Author: Pat

Strikeforce “Nashville”: Gegard Mousasi vs. King Mo Lawal Prediction

Light Heavyweight Championship bout:  Gegard Mousasi  vs.  Muhammed Lawal
Odds:  (Mousasi / Lawal)
The evening’s second title bout sees Light Heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi answer the challenge of flamboyant and dynamic wrestler Muhammed…

Light Heavyweight Championship bout:  Gegard Mousasi  vs.  Muhammed Lawal

Odds:  (Mousasi / Lawal)

The evening’s second title bout sees Light Heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi answer the challenge of flamboyant and dynamic wrestler Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal.  Both men have huge amounts of knockout power, but Lawal brings a dynamic wrestling game to the table that Mousasi has never faced before, while Mousasi is the most talented and experienced fighter Lawal has faced yet, so this is a very compelling matchup.

Lawal, who has a very strong wrestling base, has risen to prominence due to his flamboyant pre-fight antics, outspoken interviews, and huge knockout power more than for his grappling prowess.  Still, he is an explosive wrestler with a massive double leg, which makes him a formidable opponent for anyone when you consider how scary his punching is.  The big question is how well he will handle the sizable step up in competition and whether he has the will and cardio to stay in the fight if it makes it into the championship rounds.

Mousasi is also a very powerful and dynamic striker who also sports a very underrated ground game.  If there is a weak spot in his game it is his wrestling, but even that is not bad and he compensates will by being deceptively good off his back and being able to finish opponents with punches, kicks, and knees.  While Lawal has the power to knock Mousasi out, there is no question that Mousasi is the more technically proficient striker and should be able to beat Lawal to the punch.  The question is whether he will be able to control the clinch game or if Lawal has what it takes to overpower him.

In his fight against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Mousasi had a lot of problems dealing with Sokoudjou’s dynamic clinch game.  Lawal is just as explosive and athletic, and there is no doubt that he will be able to take Mousasi down at least a few times.  That said, I think it is too early in King Mo’s career for him to deal with a guy as dynamic as Mousasi, who is not just going to fold up on the ground and can dole out some serious punishment in the striking exchanges.  I think this is going to be a very competitive fight, and Lawal will do some serious damage on the ground, but in a five round fight I see Lawal making a mistake and getting overwhelmed by Mousasi’s strikes.

Prediction:  Gegard Mousasi via fourth round T/KO.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Strikeforce “Nashville”: Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki Prediction

Lightweight Championship bout:  Gilbert Melendez  vs.  Shinya Aoki
Odds:  (Melendez / Aoki)
In the first of a remarkable three consecutive title bouts, recently crowned Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will defend his title against Japan&#821…

Lightweight Championship bout:  Gilbert Melendez  vs.  Shinya Aoki

Odds:  (Melendez / Aoki)

In the first of a remarkable three consecutive title bouts, recently crowned Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will defend his title against Japan’s top Lightweight, prolific submission fighter Shinya Aoki.  Aoki, a controversial figure in Japan for his over the top antics, is easily the most creative and effective submission fighter in the sport, but Melendez is a well-rounded beast with great jiu-jitsu of his own, so this is a great matchup.

Aoki, who is known for his “bad guy” antics, his rainbow-colored fight pants, and his seemingly unstoppable jiu-jitsu, is one of the most entertaining and dynamic fighters in the world.  While State Athletic Commission rules will prevent the pants from making an appearance, you can bet on the fact that Aoki’s submission game will be in full effect come fight night.  It’s hard to describe Aoki’s submission game without gushing, because no one in the sport has submitted as many top-level opponents as he has and certainly not in as spectacular a fashion.  Unfortunately, Aoki’s submission prowess is not backed up by even decent boxing or top-level wrestling.  On the ground, he can and will catch anyone, but he might find it difficult to take down a strong wrestler like Melendez, and he lacks the tools to stand with even a mediocre boxer.

 Melendez also has excellent jiu-jitsu, although it would be foolish to assume that he has what it takes to last with Aoki in a pure grappling match.  Fortunately for him, though, this is not going to be a pure grappling match, and probably won’t be a grappling match at all unless Melendez decides to make it one.  In the wrestling and standup, Melendez can and will dominate Aoki completely.  He just has to be careful in close and not let Aoki pull off something spectacular, which he is prone to do.

Stylistically, Melendez is a nightmare for Aoki.  On the ground, Aoki is clearly superior, but Melendez is good enough that he isn’t going to give up anything spectacular.  It is highly unlikely that will even be an issue though, as Melendez will easily crush any attempts Aoki makes to take the fight down, and in the standup he will overwhelm Aoki with ease.  Aoki is one of the top Lightweights on Earth for a reason, but styles make fight, and Melendez will T/KO Aoki without significant difficulty.

Prediction:  Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez via second round T/KO.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Strikeforce “Nashville”: Jason Miller vs. Tim Stout Prediction

Jason Miller vs. Tim Stout
Odds:  (Miller / Stout)
In an undercard bout, skilled grappler Jason “Mayhem” Miller will look to rebound from his loss to Jake Shields against relatively unknown journeyman Tim Stout. Miller’s personality …

Jason Miller vs. Tim Stout

Odds:  (Miller / Stout)

In an undercard bout, skilled grappler Jason “Mayhem” Miller will look to rebound from his loss to Jake Shields against relatively unknown journeyman Tim Stout. Miller’s personality sometimes overshadows his in-ring accomplishments, but he is a great, well-rounded fighter with a top-level submission game.

Tim Stout, Miller’s little-known opponent, is making a huge step up in competition here. Thusfar, he has faced mostly low-level competition, and has still compiled a record of only 9-7. While he does have some punching power, he appears to have essentially no submission defense, which is pretty troubling against a guy with jiu-jitsu like Miller’s.

Miller is one of the biggest personalities in the sport, but he backs up all his flash with in-ring performance. An extremely skilled grappler with an underrated and effective Muay Thai game, Miller is extremely well rounded.

Put simply, Stout is a tomato can getting fed to a marketable star to get him back in the win column. Miller’s best attribute is his submission attack, something Stout is uniquely unable to deal with. To be honest, Miller could beat Stout by knockout or submission with equal ease, but I expect a rear naked choke.

Prediction:  Jason “Mayhem” Miller via second round rear naked choke.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…