Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal 17 dec. (Gegard Mousasi vs Ovince St. Preux)

[Kemal]

Strikeforce Fight Card: Melendez vs. Masvidal

The final Strikeforce fight card of 2011 features Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal and Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka, two championship bouts on Dec. 17 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

Melendez, who is on a five-fight win streak, will look to defend his Strikeforce lightweight title for the third time. Masvidal is 2-0 this year and defeated K.J. Noons via unanimous decision in June to earn this title shot.

Cyborg, who is making her return after having her Strikeforce contract renewed in August, last fought back in June 2010. She'll defend her 145-pound belt against Yamanaka, a fighter who's made her name through the Smackgirl and JEWELS promotions in Japan.

The current fight card is below.

Showtime Bouts
Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal
Cris "Cyborg" Santos vs. Hiroko Yamanaka
Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux
Billy Evangelista vs. K.J. Noons

Preliminary Bouts
Caros Fodor vs. Justin Wilcox
Devin Cole vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones

[Asura]

Vier knallers op de main card.

[Kemal]

Featherweight Champ Cris 'Cyborg' Santos Wants to Rule Bantamweight, Too

After a seemingly interminable, 18-month trip to the sidelines during the prime of her career, Strikeforce women's featherweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is finally heading back where she belongs, in the middle of the cage.

When Santos returns at December 17's Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal event, she'll have the respected Japanese fighter Hiroko Yamanaka standing across from her, hoping to wrest the belt away. But like always, Santos will enter as a huge favorite to retain her championship in dominant fashion, and a win could open the door for her to become a two-division champion.

That's because Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told reporters on Tuesday that the promotion plans to continue both Cyborg's featherweight class, as well as the bantamweight class, currently reigned over by champ Miesha Tate. Recently, it had been rumored that the featherweight class would be dropped. But even though Coker suggests Cyborg's division will still be in play, the Brazilian phenom said she is interested in fighting in both classes.

"It's going to be difficult but I'm going to try to make the move if there's more work for me there," Santos said on Tuesday.

"I want to try to do both categories if possible, but I know there is more opportunity at 135," she added.

It's hard to blame "Cyborg" for looking to fill her plate after her recent stretch of inactivity. She had fought four times in 14 months from April 2009 to June 2010, scoring four KO/TKO finishes in that time, but the last of those wins over Jan Finney was the last fight on her contract.

The two sides engaged in lengthy negotiations, and for a time, Santos announced she would fight in her home country, but every possibility to return to action seemed to fall through for her until she finally re-signed with her current promotion in August 2011.

Still just 26 years old, Santos will attempt to shake off the ring rust while defending her belt. She sees the layoff as no issue, choosing to emphasize the improvements she was able to make while honing her craft in the gym.

"I feel like I've gotten better at jiu-jitsu, I've been staying competitive in that aspect," she said. "I've been working on boxing, striking. I feel I'm better and more well-rounded as a fighter than I was before."

If that's true, now fighters in two weight classes will have to contend with her unique blend of athleticism, power and technique.

[Asura]

Dat zou mooi zijn, ik hoop dat ze de weightcut aankan en wat slachtingen aanricht op 135.

[Kemal]

[El Bambino]

Mousasi word best overschat door de oranjebril dragers.
In iedere NL vechter willen wij een topper zien die klaar is voor de UFC, tot nu toe heeft ie dat nog lang niet bewezen!

[McClane]

Masvidal. All day. 407.

[Asura]

Masvidal. All day. 407.

Kom je daar vandaan?
(miami?)

[co0per]

[Asura]

verwijderd...

[smike]

Mooie card weer!
Mousasi heeft het probleem wat Nederlanders wel meer hebben: takedown defence, dat heeft em opgebroken en hopelijk heeft hij dit verbeterd, dan zie ik hem wel winnen en naar de UFC gaan en dan wordt het echt vet!

[Asura]

Dit weekend, ik zie weinig hype.
Melendez vs Masvidal is een gegarandeerde knaller.

[Asura]

Masvidal vs Melendez word een knaller!

