StrikeForce Houston Preview and Predictions

The latest edition of the fight promotion Strikeforce, takes us down to Houston, Texas.With the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight championships on the line, lets dive into some previews and predictions for the main card:

August 21, 2010

Toyota Center,
Houston, Texas, United States

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Tim Kennedy
K.J. Noons vs. Jorge Gurgel
Bobby Lashley vs. Chad Griggs
Daniel Cormier vs. Jason Riley
Andre Galvao vs. Nate Moore
Vinicius Magalhaes vs. Rocky Long
Kier Gooch vs. Adam Schindler
Jose Santibanez vs. Reynaldo Trujillo
Humberto DeLeon vs. Chad Robichaux
Chad Cook vs. Arteneus Young

Bobby Lashley

Lashley comes into this fight undefeated with over Bob Sapp and Wes Sims. His strong wrestling base and large frame allow for good power as well as ground and pound

VS

Chad Griggs

Griggs has a fairly impressive MMA record with only one loss and eight wins, but he does not really hold any victories over notable opponents. Griggs will make his Strikeforce Debut in his fight with Lashley. While Griggs has a big frame, similar to lashley, he lacks a major base, such as Lashley's wrestling.

Analysis: While Lashley has stated recently that he wants to use more stand up in this fight then he has previously done before, if that angle fails him, his superior wrestling and strength will put Griggs away.

Prediction: Bobby Lashley Via 2nd Round TKO

KJ Noons

 Noons has a record of 9-2, with 7 KO/TKO victories, and a notable win over Nate Diaz. Noons supports a boxing skill set and is very smooth and powerful with his technique and can pick apart most fighters.

VS

Jorge Gurgel

Gurgel is coming not only off a loss, but off a almost year long layoff between his last fight. Gurgel has very credible BJJ but lacks wrestling and grappling. Gurgel loves to slug it out despite his BJJ background.

Analysis: KJ Noons has very impressive boxing and should match up well to Gurgel's need to fight a stand up war.

Prediction: KJ Noons by Unanimous Decision

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

Jacare is finally up for the belt in a bout against fellow contender Tim Kennedy. Jacare, has great grappling, judo and submissions. Jacare won 10 of his 12 fights by submission.

VS

Tim Kennedy

Tim Kennedy is coming of a four fight win streak as he fights to win the Middleweight title.He has credible grappling and solid stand up.

Analysis: Kennedy is a solid fighter, but with Jacare's improved striking and great BJJ, he should be able to take the belt home.

Prediction: Jacare Souza by 3rd Round Submission

King Mo

This will be King Mo's first title defense in the Light Heavyweight Division and is undefeated overall.King Mo has incredible wrestling and can take opponents to the mat at will, and also has heavy enough hands to put them away on the ground or mat.

VS

Rafael Cavalcante

Cavalcante comes into the title fight with a two fight win streak. He has won 8 of his 9 victories by way of KO/TKO.His great striking has finished 5 opponents in the first round.

Analysis: Cavalcante is indeed a dangerous striker, but stylistically, this is a horrible match up for him. Not only is King Mo a solid boxer with KO power, but Cavalcante will not be able to defend Mo's take downs. Puncher's chance aside, King Mo retains the belt.

Prediction: King Mo by 3rd Round TKO

Results to follow event

5 Rookie Stand-Outs in Week One of the NFL Pre-Season

Pre-Season games in the NFL are less about showing starter dominance and winning the game, and more about having new additions to the team show their worth and potential. Some of these players want to move up the roster depth chart, and some just want to make final cuts come season start. Let's look specifically at five rookie players that caught my eye:

Anthony Dixon

 Anthony Dixon is a rookie running back from Mississippi State, that currently resides on the San Fransisco 49ers. He debuted this weekend in a game against Indianapolis. While only so much can be said since most rookie's and non-starters go up against other non-starters, all stats must be taken with a grain of salt. Though overall, Dixon still produced starting-like numbers.

