Tag: Billy Evangelista

Falling Action: Best and Worst of Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal

Filed under: StrikeforceStrikeforce’s 2011 came to a close on Saturday night in San Diego, but the organization will live on in 2012. Whether that’s good news or bad news for the fighters on the roster remains to be seen, but this latest event did seem…

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Cris CyborgStrikeforce’s 2011 came to a close on Saturday night in San Diego, but the organization will live on in 2012. Whether that’s good news or bad news for the fighters on the roster remains to be seen, but this latest event did seem to be some kind of harbinger of things to come, for better or worse.

And now, a look at the winners, losers, and everything in between after Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal.

Biggest Winner: Cris “Cyborg” Santos
There aren’t many ways to enter a bout as a 9-1 favorite and still exceed expectations, but by crushing Hiroko Yamanaka in 16 seconds, Santos found one. If anything, Santos is a little too dominant for her own good. After a year and a half out of the cage, she probably could have used a round or two of work just to stay sharp. Instead she went out there and Mike Tyson’d yet another overmatched opponent, leaving us to wonder whether there’s any woman in the world who can possibly compete with the Brazilian. The powers that be seem to be eyeing Ronda Rousey as the next challenger, but Rousey seems savvy enough to know she’d be better off dropping to 135 pounds and chasing smaller, less terrifying prey. Now that Santos has laid waste to the 145-pound division, she might have no choice but to try and follow her down. If she can lose that much weight without the aid of a tapeworm, that is.

Biggest Loser: Jorge Masvidal
This might have been his last best chance to break out of the journeyman mold and claim some bit of greatness for himself, but he sure didn’t fight like it. Word is that he went into this one with an injured hand, which might explain why he wasn’t swinging for Melendez’s brain stem with wild abandon down the stretch. Still, he had to know he was down on the cards and wasn’t going to end it with takedowns in the final round, so what exactly was his plan for victory? Even with Strikeforce’s lean roster, he’ll have a hard time getting another title shot while he’s still young and able. He needed to make this one count, and he didn’t. Even with Melendez’s eye swelling shut in the fifth, Masvidal kept fighting like he had two more rounds to make his move. It isn’t easy to go for broke with an injured hand, but when you’re running out of time to dethrone the champ in what might be the only shot you’ll ever get, what other choice do you really have?

Most in Need of a Change: Gilbert Melendez
What’s the worst part about his continued stay in Strikeforce? Forget the lack of money and attention, it’s the dearth of quality opponents. You look around the Strikeforce roster and there’s not a single potential challenger who Melendez wouldn’t be a huge favorite against. And when you’re the favorite, as he was against Masvidal, it’s not always enough to win a smart, strategic decision. Not if you’re trying to create a buzz and get fans to demand your presence in the UFC. You can’t fault Melendez for fighting the way he did, but neither can you say that it upped his stock on Saturday night. Unless Strikeforce signs some new talent — or the UFC loans it some — Melendez is looking at more and more of these fights for as long as he’s stuck in the Hexagon. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. And if you can’t even get a fight with the best, then you need to absolutely smash the other guys just to stay in the conversation. It’s a tough situation for Melendez, and it isn’t getting any easier.

Most Improved: Gegard Mousasi
Looks like someone finally had enough of getting out-wrestled on the American MMA scene. After having that aspect of his game exposed by Mo Lawal (and, to a lesser extent, Keith Jardine), Mousasi clearly spent some time in the wrestling room and made some real strides of late. Granted, he’s still not going to double-leg his way to a win over someone like King Mo, but maybe he can at least get good enough to stay upright against him. That is, maybe he can get there if only he’d start believing in himself a little more. After his decision win over Ovince St. Preux, Mousasi did his best to talk his way out of a potential title shot, implying that maybe there were others who might be more deserving. It reminded me of his demeanor after the draw against Jardine. He stayed in his seat well after the post-fight press conference ended, staring down at the table as his coaches tried to cheer him up. No matter how much they told him that he got robbed by the judges (which he did) or that he fought well (which he sort of did), he still looked and talked like a kid whose puppy had just been run over. It’s nice to be honest with yourself about where you stand. It’s also good to expect better and better performances from yourself. But at some point you cross the line from demanding to unnecessarily negative, and that doesn’t help you. Cheer up, Gegard. You’re not doing so bad for a 26-year-old pro fighter.