[Kemal]

Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal


Main card (Showtime)

• Lightweight Championship bout: Gilbert Melendez (c) vs. Jorge Masvidal
• Women's Featherweight Championship bout: Cristiane Santos (c) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka
• Light Heavyweight bout: Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux
• Lightweight bout: KJ Noons vs. Billy Evangelista

Preliminary card

• Welterweight bout: Jerron Peoples vs. Roger Bowling
• Lightweight bout: Caros Fodor vs. Justin Wilcox
• Heavyweight bout: Devin Cole vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones
• Light Heavyweight bout: Fernando Gonzalez vs. Eddie Mendez
• Welterweight bout: Herman Terrado vs. Chris Brown

[Kemal]

Denk als Gegard wint, hij weleens naar de UFC kan gaan..

[Kemal]

Gilbert Melendez Focused on Defending Strikeforce Title, But UFC Hopes Remain

Gilbert Melendez is a Strikeforce original, one of only two fighters the promotion retains from its inaugural event in 2006, and its only remaining male fighter who receives true consideration among the top five of his division.

Since April, Melendez (19-2) has been on the shelf, awaiting his next assignment, but despite that, he's seen his fame grow, mostly because of UFC president Dana White uttering his name regularly during that time in reference to possibly bringing him over to make his octagon debut.

That possibility for now has been moved to the back-burner, but it's one Melendez gets asked about on a regular basis, and one that is lurking in the background of his Saturday night title defense in the main event of Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal.

Many athletes would refuse to acknowledge the possibility of a future past their next scheduled date, but not Melendez. In fact, he candidly states that he's not long for Strikeforce, even as he prepares to headline their event on Showtime.

"It's obvious it's something we've been talking about. I think it's inevitable," he said of a future move to UFC. "I think some of the top fighters need to go to the UFC. And I'm one of those guys, so it's in the works. Things have been talked about. Am I in [the discussions] all the time? Am I the one talking to them? No. But there's some dialogue going on and I mean, the goal is to be the UFC champion at the end of the day. The goal is to be No. 1 in the world at the end of the day. And the only way to do that is by getting the UFC title."

Melendez, ranked No. 2 among world lightweights by MMA Fighting, takes on the role of big fish in a small pond, a star capable of competing among the UFC's deeper, more established talent pool.

Yet, if there's one last challenge he sees for himself in Strikeforce, it's his Saturday opponent, Jorge Masvidal.

The Floridian has quietly been considered among the top talents unsigned by the UFC for a few years. He's also been regarded as a sort of mercurial talent, one who may look like a world-beater on his best days and unmotivated on others.

Masvidal (22-6) signed with Strikeforce in early 2011, moving to the lightweight class in the process, and since then has defeated Billy Evangelista and KJ Noons in consecutive fights. Melendez calls Masvidal an "underrated" fighter who he has been expecting to fight for a couple of years, but the odds will be big in his favor on Saturday, and the pressure is on him to win.

"A lot of people have been talking nonsense, that Jorge is no good," he said. "You're going to run by him and that talk kind of bothers me because some people are ignorant. They don't really follow the game that much. If you don't fight in the UFC, they think you're no good. So what's been the challenge for me is motivating myself and staying motivated and pumping myself up.

"So this means a lot to myself; not to fans, not to anybody," he continued. "This fight is for me, just to prove that I can defend my throne, and I'm the big favorite here and I have a tough guy who's underrated and I got to really come through. So that's what's been motivating me and I think if I can get past this and look real good, I think it will mean a lot to me more than I think it will to anyone else."

If Melendez wins, he won't necessarily push for a shift over to the UFC -- he still has multiple fights left on his current deal -- but he also says that he can't think of any other lightweight on the Strikeforce roster that he's hoping to face or is deserving of a title shot against him. That will make for a tricky situation. He might be the face of Strikeforce, with nothing more to do there.

If that happens, we'll all know what he wants to do. It's UFC title or bust, all in due time.