Week 1 Stats: 

21 Rushing Attempts for 100 yards (4.8 Yard Avg, 1 TD)

3 Receptions for 22 Yards (7.3 Yard Avg)

Pat Angerer

Iowa Linebacker Pat Angerer made his first appearance for the Colts this weekend as he had some playing time against the 49ers on Sunday. His ability to get to the opposing QB and create pressure could make him a valuable addition to the defense come the start of the season.

Week 1 Stats:

2 Sacks

5 Total Tackles, 3 Assisted Tackles (8 Combined)

Daryl Washington

 TCU Linebacker Daryl Washington showed the finesse of a much more experienced defensive player as he racked up tackles to put him at the top of the list for week 1. Washington also showed some awareness as he defended a couple of passes.

Week 1 Stats:

9 Total Tackles, 4 Assisted Tackles (13 Combined)

2 Passes Defended.

Keiland Williams

LSU Running back Keiland Williams debuted for the Washington Redskins this weekend. He showed promise as a goal line back as he had quite a knack for finding the end zone on multiple occasions.

Week 1 Stats:

11 Rushing Attempts for 51 yards (4.6 Yard Average, 2 Touchdowns)

1 Reception for 7 Yards

Devin McCourty

Devin McCourty showed signs of impacting the field on in multiple ways. While as a Defensive Back he only has 3 tackles, he also had a forced fumble, and as a special teams player, returned 2 kickoffs over 50 yards.

Week 1 Stats:

1 Total Tackle, 2 Assisted Tackles (3 Combined, 1 Forced Fumble)

3 Returns for 114 Yards (Avg 37, Long 52)

WEC 50 - Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 Results and Analysis

The 18th of August provided a great night of WEC fights for fans, with several high profile slug fests, and a fight or two crazy enough to be added to the fight of the year discussion: Lets get right to it, and look into the results and then analyze the fights a little;

Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski VS Zachary Micklewright

 Results: Palaszewki looked dominant in his performance over tough opponent Micklewright. The first round was close, with both fighters landing shots, but Bartimus looked more confident in his striking. he only needed under a minute in the second round to drop Micklewright to the mat and end the fight.

Analysis: Micklewright was supposed to bring great stand up and power and the always interesting southpaw stance into the fight, but he clearly got outclassed at his own game.

Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski Victory Via KO

 Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen VS Brad "One Punch" Pickett 

 

Results: Jorgensen's bout with Pickett won fight of the night honors, and has so far been called one of the best fights this year, and rightfully so - This fight was as exciting as they come. The fight went to the score cards, but not for lack of both fighters trying to knock each their opponent's head off.

Analysis: Both of these fighters have the capability to throw with heavy hands, but luckily for them they also have some of the best chins in the business. Jorgensen took some punishment from Pickett early on but followed up in the later rounds with his own power shots, and taxed owns leading to some nice offensive elbows.Both fighters took a load of punishment but Pickett's face looked far worse off come the bell.

Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen Victory via Unanimous Decision

 Chad Mendes VS Cub Swanson

Results: Chad Mendes came into the fight undefeated and planned to use his wrestling to keep it that way. He effectively used his take downs and top control to neutralize Cub Swanson for most of the 3 rounds.

Analysis: Swanson made good headway with the fact that he could escape from some mat a few times, but overall he could not stop the take downs, and that cost him the fight.

Chad Mendes Victory Via Unanimous Decision

Anthony "Showtime" Pettis VS Shane Roller

 Results: Anthony Pettis has the nickname "showtime" for a reason, and that's because his flashy yet effective strikes, and ability to finish the fight are a spectacle to be seen. Using a variety of stand up strikes and keeping Roller from utilizing his wrestling, Pettis took the fight just about to the scorecards till he caught Roller with a last second triangle.