Least Improved: Showtime broadcast
You’d think that with as many Strikeforce events as the Showtime crew has done, they’d have it down cold by now. You’d be wrong. First they got off to a late start after the Super Six aftermath turned into a Wimbledon-style trophy presentation. Then, once the transition from boxing to MMA was complete, the simple task of reading the results of a clumsy Facebook poll proved more than any one person could handle. Between awkward interviews, weird sound miscues, and a broadcast team that seemed like it would have rather been somewhere else, it was a rough night. Even Pat Miletich, who’s usually the very best ex-fighter commentator out there, had to be repeatedly dragged into the conversation by Mauro Ranallo. What’s normally fun banter between the broadcast team became simply distracting, and you almost wished some producer would have stepped in and told them to play nice. I realize that broadcasting live sporting events isn’t easy, and anybody can have an off-night, but if you compare Showtime’s product to the one the UFC puts on pay-per-view more than 20 times a year, they aren’t even close. It’s like the difference between the picture of the cake that’s in the cookbook and the half-sunken, dried-out mound you pull out of your oven after failing to read the directions carefully. If you want me to believe that Strikeforce is a top-tier organization, start with presentation.

Most Surprising: KJ Noons and Billy Evangelista
Who would have guessed that this would be one of the most exciting and competitive fights on the card? Noons and Evangelista mixed it up something fierce, and in the end the judges got it right when they gave the nod to Noons. But what’s also surprising is the word that Noons was supposedly considering retirement (at least in theory) if he lost to Evangelista. I can understand feeling like he needed to win one — after two losses in a row, he did — but it’s not like Evangelista is some chump that any decent fighter should be able to stroll through. He’s a skilled, game opponent, and he showed it in the later rounds. Noons can be proud of that win, and with a few tactical changes here and there he’s right back in the conversation at lightweight. Strikeforce’s roster might be thin right now, but that’s good news for guys like Noons. It means there’s a short climb to the top of the 155-pound division, even if there’s a heap of trouble waiting for you when you get there.

 

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Strikeforce “Melendez vs. Masvidal” Aftermath: The Challenge in Finding Challengers

Yeah, she spent more time on the cage than in it. (Photo: Las Vegas Sun)

Since the late 90’s I’ve seen the same assertion rear its head on MMA email lists, usenet groups, and internet forums from time to time: The best fighter in the world isn’t in the cage or the ring. He’s toiling away in a South American coal mine or defending his land in Sub-Saharan Africa. His legend will never extend beyond the shores of his remote Pacific island and he’ll never be able to prove his abilities to the world. To a certain degree, this must be what life is like for Gilbert Melendez.

Finding out that your company is staying afloat and that your job is secure would normally be terrific news, but despite his admirable towing of the company line, you have to know that “El Niño” was gutted when he realized that Strikeforce wasn’t going anywhere and neither was he. The bright lights, big networks, and top paydays of the UFC will not be his. More importantly, neither is the opportunity to prove himself against the best in the world.

Yeah, she spent more time on the cage than in it. (Photo: Las Vegas Sun)

Since the late 90′s I’ve seen the same assertion rear its head on MMA email lists, usenet groups, and internet forums from time to time: The best fighter in the world isn’t in the cage or the ring. He’s toiling away in a South American coal mine or defending his land in Sub-Saharan Africa. His legend will never extend beyond the shores of his remote Pacific island and he’ll never be able to prove his abilities to the world. To a certain degree, this must be what life is like for Gilbert Melendez.

Finding out that your company is staying afloat and that your job is secure would normally be terrific news, but despite his admirable towing of the company line, you have to know that “El Niño” was gutted when he realized that Strikeforce wasn’t going anywhere and neither was he. The bright lights, big networks, and top paydays of the UFC will not be his. More importantly, neither is the opportunity to prove himself against the best in the world.

Strikeforce has thus far found Melendez the best competition available, but there’s no question that he’s outgrown his little pond. Bouts against ranked, or even credible, competition will be few and far between from here on out, which is why it’s all the more important that the champ make a statement with each and every punch. Last night he failed to do that. This is not to take away from Masvidal, as he is dangerous, but most consensus rankings place him somewhere in the mid-to-high 20′s. Melendez put together solid combinations and stayed out of trouble round after round, which was more than enough to convincingly win the fight. But right now he’s stranded out on that island. If he wants to earn the kind of attention and respect that he’s after, he’s going to have to light a massive fire and scream a little louder with his performances.

