This Saturday mma veteran and Shark Fights light-heavyweight cham,p Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) will step back into the cage since his victory over Keith Jardine last September. The 38 year old South African will face a much younger, and undefeated opponent in Roger Gracie (3-0) as part of the upcoming Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg event in San Jose.
Prangley, how floats between 185 lbs and 205 lbs, knows that he is facing a younger larger opponent, but it doesn’t deter him from proving himself against any opponent.
Speaking in a recent interview (@Strikeforce.com) Prangley offered his thoughts on his young opponent and how he plans to test his opponents willingness to get hit, something his opponents have failed to do in the young Gracie’s three fight career.
Strikeforce: You have thirty fights on your record, while Roger has three fights total, so you have ten times as many fights as he does. Do you feel your experience will be the difference in this fight?
Trevor Prangley: I think it will play a little bit of a part. But the guy has been on the world stage in jiu-jitsu so many times that I don’t think it will be as big of an advantage as people might think. He’s competed at a high level in jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling all over the world, and it’s the same concept, really. But Roger’s never really been hit, and I’m going to put it on him.
Strikeforce: As you mentioned, Roger is a grappling specialist. You’ve shown good submission defense in your career. Is that something you’ve targeted specifically in training?
TP: A guy like him is so good, that I can train basic stuff, but if he gets me in a bad position, its going to be a matter of fighting hard and never stopping my movement. There are no secrets that I’m going to pick up in the last few weeks before that fight that’s going to help me avoid getting submitted. I just intend to not give him the opportunity to get a submission. That’s what I’m focusing on. Not the submission defense itself, but stopping him from getting into position to get an opportunity to submit me.
Prangley is 1-1-1 in his last three bouts, earning a win over Jardine at Shark Fights 13, losing to Tim Kennedy by submission at Strikeforce: Los Angeles, and fighting Karl Amoussou to a technical draw after an accidental eye poke.