"The goal is to be No. 1 in the world, you know what I mean?" he said. "If I have to beat Jorge, if I have to beat someone else, if I have to beat five more people before that, then so be it. But, the sooner the better. I think I deserve the chance at the UFC title. So, if I can get it as soon as possible that would be great. If not, I'll have to keep winning and keep working hard. If I feel like I have to constantly prove myself in this MMA industry, then so be it. It's inevitable. I'm coming for that spot."

[wrestler_nl]

Mijn Picks:


Lightweight Championship bout: Gilbert Melendez (c) vs. Jorge Masvidal
Women's Featherweight Championship bout: Cristiane Santos (c) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka
Light Heavyweight bout: Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux
Lightweight bout: KJ Noons vs. Billy Evangelista

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

Strikeforce Melendez vs. Masvidal Predictions

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

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

[Kemal]

Jorge Masvidal Has No Use for Title, Saying Win Over Gilbert Melendez Means More

For most fighters, winning a major championship is an ultimate career goal. Few, however, will ever get the chance to compete for one, let alone have a shiny, gold belt strapped around their waist.

Jorge Masvidal gets that chance on Saturday, yet for him, that material possession comes secondary to the personal satisfaction that would come from defeating current Strikeforce lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez.

"He's the No. 1 or No. 2 in most peoples' opinion," he told MMA Fighting during a recent teleconference. "That's what really matters to me. The belt, I could really care less for it."

Melendez is currently ranked second, behind only UFC champ Frankie Edgar in most lightweight rankings, and the prospect of knocking off his highest-ranked opponent means more to Masvidal than anything else.

The 27-year-old has won both of his Strikeforce fights since re-signing with the company in 2011 (he had also gone 2-0 in a previous run in 2007-08).

While Masvidal has yet to crack a top 10 on his own, he has been considered a talented but sometimes inconsistent fighter with the ability to do so. In recent years, he has led a bit of a nomadic existence, fighting in promotions including Bellator, Bodog Fight, Sengoku and Shark Fights before settling back in Strikeforce's hexagon. Essentially, he's chased the best available fights, which is no different than his current focus.

"To me it doesn't really matter what people say about him or anything," he said of Melendez's reputation. "I just want to fight him. I know he's a solid fighter and that's all that matters to me. And that's it, really. To me it's just another fight. Train hard and that's it. Train long because it's five rounds. That's the only difference. And that's it. Go in and do my job."

For his part, Melendez said that just because Masvidal has gone under the radar of some, he shouldn't be counted among that group. In fact, it's a fight that he has been anticipating for some time, and he expects Masvidal to be just as game as he says is.

"You get motivated when you're the underdog or you get motivated when there's a lot of hype," he said. "A lot of people have been talking nonsense; that Jorge, like he's no good. That you're going to run by him. And that talk kind of bothers me because some people are ignorant. They don't really follow the game that much. If you don't fight in the UFC, they think you're no good."

Melendez goes into Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal as a sizable favorite, but many observers believe that when Masvidal is at his best, he's a legitimate threat to anyone. And that means he's a legitimate threat to win a belt, even if it's one he says he doesn't particularly care about.

"When I say 'just another fight,' it's not like I'm dissing my opponent skill-wise or anything," he said. "I'm just saying that it doesn't mean anything that it's a title and it's a main event on Showtime or nothing like that. It's just at the end of the day no matter what's at stake, it's just a fight. It's not like Gil has a gun and I'm going in there empty-handed. It's just another fight. That's exactly what I mean."

[wrestler_nl]

leuke interview...goed om te horen dat ie aan z'n worstelen heeft gewerkt

[Kemal]

Ovince St. Preux a Confident Underdog Against Ex-Strikeforce Champ Mousasi

The opportunity that changed Ovince St. Preux's future wasn't supposed to ever happen. Back in the early spring of 2010, when Strikeforce was putting together its soon-to-be infamous Strikeforce: Nashville event, the promotion was looking for local talent to fill out the undercard.