“Cyborg” Santos has a different kind of problem. If I was a female mixed martial artist I’d be investing in a compass and a rubber dingy and setting sail for some place uncharted. Dominatrix Hiroko Yamanaka found herself on the receiving end of a beating last night. Something tells me it was neither as enjoyable nor lucrative as her other gig. Keep in mind that Yamanaka wasn’t suggested to Strikeforce by a local fraternity—this was the #2 female fighter at 145lbs, and she got trounced in sixteen seconds. To paraphrase Dan Henderson: the question isn’t whether the fight was stopped too early, it’s whether it should have even started in the first place. Cyborg is talking about dropping weight in search of better competition. If that happens you can expect a sudden interest in a 125 lb. division to emerge. A match with bantamweight champion Miesha Tate may offer the Brazilian her best challenge. Another option being mentioned is a bout with MMA upstart Ronda Rousey. Rousey’s transition to MMA has nothing short of amazing thus far. Her lack of in-cage experience hasn’t deterred her from beefing with Miesha Tate, and while I think jumping into the deep end of the shark tank with Cyborg would be ill-advised, if “Rowdy” really wants to take the helm of WMMA then she needn’t cut carbs out of her diet just yet.

The evening’s undercard yielded more competitive action and decision wins for K.J. Noons and Gegard Mousasi.

Noons came up short in the stand-up battle in round one. Neither man capitalized on successful takedowns, and as the two traded hands Billy Evangelista got the better of the exchanges. Noons wisely varied his attack with kicks and combinations in rounds two and three. It was enough to take those rounds but not enough to wipe the mocking smirk from Evangelista’s face. Noons faded in round three and nearly fell victim to a choke, but he survived and broke his two-fight skid.

Gegard Mousasi also managed to pick up his first win in three Strikeforce appearances, though “The Dreamcatcher” had been active outside of the organization. This was a big step up in competition for the streaking Ovince St. Preux, who came into the bout on an 8-0 run. Mousasi’s calm aggression and experience allowed him to control the former defensive end and come close to ending things more than once in the first round. OSP (so we’re officially running with that, right?) simply wasn’t ready for the next level, but he put Mousasi in more than one precarious position and shouldn’t be embarrassed by his performance. No, that dishonor falls squarely on the shoulders of referee Steven Davis, who not only threatened to stand fighters up when they had dominant positions but actually did so as they actively unloaded on their opponents. The words “piss poor” come to mind.

Full Results (via MMAWeekly.com):

Main Bouts (on Showtime):
-Gilbert Melendez def. Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
-Cris “Cyborg” Santos def. Hiroko Yamanaka by TKO at :16, R1
-Gegard Mousasi def. Ovince St-Preux by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-K.J. Noons def. Billy Evangelista by unanimous decison (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Bouts (non-televised):
-Caros Fodor def. Justin Wilcox by KO at 0:13, R1
-Roger Bowling def. Jerron Peoples KO (Strikes) at 0:42, R1
-Devin Cole def. Gabriel Salinas-Jones by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
-Eddie Mendez def. Fernando Gonzalez by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29), R3
-Herman Terrado def. Chris Brown by Submission (Armbar) R3

 

– Chris Colemon (@chriscolemon)

 

‘Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal’ — Live Results and Commentary


(Oh man. This is not going to end well. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)

Can you believe it’s been over three months since Strikeforce put on a legit non-Challengers card? The promotion finally gets back to business tonight with two title fights — Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal in the lightweight division and Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka at women’s featherweight — plus a light-heavyweight bout between Gegard Mousasi and Ovince St. Preux that could produce a contender to the vacant belt.

Round-by-round results from the “Melendez vs. Masvidal” main card broadcast on Showtime will be collecting after the jump beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog rookie Steve Silverman; please do your best to make him feel welcome. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.


(Oh man. This is not going to end well. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)

Can you believe it’s been over three months since Strikeforce put on a legit non-Challengers card? The promotion finally gets back to business tonight with two title fights — Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal in the lightweight division and Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka at women’s featherweight — plus a light-heavyweight bout between Gegard Mousasi and Ovince St. Preux that could produce a contender to the vacant belt.

