Tag: Mike Kyle

UFC on FX 3 Pre-Fight Analysis: Part II

Erick Silva vs. Charlie Brenneman If the main event features two fighters who are startlingly similar, this fight is the exact opposite. Charlie Brenneman and Erick Silva couldn’t be more different in their approaches. Brenneman.

Erick Silva vs. Charlie Brenneman

If the main event features two fighters who are startlingly similar, this fight is the exact opposite. Charlie Brenneman and Erick Silva couldn’t be more different in their approaches. Brenneman is a calculated strategist whose five UFC victories have all come via decision including his latest victory over Daniel Roberts. On the other end of the spectrum, Erick Silva fights with an unbridled aggression that has twice caused him to lose fights due to illegal strikes. This will be a classic test of which fighter can impose his style of fighting on his opponent.

Charlie Brenneman is 5-2 in his UFC career with one of the losses coming to the absurd weight-cutting of Anthony Johnson. He has really only lost once in the UFC to someone who belongs in his weight class and that was to Johnny Hendricks who has currently worked his way into title contention. Brenneman isn’t at that level but a few more wins and the UFC will have to take notice. His style doesn’t make him a fan favorite and that has hindered his marketability. His last fight is a perfect example of that. He thoroughly outclassed Roberts and controlled every aspect of the fight. The outcome was never in doubt as Brenneman dominated position for all fifteen minutes. But in those fifteen minutes, he did little damage despite getting into dominant positions including the mounted crucifix twice. But that style will be his greatest asset against Silva. Brenneman will want to avoid trading on the feet and suck his opponent into a grinding grappling contest. If he allows himself to be drawn into a brawl he could find himself in trouble or even unconscious. But if he can use his striking to set up takedowns and control Silva, he should be able to earn the victory.

Erick Silva is explosive. He has finished his last four opponents in the first round. That includes back to back first minute TKOs in the UFC. The last fight was ruled a DQ due to strikes to the back of the head but even referee Mario Yamasaki admitted that he made the wrong call in that fight. Silva’s gameplan isn’t complicated. He will look to explode on Brenneman the same way he has exploded on all his opponents. An early finish is entirely possible and will probably be his most likely route to victory as Brenneman is a master of grinding opponents into the mat over the full fifteen minutes. That said, Silva will need to wait for the right opportunity to attack. If he attacks recklessly and gets off balance, Brenneman will take advantage and put him on his back. Silva has shown a good submission game in Brazil but he hasn’t had to contend with a fighter who has a base and defense like the one he’ll be facing on Friday. Controlling his explosive aggression and timing his attack properly will be the key for Silva.

Silva is the favorite at -145 with Brenneman at +125. This is a relatively close line for an MMA fight and both fighters have a legitimate path to victory. Silva will look to end the fight early by overwhelming Brenneman with power and explosiveness. Brenneman will look to survive that early onslaught, drag the fight out as long as possible and pull out the victory in the final rounds. History says that the more experienced fighter with better positioning and control is likely to win the fight. But if Silva destroys Brenneman the way he has destroyed his first two opponents, he will be officially announcing his arrival as a factor in the welterweight division.

Josh Neer vs. Mike Pyle

What a great way to start the main card. Neither of these fighters will ever compete for a UFC title but they have both been fixtures in MMA for years with Pyle debuting in 1999 and Neer coming along four years later in 2003. Both have improved immensely in their time in the sport and have consistently provided fans with high level entertaining fights. They are both well-rounded with the ability to finish from any position. Old school fans will be looking forward to this fight as much or more than any other fight on the card aside from the main event.

Mike Pyle is 5-3 in his most recent UFC stint including a TKO victory over Richard Funch in his last appearance. He landed a big right hand followed by a knee that dropped Funch. He then pounced and landed a few more strikes to stop the fight. That kind of finish is unlikely against the absurdly durable Neer. Pyle will more than likely need to beat Neer for fifteen minutes if he wants to earn the victory. He has the stand up game to compete with Neer on the feet and fifteen minutes of striking would be a treat for the fans. But the more likely route to victory would be to put Neer on his back and use grappling to control the fight. Even from there, Neer will still be dangerous and Pyle will need to be wary of submissions. And getting Neer to the mat won’t be easy either. If Pyle can’t get the takedown, look for him to step back and try to win the fight with his kickboxing.

