Strikeforce Lightweight Heavyweight bout: Gegard Mousasi vs. Keith Jardine
Odds: (-575 Mousasi /+375 Jardine)
Betting Pick: Mousasi
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In the opening bout of the televised card, Dutch wrecking machine Gegard Mousasi will square off with late replacement Keith Jardine in a Light Heavyweight bout. “The Dean of Mean” is stepping in as a late replacement for Mike Kyle, who broke his hand during training. Jardine has looked solid since being cut from UFC after a string of terrible performances, but Mousasi has lost only once in the last four years and has some seriously dangerous striking, so if Jardine wants to make another splash on a big stage he is going to need to come ready to fight and protect his notoriously fragile chin.
Keith Jardine was a long-time staple of UFC’s 205 pound division, but a string of horrible performances cost him his spot in the company. He has looked decent in his small-show bouts since, but this is his first appearance back in a big company and Mousasi is not exactly a warmup fight. Jardine is a very competent kickboxer who also has underrated wrestling and submissions. He is pretty good at dealing damage from top position as well. Jardine’s problem is that his chin is suspect and his ground game isn’t dominant enough to keep him out of trouble on the feet. He has good striking technique but lacks finishing power, and that means he is in constant danger of eating big shots and going to sleep.
Gegard Mousasi is one of the most dominant strikers in the sport. His technique and knockout power are both top-notch, and every punch he throws has fight-ending potential. On top of his world-class striking game, Mousasi has extremely effective submissions as well. He isn’t the best wrestler, and dominant wrestlers like Mo Lawal have been the only opponents capable of giving him trouble, but his wrestling should be more than enough to keep this fight standing against Jardine.
This is a nightmare matchup for Jardine. Mousasi is superior on the feet in every way and quite likely has a better ground game as well. Jardine has good wrestling, but Mousasi’s takedown defense is good and Jardine tends to favor striking anyway, so this one will probably play out mostly on the feet, where Mousasi will have his way with Jardine before putting him to sleep. Mousasi by T/KO.
Prediction: Gegard Mousasi via second round T/KO.
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