Round-by-round results from the “Melendez vs. Masvidal” main card broadcast on Showtime will be collecting after the jump beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog rookie Steve Silverman; please do your best to make him feel welcome. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal card coming up …

KJ Noons vs. Billy Evangelista in the first bout ….

Noons has lost two in a row while Evangelista lost his last bout. Noons is the striker, while Evangelista is more of a grappler.

R1: Both fighters start off cautiously and then Evangelista misses with a wild right. Noons surprises with a takedown. Evangelista easily gets out of it  and then takes down Noons, who escapes. Evangelista is more aggressive, lookingto take Noons down and going after him with knee strikes. Noons is very defense. Noons looks to find the range and can’t fnd it. Evangelista closes wiht a hard elbow and wins the close round.

R2: Both fighters are much busier in the second round, although Evangelista is more aggressive. He starts off with successive punches that appear to bother Noons, but not hurt him. Evangelista does not appear to respect Noons. Noons throws a straight right and Evangelista comes up with a quick knee. Evangelista dicatates the pace and may come out with the close rounds.

R3: Noons with big uppercut to start the round. He looks much more aggressive in this round. Evangelista can’t hit him with any punches or take control. Finally, Evangelista tries to get him in guillotine choke and he appears to have Noons, but he escapes. Noon throws a great left hook. Both fighters are tired heading into the last minute. Then a series of hard punches and Noon has the advantage. Noon wins this round but is it enough to secure the win?

Decision: KJ Noons wins the unanimous hometown decision over Evangelista, 29-28.

Next Bout: Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux

St. Preux, a former defensive end and linebacker from Tennessee, has won his last eight fights at the light heavyweight level. He’s all ground and pound. Mousasi, a former light-heavyweight champion, struggles as a wrestler. He wants to control the pace and keep St. Preux from fighting at a high speed and throwing significant bombs early.

R1: OSP with reach advantage and speed in early moments, but he looks awkward kicking and fails to deliver any serious blows or kicks. Mousasi with a kick and and a flurry. He then deflects OSP’s kick and throws him to the ground. Mousasi delivers ground and pound attack. He delivers vicious elbows and punches. He controls the round and while OSP gets a reverse, Mousasi regains control before the end of the round and dominates round 1.

R2: Mousasi gains control at the start of the round and there’s more ground and pound. OSP can’t do anything and Mousasi is very content to throw left forearms, punches and elbows. Eventurally they stand up at referee’s direction and OSP finally gains the advantage. He is trying to deliver lefts and rights himself, but is not as effective as Mousasi. With 30 seconds to go, both men stand up and round ends with Mousasi remaining in control. He wins round 2.

R3:Quick left foot by Mousasi to start the round. Mousasi with standing control, but OSP drives him to ground and gains side control. Starts to ground and pound and is fairly effective, but not as strong as when Mousasi had control. Mousasi drives OSP across the right and then regains control. In final minute OSP knows he needs a knockout and is looking for the big punch. Mousasi in protection mode and makes it through the round and should win the fight.

Decision: Mousasi wins unanimous decision, 29-28

Next bout: Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka

Cyborg is a relentless fighter and a huge favorite in this bout. She is furious and powerful. Yamanaka is going to have to prove she has the speed and quickness to avoid those powerful punches.

Cyborg and Yamanaka for the Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Title

R1: In a matter of seconds, Cyborg wins the fight. She delivers a hard right hand and knocks down Yamanaka. She was badly hurt and got up and Cyborg delivered several more hard blows and went down again. The referee immediately stopped the fight. Cyborg defends her title.

Cyborg wins fight by KO at the 16 second mark.

The stats showed that Cyborg landed 15 of 21 punches and they were all power punches. Yamanaka was completely overwhelmed by the strength of her opponent and had no chance to compete. Cyborg dominated with her intensity and power and is a major force.

Final Strikeforce fight of the night: Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal coming up.

Lightweight title bout, with Melendez defending his title.

Melendez should bring the pain against a very game opponent. He is simply too skilled for Masvidal.