Josh Neer is one of those fighters who seems to be incapable of being in a boring fight. He tries to finish from every position and has the skill set to do so. He was released from the UFC after back to back losses in 2009 but earned his way back in with four consecutive wins in 2011 and has now won back to back UFC fights including an impressive first round submission of Duane Ludwig in January. Ludwig was winning the fight on the feet as would be expected but Neer was able to land a takedown and caught Ludwig in a guillotine as he attempted to get back to a standing position. Expect him to try to keep the fight standing against Kyle as he should have the advantage. But he won’t be afraid to grapple with Pyle and this fight could end up showcasing all aspects of MMA. Neer needs to be careful of spending too much time on his back looking for submissions as the judges will not look favorably on that if the fight goes to a decision. He has the ability to win wherever the fight goes but his most likely road to victory takes place in the striking game.

Pyle comes into this fight as the favorite at -190 with Neer the underdog at +165. Once again, I’m surprised at the gap in these lines as Neer has a legitimate chance to win this fight. Pyle should be able to use his wrestling to get Neer on the ground but whether or not he can keep him there could determine who wins the fight. Neer will look to land damaging shots on the feet and catch a submission if the fight ends up on the mat. If Kyle can avoid those attempts and control the pace of the fight, he can earn the victory. If not, Neer could walk away with another upset.

“Strikeforce: Barnett vs Cormier” Aftermath: Tournament Alternate Cormier Takes the HWGP

Mauro haters, hit mute now. Actually, everyone hit mute and read what I say about the fights below. (Video: YouTube/ShoSports)

Bruised and battered. Cut and bloodied. Josh Barnett’s face wasn’t one of a man who got out-wrestled last night. Olympic-level or not, wrestling doesn’t leave you looking like you put your head through a meat grinder. Don’t get me wrong, he did get out-wrestled last night, he just got out-struck as well. He got out-everythinged, if you want to get technical.

It didn’t have to be that way, of course. A lot of men would have wilted earlier–much earlier–in the onslaught of Daniel Cormier’s attack. But Barnett never thought of taking the easy way out, and today his face testifies to the evolving game of Cormier. The AKA product showed great versatility in his striking, staggering Barnett with heavy hands, head kicks, and knees. His combinations come fast, hard, and often, which explains why his hand surgeon is on retainer (yeah, he broke his hand again last night). When he did grab hold of “The War Master”, his grappling pedigree shone as well. He sent Barnett stumbling across the cage from the clinch and dolled out single-leg frequent flier miles, at one point flipping the former UFC champion in the air before slamming him to the mat.

Mauro haters, hit mute now. Actually, everyone hit mute and read what I say about the fights below.  (Video: YouTube/ShoSports)

Bruised and battered. Cut and bloodied. Josh Barnett‘s face wasn’t one of a man who got out-wrestled last night. Olympic-level or not, wrestling doesn’t leave you looking like you put your head through a meat grinder. Don’t get me wrong, he did get out-wrestled last night, he just got out-struck as well. He got out-everythinged, if you want to get technical.

It didn’t have to be that way, of course. A lot of men would have wilted earlier–much earlier–in the onslaught of Daniel Cormier’s attack. But Barnett never thought of taking the easy way out, and today his face testifies to the evolving game of Cormier. The AKA product showed great versatility in his striking, staggering Barnett with heavy hands, head kicks, and knees. His combinations come fast, hard, and often, which explains why his hand surgeon is on retainer (yeah, he broke his hand again last night). When he did grab hold of “The War Master”, his grappling pedigree shone as well. He sent Barnett stumbling across the cage from the clinch and dolled out single-leg frequent flier miles, at one point flipping the former UFC champion in the air before slamming him to the mat.

If Cormier looked great last night it was only because Barnett forced him to. Josh had DC in trouble on more than one occasion, visibly hurting him in the second frame with a right hand-left knee combination, and later working dutifully for leg-locks on the ground. He too will have to nurse a broken hand suffered in the opening frame, but hopefully he’ll find his way to the Octagon soon.

The rubbermatch between Gilbert Melendez and challenger Josh Thomson was far more evenly contested and therefor far more difficult to judge. The old rivals started off slowly in a pair of cautious opening rounds. Both men found a home for their fists in those first two frames, but with the more active hands and several short-lived takedowns the champion edged out Thomson on the cards. “The Punk” came alive in the third, turning up the heat in a pivotal swing-round that could arguably have gone either way on a night where the scorecards bore little resemblance to the action taking place inside the cage.