Analysis: Roller looked slow and uncoordinated in this fight. Either that or Pettis just looked brilliant, some of the strikes he pulled off were straight out of the Anderson Silva playbook. And in the end Roller was too gassed to stop himself from falling into the submission just seconds from the bell.

Anthony "Showtime" Pettis Victory Via 3rd Round Submission

Dominick Cruz VS Joseph Benavidez

Results: In his first title defense of the Bantamweight belt, Cruz went up against his former opponent, Benavidez. Cruz was as always, incredibly quick on his feet, hard to hit, and showed brilliant cardio. He used these traits and his superior wrestling and take downs to take the fight all 5 rounds to the judges, while having the fight in his favor.

Analysis: Benavidez fought a much better fight then the first time these two met, but it was till hard for him to match the speed and elusiveness and ultimately defend his take downs, granting Cruz extra points. The fight would have been a unanimous decision, but apparently one of the judges forgot basic math or napped during the fight.

Dominick Cruz Victory via Split Decision

 Total Prediction Record for WEC 50 - Cruz VS Benavidez 2 : 3 - 2
 

WEC 50 - Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 Preview and Predictions

The 50th edition of the WEC event takes place tonight, in Las Vegas with a Bantamweight Championship fight headlining the bouts. Lets take a look at the 5 main card fights and dive into some analysis and predictions:

WEC 50 - Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 

World Extreme Cagefighting

August 18, 2010

Palms Casino Resort,
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Dominick Cruz vs. Joseph Benavidez
Anthony Pettis vs. Shane Roller
Chad Mendes vs. Cub Swanson
Scott Jorgensen vs. Brad Pickett
Bart Palaszewski vs. Zachary Micklewright
Javier Vazquez vs. Mackens Semerzier
Anthony Njokuani vs. Maciej Jewtuszko
Dave Jansen vs. Ricardo Lamas
Fredson Paixao vs. Bryan Caraway
Danny Castillo vs. Dustin Poirier

Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski

Bart Palaszewski is in his second stint in the WEC, and riding a two fight win streak into this match up. Palaszewskihas good durability and can go through every round and usually survive. Palaszewski has offensive skills and the ability to out grind his opponents.

VS

Zachary Micklewright

Zachary Micklewright supports an undefeated record, and his fight against Palaszewski will be his second in the WEC. He has range ans superior striking and power to put the beat down on any opponent. 

Analysis: Micklewright should continue his unbeaten streak with his advantageous offense and striking ability. Palaszewski is tough, and can take a beating, and take a fight to the scorecards, but either way it seems the odds are stacked against him.

Prediction: Zachary Micklewright via 3rd Round TKO

Brad "One Punch" Pickett

Brad Pickett has not lost an MMA fight since mid 2007, riding a nine fight win streak into the bout against Jorgensen, though he is misleadingly nicknamed and has not scored a knockout since his punch to the body finished Antanas Jazbutis.

 VS

Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen

Scott Jorgensen brings a four fight win streak into this bout, with the hopes of contending for the title just a reach away. He has not been finished since 2006, and provides good wrestling ability, submission offense and a newly found stand up game. 

Analysis: Scott Jorgensen brings an enormous amount of talent to the table now that he has found his stand up game. He has the ability to beat you up on the feet, defend your take down, then take you to the mat and submit you. Unless Pickett gets given position for an easy guillotine (since he has big ability to capitalize there), them Jorgensen's next fight should be for the title.

Prediction: Scott Jorgensen via Submission 2nd Round

Cub Swanson

Sub Swanson only sports a one fight win streak coming into WEC 50, and is looking to preserve his spot in upper echelon talent. He has sufficient stand up and ground game to beat most opponents with only 3 of his wins going to the judges.

 VS

 Chad Mendes

Chad Mendes is an undefeated fighter, making his 3rd showing in the WEC. He has superior wrestling ability, good top control, and a focused game plan and uses it all to his advantage.