At the time, St. Preux was a relative rookie in the sport, having competed for just over a year. It's safe to say that back then, he wasn't exactly a prodigy. With a record of 4-4, he also wasn't lighting up the radar of major MMA talent seekers. In fact, when St. Preux's name was floated for the card, Strikeforce execs were against it. It was only the tenacious and repeated calls from some of his coaching staff to the Strikeforce office that ultimately landed him on the event, and St. Preux has taken the opportunity and sprinted with it.

Since that moment, he has yet to lose. Now 11-4 and with five Strikeforce wins under his belt, St. Preux makes the leap to title contender, fighting former light-heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi in the co-main event of Saturday's Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal event.

But how did he get from there to here? How does one start off a career winning just three of his first seven bouts, then suddenly find a new gear and dominate everyone put in front of him?

St. Preux said it was a few simple adjustments that changed everything. The former University of Tennessee football player recommitted himself to strength and conditioning, focusing on correcting stamina issues that he says plagued him early on. He also changed his eating habits, and when the time came, he seized his moments.

At Strikeforce: Nashville, he ended up romping in a 47-second TKO. A couple of months later, he scored an 8-second knockout of former UFC fighter Jason Day. With every win, he learned something about himself.

"Some of those fights let me know know where I was," he told MMA Fighting. "I wouldn't say I doubted myself, but when you have a lot of people telling you that you're good, sometimes you ask yourself, 'Am I that good?' So when you actually go out against those opponents and take care of business, you go, 'OK, I think I could push myself a little more.'"

St. Preux's confidence grew further with wins over hard-hitting strikers Antwain Britt and Benji Radach, and when he added a win over Abongo Humphrey for his seventh win in 11 months, it seemed that St. Preux was on his way to contention. But first he got a strangely matched bout with debuting Joe Cason.

St. Preux didn't allow himself any disappointment at what most saw as a step back from a matchup perspective, and ran through Cason in just 72 seconds. That set up his current match with Mousasi.

"It's just a situation that worked out perfectly for me," he said. "I don't feel like I have anything to lose. I don't have my back against the wall. It's a situation where I'm the underdog for this fight anyway."

Not that he feels like an underdog. St. Preux acknowledges that Mousasi is the better striker and even the better submission fighter, but he feels the edge is his when it comes to wrestling. Above that, he feels he's simply a better fighter than Mousasi.

"People will be surprised that I say that, but we'll see what happens after the fight," he said. "We'll see if they're still surprised after the fight.

"He's one of those top fighters," he continued. "He's 31-3, he's the type of fighter who has a lot of will, he's a tough guy. So it's not like I'm going in there thinking I'm going to cakewalk all over him. I'm going in there like it's an adventure. I'm definitely going to go in there and make sure I use all my skills to the best of my ability."

The Strikeforce light-heavyweight championship is currently vacant, left behind by Dan Henderson when he moved over to the UFC. The winner of the St. Preux-Mousasi fight seems a logical choice for one-half of a future title bout. Though that hasn't been guaranteed, those are likely the stakes he's playing for.

That's a pretty good second act for a guy who grew up wanting to play in the NFL. After exhausting his eligibility at UT, St. Preux briefly tried to wedge his way into pro training camps, but wasn't able to find a situation that offered him a legitimate opportunity to make a roster.

"I always say 'I never quit football; football quit me,'" he said.

St. Preux still has his roots down in Tennessee, training at the Knoxville Martial Arts Academy, just 15 miles from Neyland Stadium, the home of UT's football Volunteers. But he sprinkles in occasional work with Team Quest in Temecula, California, and arrived in the state a week earlier than necessary in order to get in some time there before facing Mousasi.

And make no mistake about it, this is the fight he wanted. After his last win over Cason, when Strikeforce announcer Mauro Ranallo asked St. Preux what might be next for him, Mousasi's name was the first thing out of his mouth.

"Everything kind of worked out my way, and now I've got to capitalize on it," he said. "I've just got to do my job and keep on winning."

In the last two years, that's all he's done. And on Saturday, he can continue the unlikely story of going from a losing record to the verge of a major championship.