Thomson took control in the championship rounds. Another slick trip takedown in the fourth round ended with the challenger taking Melendez’s back and threatening with several rear naked choke attempts. “The Punk” outlanded the champion two-to-one in significant strikes in the final round, taking Melendez down and maintaining top-control to close the bout.

Thomson suffered from repeated unintentional eye pokes throughout the bout, and a potential point deduction would have yielded a majority draw in a bout that either man could have been awarded under the Unified Rules. Under Melendez’s hometown ‘Stockton Rules‘, however, that belt is changing hands. “El Nino” got busted up in the exchanges and looked far more worse for wear after the fight. Though Thomson wasn’t exactly unleashing hell from above as the final bell rang, momentum had clearly shifted in his direction in the latter half of the battle. No matter who you had ahead, there will be no fourth fight and Melendez is keeping the strap.

In a far more decisive battle, Rafael Cavalcante evened the score in his rematch with Mike Kyle. Only seconds into their bout, “Feijao” connected with a knee to the grill that sent Kyle flying back against the cage. The Brazilian swarmed him on the ground with a torrent of hammerfists, many to the back of the head, before Kyle worked his way back to his feet. Perhaps inspired by Jon Jones pulling guard at UFC 145–not!–Feijao jumped around MAK’s waist and sunk in a guillotine. Kyle stayed standing for a bit before attempting to slam his way free of the choke, but Feijao rolled with the momentum and cranked away for the tap once they hit the ground.

In the evening’s opening tilt, late-replacement Chris Spang needed less than a round to dispatch Nah-Shon Burrell and even up his family’s MMA record over the weekend. Spang dropped Burrell halfway through the first then threw more high knees than a Rockettes performance. Fortunately for Burrell, he was out on his feet for much of the abuse, and referee Josh Rosenthal mercifully called the bout once Burrell collapsed his way out of Spang’s thai clinch and sprawled out on the canvas.

Also, if you didn’t catch the Virgil Zwicker-Carlos Inocente throwdown in the prelims, do yourself a favor. The only part of Zwicker’s body that Inocente doesn’t smash was his heart. It’s an entertaining scrap that casts Zwicker as the loveable anti-Sapp.

 

– @ChrisColemon

 

Full Results: (via: MMAWeekly.com)

Main Card (on Showtime):
-Daniel Cormier def. Josh Barnett by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
-Gilbert Melendez def. Josh Thomson by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
-Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. Mike Kyle by submission (guillotine choke) at :33, R1
-Chris Spang def. Nah-Shon Burrell by KO at 1:35, R1

Preliminary Card (on Showtime Extreme):
-Isaac Vallie-Flagg def. Cesias “JZ” Cavalcante by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
-Carlos Augusto “Guto” Inocente Filho def. Virgil Zwicker by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
-Gian Villante def. Derrick Mehmen  by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
-Quinn Mulhern def. Yuri Villefort by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
-Bobby Green def. James Terry by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier — Live Results & Commentary


(The time for talking is over. The time for looking into a camera and screaming has just begun. Photo via Esther Lin/SHO Sports.)

If you had told me 16 months ago that the Strikeforce 2011-2012 Heavyweight Grand Prix would conclude with an unheralded reserve-fighter ending up in the finals, and tournament favorite Alistair Overeem nowhere to be seen due to promotional poaching and a subsequent drug-test scandal, I would have said “Yeah, that sounds about right, actually.”

The good news is, Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier is a hell of a matchup — a classic generational battle between a battle-tested old veteran and a hungry up-and-comer. (As it turns out, Barnett is only like a year-and-a-half older than Cormier, but work with me here.) Also on the main card: Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson fight for Strikeforce’s lightweight title for the third time, while light-heavyweights Mike Kyle and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante throw down in a rematch of their own.

Handling the play-by-play for the tonight’s Showtime broadcast of Strikforce: Barnett vs. Cormier is our own Elias Cepeda, who will be posting live results after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you feel in the comments section. You ready for war? Because guys, we are always ready for war.


(The time for talking is over. The time for looking into a camera and screaming has just begun. Photo via Esther Lin/SHO Sports.)