Analysis: Swanson may not have the take down defense to keep Mendes from out wrestling him, taking him to the mat, and beating him up. While Mendes does not have a really ferocious assortment of ground and pound, he had the energy and control to keep the fight in his favor, and is unlikely to be submitted from the bottom.

Prediction: Chad Mendes via Unanimous Decision

Shane Roller

Shane Roller rides a three fight win streak into his bout with Pettis. He has great submission offense with 5 of his 8 wins coming via tap out. With his ability to set up take downs and the clinch, he has the skills needed to implement his game plan.

VS

Anthony "Showtime" Pettis

Pettis has only lost once in his MMA career (to Bart Palaszewski) and takes a two fight win streak into this match up. He prefers the striking game and can handle flashy moves and unique combinations.

Analysis:  This battle of contenders is a close fight to call, with the edge going to Roller because of Pettis's self induced lack of TDD.

Prediction: Shane Roller via Unanimous Decision

Dominick Cruz

Cruz holds the Bantamweight title, and will defend it against Benavidez, in the rematch of a previous fight. Cruz has not lost in his last 6 fights, and only once in his MMA career.Cruz supports a good stand up and wrestling base, as well as good cardio and power.His elite level of talent shows why he holds the belt.

VS

Joseph Benavidez

Benavidez is a supremely impressive fighter, only losing one fight in his career. Sadly that loss was to Dominick Cruz, the man he is rematching for he title.Benavidez bounced back from the loss against Cruz, winning two straight including tapping out the extremely talented Miguel Torres in the 2nd round.

Analysis: Versus anyone else, Benavidez would be a given. But against the only man to dismantle him in his career, the odds outweigh him again. Benavidez victory over Torres was very impressive, but he isn't bound to have the same luck against Cruz. Anything can happen in any fight, but Cruz should retain the belt after this bout.

Prediction: Dominick Cruz via Unanimous Decision

 

Results to follow event

5 Wide Recievers Looking To Burn Defenses in 2010

In my previous post I dived into the premiere Quarterbacks of 2010, and in now we'll look into what wideouts will be helping them torch those defensive units:

Andre Johnson

Andre Johnson has been the best Wide Receiver in the NFL the past two seasons, putting up over 1,500 yards and 8 touchdowns both years. He is part of a passing game that was #1 in the league last year, and #4 in overall offense. He is a game changer and a top fantasy pick in any draft. Dont' expect him to slow down this year as his speed and hands give him the ability to be a huge problem for any team he plays.

Miles Austin

 

Miles Austin had a breakout season last year as he accumulated over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns.His big play ability, talent for coming down with the ball, and knack for getting big yards after the catch makes him a significant part of the Cowboys offense. If he keeps progressing at this rate, he could easily become a star Wide Receiver in the NFL.

Reggie Wayne

Reggie Wayne has had over 1,000 yards every season since 2004 and does not look to be slowing up any time soon. His rise to #1 WR in the Colt's pass heavy offense has lead him to be double covered often, though the emergence of Piere Garcon last year managed to draw some coverage off of him. Perhaps with the return of WR Anthony Gonzalez (the #2 WR before being injured last year), will continue to make the defense spread themselves out a little more, further opening his route running.

Wes Welker

Wes Welker had the most receptions in the NFL last year, and the second most yards. He has had over 1,000 yards the past 3 seasons and his a consistently productive wide out. He has the ability to get open and create plays after the catch. While he is used in the Patriots most often as a check down Wide Receiver, he is still as dangerous as any other receiver in the game.

Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall is one of the most dynamic wide outs in the NFL, and his troubles with Denver shouldn't take away from that. When he moved to Miami, he moved to a run first, run heavy team with a still adjusting, just out of rookie status Quarter Back. But don't write Marshall off, for a number of reasons. For one, he is the kind of receiver that can go up and get a pass and bring it down, regardless of if it's perfect or not. Also, with the run heavy style Miami offense, defenses will be balances enough from ground threats so that Marshall will have the opportunity to get open and wreck havoc.