Strikeforce/MI Global – Fedor VS. Silva takes place tonight in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This event kicks off Strikeforce’s 2011 Heavyweight Grand Prix (as indicated by the image above). The main event will feature the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko, against the surging Brazilian Antonio Silva. The co main event pits former UFC Heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski against a very tough veteran in Sergei Kharitonov.
I’m not going to lie, I am in kind of a pinch time wise. My brother and I will be traveling to New Jersey to catch the show tonight, and we are leaving in about a half hour. My picks will be short and to the point. Check ‘em out, take a look at the Strikeforce/MI Global – Fedor VS. Silva Pros’ Picks and stay updated on the current lines. Enjoy the fights tonight!
Valentijn Overeem – Mike Hammersmith (-150 on Sportsbook)
The older but far less impressive Overeem takes to the Strikeforce cage, as Valentijn Overeem faces K-1 legend Ray Sefo. While newer fans have been wowed by Alistair Overeem’s climb to the top, older fans will remember when he was merely a young light heavyweight living in the shadow of his brother Valentijn. Much better known as a grappler than a kickboxer, Valentijn was most famous for two costly missteps in his MMA career; Being ankle locked by Igor Vovchancyn while hunting for an ankle lock himself, and having Gary Goodridge power out of an armbar and knock him out. Older and having experienced the same “diet” as Alistair, Valentijn comes into this fight as a monster heavyweight and will look to crush veteran kickboxer Ray Sefo.
With all kickboxers turned MMA fighters, this one comes down to the grappler, and this is where Sefo loses this fight. Overeem may not be world-class, but he’s capable of takedowns and submissions from top, which will be too much for the novice grappler in Sefo to handle. Getting (insert odds here) on Overeem is a steal, and his unimpressive record seems to be keeping this number a slow climber. None-the-less, hit this number heavy, as Overeem easily defeats Sefo inside the first round.
Andrei Arlovski – MMAMoneyLine (+103 on SportBet)
Arlovski’s achilles heel has always been his chin. It has shown itself suspect in his post UFC career. However, the former champ took several hard shots from Antonio Silva in his most recent loss; a fight which proved that Arlovski’s chin may be the source of a bit of exaggeration. Sergei Kharitonov is a very tough fighter who has been in the ring or cage with the who’s who of Japanese MMA. However, he has been fairly inactive over the past few years. Although Arlovski is far from a world beater at this stage in his career, his losses have come to some very good fighters in Emelianenko, Silva, and Rogers. I still think the Pitbull’s boxing is very good and his grappling and Sambo skills are underrated. Arlovski takes this in a decision
MMAMoneyLine Official Picks:
Emelianenko/TKO/2
Arlovski/UD
Del Rosario/UD
Overeem/SUB/1
Villante/KO/1
MMAMoneyLine Official Wagers (1 unit = 2% of bankroll):
Villante – 2.5 u. at -165 on BetDSI
Arlovski – 1 u. at EVEN on Bodog