If you had told me 16 months ago that the Strikeforce 2011-2012 Heavyweight Grand Prix would conclude with an unheralded reserve-fighter ending up in the finals, and tournament favorite Alistair Overeem nowhere to be seen due to promotional poaching and a subsequent drug-test scandal, I would have said “Yeah, that sounds about right, actually.”

The good news is, Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier is a hell of a matchup — a classic generational battle between a battle-tested old veteran and a hungry up-and-comer. (As it turns out, Barnett is only like a year-and-a-half older than Cormier, but work with me here.) Also on the main card: Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson fight for Strikeforce’s lightweight title for the third time, while light-heavyweights Mike Kyle and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante throw down in a rematch of their own.

Handling the play-by-play for the tonight’s Showtime broadcast of Strikforce: Barnett vs. Cormier is our own Elias Cepeda, who will be posting live results after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you feel in the comments section. You ready for war? Because guys, we are always ready for war.

We are live!

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang
Round 1 – Spang is taking this one on short notice. Let’s see how ready he is for the opportunity. Spang with an overhand right, Burrell counters with a hook. Spang pushing forward, leading with the jab and looking for more hook counters.

Spang lands a huge head kick but Burrell seems unfazed somehow. He throws punches, most land only glancingly. Spang pushes Burrell against the cage. On separation Spang lands a couple more punches.

Burrell lands an uppercut, straight combo. Spang drops Burrell with a left hook. Burrell gets back to his feet but he’s clearly hurt. Spang unleashes knee after knee to the head from the Thai plum. Spang punches on separation then grabs the plum again and drops Burrell once more. He dives in for some ground strikes and referee Josh Rosenthal steps in to stop the fight.

Chris Spang with the first round TKO win.

Tyron Woodley and Nate Marquardt get interviewed, as they are soon fighting. Nate looks huge. Crazy that he’s supposed to make 170.

Rafael Feijao Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle

Rematch from three years ago. Back in ’09, Big Cavalcante got TKO’d by Kyle.

Round 1 – It doesn’t take long for Cavalcante to get his revenge on Kyle. Feijao throws an overhand right that misses, but after Kyle ducks low to avoid it, the Brazilian capitalizes and lands a knee to the head that drops Kyle and when “Mak” gets back to his feet, Cavalcante locks on a guillotine choke, jumps guard and, after a fight, Kyle taps out 33 seconds into the round.

Feijao by first round tap out.

Strikeforce 185lb champ Luke Rockhold and Tim Kennedy get interviewed because they are going to throw down July 14th. Luke implies that Kennedy has been ducking him. Kennedy compliments Rockhold, then threatens to twitter punk him tonight if given the opportunity. As we know, Kennedy is a dangerous man on twitter.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson III

Round 1 – Both men start out fast, moving in and out, exchanging flurries of punches. A minute and a half in, Gilbert scores the takedown. Thomson immediately starts to work his way up to his feet, cage walking against the fence.

Thomson gets back up and free. Gilbert stalking Thomson. They clinch and Gilbert lands a hard knee to the body. They free back up. Thomson switching up his stance repeatedly. Gilbert paws with the jab, both feeling each other out.

Thomson throws a body kick that is blocked. He throws another that is caught by Gilbert. He uses it to take down Thomson. Thomson swivels to inverted guard and promptly gets a hammer fist to the face. Horn sounds.

Round 2 – They are back at it again, swinging hard, mostly missing. Thomson throws a head kick that is blocked. Gilbert walks Thomson into the cage, scoring with multiple body shots. Thomson circles out.

Gilbert leading with the pawing jab and trying to follow with a hard right but Thomson gets out of the way. Thomson charges forward with punches but misses.

Gilbert lands an uppercut. Thomson gets hit with a punch but apparently also with an eye poke. It buckles him, he gets time to recover. Thomson lands with a cross but Gilbert lands another uppercut. He seems to hurt Thomson. Josh doesn’t back down but Gilbert gets another takedown.

He has Thomson against the cage and Josh is attempting to walk his way back to his feet. He gets up and Gilbert throws a flurry of punches at him as soon as he does. Under ten seconds left and Josh shoots for a takedown. He doesn’t get it, as Gilbert uses elbows to the side of the head to defend. Horn sounds.

Round 3 – Gilbert throws two wide hooks that land, shoots for a takedown. Thomson defends and charges forward, landing a punch combo flush to the face of Gilbert. Thomson shoots and gets stuffed.