R1: Slow start and then a 1-2 combination by Melendez. Melendez is using his boxing skills to set the pace. Masvidal throwing a few jabs, but very slow to compete. Melendez wiht a hard right power punch. Melendez with a right kick and then Mavidal with a jumping kick. Masvidal with a kick to the left heel drops Melendez but champion jumps right up. Melendez catches kick and tries to punish with  guillotine choke. Melendez throws a straight right hand and Masvidal closes with a right kick. Melendez busier and more effective throughout the round, but Masvidal started to get warmed up as round progressed.

R2: Masvidal is very upright and appears to be an easy target. Kick by Masvidal followed by hard right by Melendez. Melendez shuts down Masvidal right kick. A series 1-2 combinations by Melendez. Straight left by Masvidal, but Melendez is much more aggressive at this point. Good knee by Masvidal. That knee has given Masvidal more confidence. Action slows in the final minute and Melendez appears to have edge in this round as well.

R3: Melendez using boxing skills to set pace a the start of the third round. Masvidal is just hoping that Melendez makes a mistake so he can deliver a hard kick or punch. However, Masvidal does not look capable of throwing combinations. Jumping knee by Masvidal is effective. Melendez seems to be growing more comfortable and then Masvidal finally delivers a combination. Melendez is starting to get a mouse under his right eye. Melendez throws a sloppy kick. Busy final minute for both fighters and Melendez back to throwing combinations. This round is virtually even.

R4: Melendez with a few jabs and then a charging combination. He does not appear to be hurting Masvidal, but he is the aggressor. This Strikeforce fight is all about boxing skills. Melendez appears to be very happy with a boxing match and he is using his jab effectively and following up with his right. Masivdal throws a solid right jab and catches Melendez and backs him up for a second. Melendez wants to throw a big right and he is coming closer to delivering it as the round moves along. Big right by Melendez as his right eye closes. This could make a difference in the final round. Melendez blocks a knee from Masvidal in the final seconds. Slight edge in this round to Melendez.

R5: Masvidal needs to stop Melendez but he doesn’t show the quickness to throw combinations. Melendez is still aggressive and is getting in more rights as the round progresses. Great combination by Melendez. He circles to his left and throws combos. Masvidal throws a jab and it’s effective but there are no combinations. Melendez throwing punches, remaining busy and appears to be tireless. Jumping kick by Masvidal and Melendez follows with punch combination. Where is Masvidal’s urgency. Final minute of the fight and he acts like he’s sparring in the gym. Final minute and both men are throwing big punches. Close round but give it to the champion. He has to win this decision.

Decision: Melendez win unanimous decision. Two judges have it 50-45, the other has it 49-46. Melendez had the edge in power punches by better than 4 to 1.

Both Cyborg and Melendez were heavy favorites and both were big winners. Cyborg with a spectacular knockout while Melendez with boxing superiority.

Good night.

Strikeforce Results: KJ Noons Beats Billy Evangelista by Unanimous Decision

Filed under: StrikeforceIn an entertaining scrap to start Saturday night’s Strikeforce card on Showtime, KJ Noons took a unanimous decision victory over Billy Evangelista.

All three judges scored it 29-28 for Noons, who improved his record to 11-4 and…

Filed under:

In an entertaining scrap to start Saturday night’s Strikeforce card on Showtime, KJ Noons took a unanimous decision victory over Billy Evangelista.

All three judges scored it 29-28 for Noons, who improved his record to 11-4 and said in the cage after the fight that he had wanted to put together an exciting fight for his hometown fans in San Diego.

“Billy is a terrific fighter,” Noons said afterward. “That was a war. We put on a show.”

Both guys got takedowns early in the first round, but both times they were on the ground only briefly without either man doing any damage. Later in the round the strikes started coming at a faster pace, and it was a fairly even exchange.

Noons started getting more creative with his striking early in the second round, throwing spinning strikes and wild punches, but Evangelista brushed that off and landed a nice counter strike that opened a cut on Noons’ nose. The second round was fought entirely standing up and consisted of nearly non-stop exchanges of punches, and it was another tough round to call.

The third was the best round of the fight, with both men trying to finish it. For Noons that meant landing a hard head kick, while Evangelista sunk in a D’Arce choke and briefly looked like he had it in deep before Noons got out. In the final minute both men looked exhausted and the crowd cheered the ending of a good battle.

