforce presents two title fights with its Diaz vs. Cyborg card. The main event will feature current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion “Diablo” Nick Diaz (22-8) taking on “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (17-13) for the 170lbs. title along with the co-main event showcasing the classic striker vs. grappler match-up with Jiu-Jitsu ace “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (12-2) defending his middleweight belt against slugger “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6). The crowd will also be treated to Roger Gracie’s (3-0) return to the Strikeforce cage, fighting Lion’s Den graduate Trevor Prangley (22-6-1), as well as the highly anticipated return of 48-year-old former NFL star and current American Kickboxing Academy fighter Herschel Walker (1-0) taking on Scott Carson (4-1) in just his second appearance not only in the Strikeforce promotion, but in the cage. Let’s take a closer look at this fight. Continue reading »
Knockout artist Dwayne Lewis (black trunks) will be looking to even the score in an upcoming rematch with Ryan Jimmo and strip away his opponent's chance of winning MFC gold. (Photo courtesy of Charles Penner and Combat Captured)
Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) returns to River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on February 25 with MFC 28: Supremacy live on HDNet. The card boasts a huge main event with “Big Deal” Ryan Jimmo (10-1) taking on “D-Bomb” Dwayne Lewis (12-5) for the vacant MFC Light Heavyweight title in a rematch of their MFC: Unplugged 3 bout in 2007. In that first meeting the two men battled for the entire duration of the fight but it was Jimmo who ultimately got the unanimous nod from the judges. This time, the stakes are even higher, as Jimmo and Lewis will be fighting for MFC gold. Continue reading »
(Bellator logo courtesy of Bellator, with title addition by MMA Gospel)
MMA Gospel concludes the Bellator: The Draft series by covering a few much needed additions to the promotion’s heavier weight divisions. The Bellator Fighting Championship (BFC) roster thins a bit at the top and new talent is severely needed to maintain the interest of the promotion’s divisional champions. The middleweight division relies almost solely on champion “Shango” Hector Lombard (25-2-1) to bring in viewers, the promotion currently has no light heavyweight division to speak of, and its heavyweight roster consists of “The Polar Bear” Cole Konrad (7-0), “Goliath” Neil Grove (10-3), and the one-and-done fighters who essentially utilize the organization to pad their records. These heavier classes are the divisions where Bellator needs the most work. Here are a few key players that could help bulk up the heavier weight classes to help Bellator more closely compete with rival MMA organizations. Continue reading »
(Photo courtesy of Nemesis Fighting)
Live on December 10 from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in sunny Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, upstart promotion Nemesis Fighting presents their debut event: MMA Global Invasion. Filled with UFC and Strikeforce vets as well as great stylistic match-ups, the event has all the makings of what should be a stacked and exciting card. Nemesis Fighting: MMA Global Invasion is headlined by former UFC light heavyweight contender “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (14-9-1) who desperately needs a win to piece together the shambles of his career. Also on the card is the devastating striker of the South, MMA Gospel Young Gun “The Professional” Chris Davis (10-2). Davis defeated the man slated to face Jardine, “Kiko” Francisco France (6-1) in his last fight and looks to make a case for a place in the UFC by defeating a man who posted a 3-1 record with the UFC, “Fire” Elliot Marshall (9-2). The event was initially scheduled for November 13 before tropical storms forced the event to be rescheduled. The effects of the delay on the fighters’ training camps and weight cutting should be interesting to see. Continue reading »