Uppercut from Thomson lands clean on Melendez. Gilbert responds with his own uppercut. Thomson throws Melendez to the ground but Gilbert rolls backwards and stays away from Thomson. He’s back up to his feet.

Gilbert with an uppercut to the body of Josh. From the clinch Gilbert lands several hard uppercuts to the jaw of Josh. Thomson responds by charging forward. Gilbert’s right eye is starting to swell. Thomson says he’s gotten poked in the eye again but gets back to action right away.

Round 4  – Thomson opens the round with another high kick that is blocked by Gilbert. Gilbert triples up on the jab and finishes with the overhand right. Thomson lands a huge right hand, throws another high kick that is mostly blocked. Gilbert lands his own big punch on Thomson.

Melendez has had enough of this and lands another double leg take down. He’s pressing Thomson against the fence, Josh gets back up to his feet. Gilbert lands a one-two punch combo. Thomson throwing the push kick and circles out.

Gilbert shoots for another double leg off of a jab lead. Thomson defends well. Melendez lands an elbow on separation. They are back standing in free range.

Melendez’ right eye is bleeding more. Thomson tries to use his own jab. Josh throws but whiffs on a four punch combo. Thomson with a trip takedown on Melendez and some nice straight punches to the grounded Gilbert.

Thomson in Gilbert’s full guard. Melendez sits up turtles up and Thomson takes his back. Under a minute left and Josh has Gilbert’s back, working for the rear naked choke. Thomson switches to a short choke grip. Melendez is in deep water but gets his chin back under the grip. Melendez stands, tries to shuck Thomson off of him.

Josh has the back still as the horn sounds.

Round 5 – Thomson is psyched at the start of the round – bounces up and down, nodding and smiling at Gilbert. Melendez with a short hook to Josh’s head. Thomson fires back, Melendez shoots and scores another double leg take down. Josh gets back up to his feet fast.

Gilbert has an egg swelling over his left eye now. Thomson lands a right punch. Thomson lands a right hook and uppercut in close range. Gilbert lands a stiff jab. Thomson lands a straight right, followed by a four-strike punch and kick combo. Thomson shoots for a take down and gets stuffed.

Thomson says he’s gotten poked again and gets time. Doesn’t take much, though, and they are back in action. Gilbert lands a left hook to the head of Thomson. Josh charges forward with a punch and knee combo but mostly misses. One minute left in this war.

Gilbert shoots for a double and gets stuffed. Thomson lands two more punches on the feet. Thomson lands another trip take down with thirty seconds left.

Gilbert is in full guard, throwing rabbit punches. Thomson staying safe, crowding Gilbert. Thomson throws three elbows to end the round.

Decision time is next!

Judges score it 48-47 Thomson, 48-47 Melendez, 48-47 Melendez. Split decision win for Gilbert Melendez. Split crowd, half cheers, half boos. Thomson is irate.

Even so, Thomson is all class telling the crowd, “Please don’t boo Gilbert. He’s one of the best fighters, if not the best fighter in the world.”

Thomson calls for a fourth fight, the crowd wants it too. Gilbert says, “yeah, sure, whatever,” before giving his teammate Nate Diaz props, calling him the next lightweight champion of the UFC.

Daniel Cormier vs. Josh Barnett

Round 1 – Barnett pumps the double jab out sharply right away. Cormier lands his own jab now. Barnett throwing fast but Cormier throws three for every one punch Barnett can

Cormier goes to the body and head with combos. Barnett getting tagged but is unfazed. Cormier not eager to look for take downs at all, seems completely comfortable on the feet. Cormier begins to find his range with the right cross. Barnett lands his own punches now.

Cormier still doubling Barnett’s shots. Barnett catches a kick from Cormier and throws a right cross that lands and hurts Cormier. Barnett follows with a knee that hurts Cormier further. Cormier grimaces but gets his composure back and presses Barnett against the cage.

Barnett does not give up and closes with his own flurry of strikes. Cormier is bleeding but landed twice the strikes.

Round 2 – Barnett returns with his jab. Cormier starting to finish up his punch combos with leg kicks. Barnett backs Cormier up with punches, Cormier throws a knee. Cormier lands a hard short upper cut. Barnett returns with a straight cross. Cormier lands a huge combo to the head and body.