 

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Strikeforce Live Blog: Billy Evangelista vs. K.J. Noons Updates

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for Billy Evangelista vs. K.J. Noons, a lightweight bout on tonight’s Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

Both fighters are coming off losses to Jorge Masvidal. Noons (10-4) is on a two-fight losing streak, having lost to Nick Diaz before the Masvidal fight. Prior to the March loss to Masvidal, Evangelista (11-1) won seven Strikeforce fights.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: Both fighters are coming off losses to Jorge Masvidal. Noons shoots in early for the takedown and gets it, but Evangelista scrambles up quickly. Evangelista has the center of the cage and bulls Noons against the fence. Evangelista takes Nonos down with a high crotch, but Noons pops back up. Evangelista tries a standing guillotine, and Noons pulls his head free. Noons stuffs another takedown try. Noons lands a knee to the body and Evangelista closes the distance. Back to the middle of the cage and Evangelista scores with a hard left hook. Noons starting to get comfortable with a kick-punch combo, and lands with a straight right at the end. Evangelista digs low for the takedown. Noons defends but Evangelista lands an elbow in close quarters. It’s a very tight round, but I score it for Evangelista as his early success was more than Noons’ late performance.

Round 2: Noons with a spinning back fist early, then lands a hook. He seems as though he’s found the distance. Evangelista lands a left hook and Noons is bleeding from the nose. Evangelista is taunting Noons now. Noons answers with a right hand that scores. Noons throws a lazy left hook and Evangelista counters with a right hand that scores. Evangelista has stuffed a pair of takedowns. Evangelista also fails on a takedown. Noons scores with a jab and right as he dances around the outside. Evangelista tries to close the gap. Noons goes low on a shot and drives Evangelista against the cage, where the round ends. That round was Noons’, 10-9.

Round 3: Evangelista lands the first big punch of the round, an overhand. Noons replies back with an uppercut. Noons flicks out his jab repeatedly and then drills Evangelista with a head kick. Evangelista takes it but Noons then adds a spinning back fist. Evangelista goes low. Noons defends and they’re back to trading. Noons’ jab is measured now and scoring repeatedly. Evangelista pushes forward as Noons tries to keep space. Against the fence, Evangelista tries a standing D’arce. It looks tight. Noons drops to his knees and twists out. Back to their feet and Noons hammers him with a right. Both guys running on fumes as their punches slow. Suddenly, Noons lands a crunching left hook, but Evangelista just smiles at him. They’re trading blows as the round ends. MMA Fighting scores it for Noon, 10-9.

Winner: KJ Noons via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

 

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Filed under:

This is the Strikeforce live blog for Billy Evangelista vs. K.J. Noons, a lightweight bout on tonight’s Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

Both fighters are coming off losses to Jorge Masvidal. Noons (10-4) is on a two-fight losing streak, having lost to Nick Diaz before the Masvidal fight. Prior to the March loss to Masvidal, Evangelista (11-1) won seven Strikeforce fights.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: Both fighters are coming off losses to Jorge Masvidal. Noons shoots in early for the takedown and gets it, but Evangelista scrambles up quickly. Evangelista has the center of the cage and bulls Noons against the fence. Evangelista takes Nonos down with a high crotch, but Noons pops back up. Evangelista tries a standing guillotine, and Noons pulls his head free. Noons stuffs another takedown try. Noons lands a knee to the body and Evangelista closes the distance. Back to the middle of the cage and Evangelista scores with a hard left hook. Noons starting to get comfortable with a kick-punch combo, and lands with a straight right at the end. Evangelista digs low for the takedown. Noons defends but Evangelista lands an elbow in close quarters. It’s a very tight round, but I score it for Evangelista as his early success was more than Noons’ late performance.

Round 2: Noons with a spinning back fist early, then lands a hook. He seems as though he’s found the distance. Evangelista lands a left hook and Noons is bleeding from the nose. Evangelista is taunting Noons now. Noons answers with a right hand that scores. Noons throws a lazy left hook and Evangelista counters with a right hand that scores. Evangelista has stuffed a pair of takedowns. Evangelista also fails on a takedown. Noons scores with a jab and right as he dances around the outside. Evangelista tries to close the gap. Noons goes low on a shot and drives Evangelista against the cage, where the round ends. That round was Noons’, 10-9.