Cormier shoots for and gets a single leg take down, halfway through the round. Cormier in Barnett’s full guard. Cormier is smothering and posturing, throwing the occasional punches. Cormier starts to open up with forearm and elbow strikes. Barnett shoots a triangle choke but gets shrugged off by Barnett. Barnett fires an arm bar attempt into a leg lock  attempt. Cormier defends it all and returns fire with more elbows.

Barnett’s face is a bloody mask with thirty seconds left. Cormier ends the round hammering away with punches.

Round 3 – Barnette backs Cormier up once again. Cormier lands a counter right from in close. Barnett shoots for a single and then double leg take down. Cormier defends and circles away from the cage. Barnett with an inside leg kick.

Cormier shoots for a single leg then switches to a high crotch take down and lifts Barnett up  into the air and slams him into the ground. He lands in side mount on Barnett. Barnett looks to be in trouble from side control but gets up to his feet.

Cormier lands an overhand right then a left hand. Cormier lands another right hand, Barnett lands his own. Cormier shoots for a single leg but gets dedended.

Cormier lands a head kick that hurts Barnett. Cormier follows up with knees to the head. Barnett is hurt but returns fire with his back to the cage. Cormier circles and Barnett’s back while standing. Round ends in that position.

Round 4 – Barnett is bloodied but still opens up the round attacking. He backs up Cormier with feints and jabs. Cormier weaves to his right to avoid a jab and runs right into a knee from Barnett. Cormier lands a left hook.

Nice left-right combo from Barnett. Left lead high kick from Cormier lands. Right high kick from Cormier lands! Barnett closes the distance and pushes Cormier against the cage. Cormier circles out and gets back to the center of the cage.

Barnett lands a right lead punch. Jab-hook combo from Cormier. Cormier shoots in and then pops up and lands a right hand, then changes levels again and lands a take down. Barnett immediately rolls for a leg lock and looks to have Cormier in trouble but the wrestler turns and burns and gets out of danger.

Cormier is in Barnett’s full guard, lands a short elbow. Barnett works for a kimura shoulder locked but is shrugged off by Cormier. Referee stands them up.

Another left jab feint into knee to the head from Barnett to Cormier. Round ends with Barnett pressing Cormier against the cage.

Round 5 – Barnett walks down Cormier and throws a body kick. He follows up with a push kick. Quick break for referee Josh Rosenthal to dry up some water on the mat that Cormier points out.

Barnett presses Cormier against the fence once they get back at it. Knee to the head, straight right combo from Barnett. Left high kick from Cormier blocked by Barnett.

Cormier lands a one-two punch combo on the stalking Barnett. Cormier ducks under a spinning back fist from Barnett, takes him down. Barnett gets back to his feet but is lifted and nearly slammed again by Cormier. Barnett stays on his feet again, almost immediately.

One minute left. Cormier has a left under hook on Barnett, pressing him against the cage. Barnett gets double under hooks but still has his back pressed against the cage with thirty seconds left. Cormier gets his left under hook back in. Ten seconds left and they are in free standing. Cormier is content to just run away the final seconds.

The horn sounds and Cormier raises his hands. What a great, competitive and brutal fight between the two heavies but Cormier likely won all five rounds.

Decision time is next.

We finally have a Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion. Daniel Cormier wins a unanimous decision. Scores were 49-46, 50-45 and 50-45 in favor of Cormier.

An emotional Cormier says that “It means everything to beat somebody like Josh Barnett. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. This is for all of them…this means the world to me.”

Barnett says that he “broke the ever living crap out of my hand against Daniel in the first round…I was going to make him earn this…today Daniel was better.”

That’s it, folks. Great night of fights, thanks for cage surfing with us.

Strikeforce (Tonight)- Crisper’s Betting Picks

Ok – keepin this one short and sweet. Like two favorites… Nah-Shon Burrrell (-260) and Rafael Cavalcante (-200). Both of these fights should end early. Lay the money tonite and add 2 units to the.

Ok – keepin this one short and sweet. Like two favorites…

Nah-Shon Burrrell (-260) and Rafael Cavalcante (-200).

Both of these fights should end early. Lay the money tonite and add 2 units to the bankroll!

Crisper

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier Bleacher Report MMA Staff Predictions

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finally comes to its conclusion Saturday night when Strikeforce hosts its 40th annual event. In the tournament finals, submission specialist Josh Barnett takes on heavy-handed wrestler Daniel Cormier in a bou…

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finally comes to its conclusion Saturday night when Strikeforce hosts its 40th annual event. 

In the tournament finals, submission specialist Josh Barnett takes on heavy-handed wrestler Daniel Cormier in a bout that all but promises an entertaining finish. 

Beginning the main card action are two up-and-coming welterweight prospects looking to make a name for themselves in the form of Nah-Shon Burrell and Chris Spang.

Also on the main card, light heavyweights Rafael Cavalcante, a former Strikeforce champion, and Mike Kyle square off. Kyle defeated Cavalcante in impressive fashion back in June 2009, but both fighters have made strides in their game since then. 

In the co-main event, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez has a rubber match with his old foe Josh Thomson. Thomson was the last man to beat “El Nino,” but Melendez has defeated him since and has been on a tear recently. 

Bleacher Report MMA Featured Columnists Matt Juul, Jeffrey McKinney, Kyle Symes and myself, John Heinis, are bringing the predictions your way this time around. 

Take a look inside to see who walks away with a “W” Saturday night.

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Strikeforce- Barnett vs. Cormier: Pre Fight Part II

Gilbert Melendez (20-2) vs. Josh Thompson (19-4) Fight fans love trilogies. And while this one has a bit of a foregone conclusion feel to it, the fighters did split their first two fights and Josh.

Gilbert Melendez (20-2) vs. Josh Thompson (19-4)

Fight fans love trilogies. And while this one has a bit of a foregone conclusion feel to it, the fighters did split their first two fights and Josh Thompson earned this title shot by controlling KJ Noons in their March fight. Melendez dominated Thompson in their last fight and since then, Thompson has struggled with injuries while Melendez has continued to develop into one of the best lightweights in the world. But with Strikeforce’s 155 pound division featuring names like Ryan Couture and Pat Healy as the next best options after Thompson, this was really the only fight to be made.

In a third fight like this, pre-fight discussion and analysis is generally rendered moot. We have seen this fight before. We know exactly what to expect. Melendez will use his boxing to set up takedowns and try to maintain top control. From there, he will use his ground striking to wear down Thompson and hopefully finish the fight in the later rounds.

Thompson will use his kicks to keep Melendez on the outside. He will look to stuff Melendez’ takedown attempts and create scrambles. Out of the scrambles, he will look to find his way to top position and show his own ground and pound skills as well as try to lock on to a submission if Melendez leaves him an opening.

A finish to this fight before the twenty five minutes have passed is unlikely. Melendez goes into the fight as a huge favorite at -445 with Thompson the underdog at +345. Based on the previous fights and what we have seen from both fighters since those fights, Melendez is the obvious choice to win this fight. But everyone, even Melendez, knows that. And that’s the biggest danger for the champion in this fight. Josh Thompson is still an elite fighter and Melendez cannot afford to take him lightly. Thompson will be coming out to prove that he is fully recovered from his injuries and ready to reclaim his title. And if Melendez has had anything other than a championship caliber training camp, Thompson could score the upset.

Rafael Cavalcante (11-3) vs. Mike Kyle (19-8)

In another rematch, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante tries to avenge a 2009 loss to well-traveled veteran Mike Kyle. Feijao was expected to win the first fight but tired in the second round and suffered an upset TKO loss. Kyle will be looking to prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke and put together back to back wins.

Feijao has the unique history of never having been involved in a decision and I wouldn’t expect this fight to be the first. Both fighters have power in their hands and both have a history of either finishing fights or being finished. Feijao’s biggest asset is his muay thai and he will look to keep the fight on the feet. He will try to pull Kyle into the clinch where he can utilize his versatile striking skill set. His knees are the most dangerous part of his arsenal but his punches and elbows are dangerous as well. Expect Feijao to close the distance, push Kyle against the cage and look to attack in the clinch from there. Kyle is not averse to fighting in close and he will look to counter Feijao’s muay thai with dirty boxing. Considering his opponent’s history of cardio issues, I would expect Kyle to attack the body early and try to tire Feijao. Kyle would also be smart to try to wrestle Feijao to the ground and wear on him with ground and pound.

Feijao is the favorite going in to the fight at -205 with Kyle at +165. If Feijao is in shape and motivated, he should finish Kyle by the end of the second round. But if Kyle can push the pace early and keep the fight on the ground, he could grind out a late stoppage or decision.

-Alan Wells