Round 3: Evangelista lands the first big punch of the round, an overhand. Noons replies back with an uppercut. Noons flicks out his jab repeatedly and then drills Evangelista with a head kick. Evangelista takes it but Noons then adds a spinning back fist. Evangelista goes low. Noons defends and they’re back to trading. Noons’ jab is measured now and scoring repeatedly. Evangelista pushes forward as Noons tries to keep space. Against the fence, Evangelista tries a standing D’arce. It looks tight. Noons drops to his knees and twists out. Back to their feet and Noons hammers him with a right. Both guys running on fumes as their punches slow. Suddenly, Noons lands a crunching left hook, but Evangelista just smiles at him. They’re trading blows as the round ends. MMA Fighting scores it for Noon, 10-9.

Winner: KJ Noons via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Strikeforce Melendez vs. Masvidal Predictions

Filed under: StrikeforceWill Gilbert Melendez make a statement that he deserves to be fighting for the UFC lightweight belt, or will Jorge Masvidal pull off a major upset? Will Cris Cyborg continue to look like the toughest woman in the world after a l…

Filed under:

Will Gilbert Melendez make a statement that he deserves to be fighting for the UFC lightweight belt, or will Jorge Masvidal pull off a major upset? Will Cris Cyborg continue to look like the toughest woman in the world after a layoff of more than a year? Can Gegard Mousasi stop a takedown? Will MMA fans remember to watch Strikeforce on Saturday, more than three months after the last major Strikeforce card? We’ll answer those questions and more as we predict the winners of Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal below.

What: Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal

Where: Valley View Casino Center, San Diego

When: Saturday, the Showtime broadcast begins at 10:00 PM ET

Predictions on the four televised fights below.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal
For Melendez, this fight is less about defending his Strikeforce lightweight title than it is about demonstrating that he deserves to be brought into the UFC and given huge pay-per-view fights, like the Strikeforce champions at heavyweight (Alistair Overeem) light heavyweight (Dan Henderson) middleweight (Jake Shields) and welterweight (Nick Diaz) have been. Melendez needs more than just a victory — he needs a sensational performance, a spectacular submission or knockout that has everyone clamoring to see Melendez fight the winner of the upcoming Frankie Edgar-Ben Henderson fight.

Melendez should beat Masvidal handily, but finishing him in highlight-reel fashion is going to be tough to do. Masvidal has only been finished three times in his 28-fight MMA career. Melendez will win, but it’s going to be tough for him to win in a way that convinces the UFC that he deserves the next crack at the belt.
Pick: Melendez
Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka
Cyborg is finally returning to the cage a year and a half after she demolished Jan Finney in a serious mismatch. Give Strikeforce credit for the matchmaking this time around, however, because Yamanaka is no mismatch — she’s probably the second-best145-pound woman in the world, after Cyborg, and she presents some interesting matchup problems for Cyborg. The 5-foot-11 Yamanaka taller and longer than Cyborg, and Cyborg’s tendency to swing wildly with her chin up and her hands down could leave her exposed to an opponent with a reach advantage.

But Yamanaka isn’t much of a finisher (eight of her 12 wins are by decision), and in a 25-minute title fight, eventually Cyborg is going to hit her and hit her hard. Look for Cyborg to win, but look for Yamanaka to give her the toughest test she’s had since she made her EliteXC debut three and a half years ago.
Pick: Cyborg
Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux
 Mousasi has much more experience than St. Preux and a much, much more well-rounded game than St. Preux. Some fans view this fight as a mismatch that Mousasi should win easily.

I’m not so sure about that. I think St. Preux, a former University of Tennessee defensive end who has gone on a tear in the cage over the last couple of years, has just the kind of style to drive Mousasi crazy: St. Preux is stronger than Mousasi and has good takedowns, and Mousasi has shown in his loss to Mo Lawal and his draw with Keith Jardine that he has a really, really hard time staying off his back. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see St. Preux take Mousasi down enough to grind out a decision.

However, while Mousasi isn’t very good at staying off his back, he is good at finishing his opponents from his back. And that’s what I see him doing: Look for him to catch St. Preux in a triangle choke or an arm bar and force him to tap.
Pick: Mousasi
KJ Noons vs. Billy Evangelista
Noons and Evangelista are both coming off losses to Masvidal, and the loser of this one may be done in Strikeforce, where no fighter on a losing streak can expect to be safe. I see this fight going the distance, and Noons landing more effective strikes and winning the decision.
Pick: Noons

 

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